Podcast host Ben Shapiro joined ‘America’s Newsroom’ to discuss his analysis of the state of the Israel-Hamas peace deal and what he’s hearing about the emotional reunions of former hostages.
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{Matzav.com}
Authorities in New Jersey have filed multiple serious charges against a Colorado man accused of causing the horrific October 19 crash on the New Jersey Turnpike that claimed the lives of four bochurim on Sunday.
Prosecutors announced that 41-year-old Christopher Neff, of Westminster, Colorado, now faces counts of vehicular homicide, aggravated manslaughter, and weapons-related charges after allegedly driving the wrong way on the Turnpike in the early morning hours of that Sunday. Officials said Neff was also found with hollow-point ammunition at the time of the collision.
The deadly crash took place in Carneys Point Township and resulted in the petiros of four beloved bochurim, 19-year-old Yaakov Kilberg, who was behind the wheel, and his passengers, 18-year-olds Aharon Lebovits and Shlomo Cohen of Lakewood, New Jersey, along with 18-year-old Shlomo Chaim Grossman of South Fallsburg, New York.
Police reports allege that Neff was under the influence of alcohol when he drove his Dodge pickup northbound in the southbound lanes, striking the SUV carrying the four young men. The impact pushed their vehicle into the path of a Freightliner tractor-trailer, killing all four bochurim nstantly. Investigators said the probe into the crash is still ongoing.
According to court filings, witnesses and emergency responders detected “a strong odor of an alcohol beverage emanating from Mr. Neff’s breath” immediately after the crash. Testing later revealed that his blood alcohol concentration was more than double the legal limit of .08%.
Surveillance footage obtained by police reportedly shows Neff drinking several alcoholic beverages at a nearby Carneys Point bar shortly before leaving, less than thirty minutes before the crash. Authorities said he remains hospitalized with multiple fractures, including broken legs and an arm, as well as other serious injuries.
{Matzav.com}
The Melbourne Chabad community is mourning the passing of Rabbi Nosson Dovid Greenwald z”l, who left this world early this morning, Rosh Chodesh, at the age of 74.
Born in Detroit, Michigan, on May 9, 1951 (3 Iyar 5711), to Avraham (Arthur) and Lasha (Lillian) Greenwald, Nosson grew up in a home infused with strong Yiddishkeit. His maternal grandfather, Yehuda Hochman—affectionately known to all as “Tatte”—lived with the family and played a central role in shaping Nosson’s lifelong connection to emunah and mitzvos.
Nosson’s early years in Oak Park, Michigan, were marked by steady spiritual growth. He gradually increased his observance and became an active participant in the local Chabad community.
In 1979, he married his eishes chayil, Bela. Four years later, the couple and their children moved across the globe to Australia, where they built their home and became integral members of the Melbourne Chabad community.
Though professionally trained as a mathematician and educator, Nosson’s career path was as diverse as it was fascinating. He taught university students, worked in the scrap metal industry, and even served as an air traffic controller in Detroit earlier in life.
But it wasn’t his résumé that defined him. It was his heart. Friends and neighbors remember Nosson for his warmth, humility, and genuine love for every Jew. His home was a haven of hospitality, with open invitations for Shabbos and Yom Tov meals extended to anyone he met, whether an acquaintance, a stranger, or even a traffic warden he encountered on the street. One friend summed it up perfectly: “Nosson pursued mitzvahs like most people pursued money.”
Life brought its share of challenges, including the heartbreaking loss of two of his children. Yet even amid personal pain, he radiated simcha and gratitude. Known for his ever-present expression, “Baruch Hashem,” he shared this spirit of faith with everyone around him—so much so that the non-Jewish nurses at his aged care facility learned not only its meaning but began saying it themselves.
Those privileged to know R’ Nosson speak of him as a beacon of sincerity, generosity, and unwavering optimism—a man who inspired others simply by the way he lived.
