It is with great sadness that Matzav.com reports the passing of Rabbanit Lela Sarah Turgeman a”h at the age of 98. Her levayah will take place tonight in Yerushalayim.
Rebbetzin Turgeman passed away peacefully at Hadassah Har HaTzofim Hospital, closing a chapter of nearly a century marked by holiness, kindness, and quiet strength.
She was born in Morocco to her illustrious parents, the famed mekubal and spiritual giant Rav Yisrael Abuchatzeira, the Baba Sali, and her mother, Rabbanit Percha a”h of the Amsallem family.
In her youth, she married her husband, Rav Yaakov Turgeman zt”l, who predeceased her more than forty years ago.
Rebbetzin Turgeman was remembered as an exceptional woman of noble character, whose long life reflected the purity and steadfastness of the women of the Abuchatzeira dynasty across generations. After the passing of her sister-in-law, the wife of her brother Baba Meir zt”l, she lovingly raised and tended to the children of Baba Meir, nurturing the next generation of the Abuchatzeira lineage.
She merited to raise a distinguished family. Her sons include Rav Yechiel Yosef Turgeman, Rosh Yeshivas Ner Yisrael in Elad, and Rav Moshe Turgeman, head of the Zarcha HaShemesh L’Yaakov mosdos in Netanya. Her daughters married into the Hasson and Biton families. She was also connected through marriage with the Abuchatzeira family, including the late Rav Elazar Abuchatzeira of Be’er Sheva.
Her surviving siblings include her brother, Rav Baruch Abuchatzeira of Netivot, and her sisters, Rebbetzin Avigail Busu and Rebbetzin Penina Yehudioff.
The levayah will take place tonight at 11 p.m. in Yerushalayim.
Yehi zichrah boruch.
{Matzav.com}
it is with great sadness that Matzav.comreports the passing of Rav Yaakov Zvi (Jay) ben Rav Yosef Yechezkel Marcus zt”l, founder and Nasi of Yeshivat Reishit Yerushalayim and Rabbi Emeritus of the Young Israel of Staten Island.
Rav Jay, as he was affectionately known, leaves behind an extraordinary legacy of leadership, warmth, and devotion that transformed the lives of thousands across the globe.
In 1982, together with Rav Ahron Silver and Rav Dovid Gottlieb, Rav Jay founded Reishit Yerushalayim in Beit Shemesh, one of the earliest English-speaking yeshivos in the hesder style. What began as a bold vision soon became a landmark institution that reshaped the landscape of Torah education for young men from North America and beyond. His ability to connect, inspire, and uplift made Reishit a home for serious learning, personal growth, chessed, and unwavering commitment to Eretz Yisroel and Klal Yisroel.
Before establishing Reishit, Rav Jay served as the beloved Rav of the Young Israel of Staten Island for more than 30 years. There, too, he was a force of leadership and compassion, guiding a community with clarity, humility, and heart. Upon making aliyah, he poured his energy into building Reishit into a powerhouse of Torah, producing generations of rabbis, educators, and community leaders who continue to carry his teachings into communities around the world. Each year, Reishit attracted large groups of students drawn by Rav Jay’s warmth, vision, and authenticity.
Rav Marcus was a man of rare determination, combining deep love for his talmidim with the courage to build something entirely new. His relentless dedication turned a small, uncertain yeshiva into a thriving center of Torah and idealism.
Rav Jay is survived by his wife, Rebbetzin Barbara; his sister, Michal; his children, Rav Ari and Mindy, Rav Elie and Dvora, Rav Doni and Deedee, Rav Chaim and Leah, and Rav Judah and Ora Mischel; and grandchildren.
The levaya is scheduled for tomorrow at the Eretz HaChaim cemetery, with shiva to be held at Yeshivat Reishit at 21 Rashi Street in Beit Shemesh.
Yehi zichro boruch.
{Matzav.com}
Israel made clear that it anticipated no change to its ability to secure top-tier American weaponry, even as Washington moved ahead with plans to provide F-35 fighter jets to Saudi Arabia.
Officials in Jerusalem emphasized that Israel remained the sole nation in the region flying the F-35, a status backed by longstanding US commitments ensuring what Washington terms a “qualitative military edge” for Israel.
