BNEI BRAK, Israel (VINnews) — The mayor of Bnei Brak on Monday urged parents to keep their children away from street protests following violent unrest in the ultra-Orthodox city.

Mayor Hanoch Zeibert described the recent demonstrations as an “educational disaster” and warned that fringe elements were drawing young people into confrontations with potentially serious consequences.

In a public statement, Zeibert said the protests were being driven by “a handful of extremists” and cautioned that minors were being swept into situations beyond their control. He called on families to ensure that no members of their household participate in the unrest.

“Violence is not our way,” Zeibert said, adding that such actions contradict Torah values and Jewish law.

Police have increased their presence in the city following clashes that included vandalism and injuries to officers. Authorities said they are working to prevent further incidents.

Zeibert concluded by echoing the position of local rabbis, urging residents to uphold respect for Torah study and community values while maintaining calm.

JERUSALEM (VINnews)-Israeli authorities foiled an attempt to smuggle hundreds of kilograms of tobacco into the Gaza Strip, hidden inside cans of vine leaves, the Defense Ministry announced.

The contraband was discovered during a routine inspection at the Kerem Shalom border crossing, according to the ministry’s Crossing Points Authority and the Coordination and Liaison Administration for Gaza.

The shipment was part of an approved private-sector aid delivery of food items purchased by an Israeli company. Officials said the tobacco was concealed within the canned vine leaves.

Following the discovery, the truck and its entire contents were confiscated and handed over to customs and other authorities for further action.

Maj. Gen. Yoram Halevy, head of the Coordinator of Government Activities in the Territories (COGAT), ordered the immediate suspension of the company’s approval to import aid into Gaza until further notice.

“The decision was made in light of the severity of the case and in order to preserve the integrity of the aid entry mechanism, while preventing its exploitation for prohibited purposes,” COGAT said in a statement.

Israel has prohibited the entry of cigarettes and other tobacco products into Gaza since the start of the war, with officials stating that smuggled tobacco fetches high prices on the black market and is subject to heavy taxation by Hamas, generating revenue for the militant group.

New findings from the scene appear to contradict the IDF’s initial denial regarding the activities of two female soldiers who were attacked in Bnei Brak, with reports indicating that recruitment flyers were in fact distributed at several addresses in the city.

A disturbance broke out Sunday afternoon in Bnei Brak after two female soldiers arrived at multiple locations in the city. According to a report on Army Radio, despite an earlier statement from the IDF Spokesperson denying any flyer distribution, detailed recruitment leaflets were left at at least four addresses. The materials were directed at candidates for military service ahead of their upcoming enlistment at the Chavat HaShomer base.

In a response, the IDF Spokesperson firmly rejected the claims, stating: “The claim that the commanders who were attacked in Bnei Brak arrived in order to distribute recruitment flyers is incorrect. The commanders arrived for a home visit to a candidate for service prior to his enlistment.”

However, documentation from the scene indicates that the flyers addressed prospective recruits scheduled to enlist in March and included extensive information about training conditions, the base’s location, and a list of required equipment — ranging from personal hygiene items to instructions on arranging a bank account and redeeming purchase credits.

The flyer left at the homes also contained detailed social and financial information intended to ease the enlistment process, including guidance related to personal status and eligibility for assistance. Among other things, the young men were asked to prepare medical documentation for family members, proof of financial status, and bank statements from the previous three months.

The unrest began after rumors spread that the soldiers had arrived to distribute draft orders to chareidi youths. The incident escalated on Chaggai Street during the afternoon hours.

Subsequently, the IDF updated its version of events, stating that three female non-commissioned officers serving at the Chavat HaShomer base had come to Bnei Brak to visit a candidate who is expected to enlist soon and serve at the facility. According to the military, the visit was intended as a preliminary meeting to establish familiarity and assess any potential need for social support.

{Matzav.com}

As the Frum community in Brick Township continues to grow, members of Hatzolah of Central Jersey held a CPR and choking response training session for local residents on Motzei Shabbos, residents told TLS.

Approximately 30 residents participated in the basic CPR course, which also included instruction on how to properly respond to choking emergencies.

The training was organized after community members purchased two defibrillators to be installed in local shuls.

Hatzolah volunteers were invited to provide hands-on instruction, ensuring residents are prepared to use the devices effectively in the event of a cardiac emergency.

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Israeli Cabinet Secretary Yossi Fuchs on Monday outlined a firm diplomatic and security position regarding Gaza, declaring that Israel will not tolerate continued Hamas rearmament and setting a 60-day deadline for the terror group to fully disarm.

Speaking at the Besheva Conference, Fuchs said Hamas must dismantle “all” of its weapons within two months. If it fails to do so, he warned, Israel will take military action.

“Hamas must disarm from all its weapons — everything. If that does not happen, the IDF will be required to ensure that it does,” Fuchs stated. He made clear that absent full disarmament, Israel would resume large-scale military operations in the Gaza Strip.

Addressing the recent unrest in Bnei Brak connected to the ongoing draft law crisis, Fuchs sought to lower the public rhetoric. He argued that the current tensions stem from the expiration of previous legal arrangements and emphasized that for years there had been an agreed-upon framework regulating the status of yeshiva students.

“If we label a ציבור of one and a half million people as criminals, we will push it toward extremism,” he said, adding that in his view the situation reflects a legal vacuum rather than a failure of governance.

Fuchs also commented on negotiations surrounding the draft law, noting that efforts are underway to formulate a version that will receive the backing of the Knesset’s legal advisers, in order to prevent an interim injunction that could freeze the legislation upon passage.

He indicated that from the coalition’s standpoint, a central objective is for the chareidi factions to actively support the bill, as part of a broad agreement that would ensure both its legal durability and political stability.

When asked whether Israel might one day return to reestablish Jewish communities in Gush Katif, which were evacuated under the 2005 Disengagement Plan, Fuchs responded briefly: “With Hashem’s help.”

{Matzav.com}

BRUSSELS (VINnews) — The United States ambassador to Belgium has urged Belgian authorities to abandon criminal proceedings against three Jewish ritual circumcisers charged with practicing medicine without a license, arguing the case threatens religious freedom.

Ambassador Bill White publicly called on Belgian officials to end what he described as unjust prosecutions following police raids last year in Antwerp’s Jewish community. Officers searched several properties and detained mohels — men trained to perform the Jewish circumcision ritual known as brit milah — as part of an investigation into unlicensed medical activity.

Anti Semitism is UNACCEPTABLE in any form & it must be rooted out of our society.

President TRUMP @POTUS @realDonaldTrump @JDVance @VP @SecRubio @StateSEAS @DeputySecState and I call upon all of Belgium to do a much better job on this subject !

TO BELGIUM,

SPECIFICALLY YOU…

— Ambassador Bill White (@BillWhiteUSA) February 16, 2026

Belgian law requires medical procedures to be carried out by licensed physicians. Prosecutors have since moved forward with charges against three individuals, maintaining that sufficient evidence exists to pursue convictions. No trial date has been announced.

White said the case unfairly targets a longstanding religious practice and indicated he plans to meet with the accused in Antwerp. He also called on Belgian Health Minister Frank Vandenbroucke to engage in dialogue with Jewish leaders.

The issue has drawn attention beyond Belgium. Members of the European Commission, including Health Commissioner Olivér Várhelyi, are said to be exploring possible solutions as discussions continue between government officials and representatives of the Jewish community.

Belgian lawmaker Michael Freilich, the country’s only Orthodox Jewish member of parliament, has said the legal framework governing religious circumcision lacks clarity and called for regulatory reform rather than criminal enforcement.

The controversy unfolds amid heightened concerns among Belgium’s Jewish community about antisemitism and religious rights in Europe. Belgian authorities have not publicly commented on the ambassador’s statements.

An Israeli man from central Israel was found dead in his hotel room in Paris late Sunday, prompting a rapid response from international rescue officials and Israeli authorities.

ZAKA’s International Division said in a statement Monday that the man was discovered unconscious in his room, where local emergency teams later pronounced him dead. No cause of death has been released, and authorities have not indicated whether foul play is suspected.

The case has triggered a coordinated effort involving French responders, Israeli officials, and ZAKA volunteers stationed in Paris.

“We received the report through our emergency hotline and immediately began coordinating assistance,” said Baruch Nidam, who is overseeing the operation.

Nidam said volunteers joined local authorities shortly after the discovery and began procedures aimed at preserving kavod hameis.

ZAKA officials said their primary focus now is navigating the legal and logistical process required to return the body to Israel for kevurah.

The organization is working in coordination with the Israeli Ministry of Foreign Affairs to secure the necessary approvals from French authorities and facilitate the transfer from a local hospital.

“These are complex processes that involve both local law enforcement and diplomatic channels,” Nidam said. “Our goal is to complete them as quickly and respectfully as possible.”

Authorities have released few details about the circumstances surrounding the man’s death, and ZAKA said it was not authorized to comment on medical or investigative findings.

(YWN World Headquarters – NYC)

President Trump said Monday that anyone responsible for abducting Nancy Guthrie must ensure her safe return or face what he described as the toughest possible federal punishment.

Speaking in a brief phone interview with The NY Post, Trump made clear that if the 84-year-old mother of NBC “Today” show host Savannah Guthrie is killed, he would expect the Justice Department to pursue capital punishment.

He stated that those behind the Feb. 1 kidnapping from her home outside Tucson would face “very, very severe — the most severe” federal consequences if she is found dead.

When asked directly whether that meant the Department of Justice would seek the death penalty, Trump responded: “The most, yeah — that’s true.”

On Feb. 4, the president personally called Savannah Guthrie to offer federal support in the investigation. The FBI later obtained disturbing images and video showing a masked individual at the front door of the suburban residence.

Trump has largely refrained from making public comments about the case while authorities continue an intensive search for the elderly mother of three, whom investigators believe could still be alive.

In an effort to locate her, law enforcement officials conducted aerial searches over the desert terrain during the weekend, using specialized Bluetooth technology designed to detect a signal from Nancy Guthrie’s pacemaker.

Federal charges are frequently pursued in prominent criminal cases, especially when state lines may be involved or when federal laws are implicated. Although Arizona maintains the death penalty, many of the 109 prisoners currently on the state’s death row have remained there for decades.

Since 2022, Arizona has carried out only two executions, partly due to a nearly two-year suspension ordered by the Democrat-led state government, which was lifted in late 2024.

Separately, the federal government has authority to seek capital punishment and typically reserves it for the most high-profile crimes, including the cases of Boston Marathon bomber Dzhokhar Tsarnaev, Pittsburgh synagogue shooter Robert Bowers, and racist mass murderer Dylann Roof.

Joe Biden commuted the sentences of 37 of the 40 inmates on federal death row, leaving Tsarnaev, Bowers, and Roof excluded from that action. Trump officials have indicated they intend to transfer the remaining federal death row inmates to a federal supermax facility, where they would serve their sentences under strict conditions.

Israeli state prosecutors on Monday filed an indictment against a 32-year-old northern Israeli man accused of collecting intelligence on former defense minister Yoav Gallant at the direction of an Iranian operative.

According to court documents, Fares Abu al-Hija was detained in late January after he allegedly photographed streets surrounding Gallant’s residence in Amikam and transmitted the images to his handler. Authorities say the surveillance was carried out at the handler’s request.

Police and the Shin Bet security service said in a joint announcement that Abu al-Hija is a resident of the Galilee village of Kaukab Abu al-Hija, located roughly an hour north of Gallant’s home.

Investigators believe the suspect initially connected with the Iranian operative last August through the Telegram messaging platform while seeking employment opportunities. The indictment states that the contact was made under the guise of work.

From October through January, Abu al-Hija is said to have fulfilled a series of assignments from the individual, who identified himself as “Martin,” despite harboring suspicions that he was dealing with a foreign intelligence agent.

Prosecutors allege that the assignments included purchasing mobile phones and chargers, concealing them in various spots around Haifa, activating the devices, installing communication applications, documenting their hiding places, and relaying those details back to his handler. He was also instructed to deliver an envelope containing the password to a cryptocurrency account to a site in Zichron Yaakov and to photograph a cafe in Tel Aviv.

The indictment states that Abu al-Hija received payment in cryptocurrency for carrying out the missions. For capturing photos and videos of the Tel Aviv cafe, he was paid $1,000 in digital currency.

In January, the suspect was reportedly directed to document Gallant’s home. Authorities arrested him at the scene shortly after he transmitted the images.

An indictment was filed in the Haifa District Court charging Abu al-Hija with contact with a foreign agent. Prosecutors have asked the court to keep him in custody through the duration of the proceedings.

Gallant served as defense minister from 2022 to 2024 before being dismissed by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu amid political disagreements. Earlier in his career, he commanded the Israel Defense Forces Southern Command.

In their statement, police and the Shin Bet warned that Iran has stepped up attempts to recruit Israelis to conduct espionage activities within the country.

Law enforcement “takes a very serious view of any involvement in such activities and will continue to bring to justice those involved in harming the country’s security and its citizens,” they said.

Officials noted that over the past two years, dozens of Israelis have faced espionage charges linked to Iran. In many instances, recruitment efforts were carried out through social media platforms, particularly Telegram.

{Matzav.com}

It doesn’t take a genius to understand what happened in Bnei Brak.

Are Jews the only people in the world who are expected to calmly accept the presence of those who repeatedly harm them?

Just as the international community demands that Israel “sustain” the Palestinians—ignoring the absurdity of forcing the victim to feed the snake—so too are Israelis, and even some within our own community, condemning the boys of Bnei Brak for daring to resist.

But let’s be clear about one thing: The soldiers were never attacked. They were jeered. They were booed. They were confronted by a large crowd that refused to let them enter the neighborhood. That kind of response would be considered normal and justified anywhere else in the world.

Yet when the protesters are chareidim, and the authorities are “Israeli soldiers,” suddenly it is labeled “violence.”

The soldiers were not assaulted. They were resisted. They were viewed with suspicion because, in the broader experience of this community, state power has too often been used in predatory ways—even if, in this specific instance, no physical harm was intended.

And despite that history, they were still not attacked. They were opposed.

Look at the pattern. At these protests, police officers are almost never injured, but young boys are routinely beaten.

The officers walk confidently through these demonstrations because they know they are unlikely to be harmed. The imbalance of power is obvious. It resembles a lion stalking a herd of bison. The bison do not attack. They defend themselves through numbers. Only when the lion circles, threatens, provokes, and presses closer and closer does the herd finally react.

That is what happened here.

Across the world, when authorities are seen as harassing or abusing a community, it is understood—almost instinctively—that resistance will follow. People defend themselves when pushed too far.

But here, a powerful enforcement apparatus confronts a community that asks only to be left alone. And when that community bands together to block intrusion, to assert its boundaries, to say “enough,” it is branded as violent. The victims become the aggressors and the powerful become the “endangered.”

That is hypocrisy at its purest.

And turning this episode into a moral indictment of an entire community is nothing less than a modern blood libel.

Signed,

C.B.

The views expressed in this letter are those of the author and do not necessarily represent those of YWN. Have an opinion you would like to share? Send it to us for review.

Mayor Zohran Mamdani’s upcoming “rental ripoff” hearings are drawing criticism from housing advocates and property owners after the city confirmed that public housing tenants will not be allowed to testify, despite long-standing concerns about conditions in New York’s public housing system.

The first hearing is scheduled for Feb. 26 and will focus exclusively on renters and landlords in privately owned buildings. Tenants living in developments run by the New York City Housing Authority (NYCHA) — home to more than 500,000 residents — will be excluded from formal testimony.

The decision has fueled complaints that the mayor’s administration is avoiding scrutiny of one of the city’s most troubled housing providers, while encouraging tenants in private buildings to raise concerns about fees and maintenance issues.

Property owners and housing advocates said the move highlights an imbalance in the city’s approach.

“The city’s own tenants — those living in public housing — are demanding a real plan to improve their living conditions,” said Humberto Lopes, CEO of the Gotham Housing Alliance. “If these hearings were truly about holding bad landlords accountable, the over 500,000 residents in NYCHA would be able to meaningfully participate.”

Lopes accused the administration of using the hearings to deflect attention from problems within public housing.

“This is clearly the city trying to distract from its own failures while putting on a show,” he said.

NYCHA has long been criticized for deteriorating buildings, mold, heating failures, and slow repairs. The agency has been under federal oversight since 2019 following investigations into safety hazards and falsified inspection reports.

After criticism mounted, the mayor’s office quietly updated its website to address whether public housing residents could take part.

“While these hearings focus on price gouging and living conditions for private-market renters, senior leadership and staff from NYCHA will be on-site,” the updated guidance states. “Residents can submit repair requests, file heat and hot water complaints, or discuss development-wide issues.”

The administration also said it plans to release a broader housing strategy in the coming months that will include public housing.

Speaking to reporters Sunday in Coney Island, Mamdani defended the limited scope of the hearings.

“We are going to be approaching the housing crisis in a wide variety of ways,” he said. “One of those are these rental ripoff hearings.”

The mayor also pointed to federal disinvestment as a major factor behind NYCHA’s struggles, noting that the agency faces an estimated $80 billion backlog in capital repairs.

“We will continue to work with NYCHA residents to ensure they are being delivered the quality of service they’ve long been denied,” Mamdani said. “So much of what they’re living through is the result of a lack of commitment from the federal government.”

Critics argue that the hearings are part of a broader housing agenda that is overly ideological. Mamdani has supported proposals to freeze rents on nearly 1 million rent-regulated apartments, a move landlords say would worsen housing shortages and maintenance problems.

Attention has also focused on the mayor’s housing leadership. His director of the Mayor’s Office to Protect Tenants, Cea Weaver, has faced criticism for past remarks describing homeownership as a “weapon of white supremacy” and suggesting the government should “seize private property.”

(YWN World Headquarters – NYC)

A heated exchange erupted in the Knesset ahead of a no-confidence vote, as Opposition Leader Yair Lapid charged that the assault on two IDF servicewomen in Bnei Brak reflects a broader pattern under the current government, while Deputy Minister Yisrael Eichler accused the opposition of fueling dangerous incitement against the chareidi community.

Taking the podium before the vote, Lapid argued that the violence in Bnei Brak was not a one-time occurrence but part of a recurring trend. “What we saw yesterday in Bnei Brak is not an isolated phenomenon. It happens time and time again under this government. You are permitting [the shedding of] the blood of the IDF. You are against the IDF. This isn’t just happening in Bnei Brak,” he says, pointing as well to incidents involving settlers confronting IDF troops in the West Bank.

Lapid dismissed the coalition’s portrayal of itself as staunchly right-wing. “This government keeps saying that it’s completely right-wing. You’re not completely right-wing, you’re not right-wing at all. You’re a government that exists thanks to anti-Zionist parties, who are against conscription into the IDF, whose public is trying to lynch female soldiers and flips over police cars,” Lapid says.

In response to the opposition’s no-confidence motions, Eichler of United Torah Judaism rejected the criticism and instead accused lawmakers on the other side of stoking hostility toward his community. He warned that such rhetoric carries serious consequences.

“The incitement during no-confidence motions on the Knesset stage regarding ‘chareidi draft evasion’ is dangerous and intended to legitimize state violence,” he says.

Eichler further contended that statements urging authorities to confront chareidim as they would terrorists amount to a “license for bloodshed. Recently, two chareidi youths have already been killed by bus strikes during demonstrations.”

He cautioned that failing to push back against such language could escalate tensions even further. “If we do not fight against this incitement, it will continue to get worse, heaven forbid. This is how civil wars begin, and one can never know when or how they will end,” Eichler says.

{Matzav.com}

The U.S. ambassador to Belgium has slammed the country over the arrest and prosecution of three mohelim, calling the case antisemitic and demanding that all charges be dropped.

Bill White, the United States ambassador to Belgium, accused the Belgian government of targeting Jewish religious practice, and demanded they drop the “ridiculous and antisemitic ‘prosecution’” of the mohelim.

“They are doing what they have been trained to do for thousands of years,” he added.

The controversy began last summer, when police in Antwerp raided homes and detained mohelim suspected of performing bris milah without medical licenses.

Belgian authorities said they were concerned that circumcisions were being carried out by religious practitioners rather than licensed doctors. While Belgium has no law specifically regulating Jewish ritual circumcision, it requires that all medical procedures be performed by certified physicians.

In his post, White directly addressed Belgian Health Minister Frank Vandenbroucke, calling on him to halt the harassment of the Jewish community.

“It’s 2026, you need to get into the 21st century and allow our brethren Jewish families in Belgium to legally execute their religious freedoms!” he wrote. “It’s done in all civilized countries as a legal procedure.”

White also pointed out that bris milah has documented health benefits, in addition to its central religious significance.

The ambassador stressed the personal toll the case has taken on the three mohelim and their families.

“It’s disgusting what’s happened to these fine men and their families because of your inaction,” White wrote.

He announced that he plans to meet with the mohelim in Antwerp next week and invited Vandenbroucke to join him.

(YWN World Headquarters – NYC)

As tensions simmer between Washington and Tehran, the Pentagon is moving quickly to restock one of its most powerful weapons. The United States Air Force has awarded Boeing a sole-source contract to replenish its inventory of GBU-57 Massive Ordnance Penetrator bombs, according to a justification notice posted online.

The move follows the June 2025 U.S. strikes on Iranian nuclear facilities — dubbed Operation Midnight Hammer — in which American bombers dropped more than a dozen of the massive “bunker buster” weapons. The campaign marked the first combat use of the bomb and depleted a significant portion of the Air Force’s stockpile.

“This procurement and sustainment activity is critically needed,” the Air Force wrote in the partially redacted notice, citing the need to replace weapons expended during the operation.

The document also noted why the Pentagon bypassed competitive bidding: Boeing is the only company that produces the GBU-57.

“Boeing has uniquely acquired expertise over a period of 18 years,” the notice said, describing the company’s role in adapting the weapon from a proof-of-concept into a fully operational system. Turning to another supplier, officials warned, would create “unacceptable delays.”

“No delay in award is acceptable,” the document added, arguing that postponement would undermine combat readiness, weaken deterrence and “could result in loss of life.”

The Air Force did not disclose how many weapons it plans to buy, how much the contract is worth or when deliveries are expected.

Developed in the early 2000s by Boeing and the Defense Threat Reduction Agency, the GBU-57 was designed to destroy hardened and deeply buried targets, including underground nuclear labs and command centers.

An Air Force fact sheet describes it as a system built to neutralize “weapons of mass destruction located in well-protected facilities.”

Weighing roughly 30,000 pounds, the bomb can penetrate up to 200 feet of earth or 60 feet of reinforced concrete before detonating. It is the most powerful non-nuclear munition in the U.S. arsenal.

According to Scientific American, the weapon delivers kinetic energy comparable to a fully loaded Boeing 747 landing at highway speeds.

But its size also limits its use: only a small number of U.S. aircraft are capable of carrying and deploying it, making each mission highly specialized.

Operation Midnight Hammer, carried out in June 2025, targeted Iranian nuclear sites in Fordow, Natanz, and Isfahan. Seven stealth bombers dropped 14 MOPs in what U.S. officials described as a decisive blow to Iran’s underground infrastructure.

Publicly, the Pentagon declared the mission a success. Privately, assessments were more mixed. While Fordow reportedly suffered major damage, intelligence officials said some facilities could be rebuilt faster than expected, raising questions about how durable the setback really was.

(YWN World Headquarters – NYC)

Israel’s Supreme Court will convene a panel of justices to consider whether Yoaz Hendel’s political faction may officially register under the name “The Reservists,” after Justice David Mintz agreed to review a petition filed by a group of combat reservists, Arutz Sheva reports.

The case was brought by the Israeli Reservists – Generation of Victory movement, whose members argue that adopting the name “The Reservists” for a political party improperly exploits the Israel Defense Forces and reserve service for electoral gain. They contend that linking the identity of reservists to a specific political list amounts to a misuse of the military’s standing in Israeli society.

In a statement, the movement declared: “Reserve duty is the holy of holies of Israeli society, especially after the events of October 7th. The reservists are not a political brand and not the property of any politician. This name belongs to us all, from the right and from the left, and we can not allow any party paint our uniform with politics.”

The group also welcomed the high court’s involvement, stating: “We commend the Supreme Court’s decision to discuss this fundamental issue that will determine if the IDF remains outside of the political playing field.”

The legal dispute traces back several months, when the movement formally petitioned the Registrar of Political Parties to reject the proposed party name. In its submission, the group argued that “the name of the party constitutes part of the election propaganda in itself, and aims to send a message. The name that was approved for the party misuses the IDF.”

The movement further maintained that “this use harms the IDF’s neutrality and misleads the public. It seems as if reservists have united under his party. The approval of the party under this name violates the public policy, as it is prohibited propaganda.”

The forthcoming hearing will address whether the use of the name “The Reservists” crosses legal boundaries by implying institutional endorsement from members of the reserve forces and whether it undermines the principle that the military must remain outside partisan politics.

{Matzav.com}

A burglary at QualiCare Oil & Lube in Lakewood left a shattered glass door and stolen cash earlier, TLS has learned.

On February 11, officers responded to QualiCare Oil and Lube on Monmouth Avenue for a reported break-in.

The business owner arrived to find the front glass door smashed and an undisclosed amount of cash missing from the register. Police said the suspect forced entry into the business, removed the cash, and fled the area.

Surveillance video obtained by TLS confirms the acts.

Screenshot

Following an investigation, officers identified the suspect as 65-year-old Robert Ballman of Lakewood. He was later located and taken into custody by Lakewood officers.

Ballman has been charged with third-degree burglary, third-degree theft, and possession of drug paraphernalia. He was processed and transported to the Ocean County Jail pending court proceedings.

A burglary at QualiCare Oil & Lube in Lakewood left a shattered glass door and stolen cash earlier, TLS has learned.

On February 11, officers responded to QualiCare Oil and Lube on Monmouth Avenue for a reported break-in.

The business owner arrived to find the front glass door smashed and an undisclosed amount of cash missing from the register. Police said the suspect forced entry into the business, removed the cash, and fled the area.

Surveillance video obtained by TLS confirms the acts.

Screenshot

Following an investigation, officers identified the suspect as 65-year-old Robert Ballman of Lakewood. He was later located and taken into custody by Lakewood officers.

Ballman has been charged with third-degree burglary, third-degree theft, and possession of drug paraphernalia. He was processed and transported to the Ocean County Jail pending court proceedings.

AMSTERDAM (Israel Hayom) – Gijs Tuinman, the Netherlands’ interim state secretary for defense affairs, openly suggested that European allies could circumvent American control over F-35 fighter jet software, comparing the process to jailbreaking an iPhone.

When asked what would happen if the United States refused to cooperate on software updates or proved unwilling to do so, Tuinman offered a remarkably candid response. “I’m going to tell you something I’ll never need to say, but I’m doing it anyway. Yes, ultimately, you have another option. You can also hack the F-35 software. Just like an iPhone,” he said, adding, “I won’t say anything more about that.”

The comparison to jailbreaking an iPhone – a practice where users bypass manufacturer restrictions to gain full access to a device’s operating system – stands out in its boldness. In the context of the world’s most advanced and expensive fighter jet program, valued at over $1.7 trillion in lifetime costs, the suggestion that allied nations might independently reverse-engineer or bypass US-controlled software carries significant diplomatic and technical implications.

Tuinman, a member of the BBB party (Dutch farmers’ movement) serving as state secretary for defense in the Netherlands’ transitional government, made the remarks during an appearance on BNR’s Boekestijn & De Wijk podcast, where he addressed a range of sensitive defense issues, including Europe’s readiness against a large-scale Russian attack on NATO member states, the prospect of a European defense posture without American support, and the thorny issue of dependence on F-35 software.

Tuinman’s comments come weeks after a heated media debate about the possibility that the United States had installed a “kill switch” in F-35 jets sold to foreign nations, enabling the aircraft to be neutralized in case of misuse or friction with the foreign government. Lockheed Martin, which manufactures the aircraft, completely denied the claim.

BUDAPEST, Hungary (AP) — U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio on Monday enthusiastically endorsed Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán ‘s bid to serve a fifth straight term after upcoming elections in April, emphasizing during a visit to Budapest the strong personal relationship between the nationalist leader and U.S. President Donald Trump.

Orbán, who has led Hungary since 2010, is one of Trump’s most vocal supporters in the European Union, and has actively curried the U.S. president’s favor leading up to the April 12 vote in which he will face the toughest challenge of his last 16 years in power.

Rubio was in the Hungarian capital for meetings with Orbán and his government where he signed an agreement on U.S.-Hungarian civilian nuclear cooperation that includes the possible purchase of compact nuclear reactors — known as small modular reactors or SMRs — as well as U.S.-supplied nuclear fuel and spent fuel storage technology.

At a news conference in Budapest, Rubio said U.S.-Hungary relations — which both he and Orbán described as experiencing a “golden age” under Trump — go beyond mere diplomatic cooperation.

“I’m going to be very blunt with you,” Rubio said. “The prime minister and the president have a very, very close personal relationship and working relationship, and I think it has been beneficial to our two countries.”

“That person-to-person connection that you’ve established with the president has made all the difference in the world in building this relationship,” Rubio continued, addressing Orbán. “President Trump is deeply committed to your success because your success is our success.”

Rubio on friendly territory in Central Europe
Rubio’s stop in Hungary followed a visit to Slovakia on Sunday after he previously attended the Munich Security Conference in Germany.

Led by euroskeptic populists who oppose support for Ukraine and vocally back Trump, Slovakia and Hungary are both friendly territory for Rubio in his push to shore up energy agreements with both Central European countries.

Widely considered Russian President Vladimir Putin’s most reliable advocate in the EU, Orbán has maintained warm relations with the Kremlin despite its war against Ukraine while building ties with Trump and his MAGA — short for the 2016 Trump campaign slogan “Make America Great Again” — movement.

Orbán has remained firmly committed to purchasing Russian energy despite efforts by the EU to wean off such supplies, and received an exemption from U.S. sanctions on Russian energy after a November meeting in the White House with Trump.

Rubio would not specify on Monday how long that exemption would last as the EU plans to phase out Russian fossil fuels entirely by the end of 2027.

Apparently trusting that his political and personal affinity with Trump could pay even greater dividends, Orbán and his government have sought to woo the U.S. leader to Hungary before the pivotal April elections — hoping such a high-profile visit and endorsement would push Orbán, who is trailing in most polls, over the finish line.

On Monday, Orbán told Rubio that his government is ready to host any future trilateral peace summit between the United States, Russia and Ukraine, and that Trump has an “open invitation” to Budapest.

He also claimed that Ukraine and its president, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, were seeking to interfere in Hungary’s upcoming elections by criticizing Orbán’s opposition to providing weapons or financial aid to Kyiv and threats to block Ukraine’s eventual membership in the EU.

Make Europe Great Again
Many in MAGA and the broader conservative world view Hungary as a shining example of successful conservative nationalism, despite the erosion of its democratic institutions and its status as one of the EU’s poorest countries.

Orbán has riffed on Trump’s popular slogan and declared that he and his movement seek to “Make Europe Great Again.”

In turn, Trump has praised Orbán’s firm opposition to immigration, exemplified by a fence his government erected on Hungary’s southern border in 2015 as hundreds of thousands of refugees fled Syria and other countries in the Middle East and Africa.

Other U.S. conservatives admire Orbán’s hostility to LGBTQ+ rights. His government last year banned the popular Budapest Pride celebration and allowed facial recognition technology to be used to identify anyone participating despite the ban. It has also effectively banned same-sex adoption and same-sex marriage, and disallowed transgender individuals from changing their sex in official documents.

Budapest has hosted several annual iterations of the Conservative Political Action Conference, or CPAC, and another was hastily rescheduled this year to fall in March, just before Hungary’s elections.

BOSTON (AP) — More than a decade before he became the country’s first president, George Washington was leading a critical campaign in the early days of the American Revolution. The Siege of Boston was his first campaign as commander-in-chief of the Continental Army and, in many ways, set the stage for his military and political successes — celebrated on Presidents Day.

Following the Battles of Lexington and Concord, militias had pinned down the British in Boston in April 1775. The Continental Congress, recognizing the need for a more organized military effort, selected Washington to lead the newly formed army.

The Siege of Boston and its significance
On this day 250 years ago, Washington would have been nearing the end of an almost yearlong siege that bottled up as many as 11,000 British troops and hundreds more loyalists. The British were occupying Boston at the time, and the goal of the siege was to force them out.

A critical decision made by Washington was sending Henry Knox, a young bookseller, to Fort Ticonderoga in New York to retrieve dozens of cannons. The cannons, transported hundreds of miles in the dead of winter, were eventually used to fire on British positions. That contributed to the decision by the British, facing dwindling supplies, to abandon the city by boat on March 17, 1776.