He is survived by his devoted wife, Bela, and their children Rochel Leah, Chaim, Chana, Shalom Ber, Brocha, and Miriam, along with numerous grandchildren who carry forward his legacy. He is also survived by his sisters, Rivkah Nachlas and Chaya Wiener of Detroit, and by nieces and nephews. He was predeceased by his children Yehuda Leib a”h and Hadassa a”h.
Yehi zichro boruch.
{Matzav.com}
A man who violently attacked a Chabad bochur in Crown Heights last year while yelling “Free Palestine” has been sentenced to five years in prison.
According to the Brooklyn District Attorney’s Office, Vincent Sumpter, who admitted to attempted murder, received his sentence on October 8 following a plea deal.
Initially, Sumpter faced eight felony counts, including assault as a hate crime, as outlined in the original arrest documents.
The violent episode occurred on a Friday night in August 2024, when Sumpter—then 22 years old—stabbed Yechiel Dabrowskin, a Chabad bochur studying at the 770 Yeshiva. The attack took place within a short distance of the iconic Chabad Headquarters at 770 Eastern Parkway.
Investigators say the encounter began when Sumpter emerged from the subway and started walking up Kingston Avenue toward Union Street. As he passed a group of bochurim, he began shouting “Free Palestine!” and other anti-Semitic remarks in an effort to provoke them.
Though the students chose to ignore his taunts, witnesses said Sumpter lingered nearby, apparently waiting for another opportunity to lash out.
Moments later, he reportedly turned his aggression on other pedestrians, threatening a group while shouting, “Do you want to die?” In the ensuing confrontation, Sumpter pulled out a knife, stabbing one bochur and attempting to strike another before fleeing the scene.
{Matzav.com}As the government funding lapse stretched into its 22nd day on Wednesday, the impasse officially entered the record books as the second-longest shutdown in American history, overtaking the 1995–1996 stalemate. With neither side showing signs of compromise, hundreds of thousands of federal workers remain furloughed, and essential agencies are operating in crisis mode.
Since October 1, Senate Democrats have rejected Republican-led efforts to reopen federal operations eleven times, with nearly the entire caucus opposing a House-approved bill to maintain funding through November 21. Another round of votes was scheduled for Wednesday morning, though few expected a breakthrough.
At the center of the deadlock, Democratic leaders continued to insist on a direct meeting with President Trump before agreeing to any temporary funding measure. “Hakeem and I reached out to the president today and urged him to sit down and negotiate with us to resolve the health care crisis, address it and end the Trump shutdown,” said Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer. “We urged him to meet with us, and we said we’ll set up an appointment with him any time, any place before he leaves.”
However, House Speaker Mike Johnson made clear that such a meeting would not happen until Democrats first vote to reopen the government. “Leader Thune and I visited with President Trump this afternoon and he confirmed he is ready and willing for the three of us to meet with Leader Jeffries and Senator Schumer as soon as Schumer reopens the government,” Johnson posted on X.
Standing beside Trump at the White House Rose Garden, Senate Majority Leader John Thune echoed that stance, dismissing calls for talks until government operations resume. “I don’t know what there is to negotiate,” he told reporters. “Open up the government first.”
Thune said Republicans will persist in holding votes on a stopgap bill despite repeated Democratic blockades. “We are going to keep voting to open up the government, and eventually the Democrats, hopefully sooner or later, are going to come around,” he added.
From his end, Trump blasted Senate Democrats for what he called an act of coercion, accusing them of holding the nation hostage for political gain. “We will not be extorted on this crazy plot of theirs,” he declared. “Chuck Schumer and the Senate Democrats need to vote for the clean bipartisan [continuing resolution] and reopen our government — it’s got to be reopened right now.”
Schumer, meanwhile, has demanded that any short-term funding measure include an extension of pandemic-era health insurance subsidies that benefit about 22 million Americans who buy coverage through the Affordable Care Act exchanges. The White House countered that those benefits remain active until the end of December, giving Congress time to negotiate once federal operations resume.
