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Weddings scheduled for Sunday evening across New York and New Jersey have been moved up by several hours, with nearly all simchos rescheduled to the afternoon, as a powerful winter storm threatened to bring full blizzard conditions to the region tonight into Monday.

Event halls and caterers have confirmed that all simchos originally set for Sunday night were shifted earlier in the day in an effort to allow guests to travel home safely before conditions deteriorate. With forecasts calling for heavy snowfall, damaging winds, and near-zero visibility, families made last-minute adjustments to avoid the peak of the storm. (See invitations below.)

The annual dinners of Mesivta of Long Beach and Yeshiva Gedolah of Passaic have been cancelled.

The Links Strings Concert, scheduled to be held tonight in New Jersey, has been rescheduled for Tuesday, February 24.

In Lakewood, NJ, Yeshiva Ohr Yehuda cancelled their annual dinner, which was to be held tonight, and Mesivta Ohr Chaim Meir has moved their dinner up to the afternoon.

A major winter system is expected to slam New York City and the broader Tri-State area beginning this afternoon, intensifying rapidly after sunset. Eyewitness News Meteorologist Jeff Smith warned that the storm could rank among the most significant snow events the region has experienced in years.

Forecasters say the storm could be the largest snowmaker to strike the area since January 2016, when New York City recorded its biggest snowstorm on record. The last blizzard warning issued for the region was in March 2017, underscoring how unusual this event is. Meteorologists describe the system as a powerful convergence of energy from the Ohio Valley colliding with moisture from the Gulf of Mexico and the Atlantic Ocean, producing a storm that resembles a winter hurricane.

By midday today, steadier snow is forecast to develop, especially from New York City south and west, with visibility beginning to drop. After sunset, temperatures will fall and the storm is expected to rapidly strengthen offshore, drawing intense snow bands directly into the region.

Meteorologists warn that snowfall rates could reach 2 to 3 inches per hour, with some areas seeing those heavy bands linger overhead for extended periods.

Most of the Tri-State area is projected to receive between 12 and 18 inches of snow. Localized totals could climb to 24 inches or more where the heaviest bands stall, particularly across Long Island and parts of the Jersey Shore. Areas farther north and west, including the Poconos and Catskills, are expected to see lower totals in the 8- to 12-inch range due to less direct access to the storm’s core moisture.

Blizzard warnings are in effect for Long Island, all five boroughs of New York City, Westchester and Rockland counties, coastal Connecticut, and much of New Jersey.

The storm meets the criteria for a blizzard, with winds expected to gust at 35 mph or higher, heavy snowfall, and visibility reduced to less than a quarter mile for at least three consecutive hours. Forecasters say the region could experience 10 to 12 hours of true blizzard conditions Sunday night into Monday.

Winds will steadily increase throughout Sunday, peaking overnight with gusts exceeding 40 mph across much of the region and potentially reaching 60 mph on Long Island. The combination of strong winds and wet, heavy snow raises the risk of downed trees and widespread power outages.

Road conditions are expected to worsen quickly Sunday evening. Officials warn that the Monday morning commute may be nearly impossible in some locations.

Snow is forecast to taper off Monday afternoon, though gusty winds and areas of blowing snow will continue to create hazardous conditions.

Temperatures will turn colder and breezy on Tuesday as cleanup efforts begin. Another system could approach midweek, though early projections indicate it will be significantly weaker than the current storm.

{Matzav.com}

Officers from Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps have assumed a leading role within Hezbollah as preparations intensify for a potential confrontation involving the United States and Israel, according to a report by Saudi outlet Al-Arabiya. At the same time, Lebanese political figures were said to be voicing alarm over the possibility that their country could be pulled into a broader regional war.

Citing sources described as close to Hezbollah, Al-Arabiya reported that several IRGC officers recently arrived in Lebanon from Iran and are now overseeing efforts to restore the group’s military strength. Hezbollah’s capabilities were heavily damaged during 14 months of hostilities with Israel that concluded with a ceasefire in November 2024, and the Iranian officers have reportedly been tasked with rebuilding those assets.

The unnamed sources said the Iranian personnel have been conducting direct briefings for Hezbollah members throughout Lebanon. They also claimed that IRGC officers were meeting with operatives from Hezbollah’s missile division at a facility in the Beqaa Valley that was struck overnight by Israeli forces. The wave of airstrikes reportedly left at least 50 people wounded and 12 dead, including a senior Hezbollah commander. The IDF said the strikes targeted Hamas and Hezbollah command centers.

Sources aligned with Hezbollah told Al-Arabiya that a broader Israeli assault on Lebanon is inevitable and could occur at any time.