Historians argue that the British abandoning their positions, celebrated in Boston as Evacuation Day, rid the city of loyalists at a critical time, denied the British access to an important port and gave patriots a huge morale boost.

“The success of the Siege of Boston gave new life and momentum to the Revolution,” Chris Beagan, the site manager at Longfellow House in Cambridge, a National Historic Site that served as Washington’s headquarters during the American Revolution. “Had it failed, royal control of New England would have continued, and the Continental Army likely would have dissolved.”

How the siege shaped Washington
The siege was also a critical test for Washington. A surveyor and farmer, Washington had been out of the military for nearly 20 years after commanding troops for the British during the French and Indian War. His successful campaign ensured Washington remained the commander-in-chief for the remainder of the revolution.

Doug Bradburn, president of George Washington’s Mount Vernon, said Washington took the first steps to creating a geographically diverse army that included militiamen from Massachusetts to Virginia and, by the end of the war, a fighting force with significant Black and Native American representation. It was the most integrated military until President Harry S. Truman’s desegregated the armed forces in 1948, he said.

Washington, a slave owner who depended on hundreds of slaves on his Mount Vernon estate, was initially opposed to admitting formerly enslaved and free Black soldiers into the army. But short of men, Washington came to realize “there are free Blacks who want to enlist and he needs them to keep the British from breaking out” during the siege, Bradburn said.

Ridding Boston of the British also turned Washington into one of the country’s most popular political figures.

“He comes to embody the cause in a time before you have a nation, before you have a Declaration of Independence, before you’re really sure what is the goal of this struggle,” Bradburn said. “He becomes the face of the revolutionary movement.”

Commanding the military for more than eight years also prepared Washington for the presidency, Pulitzer Prize-winning military historian Rick Atkinson said. “Perhaps most important, it gave him a sense that Americans could and should be a single people, rather than denizens of thirteen different entities.”

Myths of Washington
His rise to prominence also led to plenty of myths about Washington, many which persist to this day.

One of the most popular is the cherry tree myth. It was invented by one of Washington’s first biographers, according to George Washington’s Mount Vernon, who created the story after his death. Supposedly, a 6-year-old Washington took an ax to a cherry tree and admitted as much when caught by his father, famously saying “I cannot tell a lie … I did cut it with my hatchet.”

The second one is the wooden teeth myth. It was rumored that Washington had wooden dentures and scholars, well into the 20th century, were quoted as saying his false teeth were made from wood. Not true. He never wore wooden dentures, instead using those with ivory, gold and even human teeth.

More than a statesman
During his lifetime, Washington had myriad pursuits. He was known as an innovative farmer, according to the George Washington’s Mount Vernon, and an advocate for Western expansion, buying up to 50,000 acres of land in several Mid-Atlantic states. After returning to Mount Vernon, he built a whiskey distillery that became one of the largest in the country.

His connection to slavery was complicated. He advocated for ending slavery, and his will called for freeing all the slaves he owned after the death of his wife, Martha Washington. But he didn’t own all the slaves at Mount Vernon so he couldn’t legally free all of them.

Celebrating Presidents Day
For fans of George Washington, Presidents Day is their Super Bowl. Originated to celebrate Washington’s birthday, which falls on Feb. 22, the holiday has become associated with good deals at the mall. Still, there are plenty of places celebrating all things Washington on this day.

There will be a wreath-laying ceremony at Washington’s tomb at Mount Vernon, and there will be a Continental Army encampment. There will be a parade honoring Washington in Alexandria, Virginia, and, in Laredo, Texas, a monthlong celebration features a carnival, pageants, an air show and jalapeno festival.

A newly signed agreement between the government and the Mateh Binyamin Regional Council in the West Bank could pave the way for what critics and supporters alike describe as the first effective expansion of Yerushalayim beyond its post-1967 boundaries, pending final approvals, Times of Israel reports.

The project, unveiled earlier this month, is formally defined as a westward extension of the Adam settlement, located near Yerushalayim’s northeastern edge. The blueprint calls for approximately 2,780 housing units to be constructed as a new “neighborhood” of Adam.

Despite that designation, the proposed site is geographically detached from Adam itself. Route 437, a major roadway, separates the two areas, as does the security barrier, creating a physical divide between the existing community and the planned development.

By contrast, the new neighborhood would share closer territorial continuity with Neve Yaakov, an East Yerushalayim neighborhood situated within the city’s municipal borders, than with Adam.

Although the project would not officially fall under Yerushalayim’s municipal jurisdiction and would remain administratively tied to Adam, officials from the Peace Now organization contend that the development would likely receive at least some municipal services from Yerushalayim.

The construction is slated for 500 dunams of land positioned between the Palestinian towns of Hizma and Al-Ram. The government is expected to allocate roughly NIS 120 million ($39 million) for infrastructure, public facilities, and communal institutions necessary for the neighborhood’s establishment.

The proposal has not yet been submitted to the Civil Administration’s Higher Planning Committee, meaning that final authorization could still take up to two years. Nonetheless, the Housing Ministry confirmed that 500 housing units have already been marketed as part of the initial construction phase.

“The agreement constitutes a significant step in continuing the development of the settlement and strengthening the settlement continuity in the area, while providing a response to the demand for housing in and around Yerushalayim, and integrating a phased and balanced planning of new neighborhoods alongside the existing fabric,” the Housing and Construction Ministry said in a statement on February 3 announcing the development.

Peace Now, which opposes settlement expansion, argued that the plan amounts to de facto annexation and represents an unprecedented enlargement of Yerushalayim’s footprint.

After Israel captured East Jerusalem and the West Bank during the 1967 Six Day War, the Knesset and relevant ministries formally redrew the capital’s boundaries to include formerly Jordanian-held East Jerusalem. Since then, neighborhoods built by Israel in East Jerusalem — widely viewed internationally as settlements — have been developed within those expanded municipal lines.

“This is the first time since 1967 that Yerushalayim has been expanded into the West Bank,” asserted Peace Now.

“Under the pretext of a new settlement, the government is carrying out a backdoor annexation here. The new settlement will function for all intents and purposes as a neighborhood of the city of Yerushalayim, and its planning as a ‘neighborhood’ of the Adam settlement is just an excuse and an attempt to conceal the move, the implication of which is the application of Israeli sovereignty to territories in the West Bank,” it said.

MK Gilad Kariv of the Democrats party also criticized the initiative, calling it “another unprecedented act of annexation that draws us closer to an explosion in the West Bank.”

Kariv said he had contacted Housing and Construction Minister Chaim Katz regarding “the plan to expand Yerushalayim over the Green Line and to de facto annex territory,” warning, “Annexation will bring about a security catastrophe.”

In contrast, Mateh Binyamin Regional Council chairman Yisroel Ganz welcomed the agreement, characterizing it as “the realization of the settlement vision” for the area.

“The new plan will allow us to build thousands of housing units, while at the same time dramatically upgrading the quality of life of the residents,” said Ganz, adding that his council is “already working on additional agreements” that will “herald dramatic change on the ground.”

(AP) – Much of California on Monday was preparing to be hit by a powerful winter storm carrying treacherous thunderstorms, high winds and heavy snow in mountain areas.

Jacob Spender, a National Weather Service meteorologist in Sacramento, urged people to take precautions in the coming days, advising them to pack winter safety kits, especially if they plan to travel as winter storm warnings were in place from southwest Oregon to the Southern California border.

Pacific Gas & Electric said in a news release that it was using artificial intelligence and machine-learning enhanced weather models to help determine where to send crews and equipment like power poles and transformers ahead of the storm. The utility company stressed that, unlike most winter storms, the anticipated weather event will “progress in several phases,” with multiple storm systems moving through the region that will likely intensify the risks from wind, rain and snow.

Meanwhile, California’s Office of Emergency Services said it is placing fire and rescue personnel and resources in areas most at risk for flooding, mud and debris flows.

Other states on Monday were bracing for different threatening weather events. Residents in parts of eastern Colorado received warnings Monday that they could be in fire danger due to a combination of abnormally high temperatures, gusty winds and dry conditions. The risks are expected to continue further into the week as gusts up to 60 mph (96 kph) are likely to hit the Colorado eastern plains on Tuesday. Parts of Texas, New Mexico, and Kansas were also under red flag warnings.

Back in California, rain had already begun Sunday in the San Francisco Bay Area, sparking officials to warn of potential flood risks.

Forecasters said the western slope of the Sierra Nevada, northern Shasta County — including portions of Interstate 5 — and parts of the state’s Coast Range could see up to 8 feet (2.4 meters) of snow before the storm moves through late Wednesday.

The heavy snow, wind and low visibility could also make travel conditions dangerous to near impossible, forecasters added.

“It has seemed ‘spring-like’ for a large part of 2026, but winter is set to show it’s not quite done yet,” the Shasta County Sheriff’s Office said in a social media post urging residents to stay aware of the storm.

To the south, Los Angeles area residents in some neighborhoods scarred by last year’s devastating wildfires were under an evacuation warning through Tuesday because of the potential for mud and debris flows. Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass said she’s ordered emergency crews and city departments to be ready to respond to any problems.

JERUSALEM (Israel Hayom) – Hamas terrorists used emojis they sent via WhatsApp to communicate with each other in encrypted form during the night between October 6 and 7, 2023. The emojis – primarily hearts and stars – were designed to signal to the terrorists that the time had come to launch the attack on the Gaza Division (IDF unit defending the Gaza border), and that they needed to report to specific assembly points.

The practice was discovered by Military Intelligence only in hindsight, after analysts examined thousands of captured phones containing WhatsApp messages sent in Gaza during the critical night preceding the surprise attack.

In an investigation conducted by Military Intelligence in the weeks following October 7, it emerged that during the night before the attack, Hamas operatives, including Nukhba terrorists, sent numerous messages to each other featuring various emojis such as hearts, stars, and flowers. The emojis were embedded in seemingly innocent text messages and, on the surface, did not raise suspicion and were therefore not scanned in real time. Only after the surprise attack, when the phones were seized and hundreds of WhatsApp messages sent during the night of October 7 were examined, did it become clear that many of them contained the same emojis.

After this vast amount of information was deciphered, Military Intelligence reached the conclusion that the emojis actually constituted a pre-established encrypted code, designed to convey a message to Nukhba terrorists that the attack on the Gaza Division was launching that night. For example, sending a heart may have conveyed to the recipient that they needed to report to a specific mosque, and so forth.

According to a former senior Military Intelligence official, the increased use of these emojis could not have been detected in real-time. “It depends on what the intelligence picture was that night, but basically WhatsApp is not something like SMS messages, because it’s an application with encryption,” the official explained. “This is information that’s difficult to bring in real-time.”

Additional information deciphered only in hindsight, related to what Military Intelligence calls “intelligence without content”. The reference is to the volume of communications traffic conducted within a specific organization or territorial cell, without examining the content of the information itself. “You admittedly don’t see content, meaning what Hamas operatives are talking about among themselves, but you do see the volume at which they’re communicating,” explained a source familiar with the details. “This is a basic indicator that if you just check it, you see that relative to an average night, on October 7, something suspicious is happening. This is exactly the additional suspicious sign that the entire Shin Bet and Southern Command are waiting to hear from Military Intelligence during the night.”

In this case, too, only in hindsight did Military Intelligence discover that the volume of communications traffic within the Gaza Strip, and especially among Nukhba operatives, was elevated on the night of October 7. Although Military Intelligence did not sound alarm bells, the Shin Bet and the command would not relent. “The command throughout the entire night is the most active body in the security system, together with the Shin Bet,” said a source involved in the details. According to another source, Southern Command is also pushing to wake the Chief of Staff, Lt. Gen. Herzi Halevi, from his sleep.

Halevi’s liaison, in routine and in emergencies, is the Chief of Staff’s bureau chief, Lt. Col. Matan Feldman. Feldman received an initial update on the night’s events around 1:00 a.m., and spoke with the Shin Bet and Southern Command chief Yaron Finkelman. Only around 3:30 a.m. did Feldman decide to wake Halevi.

The devastating crash early Sunday morning has now claimed two lives, authorities confirmed, updating initial information previously reported by TLS.

As first reported by TLS, the crash occurred shortly after midnight on February 15. At approximately 12:08 a.m., police received a report of a transformer down in the roadway. Moments later, multiple calls came in reporting that a vehicle had left the roadway and struck a tree.

Responding officers arrived to find a black 2023 Toyota Highlander fully engulfed in flames. Officers attempted to extricate the two individuals trapped inside the vehicle, but their efforts were unsuccessful due to the intense fire.

Following the extinguishing of the blaze, both occupants were pronounced deceased at the scene.

The identities of the victims have not yet been released pending notification of next of kin.

The incident remains under investigation by the Jackson Police Department Traffic Safety Unit.

All 26 individuals detained following Sunday’s unrest in Bnei Brak have now been released after multiple courts ordered suspects freed to house arrest and attorneys accused police of carrying out unnecessary “show arrests.”

The Tel Aviv Magistrate’s Court ruled that two men taken into custody during the disturbances would be placed under house arrest for five days. Judge Ravit Peleg Bar Dayan found there was reasonable suspicion that one of the suspects had assaulted a police officer, although she noted the level of suspicion was not particularly strong. She also determined there was reasonable suspicion that the second suspect had assaulted an officer and taken part in an unlawful assembly.

In a separate proceeding, the Bat Yam Juvenile Court ordered the release to house arrest of four additional suspects who had been arrested in connection with the clashes. About 20 other detainees were freed last night, meaning that every person apprehended during the protests has since been released.

Attorneys Shlomo Haddad and Itai Cohen, who are representing several of those detained, sharply criticized law enforcement’s actions. “Unfortunately, in the vast majority of cases, these were show arrests. Minors and adults alike were forcefully pulled into police vehicles, seemingly with the intent of creating a deterrent and awareness effect, not due to real suspicion of a crime.”

They continued, “Most of the detainees are bystanders who did not participate in the events and did not commit any offenses. We strongly condemn the handling of the situation and will assert our clients’ rights fully within the legal proceedings.”

The confrontation began Sunday afternoon when two female soldiers from the Education Corps, stationed at the Havat Shomer base, arrived in the city to visit the home of a young man scheduled to enlist in the coming weeks. Onlookers reportedly assumed the women were military police officers delivering draft papers.

A crowd soon formed around the soldiers, attempting to get close to them. Police units dispatched to the area removed the soldiers from the scene. During the effort to disperse the gathering, three police officers were hurt and required medical treatment.

Even after the soldiers were evacuated, the disorder continued. Demonstrators overturned a police vehicle and set a police motorcycle ablaze.

Police said stones were hurled at officers amid the violence and noted that the torched motorcycle contained tefillin and a prayer book. The Police Commissioner directed officers to respond with zero tolerance and to track down those responsible for the rioting.

{Matzav.com}

SURFSIDE, FLORIDA  (VINnews)- Longtime Surfside resident David “Dovid” Weingot officially kicked off his campaign for the Surfside Town Commission on Sunday with a vibrant community event that drew enthusiastic support from residents, local leaders, and business figures.

Flanked by prominent elected officials including Bay Harbor Islands Mayor Isaac Salver and Bal Harbour Mayor Seth Salver, Weingot was joined by business leaders, community activists, volunteers, and neighbors in a show of unity. The gathering highlighted broad local enthusiasm for his vision of prioritizing safety, accountability, and effective, results-oriented leadership.

A dedicated family man, Weingot resides in Surfside with his wife, Rivka, and their four children. His campaign centers on a promise to listen closely to residents’ concerns and place the needs of Surfside families at the forefront. Key platform priorities include bolstering public safety, enhancing emergency preparedness, and delivering responsible governance that delivers tangible benefits for the community.

Weingot brings extensive practical experience in community service, security, and emergency response to the race. He has been deeply involved in Orthodox community organizations, including volunteering with Hatzalah Air and Magen David Adom in Israel. As the founder of initiatives such as Project Vigilance and the Non-Profit Security Awareness Forum, he has demonstrated a longstanding commitment to safeguarding Jewish communities and advancing preparedness efforts.

Supporters describe Weingot’s bid as a deeply personal mission rooted in his love for Surfside and its future. Emphasizing practical solutions, close collaboration with law enforcement, and robust community partnerships, he presents himself as a candidate who merges professional expertise with a lifelong dedication to service—both to the Jewish community and to the town he has long called home.

The Surfside Town Commission election is scheduled for March 17, 2026, with Weingot among the qualified candidates vying for seats.

CHEMED Health, the region’s leader in community-based healthcare, hosted its annual Medical and Ethics Conference, drawing more than 1,000 participants, including physicians, nurses, medical students, rabbanim, and healthcare leaders for an intensive, multi-day gathering exploring the intersection of medicine, ethics, and Halacha.

The conference opened Thursday evening with an inspiring keynote lecture by Rav Sholom Kamenetsky, titled “AI, Autonomy, and Halacha: How Jewish Law Approaches the Future of Decision Making.” His address set the tone for a program focused on navigating the rapidly evolving landscape of modern medicine through the lens of timeless ethical and Torah-based principles.

Over the course of the conference, attendees participated in 52 lectures featuring prominent rabbinic authorities, academic leaders, and medical professionals. Notable presenters included Rabbi Doctor Aaron E. Glatt, Rabbi Dr. Dovid Katz, Rabbi Dr. Akiva Tatz, Rav Professor Avrohom Steinberg, and Dr. Isaac Schechter, among many others, who addressed a wide range of clinical, ethical, and policy-related topics shaping contemporary healthcare practice.

On Motzei Shabbos, a highlight of the conference was a special question-and-answer session with Rav Asher Weiss שליט״א, who traveled from Eretz Yisroel for the occasion. Rav Weiss opened his remarks with warm and effusive praise for CHEMED and for Dr. Dovid Friedman’s leadership and vision before engaging attendees in an in-depth discussion of complex medical halachic scenarios, offering guidance that reflected both rigorous scholarship and real-world clinical sensitivity.

The conference concluded with a major announcement from Dr. Dovid Friedman, CEO of CHEMED, who, together with the Medical Village development team, presented a comprehensive vision for CHEMED’s next chapter through a special video unveiling of The Medical Village – a transformative outpatient healthcare campus designed to redefine coordinated care for the region.

The Medical Village represents CHEMED’s most ambitious initiative to date – a first-of-its-kind, fully integrated outpatient campus that will bring more than 50 medical specialties together under one coordinated system. The campus will include primary care, pediatric and adult subspecialties, dental services, behavioral health, women’s health, advanced diagnostic radiology, an ambulatory surgery center, and a standalone emergency department, all designed to provide seamless, high-level care within a single environment.

“For nearly two decades, CHEMED has been committed to expanding access to quality care,” said Dr. Friedman. “The Medical Village reflects our next step forward – building a future-ready healthcare model that integrates specialty medicine, academic training, and coordinated care delivery to serve our rapidly growing community.”

Beyond its clinical scope, the campus will also feature dedicated educational space for medical students and residents, strengthening training opportunities and advancing the level of academic medicine in the region.

With record attendance, a robust educational program, and the unveiling of a transformative healthcare initiative, this year’s conference underscored CHEMED’s dual commitment: advancing medical excellence while grounding healthcare delivery in enduring ethical and community-centered values.

NEW YORK (VINnews) – A New York City Health Department employee who was first hired under former Mayor Bill de Blasio is facing scrutiny after resurfaced social media posts attributed to him included statements wishing harm on Israelis and targeting Zionists, according to screenshots circulated by the watchdog group Canary Mission.

The employee, identified as Achmat Akkad, 40, has worked for the city since 2015 and currently serves as a community coordinator with the New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene. He confirmed by phone to the New York Post that he operated the X account in question but declined further comment.

Canary Mission Exclusive: Mamdani’s appointee has been posting virulently antisemitic, anti-American content, and yet was elected to a public-facing NYC Health Department job. pic.twitter.com/MBrL3pHQLO

— Canary Mission (@canarymission) February 15, 2026

Screenshots shared online show posts from 2021 and 2025 in which the account allegedly stated that “1 Israeli left in this world would be one too many” and that “Jews that don’t support apartheid are safe. Zionists aren’t!” The account has since been suspended, and the posts could not be independently verified.

The controversy comes amid broader criticism directed at Mayor Zohran Mamdani’s administration over a reported internal Health Department working group that discussed global oppression and Israel-related issues. City officials have not commented publicly on the employee’s posts, and there is no indication the mayor was involved in Akkad’s hiring.

Akkad currently earns approximately $65,000 annually, according to public salary records. Canary Mission, which monitors individuals and groups it describes as promoting anti-Israel or antisemitic rhetoric, called for accountability. City officials have not announced whether any disciplinary review is underway.

Investigators searching for 84-year-old Nancy Guthrie are zeroing in on retail purchases and new forensic findings, as authorities say items worn by the suspect seen on home surveillance footage were bought at Walmart. The developments mark some of the most significant progress in the case since Guthrie vanished earlier this month.

Pima County Sheriff Chris Nanos confirmed to CBS News that the clothing and face covering visible in the doorbell video outside Guthrie’s Tucson residence were purchased from the retail chain. Detectives are now attempting to determine the exact brands involved and whether the merchandise was acquired online or at a physical Walmart location in Arizona or another state.

CBS News previously disclosed that the backpack carried by the suspect — described as a black 25-liter Ozark Trail Hiker Pack — is sold exclusively through Walmart. That detail has emerged as a crucial investigative lead.

“It’s one of the most promising leads we have,” Nanos told CBS News, adding that Walmart has supplied purchase records for Ozark Trail Hiker backpacks sold in recent months, including transactions completed both online and in stores, even beyond the Tucson region.

Nancy Guthrie, the mother of “Today” show co-host Savannah Guthrie, was last seen Feb. 1. Authorities believe she was taken from her home during the overnight hours. Now in its third week, the investigation is being handled as a possible kidnapping.

According to CBS News, law enforcement personnel have spent days reviewing surveillance footage from area Walmart stores in an effort to identify the individual who bought the backpack, mask, and clothing shown in the Nest doorbell recording.

The sheriff’s office stated that the suspect’s face mask is black, though it appears lighter in the infrared footage captured by the doorbell camera.

Walmart has not issued a public statement regarding the case. CBS News reported that the company declined to comment when asked about the items believed to have been purchased there.

Meanwhile, federal investigators have announced additional forensic developments tied to the case.

A black glove recovered near Guthrie’s home “appears to match the gloves of the subject in the surveillance video,” the bureau said in a statement.

Initial DNA analysis detected what the FBI characterized as an “unknown male profile.” Once testing is finalized, that profile will be uploaded into the national Combined DNA Index System, known as CODIS, in hopes of finding a match.

Authorities have described the suspect as a man of medium build, estimated to stand between 5-foot-9 and 5-foot-10.

The probe expanded Friday when several law enforcement agencies carried out a search warrant at a house located less than two miles from Guthrie’s residence.

Nanos told CBS affiliate KOLD that the warrant stemmed from “a lead that led to a search warrant and no arrest.” Officials have not said whether any evidence was seized during the search.

International outlet WION reported that investigators also spotted a holster in the surveillance footage, believed to retail for approximately $10 at Walmart.

Observers following the case have noted that certain Ozark Trail backpack models are available only at specific store locations, including branches near Guthrie’s home — a detail authorities hope could help narrow down potential suspects.

The FBI has raised the reward to $100,000 for reliable information that leads to Guthrie’s location or results in the arrest and conviction of those responsible.

As detectives pursue purchase records and analyze DNA evidence, Savannah Guthrie made another public appeal Sunday, calling on anyone connected to the case to “do the right thing.”

{Matzav.com}

MADRID (VINnews) – Three elderly Israeli women, including a Holocaust survivor, were expelled from Madrid’s Museo Nacional Centro de Arte Reina Sofía after other visitors harassed them over visible Jewish symbols, including a Star of David necklace and a small Israeli flag, according to reports from Spanish media and Jewish organizations.

The incident occurred on Saturday, Feb. 14, 2026, when the women — tourists accompanied by a Spanish companion who recorded parts of the event — faced verbal abuse from museumgoers. Some visitors shouted insults such as “child killers” and “genocide,” reacting to the symbols, the Spanish outlet Okdiario reported.

A security guard intervened but ordered the women to leave, stating that “some visitors were disturbed that they are Jewish,” and instructed them to conceal their Jewish symbols, claiming such items could not be displayed inside the museum. Instead of addressing the harassers, staff escorted the targeted women out of the premises.

Harassed and called “child killers,” 3 elderly Jewish women were removed by security from Madrid’s Reina Sofía Museum because others were “disturbed that they are Jewish.” One of them is a Holocaust survivor.

Staff told the women to hide their Jewish symbols and forced them out… pic.twitter.com/liM2bmwvA1

— Combat Antisemitism Movement (@CombatASemitism) February 16, 2026

One of the women is a Holocaust survivor of Hungarian origin.

The Reina Sofía, a prominent modern art museum under Spain’s Culture Ministry, has previously hosted exhibitions and events related to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, including one titled “From the River to the Sea” during the Israel-Hamas war, which drew criticism for alleged antisemitic undertones and protests.

The episode has drawn condemnation from Jewish advocacy groups amid a reported global rise in antisemitism.

The Combat Antisemitism Movement described it as a case where “rather than shield visitors from harassment, museum personnel escorted out the targets of abuse.”

The European Jewish Congress highlighted concerns over the decision to remove the victims instead of protecting them from antisemitic abuse.

Dana Erlich, head of mission at the Israeli Embassy in Spain, reportedly emphasized that the Israeli flag is a legitimate national symbol and called for antisemitism to be confronted without ambiguity.

Museum officials have not yet issued a public statement on the incident, according to available reports. The women were not identified by name in initial accounts.

Airbnb Survival Guide

So you booked a beautiful Airbnb… now what?

In this episode of Let’s Talk Kashrus, Rabbi Sholem Fishbane – Kashrus Administrator at the Chicago Rabbinical Council, and Executive Director of AKO, walks us through the practical halachic realities of using an Airbnb kitchen. From stovetops and ovens to microwaves, Keurigs, sinks, and even barbecues — what can you use, what needs kashering, and what should you avoid altogether?

Whether you’re traveling for vacation, Yom Tov, or business, this Airbnb Survival Guide gives clear, practical guidance to help you stay kosher.

View it in its entirety at: https://www.kashrusawareness.com/post/airbnb-survival-guide

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Transcription

R’ Yitzchok Hisiger: Hello everyone and welcome back to Let’s Talk Kashrus, presented by the Kashrus Awareness Project and the CRC of Chicago. Today I am privileged to be joined by Rabbi Sholem Fishbane, Kashrus Administrator at the CRC of Chicago, the Chicago Rabbinical Council. Thank you Rabbi Fishbane for joining us. Always a pleasure to see you.

Today we’d like to discuss a topic that comes up throughout the year when people travel, they go to Airbnb’s, and they come into this beautiful apartment or house, and they settle down for a few days or for a week, and they’d like to use many of the appliances or other amenities that there are in the Airbnb, but they don’t know from a kashrus standpoint what they may use, what they can’t use. Could you walk us through, give us some tips as to what people could do when they go to an Airbnb?

R’ Sholem Fishbane: Yes, that’s a great question and we get that all the time. So I’ll share with you what we’ve put together based on all the questions that come through. So the very first thing you should assume is that all the utensils and appliances and counters and sinks are not kosher.

And this is critical. Even if the guy says I only rent it to kosher people. That is way very common. Today we won’t get into the halachic reasons why, but you need to assume that it’s not kosher and sometimes the hotels like to do that, but you’re coming in, it’s not kosher.

So now what, right? So some people are smart and they think ahead of time, so they will bring their own pots. Their own pots and pans from home. And then the question only becomes can they use the stove top? So if you bring your own pots and pans from home, you can use the stove top as is, no problem. If it’s an electric, a glass-covered rather, a glass-covered, that you would need to kasher.

How do you kasher that? You turn on each burner one or two at a time, not all four at the same time, for 15 minutes before placing the kosher pot onto the surface for the first time, and you’re good to go.

R’ Yitzchok Hisiger: And the reason you don’t do all at the same time is because it could cause the glass to crack, right?

R’ Sholem Fishbane: Very good. Yeah, so it’s a practical thing, it’s not a halachic thing. Exactly.

And then you look at just as you said, going through the kitchen. Then you have the oven. So you can use the oven after kashering it. Now how do you kasher? Well, if you’re lucky and you have what’s called the self-clean cycle, that goes way up there, you do that and you’re 100% that’s the best, that’s libun gamur.

You can kasher that way. Let’s say it’s the traditional that it doesn’t only go higher than I don’t know 550. So assuming that it’s an eino ben yomo, and a person can assume it’s an eino ben yomo, you can turn it on for 550 degrees, which is the highest, for one hour, and then you could use it. Obviouslyit has to be cleaned inside, but that would be as far as the oven goes.

Moving on, what about the microwave? So there’s different shittos in microwave, I’m just sharing what we say at the CRC. There’s really two ways. One way is you clean out all the visible residue that’s in the microwave and then you double wrap the food on all sides. That is the somewhat the easiest.

R’ Yitzchok Hisiger: If someone for some reason they say no I need to kasher the microwave, is there a way of kashering?

R’ Sholem Fishbane: So I’m not talking for Pesach now, the Pesach and all, let’s just focus on as you said Airbnb during the year. You can kasher, yeah. Clean it very well, remove the glass plate which you cannot kasher, and then put a boiling cup of water into the chamber for about 10 minutes, 15 minutes until it fills up with steam and then you can kasher it that way and then you can use the microwave. So that would be in terms of the microwave.

Okay, so we did stove top, oven, microwave. Very common question, what about the coffee maker? Okay. So I think we’ve said it several times that coffee by itself is kosher, right? Plain old coffee doesn’t need a hechsher even. And most places are just going to have plain old coffee.

And you can see, you can open up the cabinets, they usually leave over from the previous people, and you’ll see plain old coffee, decaf, regular, it’s fine. And you most of the time even see a hechsher on it. So that’s not the problem. So the plain old coffee you could use, not a problem.

What you do need to worry about though is the cups, the K-cups, Keurig cups, well, so the K-cups is a little different, but let’s just talk about where it’s where it’s the regular where it drips and you take it out. Oh okay. So that is a little bit because there’s a dishwasher, you’re going to assume they’re going to wash it in the dishwasher. So you shouldn’t use that and you certainly shouldn’t use the ceramic cups.

That bring from home or figure out a way how to get into your cup that way. But the coffee maker… self is okay.

R’ Yitzchok Hisiger: So if I could remove let’s say that glass container and then put in my own cup and let it drip directly into it, that would be okay.

R’ Sholem Fishbane: 100 percent. And I could use the maker. That’s not the problem. Yeah, that’s not the problem.

The Keurig also. Keurig machines in general almost all of them are there used to be, I’m talking about 15 years ago or 10 years ago, they made a non-kosher Keurig cup. They made chicken soup or something. But they’ve discontinued that long gone, so there’s almost never you’re going to have something really non-kosher going in a Keurig machine.

So it’s not a problem to use a Keurig machine. You use their cups, no problem. If someone is makpid on cholov stamkeilim, sometimes you’ll have a Keurig pod that might be a hot chocolate that’s milchig. That you should look out for.

But if one is not makpid on keilim but keeps cholov yisroel but not on keilim, so then you’re okay making a Keurig using the Keurig machine because again almost all the ones that I’ve seen on Keurigs and these pods, they’re either going to be kosher or kosher dairy across the board. Okay. Obviously we said before the dishwasher you cannot use. Toaster also we don’t recommend using, also because people use it for non-kosher.

Now what about the you open these drawers, there’s all sorts of utensils, right? You could have a can opener, corkscrew, a cup, a dish, a silverware, a sinktop, water pitchers. What about all those? There’s a slew of those. So if you’re going to use them for hot, you should not use it for hot for blios of treif. But for cold, assuming that they’re clean, let’s say you want to take a drink using a cup, a cold drink, that’s okay.

If you want to use the can opener or the corkscrew or something like that, that’s okay. Obviously you want to make sure that it’s clean. When I say clean, sometimes it gets trapped in the crevices. There’s residue that gets trapped in the cracks.

You make sure it’s clean, but halachically it’s okay to use that, and that really, that really helps people when they go to the Airbnb. And finally, just walking through the kitchen, the only thing that comes to mind that one should avoid is also the oven mitts. Okay. We advise against using the oven mitts, the placemats, and the colander also, just based on watching what goes on and all that.

So that’s pretty much what happens in an Airbnb kitchen, and there’s lots of ways to make it work. One of the things, just that you know kind of a nice little thing I learned from my brother Bentzy, he taught us a nice trick when we go out to these places, and people worry about barbecue. So what we do is we buy ourselves a grate, just like kind of like an oven grate, tovel it, and that’s one of the things that slips into yourthe front flap of your suitcase all the time. And once you have that, you go to a Walmart, you buy yourself a nice big throwaway turkey roaster, aluminum pan that’s sturdy, and then you go buy yourself a thing of charcoal and you light it and you can make your own barbecue wherever you want, and all you really needed to worry about was that one grate.

