Tuesday, Gimmel Tammuz 5784 (July, 9, 2024), marks the 30th yahrtzeit of the Lubavitcher Rebbe, HaRav Menachem Mendel Schneerson זי”ע. The days surrounding the Yartheit are being marked by people in every corner of the world who have been touched by the Rebbe’s love, his profound teachings and by the 6,000 Shluchim couples he sent to invigorate and revitalize Jewish life in more than 100 countries and thousands of cities. During more than 40 years at the helm of the Chabad-Lubavitch movement, the Rebbe dedicated himself to teaching, guiding and inspiring Jews and Jewish communities around the world.

Yankie Meyer z”l, the founder of Misaskim, was larger than life. For two decades, he ran Misaskim and Yedid single-handedly. Since his passing, the Board of Directors, staff, and volunteers have been working together to perpetuate his legacy and continue being a rock of support for those who are facing tragedy and loss. Now, Misaskim is pleased to welcome a new CEO, Matis Soffer, who will bez”H help them fill and expand their vital role in the community. He is there to propel Yedid and Misaskim forward by leading the organization and facilitating strategic growth. Matis Soffer grew up in Long Beach and now resides in Flatbush. He served as the CEO of his late father’s company, Quality Frozen Foods, for many years.

Inmates at New York City’s Rikers Island are suing the city claiming they were trapped in their cells during a jailhouse fire that injured 20 people last year. The lawsuit filed Friday in federal court in Manhattan said the 15 men were among those kept locked in their rooms by corrections officers as a fire burned through a housing unit for people with acute medical conditions requiring infirmary care or Americans with Disabilities Act-compliant housing. It claims the men “choked on toxic black smoke, some vomiting, some losing consciousness, all gasping for air” while corrections department staffers fled to safety.

New Jersey Sen. Bob Menendez said he chose not to testify Wednesday at his New York trial because he believes prosecutors failed to prove “every aspect” of the bribery case against him, a decision that cleared the way for closing arguments as early as Monday. Lawyers for the Democrat rested their case after calling several witnesses over two days to counter seven weeks of testimony and hundreds of exhibits and communications introduced by Manhattan federal prosecutors. Menendez, 70, maintains he is not guilty of charges that he accepted hundreds of thousands of dollars in gold and cash from 2018 through 2022 in exchange for using his clout in the Senate to deliver favors benefiting three New Jersey businessmen. Judge Sidney H.

Police in upstate New York tackled and then shot a 13-year-old boy to death after he pointed what turned out to be a BB gun at officers during a foot chase. Utica officials released body camera footage of Friday night’s shooting on Saturday and held a contentious public meeting attended by the teen’s family and other members of their local refugee community. The state attorney general’s office is investigating and the police officers involved have been placed on leave, as is protocol during such shootings. Here’s what you need to know. What happened? The shooting happened at around 10 p.m. on a residential street in Utica, an old industrial city about 240 miles (400 kilometers) northwest of Manhattan that sits along the Mohawk River at the foot of the Adirondack Mountains.

How much are talmidim capable of? A group of young bochurim had the privilege of meeting this week with two esteemed Roshei Yeshiva, where they demonstrated their astounding accomplishments in Torah learning. The 13-14 year old boys had just completed two years of learning in Mechina L’Mesivta of Crown Heights, under the leadership of Rabbi Yitzchok Wolf. Geared toward advanced learners, the small 7th and 8th program offers students an opportunity to learn on a much higher level than usual, quantitatively and qualitatively.

The Appellate Division Third Department issued a 4-1 ruling this morning on the yeshiva case that challenged portions of the State Education Department regulations. YWN readers will recall that the Albany Supreme Court struck down portions of the regulations that would have allowed the State to close and penalize nonpublic schools that were determined to be less than substantially equivalent. Today’s decision began by rejecting the State’s argument that the yeshivas did not have standing to challenge the regulations.  The court held that “It is undisputed that the petitioner yeshivas will be directly subject to the regulations.

A brazen daytime robbery at a Flatbush store was foiled thanks to the lightning-fast response of Flatbush Shomrim and the NYPD. According to YWN sources, an individual armed with a knife entered “Judaica Place” on Avenue M between Ocean Avenue and East 19th Street, and threatened the store staff. The suspect then emptied the cash register, but a quick-thinking woman in the store immediately called the Flatbush Shomrim for help – dooming the suspect. Shomrim responded in mere seconds, simultaneously alerting the NYPD to the situation. The suspect was quickly apprehended on Avenue M and East 18th Street, with the stolen cash and the knife used in the robbery still in his possession. The suspect was quickly taken into custody by responding NYPD officers. (YWN World Headquarters – NYC)

Hatzalah members and vehicle from many neighborhoods in NYC turned out to give Kavod Achron to R’ Yonason Gruenzweig Z”L, one of the founding members of Chevra Hatzalah. R’ Yonason was a visionary who, through sheer will and unimaginable efforts, assisted in establishing Chevra Hatzalah as the force of good it has become today, and which has benefitted countless people over the years. The Niftar was known many years ago as “W-5”, which refers to “Williamsburg 5”, which is the neighborhood that the concept of Hatzolah as we know it today, was founded in by Reb Herschel Weber. R’ Yonason is survived by dorei doros of askanim and bnei torah, who follow in his footsteps of dedications and devotion to others.

Everett Fortune, the 35-year security chief at Yeshiva Darchei Torah in Far Rockaway, has passed away following a lengthy battle with serious illness. Fortune was deeply beloved by the yeshiva and its students, and although he was not involved in the school’s education per se, his passing still leaves a void that will be sorely missed. Over the course of his career at Darchei, Everett became a friend, confidant, and ally to everyone at the school he came in contact with, forging bonds with literally thousands of students, teachers and staff members, who say that he made a lifelong positive impact on them. Sources tell YWN that the Darchei yeshiva had planned to bring out the entire Yeshiva (thousands of people) to pay their respects as the coffin would drive past.