Charlie suffers from serious heart problems. His doctor warned him that fasting on Yom Kippur could endanger his life and instructed him to drink fluids. Troubled by the idea of drinking on this sacred day, Charlie asked me if he could use intravenous (IV) hydration instead.

His son Jack, who is generally healthy, had a bout of food poisoning and became severely dehydrated. He asked if he needs to remove his IV before the fast begins in order to observe Yom Kippur properly.

Is IV Hydration Considered Eating or Drinking?

Halachically, IV hydration is not considered eating or drinking. The Torah prohibition on Yom Kippur refers specifically to consuming food or drink through the mouth. Hydration administered intravenously bypasses this and is therefore not technically a violation of the fast.

Hacham Ovadia Yosef

Despite the technical leniency, Hacham Ovadia, zt”l,  (Chazon Ovadia Yom Kippur, p. 298) opposed the use of IV hydration on Yom Kippur when not medically necessary. He explains that while IV fluids are not halachically defined as food or drink, they should not be used unless clearly required for health reasons.

He gives three key reasons: Firstly, drinking shiurim (small amounts) provides physical and psychological comfort (ituvei da’at) to a sick person. IV hydration does not offer the same level of satisfaction. The Chachamim were deeply concerned with ensuring the comfort of the ill.

Secondly,halacha already allows eating or drinking when health is in danger. There is no halachic requirement to find artificial alternatives. Insisting on IVs could mislead people into thinking they must use IV hydration rather than eat or drink – potentially putting lives in danger if IVs aren’t available.

Lastly,inserting an IV causes minor bleeding, which constitutes an unnecessary wound – another prohibition on Yom Kippur. Since eating or drinking is already permitted in such cases, this injury is avoidable and therefore unjustified.

Hacham Ben Zion Abba Shaul

In contrast, Hacham Ben Zion Abba Shaul, zt”l,(Or LeTzion 4:15:5) held that IV hydration is halachically preferable. He argued that even drinking in shiurim is still be a biblical prohibition, especially according to the Rambam (Shevitat Assor 2:3). IV hydration, by contrast, is not a normal form of drinking and is therefore permitted. As for the bleeding involved in inserting the IV, he viewed it as an unintended and destructive act (pesik reisha d’lo nicha lei), which does not carry a Torah prohibition and is therefore preferable to drinking in shiurim.

Drinking in Shiurim

When someone must drink on Yom Kippur due to pikuach nefesh, when medically possible they should drink in shiurim (melo lugmav, about 1.3 oz or 40 ml). The required pause between sips varies by opinion, from five seconds to nine minutes. Hacham Ovadia (Yabia Omer, OC 2:31) ruled that a pause of five seconds suffices, especially if longer breaks compromise the person’s health.

When Fasting Becomes Forbidden

If fasting could endanger Charlie’s life, not only is he permitted to drink – it is a halachic obligation. In Yechaveh Daat (1:61), Hacham Ovadia writes unequivocally: “If there is concern of possible danger to his life by fasting, one must listen to the doctor and eat on Yom Kippur, because pikuach nefesh overrides the mitzvah of fasting. If the sick person is stringent and fasts nonetheless, he is not acting righteously – on the contrary, he will be punished for this.”

What Should Charlie and Jack Do?

Charlie must not fast if doing so endangers his life. Ideally, he should drink in measured amounts (shiurim). If that is not possible or safe, IV hydration is permitted. Similarly, if Charlie refuses to drink IV hydration is permitted due to pikuach nefesh. Jack, who is already connected to an IV due to dehydration, does not need to remove it before Yom Kippur. In his case, continuing hydration through the IV is fully permitted.

Some people feel guilt or shame about eating or drinking on Yom Kippur, even when halachically necessary. But we must remember: the same Hashem who commands the healthy to fast commands the very sick to eat. When halacha requires eating or drinking on Yom Kippur, doing so is not only allowed – it is amitzvah. No atonement is needed. In fact, following halacha in these cases is the highest mitzvah.

Rabbi Yehuda Finchas is a worldwide expert, lecturer and author on Medical Halacha. He heads the Torat Habayit Medical Halacha Institute. His latest book is “Brain Death in Halacha and the Tower of Babel Syndrome.” To contact Rabbi Finchas, email rabbi@torathabayit.com.