Afterwards you clean it and you put it back in your suitcase and you’re good to go. So that’s something that… R’ Yitzchok Hisiger: And you’ve seen this work?

R’ Sholem Fishbane: I’ve seen it work, we do it all the time whenever we get together, and it’s just a nice little tip. Not a kashrus necessarily, but just once we’re talking about…

R’ Yitzchok Hisiger: Listen, here at Kashrus Awareness, we give practical tips, we give kashrus tips, we give everything. I wanted to ask you one thing about sinks also in Airbnbs. I don’t know if you touched on that. Putting keilim into sinks, turning on the hot water in the sink and things of that sort, if you could give some guidance.

R’ Sholem Fishbane: So basically what you want to be careful is that when you do wash the keilim, that you wash it at lukewarm. And that’s something that therefore you want to give only an adult to be in charge of washing the sink so that there’s no blios from the sink. That’s a good point also, yes. So keep it soapy and lukewarm and you’re good to go.

Got it. And a practical thing is maybe don’t wear gloves because then you don’t realize how hot… Right, right, right.

R’ Yitzchok Hisiger: Great point.

Anyway, it’s been a great short summary here, helping us get through our Airbnb experience. As always, Rabbi Fishbane, thank you for joining us.

Former U.S. President Barack Obama said he did not see evidence that aliens “have made contact with us,” after sending social media abuzz by saying aliens were real on a podcast over the weekend.

During a lightning round of questions with podcast host Brian Tyler Cohen, Obama was asked, “Are aliens real?”

“They’re real,” he answered, continuing: “But I haven’t seen them. And, they’re not being kept in Area 51.”

On Sunday, the former president released a statement on Instagram, appearing to clarify what he meant by his comments that have since gone viral.

“I was trying to stick with the spirit of the speed round, but since it’s gotten attention let me clarify. Statistically, the universe is so vast that the odds are good there’s life out there. But the distances between solar systems are so great that the chances we’ve been visited by aliens is low, and I saw no evidence during my presidency that extraterrestrials have made contact with us. Really!”

Secrecy around Area 51, a top-secret Cold War test site in the Nevada desert, has long fueled conspiracy theories among UFO enthusiasts.

In 2013, the CIA acknowledged the existence of the site, but not UFO crashes, black-eyed extraterrestrials or staged moon landings.

Declassified documents referred to the 8,000-square-mile (20,700-square-kilometer) installation by name after decades of U.S. government officials refusing to acknowledge it.

The base has been a testing ground for a host of top-secret aircraft, including the U-2 in the 1950s and later the B-2 stealth bomber.

So you booked a beautiful Airbnb… now what?

In this episode of Let’s Talk Kashrus, Rabbi Sholem Fishbane, Kashrus Administrator at the Chicago Rabbinical Council, and Executive Director of AKO, walks us through the practical halachic realities of using an Airbnb kitchen. From stovetops and ovens to microwaves, Keurigs, sinks, and even barbecues — what can you use, what needs kashering, and what should you avoid altogether?

Whether you’re traveling for vacation, Yom Tov, or business, this Airbnb Survival Guide gives clear, practical guidance to help you stay kosher.

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Transcription

R’ Yitzchok Hisiger: Hello everyone and welcome back to Let’s Talk Kashrus, presented by the Kashrus Awareness Project and the CRC of Chicago. Today I am privileged to be joined by Rabbi Sholem Fishbane, Kashrus Administrator at the CRC of Chicago, the Chicago Rabbinical Council. Thank you Rabbi Fishbane for joining us. Always a pleasure to see you. 

Today we’d like to discuss a topic that comes up throughout the year when people travel, they go to Airbnb’s, and they come into this beautiful apartment or house, and they settle down for a few days or for a week, and they’d like to use many of the appliances or other amenities that there are in the Airbnb, but they don’t know from a kashrus standpoint what they may use, what they can’t use. Could you walk us through, give us some tips as to what people could do when they go to an Airbnb? 

R’ Sholem Fishbane: Yes, that’s a great question and we get that all the time. So I’ll share with you what we’ve put together based on all the questions that come through. So the very first thing you should assume is that all the utensils and appliances and counters and sinks are not kosher. 

And this is critical. Even if the guy says I only rent it to kosher people. That is way very common. Today we won’t get into the halachic reasons why, but you need to assume that it’s not kosher and sometimes the hotels like to do that, but you’re coming in, it’s not kosher. 

So now what, right? So some people are smart and they think ahead of time, so they will bring their own pots. Their own pots and pans from home. And then the question only becomes can they use the stove top? So if you bring your own pots and pans from home, you can use the stove top as is, no problem. If it’s an electric, a glass-covered rather, a glass-covered, that you would need to kasher. 

How do you kasher that? You turn on each burner one or two at a time, not all four at the same time, for 15 minutes before placing the kosher pot onto the surface for the first time, and you’re good to go. 

R’ Yitzchok Hisiger: And the reason you don’t do all at the same time is because it could cause the glass to crack, right? 

R’ Sholem Fishbane: Very good. Yeah, so it’s a practical thing, it’s not a halachic thing. Exactly. 

And then you look at just as you said, going through the kitchen. Then you have the oven. So you can use the oven after kashering it. Now how do you kasher? Well, if you’re lucky and you have what’s called the self-clean cycle, that goes way up there, you do that and you’re 100% that’s the best, that’s libun gamur. 

You can kasher that way. Let’s say it’s the traditional that it doesn’t only go higher than I don’t know 550. So assuming that it’s an eino ben yomo, and a person can assume it’s an eino ben yomo, you can turn it on for 550 degrees, which is the highest, for one hour, and then you could use it. Obviouslyit has to be cleaned inside, but that would be as far as the oven goes. 

Moving on, what about the microwave? So there’s different shittos in microwave, I’m just sharing what we say at the CRC. There’s really two ways. One way is you clean out all the visible residue that’s in the microwave and then you double wrap the food on all sides. That is the somewhat the easiest. 

R’ Yitzchok Hisiger: If someone for some reason they say no I need to kasher the microwave, is there a way of kashering? 

R’ Sholem Fishbane: So I’m not talking for Pesach now, the Pesach and all, let’s just focus on as you said Airbnb during the year. You can kasher, yeah. Clean it very well, remove the glass plate which you cannot kasher, and then put a boiling cup of water into the chamber for about 10 minutes, 15 minutes until it fills up with steam and then you can kasher it that way and then you can use the microwave. So that would be in terms of the microwave. 

Okay, so we did stove top, oven, microwave. Very common question, what about the coffee maker? Okay. So I think we’ve said it several times that coffee by itself is kosher, right? Plain old coffee doesn’t need a hechsher even. And most places are just going to have plain old coffee. 

And you can see, you can open up the cabinets, they usually leave over from the previous people, and you’ll see plain old coffee, decaf, regular, it’s fine. And you most of the time even see a hechsher on it. So that’s not the problem. So the plain old coffee you could use, not a problem. 

What you do need to worry about though is the cups, the K-cups, Keurig cups, well, so the K-cups is a little different, but let’s just talk about where it’s where it’s the regular where it drips and you take it out. Oh okay. So that is a little bit because there’s a dishwasher, you’re going to assume they’re going to wash it in the dishwasher. So you shouldn’t use that and you certainly shouldn’t use the ceramic cups. 

That bring from home or figure out a way how to get into your cup that way. But the coffee maker… self is okay. 

R’ Yitzchok Hisiger: So if I could remove let’s say that glass container and then put in my own cup and let it drip directly into it, that would be okay. 

R’ Sholem Fishbane: 100 percent. And I could use the maker. That’s not the problem. Yeah, that’s not the problem. 

The Keurig also. Keurig machines in general almost all of them are there used to be, I’m talking about 15 years ago or 10 years ago, they made a non-kosher Keurig cup. They made chicken soup or something. But they’ve discontinued that long gone, so there’s almost never you’re going to have something really non-kosher going in a Keurig machine. 

So it’s not a problem to use a Keurig machine. You use their cups, no problem. If someone is makpid on cholov stamkeilim, sometimes you’ll have a Keurig pod that might be a hot chocolate that’s milchig. That you should look out for. 

But if one is not makpid on keilim but keeps cholov yisroel but not on keilim, so then you’re okay making a Keurig using the Keurig machine because again almost all the ones that I’ve seen on Keurigs and these pods, they’re either going to be kosher or kosher dairy across the board. Okay. Obviously we said before the dishwasher you cannot use. Toaster also we don’t recommend using, also because people use it for non-kosher. 

Now what about the you open these drawers, there’s all sorts of utensils, right? You could have a can opener, corkscrew, a cup, a dish, a silverware, a sinktop, water pitchers. What about all those? There’s a slew of those. So if you’re going to use them for hot, you should not use it for hot for blios of treif. But for cold, assuming that they’re clean, let’s say you want to take a drink using a cup, a cold drink, that’s okay. 

If you want to use the can opener or the corkscrew or something like that, that’s okay. Obviously you want to make sure that it’s clean. When I say clean, sometimes it gets trapped in the crevices. There’s residue that gets trapped in the cracks. 

You make sure it’s clean, but halachically it’s okay to use that, and that really, that really helps people when they go to the Airbnb. And finally, just walking through the kitchen, the only thing that comes to mind that one should avoid is also the oven mitts. Okay. We advise against using the oven mitts, the placemats, and the colander also, just based on watching what goes on and all that. 

So that’s pretty much what happens in an Airbnb kitchen, and there’s lots of ways to make it work. One of the things, just that you know kind of a nice little thing I learned from my brother Bentzy, he taught us a nice trick when we go out to these places, and people worry about barbecue. So what we do is we buy ourselves a grate, just like kind of like an oven grate, tovel it, and that’s one of the things that slips into yourthe front flap of your suitcase all the time. And once you have that, you go to a Walmart, you buy yourself a nice big throwaway turkey roaster, aluminum pan that’s sturdy, and then you go buy yourself a thing of charcoal and you light it and you can make your own barbecue wherever you want, and all you really needed to worry about was that one grate. 

Afterwards you clean it and you put it back in your suitcase and you’re good to go. So that’s something that… R’ Yitzchok Hisiger: And you’ve seen this work? 

R’ Sholem Fishbane: I’ve seen it work, we do it all the time whenever we get together, and it’s just a nice little tip. Not a kashrus necessarily, but just once we’re talking about… 

R’ Yitzchok Hisiger: Listen, here at Kashrus Awareness, we give practical tips, we give kashrus tips, we give everything. I wanted to ask you one thing about sinks also in Airbnbs. I don’t know if you touched on that. Putting keilim into sinks, turning on the hot water in the sink and things of that sort, if you could give some guidance. 

R’ Sholem Fishbane: So basically what you want to be careful is that when you do wash the keilim, that you wash it at lukewarm. And that’s something that therefore you want to give only an adult to be in charge of washing the sink so that there’s no blios from the sink. That’s a good point also, yes. So keep it soapy and lukewarm and you’re good to go. 

Got it. And a practical thing is maybe don’t wear gloves because then you don’t realize how hot… Right, right, right. 

R’ Yitzchok Hisiger: Great point. 

Anyway, it’s been a great short summary here, helping us get through our Airbnb experience. As always, Rabbi Fishbane, thank you for joining us.

KYIV, Ukraine (AP) — A Ukrainian delegation was heading to Geneva on Monday for another round of U.S.-brokered talks with Russian officials, ahead of next week’s fourth anniversary of Russia’s full-scale invasion of its neighbor.

There was no anticipation of any significant progress on ending the war at the Tuesday-Wednesday meeting in Switzerland as both sides appear to be sticking to their negotiating positions on key issues, despite the United States setting a June deadline to reach a settlement. The future of Ukrainian land that Russia occupies or still covets is a central issue.

Ukrainian defenders remain locked in a war of attrition with Russia’s bigger army along the roughly 1,250-kilometer (750-mile) front line. Ukrainian civilians endure Russian aerial barrages that repeatedly knock out power and smash homes, while Ukraine has developed drones that can fly deep into Russian territory and strike oil refineries and arms depots.

The governor of western Russia’s Bryansk region said Monday that air defenses had shot down 229 Ukrainian drones in the previous 24 hours. No other Russian region has come under as many simultaneous drone attacks in a single day, Gov. Alexander Bogomaz said.

Ukraine’s Air Force, meanwhile, said Russia launched 62 long-range strike drones and six missiles of various types at Ukraine overnight.

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said Monday that the talks in Geneva will deal with a “broader range of issues related to the territories and other issues connected to the demands that we have.” He didn’t elaborate on the issues.

A year of peace efforts by U.S. President Donald Trump’s administration has failed to stop the fighting. Western officials and analysts say Russian President Vladimir Putin believes that time is on his side, that Western support for Ukraine will peter out and that Ukraine’s resistance will eventually collapse under pressure.

Gen. Kyrylo Budanov, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s chief of staff, posted a photograph on Telegram showing himself standing next to a train with other members of the negotiating team, which is due to be led in Geneva by Rustem Umerov, Ukraine’s National Security and Defense Council chief.

Entering or leaving Ukraine entails a long overland journey, even for VIPs, as the country’s airspace is closed because of the war.

Putin’s adviser Vladimir Medinsky, who headed Moscow’s team of negotiators in the first direct peace talks with Ukraine in Istanbul in March 2022 and who has forcefully pushed Putin’s war goals, is returning to lead Moscow’s delegation. Medinsky has written several history books that focus on exposing purported Western plots against Russia and denigrate Ukraine.

Igor Kostyukov, the head of Russian military intelligence, and Deputy Foreign Minister Mikhail Galuzin, along with other officials, will also be in the delegation, Kremlin spokesman Peskov said.

Putin’s envoy Kirill Dmitriev will also travel to Geneva for separate talks with the U.S. on economic cooperation, according to Peskov. Moscow and Kyiv are keen to offer future business opportunities to Washington.

It was not clear which American officials would be in Geneva. At recent talks in Abu Dhabi, the capital of the United Arab Emirates, the Trump administration was represented by envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner.

The Russian and Ukrainian delegations were to report back to their leaders before any possible compromises discussed in Geneva could be accepted.

Major traffic disruptions were reported this afternoon after dozens of members of extremist factions staged demonstrations at several locations, including the entrance to Yerushalayim, the Beit Shemesh area, and near Modiin Illit.

According to reports and eyewitness documentation, demonstrators blocked Route 38 heading toward Yerushalayim, bringing traffic to a halt. At the same time, additional attempts were made to obstruct the main entrance to the capital.

The protests follow the unrest that took place yesterday in Bnei Brak. In the past hour, groups affiliated with the extremist factions gathered at key junctions leading into Yerushalayim, as well as in the Beit Shemesh region and adjacent to Modiin Illit.

Netivei Israel stated that Route 443 has been closed in both directions between the entrance to the Modiin industrial zone and the Maccabim-Reut junction due to preparations for a demonstration. Localized traffic congestion has been reported in the area.

Israel Police said that officers from the Yerushalayim District, together with Border Police forces, are operating at the protest sites along Route 38 and at the entrance to Yerushalayim. Authorities reported that at both locations, demonstrators blocked roads by standing in the lanes of traffic, disrupting vehicles and preventing passage. Police are working to clear the roads and disperse those involved in the disturbances.

Earlier in the day, all individuals arrested yesterday in Bnei Brak on suspicion of involvement in the riots were released.

{Matzav.com}

Resurfaced social media posts from a veteran employee of New York City’s Health Department reveals calls for violence against Israelis and inflammatory remarks about Jews and Zionists.

The posts, uncovered by the watchdog group Canary Mission, were attributed to Achmat Akkad, a community coordinator who has worked for the city since 2017.

In one post on X from about a year ago, Akkad wrote: “1 Israeli left in this world would be one too many!”

In another post from November 2021, later deleted, he wrote: “Jews that don’t support apartheid are safe. Zionists aren’t!” according to screenshots preserved by the group.

The resurfacing of the comments has intensified controversy already surrounding the Health Department under Mayor Zohran Mamdani, whose administration has already been criticized in recent weeks over allegations that staff used public resources to host meetings accusing Israel of genocide.

Those earlier claims triggered calls for city and federal investigations. The discovery of Akkad’s posts has added fuel to an already volatile debate.

According to Canary Mission, Akkad made multiple statements over several years criticizing Israel in extreme terms.

In one post, he wrote that Israel “exists by sacrificing the blood of Black and brown people as an offering to white supremacy.”

In another, he accused “Zionists” of being behind global political instability, restrictions on free speech, wars in the Middle East and North Africa, and increased police power.

The posts were shared under Akkad’s handle, @AchmatX, which has since been suspended. As a result, the statements cannot be independently verified, though screenshots continue to circulate online.

Akkad confirmed that he works for the Health Department and that he operated the account. He declined to comment further.

On social media, he had previously referred to himself as the “US Ambassador to Harlem.”

Neither the Health Department nor Mayor Mamdani’s office has commented publicly on the controversy. Acting Health Commissioner Michelle Morse also declined to respond to inquiries.

Akkad was first employed by the city in 2015 as a community associate under then-Mayor Bill de Blasio, before joining the Health Department two years later. He currently earns about $65,000 annually, according to public records.

“If this is who gets elevated into city government, what does that say about the leadership elevating him?” Canary Mission said in a statement. “New Yorkers should be outraged.”

(YWN World Headquarters – NYC)

JERUSALEM (VINnews) — Following the introduction of new food products to the Israeli market, including ingredients produced using advanced technologies and containing milk protein not derived from animals, Israel’s Ministry of Health clarified that labeling a product as “parev” or “vegan” does not indicate the absence of allergens, including milk allergens.

The Ministry of Health stated: “Recently, a protein known as BLG (β-Lactoglobulin) was approved for use in food and is being added to products not made from animal sources. For individuals with a milk allergy, this is a milk allergen that may cause a severe, even life-threatening allergic reaction just like regular milk.”

Products containing this ingredient may be labeled “parev” or “vegan,” but they are not suitable for individuals with a milk allergy and must include milk allergen labeling in the ingredients list. The Ministry of Health emphasized that the only reliable way to verify the presence of allergens is by reading the ingredient list on the product label.

The Israeli Association of Allergy and Clinical Immunology responded: “The association warned the Ministry of Health several months ago about the risks of marketing food products labeled as ‘parev’ or ‘vegan’ while containing milk protein.”

The association added: “Patients with milk allergies are advised to avoid parve products due to the possibility of milk traces. Despite this, many rely on the ‘parev’ label as an indication of safety. Therefore, the use of the term ‘parev’ may be misleading and dangerous. Moreover, such products may not only be consumed directly but also used in baking and cooking, including in kosher meat restaurants.”

NEW YORK (AP) — The CBS newsmagazine 60 Minutes aired a powerful report Sunday night on three of the Holocaust’s youngest known survivors — all born in the final weeks of World War II to mothers who hid their pregnancies while imprisoned by the Nazis.

The broadcast recounted the extraordinary stories of Eva Clarke, Hana Berger-Moran, and Mark Olsky, now 80, who were born in April 1945 as Nazi Germany was collapsing.

Each of their mothers became pregnant in 1944 and was deported to Auschwitz, where pregnancy meant almost certain execution. By concealing their conditions beneath loose prison garments and avoiding detection by guards, the women managed to survive long enough to be transferred to labor camps inside Germany.

As Allied forces closed in, prisoners were forced onto transports in brutal conditions. One of the babies was born during a grueling train journey. Another entered the world in a labor camp just days before liberation at Mauthausen.

The program detailed how American troops discovered starving prisoners and newborn infants when they liberated the camp in early May 1945. In one case, a U.S. Army medic helped keep a newborn alive in the chaotic aftermath.

Now octogenarians living in different countries, Clarke, Berger-Moran and Olsky have connected later in life, describing a bond forged by shared origins in one of history’s darkest chapters. Their survival — and that of their mothers — stands in stark contrast to the Nazis’ systematic attempt to eradicate Jewish families across Europe.

The segment underscored both the fragility of life in the final days of the Holocaust and the enduring legacy carried by its youngest survivors.

Monday, President’s Day – also known as Washington’s Birthday – is a federal holiday.

Most federal employees have the day off.

Locally, Municipal offices are closed. Most public schools, universities and banks are also closed.

See the Township trash pickup schedule here. 

There will be no U.S. Postal Service.

JERUSALEM (VINnews) — Israel remains engaged in a multi-front campaign, and the Israel Defense Forces will maintain a high operational-offensive tempo throughout 2026 to weaken threats and defeat enemies along active lines of contact, IDF Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Eyal Zamir told reserve brigade commanders.

In remarks provided by the military, Zamir addressed the officers on the heavy responsibility they carry, highlighting the pivotal role reserve brigades—and particularly their battalion and brigade commanders—played as a core component of IDF operations during the war.

“The war showed all of us just how much the reserve brigades, and within them the reserve battalion and brigade commanders, are a significant part of the operational core of the IDF,” Zamir said. “It is our responsibility to take care of the servicemembers, address burnout, strengthen the professional foundations, and return to training alongside the continued intensified operational activity.”

Zamir assured the commanders that the IDF leadership is responsive to needs and concerns from the field, working to provide necessary flexibility amid ongoing demands.

He also announced the closure of all ad hoc forces established during the war.

“I salute and appreciate everyone who stepped up and assisted at its outset and throughout, but we must operate in a systematic and professional manner,” Zamir added. “Units and forces for which there is an operational need will be formally regulated and properly integrated.”

Zamir’s comments reflect the IDF’s ongoing posture amid regional tensions, including operations in Gaza, the Judea-Samaria region

, and preparedness for threats from Iran and its proxies. The emphasis on reserve forces comes as the military draws lessons from extended conflict, balancing sustained operations with efforts to mitigate fatigue among reservists and rebuild structured readiness.

Yisrael Beiteinu chairman MK Avigdor Leiberman delivered sharp criticism following the disturbances in Bnei Brak yesterday, labeling those involved as “terrorists” and holding the chareidi leadership responsible. Speaking in a Monday morning interview on 103FM, he said the government had pledged to restore order but instead allowed chaos to take root.

“They promised us governance and we got lawlessness. Yesterday, terrorists attacked female soldiers in the heart of Bnei Brak. They are not Jews, they are not citizens – they are terrorists, plain and simple,” Leiberman said. He asked how security forces would have reacted had a comparable assault taken place in Gush Etzion or along the Lebanon border, arguing that the situation revealed what he sees as unequal enforcement.

Responding to reports that police had not been informed in advance about the soldiers’ entry into the city, Leiberman said, “We are eroding reality in a way that sometimes makes you want to pinch yourself. I heard people in the Israel Police say, ‘Their entry into Bnei Brak was not coordinated with us.’ This is the center of the country – what coordination? Soldiers cannot be restricted from entering key areas like Ramat Beit Shemesh, Bnei Brak, or Mea Shearim. This is unacceptable. It is not a fringe issue; unfortunately, this is the central leadership.”

Leiberman directed his strongest criticism at leading rabbinic and political figures within the chareidi world. He cited Rabbi Yitzchak Yosef, who publicly urged followers to tear up draft notices and “flush them down the toilet,” as well as Moshe Hillel Hirsch, who described draft evasion as a religious obligation. He also pointed to statements by United Torah Judaism head Goldberg, who compared military service to wearing a “yellow badge.” “They care only about power, respect, and money for themselves. The chareidi public is held hostage; we need to rescue them,” Leiberman said.

He further warned that many young chareidim lack preparation for gainful employment because they are not taught core subjects such as English, mathematics, and computer skills, leaving them reliant on stipends and communal support. “Along with the charity and the allowance, they will also get a voting slip. They only care about themselves; their public doesn’t matter to them,” Leiberman said.

Making his political stance unmistakably clear, Leiberman ruled out participation in any future governing coalition that includes chareidi parties. “God forbid. The chareidi parties must move to the opposition for at least two terms. The extortion by the chareidi parties has crossed every line; we can no longer subsidize it.” He added that the makeup of the next government would depend on whether voters align with what he described as the camp of those who serve versus the camp of draft evaders. “If we go with a clear bloc strategy, I see at least 63 mandates,” he said.

On the security front, Leiberman called for the immediate deployment of two Border Police battalions to Bnei Brak. “Every time draft dodgers are arrested, they are released through a revolving door. This lawlessness cannot continue when we are building a state within a state. Blocking Jabotinsky Road, the main artery of Gush Dan, is unbearable. It threatens national resilience and unity. When there is draft dodging, there is no unity,” he concluded.

{Matzav.com}

Former Chief Rabbi, HaGaon HaRav Shlomo Amar, addressed the topic of the Supreme Court’s ruling ordering Israel’s Chief Rabbanut to allow women to take Rabbinical certification exams during his weekly shiur at the Ner HaTorah Yeshiva on Sunday.

In July 2025—after a years-long legal battle—the Supreme Court issued a ruling ordering the Chief Rabbanut to allow women to take the Rabbinical certification exams. The Rabbanut fought the decision—unsuccessfully—while repeatedly delaying the certification exams. But in December 2025, after the Supreme Court rejected the Rabbanut’s request for another hearing on the issue, the Rabbanut determined that it would be impossible to win the battle in court. According to reports, the Rabbanut is now preparing to open the exams to men and women while tightening the testing criteria to make it difficult for women to pass the tests and creating a special committee to grant certifications.

HaRav Amar said, “About 20 or 25 years ago, people filed a Supreme Court petition to appoint female neighborhood Rabbanim, and since then no neighborhood Rabbanim have been appointed at all. Even our own people, instead of finding a way to act, refrained, and since then there are no neighborhood Rabbanim. Now it’s also city Rabbanim—most cities don’t have Rabbanim at all.”

“Now they went to the Supreme Court again, and the court said that women are entitled to take the exams for the Rabbanut and Dayanut. And some people say—because there haven’t been exams for a long time, so they feel pressured—what will be? If we don’t hold exams, we won’t have Rabbanim. So let them take the exams, but we won’t appoint [the women].”

“Baruch Hashem, I heard that the Chief Rabbanim, HaRav Dovid Yosef and HaRav Kalman Ber, both vehemently oppose it. They say it is preferable to have no exams than to allow women to take them.”

“But there are those trying to weaken them and fight them. I want to give them chizzuk—that the thought should not even enter their minds, chalilah—even in thought—this is truly an idolatrous idea. If, chas v’shalom, they allow them to take exams, ultimately they will appoint them. Better to stop now and not let it happen through us. Even if the result is that there are no Rabbanim, even if there will be no Batei Din, even if there will be no Rabbanut at all in Israel. Then we’ll create a private Rabbanut. There will be private community Rabbanim like abroad, each community appointing its own Rav, until Hashem has mercy and they understand what they are doing. I’m sure we won’t reach that—we will overcome them; we just must not be afraid.”

“I say to the Chief Rabbanim: Stand firm. Hashem has given you great and important roles. The responsibility for Am Yisrael is on your shoulders. Don’t look to anyone else—place only Hashem before your eyes. Don’t agree under any circumstances to exams for women, not for the Rabbanut and not for anything. All the matters of the Rabbanut belong to men—and this is not shameful or degrading to women. This is the honor of women, everyone with their own roles.”

“We will not submit; we will stand guard. What the Torah preserved for five thousand years—and we’ve been in Galus for two thousand years and we haven’t allowed any women—except the Reform movement, which caused a huge Churban in Am Yisrael.”

“Should we listen to them? Chas v’shalom. We will try to bring them back, to draw them close in love—‘Let sins cease,’ not sinners; the sinners should repent. But sins, the transgressions, should end.”

“But to submit, chas v’shalom—there will be no exams under any circumstances. And woe to anyone who lends a hand, rachmana litzlan—such a person destroys generations, the Rabbanut for generations. This is the real destruction, from within and out. We must stand guard and protect. ‘He who comes to purify is assisted,’ and Hashem will assist us—I have no doubt.”

(YWN Israel Desk—Jerusalem)

JERUSALEM (VINnews) — A planning initiative which is being promoted in the community of Adam (Geva Binyamin) north of Jerusalem seemingly continues the policies being implemented by the government in recent years. However, although the plan is officially presented as an expansion of Adam, in practice it represents a move that extends the capital’s area beyond the 1967 lines for the first time since the Six-Day War. The implication is a de facto application of sovereignty and an enlargement of the city’s territory.

The plan includes the construction of hundreds of housing units on land that is detached from Adam’s existing neighborhoods and which currently has no direct access from the community. In the past, the possibility of building a bridge to connect the designated construction area to Adam was considered. However, the current design creates territorial continuity within Jerusalem’s boundaries and effectively expands the Neve Yaakov neighborhood, which currently numbers about 30,000 residents, northward towards the town of Adam. According to the plan, the project is intended for the charedi population.

Connection between Neve Yaakov and the town of Adam (Geva Binyamin)

The planned transportation route also strengthens the connection to the city. The access road to the site begins in Neve Yaakov and returns to it, meaning that in practice this is a move that enlarges Jerusalem’s municipal jurisdiction. A step of this kind has not been carried out since 1967, when the city’s borders were expanded following the war.

The plan is being advanced via the “Judea and Samaria track,” a more efficient and faster procedure, particularly after the organizational changes implemented by Smotrich in the Civil Administration with the establishment of the Settlement Administration. These structural changes created a mechanism that significantly shortens planning processes.

According to assessments, and in line with the administrative reality shaped in recent years, the plan is expected to be implemented within a few years. Smotrich has altered the government’s working patterns in construction planning in Judea and Samaria, replacing lengthy bureaucratic procedures with accelerated approval tracks that speed up the authorization and implementation of new projects.

Police have blocked off a portion of Cedarbridge Avenue eastbound after a large pothole led to numerous drivers getting flat tires.

Chaveirim reported receiving multiple calls from motorists who experienced flats after hitting the pothole. In response to the repeated incidents, police closed the affected stretch of roadway to prevent additional issues.

County officials have been notified to make repairs.

Drivers are urged to avoid the area or use alternate routes until the issue is resolved.

Israeli Prime Minister Bibi Netanyahu on Sunday reiterated his doubts regarding the possibility of any deal with Iran, which he said must include the dismantling of Iran’s nuclear infrastructure, and not just stopping uranium enrichment.

His comments came ahead of a second round of U.S.-Iranian talks in Geneva, Switzerland, on Tuesday, and amid a major American military buildup in the region which is still underway.

“I will not hide from you that I express my skepticism of any deal with Iran, because, frankly, Iran is reliable on one thing: they lie, and they cheat,” Netanyahu said in a keynote speech to the annual gathering of the Conference of Presidents of Major American Jewish Organizations in Jerusalem.

In his first public address after meeting with U.S. President Donald Trump in Washington last week, the Israeli leader said that any agreement must remove all enriched nuclear material from Iran, dismantle its enrichment infrastructure, curb its ballistic missile program and dismantle the axis of terror that Tehran has built across the region.

“There shall be no enrichment capability—not stopping the enrichment process, but dismantling the equipment and the infrastructure that allows you to enrich in the first place,” he said.

Gaza

Turning to Gaza, Netanyahu said that in the second stage of Trump’s peace plan, Hamas must be disarmed of some 60,000 AK-47 assault rifles it still possesses, which, he noted, were the primary weapon used during the Oct. 7, 2023, massacre.

At the same time, Israel must “complete the job” of demilitarizing Gaza by dismantling its vast network of tunnels—which the terror group built up for years across the coastal strip. About 150 kilometers (93 miles) of an estimated 500 kilometers (311 miles) of tunnels have been destroyed to date.

“We’re giving the president’s plan a chance,” said Netanyahu. “And he put it very succinctly. He said it can be done the easy way or it can be done the hard way. We hope that it will be done the easy way, because we know the ravages of war. We know what it means to lose people, we know the human cost of war, but that goal has to be achieved, one way or the other, and one way or the other, it will be achieved.”

Economy

Despite the two-year war, Netanyahu highlighted Israel’s booming economy, citing an Economist survey that found Israel had the third most vibrant economy in the OECD, and highlighting the record highs of the Israeli stock market, as well as the 30-year high the Israeli shekel has reached against the dollar.

He noted that growing ties between Israel and a string of countries across Latin America, singling out special praise for Argentina under the leadership of Javier Milei, and also noting that Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi was due in Israel next week to further expand burgeoning bilateral relations.

He added that Israel was a leading power in cyber technology, which has attracted vast foreign investment, and intends to reach the same heights in partnership with the United States in artificial intelligence and quantum technologies.

“Israel is a very strong country coming out of the war… economically, militarily, and technologically, and we intend to be a lot stronger,” he said. JNS

SYDNEY (AP) — A man accused of killing 15 people in a mass shooting at a Jewish festival on Sydney’s Bondi Beach appeared in court Monday for the first time since his release from the hospital.

