Jooish News

Legislation scheduled for consideration Thursday by the Assembly Public Safety and Preparedness Committee would prohibit most law enforcement officers operating in New Jersey from wearing face coverings while on duty.

Assemblyman Alex Sauickie said the measure reflects a growing political push to challenge federal immigration enforcement rather than focus on workable public safety policy.

“Democrats in Trenton are increasingly focused on national political messaging instead of solving New Jersey’s real public safety challenges,” Sauickie said. “That kind of performative theater doesn’t help keep communities safe.”

“We should be protecting law enforcement, not passing policies that make their jobs more dangerous.”

The legislation (A1743) would broadly restrict officers from wearing coverings such as balaclavas with eye openings or neck gaiters pulled up to cover their lower faces while on duty.

Sauickie warned lawmakers to avoid policies that place local agencies in conflict with federal partners or create laws that cannot be enforced in practice.

“States don’t get to rewrite federal authority,” Sauickie said. “If we pass laws that can’t legally be enforced or that force conflicts between agencies, we’re not building trust — we’re creating confusion.”

He said public safety policies should be shaped by operational expertise, not political messaging.

“If the goal is better outcomes, you bring in law enforcement leadership and those who understand how these operations actually work,” Sauickie said.

Sauickie disagreed with arguments that banning face coverings would improve public trust or reduce confusion during enforcement operations.

“Law enforcement needs lawmakers who will stand up for officers and defend the rule of law and not treat public safety like open-mic night,” Sauickie said. “Public safety demands seriousness, substance and real leadership, and not punchlines or policy built for headlines.”

The issue gained traction after California enacted the nation’s first statewide ban last year, which is now being challenged in court by the U.S. Department of Justice. Similar legislation has been discussed in other states, including Washington, Missouri and Maryland.

Los Angeles Police Chief Jim McDonnell recently said his department would not enforce California’s ban. “It’s not a good public policy decision and it wasn’t well thought out in my opinion,” McDonnell said.

According to Department of Homeland Security statements, immigration officers have faced an 8,000% increase in death threats, including threats against family members. DHS also reported a sharp rise in vehicular attacks against ICE agents over the last year.

Recent local cases have underscored those risks.

In December, twin brothers from Absecon were arrested after allegedly threatening to shoot ICE officers “on sight” and making violent threats against a senior DHS official on social media. One of the suspects also faces weapons charges.

Concerns escalated after reports that a whistleblower leaked personal information of about 4,500 ICE and Border Patrol employees to the “ICE List” database, while Gov. Mikie Sherrill announced plans for a state portal allowing residents to upload images and video of federal enforcement operations.

“Families want safer communities and laws that work in the real world,” Sauickie said. “That requires serious policy work, not symbolic gestures that create more problems than they solve.”

As he prepared to meet with Israeli Prime Minister Bibi Netanyahu, President Donald Trump said he believes the Israeli leader supports reaching an agreement with Iran and expressed optimism that the current round of nuclear negotiations could succeed.

Speaking with Israeli journalist Barak Ravid of Channel 12 and the Axios news site, Trump reflected on past confrontations with Tehran, referencing the US strikes on Iran’s nuclear facilities in June 2025 following the breakdown of diplomatic efforts. “Last time they didn’t believe I would do it,” Trump said.

According to the president, Iran misjudged Washington’s resolve. “They overplayed their hand,” he said, contrasting that episode with the current talks, which he described as markedly changed. “We can make a great deal with Iran.”

Trump also rejected suggestions that Netanyahu opposes the ongoing dialogue between Washington and Tehran, including a senior-level meeting held over the weekend in Oman. “He also wants a deal. He wants a good deal,” Trump said of the Israeli prime minister.

The president added that Iran, too, is eager to reach an understanding, saying the country “wants to make a deal very badly.”

At the same time, Trump underscored that the United States is prepared to escalate if negotiations fail. “Either we will make a deal or we will have to do something very tough like last time,” he told Ravid.

Trump further noted the expansion of the US military footprint in the region, saying, “we have an armada that is heading there and another one might be going,” and added that he is “thinking” about deploying an additional aircraft carrier strike group following recent reinforcements.

{Matzav.com}

Our mission: Providing excellent condition, current styles of used (or new) kids clothing for struggling Lakewood families by collecting your high-end children’s clothing, handling it with care and passing it along the way you’d like it to be… straight into the hands of someone who will appreciate it and wear it well. We take care that it gets processed within a day or so to go straight into closets and be worn with pride and enjoyed within the same week it was given. We work by private appointment only and do not charge since all work is done by volunteers.

Your donated children’s outfits from last year are easily visible amongst other current style clothing so families don’t have to search for the few “nice things” interspersed with styles from years back. We hang with care; attaching pajama and clothing sets together top with bottom, and passing on matching sets in the various sizes together so others with those sizes can enjoy. Keep in mind though that a gmach is only as good as the clothing it gets!

Families greatly appreciate the beautiful clothing you give, and you give it with the knowledge it’s going to real people, ONLY within your community (not cleaning ladies, etc.), who are excited about it and will wear it right.

Unfortunately, the reality is that the standards are higher than what they used to be, and mothers who have tight budgets can meet stiff resistance when they come home with second-hand stuff that looks second-hand. The pickup gmach solves this need.

We take boys’ clothing sizes 0-16, and girls’ clothing through teen sizes.

(As we pass on to standard Lakewood families, please try to avoid giving any stained, pilled, torn, ripped or even stored stuff…it will not look acceptable for another use. We are not a ‘bin’ operation.)

Weekly Pickup schedule: Motzei Shabbos-up until Thursday night.

1. Put items in a bag, seal with a strip of tape in case of rain. (optional: label bags gmach so they don’t get mistaken as garbage, and set out)

2. Once out, text your address to 848 525 6961 ‬(PICKUP ONLY text line) and you will get a confirmation text.

Bags will be picked up within 24 hours.

Please leave bags out until picked up!

Any questions, comments or concerns can be directed to [email protected]. Any excess items are donated to many other local gmachim so many others can benefit since due to lack of space, regretfully we cannot service the entire Lakewood at this time.

The Pickup gmach is under the auspices of R’ Forscheimer Shlita.

[Press Release]

An Israeli-Russian journalist was removed Tuesday from Israeli Prime Minister Bibi Netanyahu’s flight to Washington, just moments before departure, in an incident that raised questions about security vetting and press access ahead of the prime minister’s meeting with US President Donald Trump.

Nick Kolyohin, an independent journalist who was traveling as part of the press group invited to the White House, was already preparing to board the Prime Minister’s aircraft, known as the “Wing of Zion,” when security personnel stopped him and escorted him off the plane shortly before takeoff.

Kolyohin, who moved to Israel as a child and later served in the IDF, said the decision was made exclusively by security officials. He maintained that no explanation was provided to him at the airport, despite the fact that his participation in the flight had received prior authorization.

The Prime Minister’s Office addressed the incident in a brief statement, saying: “The security authorities decided not to approve the journalist’s participation in the flight due to security considerations, but we cannot provide further details at this stage.”

The Shin Bet also commented, emphasizing its statutory responsibilities. In its statement, the agency said: “According to its mandate and duties under the law, the service is responsible, among other things, for securing the Prime Minister. As part of this, decisions are made to minimize risks to the Prime Minister and the information surrounding him. Naturally, it is not possible to address the reasons behind individual decisions.”

{Matzav.com}

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was presented with Israeli military intelligence outlining Hamas’s plans for a large-scale assault years before the Oct. 7 attack, according to a report published by Ynet.

Citing intelligence documents and testimony from senior officials, Ynet reported that as early as April 2018, Israel’s Military Intelligence Directorate circulated an assessment warning that Hamas was developing a complex operational blueprint for a coordinated, multifront attack on Israeli military bases and civilian communities near Gaza. The plan later became known as “Jericho’s Walls.”

According to the report, the document envisioned breaching the Gaza border at dozens of locations and sending thousands of fighters into Israeli territory. It was distributed to senior defense and intelligence officials, including the prime minister’s and defense minister’s military secretaries, the National Security Council, the heads of the Shin Bet and Mossad, and the IDF chief of staff’s office.

The intelligence assessment stressed that the scope and complexity of the plan were “exceptional,” even as some analysts questioned Hamas’s immediate ability to carry it out. They nonetheless warned it reflected a significantly expanded threat.

Netanyahu has repeatedly denied having prior knowledge of the plan before Oct. 7. However, Ynet said documents submitted by the prime minister to State Comptroller’s Office acknowledge receipt of the 2018 report, while omitting warnings about Hamas’s long-term intentions.

(YWN World Headquarters – NYC)

A historic leadership transition is set to take place tonight in Jackson Township, as Mayor Jennifer Kuhn swears in the Township’s first female Police Chief during a special Township Council meeting.

The meeting is scheduled for this evening, February 10, and will be held at the Jackson Township Middle School Fine Arts Auditorium, located at 101 Don Connor Boulevard, beginning at 6:30 p.m.

During the ceremony, Mary Nelson will be officially sworn in as Police Chief. The evening will also include the swearing-in of several additional members of the Jackson Township Police Department, reflecting recent promotions and appointments within the agency.

Those scheduled to be sworn in include Richard Bosely as Police Captain, John Rodriguez as Interim Police Captain, Edward Travisano, Michael Goelz, Stephen Cilento, and Andrea Falzarano as Police Lieutenants, and Cassiopeia Elbaum, Kale Mabey, James Reynolds III, and Edward Howe as Police Sergeants. Ryan T. Higgins will also be sworn in as a Police Officer.

Israeli officials told CNN ahead of Prime Minister Bibi Netanyahu’s expected meeting Wednesday with U.S. President Donald Trump that Iran’s military activity and the dangers it poses will be at the center of the talks.

According to the officials, Netanyahu plans to stress to Trump that Israel must retain the ability to act militarily against Iran, regardless of whether a diplomatic agreement is ultimately reached between Tehran and Washington. “Netanyahu will emphasize to Trump the need for military freedom of action in Iran, even if an agreement is signed between Tehran and Washington,” the officials said.

They added that the prime minister intends to brief Trump on newly obtained intelligence concerning Iran’s military developments, with particular focus on efforts to restore and expand its ballistic missile program.

Israeli assessments indicate that if no steps are taken to stop Iran, the country could amass as many as 2,000 missiles within a matter of weeks or months.

Netanyahu departed for Washington, D.C., earlier today for the diplomatic visit, during which he is scheduled to meet with President Donald Trump. This marks Netanyahu’s seventh trip to the United States since Trump’s re-election.

Speaking before leaving Israel, Netanyahu said: “I am now going to the United States for my seventh trip to meet with President Trump since his re-election. This, of course, does not include his unforgettable visit to Israel and his speech in the Knesset.”

He went on to highlight the close ties between the two countries, saying: “I think these things reflect the unique closeness in the exceptional relationship we have with the United States, personally with the president, and with Israel and the United States-a relationship that has never been like this in our history.”

Netanyahu also made clear that Iran will be the primary focus of the discussions, alongside other regional matters. “In this trip, we will discuss a number of issues-Gaza, the region-but of course, first and foremost, the negotiations with Iran. I will present to the president our views on the principles of the negotiations, the important principles, which I believe are important not only for Israel but for anyone in the world who wants peace and security in the Middle East.”

{Matzav.com}

WASHINGTON (AP) — The National Governors Association will no longer hold a formal meeting with President Donald Trump when the group of state leaders meet in Washington later this month after the White House planned to invite only Republicans.

“NGA staff was informed that the White House intends to limit invitations to the annual business meeting, scheduled for February 20, to Republican governors only,” Oklahoma Gov. Kevin Stitt, a Republican who is the chairman of the NGA, said in a Monday letter to fellow governors obtained by The Associated Press. “Because NGA’s mission is to represent all 55 governors, the Association is no longer serving as the facilitator for that event, and it is no longer included in our official program.”

The NGA is scheduled to meet in Washington from Feb. 19-21. Representatives for Stitt, the White House and the NGA didn’t immediately comment on the letter.

The governors group is one of the few remaining venues where political leaders from both major parties gather to discuss the top issues facing their communities. In his letter, Stitt encouraged governors to unite around common goals.

“We cannot allow one divisive action to achieve its goal of dividing us,” he wrote. “The solution is not to respond in kind, but to rise above and to remain focused on our shared duty to the people we serve. America’s governors have always been models of pragmatic leadership, and that example is most important when Washington grows distracted by politics.”

Signs of partisan tensions emerged at the White House meeting last year, when Trump and Maine’s then-Gov. Janet Mills traded barbs.

Trump singled out the Democratic governor over his push to bar transgender athletes from competing in girls’ and women’s sports, threatening to withhold federal funding from the state if she did not comply. Mills responded, “We’ll see you in court.”

Trump then predicted that Mills’ political career would be over for opposing the order. She is now running for U.S. Senate.

The back and forth had a lasting impact on last year’s conference and some Democratic governors did not renew their dues last year to the bipartisan group.

WASHINGTON (AP) — Parents who owe a significant amount of child support soon could lose their ability to travel internationally as the Trump administration expands and steps up enforcement of a 30-year-old law that allows the federal government to revoke American passports until payments are made, three U.S. officials told The Associated Press.

While passport revocations for unpaid child support of more than $2,500 have been permitted under 1996 federal legislation, the State Department had in the past acted only when someone applied to renew their travel document or sought other consular services. In other words, enforcement depended on the person approaching the department for assistance.

Starting soon, however, the department will begin to revoke passports on its own initiative based on data shared with it by the Health and Human Services Department, according to the U.S. officials familiar with the plan. They spoke on condition of anonymity because the change has not yet been publicly announced.

The number of people who could be affected was not immediately clear, but it is believed to be in the thousands. Because of the potentially large universe of those owing child support who currently hold passports, the State Department will make the change in tiers, the officials said.

The first group to be affected will be passport holders who owe more than $100,000 in past-due child support, the officials said. One of the officials said fewer than 500 people meet that threshold and could avoid having their passport revoked if they enter into a payment plan with HHS after being notified of the pending revocation.

The official acknowledged, though, that if and when the threshold is lowered to a smaller past-due amount, the number of those affected will rise significantly. The official could not say when any further changes would take effect or estimate how many people might then lose their passports.

Since the Passport Denial Program began with the 1996 passage of the Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity Reconciliation Act, the initiative has taken in nearly $621 million in past-due child support payments, with nine collections of more than $300,000, according to the Office of Child Support Enforcement at the Department of Health and Human Services.

HHS did not respond to questions about how many people are in arrears, instead referring the AP to the State Department. The State Department did not immediately respond to a query about the move.

YS GOLD 

The Shul has stood for more than a century on 18th Avenue, and it continues to serve the residents of the neighborhood as a center of Torah and tefillah. 

Can our readers pinpoint its exact location? 

___ 

Answer to last week’s captured moment: 

G & Sons was a legendary department store in Boro Park, and it was in business for many decades before closing its doors at 4806 New Utrecht Avenue in recent years. 

It was taken over by Amazing Savings, which continues the tradition of retail at this location for close to a century.

MADISON COUNTY, Fla. (VINnews) — After claiming an arsonist tried to burn down his home Sunday, Florida Republican congressional candidate James Fishback gathered with supporters outside his Madison County residence Monday night and posted a photo of himself walking out the front door carrying what appeared to be a Ruger AR‑556 semi-automatic rifle.

On Sunday, an arsonist tried to burn down my home where our staff was working.

If anyone attacks our staff or volunteers, we will not wait for the police.

We will shoot you dead.pic.twitter.com/7Bc0gWs3RN

— James Fishback (@j_fishback) February 10, 2026

Fishback wrote on X that the alleged arson targeted his home while campaign staff were inside. “If anyone attacks our staff or volunteers, we will not wait for the police. We will shoot you dead,” he posted.

Local law enforcement said they would not launch an investigation into the incident and declined to explain why.

Fishback is running as a Republican in Florida. Further details about the alleged fire were not immediately available.

President Donald Trump said Tuesday that the United States is prepared to use military force against Iran if diplomatic efforts fail to produce an agreement, signaling that force remains an option if negotiations break down.

Speaking in an interview with Channel 12 News, Trump emphasized that his preference is for a negotiated settlement, but made clear that he would not hesitate to act if talks do not succeed. “The Iranians very much want to reach a deal. Either we make a deal, or we will have to do something very tough – like last time,” he said.

Trump also revealed that he is weighing the possibility of further strengthening the U.S. military presence in the region, including the deployment of another aircraft carrier to the Middle East. “We have an armada there, and maybe another one on the way,” the President added.

The comments were made ahead of Trump’s scheduled meeting with Prime Minister Bibi Netanyahu, which is set to take place Wednesday at the White House.

According to Trump, discussions with Netanyahu will center largely on Iran. He added that the Israeli prime minister is not feeling undue pressure from the ongoing negotiations, but is similarly interested in a favorable outcome. “I don’t think Netanyahu is pressured by the talks with Iran. He also wants a deal. He wants a good deal.”

{Matzav.com}

Bill was in his mid-30s when he came to my office complaining of fatigue, digestive issues, and skin problems. His doctor had told him that his thyroid numbers suggested low thyroid function.

One of the things Bill kept emphasizing was that he had been extremely healthy and vital throughout his twenties. Back then, he had plenty of energy. He worked long hours, slept little, exercised hard, and, by his own admission, partied hard as well. Then, around age 35—seemingly out of nowhere—things began to fall apart.

Other patients shared similar stories. They came in with frequent colds, low libido, poor stress tolerance, brain fog, or nagging health issues that never quite resolved. Like Bill, many of them were confused.

It didn’t make sense to them—but from a Chinese medicine perspective, this pattern makes a lot of sense, as the Kidney system plays a central role in all of these symptoms.

What the “Kidneys” Mean in Chinese Medicine

At first glance, this may sound surprising. The kidneys?

When Chinese medicine refers to an organ—such as the Kidneys—it is not referring only to the anatomical kidneys that filter blood and produce urine. In Chinese medicine, organs are best understood as code words for entire physiological systems (which include the actual anatomical organ as well).

The Kidney system governs growth and development, maturation and aging, reproduction and fertility, stress tolerance, brain function and memory, immune resilience, and recovery from illness and exertion.

We often refer to the substance that “runs” the Kidney system as Kidney Essence. This refers to our deep reserves of vitality, resilience, and biological strength—what you might think of as primal grit.

Some people are born with more of this reserve than others. Some people seem naturally robust, resilient, and energetic throughout life, while others struggle with health issues and fatigue from an early age. No one, however, has unlimited reserves.

What You’re Born With and What You Build

Chinese medicine distinguishes between two types of Kidney Essence, which helps explain why people with similar genetics can age and function very differently.

Prenatal Essence is the vitality we inherit from our parents at conception. It shapes our basic constitution and sets the framework for how resilient we are, how we handle stress, and how we age. Once prenatal essence is used, it cannot be fully replaced. This is why protecting it is considered central to longevity.

