It is with great sadness that Matzav.com reports the petirah of Mrs. Sarah Zicherman a”h, the wife of noted philanthropist and marbitz Torah Rav Wolf Zicherman, rosh hakahal of the Munkatcher kehillah in the United States. She was 77 years old.
Mrs. Zicherman had battled a serious illness over the past two years.
She was born to her father, Reb Betzalel Farkash, who was counted among the prominent and respected chassidim of Satmar. Raised in a home of deep Torah values and chessed, she carried those qualities with her throughout her life.
Upon reaching marriageable age, she married Reb Zev Wolf Zicherman, author of the seforim Otzar Pela’os HaTorah. Throughout the decades of their marriage, she stood faithfully at her husband’s side in his many charitable endeavors and in his tireless work on behalf of the Torah world.
Mrs. Zicherman was known for her quiet dignity, generosity, and unwavering dedication to her family and community.
The levayah was held today at the Munkatcher Beis Medrash on 14th Avenue in Boro Park, Brooklyn. Kevurah took place in Kiryas Yoel.
She is survived by her husband and their wonderful family of children and grandchildren following in her ways.
Yehi zichrah boruch.
{Matzav.com}
Amid rising tensions with Iran and the ongoing month of Ramadan, concerns are mounting that several basic food items could quickly become scarce in Israeli supermarkets. According to a report in Maariv, the combination of heightened security concerns and a significant flow of food supplies into Gaza may lead to shortages of key staples in the coming weeks.
Among the primary products at risk are fresh chicken and poultry cuts. Israel’s poultry industry relies heavily on Muslim workers — both Israeli citizens and Palestinians — particularly in slaughterhouses. Any security incident that restricts movement along the Jerusalem–Hebron corridor or at entrances to communities in Judea and Samaria can directly disrupt the supply chain, reducing the amount of fresh chicken reaching store shelves each morning.
Eggs are also considered vulnerable. Israel has previously struggled to maintain sufficient production and imports during periods of heightened demand. Each year between January and April, emergency import quotas are typically opened to prevent sharp price increases. This year, with demand reportedly higher due to Ramadan and increased regional pressures, the risk of shortages is seen as more pronounced.
Fresh fruits and vegetables present another area of concern. Unlike dry goods, these items cannot be frozen or stored for extended periods. The war has already exposed structural weaknesses in the agricultural sector, including a reduced number of foreign laborers, restrictions on Palestinian workers, and the halt of agricultural imports from several countries that previously supplied produce to Israel.
Basic pantry staples such as flour, rice, oil, and sugar may also be affected. While Israel maintains what officials describe as a “living” reserve of wheat, the supply is not unlimited. The country remains highly dependent on grain and vegetable oil imports from Ukraine, other Black Sea nations, and South America. An escalation that disrupts maritime shipping routes — even if limited in scope — would not necessarily cause immediate shortages, but could result in a reduced variety of brands and gradual price increases within three to four weeks.
Industry analysts caution that while panic buying is not currently evident, the combination of geopolitical tension, seasonal demand, and supply chain vulnerabilities creates a fragile situation for essential food products.
New figures presented during a follow-up discussion with the Israeli Attorney General reveal an unprecedented number of individuals obligated to military service in Israel who have failed to report. The data show a significant increase in those classified either under “Order 12” status or as draft evaders.
According to the figures, more than 43,000 candidates for security service are currently listed under “Order 12” status, while approximately 32,675 individuals are formally defined as evading military service. In total, 75,675 potential recruits are registered under either “Order 12” or draft evasion status — an increase of 4,675 compared to the previous report.
During the discussion, the Attorney General called for immediate action, stating that “all state bodies must intensify criminal and civil-economic enforcement efforts in the immediate time frame.” She emphasized the need to move away from a policy focused on exhausting procedures and toward one centered on effective enforcement.
At the same meeting, the Military Advocate General updated participants that three primary measures aimed at strengthening enforcement against draft evaders had been presented to the IDF Chief of Staff.