Naveed Akram appeared in Sydney’s Downing Center Local Court via a video link from the maximum security Goulburn Correctional Center 200 kilometers (120 miles) away.

He did not enter pleas to the charges against him, including murder and committing a terrorist act. The brief court appearance focused on extending a gag order that suppresses the identities of victims and survivors of the attack who have not chosen to identify themselves publicly.

Defense lawyer Ben Archbold told reporters outside court that Akram was doing as well as could be expected and it was too early to indicate any intention of pleas.

Akram, 24, was wounded and his father Sajid Akram, 50, was killed in a gunbattle with police after the attack on a Hanukkah celebration at the beach Dec. 14.

The younger Akram is next scheduled to appear in court April 9.

The police investigation is one of three official inquiries examining Australia’s worst alleged terrorist attack and the nation’s worst mass shooting in 29 years.

One involves the interactions between law enforcement and intelligence agencies before the attack that was allegedly inspired by the Islamic State group.

A royal commission, the highest form of public inquiry, will investigate the nature, prevalence and drivers of antisemitism generally as well as the circumstances of the Bondi shooting.

JERUSALEM (VINnews) — Greek police are continuing a meticulous investigation into the death of Dana Eden, the Israeli writer and producer of the popular Apple TV+ television series Tehran, who was found dead last night in a hotel room in central Athens at the age of 52.

Greek news outlets, such as Ta Nea, Documento, and Proto Tema, reported that she was found dead in the hotel room, that her brother discovered the body, that bruises were found on her neck and limbs, and that pills were found in the room, raising questions about the cause of her sudden passing.

Amid the speculation, a statement was issued this morning by the Greek production company of Tehran: “The production company wishes to clarify that rumors of a criminal or nationalist-related death are incorrect and unfounded. We call on the media and the public to refrain from publishing unverified claims and to act responsibly and sensitively. This is a moment of great pain for the family, friends, and colleagues. We ask that Dana’s dignity and the privacy of her loved ones be respected.”

Authorities in Greece said the investigation is being handled with top priority, with all findings collected carefully. Police teams gathered evidence from the scene, took testimony from hotel staff, and reviewed security camera footage. A forensic pathologist has been assigned to conduct an autopsy to determine the precise cause of death. Police are examining all possible lines of inquiry, including the possibility of a nationalist-related criminal incident. Unverified rumors circulating about Iranian involvement appear to be speculative only.

Dana Eden had been staying at the hotel for approximately two weeks prior to the incident as part of filming for the fourth season of Tehran in Greece. Over more than three decades, Eden worked extensively in the Israeli television industry and was involved in numerous successful productions. Foremost among them was Tehran, which was sold to Apple TV+ and won the International Emmy Award for Drama. The third season’s broadcast coincided with the recent unrest in Tehran in January.

Minister of Culture and Sports Miki Zohar responded this morning:
“With great sorrow, I received the news of the passing of Dana Eden, one of the most prominent and influential producers in the Israeli television industry. Dana left a deep mark on Israeli creativity and proudly, skillfully, and courageously brought our story to international stages. I share in the grief of the family, friends, and colleagues. May her memory be blessed.”

As preparations move forward for Phase B of President Donald Trump’s Gaza reconstruction initiative, Hamas has introduced a new condition: it wants to preserve its control over the Gaza Strip while continuing to function as a political body.

Israeli officials have conveyed an unequivocal position to Washington, stating that they will not tolerate any arrangement in which Hamas plays a part in administering Gaza. Jerusalem has also clarified that it will not enter into political or financial agreements if the terror group remains embedded within Gaza’s governing framework.

According to a report by Kan News, Hamas is unwilling to hand over authority to the technocratic body formed to oversee Gaza’s civilian management. Instead, the organization prefers to stay in charge of the territory, even if that means agreeing to only a limited disarmament.

The report further indicated that Hamas has been in contact with several Arab governments, signaling its interest in a model similar to Hezbollah’s role in Lebanon — maintaining political influence while simultaneously retaining military power on the ground.

Speaking Sunday evening at the opening gala of the Conference of Presidents of Major American Jewish Organizations, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu outlined Israel’s objectives in the ongoing war. He said the country’s three primary aims were to “return the hostages, disarm and dismantle Hamas military capabilities, and third dismantle Hamas governing capabilities. The first has been achieved.”

Netanyahu emphasized the urgency of removing Hamas’s weapons, stating, “Hamas must give up its weapons. The weapon that does the most damage is the AK-47. Assault weapons. There are 60,000 such weapons, they must go.”

He continued by detailing Israel’s broader security goals: “First disarm Hamas. Second, demilitarize Gaza. We dismantled about 150 km of 500 km of tunnels. We’re giving the President’s plan a chance. It can be done the easy or hard way. We hope the easy way. Because we know the human cost of war. But that goal must be achieved. And one way or another it will be.

“Gaza will not pose a threat ever again to the State of Israel,” Netanyahu declared.

As a parent, you know your baby better than anyone else. When your little one is struggling, whether they’re constantly crying or have feeding challenges, reflux, or discomfort, trust your instinct. If you tried everything, unsure what the next step should be, or you’re concerned your baby isn’t progressing, you’re not alone. Craniosacral Therapy (CST) could be the gentle, effective, easy, and quick solution you’re looking for. Craniosacral Therapy is a non-invasive, soft-touch approach that helps release tension in a baby’s body, promoting movement and function. Tension in a baby’s body can cause discomfort or pain, which may contribute to issues like colic, reflux, digestive problems, feeding difficulties, torticollis, or tongue tie. CST works holistically to support better movement, emotional regulation, and a balanced nervous system. After a session, many parents notice that their baby turns their head more easily, latches better, sleeps more soundly, and seems more comfortable overall.

Common conditions CST can help in babies include:

• Colic — Reducing excessive crying and fussiness by easing nervous system and digestive tension.
• Reflux: frequent spitting up or discomfort that may lessen as body tension and digestive patterns relax
• Digestive issues — Alleviating gas, constipation, reflux symptoms, and overall tummy discomfort for smoother digestion.
• Sleep issues — Promoting deeper, more restful sleep by calming the nervous system and reducing discomfort.
• Feeding challenges — Addressing overall oral and body restrictions that make feeding frustrating, inefficient, or painful.
• Tongue tie — Releasing associated fascial and body tension (often before or after a release procedure) to enhance tongue movement and reduce related fussiness.
• Torticollis — Gently releasing neck tightness to improve head turning, symmetry, and range of motion.

A real-life transformation

A baby came to my practice due to constantly crying, looking uncomfortable, and struggling with reflux and digestive issues. At the start of the session, the baby was crying. But as the gentle techniques were applied, the baby gradually calmed down, eventually smiling, relaxing, and then falling asleep. The mother reported remarkable transformation after just one session. She said he was crying less, his reflux symptoms eased, his digestion improved, and overall, he seemed much happier. After a few more sessions, she felt confident that her baby was thriving and ready to move on.

Why babies love CST & respond beautifully to CST’s gentle approach

There are times a baby will come into a session crying and fall asleep by the end, feeling at ease and supported. Unlike visual assessments, CST uses hands-on evaluation to intuitively tune into the baby’s body with precision, identifying and addressing tension on a deeper level. CST promotes optimal mobility to support symmetrical and bilateral coordination. When babies move freely by rolling, crawling, or engaging in tummy time, they strengthen both sides of the brain, promoting bilateral integration. This early movement is vital not only for physical strength, but also for brain development, reflex integration, and emotional regulation. When tension limits movement, it can delay developmental milestones and affect brain wiring, potentially leading to challenges with coordination, attention, sensory processing, reading, and learning. For example, a baby who resists tummy time due to discomfort may struggle with or take longer to learn how to roll or crawl. After a session, parents often share that their baby tolerates tummy time better, unlocking milestones and boosting brain growth. CST lays the foundation not just for physical strength but also for emotional resilience and adaptability, an investment in your baby’s present comfort and long-term potential.

Start early & see lasting benefits

CST can begin as early as birth, but it’s never too late to support your baby’s development. By addressing tension patterns early, CST helps babies unwind restrictions naturally, allowing their bodies to move and function optimally without force. This proactive approach can prevent the need for more therapies later on, saving time and money. A happier, more comfortable baby creates an easier adjustment for the baby and family alike. With CST, you’re not just helping your baby feel better today, you’re building a foundation for their future health, learning, and happiness. At our practice, we’re dedicated to optimizing your baby’s natural vitality, helping them express their full potential.

About the Author

Rachel Stein, an Occupational Therapist and Craniosacral Therapist, owns a private practice in Jackson, NJ, called Craniosacral Therapy For Babies, specializing in CST for babies.

Phone: 314-504-5352

Website: http://cstforbabies.com

Are you a professional and want YOUR column featured on TLS, reach out to [email protected] for consideration.

JERUSALEM (VINnews) — Patent registration involves prestige as well as significant money. Commercial companies file patents and reap major profits, but academic institutions also benefit from the innovations developed by their researchers.

Israel holds a respected position in this arena, and for the fifth consecutive year, the Technion – Israel Institute of Technology ranked among the Top 100 institutions for U.S. patent approvals.

The latest ranking places the Technion first in Israel, second in Europe, and within the list of the world’s 100 leading institutions for U.S. patent approvals in 2025. The Technion ranked 81st globally, with 46 patents approved during the year, and was the only Israeli university to make the Top 100. The top spot went to the governing body of the University of California.

The Technion’s approved patents span a wide range of fields, from artificial intelligence to 3D-printed structures, from smart drug delivery systems to advanced materials and quantum computing technologies.

Prof. Yuval Grofeni, Deputy President for Innovation and Industry Relations, said: “The Technion’s continued success at the forefront of patent approvals is a credit to our faculty members and their students, who constantly strive for excellence. Many invest not only in high-level research but also in translating their work into technologies and products that positively impact quality of life.”

The patent rankings are published by the National Academy of Inventors (NAI). The organization notes that U.S. patent registration enables academic and other institutions to convert original technologies into competitive products in the global market and make a tangible impact on consumers. The NAI ranking is based on data from the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) for 2025 and includes 100 institutions and approximately 10,000 patents.

Rona Samler, CEO of T3, the Technion’s technology transfer unit responsible for patent evaluation and licensing, added: “Behind every patent stands deep scientific thinking, and behind every licensing decision — responsibility for generating real-world value. T3 is tasked not only with managing patents but also with transforming knowledge into innovation through commercialization and company formation, thereby serving society, strengthening the economy, and contributing to the resilience and prosperity of Israel and the world.”

JERUSALEM (VINnews) — Former Prime Minister Naftali Bennett on Monday outlined a five-step plan to integrate the ultra-Orthodox community into Israeli society and increase enlistment in the Israel Defense Forces, a day after violent unrest in Bnei Brak.

In a post on X, Bennett called for the immediate cancellation of government subsidies, housing discounts and stipends for individuals who neither serve in the military nor participate in the workforce. The policy, he said, would apply to both Jews and Arabs. He also proposed barring non-serving individuals from participating in state housing programs.

"אמרת מה לא, אז מה כן?"

הנה התכנית המעשית לשילוב החברה החרדית בישראל:

1. להפסיק לחלוטין את כל הקצבאות, הסובסידיות במעונות, הנחות הארנונה, מחיר למשתכן ולמעשה כל סוג של תשלום לציבור שבוחר שלא לשרת ולא לעבוד. זה יחול על כל מי שבוחר לא לשרת: יהודים וערבים כאחד.

2. להעביר את כל…

— Naftali Bennett נפתלי בנט (@naftalibennett) February 16, 2026

Under what he termed a “Serving Citizens Law,” Bennett said funds would instead be redirected to Israelis who serve in the military or national service, with special priority given to active reservists.

Bennett further proposed the creation of specialized military service tracks tailored for the haredi community, including the establishment of yeshiva frameworks along Israel’s borders with Jordan and Egypt. In those programs, participants would divide their day between Torah study and military service, allowing them to maintain a religious lifestyle while contributing to national defense. He said such tracks could free tens of thousands of reservists from extended duty.

The former premier also called for an immediate halt to funding for schools that do not teach core subjects such as mathematics and English or that promote opposition to the state and the military. He urged expanding what he described as “national-haredi” schools that combine religious studies with general education.

The proposal concluded with a call for strict law enforcement and “zero tolerance for violence,” referencing unrest both in the Negev and in Bnei Brak.

Bennett’s comments come amid renewed debate in Israel over military conscription exemptions for ultra-Orthodox men, an issue that has sparked political tensions and periodic street protests.

Iran is prepared to explore concessions in its nuclear negotiations with the United States, but only if Washington is willing to put sanctions relief on the table, according to Iranian Deputy Foreign Minister Majid Takht-Ravanchi.

In remarks aired Sunday in an interview with the BBC, Takht-Ravanchi stressed that meaningful progress depends on the United States demonstrating genuine intent to reach an agreement.

“The ball is in America’s court to prove that they want to do a deal,” Takht-Ravanchi told the British broadcaster. “If they are sincere, I’m sure we will be on the road to an agreement.”

His comments come as the two countries prepare for another round of talks and against a backdrop of heightened tensions. The United States has expanded its military footprint in the Middle East, and officials have warned that military action remains an option if diplomacy fails to rein in Iran’s nuclear program.

President Donald Trump has previously cautioned that Iran could face strikes and ordered an increased American military presence in the region following Tehran’s deadly suppression of anti-government demonstrations that reportedly left thousands dead.

Another session of negotiations over Iran’s nuclear activities is scheduled to take place Tuesday in Geneva. Takht-Ravanchi characterized the initial discussions as “more or less in a positive direction,” while emphasizing that it is “too early to judge.”

A central dispute in the talks involves Iran’s accumulation of uranium enriched to 60 percent purity — a level approaching weapons-grade material and one that has intensified international concern about Tehran’s nuclear ambitions. Takht-Ravanchi indicated that Iran is open to addressing its enriched uranium reserves, but only within a broader framework that includes lifting sanctions.

“We are ready to discuss this and other issues related to our program if they are ready to talk about sanctions,” he told the BBC.

When asked whether Iran might again transfer enriched uranium abroad — as it did under the 2015 nuclear agreement that Trump exited in 2018 — Takht-Ravanchi declined to make any commitments, saying, “It is too early to say what will happen in the course of negotiations.”

Tehran has consistently insisted that discussions remain limited to nuclear matters. Takht-Ravanchi explained that Iran believes Washington now recognizes that narrowing the focus is essential to reaching a deal. “Our understanding is that they have come to the conclusion that if you want to have a deal you have to focus on the nuclear issue.” He suggested this marks a departure from earlier U.S. demands that Iran halt all enrichment — a position Tehran argues violates its rights under the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty.

Takht-Ravanchi also reaffirmed that Iran will not negotiate over its ballistic missile arsenal. The United States has pressed for missile restrictions, citing concerns shared by Israel, which views Iran’s missile program as a significant security threat. Defending Iran’s stance, he said, “When we were attacked by Israelis and Americans, our missiles came to our rescue so how can we accept depriving ourselves of our defensive capabilities?”

Although he voiced guarded hope that diplomacy could succeed, Takht-Ravanchi acknowledged lingering mistrust, pointing to what he described as inconsistent messaging from Washington, especially comments from Trump about regime change. “We are hearing that they are interested in negotiations… but we are not hearing that in the private messages,” he said.

He warned that a new armed conflict would have severe repercussions across the region. “If we feel this is an existential threat, we will respond accordingly.”

Even with tensions running high, Takht-Ravanchi maintained that Iran remains committed to pursuing a negotiated outcome. “We will do our best but the other side also has to prove that they are also sincere,” he concluded.

After riots developed in Bnei Brak on Sunday, a large number of police forces and Yasam officers were brought to the city, and 28 people were arrested, most of them innocent bystanders that were not involved in the riots.

Twenty of the detainees were released on Sunday night, and the rest were released on Monday, as the police could not provide any evidence of criminal acts for 26 of the suspects. Only two of the suspects were sentenced to five days of house arrest due to a reasonable suspicion that they assaulted a police officer.

According to the witnesses, many of the detainees, including women and minors, were subject to “show arrests” as part of a collective punishment to prove control over the city, while the actual culprits managed to escape the scene. One detainee was a young Chareidi man who was innocently riding his bike home from work when he was violently thrown onto the street by police officers. He had no connection to the riots. Footage of the incident caused a major uproar.

His lawyer announced that he intends to file a complaint with the Police Internal Investigations Department (PIID), claiming unnecessary use of force against his client.

Other residents or passersby were also beaten by police officers for no reason, with some injured by stun grenades hurled at the scene and some taken into custody—while the rioters escaped arrest.

The Chareidi man who was violently slammed to the street by police officers despite no connection to the riots. (Photo: Aharon Goldstein)

In one case, a middle-aged man who tried to hand a yarmulke to a detainee was forcibly thrown onto the street—in the path of a moving car—by a Yasam officer.

Your browser does not support the video tag.

Attorneys Shlomo Haddad and Itai Cohen, who represented the detainees, said, “Unfortunately, in the vast majority of cases these are show arrests. Minors and adults alike were pulled into vans in a forceful manner, when it seemed that the purpose of the arrest was to create a deterrent and awareness effect only, and not due to a real suspicion of an offense.”

“The vast majority of the detainees are passers-by who did not take part in the events and did not commit any offense. We view the conduct severely and will stand on the rights of our clients in full within the framework of the legal proceedings.”

Many Bnei Brak residents complained of collective punishment by the police. “We strongly condemn what happened to the female soldiers; it is unacceptable,” one resident said. “But on the other hand, there is a feeling that the police are acting in an overly sweeping way. Innocent people get caught up in the area and are arrested or pushed for no reason.”

Other residents voiced concern that this conduct may tarnish an entire community. “There is a whole city here made up of law-abiding people. You cannot treat everyone who happens to be on the street as if they are a rioter,” another resident said.

(YWN Israel Desk—Jerusalem)

JERUSALEM (VINnews) — In a candid and emotional monologue on his program “Medabrim” on the Kol Hai radio station, host Yankele Friedman spotlighted one of the most painful issues facing the natonal religious and charedi communities: the plight of older singles struggling to find matches. Sharing what he described as a “tightness in the heart,” Friedman urged listeners to stop standing by. “We pass by the same person again and again, say ‘hello,’ and move on with our lives. How is it that we offer nothing?” he asked.

During the broadcast, listeners heard the stirring words of Rabbi Baruch Rosenblum, who recounted the story of a woman who became engaged at age 40 after 22 years of waiting. He described how the moment of joy turned into a painful rebuke directed at neighbors who arrived with cakes: “Twenty-two years, and not once did you suggest a match. Offer whatever you can, what difference does it make? Why sit quietly?” Rosenblum emphasized that proposals should not be dismissed prematurely as “unsuitable,” declaring firmly: “What seems most unsuitable to you often becomes the most successful match.”

Friedman also shared a deeply personal experience from his own attempts to suggest matches, describing a conversation with the father of an older single woman who broke down in tears simply upon hearing a proposal. “I felt overwhelmed,” Friedman admitted. “The father told me, ‘You made my month.’ All I did was suggest a match, nothing had even begun.” According to Friedman, the mere knowledge that “something is on the table” gives singles and their families breathing room and hope that they are still “in the story.”

The discussion raised broader questions about communal responsibility and mutual care. Friedman wondered how it is possible that every building or neighborhood has older singles, yet the public remains indifferent. “Just think a little, that’s the whole message,” he said. He reminded listeners that no one has insurance on the future: “What you would not want to happen to you, do something, even a little, for others.”

The central takeaway from the broadcast was that even a proposal that does not lead to marriage holds immense value. Rosenblum summarized this with an appeal to keep trying regardless of the outcome: “Even if it doesn’t work out , you’ve brought redemption closer. Act. Try.” Friedman closed by asking listeners to use even commercial breaks to think of a single match they might suggest for someone in need.

(AP) – Government offices, the stock market and schools are closed Monday in observance of Presidents Day, but most big retailers are open.

When in doubt, call ahead or look up more specific schedules online for stores in your neighborhood.

Here’s a rundown of what’s open and closed on Presidents Day 2026:

Government offices
Federal and state government offices are closed. Courts and most schools are also closed.

The official designation for the holiday is Washington’s Birthday after first President George Washington, although it has come to be known informally as Presidents Day. Arguments have been made to honor President Abraham Lincoln as well because his birth date falls nearby, on Feb. 12.

Banks and the stock market
U.S. stock markets and banks are closed Monday but will reopen on Tuesday.

Retailers
Most big stores and other businesses are open.

National parks
National parks are open and free to U.S. residents on Presidents Day. Late last year, the National Park Service announced that admission would no longer be free on Martin Luther King Day and Juneteenth, but instead on June 14, which is Flag Day and President Donald Trump’s birthday. But it is still free on other holidays including Presidents Day, Memorial Day and Independence Day weekend.

MUNICH (VINnews) — President Donald Trump’s envoy for combating antisemitism held what both sides described as a productive first meeting with Prince Faisal bin Farhan on the sidelines of the Munich Security Conference, amid concern over rising anti-Israel rhetoric in Saudi Arabia.

Rabbi Yehuda Kaploun, the U.S. special envoy to monitor and combat antisemitism, met with the Saudi foreign minister for more than an hour on Saturday. In a statement, the Saudi Foreign Ministry said the two reviewed efforts to promote dialogue and tolerance, combat extremism and strengthen coexistence.

Kaploun later described the talks as “very productive,” saying the discussion focused on concrete steps to counter extremism and reduce inflammatory rhetoric. He also referenced broader regional dynamics, including efforts by the Trump administration to weaken Hamas and Hezbollah, arguing that regional stability depends on dismantling militant groups.

سمو وزير الخارجية يلتقي المبعوث الأمريكي الخاص لمكافحة معاداة السامية، ويستعرضان جهود نشر قيم الحوار والتسامح ومحاربة التطرف، وأهمية إثراء التفاهم والتعايش المشترك. https://t.co/oQwfUM0PSE#واس pic.twitter.com/jKUayRztOt

— واس العام (@SPAregions) February 14, 2026

The meeting comes as Saudi commentators and media figures have in recent weeks intensified criticism of Israel, Zionism and the Abraham Accords, at times using language Jewish groups have described as antisemitic. Community leaders in the United States have voiced concern that such rhetoric could complicate normalization efforts between Israel and Arab states.

Kaploun said both sides agreed that reducing extreme rhetoric is essential to fostering mutual respect among religions and nations. He expressed cautious optimism about what he described as gradual progress toward regional stability.

The talks followed a separate meeting in Washington earlier this month between Khalid bin Salman and leaders of major American Jewish organizations, including the American Jewish Committee, the Anti-Defamation League, the Conference of Presidents of Major American Jewish Organizations, and the Republican Jewish Coalition.

According to participants in that meeting, the Saudi defense minister emphasized ongoing security coordination and warned that failure to confront Iran militarily would embolden Tehran. He also reportedly said anti-Israel commentary in the kingdom does not reflect the position of the Saudi royal leadership.

The diplomatic contacts underscore continued behind-the-scenes engagement between Washington and Riyadh as tensions persist across the Middle East.

The IDF now believes that Hamas’s military wing used a string of emojis as the coded order to initiate the October 7 massacre. The conclusion was reached after Israeli forces examined mobile phones taken from Nukhba terrorists during the assault.

Security officials said the same emoji combination discovered on those devices had appeared in two earlier episodes — in September 2022 and again in April 2023 — when Hamas had been preparing major attacks that were ultimately called off.

Investigators determined that in the hours leading up to the invasion of Israeli communities near the Gaza border, a prearranged message was distributed to operatives through WhatsApp. Only after reviewing the intelligence did it become evident that this message was the cue for militants to head to mosques and ready themselves for the operation.

According to the assessment, once the message was received, the terrorists gathered either at mosques or at other predetermined meeting locations, where commanders issued final instructions.

From there, some made their way to underground compounds to collect combat equipment, while others went to weapons depots, put on uniforms and tactical vests, and armed themselves with firearms and additional supplies.

The IDF stated that during the two prior instances in which the identical emoji sequence was detected, Hamas did not follow through with its plans, partly because of disagreements within the organization.

Senior military officials conceded that, before October 7, they would not have recognized preparations for a sweeping cross-border assault or the activation of Hamas’s so-called “Jericho Wall” strategy.

JERUSALEM (VINnews) — A large portion of the 27 people arrested during Sunday’s riots in Bnei Brak were bystanders who took no part in the disturbances and committed no offense.

Amid mounting criticism of the police, officers allegedly carried out what witnesses described as heavy-handed arrests in an apparent attempt to demonstrate control.

In one incident, a charedi cyclist passing through the area on his way home from work was thrown to the ground by police without provocation and subsequently detained. He was released at 11:00 p.m.

כך נראית משטרה שאיבדה שליטה.
עונש קולקטיבי.
לתקוף עוברי אורח סתם כי הם תושבי בני ברק זה פשע. פער אדיר בין לעצור ולהושיב מאחורי סורג ובריח את תוקפי החיילות (וכך צריך לעשות) לבין לתקוף כל דוס.
ומי שמצדיק את אלימות המשטרה שלא יתלונן על אלימות בהפגנות שמאל.
אלימות היא אלימות והמשטרה… pic.twitter.com/Hdb5E114Ej

— ישי כהן (@ishaycoen) February 16, 2026

Attorney Raphael Tzik, representing the detainee, said: “This was brutal, unrestrained enforcement against an innocent civilian. My client, a completely law-abiding individual, happened to be there while riding his bicycle home from work.

“Without any cause or justification, officers shoved him forcefully and slammed him onto the road in a cruel and dangerous manner, then arrested him despite his having done nothing wrong.

“We intend to file an urgent complaint with the Police Internal Investigations Department and pursue legal action against the violent officers.”

Speaking Monday morning on Kol Barama, the cyclist described the incident: “I survived by a miracle and can speak, but I did nothing. I heard them say to each other, ‘We must leave here with arrests.’ I told the officer: these are my bicycle and my glasses. I’m not resisting, I’ll come with you.

“I begged them to leave me unharmed, but it didn’t help. Fortunately, it was documented. I even heard them whispering, ‘Let’s just hope we don’t end up with a lawsuit.’”

In other disturbing footage of gratuitous violence, a man tried to place a kippah on the head of a youth being dragged away by the police officers. In response, a plainclothes policeman pushed him violently to the ground in front of an oncoming car. Fortunately the car stopped before running over the man, but the incident very nearly ended in tragedy.

תראו את התיעוד הזה.
אברך שניגש להחזיר לעצור את הכיפה שנפלה לו.
לא אלימות ולא כלום.
בתגובה, שוטר יס”מ מטיח אותו בעוצמה לעבר הכביש.
בנס הרכב נעצר ולא דרס את ראשו של האברך.
לזה קוראים ענישה קולקטיבית.
זו משטרה שלא יודעת לתפקד.
משטרה שמחפשת תמונות בטלוויזיה.
“עוצרת” עשרות ובערב מבינה… pic.twitter.com/JuGPRMWVms

— ישי כהן (@ishaycoen) February 16, 2026

Journalist Yishai Cohen who brought the footage stressed that this is “collective punishment” from police who “don’t know how to function and only want pictures on television. After arresting tens of people it realizes they are innocent and releases them in the evening.”

המוקד: מנדי ריזל: מג”בניקים מכים באלימות אשה חרדית, עוברת אורח תמימה, בבני ברק ומושכים בפאה שלה. האם נשמע גם כעת את גל הגינויים? pic.twitter.com/EneHpEaBwU

— חדשות המוקד (@hamoked_il) February 15, 2026

In another shocking clip on social media, police can be seen pushing and shoving an innocent female bystander, pulling her wig as she remonstrates with them.

Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-N.Y., ignited controversy at the Munich Security Conference on Friday by asserting that American assistance to Israel had facilitated what she described as a genocide in Gaza. Her remarks were delivered in Munich, the city historically associated with the rise of Adolf Hitler’s Nazi movement, which carried out the Holocaust.

Her comments criticizing Israel’s military campaign against Hamas in Gaza prompted swift condemnation from military analysts, scholars, and Middle East specialists. Israel’s ongoing war effort began after Hamas — designated as a terrorist organization by both the United States and the European Union — launched its Oct. 7, 2023 attack on southern Israeli communities, killing more than 1,200 Israelis and foreign nationals and kidnapping 251 people who were taken into Gaza.

Speaking during a town hall discussion, Ocasio-Cortez said, “To me, this isn’t just about a presidential election. Personally, I think that the United States has an obligation to uphold its own laws, particularly the Leahy laws. And I think that personally, that the idea of completely unconditional aid, no matter what one does, does not make sense. I think it enabled a genocide in Gaza. And I think that we have thousands of women and children dead that don’t, that was completely avoidable.”

She added, “And, so I believe that enforcement of our own laws through the Leahy laws, which requires conditioning aid in any circumstance, when you see gross human rights violations, is appropriate.”

The Leahy Laws, first introduced in 1997 by former Sen. Patrick Leahy, D-Vt., bar the Department of Defense and the State Department from providing funding to foreign security force units when credible evidence exists that those units have committed “gross violations of human rights.”

Tom Gross, an international affairs analyst, sharply criticized Ocasio-Cortez’s remarks in comments to Fox News Digital. “AOC has flown all the way to Munich — infamous as the city in which Hitler staged his Nazi Beer Hall Putsch that marked the beginning of the road to the Holocaust — in order to smear the Jewish people further with a phony genocide allegation.”

Gross continued, “Such preposterous allegations of ‘genocide’ form the bedrock of modern antisemitic incitement against Jews in the U.S. and globally. This shocking ignorance and insensitivity by Ocasio-Cortez should rule her out of any potential presidential bid or other high office.”

Specialists in military history and genocide studies have also challenged the claim that Israel’s actions in Gaza amount to genocide. They argue that the legal definition under international law requires specific intent to eliminate a protected group, a threshold they contend has not been met.

Danny Orbach, a military historian at Hebrew University of Jerusalem and co-author of “Debunking the Genocide Allegations: A Reexamination of the Israel-Hamas War from October 7 2023, to June 1, 2025,” told Fox News Digital that Ocasio-Cortez’s allegation is an “accusation that is incorrect both factually and legally. Under the Genocide Convention, genocide requires proof of a special intent to destroy a protected group, in whole or in part, and as a baseline condition, an active effort to maximize civilian destruction.

“The evidence shows the opposite: as demonstrated in our multi-author study Debunking the Genocide Allegations, Israel undertook unprecedented measures to mitigate civilian harm, including establishing humanitarian safe zones that independently verified data show were approximately six times safer than other areas of Gaza.”

Orbach further stated, “Israel also issued detailed advance warnings before strikes and facilitated the entry of over two million tons of humanitarian aid, often at significant cost to its own military advantage, including the loss of surprise and the sustainment of an enemy during wartime.”

He concluded, “These measures were taken despite Hamas’s Oct. 7 massacre, its systematic use of human shields and hospitals for military purposes, and a tunnel network exceeding 1,000 kilometers — an operational challenge without historical precedent. Finally, no credible evidence demonstrates the kind of unambiguous, exclusive genocidal intent toward Palestinians that international law requires and that cannot be reasonably interpreted otherwise.”

Conservative commentator Derek Hunter also weighed in, writing on X, “Imagine going to Germany to complain about a fake genocide by Jews…in Munich, of all places. @AOC is about as smart as clogged toilet.”

In December 2024, Germany aligned with the United States in formally rejecting claims that Israel’s actions in Gaza constitute genocide.

WATCH:

The terrorist who murdered 15 people in a mass shooting at a Jewish festival on Sydney’s Bondi Beach appeared in court Monday for the first time since his release from the hospital.

Naveed Akram appeared in Sydney’s Downing Center Local Court via a video link from the maximum security Goulburn Correctional Center 200 kilometers (120 miles) away.

He did not enter pleas to the charges against him, including 15 counts of murder, 40 counts of wounding with intent to murder, and a terrorist act. The brief court appearance focused on extending a gag order that suppresses the identities of victims and survivors of the attack who have not chosen to identify themselves publicly.

Defense lawyer Ben Archbold told reporters outside court that Akram was doing as well as could be expected and it was too early to indicate any intention of pleas.

Akram, 24, was wounded and his father Sajid Akram, 50, was killed in a gunbattle with police after the attack on a Chanukah celebration at the beach on Dec. 14.

The younger Akram is next scheduled to appear in court April 9.

The police investigation is one of three official inquiries examining Australia’s worst alleged terrorist attack and the nation’s worst mass shooting in 29 years.

One involves the interactions between law enforcement and intelligence agencies before the attack that was allegedly inspired by the Islamic State group.

A royal commission, the highest form of public inquiry, will investigate the nature, prevalence and drivers of antisemitism generally as well as the circumstances of the Bondi shooting.