Fortunately, we are not limited to what we are born with.

Postnatal Essence is derived from how we live: what we eat, how well we sleep, how we breathe, and the physical and emotional demands placed on us. Postnatal essence supports and supplements the prenatal reserve, providing the Kidney system with the raw materials it needs to sustain vitality over time.

In other words, lifestyle choices can either protect our reserves—or accelerate their depletion.

Western Parallels

While Chinese medicine uses different language, there are clear parallels in Western physiology. Kidney essence is not a mystical concept, but a useful framework for talking about interconnected physiological processes.

The Kidney system overlaps with the endocrine system (particularly hormones involved in reproduction and stress response), systems that regulate growth and aging, neurotransmitter balance and cognitive resilience, and immune strength and recovery capacity.

From a Western perspective, people with a strong “Kidney system” show stable hormonal function, good stress tolerance, strong recovery from illness or exertion, healthy libido, and sustained mental clarity.

When this system becomes taxed—through chronic stress, sleep deprivation, under-nutrition, or overstimulation—the results are familiar: fatigue, burnout, low libido, brain fog, and reduced resilience.

How the Kidney System Gets Depleted

The Kidney system is gradually used over a lifetime. But it can be drained much faster when someone repeatedly expends energy without adequate recovery.

Common contributors include chronic high stress without rest, prolonged sleep deprivation, skipping meals or under-eating, excessive reliance on stimulants, and pushing through fatigue instead of restoring energy.

You’ve probably seen this: someone takes on a high-pressure job, sleeps poorly, relies on caffeine, and keeps going on willpower. A few years later, they look markedly older, feel depleted, and struggle to recover. In Chinese medicine, this is understood as burning through Kidney reserves.

Nourish Before You Expend

A central principle in Chinese medicine is simple but often overlooked: You must nourish energy before you spend it. You cannot run a depleted system on willpower alone.

This means eating regular, nourishing meals, sleeping enough to recover from stress, resting after intense periods of work or illness, and listening to early signs of fatigue instead of overriding them.

For women, this principle is especially important after childbirth, when the body has expended enormous resources. A gradual return to work and activity allows the system to rebuild rather than collapse later.

Certain lifestyle factors also draw on these reserves, which is why moderation and recovery matter—especially during periods of stress or low energy.

This is why Bill—who had a habit of “burning the candle at both ends” through overwork, stimulants, and weekend partying—began to experience so many health problems seemingly out of nowhere in his 30s. I see a similar pattern in many women who had several childbirths in their 20s and returned to work without allowing adequate time for recovery.

Protecting Your Kidneys

Whether someone is born with strong reserves or more modest ones, everyone benefits from protecting this system through eating enough and not skipping meals, prioritizing sleep, allowing recovery after stress or illness, avoiding chronic overstimulation, and tuning into fatigue rather than ignoring it.

People who maintain these habits tend to age more gradually, recover more fully, and maintain resilience longer.

The Bigger Picture

The Kidney system reminds us that health is not just about treating symptoms—it’s about preserving the foundations that allow the body to function well over time.

Think of your body like a car. If you take a new car on repeated cross-country trips without proper maintenance, it’s not surprising when problems show up later. Likewise, many midlife health issues aren’t sudden failures, but the result of years of unrecognized depletion.

The good news is that when people begin respecting their limits, nourishing themselves properly, and restoring balance, they often regain energy, clarity, and resilience they thought were gone for good.

As for Bill, after a year of treatment during which he learned to take better care of his body, he shared that he got married and soon after had a baby—something he knew would require energy and a better understanding of how to maintain his health.

Until next time, stay well—and take care of your reserves.

BEIJING (AP) — Liu Zhiquan was waiting for a 30-plus hour train journey to Chengdu, the capital of Sichuan province, some 1,242 miles (2,000 kilometers) from Beijing, where he works in construction.

He’s one of the hundreds of millions expected to travel to their hometowns as part of the world’s largest movement of humanity, or “chunyun” as it’s called in China, ahead of the Lunar New Year on Feb. 17.

“Things feel worse this year than last. The economy is bad and it’s getting harder to make money,” he said.

Liu chose a slower train to save money: a high-speed train would take just nine hours but costs more than twice as much.

Nonetheless, he chose to make the 30-hour journey to be home for the festival, the one time of year workers across the country take breaks and spend time with their loved ones.

China’s government estimates that 9.5 billion trips will be made during the 40 day-period around the festival, a record high, according to information from the National Development and Reform Commission. Some 540 million of those trips will be made via train, and 95 million by air. The rest will be on the road.

In a country where workers are expected to put in long hours — including on weekends — and get few days of annual leave, the Lunar New Year festival is a precious time.

At a train station in Beijing, passengers were crowded in the waiting areas with large bags and suitcases as they waited for their trains. Others snacked on instant noodles, an easy snack as stations provide hot water for free.

Tian Duofu, a young woman who recently started working full time in Beijing, said she was looking forward to the nine-day holiday, which begins Feb. 15. “It has become more difficult for a big family to get together. After I started working, I realized such a long holiday is rare and we see each other less and less in person, which makes the Spring Festival significant.”

“The new year is the festival of the year, and if we don’t go back home, we won’t be able to enjoy the festival atmosphere,” said Tian Yunxia, a woman from Henan province who runs a breakfast stall in Beijing. “I want to go home to see my children, my grandchildren and my husband.”

NEW YORK (VINnews) — House Speaker Mike Johnson criticized New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani’s health department after staffers formed a “Global Oppression and Public Health Working Group” that accused Israel of committing genocide.

Johnson, a Louisiana Republican, said on X that department employees should focus on delivering services to residents rather than advancing what he called a “radical-left foreign policy agenda.” He linked to a report that the group held its first meeting last week during work hours at the agency’s Long Island City headquarters.

Instead of trying to force a radical-left foreign policy agenda, the bureaucrats in Zohran Mamdani’s Department of Health should focus on delivering the services New Yorkers pay for with their tax dollars. https://t.co/WyLKz5ledH

— Speaker Mike Johnson (@SpeakerJohnson) February 10, 2026

Video obtained by the New York Post showed a presenter saying the group was developed “in response to the ongoing genocide in Palestine.”

Critics, including City Council Speaker Julie Menin and former Gov. Andrew Cuomo, called for investigations into whether taxpayer resources were used for political advocacy. Mamdani and the health department did not immediately comment.

Federal investigators on Tuesday made public the first surveillance images of what they described as a “potential subject” as the investigation intensifies into the disappearance and alleged kidnapping of Nancy Guthrie, the mother of TODAY show host Savannah Guthrie.

FBI Director Kash Patel released the photographs along with two video clips in a post on X on Tuesday afternoon, as authorities continue to piece together events surrounding Guthrie’s disappearance.

“Over the last eight days, the FBI and Pima County Sheriff’s Department have been working closely with our private sector partners to continue to recover any images or video footage from Nancy Guthrie’s home that may have been lost, corrupted, or inaccessible due to a variety of factors – including the removal of recording devices,” Patel wrote.

According to Patel, the newly obtained footage was retrieved from residual data stored within backend systems. The images and video depict a person wearing a backpack, long sleeves, and pants approaching the front door, attempting to block the camera with a gloved hand. The individual is then seen turning away, grabbing nearby plants, and placing them in front of the camera.

Investigators had previously hoped that surveillance cameras at the residence would shed light on how Guthrie vanished. However, the doorbell camera was disconnected early Sunday, and although movement was logged by software shortly afterward, the footage could not be recovered because Guthrie did not have an active subscription, Pima County Sheriff Chris Nanos said earlier.

Working with additional partners, authorities were later able to retrieve material that had not been accessible before. “Working with our partners – as of this morning, law enforcement has uncovered these previously inaccessible new images showing an armed individual appearing to have tampered with the camera at Nancy Guthrie’s front door the morning of her disappearance,” Patel said.

Officials urged anyone with information to contact federal authorities by calling 1-800-CALL-FBI or submitting tips through http://tips.fbi.gov.

Nancy Guthrie has been missing since Sunday, February 1, after she failed to appear at church services. She was last seen the previous evening at approximately 9:45 p.m., following dinner at the Tucson, Arizona, home of her daughter, Annie Guthrie.

Earlier this week, the FBI said there has been no known communication between Savannah Guthrie and any potential kidnappers more than a week after her mother disappeared. Authorities have also stated that no suspects or persons of interest have been identified. In a video shared on social media Monday afternoon, Savannah Guthrie described the situation as an “hour of desperation.”

“Please. bring her home. we need you. she needs you. all of you,” the caption accompanying the video reads.

Meanwhile, three media outlets reported receiving alleged ransom letters, with at least one including monetary demands and deadlines. One deadline passed Thursday and another on Monday evening, though officials said it remains unclear whether the letters are genuine.

The FBI announced a $50,000 reward for information leading to progress in the case.

Sheriff Nanos also disclosed that DNA testing confirmed blood found on Guthrie’s front porch belonged to her. Investigators said there is currently no proof of life, though they remain hopeful she is “still out there.” Authorities noted that Guthrie requires daily medication for reported high blood pressure and heart conditions, including a pacemaker.

Law enforcement personnel continue to maintain a presence at Guthrie’s home and plan to broaden search efforts. The Pima County Sheriff’s Department said officers will persist with operations Tuesday, “including the expansion of the search and follow-up on new leads.”

{Matzav.com}

In a township that receives fire suppression services from three distinct fire districts (Jackson Twp Fire District #2, #3 and #4), it is inevitable that citizens might be a bit confused which one is theirs. That is why Jackson Twp. Fire District #3 (which provides the funding for Fire Station #55) is taking the final weeks before the February 21 referendum to educate its citizens what it covers and where they vote.

Fire District #3’s coverage area includes the Brookwoods, Winding Ways, Westlake Golf & Country Club, Saint Aloysius.  “If Fire Station #55 is your fire company, Jackson Twp. Fire District #3 is where you vote on Feb. 21 for the Proposed 2026 Fire Budget,” stresses Frank C. Hruschka, Commissioner in Fire District #3.

There are many reasons to vote this year. Fire Station #55’s 911 emergency calls have jumped by 33% in just two years because of population growth in the coverage area, with 1513 911 calls in 2025. Fire Station #55 operates as a combination department of both paid and volunteer firefighters. With demand continuing to rise and just 7.17% of the Township’s tax budget allocated to the fire district, leadership developed a shoestring, essentials-only budget designed to sustain 24/7/365 emergency response while maintaining fiscal responsibility.

The proposed 2026 fire district budget covers the following:

• Retaining three career firefighters by covering their salaries and health insurance cost increases (36%), ensuring uninterrupted 24/7/365 coverage. It also includes funding for a part-time Fire Bureau inspector to help reduce fire risks through prevention and inspections.
• An architectural evaluation to assess permanent, safe overnight sleeping options for firefighters. Firefighters currently sleep in a conference room.
• Compliance with new state training standards and the replacement of firefighter turnout gear to meet updated safety requirements.
• Ongoing maintenance on aging fire apparatus and support vehicles to ensure they remain reliable and ready to respond when emergencies occur.
• Approval of the budget supports the planned consolidation of fire districts 2 and 3. Without it, daily operations efforts could be compromised.

A Confusing Referendum Question with an Indiscernible Impact on Taxpayers

Ballot questions are never that easy to follow, and this year’s is no exception. The ballot reads: ““Shall the Board of Fire Commissioners be authorized to expend $6,529,175.42 in 2026 with $6,120,664.12 the amount to be raised by taxation?” If approved by voters, the tax impact of the 2026 Proposed Budget will cost the average homeowner $3.50 per month.

“This cost impact amounts to the price of a cup of coffee in order to ensure we have firefighters ready and able to respond whenever the call comes in,” says Hruschka.

Demand for emergency services reached a record high in 2025. The trend, however, has been evident over the past two years, driven by rapid population growth, and in 2024, Fire Districts 2 and 3 implemented a shared coverage agreement for weekends, which later expanded to include holidays. In 2025, that partnership was further expanded to provide 24-hour coverage in both districts.

“This vote affects how fire protection will be delivered in our community,” added Hruschka. “We want residents to have clear, factual information about what’s in the proposed budget and why it matters before they cast a ballot.”

How to Vote by Mail or after Shabbos on February 21

Jackson Township Fire District #3 took unprecedented steps in 2025 to ensure voters who practice Shomer Shabbos are given extended access to voting by getting the Board of Elections to approve in-person voting until 10 PM since the statewide voting day falls on Saturday.

Therefore, there are two ways to vote:

Residents may vote either by mail or in person. Vote-by-mail ballots must be postmarked by Feb. 21 to be counted. Ballot request forms are available at  https://tinyurl.com/4hydyjn9 (scroll to “VOTE BY MAIL” for the ballot application).

In-person voting will be held Saturday, Feb. 21, from 2 to 10 p.m. should citizens which to vote after Havdalah. The location for in-person voting Jackson Fire Station #55, located at 113 N. New Prospect Road in Jackson.

Residents are encouraged to visit www.jacksonfiredist3.org/budgetupdate/  for additional information about the proposed 2026 budget.

[Press Release]

Vice President JD Vance said the Trump administration wants tangible returns for the significant resources the United States devotes to protecting Greenland and safeguarding broader Arctic and NATO interests in the region.

Speaking to reporters Tuesday on the airport tarmac while traveling from Armenia to Azerbaijan, Vance underscored Greenland’s strategic value. “It’s just very simple: Greenland is very important to the national security of the United States of America,” he said. He added that U.S. partners have not always carried their share of the burden, noting, “I do think that some of our allies have underinvested in Arctic security.”

Vance argued that Washington’s financial and military commitments should be matched with clear advantages for the United States. “And if we’re going to invest in Arctic security — if we’re going to basically pay a lot of money and be on the hook for protecting this massive landmass — I think it’s only reasonable for the United States to get some benefit out of that,” he said, adding that “And that’s going to be the focus of the negotiations here over the next few months.”

From Greenland’s side, Foreign Minister Vivian Motzfeldt cautioned that discussions remain preliminary and not yet aligned with her government’s goals. While welcoming continued dialogue with Washington, she said expectations should be tempered. “We are not there where we want to be yet,” Motzfeldt said at a joint press conference in Nuuk alongside Danish and Canadian officials. “There is going to be a long track, so where we are going to land at the end, it’s too early to say.”

Vance echoed that assessment, indicating that negotiations are still in their early stages. “It’s very early in the Greenland talks,” he said. “I know that, you know, we’ve been working quite a bit on this over the last few weeks.”

At the same time, NATO is preparing to increase its Arctic footprint. Five sources told Reuters that the alliance is expected to roll out an Arctic Sentry mission in the coming days as part of an effort to strengthen its regional presence and ease tensions between President Donald Trump and European governments.

According to Reuters, the formal decision could be made as soon as this week, when NATO defense ministers gather in Brussels. The report cited three European diplomats, a military official, and another person familiar with the discussions.

The evolving situation prompted sharp comments from French President Emmanuel Macron, who warned Europe to prepare for continued friction with Washington. He described the recent focus on Greenland as a signal that the European Union must accelerate overdue economic reforms and bolster its global influence.

In interviews published Tuesday across several European newspapers, Macron said Europeans should not assume that a temporary easing of disputes with Washington signals a durable change, even if tensions over Greenland, trade, and technology appear to have cooled. “When there’s a clear act of aggression, I think what we should do isn’t bow down or try to reach a settlement,” Macron said in comments to outlets including Le Monde and the Financial Times. “I think we’ve tried that strategy for months.”

“It’s not working,” he added.

Macron went further, accusing the Trump administration of taking a hostile posture toward Europe and aiming for the bloc’s fragmentation. He said the administration was being “openly anti-European” and seeking the EU’s “dismemberment.”

He also warned that new disputes could soon emerge over technology regulation. “The U.S. will, in the coming months — that’s certain — attack us over digital regulation,” Macron said, pointing to the possibility of American tariffs if the EU uses its Digital Services Act to rein in major technology companies.

Renewing his push for joint European borrowing, Macron argued that tools such as eurobonds would allow the EU to invest on a scale large enough to compete globally and reduce reliance on the U.S. dollar.

European Union leaders are scheduled to convene in Brussels on Thursday, where they are expected to weigh steps aimed at strengthening the EU economy and improving its ability to compete with both the United States and China internationally.

Authorities investigating the disappearance of Nancy Guthrie released the first surveillance images Tuesday showing a masked person on her porch the night she went missing, as law enforcement and her family intensified calls for public help more than a week into the search.

Law enforcement searching for the mother of “Today” show host Savannah Guthrie have not identified any suspects of persons or interest, and it’s unclear if she is still alive. FBI Director Kash Patel posted the images on X.

“The video was recovered from residual data located in backend systems,” Patel wrote, saying the images show “an armed individual appearing to have tampered with the camera at Nancy Guthrie’s front door the morning of her disappearance.”

Investigators had been hopeful that cameras at the home would turn up some evidence about how she went missing, but the doorbell camera was disconnected early Sunday. And while software data recorded movement at the home minutes later, Nancy Guthrie didn’t have an active subscription, so none of the footage could be recovered, Pima County Sheriff Chris Nanos had said.

Your browser does not support the video tag.

The announcement comes as heartbreaking messages made by “Today” show host Savannah Guthrie and her family have shifted from hopeful to desperate as they plead with the apparent kidnappers to hand over their mother.

It’s also unclear if ransom notes demanding money with deadlines that have already passed were authentic, or whether the Guthrie family has had any contact with the abductors.

Guthrie and her family have posted a series of videos over the past week, each striking a different tone. The latest message from Savannah Guthrie, in which she appeared alone, was more bleak.

“We are at an hour of desperation,” she said Monday, telling the public: “We need your help.”

Authorities believe Nancy Guthrie was taken against her will from her house just outside Tucson. She was last seen there Jan. 31 and reported missing the next day after not attending church. DNA tests showed blood on Nancy Guthrie’s front porch was a match to her, and a doorbell camera was disconnected in the early hours of Sunday morning, the sheriff has said.

Authorities say Nancy Guthrie needs daily medication because she is said to have high blood pressure and heart issues, including a pacemaker.

Investigators were in her neighborhood several times over the past few days and plan to keep working Tuesday as they expand the search and follow up on new leads, the sheriff’s department said.

Three days after the search began, Savannah Guthrie and her two siblings sent their first public appeal to the kidnappers, telling them “we want to hear from you and we are ready to listen.”

In the recorded video, Guthrie said her family was aware of media reports about a ransom letter, but they first wanted proof their mother was alive. “Please reach out to us,” they said.

Law enforcement officials declined to say whether the letters sent to several media outlets were credible but said all tips were being investigated seriously.

The next day, Savannah Guthrie’s brother again told the kidnappers to reach out “so we can move forward.”

