The Lakewood community and Olam HaTorah mourn the petirah of Rabbi Eliezer Kuperman zt”l, a beloved and devoted member of the Bais Medrash Govoah family for more than half a century. He was 90 years old.
Rabbi Kuperman’s life was defined by humility, devotion, and a deep personal kesher with Rav Aharon Kotler zt”l. But perhaps more than anything, it was defined by his unwavering commitment to Torah and to the yeshiva he would come to call home.
Long before joining the yeshiva, Reb Eliezer would catch glimpses of Rav Aharon on the streets of Boro Park. He lived on 49th Street and 15th Avenue, and Rav Aharon had moved nearby, to 47th Street. The awe he felt for the rosh yeshiva was so great that he didn’t speak to him for years.
When Rav Aharon founded Chinuch Atzmai, Reb Eliezer, then a member of Zeirei Agudas Yisroel, got involved. As a budding accountant, he helped file for tax-exempt status for the American Friends of Chinuch Atzmai. He often found himself in a small Manhattan office with the rosh yeshiva, discussing fundraising logistics and watching the gadol hador make calls on behalf of Torah.
At the time, Reb Eliezer had left Torah Vodaas to support his family. He didn’t have a father, and the responsibility of parnassah fell to him. Still, he maintained sedarim early in the morning, at night, on weekends, and on Sundays. When his youngest sister became engaged and the financial burden lifted, his heart turned back to Torah. In 1959, he approached Rav Aharon and asked to join Bais Medrash Govoah.
Rav Aharon was surprised. “Aren’t you working?” he asked. Reb Eliezer replied that he wanted to dedicate at least a year to learning.
“You know,” Rav Aharon warned him, “it’s much easier to work than to learn. To learn takes a lot of application. Are you ready for that?”
He also insisted that a talmid must be holding on the right madreigah to succeed in the yeshiva. Reb Eliezer suggested a farher. Rav Aharon told him to come to Lakewood for Yom Kippur and he would try to find time then.
On Erev Yom Kippur, the rosh yeshiva had just received word that the Brisker Rov was niftar and couldn’t meet. Motzoei Yom Kippur, he still wasn’t available. They pushed it off again to Shemini Atzeres, when Reb Eliezer would be in Lakewood anyway for his future brother-in-law’s aufruf. Still, the farher never happened. The night before it was scheduled, Rav Aharon had been at a meeting in Manhattan about reparations funding. Sitting next to him was Rav Avrohom Jofen, whose run-down office in Novardok had become Reb Eliezer’s morning makom Torah.
Rav Aharon told Rav Jofen, “I have to rush home. I’m farhering a bochur tomorrow morning.”
“Who?” Rav Jofen asked.
“Eliezer Kuperman,” Rav Aharon replied.
“I know him! He learns in my office every morning.”
“Should I take him?”
“Yes. Take him.”
That night, Rav Aharon called his rebbetzin and asked her to call Reb Eliezer’s mother. The next morning, Reb Eliezer learned that he had been accepted to Bais Medrash Govoah.
When he arrived, Rav Aharon took him under his wing. He told him he must remain in yeshiva until Pesach without leaving, not even to visit his widowed mother. He arranged chavrusos for him, including one for reviewing shiur and another for learning on Shabbos. He even instructed his roommate to learn Tanach with him for ten minutes a day and to speak in learning before going to sleep. That winter, they completed 44 perakim in Sefer Yechezkel.
Rav Aharon didn’t just guide his learning. He guided his life. When Reb Eliezer began dating, Rav Aharon insisted on handling the shidduch process, saying, “You don’t have a father. I’ll be your father.” When Reb Eliezer found a young woman he was interested in, Rav Aharon asked to meet her father before giving his approval. He then guided the date for the wedding, suggesting Thursday night before the zeman started, so that talmidim returning from the mountains would be back in time for second seder on Sunday, thus avoiding bittul Torah.