The current shutdown, which began on October 1, has already surpassed the 21-day closure from the mid-1990s triggered by President Bill Clinton’s veto of a Republican spending bill. That earlier standoff shuttered parts of the government from December 16, 1995, to January 6, 1996.
About 750,000 federal employees have been furloughed this time around, and the Trump administration has initiated steps to permanently eliminate several thousand positions. If the gridlock continues, workers will miss their first full paychecks this Friday, with members of the military potentially going unpaid next week.
The nation’s longest government shutdown remains the 35-day stretch from late 2018 into early 2019 — another political battle fought during Trump’s first term — but the current one shows every sign of rivaling it.
{Matzav.com}
An inspiring event took place Monday night in Bnei Brak, as the Moetzes Gedolei HaTorah of Degel HaTorah in Eretz Yisroel and some members of the Moetzes Gedolei HaTorah of America convened together with Rav Moshe Hillel Hirsch, rosh yeshiva of Slabodka, and Rav Meir Tzvi Bergman, rosh yeshiva of Yeshivas Rashbi.
The joint gathering, rare in scope and spirit, focused on major issues facing the chareidi public in Eretz Yisroel and abroad.
The historic session was held at the home of Rav Moshe Hillel Hirsch in Givat HaYeshiva and was organized by Lev L’Achim, which coordinated the extensive logistical arrangements to bring gedolim from the United States to participate in the discussions. Members of the American delegation also joined a group of baalei batim who came to witness firsthand Lev L’Achim’s far-reaching kiruv initiatives.
Among the American gedolim attending were Rav Aryeh Malkiel Kotler, rosh yeshiva of Beth Medrash Govoha in Lakewood; Rav Elya Brudny, rosh yeshiva of Mirrer Yeshiva in Flatbush; the Novominsker Rebbe; Rav Yehuda Svei, rosh yeshiva of Philadelphia Yeshiva; and Rav Chaim Yehoshua Hoberman, rosh yeshiva of Mesivta of Long Beach.
They were joined by leading roshei yeshiva from Eretz Yisroel, including Rav Dovid Cohen, rosh yeshiva of Chevron; Rav Tzvi Drebkin; Rav Shraga Shteinman; and the hosts of the evening, Rav Hirsch and Rav Bergman.
The atmosphere in the room was filled with deep reverence when Rav Bergman entered, having made the special effort to attend despite his advanced age. Rav Moshe Hillel Hirsch rose to his feet and remained standing until Rav Bergman was seated beside him.
Opening the gathering, Rav Hirsch shared words of inspiration and expressed admiration for the tireless work of Lev L’Achim, whose leaders “toil day and night to bring Jews closer to Torah.” Rav Bergman followed, speaking about the urgent spiritual challenges facing the Torah world, stressing “the great obligation of the hour.”
A particularly moving moment occurred when Rav Brudny was invited to speak. He declined, explaining humbly, “Ha’osek b’mitzvah patur min hamitzvah. I am now involved in the mitzvah of v’hayu einecha ro’os es morecha — to behold the face of the leader of the generation, Maran Rav Moshe Hillel shlit”a.” Later, at the conclusion of the gathering, Rav Brudny approached Rav Bergman and said, “It was worth all the effort of the trip just to merit seeing the rosh yeshiva’s holy face.”
At the end of the meeting, a political discussion unfolded, as Rav Hirsch was heard responding to questions from several rabbanim about Israel’s current political situation. He indicated that Degel HaTorah might consider supporting certain judicial reform-related legislation due to “the justice system’s ongoing campaign against lomdei Torah and shomrei mesorah.”
Following the joint session, Rav Dovid Cohen, rosh yeshiva of Chevron, met privately with Rav Hirsch for about thirty minutes. He then proceeded to the residence of Rav Kotler where the two held an in-depth discussion lasting over an hour and a half, focusing on the draft law and other pressing matters affecting the Olam HaTorah.
{Matzav.com}