“Whoever is out there holding our mother, we want to hear from you. We haven’t heard anything directly,” Camron Guthrie said.

Then over the past weekend the family posted another video — one that was more cryptic and generated even more speculation about Nancy Guthrie’s fate.

“We received your message, and we understand. We beg you now to return our mother to us so that we can celebrate with her,” said Savannah Guthrie, flanked by her siblings. “This is the only way we will have peace. This is very valuable to us, and we will pay.”

Up to that point, the family’s first three videos addressed the kidnappers directly.

But just ahead of Monday’s deadline spelled out in a purported note, Savannah Guthrie urged people nationwide to be on the lookout “no matter where you are, even if you’re far from Tucson, if you see anything, if you hear anything.”

Her turn to the public comes as much of the nation is closely following the dramatic twists and turns involving the longtime anchor of NBC’s morning show.

The FBI this week began posting digital billboards in major cities from Texas to California.

Connor Hagan, a spokesperson for the FBI, said Monday that the agency wasn’t aware of ongoing communication between Guthrie’s family and the suspected kidnappers. Authorities also had not identified any suspects or persons of interest, he said.

“Someone has that one piece of information that can help us bring Nancy home,” he said.

(AP)

TUCSON, Ariz. (AP) — Authorities investigating the disappearance of Nancy Guthrie more than a week ago released the first surveillance images Tuesday, showing a masked person on her porch the night she went missing.

Authorities searching for the mother of “Today” show host Savannah Guthrie have not identified any suspects of persons of interest. FBI Director Kash Patel posted the images on X.
IMG_8552
“The video was recovered from residual data located in backend systems,” Patel wrote, saying the images show “an armed individual appearing to have tampered with the camera at Nancy Guthrie’s front door the morning of her disappearance.”

Investigators had been hopeful that cameras at the home would turn up some evidence about how she went missing, but the doorbell camera was disconnected early Sunday. And while software data recorded movement at the home minutes later, Nancy Guthrie didn’t have an active subscription, so none of the footage could be recovered, Pima County Sheriff Chris Nanos had said.

By Y.M. Lowy

Maimonides Medical Center is presenting its position on the proposed pedestrian plaza planned for 10th Avenue between 48th and 49th Streets, following public discussion and community feedback about the project.

In a statement to BoroPark24, the hospital explained that the goal of the plaza is to improve safety and accessibility between its two main buildings.

“A pedestrian plaza on 10th avenue between 48th and 49th streets will create a safer, more welcoming environment for our patients and staff who currently have to navigate traffic and double-parking when walking in between our two main buildings,” the statement reads. “By removing vehicles and prioritizing pedestrians, the plaza will greatly reduce the risk of accidents and create much-needed open space for patients and their families to relax and enjoy community events.”

According to Maimonides, the plan would also adjust how nearby curb space is used. “Under the plan, parking spaces now reserved for hospital staff along 48th and 49th streets would be removed to create space for patient pick up and drop off,” the hospital said.

The hospital added that they do not believe the change would significantly affect neighborhood traffic. “Once a pedestrian plaza is created, Maimonides will work with NYC DOT to address any traffic or parking issues should they arise.”

Maimonides says it wants to hear directly from residents and is encouraging public participation. “We look forward to giving residents a chance to learn more about the benefits of the pedestrian plaza at our community forum tonight from 5pm - 7 pm in the lobby of our main hospital at 4802 10th Avenue. We welcome the public’s feedback. A survey will be available tonight, and two more public meetings will be scheduled to discuss the proposal.”

The meeting will take place tonight from 5:00 PM to 7:00 PM in the main lobby of Maimonides Medical Center at 4802 10th Avenue. Community members can come at any time during those hours, review the design concepts, and speak directly with project staff.

The Jerusalem District Court on Tuesday officially approved for publication a partial transcript of an internal discussion held in July 2016, containing a series of harsh statements by then-Attorney General Avichai Mandelblit toward Lahav 433 investigators regarding illegal actions they took in the probe against Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu.

The decision was made after the court reviewed the transcript itself following a report on the matter by i24News on Monday evening. The report revealed that then-Attorney General Avichai Mandelblit informed the police that he would not agree to open an investigation against Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu over cigars and champagne he accepted ten years earlier (Case 1000).

But in just one of a series of illegal actions carried out during the investigations against Netanyahu, the Lahav 443 investigators acted contrary to Mandelblit’s order and expanded Case 1000 and obtained wiretapping warrants by misleading the court to believe that they were examining particularly serious suspicions—bribery and money laundering—even though these suspicions were not part of the case and had not been authorized by Mandelblit.

The transcript quotes Mandelblit rebuking the investigators, “With all due respect to cigars and champagne, this isn’t the industry we’re suspecting might exist. This is clearly not what I authorized at the time.” He also later clarified regarding the suspicion of financial transfers: “There isn’t the ‘meat’ here that I was looking for, at this stage.”

Mandelblit also described the basis for launching the initial investigation, which he says relied on recordings and testimonies that initially seemed significant. But later, he said, the picture changed: “We went to someone who ‘knows everything,’ and it turns out he knows very little.”

Mandelblit clarified the boundaries to the investigators and said, “It’s important to me that you understand this—when I approve a certain direction, I approve a certain direction. But you’re in a different place.”

The transcript also reveals that Mandelblit repeatedly emphasized his exclusive authority regarding the investigations against Netanyahu: “I said what to investigate—I have the mandate to decide regarding the investigation of the prime minister.” He even challenged them: “If I was wrong—take me to the Supreme Court.”

Later in the discussion, Mandelbrot said that what he had referred to as “the iceberg” [proof of wrongdoing by Netanyahu] had not materialized. “At the end, the iceberg collapsed. In order to reach the iceberg, it was necessary to find witnesses who know what’s going on, and it could be that no such thing exists.”

It should be noted that some of these statements have already been revealed in the past by 124News and by witnesses in court hearings but were firmly denied by the State Attorney’s Office.

The gravity of the affair is heightened by the fact that the State Attorney’s Office told the court that the report quoting these remarks was “baseless.” Only after the judges rejected that denial and demanded to review the original protocols did it become clear that the report was accurate.

The transcript directly contradicts an affidavit previously submitted to the court, in which it was claimed that all investigative actions were carried out with Mandelblit’s full knowledge and approval. The exposure raises serious questions about the conduct of law-enforcement authorities and about the gap between orders issued behind closed doors and what the official statements presented to the court.

It should also be noted that in the period prior to the indictments filed against Netanyahu, then-Attorney-General Avichai Mandelblit said that “without a bribery charge, there are no indictments.”

Over the past year, the bribery charges have been disproven over and over in court hearings.

In a court hearing a year ago, the judges scoffed at the charges of bribery against Netanyahu, even snapping at the prosecutor that “the court recommended you drop the bribery charges.” [In June 2023, the Jerusalem District Court recommended that the prosecution drop the bribery charges, warning that a conviction was unlikely.]

The protocol released by the court.

HIIUMAA, Estonia (AP) — Temperatures in northern Europe have been so low that citizens of Estonia can now drive across a 20-kilometer (12 1/2-mile) stretch of frozen sea linking the country’s two main islands.

The so-called “ice road” connecting the islands of Saaremaa and Hiiumaa, located in western Estonia between the Baltic Sea and the Gulf of Riga, was officially opened on Sunday with a line of cars waiting to use it that afternoon.

Authorities decided to open the ice road after locals had spontaneously began driving across the frozen sea, exposing themselves to serious risks. Ferries had struggled to keep up regular service in the frozen sea following weeks of temperatures dropping to minus 10 degrees Celsius (14 degrees Fahrenheit).

Estonia set to open its first official ice road of the winter, linking the islands of Hiiumaa and Saaremaa across the frozen Baltic Sea. The 17km route offers a vital lifeline as ferry services remain suspended due to severe weather.

Authorities have warned against the dangers… pic.twitter.com/7xYDJNk59y

— CGTN Europe (@CGTNEurope) February 8, 2026

People living on the smaller island of Hiiumaa, with a population of 9,000, travel to Saaremaa, population 31,000, for shopping, a cup of coffee, or to drop off kids at school. Getting to the larger island also ensures connection to mainland Estonia.

While opening the ice road came out of necessity, Hergo Tasuja, the mayor of Hiiumaa, says it’s also “part of our culture.”

“For generations and generations, local people who live here, especially those who live near the sea, swim and use boats in the summertime,” Tasuja told The Associated Press. “And in winter, it’s in their blood to go to the sea” and step out on the ice, he said.

The road is essentially a marked corridor on the frozen sea where specialists have determined the ice is thick enough to sustain the weight of driving cars.

Yet preparing the road is not easy, said Marek Koppel, a road maintenance supervisor at Verston Eesti, the Estonian construction company in charge of building and managing the ice road. Workers have to measure ice thickness every 100 meters (328 feet) to determine the areas with more than 24 centimeters (9 1/2 inches) of ice, the minimum required for safety. They also smooth over ridged ice and cracks. Weather conditions and the solidity of ice are monitored around the clock and the route amended accordingly.

A car drives on the frozen Soela Strait in the Baltic Sea near Hiiumaa, Estonia, Tuesday, Feb. 10, 2026. (AP Photo/Kostya Manekov)

A vehicle cannot be heavier than 2.5 tons (5,500 pounds) and it has to drive either below 20 kph (12.4 mph), or between 40 and 70 kph (25 and 43 mph) — anything in between can create a vibration that damages the ice. Cars are not allowed to stop and need to maintain a safe distance from one other. Passengers cannot wear seat belts and doors must be easy to open, to allow for fast exit in case of an accident.

“The road was pretty good, it was easy to ride,” said Alexei Ulyvanov, who lives in nearby Tallinn and traveled to the islands to show his children “that it’s possible to ride a car over the sea.”

According to Tasuja, an ice road was last used to connect the islands some eight years ago. Since then, the winters have been too warm.

Verston, the construction company, said authorities contracted them to open two more ice routes this week, this time linking mainland Estonia to two smaller islands.

Two cars cross the frozen Soela Strait in the Baltic Sea near Hiiumaa, Estonia, Tuesday, Feb. 10, 2026. (AP Photo/Kostya Manekov)

City Hall is facing mounting criticism over its decision to leave homeless individuals outdoors during dangerously cold weather, with opponents accusing Mayor Zohran Mamdani’s administration of inaction as winter deaths in New York continue to climb, the NY Post reports.

Despite pleas from advocates and former officials, the administration held firm to its current approach even as the city’s winter death toll reached 18. The refusal to intervene has drawn sharper contrast with actions taken in other major cities, where leaders have ordered emergency measures to bring people inside during extreme cold.

“When a person is in imminent danger, there is no debate. Whatever ideological divides we have should not have any impact on these policies during a ‘Code Blue,’” Brian Stettin, a former senior adviser in Mayor Eric Adams’ administration, told The Post.

Stettin pointed to the widely publicized case of a homeless woman seen muttering to herself while enduring brutal, subzero conditions, calling the situation “infuriating” and insisting that officials should have acted immediately.

“They should be doing everything they can to get them inside. That is why we need cops out on the streets. We are talking about an imminent threat to life or safety; there shouldn’t be any debate with advocates over that.”

The woman survived the extreme cold spell — which brought temperatures in parts of the city lower than those recorded in Antarctica — but remained on the sidewalk as of Monday. First responders told The Post that under existing city rules, they were unable to compel her to accept help.

Reporters attempted to speak with the woman, who was sheltering in a makeshift structure on East 34th Street across from NYU Langone Hospital, but she did not respond. Workers at nearby businesses said she has stayed in the same spot for “years” and that no effort had been made to move her since Saturday.

Over the weekend, City Hall briefed City Council members, but according to one council source, there was little discussion of involuntary removals of people from the streets.

The mayor’s office has argued that its hands are tied by the current “last resort” standard, which allows officials to force someone indoors only if they are judged to be an immediate danger to themselves or others — a framework critics have long described as vague and unscientific.

In contrast, Baltimore Mayor Brandon Scott, whom Mamdani has previously praised for reducing crime, took a more aggressive stance during a recent cold snap. Scott declared the weather an emergency and directed police to bring people indoors even if they refused assistance.

“That direction order came from me because we cannot allow folks to be out in this kind of weather,” Scott said.

A City Hall spokeswoman dismissed comparisons to Baltimore, citing differences between New York and Maryland law. But former city Comptroller Scott Stringer argued that Baltimore’s response better reflects the urgency of the situation, noting that New York’s policy relies heavily on subjective judgment and that the mayor has broad authority in how it is applied.

“You bring ’em in, and you worry about the court case later,” he said.

“The question is: Is it ideology or incompetence for the lack of action? Saving lives is the most important thing you can do as an elected official. The standard has to be in this extreme weather, ‘Can they survive the night?’ And that’s what Baltimore is saying,” Stringer said.

“It’s just not a tough call when people can die in the night. I don’t understand why it’s so complicated.”

City Hall press secretary Dora Pekec said the Mamdani administration has not altered any policies related to removals that were in place under Adams.

Another source said the Department of Sanitation has been instructed to avoid dismantling homeless encampments, marking a shift from prior practice. Instead of clearing sidewalks, sanitation workers are reportedly told to carefully organize belongings left by people living outdoors, while police are barred from taking steps to remove encampments.

“It’s been essentially confusion across the board. Sanitation is now like maid services for the homeless,” said another council source.

{Matzav.com}

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For the first time since its passage, Israel has implemented legislation allowing for the removal of citizenship and deportation of terrorists, applying the law to two individuals convicted of deadly attacks.

The decision targets Mahmoud Ahmed, who received a 23-year prison sentence for a series of shooting assaults on soldiers and civilians, as well as for acquiring weapons and plotting additional attacks. It also applies to Mohammed Ahmed Hussein Alhasi, who was sentenced to 18 years in prison for a 2016 stabbing attack in which two elderly women were wounded.

The action followed authorization from Israel’s security authorities and the attorney general. The formal order was signed by Prime Minister Bibi Netanyahu, acting in his capacity on behalf of the Interior Ministry.

Announcing the step, Netanyahu said, “This morning, I signed the revocation of the citizenship and expulsion of two Israeli terrorists who carried out stabbing and shooting attacks against Israeli civilians and were rewarded for their criminal actions by the Palestinian Authority.”

{Matzav.com}

By Y.M. Lowy

What began as heavy snowfall two weeks ago has turned into persistent ice still covering corners and sidewalks throughout Boro Park. After many days of below-freezing temperatures, most of the snow didn't melt; instead, it compacted and hardened into layered, semi-permanent piles.

On many blocks, cars are parked on top of frozen mounds where plows pushed snow aside. Fire hydrants remain partly sealed in ice, and crews have had to chip away just to clear access. Children heading to school buses in the mornings are climbing over mini ice hills, while pedestrians walk in single-file paths where only a narrow strip has been shoveled.

Usually, the snow piles shrink after a few days. This winter, the cold held steady, preserving the layers. Even on sunnier days, the surface softens slightly and then refreezes overnight, adding another shell.

And while the debate elsewhere has centered on City Hall’s handling, with the new Mamdani administration drawing plenty of attention, residents across the spectrum seem united on one simple reality: we’ve just lived through a historic stretch of winter weather, where the deep freeze that followed the storm locked the snow in place far longer than anyone is used to.

BoroPark24 went out with the camera to document how the streets still look so long after the snowfall, capturing scenes that show just how stubborn this ice has become. The result is an icy landscape that feels less like a passing inconvenience and more like a winter residents won’t soon forget.

WASHINGTON (AP) — America’s 250th anniversary arrives at a time of deep political divisions and, in some quarters, heightened anxiety over whether representative government in the world’s oldest democracy can be sustained.

Cultural institutions, sporting events, even communities are polarized. If there is any place the bitter partisanship is set aside, even temporarily, it is in the rotunda of the National Archives. This is home to the nation’s founding documents, including the one that will be commemorated this year, the Declaration of Independence.

The room is filled with a silent sense of reverence as visitors gaze down at the light brown parchment, secured under bullet-proof glass, that helped create the foundation of a government that has been a beacon of inspiration for people around the world for more than two centuries.

Its significance was not lost on those who filtered in on a recent day, braving a deep freeze in the nation’s capital to ensure they would not miss this stop on their Washington tour. Even as the crowd grew, the room was filled with a sense that people knew they were in the presence of something momentous.

Their visits coincided with a national reckoning over President Donald Trump’s aggressive immigration enforcement actions, which had led to the shooting deaths of two U.S. citizens on the streets of Minneapolis and grave concerns about attacks on constitutional rights. The Associated Press interviewed visitors after they had viewed the Declaration of Independence, along with the Constitution and Bill of Rights, for their thoughts on the state of America and its future as it approached its semiquincentennial moment.

They acknowledged the country’s ideological divides but were reluctant to assign blame, in many cases expressing hope the nation would be able to repair itself, as it has done many times over its history. With the Rotunda’s bus-sized oil on canvas paintings of the Founding Fathers as a backdrop, they gave complicated responses when asked whether America was living up to the ideals of its founding documents and where it might be headed.

Rev. Michael Stokes of London, looks at the Bill of Rights at the National Archives Thursday, Jan. 29, 2026, in Washington. (AP Photo/John McDonnell)

Despite divides, the nation has found ways to come together
Ryan O’Neil, visiting from West Bloomfield, Michigan, said that while the country is split politically — what he called “very tribal” — he finds hope in the documents he viewed at the National Archives because they have guided the country for 250 years.

“We’ve not yet lived up to everything that we had hoped to, but we are continuing to progress and get closer to that,” he said.

The Archives has a special exhibit marking the 250th anniversary, “The American Story,” that highlights that complex history, mixing the country’s astonishing accomplishments and advances with images showing its darker moments.

O’Neil, 42, said the U.S. has been in similar divisive situations throughout its history and always managed to regroup. The one constant, he said is that the country’s political pendulum is always swinging.

“Despite many tests over the years, going back to its founding, throughout the last 250 years it has withstood challenges, has withstood complaints, has withstood protests,” he said, “and continues to evolve to what we have today.”

How would the founders approach this moment?
Kevin Sullivan had traveled to Washington from Milwaukee with his wife to visit their children and attend the confirmation of their oldest grandson.

He acknowledged the country was in a divisive moment, but said it wasn’t the only one the country had faced, and that gave him hope for the future.

“So I have some faith that we’ll put some of the uglier partisan disputes behind us,” he said.

Sullivan, 69, said he supported at least a few of Trump’s goals, including securing the southern border, but was conflicted about the president’s approach.

Two guards oversee the United States Constitution at the National Archives Thursday, Jan. 29, 2026, in Washington. (AP Photo/John McDonnell)

He opposed Democratic threats to shut off funding for the Department of Homeland Security without drastic reforms to U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement and other federal law enforcement agencies, but he also said he didn’t like the mass deportation policy.

