Just prior to Elul Zman, the Yeshivos of Chasdei Belz are reinforcing the message to maintain proper hygiene as proscribed by the Health Ministry, and have issued a directive from the Beis Din with the backing of the Belzer Rebbe. The directive was sent to all of the Chassidim of the group under the headline “A Request and A Warning.” The dayanim wrote that since we are still in a situation in which all of Am Yisrael requires mercy from heaven and the virus is still spreading, and the number of infected is rising, it is each individual’s responsibility, to take precautions and become doubly strict on the heavenly commandment of V’Nishmartem Me’od Es Nafshoseichem.

Yesterday the world suffered a tragic loss with the passing of Rabbi Dovid Oberlander, a 38-year-old father of 5 from Ashdod. Dovid & his father, renowned askan Rabbi Moshe Yosef Oberlander, were both admitted to the corona ward on the same day. Rabbi Moshe Oberlander passed away a month ago. Dovid, his only son, was not aware of his passing as he himself was unconscious on a respirator. In his life, Rabbi Dovid Oberlander was a loving father & husband, who worked in high-tech. He was instrumental in helping many other religious Jews to find similar work, enabling them to support their families.  Rav Dovid’s widow is the daughter of famous askan Rabbi Firer.

The IDF carried out airstrikes on Hamas terror targets in the Gaza Strip early Thursday morning for the eleventh consecutive night in response to the continuous launching of incendiary balloons into southern Israel by Gazan terror groups. Fires continued to rage in southern Israel on Thursday, including a fire on the train tracks in Kibbutz Erez and the seventh fire in the Kissufim forest in recent days. At least 28 fires broke out in Gaza border communities on Wednesday as a result of arson balloons launched by Hamas, causing heavy damage to agricultural fields. Over 200 fires have raged in southern Israel over the past two weeks.

Border security officers in Ben Gurion airport have noticed that dozens of passengers in the past few days, many of them Chareidim, have been presenting negative COVID-19 tests all from the same doctor at the same medical clinic. According to a report that appeared on the Ynet news website, this is likely the beginning of a new industry of falsified negative Corona tests. It is suspected that dozens of travelers have already left Israel under the pretense of not having the disease by using these falsified test reports. Kikar Shabbos reported that the clinic is located in one of the Chareidi neighborhoods in Jerusalem. It is unclear whether the doctor gave negative results to anyone who asked, or if it is simply one form that was copied and reproduced in a forged manner.

We have successfully secured Bushkill Falls Resort for this אלול זמן  We have arranged accommodations for several  hundred בחורים.  We will be learning the same  לימוד  as Mir in Yerushalayim. There will be a Chabura Hookup with Hagaon Harav Asher Arielli. The Rosh Chabura will be Harav Zev Reiss and Harav Betzalel Sofer. For more information you can contact R’ Reiss 908-330-1855  or   R’ Betzalel Sofer 732-789-2027 The registration office can be reached at  732-994-7228  or office@boneiyerushalayim.com.

R’ Yitzchak Neiman, z’l, of Beitar Illit, passed away on Thursday in Shaarei Tzedek Hospital at the age of 74, less than a week after his wife, Mrs. Ayala Neiman, a’h, passed away, also from the coronavirus, Kikar H’Shabbos reported. R’ Neiman davened at the Erlau Beis Medrash in Givah A. He was well-known to Beitar residents from his work in the local Rami Levi supermarket, where he always assisted customers with a smile on his face. R’ Yitzchak and his wife were diagnosed with the coronavirus two and a half weeks ago and were hospitalized together in Shaarei Tzedek, where Mrs. Neiman passed away on Motzei Shabbos.

They’re left without a father and , the youngest is 4 years old. , David Sher Z”l was sick with a rare genetic illness called Fabry. David had kidney failure and was nifter at age 42 after an unsuccessful kidney transplant which left Tali an almana with her 5 yisomim alone with no financial help! Click to Donate! The widow earns a mere ₪ 1500-2000 shekel a month that’s around 450$ as a preschool teacher’s assistant and is in major debts. The bank is threatening to evict them from their house if the mortgage is not paid with in 1 week. We may not stand by the side, we must help this Almana who is coping alone not only with the financial burden, but also with the emotional issues of her children who are also not going through an easy time.

The Health Ministry reported 1,637 new coronavirus cases as of Thursday morning in the previous 24 hours. There are currently 23,913 active cases, with 403 in serious condition, of whom 110 are ventilated. The death toll has risen to 789. The Knesset’s coronavirus committee convened on Thursday afternoon to discuss what measures to take regarding the upcoming Chagim in light of the continuously high coronavirus infection rate and the rising number of seriously ill coronavirus patients, which are seriously tasking the limits of Israel’s hospitals. Coronavirus czar Prof. Ronni Gamzu and National Security Adviser Meir Ben-Shabbat are reportedly in favor of imposing a nationwide lockdown over the Chagim period.

YWN regrets to inform you of the Petira of Hagaon HaRav Zalman Nechemiya Goldberg ZT”L (88), son-in-law of HaRav Shlomo Zalman Auerbach, and a major Posek in Eretz Yisroel. Rav Goldberg was the editor in chief of the Encyclopedia HaTalmudis and was the Rosh Kollel of Sadigurah – Yeshiva Daas Moshe. He was also a Dayan on the “Bais Din Hagadol”. Rav Goldberg was Niftar on Thursday at Hadassah Ein Kerem Medical Center in Jerusalem after suffering a stroke with brain hemorrhaging last week. The Levaya will be held tonight at Shamgar in Yerushalayim. Boruch Dayan Ha’Emmes… STAY WITH YWN WHATSAPP FOR BREAKING UPDATES IN LIVE TIME!  YWN WHATSAPP STATUS UPDATES: CLICK HERE to join the YWN WhatsApp Status. YWN WHATSAPP GROUPS: CLICK HERE to be dded to an official YWN WhatsApp Group.

Coronavirus brought negative changes to all of us, but it brought positive changes for many of us as well. Elul is a time for recognizing those new changes and making them permanent. That’s why the Orthodox Union is partnering with dozens of synagogues across three countries to resolve — as individuals, families, and communities — to continue some of the positive ways that we’ve coped, connected, and transcended these difficult times.  This Shabbat, August 21/22, Project Resolve Together offers an opportunity to reflect on these new realities, and be intentional about continuing them going forward.