Faizan Zaki nearly threw away his opportunity to go from runner-up to champion at the Scripps National Spelling Bee with a shocking moment of overconfidence. Given a second chance, he seized the title of best speller in the English language. The 13-year-old from Allen, Texas, who lost in a lightning-round tiebreaker last year, outlasted eight other accomplished spellers to win the title on Thursday night, including two that he let back into the competition after his own careless flub. Told to take a deep breath before his final word, “eclaircissement,” he didn’t ask a single question before spelling it correctly, and he pumped his fists and collapsed to the stage after saying the final letter.

Harrison Ruffin Tyler, the last living grandson of U.S. President John Tyler born 83 years after his grandfather left the White House in 1845, died. He was 96. The cause of Tyler’s death on Sunday was not immediately released. John Tyler was 63 years old when Harrison Tyler’s father, Lyon Gardiner Tyler Sr., was born. And Harrison Ruffin Tyler was born in 1928 when that father was 75 years old and the presidential grandfather had been dead for more than 60 years. The grandson was known for preserving his grandfather’s plantation and nearby Civil War fort.

It was announced today that the Gerer Rebbe will be traveling to the United States to take part in the monumental Keren Olam HaTorah initiative.
The Rebbe is expected to arrive in New York for the week of Parshas Shelach, joining a massive effort to raise over $100 million for yeshivos and kollelim in Eretz Yisroel, which have been deeply impacted by recent government budget slashes.
The Rebbe’s participation in the campaign highlights the unprecedented unity being forged across the Torah world.

A deeply moving tefillah gathering was held on the eve of Rosh Chodesh Sivan at the kever of the Shelah HaKadosh in Tiveria, organized by the Vaad HaRabbanim L’Inyanei Tzedakah B’Eretz HaKodesh. Gedolei Yisroel and roshei yeshiva from across the country came together, reciting the Tefillas HaShelah.
The highlight of the event came during the fiery and emotional address delivered by the renowned mashpia, Rav Elimelech Biderman. With heartfelt words that stirred the crowd, he spoke about the power of the moment and the holiness of the place.

It is with great sadness that Matzav.com reports the passing of Rabbi Getzel Segal z”l, a devoted askan, loyal Agudist, and passionate servant of the tzibbur, who dedicated his life to hachzokas haTorah and strengthening Yiddishkeit.
Rabbi Segal was the son of the legendary tzaddik, Rav Yehuda Zev Segal zt”l, the Manchester Rosh Yeshiva. He was steeped in the hashkafah and values of his illustrious father, which guided his every endeavor.

In a powerful address delivered this week at the Ponovezh Kollel in Bnei Brak, Rav Tzvi Drebkin, Rosh Yeshiva of Grodno in Be’er Yaakov, offered words of chizuk for Shavuos, focusing on the challenges of our generation, particularly the overwhelming flood of information confronting all of us.
Rav Drebkin spoke about Klal Yisroel’s elevated capacity to receive the Torah, before turning to the modern reality of non-stop news and information flowing from every corner of the globe. He warned that the constant exposure to media, current events, and chatter can dull one’s spiritual senses.

A new study published Tuesday reveals a troubling decline in the mental and physical health of mothers in the United States, with only about one in four moms reporting “excellent” mental health. The research, detailed in the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA) Internal Medicine, highlights a 63% increase in mothers reporting fair or poor mental health from 2016 to 2023, underscoring a growing public health concern. The study, which analyzed self-reported health trends among female parents, found that just 25% of U.S. moms rated their mental health as excellent, a sharp drop from previous years.