His advice to lawmakers and the president would be to get away from the cameras and hold meaningful discussions to find solutions. Looking at the oil paintings with images of the founders, he said having an equivalent of today’s media trying to report on the writing of the Declaration probably “would not have been a positive development for the decisions and the discussions that were going on at Independence Hall.”

The view from outside the US: ‘some confusion’
The Rev. Michael Stokes, a priest with the Church of England, was visiting friends in the Washington area. Before heading to the rotunda, he saw the Magna Carta, the English document signed in 1215 that set up a series of rights for the people and served as a model for America’s system of government.

Stokes, 30, said others look at the diversity of people, religions and industry that all come together “for this one common purpose of America.” It’s a vision that has inspired the world, he said, but also is one that appears to be waning.

“I think this is the time in history where it’s been challenged the most with the actions of the current administration. I think that the rest of the world is looking and seeing how this thing, this Constitution, which is held with such pride, the Bill of Rights, which is held with pride, how can that also be held in tension with a popularly elected government that seems to disregard so much of it,” Stokes said. “And I think the rest of the world is looking at that with some confusion.”

Life, liberty and a pursuit still in progress
Morgan Whitman, an executive assistant, was in Washington on business from Miami and was seeing the documents for the first time.

She said reading them created a mix of emotions. The ideals were lofty, she said, but “there’s also of course the feelings of hypocrisy” because Thomas Jefferson had argued for a passage opposing slavery that was not included.

“So I think we have this document that fought for independence and life, liberty, the pursuit of happiness,” she said. “My only wish was that it was for everybody at the time.”

Whitman, 25, said she is grateful for being granted rights that many others around the world do not have, but also said she is afraid some of those are under threat. She cited the killing by federal agents of Veterans Affairs ICU nurse Alex Pretti in Minneapolis.

“Take immigration out of it. These are American citizens that are being harmed now,” she said. “That’s unacceptable.”

The spirit of 1776. Is it alive today?
Jerry Curl was visiting the capital with his wife, Bobbi, from their home in Diamond, Illinois. A Trump supporter, he said the president’s second term has so far “lived up to my beliefs.”

But he also said he has stepped away from news coverage recently because it is too negative. When asked about the administration’s immigration enforcement, he wanted to see more discussions where people could share their views and do so respectfully.

He said trying to understand one another is crucial to maintaining American democracy.

”We owe it to our future generations that we never meet to uphold this,” he said of the founding documents.

Curl, 62, said the signers of the Declaration undoubtedly disagreed and had different beliefs, but they were able to find common ground as they took the first step to creating a new nation. He wonders whether the same spirit is alive today.

“Where we can now find common grounds to keep this one great nation on track is hard for me to fathom,” he said.

TRENTON, N.J. (AP) — Former congressman Tom Malinowski conceded on Tuesday to Analilia Mejia, a longtime progressive activist and former political director for Sen. Bernie Sanders, in the crowded Democratic primary in New Jersey’s U.S. House special election.

The special election is being held to fill the seat vacated when Mikie Sherrill stepped down to become governor.

“I look forward to supporting her in the April general election,” Malinowski said in a statement.

Mejia overtook Malinowski by a narrow margin on election night. The Associated Press has not yet called the race.

All three counties in the district report some mail-in ballots yet to be processed. Also, mail-in ballots postmarked by election day can arrive as late as Wednesday and still be counted.

She had the endorsement of noted progressives, including Sanders, an independent from Vermont, and U.S. Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez of New York.

A former director of the Working Families Alliance in New Jersey, Mejia, 48, is a well-known figure in state politics, advocating for progressive causes. She was Sanders’ political director during his 2020 presidential run, and served as deputy director of the Labor Department’s Women’s Bureau under President Joe Biden.

Mejia would face Republican Joe Hathaway, who was unopposed in his primary, in the special general election April 16.

Other leading Democrats who sought the nomination were Brendan Gill, an elected commissioner in Essex County, and Tahesha Way, who was lieutenant governor and secretary of state for two terms until last month.

Also on the ballot were John Bartlett, Zach Beecher, J-L Cauvin, Marc Chaaban, Cammie Croft, Dean Dafis, Jeff Grayzel, Justin Strickland and Anna Lee Williams.

The district covers parts of Essex, Morris and Passaic counties in northern New Jersey, including some of New York City’s wealthier suburbs.

Sherrill represented the district for four terms after her 2018 election. She won despite the region’s historical loyalty to the Republican Party, a dynamic that began to shift during President Donald Trump’s first term.

Satellite imagery shows that Iran has buried the main tunnel entrances at its nuclear facility near Isfahan, indicating that Tehran may be preparing for possible military strikes or covert operations, according to a Washington-based monitoring group.

The Institute for Science and International Security said images taken Sunday show that two tunnel entrances at the site have been completely covered with soil, while a third northern entrance has been reinforced with additional protective measures. The group also reported that vehicle activity near the entrances has ceased.

In a statement, the institute said the apparent backfilling suggests Iran is seeking to protect sensitive materials from potential attacks by the United States, Israel, or both.

“Backfilling the tunnel entrances would help dampen any potential airstrike and make ground access more difficult,” the institute said, adding that Iran may have moved highly enriched uranium into the underground tunnels for protection.

The organization noted that similar preparations were observed before previous strikes on nuclear facilities at Fordow and Natanz.

Before Israel’s 12-day conflict with Iran in June, the country operated three major nuclear sites. The Isfahan facility has primarily been used to produce uranium gas for centrifuge enrichment.

Last month, satellite images showed new roofing structures at the site, which analysts said could indicate efforts to recover materials while limiting outside observation.

(YWN World Headquarters – NYC)

Rav Yitzchok Yosef delivered unusually sharp comments criticizing the police, government authorities, and religious-Zionist influences, expressing deep pain over what he described as hostility toward the chareidi and religious public.

In remarks published Tuesday by Ynet, the Rav said he is scheduled to deliver a shiur to police officers ahead of Pesach and made clear that he intends to address what he sees as a disturbing attitude toward frum Jews.

Referring to the upcoming session, Rav Yosef said, “How much hatred do they have for the chareidi? I intend to give them a hard time. Where does this hatred for the religious people come from?” He portrayed the issue as part of a broader cultural and ideological struggle facing Torah-observant Jews in Eretz Yisroel.

Rav Yosef went on to place blame on religious-Zionist messaging and protest activity, stating, “It’s the pamphlets from the Mizrachi people, all of them. How much hatred they have. Those who are protesting, what kind of beatings do they give them?” His words reflected outrage over reports of police violence and what he described as aggressive treatment of demonstrators.

Expanding his criticism, Rav Yosef turned his attention to the current government, accusing it of targeting Sephardic Torah Jews in particular. “We need to break this government, what wicked people. They come only for our Sephardim, trying to break their spirit. I can understand Russian police officers, there are non-Jews among them, I understand why they hate us. But also the Sephardic police officers have become haters? What kind of beatings do they give.”

Rav Yosef concluded by sharply opposing the custom practiced in some circles of reciting Hallel on Israel’s Independence Day, framing it as fundamentally incompatible with a Torah view of galus. “We are in exile. How can you say Hallel on Independence Day? One of the Mizrachi people told me he says Hallel on Independence Day. What is there to say Hallel on Independence Day for? For the beatings from the police? For the arrests? For the mixed swimming pools? For the mixed beaches? For the secular education? They tell me, ‘No, we have a country.’ Fools.”

{Matzav.com}

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Trump administration is expected this week to revoke a scientific finding that long has been the central basis for U.S. action to regulate greenhouse gas emissions and fight climate change, according to a White House official.

The Environmental Protection Agency will issue a final rule rescinding a 2009 government declaration known as the endangerment finding. That Obama-era policy determined that carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases endanger public health and welfare.

A White House official, speaking on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to confirm the details ahead of an official announcement, confirmed the plans, which were first reported by the Wall Street Journal.

“This week at the White House, President Trump will be taking the most significant deregulatory actions in history to further unleash American energy dominance and drive down costs,” said White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt in a statement.

The endangerment finding is the legal underpinning of nearly all climate regulations under the Clean Air Act for motor vehicles, power plants and other pollution sources that are heating the planet. It is used to justify regulations, such as auto emissions standards, intended to protect against threats made increasingly severe by climate change — deadly floods, extreme heat waves, catastrophic wildfires and other natural disasters in the United States and around the world.

Legal challenges would be certain for any action that effectively would repeal those regulations, with environmental groups describing the shift as the single biggest attack in U.S. history on federal efforts to address climate change.

An EPA spokesperson did not address when the finding would be revoked but reiterated that the agency is finalizing a new rule on it.

Brigit Hirsch said via email that the Obama-era rule was “one of the most damaging decisions in modern history” and said EPA “is actively working to deliver a historic action for the American people.”

President Donald Trump, who has called climate change a “hoax,” previously issued an executive order that directed EPA to submit a report “the legality and continuing applicability” of the endangerment finding. Conservatives and some congressional Republicans have long sought to undo what they consider overly restrictive and economically damaging rules to limit greenhouse gases that cause global warming.

Lee Zeldin, a former Republican congressman who was tapped by President Donald Trump to lead EPA last year, has criticized his predecessors in Democratic administrations, saying they were “willing to bankrupt the country” in an effort to combat climate change.

Democrats “created this endangerment finding and then they are able to put all these regulations on vehicles, on airplanes, on stationary sources, to basically regulate out of existence … segments of our economy,″ Zeldin said in announcing the proposed rule last year. ”And it cost Americans a lot of money.”

Peter Zalzal, a lawyer and associate vice president of the Environmental Defense Fund, countered that the EPA will be encouraging more climate pollution, higher health insurance and fuel costs and thousands of avoidable premature deaths.

Zeldin’s push “is cynical and deeply damaging, given the mountain of scientific evidence supporting the finding, the devastating climate harms Americans are experiencing right now and EPA’s clear obligation to protect Americans’ health and welfare,” he said.

Zalzal and other critics noted that the Supreme Court ruled in a 2007 case that planet-warming greenhouse gases, caused by burning of oil and other fossil fuels, are air pollutants under the Clean Air Act.

Since the high court’s decision, in a case known as Massachusetts v. EPA, courts have uniformly rejected legal challenges to the endangerment finding, including a 2023 decision by the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit.

University of Pennsylvania climate scientist Michael Mann said a rollback would cement the latest form of Republican climate denial.

“They can no longer deny climate change is happening, so instead they’re pretending it’s not a threat, despite the overwhelming scientific evidence that it is, perhaps the greatest threat that we face today,” Mann said.

By Rabbi Shlomo Weinrib. In the Atrium Ballroom in Monsey, the lights were dimmed, the only light came from the candles in the center of the room. 1,300 neshamos stood in a large circle, arms around each other’s shoulders, swaying as their voices rose together with the deep desire of every yid: שבתי בבית ה’ כל ימי חיי…. Eyes closed, hearts open, and emotions soaring, the words resonated deeply within them. They had embarked on the journey of life with a real connection to Torah, fostered by the masechta they knew so well. These were boys of Bonai Chavivai, who had not just learned, but owned their masechtos. Clarity. Chazara. Ownership. A foundation for their learning for years to come.

Bonai Chavai has been changing the landscape of communities across the United States for the past nine years by encouraging boys to not just learn or finish a masechta for their Bar Mitzvah, but to own it. Through a structured system of chazara, together with guidance and chizuk by experienced rebbeim, thousands of boys have come to their Bar Mitzvah with a masechta they can call their own, and a deep appreciation for chazara in whatever they learn.

The Annual Bonai Chavivai Melava Malka on Motzei Shabbos Parshas Va’eira brought together boys and their fathers from multiple cities, including Monsey, Passaic, Philadelphia, Lakewood, Waterbury, Staten Island, Five Towns, Cleveland, and Chicago. It was an evening to rejoice and celebrate the accomplishments of their investment, learning with a goal of clarity and ownership.

The event opened with a retzufos seder in the Atrium’s chuppah room, hundreds of boys filling the beis medrash and spilling into an adjoining room. The aura was one of excitement, the geshmak of gemara they felt was evident in the way the gemara flowed easily off their tongues. Rabbi Moshe Baruch Newman shlit”a, father of Rabbi Dovid Newman, founder of Bonai Chavivai, ended the retzufos seder with an impassioned speech, highlighting the tremendous zechusim being generated by the boys through their thousands of blatt of chazara.

The evening’s program continued with a seudah that underscored the fact that this was much more than a siyum; it was a celebration of a shared commitment to making Torah theirs. During the seudah some boys shared their experience in Bonai Chavivai. For one, Bonai Chavivai had redefined how he saw his Shabbos, Yom Tov, and summer break. They were transformed into another chance to revisit the masechta he knew. For another, the few minutes waiting for a chuppah to start became moments of opportunity; he can jump in and instantly know what the gemara is saying.

“I remember once sitting down on Shabbos afternoon to chazer,” shared one boy, “and I wasn’t really in the mood to open a gemara. But once I started learning, and it was so familiar to me, I kept going. Nobody told me to; there were no incentives; I did it simply because of the geshmak that I felt.” The sweetness in learning that drives a boy to spend his Shabbos afternoons chazering is the result of the focus on clarity and countless chazaras. As one boy remarked, “I am coming to a point where I find it difficult to go a day without chazara.” Such are the levels that true ownership in gemara brings to.

Rabbi Dovid Newman mentioned the words of the Chafetz Chaim who enumerates the benefits of owning a masechta. It allows one to chazer wherever he is, it engraves the Torah on a person’s heart, and brings a person to אשרי מי שבא לכאן ותלמודו בידו. The word לכאן, explained Rabbi Newman, is gematria 101. There are handfuls of boys in this room who have taken upon themselves to learn their masechta 101 times! When one truly loves learning, the sky is the limit!

The highlight of the evening was the grand siyum. 247 boys who had been mesayem their masechtos many times, took it upon themselves to chazer it yet again in honor of the Melava Malka. The scene was surreal, as the boys ended off the hadran and erupted in dancing that seemed to come from another world. Months of simchas haTorah burst forth in a celebration that broke all barriers. Boys from Monsey, Passaic or Lakewood danced side by side, sharing the same joy — Torah belonged to them, was part of them, and had transformed who they were. When someone is truly connected to the Torah, it changes him as a person. As the guest speaker, Rabbi Ephraim Wachsman said, “A boy that has a kinyan in Torah is a completely different person; he is on an entirely different level.”

Bonai Chavivai is creating a revolution. As Rabbi Dovid Delouya, director of Bonai Chavivai’s Monsey branch shared, “Rabbi Newman remarked to me 9 years ago that one day it will be the norm for 12-year-old boys to ask each other, ‘What’s your Bar Mitzvah masechta?’. That has become a reality today!” Boys are entering adulthood with a new perspective — “I want to not just turn pages, but really know what I’m learning”. They are gaining appreciation for the necessity of chazara and its power to bring true mesikas hatorah.

As the evening came to a close, the music slowed, and a large circle formed around the perimeter of the room. R’ Baruch Levine led the oilam in a kumzitz that wrapped up the feelings of the evening. The joy of a life of Torah, tefillos for more understanding, and the yearning for a life steeped in limud haTorah. The candles dimmed, the music faded, but the message was strong. True mesikus comes from chazara, ownership, holding on. They had tasted it — and were never letting go.

To bring Bonai Chavivai to your community please reach out to Rabbi Dovid Newman, [email protected].

A new survey by the American Jewish Committee (AJC) found that roughly one-third of American Jews were targets of antisemitic incidents in 2025, underscoring a troubling “new normal” following the Oct. 7 attacks.

The figure showed no change from the previous year, suggesting that levels of harassment and discrimination have plateaued rather than improved. The survey, conducted from Sept. 26 to Oct. 9, also found that 55 percent of respondents avoided certain activities out of fear, including skipping events or refraining from wearing visible Jewish symbols.

“Things aren’t getting markedly better,” said Ted Deutch, AJC’s chief executive. “We can’t accept this as a baseline, and America shouldn’t accept that.”

More than two-thirds of respondents said Jews in the United States were less secure than a year ago. Many cited recent high-profile attacks, including the arson at the home of Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro, as contributing to feelings of insecurity.

For the first time, the survey also measured views of President Donald Trump’s response to antisemitism. About two-thirds disapproved, with sharp partisan divides between Jewish Democrats and Republicans.

The findings come amid debate within the Jewish community over how best to respond. Political theorist Yoram Hazony has criticized existing advocacy efforts, while columnist Bret Stephens has urged greater focus on strengthening Jewish life.

Deutch rejected framing the issue as a choice between security and community-building. “We don’t have the luxury of choosing one or the other,” he said, calling the report a warning not only for Jews, but for American society as a whole.

(YWN World Headquarters – NYC)

WASHINGTON (Israel Hayom) – Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is departing today on a brief trip to Washington, with a meeting with President Donald Trump at its center. The discussion is expected to focus on the Iranian threat.

אני יוצא עכשיו לארצות הברית לנסיעה השביעית שלי, להיפגש עם הנשיא טראמפ מאז שהוא נבחר בקדנציה השנייה. זה כמובן לא כולל את הביקור הבלתי נשכח שלו בישראל והנאום שלו בכנסת.
אני חושב שהדברים האלה משקפים את הקרבה הייחודית ביחסים יוצאי הדופן שיש לנו עם ארצות הברית ולי אישית עם הנשיא,… pic.twitter.com/Kz7FuCZCdb

— Benjamin Netanyahu – בנימין נתניהו (@netanyahu) February 10, 2026

The sources described the visit as a kind of “maintenance trip,” intended to clarify Israel’s positions directly to the president, against the backdrop of indirect talks that began Friday between the US and Iran.

Pro-regime demonstrators in Iran burn Israeli and US flags. Photo: EPA

In an official statement, the Prime Minister’s Office said that “the prime minister believes any negotiations must include limits on ballistic missiles and an end to support for the Iranian axis.”

Netanyahu’s remarks came in response to statements by Trump suggesting that negotiations would focus, at Iran’s demand, solely on uranium enrichment and not on other issues. However, according to officials, “there has been no change in the American position.” That position was articulated last week by Secretary of State and National Security Adviser Marco Rubio.

Rubio said that for negotiations to “lead to something meaningful,” they must include “the range of ballistic missiles, their support for terrorist organizations around the world, their nuclear program and their treatment of their own people.” According to sources who have spoken in recent days with senior administration officials, the entire US leadership shares these views, even if it has not stated them publicly.

Over the weekend, Trump once again hosted Sen. Lindsey Graham for a round of golf and for watching the Super Bowl. Graham is known for his hawkish positions on Iran and has repeatedly spoken in favor of seizing what he sees as a historic opportunity to topple the ayatollahs’ regime. On Sunday, however, Graham struck a more restrained tone, saying only that “as to any deal between Iran and the US, I hope it can meet our national security objectives and the needs of the people of Iran through diplomacy.” In effect, Graham included Iran’s internal situation among US national security objectives.

