Thousands gathered at Chabad World Headquarters in Crown Heights on Wednesday to pay give Kavod Acharon to Rabbi Moshe Kotlarsky z”l, a beloved and key figure in the Chabad movement and global Jewish community. Tens of thousands more joined via live broadcast to honor the life and legacy of Rabbi Kotlarsky, who was niftar on Tuesday at the age of 74. Rabbi Kotlarsky was a pioneer of Jewish life around the globe, serving as the Vice Chairman of Merkos L’inyonei Chinuch (Chabad’s Outreach Division) and Chairman of the International Conference of Shluchim. For over 50 years, he worked tirelessly to expand the Chabad network, which now includes nearly 6,000 centers in over 110 countries.

New York’s congestion pricing plan will not begin as scheduled and appears to be postponed indefinitely, just weeks before it was set to launch. New York Governor Kathy Hochul was considering a delay to the state’s congestion pricing plan, set to take effect June 30, due to concerns it could harm Democratic candidates in competitive House races this year, multiple outlets reported late Tuesday night. Hochul and her aides have recently expressed concerns about the plan, which would charge drivers entering parts of Manhattan. Her potential move is seen as a response to worries raised by House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, who is working to regain a Democratic majority in the House.

New York lawmakers on Tuesday said they were finalizing legislation that would allow parents to block their children from getting social media posts curated by a platform’s algorithm, a move to rein in feeds that critics argue keep young users glued to their screens. Democratic Gov. Kathy Hochul and Attorney General Letitia James have been advocating for the regulations since October, facing strong pushback from the tech industry. The amended version removes provisions that would have limited the hours a child could spend on a site. With the legislative session ending this week, Albany lawmakers are making a final push to get it passed. “The algorithmic feeds are designed as dopamine for kids,” Assembly sponsor Nily Rozic, a Democrat, said Tuesday.

Democratic Rep. Andy Kim won his party’s nomination for a U.S. Senate seat Tuesday in New Jersey, setting up a general election contest against wealthy hotel operator Curtis Bashaw, who defeated a Trump-backed candidate for the Republican nomination. Incumbent Democratic Sen. Bob Menendez will also be on the ballot after declaring his intention to run as an independent on Monday in the midst of a federal corruption trial. The turmoil surrounding the embattled senator has created the possibility of a headache for Democrats in a state where they haven’t lost an election for Senate since 1972.

(By: Sandy Eller) It was an epic celebration of food at Kosherpalooza 2024, as 4,000 people flocked to the Meadowlands Exposition Center in Secaucus to see, be seen, and be part of the foodie scene. Debuting last year after the official retirement of the long-running Kosherfest food show, the theme of Kosherpalooza this year was “Back for Seconds,” the event’s lighthearted approach evident throughout the day. From a water cooler decked out in a cover that said “Use your kup,” to a purple apron available for sale at the official show swag shop that had Kosherpalooza spelled out in yellow Hebrew letters accompanied by the words of the Hadran, it was clear that while business may have been conducted on the show floor, the day was equal parts food and fun.

Donald Trump’s lawyers are asking a New York judge to lift the gag order that barred the former president from commenting about witnesses, jurors and others tied to the criminal case that led to his conviction for falsifying records to cover up a scandal. In a letter Tuesday, Trump lawyers Todd Blanche and Emil Bove asked Judge Juan M. Merchan to end the gag order, arguing there is nothing to justify “continued restrictions on the First Amendment rights of President Trump” now that the trial is over. Among other reasons, the lawyers said Trump is entitled to “unrestrained campaign advocacy” in light of President Joe Biden’s public comments about the verdict last Friday, and continued public criticism of him by his ex-lawyer Michael Cohen and a woman, both key prosecution witnesses.

Two passengers were airlifted after an incident involving a Monsey Trails bus, Tuesday afternoon. Sources confirm to YWN that a massive tree branch fell on the bus which was driving on East Shore Road in Hewitt, NJ, injuring around a dozen passengers – two of them seriously. Hatzolah from Rockland County and Kiryas Joel both responded to assist local emergency personnel with treating the victims. Two choppers landed nearby, and airlifted two victims to Hackensack Trauma Center. The bus was full, with around 56 passengers on board at the time of the crash. They appear to be girls from a Brooklyn Yeshiva on a class trip. Names for Tehillim were not available. Sources tell YWN that there was a massive storm and tornado in this area last week, leaving many tree limbs not secure.

YWN regrets to inform you of the petirah of Rabbi Moshe Kotlarsky z”l, the director of the International Conference of Chabad-Lubavitch Emissaries and Vice-Chairman of Merkos L’lnyonei Chinuch, which oversees more than 5,000 Chabad centers and educational institutions worldwide. He was 74. Rabbi Kotlarsky, a globe-trotting ambassador for the Lubavitcher Rebbe and the Chabad movement, played a pivotal role in revitalizing Jewish communities and growing Chabad institutions worldwide. Rabbi Kotlarsky was born in 1949 in Crown Heights, Brooklyn, and spent most of his life between travels and working at Lubavitch World Headquarters.

New Jersey Democrats and Republicans decide their parties’ standard-bearers Tuesday for the Senate amid the federal corruption trial in New York of New Jersey Democratic incumbent Sen. Bob Menendez, along with candidates for the presidency and House. Menendez, a longtime Democrat, filed on Monday to run as an independent. He’s not on the primary ballot. Instead, Democratic voters are deciding between Rep. Andy Kim, labor leader Patricia Campos-Medina and longtime grassroots organizer Lawrence Hamm. On the GOP side, it’s a four-way contest but southern New Jersey hotel developer Curtis Bashaw has gotten significant county party backing, and Mendham Borough Mayor Christine Serrano Glassner won former President Donald Trump’s endorsement.

Congressman Mike Lawler, who introduced the Antisemitism Awareness Act in Congress, began his keynote speech at the 50th commencement for Touro University earlier today with this quip, “Rashida Tlaib is so sorry she couldn’t be here with us today.” He followed that with impassioned words supporting Israel and encouraging the students to stand up and join him in the fight against antisemitism.   View this post on Instagram   A post shared by TheYeshivaWorld.com (@theyeshivaworld)