(AP & YWN Israel Desk—Jerusalem)

Senior Israeli security officials are warning that the battle against the Houthi terror organization in Yemen is far from over despite the current lull, Walla reported on Monday.

In a briefing to a closed military forum last week, a senior defense official said that footage obtained by the IDF shows the Houthis simulating attacks modeled on Hamas’s October 7 attack, with armed terrorists training on mock-ups of Israeli communities and IDF positions, simulating raids and attacks on soldiers and civilians.

The official added, “No one is dismissing the Houthis’ intentions and capabilities, and we’re preparing accordingly.”

In a response to the tangible threat of a ground infiltration attempt, senior IDF officers recently toured the maritime and land areas around Eilat and along the Jordanian border to examine defense plans and coordinate joint response efforts involving the IDF, Shin Bet, Mossad, police, and Border Police.

Following advanced planning and assessments, the military approved a series of drills to prepare for multiple scenarios—including a surprise seaborne approach toward Eilat or infiltration attempts via Sinai.

Defense officials believe the Houthis are waiting for a regional escalation—such as the resumption of a ground operation in Gaza or a direct Israel-Iran confrontation—to resume attacks on Israel with ballistic missiles and drones, and potentially a ground invasion.

(YWN Israel Desk—Jerusalem)

LISTEN:

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​​For more info, email bitachon4life@gmail.com.

LISTEN:

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By Rabbi Yair Hoffman

Today, the 29th of Shvat, marks the 99th Yahrtzeit of the famed Alter of Slabodka.

he topography of today’s Torah world would have been vastly different were it not for the vision and tireless work of one remarkable individual—Rav Nosson Tzvi Finkel zt“l (1849–February 1, 1927), known to the world as the Alter of Slabodka.  He wrote no books. He published no sefarim. He signed his letters with the pen name “HaTzafun”—“The Hidden One,” a cryptic abbreviation of his Hebrew name (_H_irsh-_Tz_vi-_F_inkel-_N_ota). And yet, more than any other single figure of his era, he determined the shape, the language, and the spiritual DNA of the yeshiva world as we know it.

If you are reading this article, and you or your father studied in a yeshiva, it is overwhelmingly likely that you were shaped by the Alter of Slabodka. His students went on to establish yeshivos on four continents and were responsible for bringing Torah to tens of thousands of talmidim across generations—from Lakewood to Ponevezh, from Chaim Berlin to the Mir, from Ner Yisroel to Chevron.

Indeed, the Chofetz Chaim once said about the Alter, eleven years his junior: “I write books—he creates menschen.”

The distinction is shattering in its implications. Books can be purchased, studied, and placed on a shelf. But a mensch—a refined human being who embodies Torah values—is a living testament, a walking sefer, capable of inspiring others simply by existing in the world. And the Alter produced them by the hundreds.

Here is the remarkable part: this architect of the modern Torah world was himself an orphan—a child who lost both parents and was taken in by relatives. What happened to that boy, and what he did with his life, should give pause to every family that has ever opened its home to a child in need. Because the story of the Alter is, ultimately, the story of what taking in one orphan can do for the world.

✦ ✦ ✦

I. From the Depths: An Orphan’s Rise

Harav Nosson Tzvi was born in the year 1849 (5609) in the town of Raseiniai, Russia—known in Yiddish as Raseyn. The town had a complex and turbulent history. Before 1795, it was part of the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth, but it was annexed by Russian Tsarina Catherine into the Russian Empire and its city rights were annulled. The town became the center of Rossieny County, and from 1843 onward was part of the Kovno Governorate.

Eighteen years before the Alter’s birth, an insurrection against Tsar Nicholas I and his oppressive regime had begun in Raseiniai. On March 26, 1831, rebels seized the town and formed a provisional district government. Within days, the insurrection spread throughout the entire country—later known as the 1831 Rebellion. It was a place where the spirit of resistance ran deep in the soil.

The town had long maintained a large Jewish presence. It was among the first Jewish communities established in Lithuania, and the city became known as the “Jerusalem of Zamut.” During most of the 19th century, the greater proportion of the town’s population was Jewish—in 1866, out of 10,579 inhabitants, fully 8,290 were Jews. Ironically, Raseiniai was also a center of the Jewish Haskalah movement—the very movement the Alter would spend his life’s work fighting to counter.

Into this world, Nosson Tzvi was born to Reb Moshe and Miriam Finkel, a prominent community figure. But tragedy struck early and struck hard. At a young age, he was orphaned of both his parents. The official records of his birth during the years surrounding it have been completely lost. A relative from Vilna—an uncle—took him in and raised him.

One can only imagine the formative impact of such early loss. To lose both parents as a child, to be uprooted from one’s home and brought to a strange city—these experiences forge a certain depth of character, a sensitivity to the pain of others, and perhaps a burning, lifelong resolve to ensure that no child under one’s care would ever feel abandoned or alone. As we shall see, this impulse—to revive the broken, to elevate the overlooked—would become the defining philosophy of his life.

✦ ✦ ✦

II. A Young Marriage and the Spark of Promise

At the remarkably young age of fifteen, Reb Nosson Tzvi married into an illustrious family. Reb Meir Bashis, the son-in-law of the Rav of Kelm—Harav Eliezer Guterman—recognized in this young orphan something extraordinary. He chose Reb Nosson Tzvi to marry his daughter, Gittel (whose siblings would later adopt the surname Wolpert), and supported him for a number of years, enabling him to sit and learn without disturbance.

Even as a young bachur, Reb Nosson Tzvi had gained fame as a lamdan, an iluy, and a master of deep thought. He was known for exceptional oratorical skills—his early drashos were fiery, charismatic, capable of moving crowds to tears and to action. The Torah world was beginning to take notice of this unusual young man.

During the first years of his marriage, Reb Nosson Tzvi was known for his original thinking and profound Torah knowledge. From time to time, he visited nearby towns to deliver classes to the public. It was on one such visit to his native town of Rasein, in 1868 when he was approximately nineteen years old, that his life would change forever.

✦ ✦ ✦

III. A Letter That Changed Everything

The Rav of Rasein, Harav Alexander Moshe Lapidos zt“l (1819–1906), was a close disciple of Harav Yisrael Salanter zt“l, the founder of the Mussar Movement. When the young Rav Nosson Tzvi delivered a drashah in his hometown, Rav Lapidos sat in the audience and listened. What he witnessed that day convinced him that this young man possessed extraordinary potential—potential that, properly guided, could change the Jewish world.

Rav Lapidos wrote a letter to Rav Simcha Zissel Ziv, the Alter of Kelm, urging him to take this young man under his wing and help form him. He handed the sealed letter to Rav Nosson Tzvi and asked him to deliver it personally.

Rav Nosson Tzvi, unaware of the contents of this letter, made his way to Kelm and handed it to Rav Simcha Zissel. From that moment forward, the Alter of Kelm began to keep a watchful eye on the young prodigy, guiding him in the ways of Mussar. It was one of the most fateful introductions in the history of the Torah world.

Under Rav Simcha Zissel’s tutelage, Reb Nosson Tzvi became his talmid muvhak, absorbing the depths of Mussar philosophy while simultaneously developing his own distinctive approach. In 1871, Rav Simcha Zissel employed him to teach Tanach in his Talmud Torah in Kelm, and shortly afterward, Reb Nosson Tzvi began delivering Mussar shmuessen to students. Very quickly, it became clear that the young teacher possessed rare pedagogical gifts and had developed a uniquely positive rapport with his young charges.

✦ ✦ ✦

IV. A Meeting with the Founder

Sometime before Rav Yisroel Salanter moved to Germany in 1857, the young Alter had the extraordinary privilege of meeting with him personally. He asked Reb Yisrael a question that would define his life’s mission: What should his avodah and tafkid in this world be?

Reb Yisrael answered with a pasuk from Yeshayahu (57:15): “L’hachayos ruach shefalim u’lhachayos lev nidkaim—to revive the spirit of the meek and revive the hearts of the depressed.”

These words became the Alter’s mandate. For the rest of his life, he devoted himself to uplifting souls, to seeing the hidden potential in every student, and to reviving hearts that had been crushed by life’s hardships. The orphan from Raseiniai would spend a lifetime ensuring that others never felt as lost as he once had.

✦ ✦ ✦

V. The Parting of Ways

Yet as much as the Alter revered his teacher, he came to differ from Rav Simcha Zissel in two significant areas.

First, Rav Nosson Tzvi felt that Mussar would thrive best in an environment viewed as an elite Torah institution. To this end, he sought out the most brilliant students in the Torah world. He believed that the highest caliber of minds, drawn to a place of excellence, would become the most effective ambassadors of Mussar to the broader Jewish world.

Second, Rav Simcha Zissel had introduced some secular subjects into the curriculum of his yeshiva—a change that Rav Nosson Tzvi felt would not be accepted in the mainstream Torah world. Although he continued to send students to study with Rav Simcha Zissel, he determined not to incorporate such an innovation in his own future yeshiva.

After the closure of Kelm’s “Beis HaTalmud” in 1876, Rav Nosson Tzvi first settled in the village of Grobin with his master, Rav Simcha Zissel. Together they ran the “Beis HaMussar.” But the two Rabbanim did not share the same outlook on educational methodology. Eventually, Rav Nosson Tzvi left Grobin to forge his own path. It was a momentous decision—one that would change the course of Jewish history.

✦ ✦ ✦

VI. The Birth of Slabodka

He settled in the village of Slabodka, on the outskirts of Kovno. During the years 1876–1877, he founded what would become the Slabodka Yeshiva, initially called “Knesses Yisrael”—named in honor of his Rebbi, Harav Yisrael Salanter. It was initially conceived as a Kollel.

Funding came from an unlikely source. Sometime in the 1860s or 1870s, Reb Nosson Tzvi had developed a relationship with a wealthy Berlin inventor named Reb Ovadiah (Emil) Lachman. Reb Ovadiah was a supporter of Rav Yisroel Salanter, a close friend of his student Rav Yitzchok Blazer, and one of the founders of the Telz Yeshiva in 1875. He had invented a number of ingenious devices, including wings for ships to prevent capsizing, a new type of alarm, and several other innovations. Reb Ovadiah had become quite wealthy and devoted his resources to supporting the Mussar Movement. When the newspaper HaMeilitz attempted to sow dissent in the Torah community by falsely claiming that Lachman and Rav Blazer had had a falling out, Reb Ovadiah wrote a scathing letter to the paper, setting the record straight. He soon became the financial backbone of the Alter’s projects.

Rav Nosson Tzvi embarked on a whirlwind of activities: the founding of the Kovno Kollel with Lachman’s funding, publication of Eitz Pri, taking a teaching position in Rav Hirshel Levitan’s yeshivah for young students, and founding a kibbutz for older talmidim in the old Slabodka shul in 1882. It was also during that time that he helped procure funding for the new yeshivah in Telz. In 1883, Rav Eliezer Gordon moved from Kelm to Telz and became its Rosh Yeshiva—the first of many great yeshivos Rav Nosson Tzvi founded or helped bolster.

But of all the myriad institutions he was involved with, one emerged as his primary focus: the famed Slabodka Yeshiva. The year 1882 marked the inauguration of the great Yeshiva of Slabodka in its full form. Rav Nosson Tzvi would direct this yeshiva for forty-five years, applying himself body and soul on behalf of this institution, thus forging his reputation as the preeminent educator and thinker of his generation.

It was a revolutionary concept. The Alter envisioned something no one had attempted before—a Volozhin-style yeshivah for older talmidim in their late teens and twenties, a top-tier institution catering to elite students, where the atmosphere would be permeated with the values of the Mussar movement through an addition to the standard yeshivah curriculum: a half-hour Mussar seder. During this session, students would study classic Mussar works—Mesilas Yesharim, Shaarei Teshuvah, Chovos HaLevavos—with great emotion, termed hispaalus. They would choose a phrase relating to their personal character traits and repeat it with great passion until it entered their subconscious psyche.

✦ ✦ ✦

VII. Assembling the Giants

At first, Slabodka did not employ any Roshei Yeshiva or Rebbeim. The students spent their days studying Torah and Mussar themselves, directing their questions to members of the Kovno Kollel, who occasionally delivered shiurim. Rav Itzele Blazer and Rav Shlomo Nosson Kotler were among those who would speak to the students in learning, while the former, along with his colleague Rav Naftali Amsterdam, delivered Mussar discourses to the student body.

But the Alter soon began assembling luminaries. The yeshiva’s first appointed Roshei Yeshiva included Rav Yitzchok Blazer (Rav Itzele Peterburger), Rav Avraham Aharon Borstein of Teberig, and Rav Yitzchok Rabinowitz of Ponevezh.

After Rav Yitzchok of Ponevezh left Slabodka, Rav Nosson Tzvi made two appointments that would prove transformative. He brought in Rav Moshe Mordechai Epstein and Rav Isser Zalman Meltzer—two towering figures who had studied together in Volozhin before its closure—to serve as Roshei Yeshiva. The two were brothers-in-law, and their combined presence elevated the yeshiva to a new level of scholarly prestige. Rav Isser Zalman, author of the Even Ha’Azel, would later become the father-in-law of Rav Aharon Kotler.

In 1897, the Alter opened a new Yeshiva in Slutsk, sending some of his finest Slabodka students to study there under the direction of Rav Isser Zalman Meltzer. And when the Radbaz of Slutsk asked the Alter to help launch a yeshiva in that city, he sent him ten top talmidim. The Alter did the same for the Mirrer Yeshiva and for Telz. He was not merely building one institution; he was seeding an entire network.

Following the advice of the Chofetz Chaim (with whom the Alter spent several days over Succos pondering the move), in 1886 the Alter made the fateful decision to sever the yeshiva’s connection with the Kovno Kollel and turn it into a fully independent institution.

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VIII. Gadlus HaAdam: The Greatness of Man

What set Slabodka apart from every other approach to Mussar?

At the time, the Mussar movement included two distinct coexisting currents: the Slabodka approach and the Novardok approach. Novardok’s policy was to educate students to defy public opinion entirely, to act only in adherence to Halachic precepts and Mussar principles, regardless of how others might perceive them. This often involved exercises designed to cultivate humility through public embarrassment.

In Slabodka, the focus was fundamentally different. The emphasis was on middos refinement based on personal awareness and love of one’s fellow man. Rather than crushing the ego, the Alter sought to elevate it—to show each student his own inherent greatness as a being created in the image of Hashem.

The concept became widely known as Gadlus HaAdam—“The Greatness of Man.”

The Alter taught that man is greater than the angels, for he alone possesses bechirah—freedom of choice—and in this, man reflects the Creator Himself. Everything a person accomplishes, the Alter said, depends on how much he values himself. Therefore, a person must contemplate how cherished he is by Hashem. The more we feel how much Hashem cherishes us, the more we will cherish our own souls—and this empowers a person to bring out his full potential.

Unlike other approaches that focused on fear of punishment, Gadlus HaAdam induced change by emphasizing what a person could be and how much he could accomplish. As the Alter himself stated: Rather than emphasizing the minuteness of man vis-à-vis his Creator—which could lead to paralysis and despair—we ought to emphasize the importance and greatness of a person who, amid all creatures and living things, was chosen to serve Hashem and fulfill Divine Will.

This philosophy manifested itself in unexpected ways. Great emphasis was placed on neatness and dignified appearance. Slabodka’s students were known to be clean-shaven, dressed in light suits and fashionable ties. They wore straw hats and carried canes, in compliance with the way respectable young men dressed at that time. The Alter believed that external dignity both reflected and reinforced internal dignity.

He also insisted that his talmidim eat with local families on Shabbos. He wanted them to experience family dynamics and observe the interactions between husband, wife, and children. He was shaping not just scholars, but leaders who would understand human nature in all its complexity.

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IX. A Revolutionary Change in Style

One of the most remarkable transformations in the Alter’s life was in his mode of communication. In his youth, he was known for fiery, charismatic oratory capable of sweeping audiences. But later in life, he entirely changed his method of speech.

After his mastery of Mussar, he delivered his thoughts in a quiet, understated manner. He felt that Mussar and Torah thought had to be transmitted without charismatic appeal, for two crucial reasons: first, to ensure that the Mussar was entirely intellectual, without any danger of influencing others through mere emotional manipulation; and second, to enable students to develop themselves and their own personalities, rather than becoming mere followers of a charismatic leader.

The stress on individuality inherent in the Alter’s vision of Gadlus HaAdam was inviolable. Once, when his student Rav Yeruchem Levovitz came to Slabodka to visit, the Alter reproved him so vehemently that the whole yeshiva could hear the shouts from behind closed doors. Day after day for nearly a week, the reproofs continued. What had upset the Alter? He felt that Rav Yeruchem was so charismatic that he was turning the Mirrer bochurim into his “Cossacks”—each one in Reb Yerucham’s image, rather than allowing each student to develop his own unique expression.

One talmid who witnessed this exchange—Rav Yitzchok Ruderman—later commented: “Had I spoken to my students in such a harsh tone, they would surely have left me. Only the Alter could have done this.”

In a fascinating incident, the Alter once found his young student Rav Yitzchok Hutner—later known as the “Warsaw Illuy”—studying alone while all the other students were paired off in chavrusa. He asked Rav Hutner where his chavrusa was. Rav Hutner responded: “I’m learning with my yetzer hara.” The Alter replied: “Why don’t you learn with your yetzer tov instead?” To which Rav Hutner answered: “I can always count on my yetzer hara to show up to morning seder on time. The yetzer tov is not as reliable.”

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X. Mussar Comes to the Mir: A Story of Fire and Rescue

It is well known that the Alter arranged shidduchim between his best students, all ba’alei Mussar, and the daughters of various Roshei Yeshivos who initially were not keen on the study of Mussar. The Mirrer Yeshivah was one place where he did not, at first, succeed in planting the Mussar approach. Though his own son, Rav Lazer Yudel, married the daughter of Reb Elya Baruch Kamai—cementing a Slabodka-Mir connection for posterity—Rav Kamai himself was firmly against the idea of incorporating Mussar into his yeshiva.

But life has a way of humbling even the most resolute opposition.

The winds of Haskallah began to penetrate even the holy walls of the Mir Yeshiva. The Enlightenment movement, with its seductive promises of modernity and secular wisdom, was claiming souls. As Rabbi Chaim Shapiro zt“l of Baltimore tells it, Rav Elya Baruch Kamai, the very man who had resisted Mussar, sent an urgent, desperate message to the Alter, his own mechutan:

“Please! Save our yeshivah!”

The Alter responded immediately. He sent ten of his finest talmidim—giants in both Torah and Mussar, young men whose very presence could shift the spiritual atmosphere of a room. Their arrival at the Mir led to an incident that, in hindsight, borders on the comical, though at the time it must have caused no small measure of alarm.

To deal with the scourge of Haskallah, Rav Kamai had earlier instructed the Mir shammas to burn any “treif” books that he might come across while cleaning. The shammas, a simple and earnest man, asked how he could possibly distinguish a treif sefer from a kosher one. He could not read German or Polish, and the forbidden books looked much like any other.

The solution seemed elegant: the pages of a kosher volume were marked with the letters of the alef-beis, while treif books were numbered with Arabic numerals.

The Alter’s talmidim arrived, armed with the first Mussar works to enter the Mir: copies of the newly published Mesilas Yesharim. And yes—the new sefarim were marked with Arabic numerals instead of the usual Hebrew letters.

One day, to their horror, the new arrivals discovered that every single copy of the Mesilas Yesharim had vanished without a trace.

Someone remembered that it was likely the shammas who had removed them. They raced to find him. And there, just in the nick of time—with flames already consuming the edges of some pages—the precious volumes were rescued from the fire.

The story highlights both the struggles and the ultimate triumphs that the Alter experienced in implanting Mussar in the world of Torah. It was never easy. But the Alter possessed something rare: an unshakeable conviction that the human soul, properly cultivated, could reach extraordinary heights.

It is also interesting to note that the original Mussar Seder in Mir under the leadership of the Alter’s son Rav Lazer Yudel was double that of Slabodka.  It was both from 1;00 PM to 1;30 PM and also in the evening between 7:00 PM and 7:40 PM.

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XI. The Raging Debate and the Closure of Volozhin

In 5657 (1897), a raging debate about the methodology of Mussar divided the Slabodka yeshiva. The controversy was fierce, and it caused most of the talmidim to leave. Not one to engage in polemics, the Alter simply picked himself up, left the yeshiva he had founded, and began his life’s work yet again—this time in the Butchers’ Shul in Slabodka.

Out of 300 Slabodka talmidim, perhaps only seventy accompanied him. He named his reconstituted institution Yeshivas Knesses Yisrael, in honor of his Rebbi, Harav Yisrael Salanter. The other camp named theirs Yeshivas Knesses Beis Yitzchok. Rav Moshe Mordechai Epstein and the mashgiach Rav Dov Tzvi Heller departed along with the Alter, even though the new heads of the opposing yeshivah had offered Rav Moshe Mordechai a higher salary to remain.

But the Alter was not deterred. Within a remarkably short time, Knesses Yisrael began growing rapidly once more, and Harav Nosson Tzvi again led hundreds of talmidim.

Meanwhile, on February 2nd, 1892, the famed Volozhin Yeshiva—founded by Rav Chaim of Volozhin, the foremost student of the Vilna Gaon—had closed its doors by order of the Russian government. This seismic event had profound repercussions throughout the Yeshiva world. Other Yeshivos surged in enrollment, including the Mirrer Yeshiva, Telz, the Kovno Kollel, and the Alter’s own institution in Slabodka. There were 170 members in that early Kovno Kollel, and the majority of its support came from Reb Ovadiah Lachman. It was as if Hashem had cleared the stage for a new era, and the Alter was ready to lead it.

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XII. The Son Who Was to Be a Gadol HaDor

In the summer just before the First World War, Rav Moshe Mordechai Epstein and Rav Nosson Tzvi decided to appoint the Alter’s son, Rav Moshe Finkel—who was also Rav Moshe Mordechai’s son-in-law—as Rosh Yeshiva. Rav Moshe was surely fit for the position. A leading student of Torah giants like Rav Elya Baruch Kamai, Rav Eliezer Gordon, and Rav Chaim Soloveitchik, Rav Moshe was described by Rav Yitzchak Hutner as being very advanced in Kabbalah, which he studied in secret sessions with Rav Shlomo Elyashiv (the Leshem).

His greatness in Torah can be illustrated by a remarkable episode. Once Rav Meir Simcha of Dvinsk, the Ohr Somayach, spent his vacation in a village close to Slabodka. Rav Moshe Finkel, Rav Aharon Kotler, and Rav Yisrael Zissel Dvoretz went to visit him. When they entered his house, they found Rav Meir Simcha lying on the couch, resting. They introduced themselves and began discussing Torah. After they left, Rav Meir Simcha told his confidants that Rav Aharon Kotler was going to become the “Rav Akiva Eiger of the generation,” whereas Rav Moshe Finkel would be the “Ketzos HaChoshen of the generation.”

The Alter had great plans for this son. Together, father and son would build Torah and Mussar in Eretz Yisroel. But as we shall see, it was not to be.

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XIII. World War One: Exile and Survival

In the summer of 1914, war erupted across Europe. The Russian military authorities decided that the Jews were untrustworthy and could not reside near the Kovno fortress. They were forced into exile. Worse, many of the Yeshiva’s students and Rebbeim were drafted into the Tsarist Russian army.

When the war broke out, the Alter was seeking medical treatment in Germany. He was captured and jailed as an enemy alien—a citizen of Russia trapped in hostile territory. Meanwhile, back home, his Yeshiva and its students scattered. A young fifteen-year-old Rav Shach was the last one out of the Yeshiva building, not knowing where to go.

Rav Moshe Mordechai Epstein, the Rosh Yeshiva, managed to relocate to the city of Rezekne in Eastern Latvia, some 194 miles northeast of Kovno. He sent letters and telegrams desperately trying to raise funds to get the students and Rebbeim released—especially the Alter.

The Yeshiva eventually relocated to Minsk, about 170 miles from Kovno. But Minsk soon became the frontline of battle between Russia and Germany. Germany was using poison gas. The administration decided to split the Yeshiva in two. One part, including the Alter, Rav Moshe Mordechai, and Rav Avrohom Grodinsky, went to Kremenchug in the Poltava Province, about 418 miles south from Minsk. The other part, numbering over 150 students under Rav Yitzchok Isaac Sher and Rav Dov Tzvi Heller, remained in Minsk before eventually joining the others in Kremenchug.

When the Yeshiva arrived in Kremenchug, the local Chabad Chassidim came out to greet them—and were shocked. Chabad people generally do not shave their beards. With few exceptions, Slabodka talmidim did. But the townspeople acclimated quickly after meeting and conversing with the Rosh Yeshiva, Rav Moshe Mordechai Epstein, and witnessing the depth of Torah and yiras Shamayim that these unusual-looking young men possessed.

In Kremenchug, Rav Yaakov Ruderman zt“l—the future Rosh Yeshiva of Ner Yisroel in Baltimore—was kidnapped at gunpoint by a band of ruffians who demanded 10,000 rubles or they would take his life. He was brought to the home of the Rosh Yeshiva, Rav Moshe Mordechai Epstein, who had no money to give them. As they were taking the young man out to kill him, Rav Epstein ran out and began yelling and screaming to draw a crowd. The ruffians turned to shoot but saw that their situation was hopeless as a significant crowd had gathered. Rav Ruderman was released unharmed. He later, of course, founded Yeshivas Ner Yisroel and taught thousands of talmidim.

In a remarkable twist, the German soldier who had looked after the imprisoned Alter later revealed his Jewish identity—and eventually enrolled in the Slabodka Yeshiva himself.

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XIV. The Move to Hebron

The Alter did not return to Slabodka until 1920. By that time, enormous changes had occurred. Kovno had transformed from old-style Lita to German Orthodoxy—Torah im Derech Eretz. Slabodka and Kovno were no longer under Russia but under the new Republic of Lithuania.

Originally, the Slabodka Yeshiva was considered a school of higher learning and its students were exempt from the draft, thanks to an arrangement made by Rav Avrohom Grozinsky. But this arrangement did not last. In 1924, a crisis emerged. As soon as Poland began pressing upon its borders, Lithuania needed to institute a draft. The government gave the Yeshiva an ultimatum: Either allow the older students to be drafted into the Lithuanian Armed Forces, or introduce secular studies into the program.

While some yeshivos agreed to submit to the new law, the Alter opposed it categorically. The hanhallah decided to split the Yeshiva in two. The younger students—below draft age—would remain in Slabodka under Rav Yitzchok Isaac Sher and Rav Avrohom Grodzinsky. The older ones would relocate to Eretz Yisroel.

The Alter sent Rav Avrohom Grodzinsky and Rav Yechezkel Sarna to scout the situation. Initially, before the crisis, the plan had been to send just ten students to Yerushalayim, where they would adopt Yerushalmi garb and blend in. Now, after the Lithuanian Draft Crisis, they needed a different location and had to move en masse. They chose Hebron.

Money was raised through herculean efforts. The Rosh Yeshiva, Rav Moshe Mordechai Epstein, traveled to America and engaged in enormous fundraising work. Exit visas were obtained and entrance visas to Eretz Yisroel were secured.

In the summer of 5685 (1925), Harav Nosson Tzvi ascended to Eretz Yisrael with many talmidim, and the yeshivah was reestablished in Hebron. He was seventy-six years old, in frail health, but his spirit remained indomitable.

The Alter noted that the population of Tel Aviv then stood at approximately 40,000—equal to the number of those who came from Bavel to Eretz Yisrael in the days of Ezra HaSofer. He could not forsake such a large Jewish community by not giving them a taste of Torah. Even as he established the yeshiva in Hebron, he began laying plans for Torah outreach in the growing coastal city.

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XV. The Final Trials

Shortly after immigrating to Eretz Yisroel, tragedy struck the aging Alter once again. His son, Reb Moshe Finkel—the towering genius about whom Rav Meir Simcha of Dvinsk had predicted such greatness—suddenly passed away on the second day of Chol HaMoed Sukkos, October 5, 1925, at the tragically young age of forty-two.

The Alter was inconsolable. He blamed himself, wondering if the decision to move and live so close to Meoras HaMachpeilah—near the Avos—was too holy a place. The self-doubt was agonizing. Rav Yeruchem Levovitz, who had looked upon Rav Moshe Finkel as a brother, wrote a deeply moving letter of consolation to his Rebbe. It remains a model of how to comfort the bereaved.

By the end of 1926, Rav Nosson Tzvi was compelled to leave Hebron due to the cold climate, which his failing body could no longer endure. He moved first to Tel Aviv, where even in his weakened state, he gathered talmidim, alumni, and other yeshivah students in the city for Mussar shmuessen, and attempted to establish a beis Mussar.

He fell ill during the last week of September 1926, during Chol HaMoed. He moved from his home next to the Yeshiva in Hebron to the Warshawsky Hotel in Yerushalayim on Shivtei Yisroel Street. The hotel, owned by Rabbi Yaakov Yosef Herling, had previously been known as the British Hotel or Beit Olivat.

His son, Reb Laizer Yudel—the Rosh Yeshiva of the Mir in Poland—arrived in Eretz Yisroel two weeks before his father’s passing to be at his bedside.

The Alter had round-the-clock care from his talmidim, who watched over him in shifts. There was no question that this would be provided. It was the Alter’s own philosophy: any bochur in the Yeshiva who was sick had shifts of other bochurim watching over him. Now his students returned that devotion to their beloved Rebbi.

On the Friday before his passing, the Alter told Ephraim Sokolover to go back to his wife, Fannie, in Hebron for Shabbos. Even while in dire medical condition, he inquired about the welfare of a young American talmid—whether he was growing in ruchniyus. The Alter remained a master pedagogue until the very end.

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XVI. The Final Departure

Rav Nosson Tzvi Finkel zt“l, the Alter of Slabodka, passed away on Monday evening, January 31st, 1927—the 29th of Shvat.

The levaya began in front of the Warshawsky Hotel at 11:00 AM and proceeded on foot to Har HaZeisim. The area between Meah Shearim and the walls of the Old City was filled with mourners. At the hotel itself, people stood on the roof, on the ledges, and in front of the entranceway, straining for a last glimpse of the man who had shaped a generation.

The maspidim represented the full breadth of Torah Jewry: Rav Yosef Chaim Sonnenfeld (head of the Eidah HaChareidis), Rav Avraham Yitzchok Kook, Rav Eliyahu Klatzkin (author of the Dvar Eliyahu), Rav Shlomo Aronson (Chief Rabbi of Tel Aviv), Rav Isser Zalman Meltzer (Rosh Yeshiva of Etz Chaim), Rav Leib Chasman (author of Ohr Yahel), and others.

When the Alter passed away, the Rosh Yeshiva, Rav Moshe Mordechai Epstein, was in the United States raising funds for the Yeshiva. He sent the following telegram:

“To Rav Sarna and the Yeshiva: We are shocked by the tragedy that has befallen us and Klal Yisroel, when our teacher, our father, the Chariot of Israel, has been taken from us. Slackening in Torah study, however, will destroy the yeshiva. Be strong. With hope, the Father of orphans will comfort us. One who is beaten, yet hopeful—Moshe Mordechai.”

Hashem, in His mercy, took the Alter away before the horrific Hebron massacre of August 24, 1929, when Arab rioters murdered sixty-seven Jews—including twenty-four students and staff of the Hebron Yeshiva. The Alter was spared that unbearable grief.

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XVII. Some of His Sayings

The Alter’s teachings were not abstract philosophy. They were intensely practical, designed to reshape how a person sees himself and others:

On Kiddush Levanah: Why do we say “Shalom Aleichem” to others during Kiddush Levanah? Because right beforehand we recited the words, “Tipol aleihem aimasa u’pachad—let terror and fear fall upon them.” The impact of these words could affect our neshamos, potentially turning us into revenge seekers. Thus, we immediately say “Shalom Aleichem” to entrench within us ahavas Yisrael and brotherly love.

On Derech Eretz: Rashi says about Yaakov Avinu (Bereishis 28:16), ‘Had he known about the kedusha of the place, he would not have slept there.’ Even though Yaakov achieved such spiritual heights that night—receiving prophecy!—it is a chisaron of derech eretz to sleep in a holy place. Why? Because derech eretz kadma laTorah.

On Fasting for Students: Someone once noticed that the Alter used to fast frequently, and discovered that he would fast whenever he saw a student not succeeding in his learning and growth. When asked why he did so, the Alter responded: “If one truly understood that each student is a ben melech—a prince, a son of the King—there is no other choice.”

On Sin: The Alter famously said: “I cannot guarantee that my students will never sin. But I can guarantee that if they do sin, they will not enjoy it.”