Trump. Photo: AP

Outflanking Trump from the right

The senator also said that “I am open minded, understanding any agreement with the Islamic Republic and the United States must come to Congress for review and a vote.” This final point also underscores the slim chances of Trump reaching an agreement, since the Democratic Party is expected to oppose any deal he submits for approval. Many hawkish Republicans, including Graham, would likely join them.

On the sidelines of the prime minister’s trip, the incoming commander of the Israeli Air Force, Brig. Gen. Omer Tischler, will not be joining the delegation, despite earlier plans. Representing Israel’s security establishment will be the prime minister’s military secretary, Maj. Gen. Roman Gofman.

Ultimately, if there are people who truly know Trump’s plans, they are few. In both Israel and Washington, rumors are swirling about preparations and scenarios, misdirection and timelines. Trump is keeping his cards close to his chest. His limited public remarks, and even more so those of other senior administration officials, are only deepening the fog. One can only hope that the president and his team do not lose their way within it.

Speaking at a dramatic gathering Monday night in his home in Bnei Brak, Hagaon Rav Dov Landau sharply condemned the recent arrests of yeshiva bochurim and delivered a stark warning to the authorities, declaring that “anyone who is a partner to this terrible crime should know—there is a Creator of the world, there is judgment (yeish din), and there is a Judge (v‘yeish Dayan).”

The remarks were delivered alongside Rav Moshe Hillel Hirsch during an event marking the completion of Maseches Negaim by Kollel Taharos. Opening his address, Rav Landau praised the growth of Torah learning, saying, “Boruch Hashem, Torah is increasing among the people of Israel. Those who learn Torah are toiling in every place with depth, effort, and devotion, in all areas of Torah.” Turning to the participants, he added words of encouragement: “You are engaged in the study of Seder Taharos, and with siyata d’Shmaya you are completing a masechta learned with true chavrusah dedication. May Hashem help you continue onward and rise higher in Torah learning.”

Immediately afterward, Rav Landau turned to the issue of the arrests. “Unfortunately, there are those who do not understand the greatness and spiritual power of the Torah, and they even pursue those who learn Torah,” he said. “In recent days, Torah learners have once again been arrested. This shakes the heart of every Jew.” He then issued his pointed warning: “Anyone who is a partner to the terrible crime of restricting those who learn Torah should know—there is a Creator of the world, there is judgment, and there is a Judge.”

Rav Landau expressed deep solidarity with those who have been detained and their families. “We all share in the pain of those who have been imprisoned because of their desire to learn Torah, and in the pain of their families, and we pray with all our hearts that this evil decree will pass like dissipating smoke,” he said. He also alluded to ongoing efforts behind the scenes, noting, “Everyone also knows that actions are being taken now to ensure that such cases do not continue.”

At the same time, Rav Landau cautioned that the current situation is dangerous and issued practical guidance to bochurim and yungeleit who fear arrest. “It is clear that we are now in a difficult state in which Torah learners are being pursued and searched for everywhere,” he warned. “Certainly, bochurim and yungeleit who are at risk of arrest must be careful not to come into contact with the authorities. In times of danger, all paths are considered dangerous, until the situation is resolved, with Hashem’s help, in the near future.”

Rav Landau concluded, “May it be His will that we always rejoice with the Torah without any interference, and that this decree be nullified.”

{Matzav.com}

QUEENS (VINnews) – Former council member and current Met Council CEO David Greenfield challenged attendees at Sunday’s Queens Jewish Community Council Legislative Breakfast to show pride in their Jewish identity amid rising antisemitism. Addressing children who feel hesitant to wear yarmulkes and instead opt for baseball caps, Greenfield said he understood their caution.

“But as you can see,” he added, gesturing to his own head, “my yarmulke has been getting bigger and bigger — not because I’ve become more religious, but because I want to show that I am proud to be a Jew and I am not afraid.”

My controversial take at Sunday’s breakfast of Jewish leaders in NYC: if your 10 year old is afraid to wear a yarmulke on the bus or train, let them wear a baseball cap. pic.twitter.com/6JtjjdSAth

— David G. Greenfield (@NYCGreenfield) February 10, 2026

The annual breakfast, held at Young Israel of Jamaica Estates in Queens, opened with the U.S. National Anthem and Hatikvah, performed by Cantor Alan Brava of the Free Synagogue of Flushing. Greenfield described the attendees as “important members of the community” and encouraged them to lead by example.

Numerous elected officials from New York State and New York City, including many from Queens, attended the event. Among them were New York State Attorney General Letitia James, New York City Council Speaker Julie Menin, New York State Comptroller Thomas DiNapoli, New York City Comptroller Mark Levine, Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz, U.S. Representatives Grace Meng and Tom Suozzi, former New York State Representative and current QJCC President Barry Grodenchik, QJCC Executive Director Mayer Waxman, and many others.

CORTINA D’AMPEZZO, Italy (AP) — Ukrainian skeleton athlete Vladyslav Heraskevych will be allowed to wear a black armband in competition at the Milan Cortina Games, the International Olympic Committee said Tuesday, but not the helmet he wants to wear that is painted to commemorate the lives of athletes from his country who were killed in the war with Russia.

The IOC called the move a compromise.

“I think what we’ve tried to do is to address his desires with compassion and understanding,” IOC spokesman Mark Adams said Tuesday. “He has expressed himself on social media and in the training and, as you know, we will not stop him expressing himself in press conferences, as he leaves competition in the mixed zone and elsewhere. We feel that this is a good compromise in the situation.”

Not long afterward, Heraskevych wore the tribute helmet for his first of two training runs on Tuesday, which suggests that Ukraine has filed an appeal. He did not appear to be wearing a black armband.

In a letter to the Ukrainian Olympic Commmitte, the IOC said Heraskevych would not be able to “compete” in the personalized helmet. What is permitted for training runs was not specified.

Heraskevych said the IOC told him Monday night that he could not wear the helmet that shows the faces of several Ukrainian athletes who have been killed since 2022 because Olympic officials decided it broke the rule banning political statements.

Rule 50 of the Olympic Charter in part states that “no kind of demonstration or political, religious or racial propaganda is permitted in any Olympic sites, venues or other areas.”

Heraskevych — who was fourth at last year’s world championships and is generally considered a medal hopeful at these Games — has more training runs scheduled for Wednesday, and he is expected to compete in the Olympic men’s skeleton race Thursday.

The IOC noted that it has banned armbands in the past, but is willing to make an exception in Heraskevych’s case. The move by the IOC doesn’t mean all athletes can wear armbands, and if Heraskevych chooses to do so, it cannot include any text, Adams said.

“We don’t want everyone wearing a black armband for every competition,” Adams said. “But where there’s a good reasoning, it will be considered properly.”

Heraskevych said he is still pushing for a fair outcome, adding that he has seen Russian flags — which were supposed to be banned at these games — in the stands at some events, and wonders why they are allowed by the IOC.

“We didn’t violate any rules, and it should be allowed for me to compete with this helmet,” Heraskevych told The Associated Press on Monday, before Ukrainian sliding officials met with a representative from the IOC and learned the helmet would not be allowed. “I cannot understand how this helmet hurt anyone. It’s to pay tribute to athletes and some of them were medalists in the Youth Olympic Games. That means they’re Olympic family. They were part of this Olympic family, so I cannot understand they would find a reason why not.”

Figure skater Dmytro Sharpar, a onetime Youth Olympic Games teammate of Heraskevych, is on the helmet, as are boxer Pavlo Ishchenko, hockey player Oleksiy Loginov and others. Some, Heraskevych said, were killed on the front lines; at least one died while trying to distribute aid to fellow Ukrainians.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy weighed in on Heraskevych’s quest, with a post on his Instagram page saying that he wanted to thank the slider for “reminding the world the price of our struggle.”

Heraskevych, a flag bearer for Ukraine at last week’s opening ceremony, displayed a sign after his fourth and final run of the 2022 Beijing Olympics saying “No War in Ukraine.” Days after those Games ended, Russia invaded his country and the war has continued since.

WASHINGTON — Carrie Prejean Boller, a member of the White House Religious Freedom Commission appointed by President Donald Trump, faced sharp criticism Tuseday after making controversial statements Monday about Jews and Israel during the panel’s first hearing.

During the discussion on antisemitism in the U.S., Boller said she believes “Jews killed Jesus” and added that, due to her Catholic faith, “she does not support Zionists.” She also asked panel participants, “Does my opposition to the State of Israel make me antisemitic, yes or no?” drawing boos from some attendees.

Thank you all for the love and support I’ve received. I will continue to stand against Zionist supremacy in America. I’m a proud Catholic. I, in no way will be forced to embrace Zionism as a fulfillment of biblical prophesy. I am a free American. Not a slave to a foreign nation.

— Carrie Prejean Boller (@CarriePrejean1) February 10, 2026

Boller confronted Jewish witnesses who shared experiences of antisemitism following the Hamas attack on October 7, questioning the definition of the term. She also defended right-wing commentator Candace Owens, who has previously made statements described as antisemitic.

An open letter to Carrie Prejean Boller:

Yesterday, you wore the flag of a foreign country to the White House Religious Liberties Meeting, I did not.

I focused my testimony, the opening of which is copied below, on the countless concrete examples of religious discrimination… pic.twitter.com/fBCUEMI2px

— Shabbos Kestenbaum (@ShabbosK) February 10, 2026

Rabbi Meir Soloveichik, the commission’s only Jewish member, responded that Boller’s statements misrepresented both Jewish and Catholic communities. Advocacy groups called for her removal, citing her social media posts accusing Israel of “deliberate starvation” and “murdering children” and criticizing Zionist Christians.

Just took a look at Carrie Prejean Boller's instagram accounts, and…sheesh. She's a conspiracy theorist with an Israel obsession. https://t.co/q1XUENzwYN

— Corey Walker 🇺🇸 (@CoreyWriting) February 9, 2026

Meliora Raz, CEO of StopAntisemitism, said Boller’s rhetoric “constitute[s] a red line” and urged Texas Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick, the commission’s chairman, to remove her.

I attended today’s Religious Liberty hearing and urge everyone to watch it. Powerful, substantive testimony from @AriBermanYU, @ShabbosK, @SethDillon, @coachbrucepearl, @TheLeoTerrell, and multiple Commission members. It became clear that Commissioner Carrie Prejean Boller… https://t.co/OQfVcgDfiw

— Karen Paikin Barall (@kpbarall) February 9, 2026

Nobody asked you to be a Zionist. They asked you to not use a religious hearing to harass every Jew on the panel as you said Israel doesn’t have a right to exist and showed up wearing a Palestinian flag.

You want to be a victim so badly. What type of Catholic attacks…

— Laura Loomer (@LauraLoomer) February 10, 2026

I agree with @LauraLoomer .

How did Carrie Prejean Boller get onto President Trump’s Religious Liberty Commission? @CarriePrejean1

I know her.

She says she’s not an antisemite.
Based on my own interactions and her takes – she is not a fan of Jews.

And today?
That was… pic.twitter.com/MlyHJXlyWV

— Stella Escobedo (@StellaEscoTV) February 10, 2026

No one forces Catholics "to embrace Zionism as a fulfillment of biblical prophesy."

But if you want to sit on a WH Religious Liberties Commission you should refrain from attacking Jews at a hearing, defending Antisemites, and supporting the terrorists who want to destroy Israel. https://t.co/Kp1wlwxHsj

— Joel M. Petlin (@Joelmpetlin) February 10, 2026

The Fifth Annual Shabbos of Emunah and Bitachon once again drew a full crowd, continuing a tradition that has become a meaningful stop for people looking for serious Torah engagement around faith, clarity, and inner strength. Reservations filled quickly, a sign of how much these Shabbosim have resonated year after year.

Held in a comfortable and well-run setting, the Shabbos combined a strong program with an atmosphere that made it easy to settle in and focus. Guests enjoyed beautifully prepared seudos, uplifting tefillos led by an outstanding baal tefillah, top-tier musical performances, and a thoughtfully organized children’s program. The schedule was full but well paced, leaving room for learning, reflection, and conversation without feeling rushed.

At the center of the Shabbos was a single guiding theme: Focus on Foundations.

That idea was introduced visually through an exhibit near the hotel lobby, which visually presented the three categories of home improvement: decorative, structural, and foundational. Applied to our inner lives, this corresponds with inspiration, instruction, and our core perceptions.

That framing carried through the Shabbos. Inspiration matters, and structure matters too — learning halacha and aligning our behavior with Hashem’s will. But this Shabbos focused attention on something deeper: the clarity that Torah is not just guidance for life, but the framework that explains how reality itself works.

Erev Shabbos opened with a lively To’ameha as guests arrived to music and warm conversation. After licht bentchen, everyone gathered in the Shul, where Rabbi Sholom Mordechai Rubashkin welcomed the attendees and spoke about the personal nature of the gathering. Opening remarks by R’ Yitzchak Hisiger helped set a focused, thoughtful tone for the Shabbos ahead. Throughout the weekend, Rabbi Shloime Taussig and his mezamrim led tefillos and zemiros that were heartfelt and uplifting.

After the Friday night seuda, Rabbi Rubashkin delivered the keynote address. Using clear and relatable meshalim, he spoke about what it means to build a life on Torah clarity. Bitachon, he emphasized, is not just an emotional response, but the natural result of seeing Torah as the true lens through which the world is understood. Later that evening, a Bitachon Forum brought together Rabbi Rubashkin, Rabbi Pinchos Lipschutz, Rabbi Aron Weinberg, and Rabbi Getzel Rubashkin to address real-life questions with practical Torah answers.

Shabbos day continued with a full program of learning and tefillah. Rabbi Rubashkin gave a pre-davening shiur in Shaar HaBitachon, followed by spirited tefillos and a well-attended Kiddush. The main daytime address was delivered by Rabbi Lipschutz, with additional afternoon sessions led by Rabbi Getzel Rubashkin and Rabbi Elchonon Jacobowitz. Each speaker approached the theme from a different angle, connecting foundational ideas to everyday challenges.

Some of the most powerful moments happened outside the formal sessions. Conversations in the dining room, hallways, and lobbies reflected the ideas being discussed from the podium. People spoke openly about their own struggles and growth in Emunah and Bitachon. As one attendee put it, “It wasn’t only the speakers — hearing how other people are living Bitachon in their lives was an incredible chizuk.”

Many participants also took advantage of scheduled time for private conversations with Rabbi Rubashkin or Mrs. Rubashkin, using the opportunity to discuss personal questions and challenges.

Families were well supported throughout the Shabbos. Babysitters cared for younger children, while older kids enjoyed structured programs led by dedicated counselors, with Rabbi Motty Zeiger’s entertaining and inspiring storytelling. This allowed parents to fully take part in the main program. Women also had their own dedicated sessions, including a Friday night Oneg with Mrs. Rubashkin focused on Bitachon in the context of home and family, and a Shalosh Seudos program that included music and an address by Rabbi Rubashkin.

Motzei Shabbos culminated in the grand Melava Malka. Rabbi Rubashkin opened with a story from Tzadikim from earlier generations, followed by a deeply personal talk by R’ Yaakov Felder, who spoke candidly about living with a degenerative muscular disease and the inner strength he draws from Bitachon. Jewish music superstar Avraham Fried then led a kumzitz that brought the room together in song.

Additional programming included a multimedia presentation about a young child’s miraculous recovery after a serious accident, especially highlighting the calm and Bitachon shown by his parents, regular attendees at Rabbi Rubashkin’s shiurim. Rabbi Joey Haber followed with a powerful talk about the confusion and whiplashes that foreign ideas introduce to a Jew’s life and the clarity that comes from returning to Hashem Echad.

Children attended their own Melava Malka featuring a bird and reptile show that taught lessons of Bitachon through familiar Torah stories. Later, they joined the adults for dancing that continued late into the night.

The Shabbos concluded with a Sunday morning breakfast, where Rabbi Rubashkin spoke about taking the clarity of Bitachon home and applying it in everyday life. As attendees departed, many described feeling stronger a more grounded in their Bitachon. It was a Shabbos with everything five star and spiritually uplifting.

The wife of a yungerman who was arrested for failing to report to the draft office broke down in tears during an emotional phone call with Rosh Yeshiva Rav Avraham Salim, who reached out to offer chizuk, guidance, and reassurance amid the unfolding crisis.

During the conversation, Rav Salim spoke with Esti Ben Dayan, the wife of Reb Avraham Ben Dayan, who was detained after an encounter with civilian police and transferred to military custody. The call was marked by pain, fear, and encouragement, alongside a commitment from the Rosh Yeshiva to remain personally involved and to daven for her husband’s release.

Rav Salim opened the conversation with words of chizuk, acknowledging the severity of the situation. “It’s very hard, but don’t worry, don’t worry. Everyone is davening for him and doing everything possible so that he should truly be released. They only want to frighten. This is a great test. I heard that you were married only recently. But this is a harsh decree on all bnei Torah,” he said.

Esti Ben Dayan then described to the Rosh Yeshiva the chain of events that led to her husband’s arrest and the difficult days that followed. According to her account, her husband was stopped during what appeared to be a routine civilian police check when he stepped out briefly to take care of an errand. “They stopped him just for a regular inspection,” she said. “They told him they wouldn’t do anything to him—and from Motzaei Shabbos I had no contact with him. I didn’t know where he was. Only the next day, at two in the afternoon, did he call me for the first time. They told me they took him to Prison 10.”

She went on to describe how shaken her husband sounded when they finally spoke. “He sounded completely broken, terrified by everything that happened. He was worried that the family shouldn’t find out. There’s no real way to communicate with him. We’re waiting for every phone call. This is a decree that’s impossible to bear. He simply went out and never came back,” she said.

Mrs. Ben Dayan also recounted the deep pain her husband expressed over not being allowed to put on tefillin while in custody. “He said, ‘It’s not enough that I’m arrested—they don’t even let me put on tefillin.’ He was completely broken by that,” she told Rav Salim.

The Rosh Yeshiva responded with further words of chizuk, expressing both personal empathy and a broader sense of responsibility for the tzibbur. “This causes a lot of worry, it brings so much anxiety. I understand—it’s truly cruelty. This is a test; we need to accept everything with love, and everything will pass. This isn’t only about him, it’s not only about you—it’s about everyone. This is what all bnei Torah are going through. And these are our fellow Jews—that’s what hurts. You need patience. Know that everyone truly cares about him. With Hashem’s help, when he is released—all of the Torah world, the entire yeshiva world, is with you,” Rav Salim said.

At the end of the call, Mrs. Ben Dayan asked that the Rosh Yeshiva do whatever he could to help secure her husband’s release and to continue davening on their behalf. Rav Salim promised to speak again with the attorney handling the case and asked for the detainee’s full name for tefillah: Avraham ben Basya Rus.