On the day of the chasunah, Rav Aharon davened in the same minyan and arranged for Reb Eliezer to get an aliyah. He then called him multiple times that day, learned with him in his home, and gave him a chosson shmuess and farher. He attended the wedding and stayed through the main dish, a rare sign of how deeply he cared.
Throughout his years in the yeshiva, Rav Aharon remained personally invested in him. He noticed if Reb Eliezer missed shiur and he encouraged him to ask questions. Once, when Reb Eliezer posed a kasha in Yevamos during chazaras hashir, Rav Aharon got excited and called him names suggesting ignorance—but later, with great warmth, showed him the piece he had forgotten to say, resolving the question. Another time, a question reminded Rav Aharon of a deep yesod from a shiur in Nedarim. He ended chazaras hashir early, pulled Reb Eliezer into his office, and shared the full shiur in a rapid-fire ten-minute session filled with marei mekomos.
As a married man, Reb Eliezer returned to the yeshiva. Though kollel support was usually reserved for talmidim of four years, Rav Aharon offered to give him a kollel check. Only when his wife’s job became too demanding did he consider accepting support. Rav Aharon advised him on how to negotiate a raise and cared deeply for their well-being.
Eventually, Reb Eliezer transitioned into the financial office, where he would serve under Rav Aharon, Rav Shneur, and the current roshei yeshiva for over 50 years. Even while managing the yeshiva’s finances, he never stopped learning. He could be found in the bais medrash with a sefer open, embodying the spirit of Torah that had drawn him to Lakewood in the first place.
He was a man of quiet strength, humility, and boundless kindness. A true ohev labriyos and nechmad laMakom, he was beloved by all who knew him. More than a staff member, more than a talmid, Rabbi Eliezer Kuperman was part of the yeshiva’s very soul.
He is survived by his devoted wife, Mrs. Esther Kuperman, and their family.
The levayah will take place today at 3:00 p.m. at the Bendheim (Yoshon) Bais Medrash of Bais Medrash Govoah in Lakewood. Kevurah will follow in Lakewood.
Yehi zichro baruch.
{Matzav.com}
In a strong Motzoei Shabbos address, former Sefardic chief rabbi Rav Yitzchak Yosef issued a stark warning about what he described as an escalating wave of incitement against bnei Torah, including from parts of the Religious Zionist community.
Speaking at his weekly shiur at the Yazdim shul in Yerushalayim , the Chief Rabbi said: “There is very sharp incitement today against bnei Torah. Some from the knitted kippah camp — not all, but some — are guilty of this. It’s terrible and frightening. Their outlooks are simply horrifying. Among them — and I stress, not all — are people who fit the description of ‘Who will give me a Torah scholar so I may bite him like a donkey?’ A donkey bites deep. That’s how intense their hatred is for yeshivah bochurim.”
He continued with a plea for spiritual change: “May HaKadosh Baruch Hu bring them to teshuvah. They are harder to bring back than others. May they return, and may everyone merit a proper hashkafah. There is nothing like Torah.”
Turning directly to yeshiva students, Rav Yosef offered encouragement and support: “You are protecting Am Yisrael. You are protecting the soldiers. That’s why I published a letter this week to strengthen the bochurim as we approach the end of zeman, so there won’t be any slackening — so they continue learning with hasmadah.”
This is not the first time the Chief Rabbi has weighed in on the issue. Last week, he commented on the proposed draft law currently being debated, saying: “Now the Moetzet Chachmei HaTorah must deliberate over the draft law. If the heads of the government, the ministers, and the Knesset members knew how much bnei Torah protect the army and the entire world — they would reward them double, not impose sanctions or the like.”
{Matzav.com Israel}
A heart-stopping incident unfolded late Motzoei Shabbos at the Kosel, when a toddler from a chareidi family began suffering a severe allergic reaction after exposure to an allergen. In a twist of Hashgachah, a newly married man who had come to the Kosel to give thanks found himself in the right place at the right time — and saved the child’s life.
