With broken hearts, Matzav.com reports the tragic petirah of Yaakov Yisroel Jurkanski z”l, a one-and-a-half-year-old child who was tragically struck and killed by a vehicle on Wednesday afternoon in Fallsburg, New York.
Yaakov Yisroel, a son of Reb Reuven Jurkanski, was a grandson of Rav Elya Ber Wachtfogel, rosh yeshiva of Yeshiva Gedolah Zichron Moshe of South Fallsburg.
The incident occurred on Laurel Park Road. Emergency personnel from Hatzolah arrived swiftly and did everything in their power to save his life, but, tragically, their efforts were to no avail.
The levayah will take place this evening, at 8:00 p.m., at Har Shalom Cemetery in Airmont, NY.

In a development few anticipated, major philanthropists from the Litvishe community have joined the fundraising efforts of the Olam HaTorah campaign initiated by the Gerrer chassidus. The campaign, launched during the current visit of the Gerrer Rebbe to the United States, has rapidly gained momentum and expanded its reach far beyond the Gerrer circles.
The shift came into public view after the Gerrer Rebbe paid a condolence visit to the home of the late philanthropist Rav Avrohom Noach Klein z”l. The next stop on the Rebbe’s itinerary was the home of Rav Shmuel Dovid Shapiro, a well-known supporter of Torah who had recently pledged $1 million to the Gerrer fund.

Agudah’s Rabbi Avi Schnall gives an update on efforts to get a monumental, $5 billion national school choice tax credit bill past the Senate and signed into law.

U.S. Senator Tom Cotton says Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth confirmed earlier today that Iran is actively pursuing a nuclear weapon.

The US has now ordered all embassies in striking distance of Iran to convene emergency action committees & send cables back to DC about what measures they are taking to mitigate risks.

SOUTH FALLSBURG, NY — A heartbreaking tragedy struck the South

In a heartbreaking tragedy, the Yeshiva of South Fallsburg community is mourning the loss of a 19-month-old child who was struck and killed by a vehicle on Wednesday afternoon. The child, Yaakov Yisroel Jurkansky, is an einikel of Hagaon Harav Elya Ber Wachtfogel, the Rosh Yeshiva of Yeshiva of South Fallsburg, and a son of Reb Reuven Jurkanski. The incident occurred just after 2:30 p.m. at the intersection of Estate Drive and Laurel Park Road in the Catskills. Catskills Hatzolah paramedics responded swiftly, doing everything in their power to save the young child’s life. Tragically, their efforts were unsuccessful, and the child was Niftar. Misaskim and Chesed Shel Emes are on the scene, ensuring proper kavod hames for the niftar.

A high-stakes meeting between chareidi representatives and the Knesset’s legal adviser, Sagit Afik, ended in a dramatic breakdown Wednesday evening, as negotiations over the proposed draft law failed to yield any agreement.
According to a participant in the meeting, the discussion reached a dead end. “We feel like there’s no one to talk to,” the source said. Former minister Ariel Atias, who has been spearheading the draft law talks on behalf of the chareidi parties, stormed out of the room in anger.

During his court appearance on Wednesday morning, Israeli Prime Minister Bibi Netanyahu informed the judges that he was feeling unwell. The trial session, which had just begun, was promptly cut short after only thirty minutes due to his condition.
Even so, Netanyahu was still expected to make his way to the Knesset later in the day to cast his vote opposing the opposition’s proposal to dissolve the parliament.
Two days earlier, during the third round of Netanyahu’s cross-examination at the Tel Aviv District Court, his attorney, Adv. Amit Hadad, asked for the hearing to wrap up early—specifically by 1:45 p.m.—citing what he referred to as “an important diplomatic call.”