{Matzav.com}

WASHINGTON (AP) — A group of Buddhist monks reached Washington, D.C., on foot Tuesday, walking single file across a bridge over the Potomac River to cap a 15-week trek from Texas that has captivated the country.

WATCH LIVE: Buddhist Monks Finish 2,300-Mile 'Walk For Peace' In Washington, D.C. https://t.co/lTvp08wJxA

— Off The Press (@OffThePress1) February 10, 2026

The monks in their saffron robes have become fixtures on social media, along with their rescue dog Aloka. After spending Monday night at Marymount University in Arlington, Virginia, they crossed over the Chain Bridge into the District of Columbia shortly after 8 a.m. on Tuesday.

They walk to advocate for peace. That simple message has resonated across the U.S. as a welcome respite from conflict and political divisions. Thousands gathered along Southern roadsides — often in unusually chilly weather — to to watch the monks’ quiet procession that began in late October.

Large crowds are expected to greet them during their two-day stay in Washington. The Metropolitan Police Department issued a traffic advisory announcing there would be “rolling road closures” along the monks’ route to ensure safety for them and spectators.

I’ve been covering the monks Walk for Peace. Here’s my entire take so far. Today will be a busy one as they walk through DC! Images for license on https://t.co/kzc1zZMOZ9. https://t.co/EoYqJXElFj pic.twitter.com/ZCrv3POLCk

— Oceanbluek2 (@OceanblueK2) February 10, 2026

“My hope is, when this walk ends, the people we met will continue practicing mindfulness and find peace,” said the Venerable Bhikkhu Pannakara, the group’s soft-spoken leader who has taught about mindfulness at stops along the way.

The monks plan to mark the last days of their Walk for Peace with outdoor appearances at Washington National Cathedral on Tuesday and the Lincoln Memorial on Wednesday.

“Their long journey and gentle witness invite us all to deepen our commitment to compassion and the work of peace in our communities,” said Washington Episcopal Bishop Mariann Budde, who will help host an interfaith reception for the monks at the cathedral.

The monks have been surprised to see their message transcend ideologies. Millions have followed them online, and crowds have greeted them at numerous venues, from a church in Opelika, Alabama, to City Hall in Richmond, Virginia.

Mark Duykers, a retired mechanical engineer who practices mindfulness, said he and his wife will drive 550 miles (885 kilometers) from Ann Arbor, Michigan, to Washington to see the monks.

“In these divisive times, we saw entire towns in the Bible Belt coming out for these monks — having no idea of what Buddhism is — but being uplifted and moved by it,” he said. “That’s inspirational.”

Nineteen monks began the 2,300-mile (3,700-kilometer) journey from the Huong Dao Vipassana Bhavana Center in Fort Worth on Oct. 26, 2025. They came from Theravada Buddhist monasteries around the globe, led by Pannakara, who is vice president of the Fort Worth temple.

While in the U.S. capital, they plan to submit a request to lawmakers to declare Vesak — Buddha’s birthday — a national holiday. But, Pannakara and others have emphasized that is not the goal of the walk.

Long Si Dong, a spokesperson for the temple, said the walk is neither a political movement nor is it focused on advocacy or legislation.

“It’s a spiritual offering, an invitation to live peace through everyday actions, mindful steps and open hearts,” he said. “We believe when peace is cultivated within, it naturally ripples outward into society.”

The trek has had its perils, and local law enforcement officers have provided security. In November outside Houston, the monks were walking on the side of a highway when their escort vehicle was hit by a truck. Two monks were injured; one had his leg amputated.

Some of the monks, including Pannakara, have walked barefoot or in socks for most of the journey to feel the ground directly and be present in the moment. As they have pressed on through snow and cold, they’ve at times donned winter boots.

Peace walks are a cherished tradition in Theravada Buddhism. Pannakara first encountered Aloka, an Indian Pariah dog whose name means “divine light” in Sanskrit, during a 112-day journey across India in 2022.

The monks practice and teach Vipassana meditation, an ancient Indian technique taught by the Buddha as core to attaining enlightenment. It focuses on the mind-body connection, observing breath and physical sensations to understand reality, impermanence and suffering.

On Tuesday, the monks will complete 108 days of walking. It’s a sacred number in Buddhism, Hinduism and Jainism. It represents spiritual completion, cosmic order and the wholeness of existence.

The monks’ return trip should be less arduous. After an appearance at Maryland’s Capitol, a bus will take them back to Texas, where they expect to arrive in downtown Fort Worth early on Saturday.

From there, the monks will walk together again, traversing 6 miles (9.6 kilometers) to the temple where their trip began.

LOS ANGELES (AP) — Comparing social media platforms to casinos and addictive drugs, lawyer Mark Lanier delivered opening statements Monday in a landmark trial in Los Angeles that seeks to hold Instagram owner Meta and Google’s YouTube responsible for harms to children who use their products.

Instagram’s parent company Meta and Google’s YouTube face claims that their platforms addict children through deliberate design choices that keep kids glued to their screens. TikTok and Snap, which were originally named in the lawsuit, settled for undisclosed sums.

Jurors got their first glimpse into what will be a lengthy trial characterized by dueling narratives from the plaintiffs and the two remaining defendants.

Meta lawyer Paul Schmidt spoke of the disagreement within the scientific community over social media addiction, with some researchers believing it doesn’t exist, or that addiction is not the most appropriate way to describe heavy social media use.

Lawyers representing YouTube will begin their opening statement on Tuesday.

‘Addicting the brains of children’
Lanier, the plaintiff’s lawyer, delivered lively first remarks where he said the case will be as “easy as ABC” — which stands for “addicting the brains of children.” He said Meta and Google, “two of the richest corporations in history,” have “engineered addiction in children’s brains.”

He presented jurors with a slew of internal emails, documents and studies conducted by Meta and YouTube, as well as YouTube’s parent company, Google. He emphasized the findings of a study Meta conducted called “Project Myst” in which they surveyed 1,000 teens and their parents about their social media use. The two major findings, Lanier said, were that Meta knew children who experienced “adverse events” like trauma and stress were particularly vulnerable for addiction; and that parental supervision and controls made little impact.

He also highlighted internal Google documents that likened some company products to a casino, and internal communication between Meta employees in which one person said Instagram is “like a drug” and they are “basically pushers.”

At the core of the Los Angeles case is a 20-year-old identified only by the initials “KGM,” whose case could determine how thousands of other, similar lawsuits against social media companies will play out. She and two other plaintiffs have been selected for bellwether trials — essentially test cases for both sides to see how their arguments play out before a jury.

Plaintiff grew up using YouTube, Instagram
KGM made a brief appearance after a break during Lanier’s statement and she will return to testify later in the trial. Lanier spent time describing KGM’s childhood, focusing particularly on what her personality was like before she began using social media. She started using YouTube at age 6 and Instagram at age 9, Lanier said. Before she graduated elementary school, she had posted 284 videos on YouTube.

The outcome of the trial could have profound effects on the companies’ businesses and how they will handle children using their platforms.

Lanier said the companies’ lawyers will “try to blame the little girl and her parents for the trap they built,” referencing the plaintiff. She was a minor when she said she became addicted to social media, which she claims had a detrimental impact on her mental health.

Lanier said that despite the public position of Meta and YouTube being that they work to protect children, their internal documents show an entirely different position, with explicit references to young children being listed as their target audiences.

The attorney also drew comparisons between the social media companies and tobacco firms, citing internal communication between Meta employees who were concerned about the company’s lack of proactive action about the potential harm their platforms can have on children and teens.

“For a teenager, social validation is survival,” Lanier said. The defendants “engineered a feature that caters to a minor’s craving for social validation,” he added, speaking about “like” buttons and similar features.

Meta pushes back
In his opening statement representing Meta, Schmidt said the core question in the case is whether the platforms were a substantial factor in KGM’s mental health struggles. He spent much of his time going through the plaintiff’s health records, emphasizing that she had experienced many difficult circumstances in her childhood, including emotional abuse, body image issues and bullying.

Schmidt presented a clip from a video deposition from one of KGM‘s mental health providers, Dr. Thomas Suberman, who said social media was “not the through-line of what I recall being her main issues,” adding that her struggles seemed to largely stem from interpersonal conflicts and relationships. He painted a picture — with KGM’s own text messages and testimony pointing to a volatile home life — of a particularly troubled relationship with her mother.

Schmidt acknowledged that many mental health professionals do believe social media addiction can exist, but said three of KGM’s providers — all of whom believe in the form of addiction — have never diagnosed her with it, or treated her for it.

Schmidt emphasized to the jurors that the case is not about whether social media is a good thing or whether teens spend too much time on their phones or whether the jurors like or dislike Meta, but whether social media was a substantial factor in KGM’s mental health struggles.

A reckoning for social media and youth harms
A slew of trials beginning this year seek to hold social media companies responsible for harming children’s mental well-being. Executives, including Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg, are expected to testify at the Los Angeles trial, which will last six to eight weeks. Experts have drawn similarities to the Big Tobacco trials that led to a 1998 settlement requiring cigarette companies to pay billions in health care costs and restrict marketing targeting minors.

A separate trial in New Mexico, meanwhile, also kicked off with opening statements on Monday. In that trial, Meta is accused of failing to protect young users from sexual exploitation, following an undercover online investigation. Attorney General Raúl Torrez in late 2023 sued Meta and Zuckerberg, who was later dropped from the suit.

A federal bellwether trial beginning in June in Oakland, California, will be the first to represent school districts that have sued social media platforms over harms to children.

In addition, more than 40 state attorneys general have filed lawsuits against Meta, claiming it is harming young people and contributing to the youth mental health crisis by deliberately designing features on Instagram and Facebook that addict children to its platforms. The majority of cases filed their lawsuits in federal court, but some sued in their respective states.

TikTok also faces similar lawsuits in more than a dozen states.

WASHINGTON D.C (VINnews)- A White House Religious Liberty Commission hearing on combating antisemitism turned contentious Monday when commissioner Carrie Prejean Boller, a former Miss California USA and Trump appointee, aggressively defended podcaster Candace Owens and commentator Tucker Carlson against accusations of antisemitism leveled by Babylon Bee CEO Seth Dillon.

The exchange occurred during the commission’s first public hearing, held at the Museum of the Bible and focused on rising antisemitism and religious freedom in the private sector.

Dillon, testifying as a witness, highlighted what he described as failures within conservative circles to confront antisemitism head-on. He identified Owens and Carlson as prominent figures who have engaged in rhetoric he characterized as antisemitic, calling them “the two most famous antisemites” — a statement met with cheers from parts of the audience.

Prejean Boller, who said she watches Owens’ content daily, interrupted to demand that Dillon cease labeling Owens an antisemite. “I would really appreciate it if you would stop calling Candace Owens an antisemite,” she said. “She’s not an antisemite.” She added that she had not heard “one thing out of her mouth that I would say is antisemitic,” despite Owens’ well-documented statements criticizing Jewish influence, Kabbalah, and Israel in terms widely condemned as antisemitic by Jewish organizations.

Prejean Boller, wearing a pin combining the U.S. and Palestinian flags, also questioned why Dillon repeatedly referenced Owens and Carlson, saying, “I don’t know why you keep bringing her up and Tucker.”

Dillon responded by explaining that Owens “goes far beyond not merely supporting Zionism,” and has frequently denigrated Jews directly in her commentary. He urged Prejean Boller to review more of Owens’ statements for context.

The confrontation underscored broader tensions at the hearing, where discussions occasionally shifted from domestic antisemitism to debates over Israel, Gaza, and Zionism. Prejean Boller pressed witnesses on whether criticism of Israel or opposition to Zionism constitutes antisemitism, a line of questioning that drew pushback from some attendees and panelists.

Dillon emphasized the need for courage in addressing antisemitism within all communities, including the political right. “The antidote to antisemitism is not to ignore it or to outlaw it, but to confront it with courage and conviction,” he said earlier in his testimony, “and that means not just calling out the antisemites, but the cowards who can’t bring themselves to join us.”

The Religious Liberty Commission, established by President Trump to advise on protecting religious freedoms, continues to examine threats to faith communities amid ongoing legal challenges to its structure.

Senior chareidi figures involved in advancing legislation on the draft and the legal status of yeshiva bochurim are voicing sharp criticism of the legal adviser to the Knesset’s Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee, accusing her of deliberately stalling the process to prevent the law from passing during the current term.

According to chareidi officials, frustration is mounting over the conduct of the committee’s legal adviser, Miri Frenkel-Shor, whom they claim is intentionally obstructing progress on the draft legislation.

Within the chareidi factions, a decision was made—following guidance from gedolim—not to advance any bill that does not receive the backing of the Knesset’s legal advisers. Lawmakers warned that passing legislation without such support would likely prompt the High Court to issue an interim injunction, causing more harm than benefit.

In recent days, discussions in the Knesset have focused largely on negotiations with the Knesset’s legal advisory bodies, in an effort to reach understandings that would allow the draft law to move forward.

Until recently, there was a sense of optimism that agreements could be reached by the end of the current week. However, chareidi parties now say the gaps remain wide and difficult to bridge.

Anger within the chareidi factions is directed primarily at the committee’s legal adviser, whom senior chareidi figures describe as the main obstacle to reaching agreed-upon language for the draft law.

“She has become Yuli Edelstein 2,” senior chareidi officials said last night. “She is behaving like Edelstein and doing everything she can to ensure the draft law does not pass. She is afraid to have her name attached to the law, and that is the result.”

Despite the tensions, Shas and Degel HaTorah have not given up hope and continue to believe that understandings may still be reached with the Knesset’s legal advisers in the coming days, enabling the draft law to pass its second and third readings. “We will not give up on the final and meaningful attempt before the Knesset is dissolved,” party officials said.

As previously reported, coalition officials assess that the draft law ultimately may not be enacted. Nevertheless, they expect the chareidi parties to support the state budget in its second and third readings toward the end of March 2026, alongside setting a date for early elections, likely in June or September 2026.

{Matzav.com}

Channel 12 journalist Amit Segal reported there is no realistic way to bridge the gap between the Chareidi MKs and the legal advisor to the Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee, Miri Frenkel Shor—and that, as a result, the draft law is unlikely to pass and the deadlock will lead to early elections.

Kikar H’Shabbat reported that senior Chareidi figures involved in drafting the Chareidi draft law are furious at Frenkel Shor’s conduct, saying she is deliberately thwarting the legislation of the law.

“She has become Yuli Edelstein 2,” the Chareidi sources said. “She acts like Edelstein and does everything to ensure the draft law doesn’t pass.”

It should be noted that this isn’t the first time that Chareidi officials have complained about Frenkel-Shor, who reportedly has been actively raising difficulties to the law for months and refuses to compromise with the Chareidi MKs on key issues.

Regarding early elections, Segal said, “We are left with three possible election dates—June, September, or October.”

(YWN Israel Desk—Jerusalem)

RAMALLAH, West Bank (AP) — A top Israeli official said Tuesday that measures adopted by the government that deepen Israeli control in the West Bank amounted to implementing “de facto sovereignty,” using language that mirrors critics’ warnings about the intent behind the moves.

The steps “actually establish a fact on the ground that there will not be a Palestinian state,” Energy Minister Eli Cohen told Israel’s Army Radio.

Palestinians, Arab countries and human rights groups have called the moves announced Sunday an annexation of the territory, home to roughly 3.4 million Palestinians who seek it for a future state.

Cohen’s comments followed similar remarks by other members of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s government, including Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich and Defense Minister Israel Katz.

The moves — and Israeli officials’ own descriptions of them — put the country at odds with both regional allies and previous statements from U.S. President Donald Trump. Netanyahu has traveled to Washington to meet with him later this week.

Last year, Trump said he wouldn’t allow Israel to annex the West Bank. The U.S.-brokered ceasefire between Israel and Hamas that aimed to stop the war in Gaza also acknowledged Palestinian aspirations for statehood.

Widespread condemnation
The measures further erode the Palestinian Authority’s limited powers, and it’s unclear the extent to which it can oppose them.

In a statement on Tuesday, President Mahmoud Abbas’ cabinet “instructed all public and private Palestinian institutions not to engage with these Israeli measures and to strictly adhere to Palestinian laws and regulations in force.”

A group of eight Arab and Muslim-majority countries expressed their “absolute rejection” of the measures, calling them in a joint statement Monday illegal and warning they would “fuel violence and conflict in the region.”

Israel’s pledge not to annex the West Bank is embedded in its diplomatic agreements with some of those countries and renewed warnings that it was a “red line” for the Emirates led Israel to shelve some high-level discussions on the matter last year.

United Nations Secretary General Antonio Guterres said he was “gravely concerned” by the measures.

“They are driving us further and further away from a two-State solution and from the ability of the Palestinian authority and the Palestinian people to control their own destiny,” his spokesperson, Stephane Dujarric, said on Monday.

What the measures mean
The measures, approved by Netanyahu’s Security Cabinet on Sunday, expand Israel’s enforcement authority over land use and planning in areas run by the Palestinian Authority, making it easier for Jewish settlers to force Palestinians to give up land.

Smotrich and Katz on Sunday said they would lift long-standing restrictions on land sales to Israeli Jews in the West Bank, shift some control over sensitive holy sites — including Hebron’s Ibrahimi Mosque, also known as the Tomb of the Patriarchs — and declassify land registry records to ease property acquisitions.

They also revive a government committee empowered to make what officials described as “proactive” land purchases in the territory, a step intended to reserve land for future settlement expansion.

Jerusalem (Israel Hayom) – Indonesia’s armed forces chief, Gen. Maruli Simanjuntak, said Tuesday that his troops were preparing to deploy a peacekeeping force to the Gaza Strip, following an official statement confirming that Indonesia would send forces to take part in a multinational task force in Gaza.

At the same time, another question arising from Jakarta’s dramatic announcement is whether the Southeast Asian country actually possesses forces suited to the nature of the mission, and whether it is capable, if it truly chooses to do so, of fielding a force able to contend with the harsh and complex conditions in the Gaza Strip. To answer that question, it is necessary to examine the Indonesian military itself, its equipment, its capabilities and its record in past military operations.

Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto reviews troops in Jakarta. Photo: AP

The Indonesian armed forces were established in 1947 through the merger of guerrilla units that fought Dutch colonial rule and local forces that had been loyal to the foreign administration, following Indonesia’s independence. Indonesia’s armed forces, including the navy and air force, number more than 400,000 active-duty personnel, along with a similar number of reservists at varying levels of operational readiness. This makes it one of the largest militaries in Southeast Asia.

Compared with other regional militaries, the Indonesian armed forces possess impressive logistical capabilities for transporting equipment and personnel. This is largely due to Indonesia’s status as a vast archipelagic state and the overseas missions its military has conducted. The Indonesian Air Force operates 24 C-130 Hercules transport aircraft, including at least five upgraded Super Hercules models. It also fields European-made A400M Atlas tanker and transport aircraft, significantly extending its airlift range. The Indonesian Navy operates five amphibious warfare ships designed to transport large forces overseas, as well as 23 landing craft that support them.

