San Francisco’s Board of Supervisors voted Tuesday to give newly elected Mayor Daniel Lurie greater powers and flexibility to expedite the city’s response to a fentanyl crisis that has turned sidewalks into open-air dens of drug consumption and homelessness. The board voted 10-1 to eliminate competitive bidding requirements for some contracts and allow the administration to solicit private donations to quickly add 1,500 shelter beds and hire more public safety and behavioral health specialists. Lurie, a Levi Strauss heir and anti-poverty nonprofit founder who had never held elective office until he squashed Mayor London Breed’s reelection bid last year, celebrated the win. On the campaign trail, he had pledged to work with supervisors to tackle the critical issue.

Just last night, Rabbi Levi Yitzchok Wolosow Z”L a shliach who directed adult education at Chabad of Manalapan, stood on stage at a major concert, singing alongside Avraham Fried in a powerful moment of inspiration. He sang the words from Tehillim (42:3): Tzama Nafshi “When will I come and appear before Hashem?” – a chilling verse in hindsight. The crowd applauded, and Fried was visibly moved by his voice. Today, heartbreakingly, he is no longer with us. Rabbi Wolosow Z”L, a dedicated Chabad Shliach in New Jersey, passed away suddenly on Monday, 5 Shvat 5785, at the age of 43. He was known for his warmth, kindness, and commitment to teaching and inspiring others.

Ian Epstein was one of the 67 victims of the tragic mid-air collision over a Washington, D.C. airport was. He was a flight attendant and a member of Charlotte, North Carolina’s Jewish community. His Levaya is scheduled for Wednesday at Chabad of Charlotte. “Our Charlotte Jewish Community mourns the loss of Ian Douglas Epstein O.B.M. יצחק דוד בן זלמן מסטל ז״ל,” Chabad of Charlotte shared on Facebook. “Ian was a flight attendant on flight 5342, which tragically went down in Washington D.C. on Wednesday, January 29th. The funeral service will be held on Wednesday, February 5th at 2:00pm at Chabad of Charlotte 6619 Sardis Road.” (YWN World Headquarters – NYC)

YWN regrets to inform you of the Petira of Chazzan Bentzion Miller Z”L, one of the greatest and most prestigious Chazzanim in the world in the past 45 years. He was 77. Reb Bentzion, a longtime resident of Boro Park, was born in a displaced persons (DP) camp in Ferenwald, Germany. Like his father Reb Aharon Daniel Z”L, he eventually became a Shochet, Mohel and a Chazzan, and was from a family of Bobover Chassidim. He held held positions in Montreal at Sheves Achim Synagogue on Côte-des-Neiges, then in Toronto at Shaarei Tefillah Synagogue on Bathurst Street, in Canada.

YWN regrets to inform you of the Petira of R’ Yaakov Montag Z”L, a longtime resident of Flatbush. He was approximately 75 years old. Reb Yankel was a giant in Chesed and spent his life helping those in need in a quiet, unassuming way. He was involved in building dozens of Shuls and Mosdos, including Chaim Berlin, Camp Morris, Yeshiva of Brooklyn, Veretzky, Novaminsk, Torah Temimah and many, many more. He helped thousands upon thousands of Mishpachos with so many acts of kindness, that one would need to write a book to document them. Among his many business dealings, he was most famous for being one of the owners of Aura Electric on New Utrecht Avenue in Boro Park. In recent years, he relocated to Lakewood.

The Jewish community of Elizabeth, New Jersey, and beyond is mourning the petirah of Rav Elazar Mayer Teitz, zt”l, the rav of the city and leader of the Jewish Educational Center (JEC). Rav Teitz was 89 years old. A son of the late Rav Pinchas Mordechai Teitz, who served as the pioneering rav of Elizabeth from 1935 until his passing in 1995, Rav Elazar Mayer carried forward his father’s legacy of Torah, education, and communal leadership. Born in 1935, he displayed remarkable Torah scholarship from a young age, earning semicha from Rav Isaac Halevi Herzog, the Chief Rabbi of Israel. In addition to his rabbinic studies, he pursued advanced degrees in mathematics and education. In 1958, he joined his father in guiding the community, eventually succeeding him as mara d’asra of Elizabeth.

Reb Binyamin Rothman, z’l, of Nof Ayalon was niftar on Thursday at the age of 87. He was the father of HaGaon HaRav Natan Rothman, a renowned marbitz Torah at Wolfson Yeshivah in Bayit Vegan, a Rosh Kollel and the mechaber of Sharei Daas and many other sefarim. His other son is Religious Zionism MK Simcha Rothman, the head of Knesset’s Constitution Committee. The niftar was known as a beloved person who pursued tzedaka and chessed, davened fervently, and was mechaneich his children to yiras and ahavas Hashem. He left behind his wife, sons, daughters, and grandchildren. The levaya was held on Thursday afternoon at Shamgar and the kevurah took place at Har Hamenuchos. תהא נשמתו צרורה בצרור החיים. (YWN Israel Desk – Jerusalem)

YWN regrets to inform you of the petira of Rav Yehuda Oelbaum zt”l, a lifelong mechanech who dedicated his life to molding bnei torah and transmitting the Mesorah to future generations. Rabbi Oelbaum, who served as the menahel of Machon Bais Yaakov in Boro Park and spent 30 years as the head of learning in Camp Munk, has left behind a profound legacy. Rabbi Oelbaum was a beloved father to a family of talmidei chachomim and mechanchim, including his sons Dovid, Avrohom, Eliyahu, Yitzchok, and Shlomo Oelbaum. He was also the father of Miriam Kamenetzky a”h, Tzivi Goldstein, Esty Rosenberg, Chani Rajchenbach, and Sori Saks, each of whom continues his legacy of dedication to Torah and chesed. The levaya will take place at Shomrei Hadas at 11:00 AM, with kevura to follow in Eretz Yisroel.

YWN regrets to inform you of the petira of HaRav Moshe Tzvi Zoberman zt”l, a renowned and longtime maggid shiur in Boro Park. He was a son of the Yardinover Rav, HaRav Elkana Zoberman zt”l, and a son-in-law of the Gamzu Rav, HaRav Avraham Baruch Rosenberger zt”l. A massive talmid chochom who delivered shiurim to thousands at Bobov and Shomrei Hadas for years, he was ultimately forced to stop after becoming severely ill. Despite being bedridden, he continued to inspire thousands through recorded shiurim. He was niftar Wednesday morning at 72, leaving behind a legacy of Torah and a distinguished family. The levaya took place at 10:00 AM at the Bobov Beis HaMedrash on 48th Street and 15th Avenue. The Kevura was held in the Bobover Beis Hachaim in Monmouth Junction, NJ.

Avraham Massias Z”L, a 22-year-old Talmid at the Yesodot Hatorah yeshiva in Tel Aviv, was Niftar suddenly on Thursday while heading home for Shabbos. The tragic incident occurred around 5:00 p.m. at a bus stop near the yeshiva. According to eyewitnesses, Massias collapsed suddenly. A fellow Bochrim at the scene began CPR, and paramedics from Magen David Adom (MDA) continued resuscitation efforts. Despite their attempts, Massias was Niftar after being transported to Ichilov Hospital. Sources close to the family revealed that earlier on Thursday morning, Massias called his father to report chest pains but declined his father’s offer to pick him up or take him to a doctor. He assured his father that he would come home for Shabbos and go to a doctor.