The first proposal calls for raising the maximum penalty that can be imposed in disciplinary proceedings for absence from service. The second would shorten the minimum period of evasion required before initiating criminal proceedings, reducing it from 540 days to 365 days. The third measure would advance legal action against individuals who were previously tried for evasion and then failed to report again, in order to prevent delays and drawn-out repeat proceedings.
{Matzav.com}
The Skverer community in New York is mourning the petirah of Rabbi Yitzchak Surkis z”l, a respected chassid and longtime cook in the Skverer mosdos, who fed thousands of young talmidim over the years. He was 63.
Rabbi Surkis passed away Thursday morning in the Skverer shtetel, leaving behind family members and fellow chassidim who recall his warmth, dedication, and unwavering commitment to Torah and avodah.
He was the son of Rabbi Menachem Mendel Surkis, who came to Skve from Poland and helped establish the foundations of the chassidus in its American home. Raised in the ways of Skver, Reb Yitzchak carried that heritage forward, instilling the same values in his children and descendants.
Upon reaching marriageable age, he married the daughter of Rav Reuven Shmelzer z”l of the Skverer community.
Rabbi Surkis was widely known as a remarkable masmid; in every spare moment he could be found with a Gemara in hand. Alongside his diligence in learning, he was remembered for his ready smile, sense of humor, and kind words for everyone he encountered.
For many years, he served as the cook in the Skverer educational institutions, preparing meals for thousands of tinokos shel beis rabban. Generations of children were nourished by his devoted work behind the scenes, a role he carried out with quiet pride and responsibility.
Over the past decade, he faced significant health challenges. Despite his yissurim, he never relinquished his commitment to Torah or his responsibilities, and he maintained his characteristic smile throughout. He succumbed to medical complications Thursday morning.
Among his relatives is his brother-in-law, the well-known singer Lipa Shmelczer.
The levayah will take place today at the Skverer beis medrash in New York.
Yehi zichro boruch.
The wedding of Ariel Shamai, a talmid of Yeshivas Ateres Shlomo whose arrest made him one of the most widely recognized figures in the public struggle surrounding the draft issue in the Torah world, will be held tonight.
The chasunah is scheduled to take place at the Armonot Chen Hall in Bnei Brak, drawing leading rabbanim, roshei yeshiva, public figures, and large numbers of bnei Torah who are expected to participate in the celebration.
Ariel rose to national attention after he was arrested for failing to report to the draft office, an event that ignited intense reaction within the chareidi street. His detention quickly became a flashpoint in the broader debate over the status of yeshiva students and military service.
The arrest triggered a series of unprecedented protests, culminating in the historic “Million Man Atzeres,” a massive gathering of tefillah at the entrance to Yerushalayim. Hundreds of thousands of bnei Torah from across communities and backgrounds attended at the direction of leading gedolei Yisroel.
Rav Shalom Ber Sorotzkin, who was en route to the United States at the time of Shamai’s arrest, returned to Eretz Yisroel and spearheaded a protest movement of a scale not previously seen.
Shortly thereafter, Rav Moshe Hillel Hirsch arrived at the gates of Military Prison 10, where he delivered a shiur klali marking the beginning of the winter zeman to thousands of talmidim of Yeshivas Ateres Shlomo.
The following day, the yeshiva arranged for a helicopter to circle above the military prison, carrying protest banners and broadcasting messages over powerful loudspeakers. Days later, a special tefillah gathering was held at the prison gates, attended by 5,000 young children from the Talmudei Torah affiliated with the yeshiva.
In a dramatic turn of events, Shamai was unexpectedly released during the levayah of the mother of Rav Sorotzkin. Within hours, the leadership of Ateres Shlomo organized a large-scale reception in his honor. Shamai was carried on a horse and carriage through the celebration and received a gift from leading gedolei Yisroel in recognition of what supporters described as his steadfastness.
Now, as he builds his new bayis ne’eman b’Yisroel, the wedding is expected to serve not only as a personal simchah, but as a symbolic moment for many within the yeshiva world.
{Matzav.com}{