The Indonesian military is experienced in deploying forces to distant locations and operating expeditionary units in hostile environments marked by active insurgencies. In recent years, Indonesian forces have conducted an ongoing military campaign against rebel groups in western Papua, a territory Jakarta considers an integral part of Indonesia. Until 2005, the military fought insurgents in the Banda Aceh province in the country’s north, a conflict that ended with an agreement granting the province a degree of autonomy. Indonesian forces also fought in East Timor until 1999, deploying large formations in an effort to suppress an uprising by the island’s residents. In addition, Indonesian troops have taken part in peacekeeping missions in Lebanon, the Democratic Republic of Congo and Iraq. Altogether, Indonesia has deployed more than 24,000 soldiers overseas over the past several decades.

Indonesian soldiers

The Indonesian military’s experience in fighting armed groups and terrorist organizations across the region and beyond is considerable, but it also presents a troubling dimension. In nearly every conflict involving Indonesian forces, allegations of war crimes have surfaced. In East Timor, Indonesian troops took part in what is known as the East Timor genocide, during which, according to UN claims, more than 200,000 of the island’s Christian residents were killed between 1975 and 1999.

In Banda Aceh, a Muslim province that is part of Indonesia, repeated UN reports pointed to a deliberate policy by Indonesian forces that included summary executions, rape and the systematic burning of homes. In western Papua as well, Indonesian military forces have been accused of maintaining a policy of discrimination and violence against the Christian Papuan population, alongside a system that favors Muslim settlers from elsewhere in Indonesia.

During the shiva of renowned Torah philanthropist Rabbi Zev “Willy” Stern of Brazil, the family revealed an extraordinary personal letter he once wrote to a young boy who, like Rabbi Stern himself, had lost a hand just before reaching bar mitzvah age.

The letter, shared with the family’s permission, was sent years ago by Rabbi Stern, who lost his own hand in his youth, to a boy who had recently lost his left hand. In it, Stern offered a deeply moving message drawn from his own life experience.

In the letter, Rabbi Stern described how his physical limitation became a driving force rather than an obstacle—something that pushed him forward, motivated him to act, and never give up on life.

He wrote that he chose not to allow his disability to define him, and that once those around him saw this, they related to him accordingly—as a regular person. From that mindset, he explained, he was able to build a full and meaningful life: establishing a home, marrying a woman who did not view his disability as a barrier, and sustaining a loving marriage and family life for decades.

Rabbi Stern went on to recount his broad personal and public accomplishments over the years, including Torah study, professional work, building and managing a successful business, public service, and extensive support for Jewish causes. He noted his merit in helping bring numerous Artscroll / Mesorah Publications books to print, as well as his many years of involvement with the Efrat organization, through which he helped save thousands of children.

A central theme of the letter runs quietly but consistently throughout: a physical disability does not prevent a person from living a full life. Rabbi Stern described how he continued to engage in physical activity, to love, to create, and to contribute—never allowing the loss of his hand to dictate the boundaries of his life.

He concluded the letter with a direct and deeply empathetic message to the young boy, expressing faith in his abilities, encouraging him to trust himself, and assuring him that a full, meaningful, and good life lay ahead. He blessed the boy to grow in Torah and mitzvos, to bring pride and joy to his family, and to succeed in all his endeavors.

Rabbi Stern was one of the central figures of the Jewish community in São Paulo, Brazil. A veteran businessman, he devoted decades of his life to strengthening the Torah world, saving lives, and advancing Jewish initiatives in Israel and around the world. Despite the scope of his activity, he consistently avoided public attention, viewing the work itself as his true mission.

Alongside his business pursuits, Stern dedicated significant time and resources to public philanthropy. He was a long-standing supporter of the Efrat organization in Israel, which assists pregnant women and saves thousands of children each year. Those close to him say he viewed this work as a true calling and pursued it with daily devotion. He was also regarded as one of the leading supporters of the Torah world, a role his son, Rabbi Yaakov Stern, continues today with even greater intensity.

The letter he sent to the boy ahead of his bar mitzvah—now revealed by the family during the days of mourning—perhaps captures Rabbi Stern’s essence more than anything else: a man who lived with challenge, yet chose to transform it into a language of strength, encouragement, and hope for others. It was not a letter of consolation, but of shared destiny, quietly conveying the message that it is possible to grow, to build, and to live a life of meaning even through hardship.

This is how Rabbi Willy Stern will be remembered: a man who believed in the power of will, the power of kindness, the power of Torah, and the power of a timely, well-chosen word.

{Matzav.com}

JERUSALEM (VINnews) – Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu departed for Washington on Tuesday for his seventh meeting with President Donald Trump since Trump’s election to a second term, emphasizing the “unique closeness” in U.S.-Israel ties as he prepares to discuss Gaza, regional issues and, above all, negotiations with Iran.

Speaking to reporters before boarding the Israeli government plane at Ben Gurion Airport, Netanyahu highlighted the strength of the bilateral relationship.

“I am now leaving for the United States for my seventh trip to meet with President Trump since he was elected for a second term,” Netanyahu said. “This, of course, does not include his unforgettable visit to Israel and his speech in the Knesset.”

He described the bond as “unprecedented in our history,” citing both personal ties with Trump and the broader alliance between Israel and the United States.

The trip, originally planned for later in February but moved up, comes amid ongoing U.S.-Iran indirect talks, including recent discussions in Oman. Netanyahu said the leaders will address “a series of issues: Gaza, the region, but of course first and foremost the negotiations with Iran.”

“I will present to the President our positions regarding the principles of the negotiations, the important principles,” he added, “and in my view they are important not only for Israel — but for everyone in the world who wants peace and security in the Middle East.”

The meeting at the White House is scheduled for Wednesday. Israeli officials have indicated Netanyahu aims to influence the U.S. approach, pushing for broader terms that could include limits on Iran’s ballistic missiles and an end to its support for proxy groups in the region.

Netanyahu’s frequent engagements with Trump accentuates the close coordination between the two governments on Middle East security matters. He is expected to return to Israel early Friday.

The New Jersey state Senate Health committee on Monday advanced legislation that would establish a monthly phone tax to help fund the state’s behavioral health crisis response system, drawing opposition from several business groups and Republicans.

The Senate Health Committee approved the measure, which would impose a 40-cent monthly fee per line on commercial mobile service and internet-based voice service subscribers in New Jersey. The revenue would support the state’s 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline system of care, including call centers, mobile crisis response teams and public awareness campaigns.

Under the bill, telecommunications companies would collect the fee through customers’ regular billing statements and remit the funds to the state. Customers who receive benefits through the federal Lifeline program, which subsidizes communications services for low-income households, would be exempt.

Money raised by the fee would be deposited into a newly created “9-8-8 Suicide and Crisis Hotline Trust Fund Account” in the Department of the Treasury. The funds would be appropriated to support call, text and chat response services, crisis stabilization programs and community-based behavioral health providers that respond to people in mental health emergencies.

Supporters of the legislation say a dedicated funding stream is needed to ensure the long-term stability of the state’s crisis response infrastructure, which has seen increased demand since the nationwide rollout of the 988 crisis hotline in 2022.

During the committee hearing, several pro-business organizations testified against the proposal, arguing the fee amounts to a new tax on consumers and employers at a time when residents already face high living costs. Some business representatives urged lawmakers to fund the crisis system through the state budget instead of adding charges to telecommunications bills.

Senator Bob Singer (R-Lakewood), who is a member of the Health Committee, said he supports the crisis response system but voted against the bill because he believes the program should be funded through the state budget rather than a tax on all citizens.

Singer noted that lawmakers recently approved significant spending increases and salary raises while residents continue to face affordability challenges. He argued the program should be a permanent state budget line item instead of being funded through what he described as another cost burden on residents, warning that rising living expenses can discourage businesses and families from remaining in the state.

“Everyone on this side of the table got a $32,000 increase this year,” singer said. “So you’re right, 40 cents doesn’t matter for us. But my constituents didn’t. We found 100 million dollars on line items, such as a French museum in Jersey City, and things like that,” Singer added, referring to heavily criticized recent state budget expenditures.

The bill passed with only Democrats voting in favor.

Another yeshiva bochur was arrested after midnight by Israeli police and transferred to the custody of the Military Police, deepening what chareidi leaders are calling an unprecedented crisis facing the Torah world.

The bochur, a Chabad chassid from Tel Aviv, was detained by police in Rosh HaAyin and handed over to military authorities. He spent the night behind bars, and later today a military judge is expected to rule on his case and decide whether he will remain in custody in a military prison in the coming days.

The latest arrest is part of a series of recent detentions of yeshiva bochurim, carried out by the Israel Police, who have transferred the detainees—classified as draft evaders—to the Military Police. The arrests have taken place despite repeated public statements and directives from Police Commissioner Danny Levy that police officers would not take part in such arrests or transfer draft evaders to military authorities.

In the chareidi political parties, discussions are underway regarding how to respond to the recent arrests. Representatives of Shas said last night, “These are yeshiva bochurim being arrested for the crime of learning Torah. They are sitting in prison for learning Torah, and all of this is happening in the Jewish state. This is something that cannot be met with silence.”

The arrests have also sparked protests, with demonstrations held against the detention of yeshiva bochurim.

The issue was addressed last night during a gathering at the home of Hagaon Rav Dov Landau, who spoke forcefully about the arrests and the conduct required of yeshiva bochurim during this period.

“Unfortunately, there are those who do not understand the greatness and spiritual power of the Torah, and they even persecute those who study it,” Rav Landau said. “In recent days, Torah scholars have once again been arrested. This shakes the heart of every Jew. Anyone who is a partner in the terrible crime of restricting those who learn Torah should know: there is a Creator of the world, there is judgment, and there is a Judge.”

He added, “We all share in the pain of those who have been imprisoned because of their desire to learn Torah, and in the pain of their families, and we pray with all our hearts that this evil decree will dissipate like smoke.”

Rav Landau noted that efforts are currently underway to prevent such cases from continuing, but warned that the current situation remains grave. “It is clear that we are now in a difficult state in which Torah learners are being pursued and searched for everywhere. Certainly, yeshiva bochurim and married scholars who are at risk of arrest must be careful not to come into contact with the authorities. In times of danger, all paths are considered dangerous, until the situation is resolved with Hashem’s help, speedily.”

He concluded with a tefillah: “May it be His will that we always rejoice with the Torah without any interference, and that this decree be nullified.”

{Matzav.com}

TOKYO (AP) — Honda reported Tuesday a 42% drop in profit for the nine months through December, compared to a year earlier, as U.S. President Donald Trump’s tariffs hurt the Japanese automaker’s earnings.

Tokyo-based Honda Motor Co.’s profit over the three quarters totaled 465.4 billion yen ($3 billion), down from 805.2 billion yen.

That marked the second straight year that profit declined during the period at Honda, the maker of the Accord sedan, Civic compact and Odyssey minivan.

Sales for the three quarters dipped 2.2% to 15.98 trillion yen ($102.6 billion) from the previous year. Honda stuck to its full fiscal year profit forecast at 300 billion yen ($1.9 billion).

The slowdown in electric vehicles in the U.S. market was one negative factor, according to Honda, while the relatively healthy performance in its motorcycle division worked as a plus.

Honda lowered its global EV sales ratio projection for 2030 to 20% from its previous target of 30%. It also said it canceled the development of some EV models, because the EV market was changing.

The Trump administration, which has favored the oil and gas industry, has backpedaled on prior programs supporting the proliferation of EVs, dismantling programs that kicked in during the Biden administration, which had encouraged environmentally cleaner cars and trucks.

Last year, Trump lowered the tariffs on automobiles and auto parts to 15% from an earlier 25% that he had initially announced. Japan promised to invest $550 billion in U.S. projects.

Tariffs are a major blow to Japan’s export-reliant economy, including the automakers. Last week, Japan’s top automaker Toyota Motor Corp. reported a decline in recent profit, and announced that its chief financial officer, Kenta Kon, will become its new chief executive and president.

Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi, who took office in October as Japan’s first female leader, scored a landslide parliamentary election victory for the governing party over the weekend. That’s expected to make it easier for her Liberal Democratic Party to push forward on its policies, including bolstering growth by boosting government spending, especially in technology and defense.

Honda stock jumped 2.1% in Tuesday’s trading. The Nikkei 225 benchmark finished 2.3% higher, renewing a record high for the second day straight, in a rally set off, in part, by Takaichi’s popularity.

A major upheaval has shaken the charedi cultural world after the newspaper Yated Ne’eman published a rare and strongly worded letter signed by all leading Torah authorities of the Lithuanian charedi community. The letter launches a direct attack on the concert culture that has developed in recent years and lays out new, strict rules that are expected to dramatically reshape the events and music industry in the sector.

At the center of the declaration is the establishment of a new rabbinical oversight body called “Shira Kehilchata” (“Song According to Halacha”). At the instruction of the senior rabbinic leadership, Rabbi Shlomo Levenstein and Rabbi Aharon Vagshel were appointed to supervise public performances and enact regulations aimed at preserving standards of modesty.

The letter sets out several sweeping prohibitions, including:

• A total ban on performances intended for both men and women, even when full gender separation is maintained.
• A determination that such events constitute a serious breach of the sanctity of the Jewish people.
• A prohibition on male singers performing before women in any setting.
• A limited exception only for events held inside synagogues under strict supervision.

The practical implications of the directive are unprecedented. Singers, producers and artists are required to sign formal commitments to comply with the rules set by the committee. Those who refuse to comply will face an official boycott: the letter calls on the public not to invite them to perform, not to accord them honor, and prohibits production offices from representing artists who are not subject to the committee’s authority.

The move follows escalating tensions during last Hanukkah between concert promoters and rabbinic leadership, which led to the cancellation of several large-scale performances that rattled the industry.

One such case involved a planned concert by singer Naftali Kempeh at Jerusalem’s International Convention Center. After tickets were sold to a mixed audience with gender separation, strong opposition emerged. Efforts to convert the event into a men-only performance failed due to legal concerns and fears of gender discrimination, and the concert was ultimately canceled.

Days later, another major concert by singer Shmulik Sukkot at an arena venue was canceled after thousands of tickets had already been sold. The cancellation followed a direct ruling by Rabbi Moshe Hillel Hirsch, who stated that the very concept of a mass event intended for men and women together contradicts the values of the Torah-observant public.

The force of the current letter lies in the breadth of its signatories, representing all major streams within the Lithuanian Torah world. Among them are leadingrosh yeshivas Rabbis Dov Landau, Moshe Hillel Hirsch, Berel Dov Povarsky, Meir Tzvi Bergman, Yitzhak Zilberstein and Yaakov Ades.

Their unified stance sends a clear message that this is not a localized or temporary struggle but an official, long-term policy. The goal is to establish a form of “kashrut supervision” over the music world, similar to food certification, ensuring that every musical event in the Haredi sector is vetted by the Shira Kehilchata committee.

The letter appears to mark the end of the era of mixed large-scale concerts in the charedi community and forces artists to choose whether to align with the new framework or face exclusion.

Nearly four years after Moishy Kleinerman went missing in the Meron area, the investigation remains active, with police and family members emphasizing that the case is still a priority and that new developments continue to surface.

Despite the significant time that has passed, authorities confirmed that the probe is ongoing. This week, Judea and Samaria District Commander Moshe Pinchi met with members of the Kleinerman family to review the status of the case. Moishy disappeared in March 2022 while staying near Mount Meron, and his whereabouts have remained unknown since then.

The investigation was launched shortly after a missing person report was filed at the Modi’in Illit police station when the teenager did not return home. From the outset, police carried out extensive searches involving large numbers of personnel, along with a wide range of resources and investigative tools in an effort to locate him. At a later stage, responsibility for the case was transferred to the district’s central investigations unit, which continues to handle the matter.

During the meeting, family members were updated on recent developments and on new actions being taken as part of the ongoing efforts to find Moishy. Police stressed that, alongside intelligence gathering and investigative work, advanced technological methods are being used, including cooperation with civilian organizations.

District Commander Moshe Pinchi told the family that locating the missing teen remains a central objective. “Finding the missing person is a major district-level challenge, and we will continue to invest extensive efforts to solve this case,” he said. “As part of this investigation, we are using special methods and tools and are also integrating innovative technological solutions in cooperation with civilian companies. This important meeting was held in order to update the family on the details of the investigation.”

Moishy’s mother, Gitti Kleinerman, said she continues to hold on to hope despite the years that have passed. “I have not lost hope, even though almost four years have passed. The case is still on the table, and we remember Moishy all the time,” she said. “The meeting gives us a sense that the case is very important, and we see that there are constantly new developments. We thank the police for the updates and hope for good news.”

{Matzav.com}

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu departed aboard “Wing of Zion” for Washington on Monday ahead of a scheduled White House meeting with US President Donald Trump at 11 a.m. Wednesday morning. Before boarding, Netanyahu told reporters that he would “present to the president our approach around our principles on the negotiations,” referring primarily to the ongoing discussions surrounding Iran.

There are currently no plans for a press conference or public statements before or after the meeting.

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In remarks delivered prior to departure, Netanyahu emphasized the strength of the US-Israel relationship.

“I am now leaving for the United States for my seventh trip to meet with President Trump since he was elected for a second term. This, of course, does not include his unforgettable visit to Israel and his speech in the Knesset.

Your browser does not support the video tag.

I think these reflect the unique closeness of the extraordinary relationship that we have with the United States, that I personally have with the President, that the State of Israel has with the United States – unprecedented in our history.

On this trip we will discuss a range of issues: Gaza, the region, but of course, first and foremost, the negotiations with Iran. I will present to the President our outlook regarding the principles of these negotiations – the essential principles which, in my opinion, are important not only to Israel, but to everyone around the world who wants peace and security in the Middle East.”

(YWN World Headquarters – NYC)

Lakewood First Aid personnel were deployed last night as part of the Ocean County Zone 3 Strike Team to assist with the evacuation of a nursing facility in Little Egg Harbor after safety concerns rendered the building temporarily uninhabitable.

The response was initiated at the request of the Ocean County EMS Coordinators.

According to police, “first responders observed water flowing out of ceiling locations throughout the building, and facility staff reported natural gas odors.”

Lakewood First Aid crews were dispatched to support patient care and transportation operations as residents were evacuated from the facility.

According to officials, Lakewood First Aid units were en route to the scene at approximately 4:30 p.m. and remained actively deployed as of 12:45 a.m., continuing to assist with patient care and transport.

JERUSALEM (VINnews)  — Israel’s Finance Ministry is preparing a pilot program to eliminate Friday classes in kindergartens and elementary schools, bringing the country in line with the five-day school week standard across OECD nations, according to a Ynet report.