On the Seder: Why do we pour drops of wine at the Seder at the mention of each of the Makos? Perhaps it is to develop our sensitivity toward suffering—even though the Egyptians caused so much pain to Klal Yisroel, we diminish our joy at their downfall.

On Littering in the Beis Medrash: A talmid saw a piece of paper on the floor and, thinking it was shaimos, bent down to pick it up. Seeing it was just garbage, he threw it back. The Alter reprimanded him: “Why did you do that? Don’t you realize that you are a mazik in a reshus horabim?” The bochur protested that no one could slip on a piece of paper. The Alter explained that a bor b’reshus horabim is not only a physical hazard—leaving garbage makes the beis medrash unsightly and diminishes the dignity of the place and the people who learn there.

XVIII. The Schedule of a Torah Empire

The daily schedule in the Slabodka Yeshiva was rigorous. In the summer, Shacharis took place at 7:00 AM; in winter, at 8:00 AM. Morning Seder began at 9:00 AM (9:30 in winter) and lasted until 2:30 PM. Second Seder ran from 4:00 PM to 8:00 PM (4:15 to 9:00 PM in winter). Mussar Seder was always between 9:00 PM and 9:30 PM. Night Seder extended from after Maariv until 11:00 PM.

On Shabbos, during Bein HaShmashos, there was a dedicated period for Cheshbon HaNefesh—a spiritual accounting of the entire week that had passed.

XIX. His Eternal Legacy

The Alter’s students went on to establish yeshivos throughout the world, becoming responsible for bringing Torah to tens of thousands of talmidim. A partial list reads like a Who’s Who of twentieth-century Torah leadership:

Rav Eliezer Yehuda Finkel (Rav Lazer Yudel), his son, headed the Mirrer Yeshiva in Poland and later in Eretz Yisroel, where it grew into the largest post-high-school yeshiva in the world.

Rav Naftali Trop became Rosh Yeshiva at the Chofetz Chaim’s yeshiva in Radin.

Rav Yeruchem Levovitz became the legendary Mashgiach of the Mirrer Yeshiva, the dominant figure of the Mussar movement’s fourth generation.

Rav Reuvain Grozofsky led Beis Medrash Elyon in Monsey.

Rav Yitzchok Hutner, the “Warsaw Illuy,” founded and led Yeshiva Chaim Berlin in Brooklyn, developing a unique synthesis of Talmudic scholarship, Mussar, and mystical thought.

Rav Yaakov Kamenetsky became Rosh Yeshiva of Torah Vodaas.

Rav Aharon Kotler headed the Yeshiva in Kletzk and later established Beth Medrash Govoha in Lakewood, New Jersey—now the largest yeshiva in the world. The Alter once said about him that the entire Yeshiva of Slabodka would have been worth it just to have influenced Rav Aharon.

Rav Dovid Leibowitz founded Yeshiva Chofetz Chaim (Rabbinical Seminary of America), first in Williamsburg and now in Queens, with branches across the United States.

Rav Yaakov Yitzchok Ruderman established Yeshivas Ner Yisroel in Baltimore.

Rav Yechezkel Sarna headed the Hebron Yeshiva in Jerusalem.

Rav Yitzchok Isaac Sher, his son-in-law, headed the Slabodka Yeshiva of Bnei Brak.

Rav Eliezer Menachem Shach of Ponevezh was a talmid of both Slabodka and Kletzk.

Rav Yechiel Yaakov Weinberg headed the Rav Azriel Hildesheimer Rabbinical Seminary in Berlin.

Rav Avrohom Eliyahu Kaplan served at the Hildesheimer Seminary in Berlin before his untimely passing.

Rav Avigdor Miller studied under the Alter’s son-in-law and became one of the most influential Torah lecturers in America.

Rav Meir Chodosh became Mashgiach of the Hebron Yeshiva.

Professor Harry Austryn Wolfson (1887–1974), who studied at Slabodka under Rav Moshe Mordechai Epstein, emigrated to America and became the first professor in any American university to occupy a chair devoted solely to Jewish Studies—Harvard’s Nathan Littauer Professor of Hebrew Literature and Philosophy. His student Isadore Twersky described him as “reminiscent of an old-fashioned gaon, transposed into a modern university setting.” Even at Harvard, the analytical methods of the yeshiva endured.

And many, many more.

For four decades after the Alter’s passing, Slabodka alumni held an annual convention on or near 29 Shvat—gathering in New York at the Broadway Central Hotel, the Broadway Mansion, or the Adas Yisrael shul—to study Mussar, hear shiurim, and reminisce about their time basking in the Alter’s light.

XX. A Living Monument

The Alter of Slabodka built no physical monuments. He wrote no books. His ethical discourses were only published posthumously by his son-in-law Rav Isaac Sher and his devoted student Rav Avraham Grodzinski, under the title Ohr HaTzafun—“The Hidden Light”—a title that also served as an allusion to his lifelong passion to remain unseen.

His legacy is entirely human—the thousands upon thousands of talmidim, across generations, who carry within them the spark he ignited.

As the Chofetz Chaim said: “I write books. He creates menschen.”

Today, almost ninety-nine years after his passing, the topography of the Torah world still bears the unmistakable imprint of one orphan from Raseiniai who believed, with every fiber of his being, in the greatness of man.

When Rav Ruderman’s talmidim asked him about the greatness of the Alter of Slabodka and his ability to create so many gedolei Yisroel, Rav Ruderman would not answer. All he would do was allude to the Alter’s incredible greatness. Anything more than that was sacred territory upon which the Rosh Yeshiva would not tread.

Perhaps there are some things that words—even in a comprehensive article—can never fully capture. But this much is clear: it is remarkable what taking in an orphaned child can do.

Zechuso yagein aleinu.

The author can be reached at [email protected]

LISTEN:

https://matzav.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/Tefila4Life-Shiur-1053-Yeshua-Shiru-Lashem.mp3

Hamas is making new demands to maintain control over Gaza as the transition to Phase B of President Donald Trump’s plan to rebuild Gaza continues, Kan News reported.

According to the report, Hamas has refused to cede authority to the technocratic committee formed to administer Gaza and is instead seeking to maintain control over Gaza while agreeing only to limited disarmament.

Israel has delivered a clear message to Washington that it will not accept any arrangement in which Hamas plays a role in governing the Gaza Strip. Officials also stressed that Israel will reject any political or economic deals that allow the terror organization to retain influence and power in Gaza’s governing system.

The report says Hamas has contacted several Arab states and proposed a model similar to Hezbollah’s position in Lebanon—combining political participation with continued military power on the ground.

(YWN Israel Desk—Jerusalem)

An indictment was filed on Monday against an Israeli-Arab from northern Israel for allegedly spying on former defense minister Yoav Gallant for Iran.

The defendant, Fares Abu al-Hija, a resident of a village in the Galil, was arrested last month while gathering intelligence on Gallant.

His interrogation revealed that he was communicating with a foreign agent—confirmed by Shin Bet as Iranian intelligence—and carrying out tasks like hiding burner phones in Haifa and Kiryat Chaim, filming a Tel Aviv cafe, and filming streets near Gallant’s home in Amikam, a moshav in northern Israel, where he was caught red-handed.

In return he received $1,000 in payments via Binance.

At the conclusion of the investigation, the Haifa District Attorney’s Office filed an indictment against him in the Haifa District Court, charging him with the offense of contact with a foreign agent.

(YWN Israel Desk—Jerusalem)

Bnei Brak City Council Director-General Yisroel Ehrenstein has sharply criticized police conduct surrounding the unrest in the city, suggesting that the escalation may not have been accidental. In an interview outlining the sequence of events, Ehrenstein argued that the initial confrontation could have been avoided and questioned the manner in which both the military police soldiers and later police reinforcements handled the situation.

According to Ehrenstein, the episode began when two female military police soldiers entered Hagai Street in Bnei Brak. He said the municipality has yet to receive a clear, official explanation regarding the purpose of their visit. “It all starts when two soldiers enter Bnei Brak. We still have not received an orderly briefing explaining why they came and what the objective was,” he said.

He described the initial interaction as verbal provocation involving a small group of youths. “Apparently they encountered a small group of young people — a fringe, as we know there are extremists in Bnei Brak,” he stated. Ehrenstein claimed that local residents attempted to defuse the situation and advised the soldiers to leave the area in order to prevent tensions from rising. “People approached them and said it might be better to leave so there would not be a disturbance,” he said. “They chose to remain and effectively escalate the event. Based on how it later developed, either it was intentional, or there was some process aimed at reaching a certain outcome.”

Ehrenstein maintained that at the outset, the situation was still manageable and had not yet spiraled into violence. Even a motorcyclist who approached the area was reportedly told to leave, and tensions had not yet boiled over. However, he said that within a short time, large numbers of police forces began arriving, which in his view intensified the situation. While emphasizing that the city generally works in close coordination with local policing authorities, he argued that this time outside forces unfamiliar with the city were deployed.

He leveled particularly strong criticism at what he described as the conduct of some of those units. “They brought in forces not connected to the area who behaved in a disgraceful manner,” he asserted. Referring to municipal security camera footage, he claimed to have seen instances in which residents who were not involved in any disturbances were treated harshly. “They take a woman who is simply standing on the side, trembling in fear, and throw her to the ground. It’s horrifying,” he said.

At the same time, Ehrenstein made clear that the municipality condemns any violence by residents. “Of course we condemn any form of violence. It is not our way to set motorcycles on fire or overturn police vehicles,” he stressed, adding that those involved represent only a small minority and not the overwhelming majority of Bnei Brak’s residents.

He also pushed back against public descriptions of the incident as a “lynching,” calling that characterization a gross distortion. “To call this a lynching by the residents of Bnei Brak — that word is so far removed,” he said. He added that he reviewed footage showing what he described as harm to uninvolved individuals, including children and women. “I saw how they acted toward an eight-year-old child when a stun grenade exploded near him, a woman being humiliated, and a young boy wearing tefillin returning from cheder being taken even though he did nothing,” he said.

Ehrenstein emphasized that Bnei Brak is a densely populated city, particularly in the afternoon hours when thousands of children and kollel members fill the streets. “During those hours the streets are packed,” he noted, arguing that forceful policing tactics in such an environment heighten the risk of unnecessary escalation and harm to innocent bystanders.

He concluded by saying that city leadership is working to restore calm and renew coordination with law enforcement. The mayor, he said, has spoken with the district commander to ensure that future sensitive incidents are handled in a manner suited to the city’s unique character. The primary goal, Ehrenstein said, is to prevent further violence, restore residents’ sense of security, and return to responsible, coordinated management of public order.

{Matzav.com}

New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani’s upcoming “rental ripoff” hearings are facing backlash after it was revealed that residents of public housing will not be permitted to testify — despite long-standing complaints that the agency overseeing those units is among the city’s most troubled landlords.

The administration is set to hold its first public session on Feb. 26. While promoted as an opportunity for tenants to raise concerns, the hearings will be limited to disputes involving renters and landlords in privately owned buildings. The roughly 500,000 residents living in properties managed by the New York City Housing Authority will not be included in the formal testimony process.

Landlords and housing advocates criticized the city for excluding NYCHA residents while encouraging tenants in private buildings to appear and speak about alleged abuses, including so-called “rental junk fees” tied to amenities such as pet ownership.

“The city’s own tenants—those living in public housing—are demanding a real plan to improve their living conditions,” said Humberto Lopes, CEO of Gotham Housing Alliance. “It appears the Mamdani administration woke up to their own hypocrisy.

“If these hearings were truly about holding bad landlords accountable, the over 500,000 residents in NYCHA would be able to meaningfully participate,” Lopes added. “This is clearly the city trying to distract from its own failures while putting on a show, instead of having a real conversation with property owners, renters, NYCHA residents, and everyone else about how to improve housing for all.”

Following criticism, the mayor’s office revised language on its website, adding a question-and-answer section responding to: “Are these hearings for NYCHA residents too?”

“While these hearings focus on price gouging and living conditions for private-market renters, senior leadership and staff from NYCHA will be on-site to ensure that residents can submit in-apartment repair requests, file heat/hot water complaints, or discuss development-wide issues,” the updated note said.

“In the coming months, our administration will release a housing plan focused on improving housing quality for all New Yorkers, including those in public housing.”

NYCHA has repeatedly been labeled the city’s poorest-performing landlord in annual reports issued by the public advocate’s office.

In 2019, the agency was placed under federal oversight due to dangerous living conditions and controversies that included falsely certifying inspections.

Mamdani pushed back against claims that the hearings should cover public housing, arguing that his administration is pursuing multiple strategies to address housing problems citywide.

“So we are going to be approaching the housing crisis in a wide variety of ways. One of those are these rental rip off hearings,” Mamdani told reporters Sunday at an unrelated event on Coney Island.

The mayor also pointed to what he described as years of inadequate federal funding for NYCHA, noting the authority’s massive capital needs.

“We will also continue to work with NYCHA residents to ensure that they are being delivered the quality of service they’ve long been denied,” Mamdani said. “And while we know that so much of the reason that NYCHA residents are living through a system that requires around $80 billion of capital improvements. By last count, is a lack of commitment from the federal government.”

Still, Lopes and other opponents argue that limiting the hearings to private housing reflects what they see as a flawed housing agenda. Among the policies they criticize is Mamdani’s support for freezing rents on nearly one million regulated apartments through the city’s Rent Guidelines Board.

Attention has also turned to Cea Weaver, director of the Mayor’s Office to Protect Tenants, who has faced scrutiny over previous remarks criticizing homeownership and advocating aggressive government intervention in the housing market.

“Impoverish the white middle class. Homeownership is racist/failed public policy,” she once said.

“Elect more communists,” Weaver also said.

According to the mayor’s website, the hearings will involve the Mayor’s Office to Protect Tenants, the Department of Housing Preservation and Development, the Department of Buildings, and the Department of Consumer and Worker Protection. Other agencies, including NYCHA, will be present solely “to provide resources.”

WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. (AP) — Lawmakers and the White House offered no signs of compromise Sunday in their battle over oversight of federal immigration officers that has led to a pause in funding for the Department of Homeland Security.

A partial government shutdown began Saturday after congressional Democrats and President Donald Trump’s team failed to reach a deal on legislation to fund the department through September. Democrats are demanding changes to how immigration operations are conducted after the fatal shootings of U.S. citizens Alex Pretti and Renee Good by federal officers in Minneapolis last month.

Congress is on recess until Feb. 23, and both sides appear dug into their positions. The impasse affects agencies such as the Transportation Security Administration, the Federal Emergency Management Agency, U.S. Coast Guard, the Secret Service, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, and U.S. Customs and Border Protection.

The work at ICE and CBP goes on unabated because Trump’s tax and spending cut law from 2025 provided billions more to those agencies that can be tapped for deportation operations. About 90% of DHS employees were to continue working during the shutdown, but do so without pay — and missed paychecks could mean financial hardships. Last year there was a record 43-day government shutdown.

White House border czar Tom Homan said the administration was unwilling to agree to Democrats’ demands that federal officers clearly identify themselves, remove masks during operations and display unique ID numbers.

“I don’t like the masks, either,” Homan said, But, he said, “These men and women have to protect themselves.”

Democrats also want to require immigration agents to wear body cameras and mandate judicial warrants for arrests on private property.

Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., said Democrats are only asking for federal agents to abide by rules followed by law enforcement agencies around the country.

“And the question that Americans are asking is, ‘Why aren’t Republicans going along with these commonsense proposals?’” Schumer said. “They’re not crazy. They’re not way out. They’re what every police department in America does.”

Sen. Markwayne Mullin, R-Okla., said he could back Democrats calls to equip immigration officers with body cameras and would support efforts to bolster training. But he balked at their demands that federal officers remove masks and clearly identify themselves, noting some officers taking part in immigration enforcement operations have faced doxing and other harassment.

“What are you going to do, expose their faces so you can intimidate their families?” Mullins said. “What we want is ICE to be able to do their job. And we would love for local law enforcement and for states to cooperate with us.”

Republican Sen. Katie Britt of Alabama, a Trump ally who had pushed for a two-week extension of DHS funding while negotiations continued, said it was “shortsighted of Democrats to walk away” from talks.

Trump made enforcement of the nation’s immigration laws a centerpiece of his 2024 campaign for the White House and he promised to be aggressive in detaining and deporting people living in the United States without legal permission.

DHS reports it has deported more than 675,000 migrants since Trump’s return to office last year and claims some 2.2 million others have “self-deported” as the Republican president has made his immigration crackdown a priority.

“President Trump is not going to back away from the mission, the mission that American people said they wanted him to complete, and that is securing our border and making sure that we actually do interior enforcement,” Britt said.

Homan was on CBS’ “Face the Nation,” Schumer and Mullin appeared on CNN’s “State of the Union” and Britt was interviewed on “Fox News Sunday.”

(AP) – Federal immigration officials plan to spend $38.3 billion to boost detention capacity to 92,600 beds, a document released Friday shows, as U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement quietly purchases warehouses to turn into detention and processing facilities.

Republican New Hampshire Gov. Kelly Ayotte posted the document online amid tension over ICE’s plans to convert a warehouse in Merrimack into a 500-bed processing center.

It said ICE plans 16 regional processing centers with a population of 1,000 to 1,500 detainees, whose stays would average three to seven days. Another eight large-scale detention centers would be capable of housing 7,000 to 10,000 detainees for periods averaging less than 60 days.

The document also refers to the acquisition of 10 existing “turnkey” facilities.

Plans call for all of them to be up and running by November as immigration officials roll out a massive $45 billion expansion of detention facilities financed by President Donald Trump’s recent tax-cutting law.

More than 75,000 immigrants were being detained by ICE as of mid-January, up from 40,000 when Trump took office a year earlier, according to federal data released last week.

The newly released document refers to “non-traditional facilities” and comes as ICE has quietly bought at least seven warehouses — some larger than 1 million square feet (92,900 square meters) — in the past few weeks in Arizona, Georgia, Maryland, Pennsylvania and Texas.

Warehouse purchases in six cities were scuttled when buyers decided not to sell under pressure from activists. Several other deals in places like New York are imminent, however.

City officials are frequently unable to get details from ICE until a property sale is finalized.

Tensions boiled to the surface after interim ICE Director Todd Lyons testified Thursday that the Department of Homeland Security “has worked with Gov. Ayotte” and provided her with an economic impact summary.

Ayotte said that assertion was “simply not true” and the summary was sent hours after Lyons testified.

The document mistakenly refers to the “ripple effects to the Oklahoma economy” and revenue generated by state sales and income taxes, neither of which exist in New Hampshire.

“Director Lyons’ comments today are another example of the troubling pattern of issues with this process,” Ayotte said. “Officials from the Department of Homeland Security continue to provide zero details of their plans for Merrimack, never mind providing any reports or surveys.”

DHS did not respond to questions about Ayotte’s comments or the new document. But it previously confirmed that it was looking for more detention space, although it objected to calling the sites “warehouses,” saying in a statement that they would be “very well structured detention facilities meeting our regular detention standards.”

They are loud. They are violent. And they are endangering us all.

Gedolei Yisroel — Rav Dov Landau, Rav Moshe Hillel Hirsch, and the Rishon Letzion Rav Yitzchak Yosef — have spoken clearly and without hesitation. This violence is forbidden. The violent demonstrators do not represent us. When our leaders speak with such clarity, our obligation is not only to listen, but to amplify their message.

Let us say it plainly: the pain is real. Watching young yeshiva bochurim, bnei Torah, being dragged away by police is heartbreaking. The anger, the sense of being targeted for who we are — it is genuine. No one needs to apologize for feeling that pain.

But precisely because the pain is real, we cannot allow it to morph into something destructive. What we have witnessed in the streets of Bnei Brak in recent hours — burning tires, flying stones, explosions echoing through neighborhoods — is not an expression of pain. It is a terrible chilul Hashem. It is a betrayal of everything we claim to stand for.

Let us ask a simple question: Has a single stone ever freed a bochur from detention? Has a burning tire ever canceled a draft order? We all know the answer. The opposite is true.

Every image of a chareidi youth rioting is a gift to those who despise us. Every video of flames in Bnei Brak strengthens those who argue that we are not part of society. Violence does not advance the cause in whose name it claims to act; it sabotages it.

Worse still, this violence has already endangered lives. When stones are thrown and fires are lit, someone can get hurt — and in the past, someone already has. Is that a price we are prepared to pay?

There are those who argue that police have also used excessive force. There are troubling videos. There are legitimate grievances. If there has been misconduct, it must be addressed.

But even if there are justified complaints, police overreach does not grant a license for anarchy. We are not a jungle society where “an eye for an eye” translates into burning city streets. There are legal, effective, and yes — Torah-true ways to protest misconduct. Hurling stones is not one of them.

This is the real test of our emunas chachamim.

We take pride — justifiably — in standing behind our Gedolim. When they instruct us not to enlist, we stand firm. When they say no, we say no.

But emunas chachamim is not a buffet from which we select only what suits us. Today there is no ambiguity. Rav Dov Landau wrote it explicitly. Rav Moshe Hillel Hirsch joined him. Rav Yitzchak Yosef went even further, calling to expel the violent protesters from our midst. The derech of our Rabbeim is one of dignity, persuasion, and firm but quiet resolve — not fire and stones.

Anyone who claims to represent the Torah world while throwing rocks represents only himself. He disgraces the very cause he claims to defend. More than that, he is acting in direct opposition to the explicit guidance of Gedolei Yisroel.

And for those who imagine they are sanctifying Hashem’s Name by igniting tires, consider a simple exercise: look at who applauds these images.

It is not your Rabbeim. It is not bnei yeshiva. It is not the Torah community. Those celebrating are the very people who wish to see us fail — activists who thrive on division, religion-haters eager for proof of their stereotypes, and politicians who will use these scenes to push even harsher legislation against us.

The irony is bitter: extremists from within and extremists from without feed off one another. They need each other. They are partners in destruction.

Meanwhile, the overwhelming majority of the chareidi public sits at home, learning Torah, raising families, clucking in disapproval at the chaos. But quiet disapproval is no longer enough.

It is time to say clearly — at our Shabbos tables, in our shiurim, in conversations with our children — this violence is not in our name. It does not represent us. It does not help us. It harms us.

This does not mean surrendering the struggle. On the contrary. It means waging it in a way that actually works — in the way our Gedolim have instructed — in a way we will not be ashamed of tomorrow.

The silent majority must find its voice before the fringe burns down the house we all live in.

{Matzav.com}

The International Olympic Committee is facing mounting backlash for selling a limited-edition T-shirt commemorating the 1936 Olympic Games in Berlin, held under the Nazi regime of Adolf Hitler.

The $42 shirt, which sold out quickly on the official Olympics online store, features artwork based on an original 1936 poster showing the Olympic rings and a muscular figure crowned in laurels beside a chariot atop Berlin’s Brandenburg Gate. Jewish organizations and Holocaust scholars have condemned the item as historically insensitive, arguing that the Games were designed as a global propaganda showcase for Nazi Germany.

In a statement to media, an IOC spokesperson acknowledged the Games’ connection to Nazi propaganda but defended the product as part of a broader collection marking “130 years of Olympic art and design.” The IOC also cited the legacy of Jesse Owens, the Black American sprinter whose four gold medals in Berlin undercut Hitler’s “master race” ideology.

“While we of course acknowledge the historical issues of ‘Nazi propaganda’ related to the Berlin 1936 Olympic Games, we must also remember that the Games in Berlin saw 4,483 athletes from 49 countries compete,” the spokesperson said, adding that Owens and others “stunned the world with their athletic achievements.”

European Jewish groups said the IOC’s framing minimizes how the Games were used to legitimize a regime already engaged in systematic persecution of Jews and other minorities.

“The Nazi regime used the 1936 Olympics to legitimize itself on the global stage while persecution of Jews was already well underway,” Scott Saunders, CEO of International March of the Living, told CNN. “Sport can unite and inspire, but it can also be manipulated to sanitize hatred and normalize exclusion.”

Christine Schmidt, co-director of the Wiener Holocaust Library in London, echoed those concerns.

“The Nazis used the 1936 Olympics to showcase their oppressive regime, while preventing almost all German-Jewish athletes from competing and concealing virulent antisemitic violence,” Schmidt said. “This history cannot be separated from the imagery now being commercialized.”

The shirt is based on artwork by graphic artist Werner Würbel and reflects the aesthetic promoted by Nazi propagandists, including filmmaker Leni Riefenstahl, whose documentary “Olympia” glorified the Games and promoted Aryan racial ideals.

The controversy has been compounded by other items in the IOC’s “Heritage” collection. The organization also sold a T-shirt commemorating the 1936 Winter Olympics in Garmisch-Partenkirchen, featuring a poster by Ludwig Hohlwein, a prominent artist in Joseph Goebbels’ propaganda apparatus. The image shows a skier raising an arm in a gesture resembling a Nazi salute.

Another sold-out item features artwork from the 1972 Munich Olympics, where the Israeli team was taken hostage and murdered by the Palestinian terror group Black September. Jewish groups have questioned the decision to market that imagery without clearer contextualization.

The IOC has also faced criticism over past commemorative products, including sneakers released in 2024 by Adidas, a company founded by Nazi Party members, which only recently severed ties with Kanye West after his public antisemitic statements.

(YWN World Headquarters – NYC)

The scenes from Bnei Brak on Sunday were difficult to watch. Two young women in IDF uniform, members of the Education and Youth Corps, came to the city for a simple welfare visit to a fellow soldier’s home. They were not distributing draft notices. They were not enforcing anything. Yet rumors spread that military police were in the area. Within minutes, a crowd formed. The soldiers were chased. Trash bins were overturned. A police car was flipped. A motorcycle was set on fire.

It is clear that something deeper than a momentary outburst has taken place. This was not just anger. It was a failure of systems. False information traveled faster than truth. No one had the authority or the tools to stop it in time. And once emotions took over, reason disappeared.

What happened in Bnei Brak showed that the gap between parts of the chareidi street and the state has become dangerous. When a phone alert or message can mobilize hundreds of people on a false premise, when soldiers cannot walk safely in a Jewish city, something is badly wrong. This is no longer just about the draft. It is about trust, communication, and control.

That is why Israel should seriously consider calling in President Trump’s Board of Peace.

The Board of Peace was created by President Donald Trump to deal with conflicts that normal politics cannot solve. Its main focus has been Gaza, but its broader mission is to restore order, rebuild trust, and create workable systems in places where tensions have spun out of control. It is not meant to replace governments. It is meant to help them function when they are stuck.

Bnei Brak and the broader “chareidim versus the state” issue fits that description.

Right now, there is no clear system for handling sensitive situations in chareidi neighborhoods. There is no fast, trusted way for the army to explain what is happening before rumors spread. There is no agreed-upon emergency channel between security forces and community leaders. Everything is improvised. And improvisation is a recipe for chaos.

The Board of Peace specializes in building practical frameworks. That could mean clear rules about how the IDF operates in sensitive areas. It could mean permanent liaison teams made up of respected rabbanim and officials who can intervene immediately. It could mean rapid-response fact-checking networks that shut down false reports before they explode. It could mean agreed-upon de-escalation procedures so that police and residents know exactly what to do when tensions rise.

These are not ideological solutions. They are management solutions. And that is exactly what is missing.

Another reason the Board matters is neutrality. Israel’s political system is deeply divided. Every incident becomes ammunition. Some use Bnei Brak to attack the Torah world. Others use it to attack the government. In that environment, any internal mediation effort is immediately suspected of bias.

An outside framework changes that. Because the Board of Peace is not part of Israeli coalition politics, it can bring people to the table without automatically being seen as “on one side.”

There is also an important human factor here: Jared Kushner, who is a central figure on the Board. He is also a frum Jew who understands the chareidi world from the inside. He knows what Torah learning means. He understands the fears about spiritual erosion. He respects rabbinic authority. At the same time, he has spent years working at the highest levels of government and diplomacy.

He can speak the language of policymakers and the language of yeshiva families. He can sit with generals and with roshei yeshiva. He is trusted in Washington and understood in frum homes. If there is anyone who can bridge this divide without insulting either side, it is him.

Calling in the Board of Peace would not mean giving up sovereignty. It would mean asking for help in building a system that Israel has not been able to build on its own. It would not decide who must enlist and who must not. It would not rewrite laws. What it would do is prevent disagreement from turning into disorder.

There is another reason this matters: דרכיה דרכי נועם וכל נתיבותיה שלום. The ways of Torah are pleasant, and its paths are peace. That is not a slogan for calm times. It is a demand for moments of tension.

Running after Jewish soldiers, humiliating them, and burning police vehicles is not protest. It is chilul Hashem. It weakens the Torah world. It harms innocent people. It damages the entire nation.

At the same time, ignoring the fears and frustrations inside the chareidi community is also wrong. People feel unheard. They feel targeted. They feel that decisions are made about them without them. That resentment builds until it explodes.

Israel does not need more speeches. It needs a structure that works.

The Board of Peace was created for places where politics has failed and systems have collapsed. Inviting the Board in, with Jared Kushner playing a central role, would be a step toward rebuilding trust, restoring order, and preventing future disasters.

And that, more than any statement, would be a true kiddush Hashem.

Signed,

Ilan Arterman, PhD

The views expressed in this letter are those of the author and do not necessarily represent those of YWN. Have an opinion you would like to share? Send it to us for review.

The world of halacha is enveloped in deep mourning last week with the passing of Rav Dovid Konigsbuch zt”l at the age of 77. A towering talmid chacham and visionary pioneer, he stood at the forefront of the halachic solutions that made it possible for observant Jews to navigate the complexities of modern electrical and digital technology on Shabbos. Through his groundbreaking work, most notably with the organization Mishmeres HaShabbos, countless potential violations of Shabbos were prevented in hundreds of thousands of homes worldwide.

Rav Dovid was internationally recognized as an expert in both advanced technology and halacha, yet first and foremost he was a gadol baTorah who toiled with extraordinary dedication in learning. Rav Menachem Karelitz testified that the depth and clarity of Rav Dovid’s penetrating questions during the shiurim of Rav Nissim Karelitz zt”l enriched and expanded the discussions that later formed the basis of many sections of the renowned sefer series Chut Shani. Every emerging technological question was carefully analyzed through his profound Torah lens, with one singular goal: to shield Shabbos-observant Jews from even the slightest concern of chillul Shabbos.

More than fifteen years ago, as the world rapidly transitioned to digital “smart” appliances, Rav Dovid immediately recognized the serious halachic implications embedded in the new systems. While many assumed that simple mechanical adjustments would suffice, he understood that digital circuitry records and reacts to each and every action, raising complex issues of melacha. Together with electronics expert Rima Robruto, Rav Dovid labored tirelessly to develop specialized mechanisms that would allow the safe use of modern refrigerators, air conditioners, and other devices without halachic compromise.

Today, hundreds of thousands of Jewish families benefit from these adaptations every single week. A simple calculation reveals that over the years, billions of potential instances of chillul Shabbos have been prevented through these systems, an incalculable zechus now accompanying Rav Dovid to the Olam HaEmes.

At the levayah, which departed from his home on Chazon Ish Street in Bnei Brak, Rav Eliyahu Beifus, chairman of Mishmeres HaShabbos, delivered heartfelt words of tribute. He described how the enormous zechuyos of the organization — which has raised public awareness about Shabbos observance in the technological age and overseen tens of thousands of Shabbos-compliant appliances — are truly recorded in Rav Dovid’s merit.

Rav Beifus spoke of Rav Dovid’s extraordinary vigilance and foresight, noting that he was the first to identify emerging challenges and transform solutions from theory into practical reality. Yet despite his monumental achievements, Rav Dovid conducted himself with absolute humility. Once others began expanding and advancing the work, he quietly stepped back from the spotlight, returning to his beloved Torah and acts of chessed without seeking recognition or acclaim.

Rav Dovid merited to see his spiritual legacy continued through his son, Rav Yaakov Konigsbuch of the Shearis Yisroel kashrus organization, who follows in his father’s path, dedicating his life to strengthening kashrus and safeguarding the sanctity of Shabbos.

With his passing, generations of Shabbos-observant Jews owe him a debt of gratitude for the tranquility and kedusha of their Shabbos observance.

Yehi zichro boruch.

Secretary of State Marco Rubio said President Donald Trump would be willing to meet directly with Iran’s supreme leader if doing so could help resolve disputes between the two countries.

In an interview with Bloomberg News while in Munich, Rubio said Trump views high-level engagement as a practical tool rather than a political concession.

“I’m pretty confident in saying that if the ayatollah said tomorrow he wanted to meet with President Trump, the President would meet him,” Rubio said. “Not because he agrees with the ayatollah, but because he thinks that’s the way you solve problems in the world.”

Rubio was referring to Iran’s supreme leader, Ali Khamenei, who holds ultimate authority over the country’s political and military decisions.