Dave Gordon

You think you’re too savvy to be scammed. We all do. But the unsettling truth is that modern fraudsters have elevated deception to an art form, weaving themselves into our daily routines and exploiting the people, institutions, and events we trust the most. In neighborhoods from Brooklyn to Lakewood, Monsey to Passaic, scams are no longer rare cautionary tales – they’re a weekly threat, circulating through WhatsApp groups, whispered in synagogue foyers, and cropping up in local newspaper headlines.

It starts small. An email from your rabbi. A call from your grandchild. A pop‑up on your computer. Each one feels just plausible enough, just urgent enough, to push you past skepticism. And then – in minutes – your savings, your peace of mind, and your trust are gone.

Here are real stories of fraud in our communities, reported by reputable media outlets, tied to exact dates and places. Together, they create a portrait of a crime wave hiding in plain sight.

The Brooklyn Computer Con

Recently, CBS News New York ran an exclusive story by investigator Mahsa Saeidi about a 75‑year‑old woman from Brooklyn who lost $100,000 in a deception that began with a locked computer screen. A pop‑up message told her to call a number. On the line, a voice claiming to be from Microsoft warned that her bank accounts had been compromised. The man guided her step by step – first to the bank to withdraw her funds “for safe keeping,” then to an in-person rendezvous. He gave her a secret code word – “red” – before sending a fake courier to collect the envelope. By the time she realized that she had been coached into surrendering money, the cash was gone.

Police say this hybrid scam – part tech support hoax, part old‑fashioned face‑to‑face con – is targeting older residents in Brooklyn who live alone. Its sophistication lies in how it turns modern technology’s veneer of authority into a weapon.

Social Security Scams in New Jersey

Government impersonation scams might sound like a distant problem, but a high‑profile case in New Jersey made headlines on April 24, 2025, when the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of New Jersey announced that 68‑year‑old Deborah Bailey of Piscataway had pleaded guilty to stealing $150,903 in Social Security benefits. For eight years after her mother’s death, Bailey quietly continued to withdraw her late mother’s retirement checks. While that case involved a relative exploiting a loophole, the prosecution noted that fake “Social Security” calls are proliferating statewide – with con artists posing as federal agents who claim your Social Security number has been “frozen” and threaten arrest unless you transfer money immediately. Officials stress that legitimate agencies never ask for payment by gift card, wire transfer, or cryptocurrency, yet these methods appear in nearly every successful scam they investigate.

The Deepfaked Grandchild Emergency

The classic “grandchild in trouble” scam took on a sinister technological twist in March 2025, as NPRreported from the Upper West Side of Manhattan and Passaic, New Jersey. Senior citizens began receiving not only panicked phone calls but also what appeared to be FaceTime videos from their own grandchildren – begging for bail money after supposed car accidents or arrests. In one documented case, a retired couple wired thousands of dollars to an account provided by the caller, believing it was to secure their grandson’s release in Vermont. Only hours later did they discover he had been at home all along. Investigators believe Montreal‑based criminal groups are behind the wave, using stolen personal data and AI‑generated voice and video “deepfakes” to trick even the most cautious targets.

Fake Charity Appeals in Boro Park and Lakewood

When tragedy strikes – a fatal fire before Shabbat, a family caught in an anti-Semitic attack, or a sudden medical emergency – Jewish communities act quickly. Scammers know this. Media outlets from Hamodiato The Jewish Presshave covered how, during such crises, residents of Boro Park in Brooklyn and the yeshiva community of Lakewood, New Jersey, are bombarded with WhatsApp messages and phone calls from “fundraisers” claiming to represent respected charities. Messages often include blurred photos, real names from local news reports, and fabricated payment links redirecting donations to private accounts. In some cases, community members have emptied their savings on the assumption they were aiding neighbors, only to find that the “emergency fund” never existed. Misaskim, the respected crisis‑response group, has issued repeated public alerts warning donors to slow down and verify before giving.

The Rabbi Gift Card Scam

One of the fastest‑growing frauds doesn’t come out of a high‑tech lab, but it’s brutally effective. Last September, the Federal Trade Commission issued a consumer alert after multiple synagogues in the New York area reported emails and texts from scammers posing as rabbis or synagogue presidents. The messages used familiar greetings and urgent tones – “I’m at a meeting and need a favor” – and asked congregants to buy gift cards for “families in crisis” or “a shul project.” Recipients were told to scratch off the security strip, photograph the numbers, and send them back via text or email. Once the numbers are sent, the value is drained within minutes, leaving no recourse for the victim. The FTC emphasized that no genuine rabbi or community leader will ever make such a request.