The developments unfolded as US President Donald Trump has bolstered American military deployments in the region and has repeatedly warned that those forces could be used against Iran. Initially, his threats focused on Tehran’s harsh suppression of anti-regime protests last month, but more recently they have centered on Iran’s nuclear activities.

Hebrew-language media outlets have reported that Israel is preparing to coordinate military action with the United States and believes it could come under Iranian attack if Washington launches strikes on Iran.

The Kan public broadcaster reported last night that Israeli officials have detected preparations by Hezbollah, particularly within its rocket units, to carry out attacks in the event Iran is targeted. According to the report, Hezbollah could join forces with the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, Iranian-backed Shiite militias in Iraq, and Yemen’s Houthi rebels in striking Israel.

Haaretz, citing unnamed Israeli military officials, reported that recent Israeli air raids against Hezbollah positions were designed to weaken the organization’s operational capacity in anticipation of possible hostilities. On Friday, at least 10 people were reported killed and 50 injured in Israeli strikes in eastern Lebanon after the Israel Defense Forces said it had targeted Hezbollah command centers.

Channel 12 news reported that Trump was leaning toward attacking Iran, but had agreed to a request from his envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner to give Iran another day or two to submit a proposal in the indirect US-Iran nuclear negotiations that commenced earlier this month.

An unnamed US official was quoted by the network saying that the 10- to 15-day deadline Trump gave Iran on Thursday was “not scientific.”

Trump has demanded Iran give up entirely on its nuclear enrichment program, but is reportedly open to letting the Islamic Republic preserve some “token” enrichment capabilities.

Last month in Lebanon, Hezbollah leader Naim Qassem addressed pro-Iran demonstrators and declared that the group would not remain neutral if the United States attacked Iran, though he did not directly threaten Israel.

In a separate report this week, the Ynet news site, without citing sources, said Iran was urging Hezbollah to join it in combat should war break out with Israel. The report added that the IDF has formulated a plan to “significantly strike” Hezbollah and has conveyed to the group “that if it decides to intervene, this time the blow will be very painful.”

Yesterday, Lebanese outlet Nidaa al-Watan, which is critical of Hezbollah, cited “prominent political sources” as saying that Beirut must formally declare neutrality in the event of a US-Iran conflict and prevent Hezbollah from drawing Lebanon into another war with Israel.

“Hezbollah thought it could confuse Israel and the US by saying it would not be neutral if Iran were struck, so Israel responded by saying that as soon as it’s informed by Washington of the zero hour, it will preemptively strike Hezbollah. Israel won’t let Hezbollah have the initiative,” Nidaa al-Watan quoted its sources as saying. “Hezbollah will drag Lebanon into this war.”

Hezbollah, once a dominant power within Lebanon’s political system, has seen its influence reduced since January 2025, when Lebanon’s US- and Saudi-backed President Joseph Aoun, a former army chief, took office. Aoun has pledged to enforce the state’s exclusive authority over weapons, an implicit challenge to Hezbollah’s vast independent arsenal.

{Matzav.com}

In a wide-ranging and unusually candid interview, U.S. Special Envoy to the Middle East Steve Witkoff told Fox News that Iran could, in theory, be “about a week away” from enriching uranium to weapons-grade levels. “They’re probably a week away from having industrial-grade bomb-making material. And that’s really dangerous,” he said. Yet the warning came with […]

At the direct order of Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu, a session of the Knesset’s Ministerial Committee for Legislation scheduled for Sunday morning was canceled in order to block the advancement of a bill to preserve the kedusha of the Kosel, including the southern section. The bill, proposed by Noam chairman Avi Moaz, would amend the […]

JPMorgan Chase disclosed that it terminated more than 50 bank accounts connected to President Donald Trump shortly after he left office following his first term.

The bank confirmed Friday that “more than 50 Trump accounts” were shut down in February 2021, just weeks after the January 6, 2021, riot at the Capitol, according to The New York Times.

The disclosure came after Trump “and the Trump Organization” filed a lawsuit in January against JPMorgan Chase and its chief executive, Jamie Dimon, alleging that the bank had improperly cut off the president’s access to financial services, the newspaper reported.

According to the report, the accounts JPMorgan allegedly “debanked” included those tied to “for Trump hotels, housing developments and retail shops” across multiple states, in addition to “Trump’s personal private banking relationship that handled his inheritance:”

The accounts included those for Trump hotels, housing developments and retail shops in Illinois, Florida and New York, as well as Mr. Trump’s personal private banking relationship that handled his inheritance from his father, according to letter filed to the court.

In correspondence submitted to the court, JPMorgan did not provide a detailed explanation for the widespread closures. In one unsigned note to Mr. Trump, dated Feb. 19, 2021, the bank wrote that he would need to “find a more suitable institution with which to conduct business.”