“He doesn’t view meeting someone as a concession,” Rubio added.

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The secretary’s remarks are consistent with previous statements in which he has said Trump is willing to meet with virtually any world leader in pursuit of diplomatic solutions.

Administration officials have argued that direct engagement, combined with economic and military pressure, gives Washington greater leverage in negotiations, particularly over Iran’s nuclear program.

Rubio was also asked whether Washington is losing patience with Iran, following the Pentagon’s announcement that it is sending a second aircraft carrier to the Middle East.
He responded by emphasizing that preventing Iran from obtaining a nuclear weapon remains a core U.S. priority.

“I think it’s pretty clear that Iran will never be allowed to have a nuclear weapon,” Rubio said. “That poses a threat not just to the United States, to Europe, to world security, and to the region.”

He said the expanded military presence is meant to deter potential attacks on U.S. forces and allies in the region.

“Iran has shown the willingness and the capability to lash and strike out at the United States presence in the region,” Rubio said. “We have to have sufficient firepower in the region to ensure that they don’t make a mistake and come after us and trigger something larger.”

Despite the show of military strength, Rubio stressed that Trump’s preferred outcome remains a negotiated settlement. The president, he said, believes diplomacy — even at the highest level — offers the best chance to defuse tensions and prevent a broader conflict.

(YWN World Headquarters – NYC)

JERUSALEM (VINnews)-Israel’s cabinet on Sunday authorized the resumption of a land registration process in Judea and Samaria for the first time since 1967, a move critics denounced as de facto annexation while government officials hailed it as a step toward legal certainty and development.

The decision, which applies to Area C — where Israel maintains full military and civilian control under the Oslo Accords — allocates an initial budget of NIS 244 million ($79 million) for the process from 2026 to 2030. It also establishes 35 new positions across ministries and state agencies to carry out the work.

The registration aims to formalize ownership claims on unregistered land, potentially designating large areas as state land available for Israeli development if private claims cannot be proven. Officials noted the process will be lengthy, with each plot requiring at least a year and a half, and full registration of unregistered land in Area C potentially taking up to 30 years. The government set a target of registering 15% of unregistered land within five years, though setting up the mechanisms could take another 18 months.

The explanatory text for the resolution described the measure as addressing uncertainty over land ownership due to the passage of time, while respecting local law where possible. It also cited the need to counter what it called illegal land registration efforts by the Palestinian Authority in Area C, which Israel says violate bilateral agreements.

“The resolution constitutes a real revolution in Judea and Samaria,” Justice Minister Yariv Levin said. “The Land of Israel belongs to the people of Israel. The Israeli government is committed to deepening its grip on all parts [of the land], and this decision is an expression of that commitment.”

Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich called it a continuation of the “revolution of settlement and the grip on all parts of our country,” arguing it would prevent conflicts, create legal certainty and enable responsible development.

The Palestinian presidency condemned the step as “a de facto annexation of occupied Palestinian territory and a declaration of the commencement of annexation plans aimed at entrenching the occupation through illegal settlement activity.”

Peace Now and Yesh Din, Israeli organizations opposing settlements, also criticized the decision as advancing de facto annexation. Peace Now appealed directly to U.S. President Donald Trump, warning that the move undermines his stated opposition to annexation.

“We are warning President Trump — Netanyahu is deceiving you. You said you would not allow annexation, but he is annexing right under your nose,” a Peace Now source said.

The group noted that while a fair registration process could theoretically benefit all parties, current conditions and regulations make it difficult for Palestinians to prove ownership claims.

Trump has repeatedly expressed opposition to annexation of Judea and Samaria, including comments last week, though critics argue his position overlooks incremental measures by the Israeli government that tighten control over the territory.

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President Donald Trump privately told Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in December that he would support Israeli strikes on Iran’s ballistic missile program if diplomatic efforts with Tehran fail, according to a report by CBS News citing two sources familiar with the matter.

The report said discussions over a possible military response are continuing, roughly eight months after the 12-day Israel-Iran war in June, during which the United States joined Israeli strikes on Iranian nuclear facilities. This time, U.S. involvement would likely focus on logistical support, including midair refueling and assistance in securing overflight permissions from neighboring countries. Several regional governments have reportedly declined to allow their airspace to be used in a potential operation.

The revelations come as Iran’s foreign minister, Abbas Araghchi, traveled to Geneva ahead of a second round of nuclear talks with Washington. Netanyahu has expressed doubt that negotiations will succeed, while maintaining that Israel is prepared for alternative options.

Speaking in Jerusalem on Sunday, Netanyahu said Trump was “determined to exhaust the possibilities” of reaching an agreement before turning to military action. However, he reiterated his skepticism toward Tehran, accusing Iranian leaders of deception.

“I will not hide from you that I express my skepticism of any deal with Iran,” Netanyahu told representatives of the Conference of Presidents of Major American Jewish Organizations.

Netanyahu outlined four key Israeli demands for any agreement, including the removal of Iran’s enriched uranium stockpile, the dismantling of enrichment infrastructure, limits on ballistic missile development, and curbs on Iran’s support for regional proxy groups.

U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio acknowledged that the talks could collapse but emphasized Trump’s commitment to diplomacy.

“No one’s ever been able to do a successful deal with Iran, but we’re going to try,” Rubio said at a news conference in Slovakia.

According to Reuters, U.S. envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner are expected to meet Iranian officials in Geneva this week. Rubio confirmed the trip but offered few details.

During his visit, Araghchi is also expected to meet with European and regional officials, as well as Rafael Grossi, head of the International Atomic Energy Agency, amid growing concern over Iran’s stockpile of more than 400 kilograms of uranium enriched to 60 percent purity.

Deputy Foreign Minister Majid Takht-Ravanchi told the BBC that Tehran is open to compromise in exchange for sanctions relief, signaling a willingness to dilute highly enriched uranium. However, Iranian officials have reiterated that they will not accept a complete ban on domestic enrichment — a central U.S. demand in past negotiations.

Iran continues to deny seeking nuclear weapons, but U.S. and Israeli officials point to its high-level enrichment, restrictions on inspectors, and expanding missile capabilities as evidence of potential weapons ambitions.

The renewed negotiations follow weeks of growing tensions, including Trump’s warning earlier this year that he could order strikes in response to Iran’s crackdown on anti-regime protests. Tehran has warned that any American attack would prompt retaliation against U.S. and Israeli targets.

Despite pursuing diplomacy, Trump has increased U.S. military deployments in the Middle East and warned of “dire consequences” if talks fail. He recently suggested that regime change in Iran “seems like that would be the best thing that could happen.”

The current talks mark the second major diplomatic effort between Washington and Tehran since Trump returned to office. Previous negotiations collapsed shortly before the 2025 Israel-Iran conflict.

In 2018, Trump withdrew from the nuclear deal negotiated under former President Barack Obama, reimposing sweeping sanctions on Iran. While the 2015 agreement was multilateral, the current talks are limited to the United States and Iran, with Oman serving as mediator.

(YWN World Headquarters – NYC)

(AP) – As the definition of autism has widened, there’s been a growing push to create a new diagnosis, called profound autism, for those who need constant and lifelong care.

The reason? To ensure that they get the support and services they need.

Judith Ursitti, president of the Profound Autism Alliance, said people in this category now lack appropriate treatments, support and enough providers trained to handle their level of care. And the vast majority of clinical research doesn’t include them.

“If you don’t have research, you won’t have treatments. You won’t have achievable services and supports,” said Ursitti, whose adult son has profound autism. “There are people across the spectrum who have high support needs that are intermittent. The difference with our population is they’re constant.”

Autism rates have been rising for decades, and two of the main reasons for the increase have, in a strange twist, taken some of the focus off of helping people with round-the-clock needs. The diagnosis of autism spectrum disorder is now very broad, including many people with low support needs. Also, better awareness of the condition has helped many more children get diagnosed than in the past — and most of those cases are relatively mild.

At the same time, the Trump Administration is promoting unproven and debunked claims about what causes autism, which experts say muddles efforts to understand the condition and fuels misinformation that threatens public health, even as officials funnel more money into research.

Overall in the U.S., an estimated 1 in 31 children has autism spectrum disorder.

Researchers estimate around a quarter have “profound autism,” a term introduced in 2021 by a group of experts, the Lancet Commission. It describes people who need constant care for life, have a certain level of intellectual disability and are nonverbal or minimally verbal.

In the past, these people may have been diagnosed with autistic disorder – one of five subtypes, along with Asperger’s, of a diagnosis called pervasive developmental disorders. But in 2013, the American Psychiatric Association removed that diagnosis and created autism spectrum disorder.

Some in the autism community worry that creating a separate diagnosis of profound autism would reduce attention on the broader spectrum and the individual needs of everyone on it.

Dena Gassner, an autistic senior research scientist at Drexel University and mother of an autistic adult with moderate support needs, said she struggles with the idea of assigning someone the label of profound autism. She said it could be stigmatizing.

She said there’s nothing wrong with being autistic; the problem lies in “the massive lack of supports and services” in our society. “We need to come together in a unified voice to talk about services for the entirety of the spectrum.”

Andy Shih, chief science officer for Autism Speaks, said no matter where people fall on the debate about profound autism, “there’s absolutely no doubt that we need to elevate awareness about the needs of this group.”

On the hills of Givat Ze’ev, Givat Hashalvah is being developed around a goal many frum
families feel strongly about. Life in Eretz Yisroel should come with dignity, pride, and a standard
that reflects who we are and what we value. That mindset guides the project from the quality of
construction to the shared spaces designed to support real Torah living and a steady community
rhythm.
Community is a central priority here. The aim is a genuine kehilla where families who share a
way of life build something together, and where everyday living naturally turns neighbors into
relationships. Early buyers are already shaping the character of the neighborhood through the
values they bring and the standards they expect.
This vision is supported by the builder behind the work. Solel Boneh is Israel’s most recognized
construction name, with more than a century of experience and a track record tied to the
country’s most significant national projects. For buyers, that translates into something simple:
execution you can trust, quality that lasts, and delivery you can rely on.
Givat Ze’ev also offers a distinct lifestyle and a strong value proposition. From the outset, the
developers spared no effort to deliver the highest possible standard, so the same budget can go
further here through higher-end finishes, larger layouts, and a plan built for daily ease. Parking
is moved underground, freeing the surface level for families, greenery, and a calmer
streetscape. The masterplan includes 18 residential buildings in three clusters, connected by a
promenade that runs through parks and gardens from end to end.
Between the clusters sit 7 dedicated multi-story residential lounges, totaling 26,000 square feet
of community amenities planned for real daily use, including children’s gymborees, simcha halls,
mother’s meeting lounges, shared workspaces, and Torah libraries. Fountains and seating
areas are woven into the walkways, with a bike path looping around the project.
To round out the living experience, the plan also includes a multilevel shopping mall, protected
living, a 54,000 square foot fitness center, a pool, and ten shuls. The result is a neighborhood
designed to support a fuller way of living, both inside the home and together beyond it.

Explore Givat Hashalvah

Former Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett arrived in Bnei Brak on Sunday following the violent incident in which IDF female soldiers were attacked, sharply criticizing the government and the chareidi parties. His visit quickly triggered a heated response from Shas chairman Aryeh Deri, who accused Bennett of inflaming tensions and called for his immediate removal from the city.

Speaking in Bnei Brak, Bennett said: “A grave line has been crossed in Israel. Here, in the heart of the country in Bnei Brak — not in Ramallah — a violent mob chased IDF female soldiers, humiliated them and tried to lynch them. Not in Shechem, not in Ramallah — here in Bnei Brak, against our soldiers.”

He continued: “This is what happens when people sense that draft evasion is winning. There is an address for this; it did not happen in a vacuum. Netanyahu and the chareidi parties — what did you think would happen? When you turned a blind eye to the calls of ‘We will die and not enlist,’ what did you think would happen? What did you think would happen when you ignored violence directed at chareidi soldiers who do enlist?”

Bennett added: “Everyone who was involved in this incident will be thrown into jail as quickly as possible. And I say in the clearest terms: under my leadership there will be no place for anarchy or violence. Everyone will serve, everyone will enlist, everyone will uphold the law — and that is how we will unite the State of Israel.”

Deri responded angrily, calling Bennett’s visit a political stunt. In a sharply worded statement, he said: “I call on the Police Commissioner to immediately issue a restraining order barring Naftali Bennett from the streets of Bnei Brak.

“This inciter and agitator came to the city to inflame tensions and exploit a painful situation in order to gather votes for himself. This despicable man, who stops at nothing, is the last person who should be present at this scene.”

Bennett replied to Deri’s demand, stating: “The problem is not Deri, who has grown accustomed to acting as if he owns the country, but Netanyahu, who sold it to him. When Deri calls on healthy young chareidi men not to dare enlist to help IDF soldiers, Netanyahu remains silent, backs him, and advances a draft law that abandons our soldiers.”

Shas officials were quick to counter with a forceful rebuttal: “Bennett, how dare you speak about ‘selling the country,’ after you disgracefully sold it to Mansour Abbas in exchange for the prime minister’s seat? The public has not forgotten. When you disguised yourself as right-wing, you passionately defended Torah scholars, whom Rabbi Deri spoke about, and the merits they bring to the Jewish people. The moment the right expelled you from its ranks, you joined the left and became the fiercest attacker of the Torah world and an agent of national chaos.

“Your cynical use of IDF soldiers and bereaved families is no less severe than your arrival in Bnei Brak to dance on the blood of the divisions you created. It seems there is no depth to which you have not descended.”

{Matzav.com}

NEW YORK (AP) — Tax season is underway and you have until April 15 to file your return with the IRS. If you want to avoid the stress of the looming deadline, start getting organized as soon as possible.

“Don’t wait until the last minute but also don’t rush,” said Tom O’Saben, director of tax content and government relations at the National Association of Tax Professionals,

Gathering all your documents, signing up for direct deposit and keeping copies of your tax returns are some of the best practices when it comes to preparing to fill out your taxes. This year, due to the Republican tax and spending bill that President Donald Trump signed over the summer, there are new deductions taxpayers should know about.

Among them are no tax on tips, no tax on overtime, deductions for car loan interest, and deductions for people who were 65 or older by Dec. 31, said Miguel Burgos, a certified public accountant and an expert for TurboTax.

The average refund last year was $3,167. This year, analysts have projected it could be $1,000 higher, thanks to changes in tax law. More than 165 million individual income tax returns were processed last year, with 94% submitted electronically.

If you find the process too confusing, there are plenty of free resources to help you get through it.

Here are some things you need to know:

Gather your documents
While the required documents might depend on your individual case, here is a general list of what everyone needs:

—Social Security number

—W-2 forms, if you are employed

—1099-G, if you are unemployed

—1099 forms, if you are self-employed

—Savings and investment records

—Any eligible deduction, such as educational expenses, medical bills, charitable donations, etc.

—Tax credits, such as the child tax credit, retirement savings contributions credit, etc.

To find a more detailed document list, visit the IRS website.

O’Saben recommends gathering all of your documents in one place before you start your tax return and also having your documents from last year. Taxpayers can also create an identity protection PIN number with the IRS to guard against identity theft. Once you create a number, the IRS will require it to file your tax return.

Know some of the changes for this year
— Change to standard deduction

The standard deduction for single taxpayers is $15,750 for this year. For married couples filing jointly, it has increased to $31,500. For heads of households, the standard deduction is $23,625.

— Change to state and local taxes (SALT) deduction

The deduction cap on state and local taxes has increased from $10,000 to $40,000. The change is also known as the Working Families Tax Cut and was enacted in July 2025.

“This is a big benefit, especially for states like California, New York, and New Jersey, that have a higher state income tax,” said Keith Hall, president and CEO of the National Association for the Self-Employed and a certified CPA.

The SALT deduction is a federal tax deduction for some state and local taxes paid during the year. The total deduction had been capped at $10,000 since it started in 2018.

People who have not previously itemized their SALT deduction might want to consider it this year. To know if you should itemize your deductions, O’Saben recommends that you ask yourself the following questions: Did you pay state taxes? Did you pay property taxes? Do you have mortgage interest? Do you have charitable contributions?

—Deductions for tips

What is known as “no tax on tips” is not quite accurate. This new deduction is only for qualified tips and is subject to income limitations.

“It can be cash, it can be electronic as well. But the main thing is, hey, it has to be voluntary (tips),” Burgos said.

The maximum annual deduction is capped at $2,500. The deduction phases out for taxpayers with modified adjusted gross income over $150,000, or $300,000 for joint filers. The tax deduction is also limited to specific industries where tipping is common practice. Some of the included industries are bartenders, food servers, musicians and housekeeping cleaners.

To claim the new tax break, you will need to fill out a new tax form called Schedule 1-A.

—Additional Schedule 1-A deductions

Schedule 1-A is an IRS form used to claim and calculate four tax deductions originating from the tax and spending bill. They are the change in state and local tax deduction, deduction on qualified tips, and car loan and senior deductions.

Look for resources
IRS Direct File, the electronic system for filing tax returns for free, will not be offered this year. For those who make $89,000 or less per year, IRS Free File offers free guided tax preparation; you can choose from eight IRS partners, such as TaxAct and FreeTaxUSA.

Beyond companies such as TurboTax and H&R Block, taxpayers can also hire licensed professionals, such as certified public accountants. The IRS offers a directory of tax preparers across the United States.

The IRS also funds two programs that offer free tax help: Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) and Tax Counseling for the Elderly (TCE). People who earn $69,000 or less a year, have disabilities, or are limited English speakers, qualify for the VITA program. Those who are 60 or older qualify for the TCE program. The IRS has a site for locating organizations hosting VITA and TCE clinics.

Avoid common mistakes on your tax return
Many people fear getting in trouble with the IRS if they make a mistake. Here’s how to avoid some of the most common ones:

—Double-check your name on your Social Security card

When working with clients, O’Saben asks them to double-check their number and their legal name, which can change when people get married.

“If you got married last year and you now want to use your married name, that married name doesn’t exist if you haven’t filed it with Social Security,” O’Saben said.

—Search for online tax statements

Many people opt out of physical mail but when you do, it can also include your tax documents.

“These documents may actually be available online because you may have chosen to have paperless contact. And because of that, you may need to go get those documents yourself,” O’Saben said.

—Make sure you report all of your income

If you had a second job in 2025, you need the W-2 or 1099 form for each job.

In general, if you make a mistake or you’re missing something in your tax records, the IRS will audit you. An audit means that the IRS will ask you for more documentation.

Know about the child tax credit
Currently, the tax credit is $2,200 per child but only $1,700 is refundable. This refund is called the Additional Child Tax Credit. To claim the Additional Child Tax Credit, you must have at least $2,500 of income for the tax year.

You qualify for the full amount of the Child Tax Credit for each qualifying child if you meet all eligibility factors and your annual income is not more than $200,000 ($400,000 if filing a joint return). Parents and guardians with higher incomes may be eligible to claim a partial credit.

You can find more details about the child tax credit here.

Avoid paper checks for your tax refund
Last September, the IRS began phasing out paper tax refund checks. If you’re expecting a tax refund, the IRS recommends you sign up for direct deposit.

Avoid tax scams
Tax season is prime time for tax scams, O’Saben said. These scams can come via phone, text, email and social media. The IRS uses none of those means to contact taxpayers.

Sometimes scams are even operated by tax preparers, so it’s important to ask lots of questions. If a tax preparer says you will get a refund that is larger than what you’ve received in previous years, for example, that may be a red flag, O’Saben said.

If you can’t see what your tax preparer is working on, get a copy of the tax return and ask questions about each of the entries.

Keep copies of your tax returns
It’s always good practice to keep a record of your tax returns, just in case the IRS audits you for an item you reported years ago. O’Saben recommend keeping copies of your tax return documents five to seven years.

Former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, speaking on a panel at the Munich Security Conference, said unchecked migration had become destabilizing and must be addressed more forcefully.

“There is a legitimate reason to have a debate about things like migration,” Clinton said. “It went too far, it’s been disruptive and destabilizing, and it needs to be fixed in a humane way with secure borders.”

She added that border security must be enforced “without torture and killing people,” while also linking immigration policy to social stability and “strong family structure,” which she described as “at the base of civilization.”

Your browser does not support the video tag.

Clinton acknowledged that physical barriers can be appropriate in some areas, a notable shift in tone from her 2016 presidential campaign, when she opposed major expansion of a border wall and criticized Republican proposals for tighter enforcement.

During her presidential run, Clinton backed executive actions by then-President Barack Obama that deferred deportation for millions of undocumented immigrants brought to the U.S. as children or living with U.S.-born families. She also pushed to end family detention and called for scaling back workplace and neighborhood immigration raids.

At the time, Clinton argued that aggressive enforcement created “unnecessary fear and disruption in communities.”

While she supported deporting violent criminals, she consistently opposed broad crackdowns on undocumented immigrants and emphasized humanitarian concerns.

Clinton’s Munich remarks stand in contrast to her criticism of immigration enforcement under President Trump.

She has also repeatedly defended the economic role of immigrants, including those in the country illegally.

At a New York civic forum last year, Clinton credited immigration with strengthening the U.S. economy, arguing that immigrant families helped sustain workforce growth.

“One of the reasons why our economy did so much better than comparable advanced economies… is because we had a lot of immigrants, legally and undocumented,” she said.

(YWN World Headquarters – NYC)

Youtubers and social media influencers coming to “expose” Orthodox Jews, especially in Lakewood, NJ, is all the rage these days.

Jumping on the YouTuber who exposed the Minnesota Somali day-care fraud bandwagon, we’ve been treated to desperate copycats – who for example at minute 6 of his Pulitzer Prize worthy Lakewood Fraud Expose saw “the craziest thing!!!” He saw, “hundreds of Jewish students eating in the cafeteria.” Jewish students eating in the cafeteria!! Who knew!?!

In truth, haters of our community have been trying to do this for years.

About 10 years ago, publications sent investigative journalists to Lakewood to uncover fraud. They found little, but did get a lot of clicks.

Unfortunately, these allegations sound true to their many eager and naive followers but bear little resemblance to actual reality. In the past it was hard to debunk many of the lies and myths spread about our community; IE We don’t legally marry in order to have our children receive more benefits by being classified as living with a single mother, or that we classify our homes as synagogues in order to avoid paying property taxes, or that we are a drain on the NJ taxpayer by receiving private school bussing, etc. But now, thanks to the wealth of information easily searchable by anyone with an internet connection, a simple search debunks this nonsense.

I decided to present that which I found, not in hopes of convincing them or their followers, but because thousands of others see these videos all over social media, don’t comment, yet assume them to reflect truth. We should be able to present truth to neutral observers, if for no other reason than chilul Hashem.

Myth 1) Lakewood Orthodox Jews don’t marry legally

Myth: Lakewood Orthodox Jews don’t marry legally in order to enable our women to remain “single” in the eyes of the State of NJ, and collect government benefits.

I asked Google Gemini:

“How many marriages are there in Lakewood NJ annually?”

Gemini responded:

“While there is no single “official” tracker that captures every wedding (as many Lakewood residents marry in other cities like Brooklyn or Monsey), based on demographic data and local marriage license trends, it is estimated that between 1,500 and 2,500 marriages occur in Lakewood annually as of 2026. This number is significantly higher than a typical town of its size (approx. 145,000 residents) due to Lakewood’s unique demographic profile.

Why the Marriage Rate is So High:
Demographic Profile: Lakewood has one of the youngest median ages in New Jersey. A vast majority of the population belongs to the Orthodox Jewish community, where marriage and family-building are central life milestones typically occurring in the early 20s.

Comparison to State Averages: While the New Jersey state average is roughly 5.4 marriages per 1,000 residents, Lakewood’s rate is estimated to be 3 to 4 times higher. If Lakewood followed the state average, it would only have about 780 weddings per year; in reality, the local volume far exceeds that.”

Clearly, the marriages are being reported, as Gemini is reporting “local marriage license trends.”

Then I asked Gemini:

“How many births are there annually in Lakewood NJ? How many are there from parents not legally married?”

Gemini responded:

In Lakewood, New Jersey, the annual number of births is exceptionally high, reflecting one of the highest birth rates in the United States. Based on the most recent census and health data (2023–2025 estimates), here are the findings:

Lakewood records approximately 4,500 to 5,000 births annually.

Calculated Average: According to the U.S. Census Bureau’s American Community Survey (ACS) 5-Year Estimates (2019–2023), there are approximately 22,805 children under the age of 5 in Lakewood. This averages out to roughly 4,561 births per year.

• Regional Context: Lakewood accounts for nearly half of all births in Ocean County (which totaled 10,507 in 2023), despite making up only about 21% of the county’s population.

• Fertility Rate: The town’s fertility rate is more than double the New Jersey state average. Approximately 14% to 20% of women aged 15–50 in Lakewood give birth each year.

Births from Non-Married Parents

The percentage of births to legally unmarried parents in Lakewood is significantly lower than both the New Jersey and national averages.

• Lakewood Statistics: While specific annual “nonmarital birth” counts for the municipality are not always published as a standalone figure, the township has a very high marriage rate. About 85–86% of households are headed by married couples, compared to the New Jersey average of roughly 50%.

Again, a simple Gemini prompt debunks the myth that we don’t report our marriages to the State. Not only do Lakewood couples report their marriages, they legally marry at a significantly higher rate than the rest of the NJ population. Anyone with internet access can see this for themselves.

Myth 2) Lakewood Orthodox Jews don’t pay real estate taxes

Myth: Lakewood Orthodox Jews don’t pay real estate taxes by reporting their residence as a tax-exempt synagogue.

In truth, this allegation has been going on for decades and was debunked by the APP in 2015 and again in 2017 by NJ.com. Both reported that Orthodox Jews had just 350 total tax-exempt properties, out of 30,000+ properties.

But let’s do a deeper dive for 2026…

I asked Google Gemini how many current tax-exempt properties there were in Lakewood.

Answer: Of the more than 33,000 Lakewood properties, 2,000 are tax exempt. The vast majority of these tax-exempt properties are owned by Lakewood Township (Government), Ocean County (Government), Monmouth Medical Center Southern Campus and Georgian Court University. The largest tax-exempt Jewish entity was, as you would expect, Beth Medrash Govoha, the world’s second largest yeshiva.

So I asked Gemini:

“What is the total number of tax-exempt properties owned by Orthodox Jews?”

Gemini estimated it was somewhere between 450 – 500 tax-exempt properties.

This should come as no surprise to anyone, since Orthodox Jews have approximately 52,000 children in over 164 local private schools. Those children save taxpayers likely over $1,000,000,000 (that’s $1 Billion dollars) by going to private schools and paying for their own education — but more on that later. We also have hundreds of Synagogues we attend. Again, no surprise, since Jewish men spend 2 – 3 hours daily studying and praying.

So, a simple Google Gemini prompt demonstrates that we aren’t reporting our residence as tax-exempt properties, and in fact the vast majority of the 33,000+ Lakewood properties are being taxed. And of the 2,000+ tax-exempt properties, the vast majority of them aren’t owned by Jews. And the 400+ Jewish-owned tax-exempt properties belong to either BMG, or one of the more than 164 Lakewood private schools, or local Synagogues. Again, this is easily searchable by anyone interested in truth.

Myth 3) Orthodox Jews are a drain on the system

Myth: We cost the taxpayers millions of dollars in busing costs to our private schools. Also there are Lakewood children enrolled in special education programs.

This one is easily debunked. I asked Gemini:

“Lakewood Orthodox Jews send their 52,000 children to private schools. How much money does that save taxpayers?”

Gemini responded:

Based on current data for 2026, the financial impact of Lakewood’s private school enrollment is staggering. By sending approximately 52,000 children to private yeshivas and schools, the Orthodox community effectively shifts the primary cost of education away from the public tax base.

1. The “Gross Savings” Calculation

To understand the scale, we compare the cost of educating these students in the public system using New Jersey’s average spending per pupil.

• Average NJ Per-Pupil Spending: For the 2025–2026 school year, the average budgetary cost per pupil in NJ is approximately $21,200, with total spending (including overhead and debt) reaching closer to $30,000.

• Total Potential Cost: If all 52,000 private school students enrolled in Lakewood Public Schools tomorrow, the annual operating cost would be roughly $1.1 billion to $1.56 billion.

• The “Savings”: Since these students do not use the public system for their primary instruction, the “gross savings” to taxpayers (state and local combined) is roughly $1.5 billion annually in operating costs alone.

2. The “Invisible” Capital Savings

Beyond the annual tuition, the township would have to accommodate 52,000 new students.

• Buildings: Lakewood currently operates only about 8 public schools for its ~5,000 students. To house another 52,000, the town would need to build approximately 80 to 100 additional schools.

• Land & Construction: Given Lakewood’s real estate prices, the capital expenditure for such a massive expansion would likely run into the billions of dollars, which would be funded through long-term taxpayer bonds.

3. The Nuance: What Taxpayers Do Pay

While the private community saves the public system the cost of “instruction,” New Jersey state law mandates that the local public school district provide certain services to all residents, regardless of where they attend school:

• Transportation (Busing): Lakewood currently spends over $33 million per year to provide “courtesy busing” for private school students.

• Special Education: The district is legally required to pay for specialized services and out-of-district placements for private school students with severe special needs. This cost is estimated at $50 million to $70 million annually.

• The Funding Gap: Because the state funding formula is based primarily on public school enrollment (~5,000 students), but the district’s mandates are based on the total population (~57,000 students), the district faces a massive structural deficit (currently over $100 million).

While our critics focus on the mandatory busing (which is mandated by the State and every private school child, Jew and non-Jew, is eligible), they conveniently ignore the fact that we save taxpayers well over $1 BILLION dollars by paying for our own education and the buildings that house them. This doesn’t even take into account that the LSTA which handles private school transportation, now charges $380 for each private school child’s transportation. Nor does it take into account the millions of dollars circulated into the local economy, benefitting Jewish and non-Jewish contractors who build the private schools that we pay for. The real reason for our education funding gap is because the State funding formula is severely broken.

There are many more myths circulating about Lakewood, and I’m sure those individuals will keep up their propaganda and campaign of hate. At least now you can easily copy and paste these simple search results so that neutral observers are given a fuller picture.

———————–

Rabbi Meir Goldberg runs JX at Rutgers University and other NY/NJ/Chicago-based campuses. He can be reached at [email protected]

TLS welcomes your letters by submitting them to us via  Whatsapp  or via email  [email protected]

Amid the intense clashes that unfolded Sunday in Bnei Brak, fresh controversy erupted after footage surfaced showing a chareidi woman being forcibly arrested by police. While city residents have strongly condemned the earlier assault on two IDF female soldiers, many are now voicing anger over what they describe as excessive force used against uninvolved civilians.

The video, circulated widely over the past hour, appears to show officers detaining a woman on the street. According to eyewitnesses, she was not participating in the disturbances. The footage quickly sparked outrage on social media and among local residents, who claim the arrest involved unnecessary force.

One resident told reporters that “the woman was simply standing off to the side. She didn’t throw anything and didn’t shout. Suddenly officers came, grabbed her, and took her away by force.”

Residents stressed that their criticism of police conduct does not diminish their condemnation of violence against the soldiers. “The people of Bnei Brak do not accept violence against female soldiers — that is not our way,” said a local resident. “But what is happening now feels sweeping, as if anyone standing on the street is automatically a suspect. There’s a feeling they’re showing a heavy hand for the cameras.”

Others warned that such actions risk harming law-abiding members of the community and further fueling negative portrayals of the city. “We see how Bnei Brak is being presented as if everyone here is violent. That is simply not true and not fair. There is a large, law-abiding public here,” another resident said.

{Matzav.com}

In a major drama and in a display of the latest evidence of the pervasive rot in the judicial system, the members of the government’s investigative committee for examining Israel Police’s use of spyware, including NSO Group’s Pegasus software, announced their resignation from their positions due to the judicial system’s efforts to thwart the investigation and prevent the truth from being exposed to the public.

As YWN readers may recall, in 2022, Calcalist published a major exposé about Israel Police’s use of the NSO’s Pegasus spyware on Israeli citizens, saying that the police illegally used Pegasus spy software to hack into the phones of Israeli citizens, stealing their personal information even in cases where no wrongdoing was suspected and no investigation had been opened—all without court warrants. The report provided a long list of public figures who were targeted and also revealed that the police installed Pegasus spyware on the phones of numerous individuals involved in Netanyahu’s criminal trials, as well as on the phones of Netanyahu’s close advisors Topaz Luk and Yonatan Urich and his son, Avner Netanyahu.

It should be noted that Attorney General Gali Barhav-Miara has fiercely opposed the activities of the committee from the time of its formation, especially objecting to allowing them any access to information related to the investigation against Netanyahu. She has not changed her stance despite the fact that the illegal use of spyware—without warrants or warrants obtained via false information—in the cases against the prime minister has been confirmed several times in recent court hearings.