Final Thoughts

Trust is a cornerstone of Jewish communal life. But trust without verification is exactly what scammers need to succeed. The cases from Brooklyn, Lakewood, Passaic, Monsey, and beyond – each documented by reputable news outlets or government agencies – remind us that fraud is both hyper‑local and globally connected. Whether it’s a stranger on the phone using your grandson’s voice or a longtime neighborhood business adding a “holiday surcharge,” scams today are designed to slip past your defenses.

The simplest, hardest lesson is to pause before you act. Make that extra call, search that name, confirm that email. In the war between caution and con artists, hesitation isn’t weakness – it’s strength. In our communities, a moment’s doubt can be the only thing standing between you and the next devastating loss.

Scam Tactics

These cases show common threads in modern fraud:

• They Impersonate Trusted Figures: a rabbi, a tech support representative, even a family member.
• They Manipulate Urgency: making you believe that hesitation will cause harm or loss.
• They exploit community knowledge: citing real local news, synagogue events, or religious obligations.
• They Adjust Tactics to Technology: using spoofed numbers, AI‑generated videos, or hacked email accounts.

What makes them especially dangerous in Jewish neighborhoods across NY and NJ is the deep‑rooted culture of trust and fast action in emergencies – the very qualities scammers weaponize.

Guarding Against the Next Con

FBI agents, state attorneys general, and local police departments give the same advice:

Verify Independently – Call known official numbers, not the ones provided in a message.

Slow Down – No legitimate cause will collapse for lack of a same‑day transfer.

Refuse Unusual Payment Methods – Gift cards, crypto, or wire transfers are almost always red flags.

Educate the Vulnerable – Hold scam‑awareness sessions in shuls, schools, and senior centers. Communities should also normalize healthy skepticism. In the United States, the FBI estimates that elders lose over $3 billion each year to these schemes. That’s a number that can only grow if people keep treating suspicious requests as impolite to question.

Back-to-school season is the perfect time to refresh your gear and set yourself up for a successful year. Whether you’re returning to campus, heading into a new classroom, or just embracing a fresh start, having the right gadgets can streamline your routine, boost productivity, and make everyday tasks more enjoyable. Here are eight standout items that are practical, thoughtfully designed, and ready to elevate your daily routine.

OXO Sweep & Swipe Laptop Cleaner
Compact and affordable, the OXO Sweep & Swipe is the perfect tool for keeping your tech spotless. It features a retractable soft brush for sweeping dust and debris from keyboards, and a microfiber pad that effortlessly wipes smudges from screens on laptops, tablets, smartphones, and more. It’s a simple, effective way to keep your gadgets looking their best.

The Ridge Bolt Action Pen – Alpine Navy
Blending analog charm with premium materials, the Ridge Bolt Action Pen is a stylish alternative to screen time. Crafted from lightweight aluminum, this durable writing tool is satisfying to click, smooth to write with, and available in a range of finishes – from bold and modern to understated and classic. It’s a great addition to any student’s everyday carry.

Troubadour Apex Backpack 3.0
Designed for students and professionals alike, the Troubadour Apex Backpack 3.0 combines sleek aesthetics with serious utility. It boasts a spacious interior with numerous compartments, including a dedicated sleeve for a large laptop and room for a tablet and accessories. Built to carry up to 50 pounds, it’s a rugged yet refined option for those on the move.

Hatch Restore 3 Sunrise Alarm Clock
The Hatch Restore 3 is more than just an alarm clock – it’s a personal sleep coach. This smart bedside device uses a simulated sunrise to wake you gently, while offering calming sounds and a warm, sunset-like glow to help you wind down. With white noise and ambient sound options to mask distractions, it can improve your sleep quality night after night.

Pelican Marine AirTag Holder
When it comes to protecting your AirTag, the Pelican Marine Holder is unmatched. Constructed with a rugged, shock-resistant shell reinforced by ultra-strong Dupont Kevlar, it’s built to endure harsh conditions. The IP68 rating means it’s fully waterproof and dustproof, making it ideal for travel, outdoor adventures, or just everyday peace of mind.

SoundcoreAeroFit 2 Open-Ear Headphones
The SoundcoreAeroFit 2 delivers an open-ear listening experience that’s comfortable, safe, and surprisingly immersive. These wireless earphones rest outside the ear canal – no tips required – making them ideal for all-day wear. With a sleek design, customizable sound through the companion app, 10-hour battery life, and several color options, they offer exceptional value and performance.