Breitbart News’s John Nolte reported, Trump’s attorneys filed a $5 billion lawsuit against JPMorgan and Dimon, claiming that the institution debanked several of his accounts:

The lawsuit says that on February 19, 2021, Trump received notice, “without warning or provocation,” that several of his and his company’s bank accounts would be closed “just two months later, on April 19, 2021.

“In essence, JPMC debanked plaintiff’s accounts because it believed that the political tide at the moment favored doing so,” the lawsuit claims.

Before JPMorgan publicly acknowledged the account closures, the bank had sought to shift “the case be moved from Florida state court… to a federal court in New York,” according to the NYT.

{Matzav.com}

A grave incident occurred in the Chevron Hills area on Friday when a Jewish farm owner was violently attacked by Arabs from the village of Bani Na’im. The incident—which appeared to be a planned ambush in the farm’s grazing areas—began when the Arabs arrived and tried to drive away the farm’s shepherd. The shepherd alerted […]

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It is with great sadness that Matzav.com reports the petirah of Rebbetzin Rochel Zuckerman a”h, the devoted wife of Rav Aharon Zuckerman, rov of Khal Zichron Pinchos in Lakewood, NJ.

Rebbetzin Zuckerman was known to all who merited to know her as a woman of deep kindness, refinement, and strength. She embodied warmth and sincerity, greeting each person with a gentle smile and a listening ear. Her life was defined by chesed, compassion, and an unwavering dedication to Torah and to Klal Yisroel.

As a rebbetzin, she stood steadfastly at her husband’s side, supporting his harbotzas haTorah and rabbonus with devotion. Whether during their years in Brooklyn or later in Lakewood, she played an essential role in supporting her husband. Her home was open to all, a place of comfort, guidance, and encouragement. With dignity and humility, she carried the responsibilities of a rebbetzin, always seeking to uplift others.

She is survived by her husband, Rav Aharon Zuckerman; her children, Rabbi Yitzchok Zuckerman (Monsey), Rabbi Pinchos Zuckerman (Detroit), Rabbi Shlomo Chaim Zuckerman (Brooklyn), Rabbi Mayer Zuckerman (Jackson), Rabbi Eli Zuckerman (Passaic), Mrs. Roizy Nadoff (Lakewood), Rabbi Baruch Zuckerman (Lakewood), Rabbi Avraham Yeshaya Zuckerman (Lakewood), Mrs. Shaindy Trenk (Lakewood), and Mrs. Yenta Chaya Moldaver (Lakewood); and many grandchildren. She is also survived by her siblings, Mrs. Sarah Bleich (Brooklyn), Mrs. Itty Mendelson (Brooklyn), Rabbi Shmuel Lew (London), and Rabbi Luzzy Lew (Lakewood).

The levayah will be held Sunday morning at 9 a.m. at Khal Zichron Pinchos, located at 145 Flintlock Drive in Lakewood, NJ.

Yehi zichrah boruch.

{Matzav.com}

Multiple events planned for Sunday – including local weddings and the Mesivta of Long Beach dinner – have been rescheduled due to the impending blizzard.

In the latest setback to return astronauts to the moon, NASA delayed the highly anticipated flight yet again after a new problem cropped up with the rocket Saturday. April is now the earliest that the four Artemis II astronauts could fly to the moon. NASA revealed the latest problem just one day after targeting March […]

This is not just another story; it is a real case of פיקוח נפש! The Mirrer Rosh Yeshiva, Rav Binyamin Finkel, Rav Yitzchak Ezrachi, and the “Chafetz Chaim of the Generation,” Rav Yitzchak Kolodetzky, issue a bone-shaking call: “The home is disintegrating. The medical crisis and distress have reached the level of פיקוח נפש. It is […]

it is with great sadness that Matzav.comreports the the passing of renowned philanthropist and devoted patron of Torah and chessed Rabbi Yehuda Friedlander z”l, who was niftar over Shabbos at the age of 90.

Rabbi Friedlander, widely respected as one of the foremost benefactors of the Vizhnitzer and Sadigura courts, was known for his vast charitable contributions.

Throughout his life, Rabbi Friedlander divided his time between the Jewish community in Brazil — which he helped build and strengthen — and Yerushalayim, where he settled in his later years. His reputation as a generous supporter of thousands of Torah and charitable institutions preceded him, yet his heart was especially bound to the holy courts of Vizhnitz and Sadigura.

Within Vizhnitz, he was regarded as a central member of the chassidus’ board of trustees. His name is prominently associated with the grand and majestic Vizhnitz beis medrash in Beitar Illit, which he funded and dedicated from his personal wealth out of deep attachment to his rebbe, the Vizhnitzer Rebbe.