The hero of the night was Moti Hoffman, a volunteer with United Hatzalah, who had gotten married just days earlier. The chosson had come to the Kosel to daven. While there, he was approached by a panicked father with his young son, desperately seeking help.
“The father and toddler came over during davening and asked for help,” Hoffman recounted. “They said he had a severe allergic reaction after being exposed to an allergen. I immediately administered an EpiPen — an auto-injector that delivers a measured dose of adrenaline — which I had on me thanks to United Hatzalah.”
The injection stabilized the toddler’s condition, and he was quickly transported by a United Hatzalah ambulance to Hadassah Har HaTzofim Hospital for further treatment.
“After the injection, his condition improved,” Hoffman added. “He was then taken by ambulance for continued care.”
Thanks to Hoffman’s fast response and calm under pressure, what could have been a tragedy ended with a sigh of relief and a powerful reminder that sometimes, a visit to the Kosel brings more than tefillos. It brings miracles.
{Matzav.com Israel}New revelations from Egyptian journalist and Islamic movement expert Ma’ar Faragly have brought to light unprecedented details from inside Hamas in the days leading up to the October 7 atrocities. One of the most explosive claims is that top officials within the terror group had been plotting to strip Gaza leader Yahya Sinwar of much of his authority—or even oust him altogether.
Faragly, citing sources with direct access to decision-making circles in Hamas, reports that prior to the October 7 attack, there was an active effort to replace Sinwar with another figure of Turkish origin. Sinwar, who was expected to remain subordinate to the group’s military wing, caught wind of the plan and reportedly declared he would “not surrender Gaza except as heaps of rubble.” This may help explain the timing of the attack, which occurred just one day before the anticipated arrival of his would-be successor.
These revelations align with a prior scoop by journalist Ben Caspit in Maariv, which noted that a treasure trove of intelligence was recovered by Israeli forces following the elimination of Mohammed Sinwar. Among the materials was a highly sensitive document laying out, in chilling detail and in the words of Hamas leaders themselves, the rationale behind the October 7 offensive, the leadership’s mindset, their coordination (or lack thereof) with allies such as Hezbollah and Iran, and their complete operational plan — built around the belief that this assault could lead to the destruction of the State of Israel.
The document, a lengthy and detailed letter, was authored jointly by Mohammed Deif, Yahya Sinwar, and Marwan Issa. It was addressed to Hezbollah chief Hassan Nasrallah and Brigadier General Saeed Izadi, commander of the “Palestine Corps” within Iran’s Quds Force. It was discovered inside the bunker where Sinwar had been hiding along with Hamas’s top military commanders, alongside an extensive cache of internal communications, letters, operational plans, and correspondence between Hamas leaders and foreign contacts.
Evidence suggests that this letter was dispatched by Deif, Sinwar, and Issa on the morning of October 7, either just before or shortly after the Nukhba terrorists launched their deadly invasion of Israeli communities near the Gaza border.
A close reading of the letter provides unprecedented insight into the inner workings of Hamas leadership: their belief in Israel’s eventual downfall, the internal political turmoil that led to this catastrophic decision, and their unilateral move to start a war without coordination with other members of the so-called “Axis of Resistance.”
In the letter, the Hamas leaders beg Nasrallah to join the war effort and offer a heartfelt apology for not informing him in advance. They outline how they envision Hezbollah’s involvement and how they see the broader conflict unfolding—“until the annihilation of Israel.”
Essentially serving as Hamas’s “order of the day,” the letter includes battlefield updates and directives for what the organization labeled “the day the campaign to destroy Israel begins.” Nasrallah was the intended recipient, with Izadi copied on the correspondence. The message features three Sunni jihadist leaders (Deif, Sinwar, and Issa) reporting to two senior Shiite jihadists (Nasrallah and Izadi), laying out the launch of their joint effort to obliterate what they call “the Zionist entity” — in strikingly granular detail. Alongside real-time assessments, the letter also includes an explicit apology from Hamas’s top leadership for failing to alert Nasrallah beforehand, citing “the enemy’s intelligence capabilities” as the reason for the secrecy.