The committee members wrote that from the moment of their appointment, “several bodies—primarily the enforcement authorities that were meant to be investigated—acted to obstruct our activities.”

“The enforcement authorities refused to provide the committee with the information required for its investigation or to allow the investigation of key witnesses and even avoided dialogue aimed at reaching a compromise, while making explicit or implicit accusations against the committee accompanied by ‘mountains of conspiracy theories’ about its purpose that had no connection to reality.”

However, the most worrying part of the letter concerned the little that the committee did manage to discover. The committee members wrote, “As part of our activity so far, we have been presented with information, unusual findings, and disturbing signs that raise concerns that this affair is much more serious, in its depth and scope, than it has appeared so far.”

The letter concluded that the straw that broke the camel’s back was the Supreme Court’s compromise proposal issued last week in response to petitions by left-wing organizations against the committee—restricting the committee members’ access to information and witnesses to the point that a true investigation cannot be carried out.

In response to the letter, Levin published harsh statements blaming the three liberal Supreme Court justices who held the hearing on the petitions against the committee.

“Those who truly need to resign today are you—the three Supreme Court justices Yitzchak Amit, Ofer Grosskopf, and Khaled Kabub,” Levin stated. “You knowingly joined forces with law enforcement bodies to cover up one of the gravest affairs in the history of the state involving violations of human and civil rights. Read carefully the committee’s sharp resignation letter, which states: ‘In the course of our activity we were presented with information, unusual findings and troubling signs raising concern that this affair (the Pegasus affair) is far more severe—in depth and scope—than previously portrayed.’ This joins the serious conclusions published recently by the State Comptroller regarding unlawful use of spyware. I will not give up until justice is done…until those who are engaged in cover ups, who betrayed the public’s trust, lose their grip on the Supreme Court.”

It should be noted that just last week, the Supreme Court ordered National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir to allow the promotion of a police investigator who ordered searches of suspects’ phones without proper warrants during her involvement in the investigation against Netanyahu.

(YWN Israel Desk—Jerusalem)

AYER, Mass. (AP) — Connor Murphy walked in circles around his dad, then flopped down on the kitchen floor, got up and walked in circles again.

His dad turned the 9-year-old’s repetitive behavior into a chance to connect. “Want me to pick you up?” Matthew Murphy asked, lifting, tickling and spinning with his son.

Such spontaneous moments are common in the Murphy household, which revolves around the needs of Connor and his twin brother Ronan, who both have profound autism.

“They’re going to need 24-7 care for the rest of their lives,” their father said. “Life will be a challenge for them, and we have to prepare them as best we can.”

Autism rates have been rising for decades, and two of the main reasons for the increase have, in a strange twist, taken some of the focus off helping people with round-the-clock needs. The diagnosis of autism spectrum disorder, adopted in 2013, is now very broad, including many people with low support needs. Also, better awareness of the condition has helped many more children get diagnosed than in the past — and most of those cases are relatively mild.

At the same time, the Trump Administration is promoting unproven and debunked claims about what causes autism, which experts say muddles efforts to understand the condition and fuels misinformation that threatens public health, even as officials funnel more money into research.

There’s now a growing push to separate profound autism — in which people need constant care for life, have a certain level of intellectual disability and are nonspeaking or minimally verbal — into its own diagnosis. The hope is that it would help ensure that people like Connor and Ronan get the support and services they need and that research includes them.

In the United States, an estimated 1 in 31 children have autism spectrum disorder. Researchers estimate around a quarter have “profound autism,” a term introduced in 2021 by a group of experts, the Lancet Commission, to describe people most disabled by the developmental condition.

But some in the autism community worry that creating a separate diagnosis would reduce attention on the broader spectrum and the individual needs of everyone on it.

Andy Shih, chief science officer for Autism Speaks, said no matter where people fall on the debate, “there’s absolutely no doubt that we need to elevate awareness about the needs of this group.”

With profound autism, safety is a challenge
The Murphys knew early on that their children had a greater-than-average chance of having neurodevelopmental disabilities. Twin births are associated with a higher risk. Some studies suggest the type of in vitro fertilization they used is too.

The boys arrived nearly a month early. At first, the couple wasn’t too concerned that the babies missed developmental milestones; twins born prematurely tend to run a bit behind. But when the boys weren’t walking at around 1 ½ years old, the Murphys sought an evaluation and began speech and occupational therapy. At age 4, the boys were officially diagnosed with level 3 autism, representing the highest level of need, like profound autism.

Now, at 9, they often speak in one- to three-word sentences. They need reminders and intense guidance with daily activities like showering and brushing their teeth. They perform academically at the level of 3½-year-olds and like Sesame Street and preschool toys. And they require the same vigilance as preschoolers because they’re vulnerable to dangers like darting into busy streets.

Last summer, Connor briefly left the house in his pajamas, without shoes, and walked half a mile.

“Our number one concern is their safety,” said their mom, Andrea Murphy, 47.

The Murphys have taken creative steps to protect the twins, including putting GPS locators in their shoes, sensors with alarms on all the windows and doors to the outside and locks requiring thumbprints on doors to the basement and a food cabinet. They worked to get the boys’ schoolyard fenced in and raised money for their local police to have Project Lifesaver, a search-and-rescue program.

Still, they are hypervigilant whenever their children are with them and awake. “If that’s at three in the morning, it’s at three in the morning,” their dad said.

Managing struggles, delighting in joys
But safety concerns don’t stop them from taking the boys out into the community.

One snowy Saturday, the family headed to Target. On the ride over, Ronan rocked back and forth in his seat. Inside the store, Andrea Murphy put her hand on Connor’s back to make him feel secure as he walked behind the shopping cart.

Meanwhile, her husband made his way down a toy aisle with Ronan, who spotted Bluey figurines. The toys went in the cart, but then back on the shelf because the family already has the same ones at home. This upset Ronan, and he collapsed on the floor. As other shoppers walked by, his dad quietly calmed him, holding his hands to help him up.

Despite such challenges, the Murphys view these outings as beneficial — for them, the boys and the community that sees them.

“We can’t live our lives in a bubble,” said Matthew Murphy, 48. “We want them to experience life.”

Wherever they are, the Murphys focus on the joy amid the struggles. They nurture Ronan’s artistic, outdoorsy, boisterous personality and Connor’s quiet and reserved nature. And they savor the affection both boys shower on them — like when Connor nuzzled into his mom as they sang “You Are My Sunshine” together.

“They bring a light to you no matter how bad of a day you’re having,” their dad said. “It’s all unconditional love.”

Profound autism diagnosis debated
In the past, the boys may have been diagnosed with autistic disorder — one of five subtypes, along with Asperger’s, of a diagnosis called pervasive developmental disorders. But in 2013, the American Psychiatric Association removed that diagnosis and created autism spectrum disorder.

Judith Ursitti, president of the Profound Autism Alliance, is among those who now want profound autism separated out. People in this category lack appropriate treatments, supports and enough providers trained to handle their level of care, she said. And the vast majority of clinical research doesn’t include them.

“If you don’t have research, you won’t have treatments. You won’t have achievable services and supports,” said Ursitti, whose adult son has profound autism. “There are people across the spectrum who have high support needs that are intermittent. The difference with our population is they’re constant.”

But Dena Gassner of Drexel University’s autism institute — an autistic senior research scientist and mother of an autistic adult with moderate support needs — said she struggles with the idea of assigning someone the label of profound autism. She said it could be stigmatizing.

She said there’s nothing wrong with being autistic; the problem lies in “the massive lack of supports and services” in our society. “We need to come together in a unified voice to talk about services for the entirety of the spectrum.”

As children with profound autism grow, so do concerns about their future
Matthew Murphy doesn’t see the harm in a new label to identify a separate level of need.

In the meantime, he and his wife do all they can to help their children thrive.

That includes arranging for professionals from The Autism Community Therapists in Acton to come to the house for three hours of applied behavior analysis every weekday after school.

One evening, Ronan sat with Julia Orareo at the kitchen table, practicing his language skills by giving her instructions on how to draw an elephant.

“Draw a body,” he said, and she did.

“How about an eye?” she prompted.

He thought for a second, then replied: “Draw an eye.”

“Good sentence!” she said.

Minutes later, he implored, “Do a hug?” And they did.

Connor, who was practicing language and matching skills in the living room, soon joined his brother at the kitchen table. They began a long process of trying new foods designed to expand their limited diets — cherry tomatoes for Connor and broccoli for Ronan.

“Seeing that on the plate is kind of step one. Step two is actually touching it. Step three would be kind of either smelling it or putting it to their lips,” Andrea Murphy said, explaining that there are even more steps after that.

The long-term goal of such lessons is to help the boys become more independent.

A deadline of sorts looms: age 22, when public educational support for children ends in Massachusetts. The Murphys both work full-time — Matthew at a nonprofit that helps injured veterans and Andrea in health care — but they don’t know how they can possibly earn enough to provide for their children throughout adulthood.

And they fear what will happen when they’re gone.

“You never know when God is gonna take you off this green earth,” Matthew Murphy said. “The thing that keeps me awake at night is what their future looks like … That’s the great unknown.”

In the aftermath of the painful upheaval in Bnei Brak, Gedolei Yisroel have spoken with clarity and firmness, issuing a strong directive to bnei yeshiva not to take part in, or even be present at, any gatherings that involve confrontation with the police.

The roshei yeshiva of Slabodka, Rav Dov Landau and Rav Moshe Hillel Hirsch, addressed a letter to the talmidim of the yeshiva following the disturbances that erupted in the city after two IDF female soldiers entered Bnei Brak for military-related activity. During the unrest, dozens of bochurim were arrested, among them several talmidim of Slabodka.

In their letter, the roshei yeshiva wrote: “To the talmidim of the yeshiva, sheyichyu: It is strictly forbidden under any circumstances to participate or to be present among those who go to places where there is confrontation with the police. One must remain in the yeshiva for learning and for all the sedorim of the yeshiva. Chas v’shalom to be in those places where there are clashes with the police.

“Beyond the sakonoh involved, there is a great chilul Hashem, rachmana litzlan.

“With great tzaar and deep charodah, Dov Landau — and of course I join all the above, Moshe Hillel Hirsch.”

The letter comes on the heels of hours of unrest in the streets of Bnei Brak, which began shortly after two IDF soldiers were reportedly attacked by an extremist crowd on Chagai Street. Large police forces were dispatched to the scene and employed crowd-dispersal measures in an effort to restore order. More than 20 individuals were taken into custody and brought to the police station.

Israel Police Commissioner Danny Levy stated that he instructed officers to act with determination against those involved. “I instructed that the lawbreakers be arrested and brought to justice, and so far we have arrested 12 individuals involved in disorderly conduct. We will hold all those involved accountable. We are a state of law and will not permit hooligan behavior in our country,” he said.

Police officials added that forces remain deployed at several locations throughout the city and that additional arrests may follow as efforts continue to restore calm.

{Matzav.com}

The Iranian security agents came at 2 a.m., pulling up in a half-dozen cars outside the home of the Nakhii family. They woke up the sleeping sisters, Nyusha and Mona, and forced them to give the passwords for their phones. Then they took the two away.

The women were accused of participating in the nationwide protests that shook Iran a week earlier, a friend of the pair told The Associated Press, speaking on condition of anonymity for her security as she described the Jan. 16 arrests.

Such arrests have been happening for weeks following the government crackdown last month that crushed the protests calling for the end of the country’s theocratic rule. Reports of raids on homes and workplaces have come from major cities and rural towns alike, revealing a dragnet that has touched large swaths of Iranian society. University students, doctors, lawyers, teachers, actors, business owners, athletes and filmmakers have been swept up, as well as reformist figures close to President Masoud Pezeshkian.

They are often held incommunicado for days or weeks and prevented from contacting family members or lawyers, according to activists monitoring the arrests. That has left desperate relatives searching for their loved ones.

The U.S.-based Human Rights Activists News Agency has put the number of arrests at more than 50,000. The AP has been unable to verify the figure. Tracking the detainees has been difficult since Iranian authorities imposed an internet blackout, and reports leak out only with difficulty.

Other activist groups outside Iran have also been working to document the sweeps.

“Authorities continue to identify people and detain them,” said Shiva Nazarahari, an organizer with one of those groups, the Committee for Monitoring the Status of Detained Protesters.

So far, the committee has verified the names of more than 2,200 people who were arrested, using direct reports from families and a network of contacts on the ground. The arrestees include 107 university students, 82 children as young as 13, as well as 19 lawyers and 106 doctors.

Nazarahari said authorities have been reviewing municipal street cameras, store surveillance cameras and drone footage to track people who participated in the protests to their homes or places of work, where they are arrested.

Held for weeks with no contact

The protests began in late December, triggered by anger over spiraling prices, and quickly spread across the country. They peaked on Jan. 8 and 9, when hundreds of thousands of people in more than 190 cities and towns across the country took to the streets.

Security forces responded by unleashing unprecedented violence. The Human Rights Activists News Agency has so far counted more than 7,000 dead and says the true number is far higher. Iran’s government offered its only death toll on Jan. 21, saying 3,117 people were killed. The theocracy has undercounted or not reported fatalities from past unrest.

Gholamhossein Mohseni Ejehi, a hard-line cleric who heads Iran’s judiciary, became the face of the crackdown, labeling protesters “terrorists” and calling for fast-tracked punishments.

Since then, “detentions have been very widespread because it’s like a whole suffocation of society,” said one protester, reached by the AP in Gohardasht, a middle-class area outside the Iranian capital. He said two of his relatives and three of his brother’s friends were killed in the first days of the crackdown, as well as several neighbors. The protester spoke on condition of anonymity for fear of being targeted by authorities.

The Nakhii sisters, 25-year-old Nyusha and 37-year-old Mona, were first taken to Tehran’s notorious Evin prison, where they were allowed to contact their parents, their friend said. Later, she said, they were moved to Qarchak, a women’s prison on the outskirts of Tehran where rights groups reported conditions that included overcrowding and lack of hygiene even before the crackdown.

Other people whose arrests were documented by the detainees committee have disappeared into the prisons. The family of Abolfazl Jazbi has not heard from him since his Jan. 15 arrest at a factory in the southern city of Isfahan. Jazbi suffers from a severe blood disorder that requires medication, according to the committee.

Atila Sultanpour, 45, has not been heard from since he was taken from his home in Tehran on Jan. 29 by security agents who beat him severely, according to Dadban, a group of Iranian lawyers based abroad who are also documenting detentions.

Authorities have also moved to suspend bank accounts, block SIM cards and confiscate the property of protesters’ relatives or people who publicly express support for them, said Musa Barzin, an attorney with Dadban, citing reports from families.

In past crackdowns on protests, authorities sometimes adhered to a veneer of due process and rule of law, but not this time, Barzin said. Authorities are increasingly denying detainees access to legal counsel and often holding them for days or weeks before allowing any phone calls to family. Lawyers representing arrested protesters also have faced court summons and detention, according to Dadban.

“The following of the law is in the worst situation it has ever been,” Barzin said.

Signs of defiance continue

Despite the crackdown, many civic groups continue to issue defiant statements.

The Writers’ Association of Iran, an independent group with a long tradition of dissent, issued a statement describing the protests as an uprising against “47 years of systemic corruption and discrimination.”

It also announced that two of its members had been detained, including a member of its secretariat.

A national council representing schoolteachers urged families to speak out about detained children and students. “Do not fear the threats of security forces. Refer to independent counsel. Make your children’s names public,” it said in a statement.

A spokesman for the council said Sunday that it has documented the deaths of at least 200 minors who were killed in the crackdown. That figure is up several dozen from the count just days before.

“Every day we tell ourselves this is the last list,” Mohammad Habibi wrote on X. “But the next morning, new names arrive again.”

Bar associations and medical groups have also spoken out, including Iran’s state-sanctioned doctors council, which called on authorities to stop harassing medical staff.

Anger over the bloodshed now adds to the bitterness over the economy, which has been hollowed out by decades of sanctions, corruption and mismanagement. The value of the currency has plunged, and inflation has climbed to record levels.

The Iranian government has announced gestures such as launching a new coupon program for essential goods. Labor and trade groups, including a national retirees syndicate, have issued statements condemning the economic and political crisis.

Meanwhile, U.S. President Donald Trump has moved an aircraft carrier and other military assets to the Persian Gulf and suggested the U.S. could attack Iran over the killing of peaceful demonstrators or if Tehran launches mass executions over the protests. A second American aircraft carrier is on its way to the Mideast.

Iran’s theocracy has faced down protests and U.S. threats in the past, and the crackdown showed the iron grip it holds over the country. This week, authorities organized pro-government rallies with hundreds of thousands of people to mark the anniversary of the 1979 Islamic Revolution.

Still, Barzin said, he sees the ferocity of the crackdown as a sign that Iran’s leadership “for the first time is afraid of being overthrown.”

(AP)

As the fallout from Sunday’s massive unrest in Bnei Brak continues to reverberate across the country, new disturbances broke out in Yerushalayim, where large crowds gathered near Kikar HaShabbos late Sunday evening.

According to multiple reports and on-the-ground documentation, police forces moved aggressively to disperse the demonstrators, deploying stun grenades as tensions escalated in the area. Footage circulating from the scene shows chaotic confrontations between protesters and law enforcement as authorities attempt to regain control.

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Meanwhile, legal representatives for those detained earlier in the day in Bnei Brak released a sharply worded statement criticizing the arrests.

Attorneys Shlomo Chadad and Itay Cohen, who are representing the detainees, stated that approximately 27 demonstrators were arrested during the Bnei Brak incidents. Around 20 have since been released, while seven remain in custody — including four minors — and are expected to appear before a judge for hearings on extending their detention.

The lawyers further allege that many of the arrests were intended as a show of force rather than based on concrete suspicions, claiming that both minors and adults were forcibly taken into police vehicles. They maintain that the majority of those detained were bystanders who did not participate in the unrest and committed no offenses.

Police have not yet issued a comprehensive response to the allegations.

(YWN World Headquarters – NYC)

Violent unrest that lasted for hours rocked Bnei Brak late tonight, leaving 26 suspects under arrest and five police officers injured, according to law enforcement officials.

The disturbances centered along Jabotinsky Street, where protesters blocked traffic, set fires, and clashed with police.

The tensions continued well into the evening, hours after an earlier incident involving an alleged assault on female soldiers sparked widespread outrage. Large numbers of police officers, along with Border Police riot control units, were deployed to the scene in an effort to restore order. Authorities said crowd-control measures were used to disperse those involved in the disturbances.

Police reported that dozens of rioters obstructed traffic along the major thoroughfare, ignited garbage bins, and hurled objects at officers. Some individuals also attempted to damage passing vehicles, actions that authorities said posed a significant threat to public safety and severely disrupted public order.

In response, substantial police reinforcements, including Yasam forces, worked for hours to disperse the crowds and reopen the road to traffic. The operation included the use of riot-dispersal measures and the arrest of individuals suspected of participating in the violence.

During the confrontations, five police officers sustained injuries and required medical treatment. Police stated that all injured officers were treated and are reported to be in good condition.

“The police will not allow harm to public safety, freedom of movement, or property, and will continue to act decisively against any display of violence or lawbreaking,” the statement concluded.

{Matzav.com}

(AP) – The government’s ability to deal with drones that pose a threat on American soil has been questioned this week after the use of a laser designed to shoot down drones near the border in Texas led to the abrupt closure of the airspace over El Paso, sources familiar with the situation told The Associated Press.

The details of exactly what happened before the Federal Aviation Administration shut down the busy airport in the Mexican border city on Wednesday aren’t entirely clear, but a source familiar with the situation told AP that the laser was deployed by U.S. Customs and Border Protection without coordinating with the FAA.

Two months ago, Congress agreed to give more law enforcement agencies the authority to take down rogue drones as long as they are properly trained. That could make situations like the one in El Paso more likely. Previously, only a select few federal agencies had that power.

Here’s a look at what happened and the issues that raised:

Communication issues acknowledged
The government would say only that the airspace was shut down when an incursion by Mexican drug cartel drones was neutralized.

But the two people who discussed sensitive details on condition of anonymity said the FAA grounded every aircraft in the El Paso area over concerns about the safety of the laser system being used near commercial planes. The restrictions were initially expected to last 10 days, but then they were lifted a few hours later.

Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem said Friday that the government agencies involved in El Paso are working to address the concerns that led to the cancellation of more than a dozen flights and sent travelers scrambling.

“This was a joint agency task force mission that was undertaken and we’re continuing to work on the communication through that,” Noem said in Arizona.

But drone warfare expert Brett Velicovich said the dysfunction in Texas raises questions about whether the U.S. will be prepared to deal with a significant drone threat.

“We need to simplify the authorities for who is really in charge and get these egos out of the way from these different agencies before an American gets hurt,” said Velicovich, who founded drone maker Power.us and consults on ways to mitigate their threats.

Drones can be a threat
Armed drones carry out devastating attacks daily in Ukraine. The unmanned vehicles have also allowed Ukraine to strike deep within Russia.

Velicovich, who used to use Predator drones in the military to bomb targets, said it wouldn’t be hard for someone with malicious intent to buy a drone for a few hundred bucks and do great harm at a major public event like a World Cup match or the celebrations of America’s 250th birthday that are planned this summer.

Cartels routinely use drones to deliver drugs across the Mexican border and surveil Border Patrol officers. Officials told Congress last summer that more than 27,000 drones were detected within 1,600 feet (500 meters) of the southern border in the last six months of 2024.

The government recently handed out $250 million in grants to the 11 states that are set to host World Cup matches this summer to help them prepare for the threat of drones. Another $250 million in grants will be awarded later this year to strengthen the nation’s drone defenses.

More near misses involving drones
The threat to planes from drones continues to increase along with the number of near misses around airports. Homeland Security estimates there are more than 1.7 million registered drones flying in the United States, and that number has been growing.

Larger drones are required to carry a radio transponder that identifies the drone’s owner and broadcasts its position to help avert collisions. Cities can also invest in additional sensors around stadiums to help quickly detect drones.

Airspace Link, a Detroit company, created a low altitude air traffic control system to track drones and can alert authorities who might soon be able to take action. Cities can buy additional sensors to upgrade that system around stadiums or other high-profile locations.

“We don’t want something to happen,” said CEO Michael Healander. “But we also want to be prepared to have the tools in place to take action, because these are such big global events.”

Acting against rogue drones
Common anti-drone systems use radio signals to jam or force drones to land. But the government has also developed high-powered microwaves or laser beams like the one sources say was used in Texas this week that are capable of disabling the machines.

Some other systems station small drones to take flight quickly and ram into drones that are considered a threat. And there are systems that use bullets to shoot down drones.

Michael Robbins, president and CEO of the Association for Uncrewed Vehicle Systems International trade group, said these counter drone systems are more common in warzones than across the United States. But the government is working to get them into the hands of more officers nationwide.

“It’s our belief that this is important technology that when responsibly used with proper oversight and intensive training will help to mitigate unsafe or malicious drones in the very rare instances where that needs to occur,” Robbins said.

Pilots worry about drones
Allied Pilots Association union spokesman Capt. Dennis Tajer said he’s not sure how big of a threat the counter drone technology is to the American Airlines jets he flies because so few details have been released about what happened in Texas. And officials with Homeland Security and the FAA didn’t respond to questions about it again on Friday.

Tajer said he’s more concerned about the possibility of a passenger jet running into a drone because that could bring the plane down. A year ago, 67 people were killed when an American Airlines jet collided with an Army helicopter near Washington, D.C.

“You don’t have to be a pilot, an engineer or a defense expert to understand that two pieces of metal in the sky that one doesn’t know the other is there and is uncontrolled is dangerous,” Tajer said. “We’ve got to keep those two pieces of metal away from each other.”

Federal investigators have obtained DNA from a glove discovered near the Tucson home of Nancy Guthrie, raising the possibility that authorities may have genetic evidence linked to the armed individual seen at the 84-year-old’s door on the night she vanished.

Law enforcement officials told The New York Post that the development could mark a significant breakthrough in the Feb. 1 disappearance of the mother of “Today” show co-host Savannah Guthrie, potentially providing investigators with DNA connected to their leading suspect.

“The one with the DNA profile recovered is different and appears to match the gloves of the subject in the surveillance video,” an FBI spokesperson told Fox News, which first broke the story.

The glove in question was one of 16 recovered by investigators during the course of the probe. It is believed to be the same glove that FBI evidence teams were seen collecting from the side of a road roughly two miles from Nancy Guthrie’s residence, according to observations previously reported by The Post.

Authorities told Fox News that the glove appears consistent with the black nitrile gloves worn over another pair of gloves by the masked suspect captured on Guthrie’s Nest doorbell camera. Officials emphasized, however, that there is no definitive confirmation that the glove belonged to the suspect, only that it resembles the gloves visible in the surveillance footage.

FBI forensic specialists are now in the process of verifying the DNA findings before submitting the profile to the national crime database in an effort to determine whether it matches any known individuals.

According to an FBI spokesperson, once DNA is received by the bureau, it generally takes about 24 hours to upload it into CODIS, the agency’s nationwide DNA index system.

Pima County Sheriff Chris Nanos said Sunday that testing is still underway at a private laboratory in Florida and that final DNA results have not yet been completed.

Nanos told Fox News that certain DNA samples were given priority for analysis, though he declined to provide specifics about which items were expedited or when results are expected. The FBI has indicated it will continue assisting in the investigation according to the timeline established for processing the evidence.

Secretary of State Marco Rubio delivered a blistering critique of the United Nations at the Munich Security Conference on Saturday, accusing the world body of failing on some of the most consequential global crises of the decade and contrasting its impotence with decisive American leadership.

Rubio’s remarks — unveiled to a packed hall of diplomats, defense officials and world leaders — centered on what he described as the UN’s “lack of answers” on pressing conflicts, including the war in Gaza, the Ukraine battlefield and Iran’s nuclear program.

“[T]oday, on the most pressing matters before us, [the UN] has no answers and has played virtually no role,” Rubio said, according to a full transcript of his speech.

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Rubio zeroed in on the conflict between Israel and Hamas, where 251 Israelis were kidnapped during the Oct. 7, 2023, terror attack. Rather than the UN stepping in to help get hostages freed, Rubio noted that it was U.S. leadership that secured their release, brokered a fragile truce and stabilized a volatile situation.

He cast the Ukraine conflict in similar terms, arguing that it took American diplomatic muscle — not multilateral action led by the United Nations — to bring warring sides to the negotiating table, even if peace remains elusive. Rubio did not shy away from tough rhetoric on Iran’s nuclear ambitions either, saying the issue “required 14 bombs dropped with precision from American B-2 bombers.”

The secretary of state also criticized the global body’s inability to address threats to U.S. security emanating from a “narcoterrorist dictator” in Venezuela, alluding to the Trump administration’s recent military operation that resulted in the capture of the country’s leader, Nicolás Maduro.

Despite his harsh critique, Rubio did not call for the abolition of the organization. He acknowledged that the UN “still has tremendous potential to be a tool for good in the world.”

(YWN World Headquarters – NYC)

NEW YORK CITY (VINnews)-A coalition of national racial and ethnic psychological associations has issued a statement opposing the formation of an Association of Jewish Psychologists as an official Ethnic Psychological Association (EPA) within the American Psychological Association (APA).

The Coalition of National Racial and Ethnic Psychological Associations (CONREPA)—representing Black, Native American, Latinx, Asian American, and Arab/Middle Eastern/North African psychologists—argued that Jewish psychologists are not underrepresented in the APA and that most Jewish Americans identify as white.

“Conflating religion, race and ethnicity … obscures the role of racism, white privilege and white supremacy in the historical and contemporary oppression of people of color,” the coalition stated. It added that Jewish psychologists of color already belong to existing EPAs.

The group cited the APA’s 2021 apology for failing to address racism against people of color, which did not mention antisemitism or religious discrimination.

The statement was endorsed by the Asian American Psychological Association, American Arab, Middle Eastern and North African Psychological Association, National Latinx Psychological Association, Association of Black Psychologists, and Society of Indian Psychologists.

The Anti-Defamation League (ADL) condemned the position as “indefensible” and discriminatory. CEO Jonathan Greenblatt said it was “factually wrong and harmful” to deny Jewish psychologists face discrimination or deserve representation.

The ADL pointed to rising antisemitism concerns within the APA, including past support for the BDS movement against Israel and ongoing harassment of Jewish members. It noted a current congressional investigation into antisemitism at the APA.

Despite APA initiatives such as listening sessions and a Collaborative of Jewish Psychologists, the ADL said the organization’s silence on the coalition’s statement shows insufficient action.

The ADL called on the APA to reject CONREPA’s position and formally recognize the Association of Jewish Psychologists.

President Donald Trump announced that he will reveal this Thursday that member nations of the Board of Peace have pledged more than $5 billion for humanitarian relief and rebuilding efforts in Gaza, along with thousands of personnel for a U.N.-approved stabilization mission.

In a message posted Sunday on Truth Social, Trump said participating countries have agreed to fund large-scale reconstruction and to provide manpower for an international force and local policing units aimed at maintaining order in the Palestinian territory.

“On February 19th, 2026, I will again be joined by Board of Peace Members at the Donald J. Trump Institute of Peace in Washington, D.C., where we will announce that Member States have pledged more than $5 BILLION DOLLARS toward the Gaza Humanitarian and Reconstruction efforts, and have committed thousands of personnel to the International Stabilization Force and Local Police to maintain Security and Peace for Gazans. Very importantly, Hamas must uphold its commitment to Full and Immediate Demilitarization. The Board of Peace will prove to be the most consequential International Body in History, and it is my honor to serve as its Chairman,” Trump wrote.

In the same post, Trump highlighted what he described as the board’s rapid progress and broader aspirations beyond Gaza.

“The Board of Peace has unlimited potential. Last October, I released a Plan for the permanent end to the Conflict in Gaza, and our Vision was unanimously adopted by the United Nations Security Council. Shortly thereafter, we facilitated Humanitarian Aid at record speed, and secured the release of every living and deceased Hostage. Just last month, two dozen distinguished Founding Members joined me in Davos, Switzerland, to celebrate its official formation, and present a bold Vision for the Civilians in Gaza, and then, ultimately, far beyond Gaza — WORLD PEACE!” he said.

The establishment of the Board of Peace was backed by a United Nations Security Council resolution and forms part of the administration’s broader strategy to conclude the conflict between Israel and Hamas in Gaza.

Israel and Hamas signed onto the framework last year, with a ceasefire taking effect in October. Despite the agreement, each side has repeatedly accused the other of breaches. Gaza’s Health Ministry reports that more than 590 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli forces in the territory since the truce began, while Israel says four of its soldiers have died in attacks by Palestinian militants during the same period.

Several key regional players — including Turkey, Egypt, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Israel and Indonesia — have joined the board. However, major global powers and longstanding Western allies of the United States have shown greater reluctance.

Trump did not specify which countries are responsible for the financial pledges or which will supply troops for the stabilization mission. Indonesia’s military said Sunday that as many as 8,000 personnel could be prepared by the end of June for possible deployment to Gaza in a humanitarian and peacekeeping role, marking the first concrete troop commitment received by the administration.

Reconstruction in Gaza is expected to be an enormous undertaking. Estimates from the United Nations, World Bank and European Union place the cost of rebuilding at approximately $70 billion. After more than two years of Israeli military operations, vast sections of the territory have sustained severe damage.

Under the terms of the ceasefire agreement, an armed international stabilization force would be responsible for maintaining security and ensuring the disarmament of Hamas — a central condition set by Israel. To date, only a limited number of countries have signaled willingness to participate in such a force.

The U.S.-brokered ceasefire agreement reached on Oct. 10 sought to end more than two years of fighting between Israel and Hamas. While large-scale combat has diminished, Israeli forces have continued conducting airstrikes and have frequently opened fire near areas under military control.

It remains uncertain how many of the more than 20 Board of Peace members will attend Thursday’s gathering. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who met with Trump at the White House last week, is not expected to participate.

Initially viewed as a mechanism focused primarily on resolving the Gaza conflict, the Board of Peace has since evolved into what Trump describes as a platform with a broader global mission. The initiative appears to reflect a wider effort by the United States to reshape international diplomacy and operate outside traditional United Nations structures as Trump seeks to redefine the post–World War II global framework.

Many leading U.S. allies in Europe and elsewhere have declined to join the board, expressing concerns that it could serve as a parallel body to the U.N. Security Council.

Trump also confirmed that Thursday’s event will be held at the U.S. Institute of Peace, which the State Department announced in December would continue operating under the name Donald J. Trump U.S. Institute of Peace.

The institute’s headquarters has been the focus of ongoing legal disputes after the administration took control of the building last year and dismissed nearly all of its staff, prompting lawsuits from former employees and executives of the nonprofit organization.