Addressing reporters, Israeli government spokesperson Shosh Bedrosian underscored the durability of that principle. “The United States and Israel have a long-standing understanding, which is that Israel maintains the qualitative edge when it comes to its defense,” she said.
She added that this understanding was fully expected to endure across time: “That has been true yesterday, that has been true today, and the prime minister believes that will be true tomorrow and in the future.”
Her comments marked Israel’s first formal response to news that President Donald Trump had approved the proposed Saudi acquisition earlier in the week.
{Matzav.com}
[COMMUNICATED]
Adel is only four, but has already been through so much pain, that her eyes express sadness that no child ought to feel.
When her friends started kindergarten she started Chemo sessions – Adel was diagnosed with cancer – Angio Sarcoma, a violent growth that is most lethal to children.
Her parents, shocked and afraid, started the battle for Adel’s life.
Hadassa and Shlomo Tehuda, Adel’s parents, are determined to win the grim odds and cure their little girl. They searched over the entire world for a treatment effective enough to heal Adel.
They found it. There is a hospital in the USA that has developed an innovative protocol that can beat the aggressive Sarcoma, but it costs way more than they can afford. They will need to live in the USA for a while, fly with a very sick child, and pay for this cutting-edge treatment as it is not yet covered by any insurance.
Adel’s parents will not give up. They only ask for our help in financing this attempt, so Adel can live and recover.
They need you.
They need us all.
By Rabbi Zvi Gluck
When I saw that a group of respected rabbonim had sent a letter to Governor Kathy Hochul asking for clemency for a convicted child abuser who has never shown one ounce of remorse, something inside me broke. It was not only disappointment or frustration. It was heartbreak, anger, disbelief, and a deep sadness that words barely touch.
For years, survivors have fought simply to be heard. Families have carried wounds that do not fade. I have sat with children who grew into adults still trembling as they describe what was done to them. So reading a letter filled with compassion for the man who caused such devastation, and absolutely none for the girl he abused, felt like a betrayal of every survivor who has ever found the courage to come forward.
Not one mention of her pain. Not one word about her suffering. Yet there is a plea for mercy for the man who stole her childhood.
The truth is simple. He rejected plea deals. He chose to go to trial. And in New York State, especially in cases involving minors, that choice forces a child to relive trauma in public for days. When a defendant rejects reasonable pleas and is convicted, the maximum sentence is not surprising. It is the consequence of choosing pride over accountability.
But the letter does not speak of her dignity. It speaks only of his. His age, his health, his comfort. What about her life? What about her future?
The irony is painful. Many who signed this letter come from communities torn apart by infighting for years. Yet for this, for a convicted abuser with no remorse, they unite fully. If only they showed this unity when it came to protecting children.
For eleven years, I have watched survivors walk into our office terrified, unsure if anyone will believe them. I have seen parents trying to hold their shattered families together. I have seen bravery that humbles me every day. And I have dedicated my life to making sure no one faces that darkness alone.
This letter does the opposite of healing. It tells victims that their pain matters less than the position of the person who hurt them. It is almost unbearable.
I realize that by speaking out, Amudim may lose donors, sponsors, and supporters. But I did not get into this work to stay quiet in moments like this. I did not build Amudim to protect the institution at the expense of truth. And I will never choose comfort, money, or convenience over the dignity of survivors.
Silence is not neutral. Silence is harmful. Silence tells survivors that their suffering is inconvenient and their voices unwelcome. I refuse to be silent.
And now I want to speak to the bystanders. The average person who reads these stories and shakes their head and then moves on. Your voice matters. Your choices matter. Every parent, every neighbor, every friend, every member of Klal Yisroel decides whether to believe victims or protect abusers. You do not need a title to do the right thing. You need courage, you need compassion, and you need to remember that one word of support can save a life, and one moment of silence can destroy one. Choose the victim. Stand with the vulnerable.
To every survivor watching this. You are not forgotten. You are not invisible. You are not alone. This moment hurts, but it does not erase the progress we have made, and it does not stop the movement that grows stronger every day.
With help from above, we will continue to stand with you. We will continue to build safer communities. We will continue to challenge systems that protect abusers. And we will keep fighting until no child ever has to fear being silenced again.
We will not stop. We will not turn away. And we will never abandon those who have already suffered far too much.
{Matzav.com}