{Matzav.com Israel}
[COMMUNICATED]
You’ve tried everything, but not this.
😔 Miriam Brieger’s FREE REMOTE SARNO WORKSHOP reveals the science behind chronic symptoms & the Sarno method that’s helped hundreds of women and teens heal.
SUNDAY July 13th, 12:00 PM EST
MONDAY July 14, 9:00 PM EST
What if, by the time you went to sleep tomorrow night, you already felt lighter? What if your pain/ discomfort/ skin condition/ anxiety was less acute? Less overwhelming?
The workshop includes the first step of the Sarno method — which means you could experience a reduction in your symptoms (or at least a major mindset shift) as early as tomorrow night.
In “The science behind Sarno: Take the first step toward eliminating your symptoms,” I’ll be answering THESE questions:
Learn who Dr Sarno was, and hear why he developed the Sarno Method.
Hear my personal story (and the gripping personal stories of two other women, LIVE.)
Find out why you’re getting affected by this— (and not your husband, sister, or mother-in-law)
Take a one-action step that has the power to help you feel better during the class
Ask questions — or hear others’ questions — LIVE on the session.
Yes, there will be a recording available.
PS. Mens Sarno course now available! 4 recorded classes. Learn the Sarno method in very clear, practical and fascinating way to heal from many physical symptoms. Bonus: Anxiety techniques included. Sign up at www.sarnocoaching.com or on the MB Sarno hotline 7183039987.Elon Musk’s AI company, xAI, released a public apology on Saturday after its chatbot, Grok, generated disturbing and offensive content earlier in the week, including antisemitic and pro-Nazi messages, according to a report by AFP.
The inflammatory posts surfaced following a recent software modification aimed at making Grok respond in a more conversational and human-like manner. However, the update led to a wave of deeply problematic responses, including remarks glorifying Adolf Hitler and implying that people with Jewish last names were more likely to promote online hatred.
The posts were shared on the social media platform X, but were taken down several hours later after intense public backlash. In response, X suspended the account running the automated Grok feed.
“We deeply apologize for the horrific behavior that many experienced,” xAI said in a statement posted to X on Saturday. The company added that it had “modified the system to prevent further abuse.”
xAI attributed the incident to a software update released on Tuesday, which instructed the chatbot to “reply to the post just like a human” and to “tell like it is and you are not afraid to offend people who are politically correct.”
That prompt, the company acknowledged, inadvertently allowed Grok to mirror “extremist views” of users, resulting in it producing “responses containing unethical or controversial opinions to engage the user.”
The backlash erupted just days after Elon Musk introduced Grok 4, a new version of the AI assistant unveiled on Wednesday. xAI emphasized that the problematic content was not connected to the launch of Grok 4 but stemmed from an unrelated update pushed earlier in the week.
The Anti-Defamation League (ADL) swiftly condemned the incident.
“This supercharging of extremist rhetoric will only amplify and encourage the antisemitism that is already surging on X and many other platforms,” a spokesperson said. The ADL described Grok’s output as “irresponsible, dangerous and antisemitic, plain and simple.”
The ADL further reported that its research found examples of Grok endorsing violent actions in some of its Tuesday responses.
{Matzav.com}
Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian sustained minor leg injuries during an Israeli airstrike that took place in Tehran on June 16 amid the ongoing conflict, according to a report from Fars News Agency, which is closely tied to Iran’s Revolutionary Guards.
The outlet stated that the attack happened just a few days into the war, while Pezeshkian was attending a high-level meeting in western Tehran. Also present were the speaker of the Iranian parliament and the judiciary chief. During the strike, six projectiles were reportedly launched, specifically targeting the building’s exit points.
Fars also noted that the operation bore similarities to previous Israeli attempts to assassinate Hezbollah chief Hassan Nasrallah.
Though the blast disrupted power to the floor where the officials were gathered, all attendees were able to evacuate safely using an emergency stairwell.
{Matzav.com}