Flashforge AD5M 3D Printer
For aspiring creators or experienced makers on a budget, the Flashforge AD5M 3D Printer is a standout choice. This compact machine can quickly print detailed, multi-material objects with ease. It features built-in auto-leveling and a user-friendly interface with touchscreen controls and app connectivity, making it a powerful tool that’s also beginner-friendly.Satechi Qi2 Trio Wireless Charging Pad
Apple users looking for an elegant, efficient charging solution will love the Satechi Qi2 Trio 3-in-1 Wireless Charging Pad. It can charge an iPhone, Apple Watch, and AirPods simultaneously at full speed, thanks to Qi2 compatibility and MagSafe support. Its flexible design allows it to transform from a sleek upright stand to a flat pad, with Apple Watch support for both flat and nightstand modes.

Linda Argalgi Sadacka

This September is not politics as usual. It is a referendum on the future of New York City: Will we remain a city of law, prosperity, and safety, or will we hand the keys to Zohran Kwame Mamdani, a self-declared democratic socialist, a cheerleader for Hamas, and an enemy of the Jewish community?

Mamdani doesnot just sympathize with radicals – he is one. His rise is powered by the Democratic Socialists of America, whose ideology is embraced by the likes of Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders and New York Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez. It is the same movement that has pushed to defund the police, vilify Israel, and dismantle the economy. This isnot hidden information. It is Mamdani’s platform: weaken policing, punish the wealthy, and side with Israel’s enemies under the banner of “solidarity.”

The Record That Speaks for Itself

In Albany, Mamdani was the face of the “Not On Our Dime” bill (A6101/S606), a scheme to weaponize the courts against Jewish charities that support Israel. Leaders across the Jewish spectrum warned the bill would unleash harassment against mainstream institutions. This was not sloppy drafting. It was deliberate lawfare to punish Jews for standing with their homeland.

On moral issues, Mamdani’s record is equally alarming. He pledged support for dismantling long-standing restrictions on vice industries, signaling his willingness to erode the guardrails that protect families and neighborhoods. As mayor, he would have the authority to set enforcement priorities, shape budgets, and broadcast this agenda across the city.

The Company He Keeps

His father, Mahmood Mamdani, is not simply a Columbia University scholar. He sits on the Gaza Tribunal’sAdvisory Policy Council, a body known for echoing Hamas propaganda and anti-Israel positions. This alignment is not accidental. It reflects an ideology passed down and proudly carried forward.

What New York Would Look Like Under Mamdani

• A diminished police force, which would cause an increase in crime. A mayor wedded to de-policing means fewer officers, slower responses, and emboldened criminals.
• Jewish life under siege. A City Hall that normalizes “Not On Our Dime” gives a message to schools, agencies, and institutions that Jewish organizations are fair game, inviting harassment and intimidation.
• Economic punishment. Mamdani’s worldview is not about opportunity but is about envy. He seeks to abolish the wealthy, penalize hardworking New Yorkers, and drive out small businesses. Capital flight will not be a risk; it will be inevitable.

Families are already saying what once they only whispered: “If Mamdani wins, we’re leaving.” Community members are preparing to move to Deal, New Jersey, or Florida. This is not melodrama. It is rational self-preservation when Jewish life feels conditional, not guaranteed.

Why Registration Is Everything

Mamdani’s strategy is simple: count on apathy. He doesn’t need most New Yorkers to agree with him. He only needs enough people to stay home. That is how he won his primary, and that is how he plans to march into City Hall.

The answer is clear: register and vote. Every eligible voter must be on the voting rolls before the deadline. Applications must be received by a board of elections no later than October 25^th to be eligible to vote in the November general election. In the general election, your party doesnot matter. Republican, Democrat, Independent – if you are registered, you can vote. Two minutes online secures your voice. Do it now, and make sure your family and friends do the same.

The Bottom Line

This election is not about left versus right. It is about survival: safe streets, a working economy, and Jewish life in New York. Mamdani has shown us exactly who he is: a radical, a Hamas sympathizer, and an adversary of everything this city was built upon.

If you want a New York that protects families, rewards hard work, and refuses to launder anti-Semitism through policy, there are only two steps: register and vote.

Stop Mamdani. Save New York.

Linda Argalgi Sadacka is a political strategist, writer, and community leader. She serves as lead strategist for World Likud.