Rabbi Friedlander also maintained a profound and enduring relationship with the Sadigura court. He enjoyed close ties with the previous Sadigura Rebbe, and that connection continued with even greater strength with the current Sadigura Rebbe.

Beyond his financial generosity and acts of righteousness, Rabbi Friedlander was known for his rare diligence in limud haTorah. Just a month ago, an acquaintance recounted a moving example that illustrated his character. During a flight to the United States lasting more than ten hours, the 90-year-old philanthropist sat with a sefer open before him, immersed in learning without interruption or rest for the duration of the journey, like a young man in the prime of his strength.

The levayah was held at the main beis medrash in Kiryat Vizhnitz and proceeded to the Kfar Nachman cemetery in Ra’anana for kevurah.

Shivah will be observed at the home of his daughter, the Shargovitz family, at 2 HaHagana Street in Ra’anana.

Yehi zichro boruch.

{Matzav.com}

At least 1,557 people held in Venezuela for political reasons have submitted their applications under an amnesty bill that was signed into law this week and are expected to be released from prison, authorities said Saturday. Thursday’s measure is expected to benefit opposition members, activists, human rights defenders, journalists and many others detained for months […]

Purim is not just another Yom Tov — it is an eis ratzon of extraordinary rachamim, a day when the gates of Shamayim are flung open and tefillos pierce the heavens. Chazal teach that “Kol haposhayt yad nosnim lo” — on Purim, we give to all who extend their hand. It is a day when […]

Peak excitement has gripped Toldos Aharon. With the arrival of the month of Adar, the dam has burst in the chassidus. Eighty-three couples celebrated their engagements over the past week, with nearly every home in the neighborhood marking a family simchah. And behind it all lies a closely guarded secret that the mechutanim kept in their hearts throughout the winter so as not to disturb the shteiging in the Toldos Aharon yeshiva.

In recent years, the chassidus instituted a well-known rule that second-year talmidim in the Toldos Aharon yeshiva gedolah do not enter the shidduch world before the month of Adar. As a result, the end of this past week saw an extraordinary outpouring of simcha.

A fascinating detail reveals the depth of discipline: in some cases, even when a shidduch was finalized during the winter months, the matter was kept strictly confidential. The mechutanim, the chosson, and the kallah guarded the secret carefully and did not reveal it to anyone, not even to their closest family members.

All of this was done to preserve the concentration of the chosson’s fellow talmidim in yeshiva and to prevent any disruption to the learning. Only with the arrival of Adar was the news made public. Then, all at once, families learned of the joyous occasions.

In the official community bulletin released ahead of Shabbos, chassidim were informed of the staggering figure: No fewer than 83 shidduchim were completed in a single week among members of the community, bli ayin hara. (See the listings below.)

The reality on the ground is remarkable. There is hardly a family in the chassidus that does not have a first-degree relative, brother-in-law, or cousin who celebrated a l’chaim this week. The streets of Meah Shearim and its alleyways have turned into one continuous parade of mazel tov platters, flowers, and the sounds of singing emanating from homes.

The focal point of the celebrations is, of course, the residence of the Rebbe of Toldos Aharon, where the mechutanim hold their l’chaim gatherings.

The successful model of Toldos Aharon has, in recent years, spread to additional chassidishe yeshivos. At the Rachmastrivka yeshiva and other prominent chassidic institutions, roshei yeshiva have likewise implemented the rule that the winter term is dedicated solely to limud haTorah.

{Matzav.com}

Major airports in the Northeast have begun preemptively canceling flights ahead of the arrival of an impactful nor’easter forecast to slam the region. According to data from FlightAware, over 3,000 flights have been canceled across the Northeast’s major travel hubs so far. Cancellations and delays are expected to continue to mount as we inch closer […]

Ahead of the snowstorm, Chaveirim of Central Jersey is recruiting volunteers with SUVs who are willing and available to assist the community throughout the storm with essential transportation needs. If you have an SUV and are able to help, please click the link below to sign up. https://forms.gle/vKfp6MmzU9dxb2nA6

A mix of rain and snow will start Sunday morning. Temperatures drop late Sunday afternoon and snow will start to stick Sunday evening. Snowfall rates of 1-2 inches per hour and increasing winds will greatly reduce visibility and potentially reach blizzard criteria (especially in Suffolk County) into Monday morning. The big differences in this storm […]

As of Motzei Shabbos, forecasts showed at least a foot of snow is expected for the five boroughs, along with central Jersey and Nassau County on Long Island. More is certainly in the cards. Some farther east on Long Island and down the Jersey Shore could see well more. Maybe even two feet. Totals have […]