The program, dubbed “From Quantity to Quality,” is expected to launch within weeks in 30 classrooms and kindergartens in central Israel, with a nationwide rollout planned for the 2027–2028 academic year. Under the initiative, the school week will be reduced from six to five days, while the academic year will begin earlier, on August 15 instead of September 1, shortening the summer break by two weeks.

The policy represents a significant structural shift for Israel’s primary education system, which currently includes shorter classes on Fridays. Eliminating Friday instruction will remove approximately 30 school days from the calendar each year. In return, education officials say, the earlier start to the year will improve learning continuity by avoiding the disruption of holidays like Rosh Hashanah, Yom Kippur and Sukkot, which typically begin shortly after the current September 1 start date.

According to the Finance Ministry’s Wage Division, which developed the plan, the change will reduce the demand for teachers and kindergarten staff by 8%. The roughly 2 billion shekels saved annually will be reinvested into the system, primarily to raise salaries, recruit higher-quality educators and improve technological instruction across schools.

Officials emphasize that the move is intended to address a growing shortage of teachers and to shift focus from quantity to improved teaching quality (Israel currently ranks among the highest in instructional hours within OECD countries and is the only one to maintain a six-day school week.

The pilot will initially take place in select communities, including Ra’anana, where parents have already been notified via school WhatsApp groups. If successful, the reform is expected to be adopted nationally in the following school year.

Teachers’ Union chief Yaffa Ben-David attacked the Finance Ministry on Tuesday at the annual conference of the Association of Heads of Local Authority Education Departments in Eilat, saying that “summer break will not be shortened.”

According to Ben-David, the Treasury did not invite her to take part in discussions, but instead “went to the media and is heating up the parents.” She added: “I say unequivocally that shortening the vacation will not happen.” Regarding the shortening of the school week, Ben-David said she does not oppose it. However, she noted that in her view, it must be ensured that teachers work four days a week so they have one day for personal arrangements. “The system will operate five days, but every teacher will work four days. This already works this way in many middle schools today. What if teachers want to study or go to professional training?”

According to data from the Wage and Labor Relations Division at the Finance Ministry, primary schools in Israel currently teach more hours than in any other country, 941 hours per year compared with only 804 hours in OECD member states.

The 20 school days that will be reduced by eliminating Fridays, which are equivalent in total hours to 30 school days on other weekdays, minus the 10 additional school days to be added in August, will save the education system significant funds, all of which will be allocated to raising the quality of teaching and improving kindergarten teachers’ and teachers’ salaries so their level can rise.

What will be saved on one hand will reduce teachers’ workload, while on the other hand, for example, additional homeroom teachers will be added in elementary schools so that, under the plan, each class will have two homeroom teachers. Today, there are about 200,000 kindergarten teachers and teachers in the primary education system. Under the plan, together with the existing number of teaching assistants, demand for teachers will be reduced by about 20,000 per year. As a result of canceling Friday classes, 1.2 billion shekels a year will be saved in elementary schools and half a billion shekels in kindergartens.

The Finance Ministry said on Tuesday that as part of formulating the plan, Treasury officials have already held consultations with experts, including from the OECD. A recent OECD study determined that “the quality of a teacher is worth four times the quantity of teachers.”

The Finance Ministry rejected claims that the plan will burden parents who work on Fridays. “Families will actually benefit from this,” said a Treasury official. “As part of the plan, there will be an expansion of educational programs, as well as youth movement activities on Fridays, and many parents will gain quality time with their children. It should be remembered that most parents do not work on Fridays, and that even today student attendance on Fridays is very low.”

Before we further investigate the fractious relationship between the Greek kingdoms and the Jewish homeland, it is important to consider the spiritual conditions in Judea during the first two centuries under the Alexandrian successor states. Who were the custodians of the Oral Law, and how did they perform their duties? What was the religious level of the people?

As discussed in Chapter Thirty-six, when the Persians allowed the Jewish people to return to Judea and build the Second Beis Hamikdash, the ruling body of the nascent state was the Anshei Knessess Hagedolah, a council of one hundred and twenty elite leaders, prophets and scholars. They shaped the contours of Jewish life for the rest of history. The last surviving member of this august council was Shimon Hatzaddik, the Kohein Gadol, who had multiple roles in addition to his duties in the Beis Hamikdash. He was the custodian and arbiter of the Oral Law as well as the political, judicial and spiritual leader.

After he passed away, the office of High Priest passed to members of his family, and the custodianship of the Oral Law passed to Antigonos of Socho, who presided over the Sanhedrin. He was by himself the ultimate authority on questions of law and religion, just as Shimon Hatzaddik had been, and Ezra before him, going back in a one-by-one succession all the way to Moshe Rabbeinu. Under his watch, an event occurred that would have profound effects on the Jewish people for the rest of history.

Every day, Antigonos taught the laws of the Torah to an inner circle of students, who discussed and reviewed the teachings until they became experts. Then they taught them to a wider group of students. These were the future rabbis and teachers of the Torah. Among his inner circle were two young men named Zadok and Baisus …

Read full chapter and earlier chapters at www.rabbireinman.com

By Rabbi Yair Hoffman

Without This Man, There Would Be No BMG in Lakewood

Today, Beth Medrash Govoha in Lakewood, New Jersey, stands as the largest post-graduate Torah institution in the world, with some 7,000 students and 13,000 alumni. Its founding rosh yeshiva, Rav Aharon Kotler, arrived in America in 1941 and established BMG two years later, planting a seed that would transform the landscape of American Torah life. But the chain of events that led to the founding of BMG stretches back decades earlier—across an ocean, to a leather factory and estate in Aleksot, the suburb across the Nieman River from Kovno, Lithuania. It stretches back to a man who died at the age of forty-three, but whose deathbed instructions to his wife would reshape the Torah world for generations to come.

That man was Rav Chaim Shraga Feivel Frank.

On his deathbed, Rav Shraga Feivel instructed his wife, Golda, that since Heaven had not granted him time to guide his four daughters into marriage, the obligation now rested upon her. And he specified that the four men she chose for his four girls must be not only talmidei chachamim, but men of “shivti”—a Mussar term drawn from the passuk in Tehillim, “Shivti b’veis Hashem kol y’mei chayai” (27:4)—men who would dedicate their entire lives to Torah study and its propagation. He further instructed her to spend every last cent of the family fortune on maintaining these sons-in-law and their families in a life of learning.

Golda Frank fulfilled her husband’s dying wish with extraordinary faithfulness. She chose four sons-in-law who became towering pillars of the Torah world: Rav Moshe Mordechai Epstein, who would become Rosh Yeshiva of the Slabodka Yeshiva and later lead it to Chevron and Yerushalayim; Rav Isser Zalman Meltzer, who would lead the yeshivos of Slutsk, Kletzk, and Eitz Chaim in Yerushalayim; Rav Boruch Horowitz, who would serve as Rav of Aleksot, Rosh Yeshiva in Slabodka, and chairman of Agudas Yisroel in Lithuania (later succeeding his brother-in-law Rav Moshe Mordechai to the presidency of the Agudas HaRabbonim of Lithuania); and Rav Sheftel Kramer, who would serve as Rosh Yeshiva in Slutsk and later as mashgiach at the yeshiva in New Haven, Connecticut—the first yeshiva in the United States outside of New York City.

It was Rav Isser Zalman Meltzer—Rav Shraga Feivel’s second son-in-law—whose daughter, Chana Perel, married the young iluy of Slabodka, Rav Aharon Kotler.

Rav Aharon had learned under Rav Moshe Mordechai Epstein (Rav Shraga Feivel’s first son-in-law) in Slabodka, then joined his father-in-law Rav Isser Zalman in Slutsk, and eventually led the yeshiva when it moved to Kletzk. When he escaped the inferno of Europe and arrived in America in 1941, it was the Torah values—the insistence on shivti, on total devotion to learning—that Rav Shraga Feivel Frank had implanted in his family that Rav Aharon Kotler carried with him to Lakewood. Thus the very DNA of BMG—its uncompromising commitment to full-time Torah learning as the highest calling—can be traced directly to the vision and the will of a leather merchant in Aleksot.

Nor was BMG the only institution that owes its existence to this family. Rav Sheftel Kramer’s eldest son-in-law, Rav Yaakov Yitzchak Ruderman, went on to establish Yeshivas Ner Israel in Baltimore; Rav Sheftel’s youngest son-in-law, Rav Naftali Neuberger, became its legendary menahel. The Slabodka-Chevron Yeshiva, today one of the largest in Eretz Yisrael, traces its leadership lineage through Rav Moshe Mordechai Epstein and his sons-in-law Rav Yechezkel Sarna, Rav Moshe Chevroni, and Rav Aharon Cohen. The ripple effects of one man’s deathbed tzavaah reached across continents and across a century.

A Bridge Between Two Worlds

There are individuals whose lives become a bridge connecting the world of Torah scholarship with the world of material sustenance—people who understand that the survival of the Jewish spirit depends not only on great minds but also on great hearts. Rabbi Chaim Shraga Feivel Frank of Kovno was one such individual. His story reads like a chapter from the Talmud’s descriptions of the great philanthropists of antiquity, yet it unfolded in the streets of nineteenth-century Lithuania, amidst the tumult of industrialization, imperial politics, and the ever-present struggle of a people clinging to its sacred heritage.

In a time when the Jewish world was buffeted by the winds of Haskalah and the pressures of modernity, when yeshivos struggled to keep their doors open and talmidei chachamim could barely feed their families, Rav Chaim Shraga Feivel Frank stood as a pillar of support. He was not merely a wealthy man who gave charity. He was a visionary who understood that every ruble invested in Torah was an investment in eternity.

The City of Kovno: A Metropolis of Torah

To understand the man, one must first understand his city. Kovno—known in Lithuanian as Kaunas—sits at the confluence of two great rivers, the Nieman and the Vilia, in the heart of what is now central Lithuania. In the nineteenth century, it served as the capital of the Kovno Governorate, one of the westernmost provinces of the Russian Empire’s Pale of Settlement—that vast, legally mandated zone within which millions of Jews were compelled to reside. For the Jews who lived within its borders, the Pale was both home and restriction—a land of vibrant Jewish life bounded by Tsarist limitation.

Kovno’s Jewish community grew dramatically during the nineteenth century. In 1847, there were approximately 2,013 Jews living in Kovno and its suburb Slobodka. By 1864, the number had risen to 16,540, and by 1897 the community had swelled to 25,441—roughly thirty percent of the city’s total population. The arrival of the railway in 1861, connecting Kovno to the main line running from St. Petersburg to Warsaw, transformed the city into a commercial and intellectual hub. Scholars and students traveled along these new arteries to and from the great yeshivos that made Kovno a citadel of learning.

Across the Nieman to the south lay Aleksot (Aleksotas), perched on rolling green hills—a suburb with its own fascinating history. In Rav Shraga Feivel’s day, Aleksot had the quirk of operating under a different calendar than Kovno proper: the Gregorian calendar on the Aleksot side versus the Julian calendar used in the Russian governorate across the river. Locals joked that the bridge connecting the two was “the longest bridge in the world”—because it took twelve days to cross. It was on those green hills of Aleksot, in that liminal space between two jurisdictions, that Rav Shraga Feivel Frank built his estate and his legacy.

The Leather Merchant: Industry and Enterprise

Rav Shraga Feivel Frank was one of the wealthiest men in Kovno. He owned a leather factory, a leather goods store, and a great deal of real estate. The leather and fur trades were among the most prominent economic sectors in Lithuania’s Jewish communities, and the mid-nineteenth century was a period of rapid industrial transformation in the Russian Empire. Tsar Alexander II’s reforms of the 1860s—including the emancipation of the serfs and the relaxation of some restrictions on Jewish economic activity—created new opportunities for entrepreneurial Jews. The expansion of the railway system enabled raw materials to be transported more efficiently and finished goods to reach broader markets. For a leather merchant in Kovno, the railroad’s arrival meant access to suppliers across the vast forests of the Empire and to customers in Western European markets.

It was in this dynamic economic environment that Rav Shraga Feivel Frank built his fortune. Yet unlike many of his wealthy peers—who were drawn either toward the Haskalah or toward the ostentatious display of wealth—Rav Shraga Feivel channeled his prosperity into an entirely different direction.

Talmid and Patron of Rav Yisrael Salanter

Rav Shraga Feivel was himself a talmid chacham of genuine distinction, but his spiritual formation was shaped by a singular relationship: he was a devoted talmid and supporter of Rav Yisrael Lipkin of Salant, the founder of the Mussar movement.

The beis hamussar—the house of ethical self-improvement that was the hallmark of Rav Yisrael Salanter’s revolutionary approach to Jewish spiritual life—was located in Rav Shraga Feivel’s own home. He used his wealth to assist the nascent Mussar movement by supporting the Slabodka Yeshiva and other Mussar-linked institutions.

He was described as a “tippus mufla”—a wondrous exemplar—of “rachim u’mokir rabanan,” one who loved and honored Torah scholars. Rav Yisrael Salanter himself testified to the halachic acumen of Rav Shraga Feivel, noting that he was not merely a baal tzedakah but a genuine talmid chacham whose understanding of Torah law was both broad and deep.

Rav Chaim Zeitz’ik wrote about what it was like to learn under the patronage of this remarkable man: “They had, through Rav Shraga Feivel, access to the greatest teachers. He supported the yeshiva of Rav Yisrael Salanter and all of its affiliated institutions. In the beis midrash that he funded, the sound of Torah never ceased—morning, afternoon, and evening, the voices of learners rose and fell like the tides of the sea.”

The Frank Estate: A Palace of Torah

The bridge from Kovno crossed over the Nieman and continued along the banks of the great river toward Aleksot. After the bridge, the road forked—one path led directly to the Aleksot neighborhood while the other turned toward the Frank estate. The property was magnificent. Set upon the green hills that characterize Aleksot’s terrain, it commanded a view that seemed to encompass the whole of Jewish Kovno.

The house itself was built on two levels. On the first floor was a spacious reception hall, behind which lay the guest quarters. On the second floor were additional rooms that served as a gathering place for the many distinguished visitors who frequented the estate. The first floor also housed the private synagogue of Rav Raphael, Rav Shraga Feivel’s son and firstborn. On the second floor, there were yet more chambers that had once echoed with the voices of some of the greatest Torah scholars of the age.

From time to time, the gedolei haTorah would visit, including Rav Yisrael of Salant and his talmidim, and the Alter of Slabodka, Rav Nosson Tzvi Finkel. In this house, the lines between the sacred and the secular dissolved. Every meal was a seudas mitzvah. Every conversation was a shiur. Every guest was treated as if he carried the Shechinah upon his shoulders.

The Open Door: Hachnasas Orchim as a Way of Life

Rav Shraga Feivel was driven by an inner imperative to care for his guests. From his very nature—he was drawn to chesed. He personally oversaw the mitzvos of hachnasas orchim, and when guests arrived at his home, they were greeted not by servants but by the master of the house himself. He would tell his household: “I don’t want our guests to merely have a place to sleep. They should feel honored.” He would personally ensure their comfort, sometimes staying up late to make certain that every detail was attended to—the bedding fresh, the food warm, the atmosphere welcoming.

He was a man who understood the teaching that when one receives a guest, it is as if one has received the Shechinah itself. For him, hachnasas orchim was not a mitzvah to be delegated. It was a personal encounter with the Divine.

A Bold Move: Teaching the Russian Language

One of the most remarkable initiatives of Rav Shraga Feivel’s life was his decision to hire a tutor to teach his children the Russian language. In an era when many in the Orthodox community viewed secular education with deep suspicion—and when the Haskalah movement was using secular learning as a wedge to draw Jews away from Torah observance—this was a courageous act. But Rav Shraga Feivel understood the practical realities of Jewish life under the Tsar. Navigating the labyrinth of imperial bureaucracy, commerce, and civic life required fluency in the language of the country. His children grew up fluent in both the language of their ancestors and the language of their country, equipped to serve both God and community in the fullest sense.

Never Embarrass the Recipient: The Art of Giving

Perhaps the most beautiful aspect of Rav Shraga Feivel’s tzedakah was his extraordinary sensitivity to the dignity of the recipients. He understood the Rambam’s teaching that the highest form of charity is one in which the giver does not know the identity of the recipient and the recipient does not know the identity of the giver. When he learned that a family was in need, he would arrange for the assistance to arrive in a way that preserved their honor completely. Money would appear mysteriously. Debts would be paid without explanation. A merchant would suddenly find his credit restored, never knowing that it was the hand of Rav Shraga Feivel that had reached into the darkness to bring light.

Once, while traveling by wagon, Rav Shraga Feivel noticed that the driver seemed troubled. After gentle inquiry, the man revealed that he was deeply in debt—he owed twenty rubles and five kopikos, a crushing sum for a simple wagoner. Rav Shraga Feivel discreetly pressed the exact amount into the man’s hand, wrapping the money in a cloth so that the driver would not be embarrassed by the sight of coins being handed to him in charity. When the driver tried to refuse, Rav Shraga Feivel told him: “This is not from me. This is from the One who sends sustenance to all His creatures. I am merely the messenger.”

The Offer He Refused

Rav Shraga Feivel was once offered the opportunity to become a director of a major company in Finland. Had he accepted, he would have become one of the great millionaires of the country. But Rav Shraga Feivel declined. To his family, he explained: “Money I have, Baruch Hashem. I am wealthy. But according to my current situation, I am able to direct my four daughters as I see fit, according to my understanding and my values. If I accept this position, I will become one of the wealthiest men in the country—and then I am no longer certain that I will be able to raise my daughters according to my wishes. The wealth will bring its own pressures, its own expectations, its own dangers.”

This was a man who understood what so many wealthy people fail to grasp: that money is a tool, not a master.

A Prayer That Was Answered

It was known that Rav Shraga Feivel had a custom of saying a special tefillah that his children should not become excessively wealthy. He davened that they should have enough—enough to live with dignity, enough to give generously, enough to support Torah—but not so much that wealth would become a snare for their souls.

A member of the Kotler family recalled this tradition: “My grandmother, alehah hashalom, used to always tell us about her grandfather, the famous Rav Shraga Feivel Frank. He had a great big business in Kovno. He was considered from the prominent gevirim of Kovno. He was a baal achsanya of Rav Yisroel Salanter in Kovno. The bais hamussar was in his house. But it was in his tzavaah that his daughters should marry talmidei chachamim muflagim… and he was mispallel that besides that, no wealth should remain.” And indeed, this prayer was fulfilled. His descendants lived lives of Torah rather than of material accumulation.

A Champion of the Common People

The story of Rav Shraga Feivel and the merchants of Kovno reveals the depth of his commitment to justice alongside charity. During a period of economic crisis, as the cost of basic necessities soared, merchants began raising their prices to levels that the common people could not afford. Rav Shraga Feivel called the merchants together and spoke to them with a directness that left no room for misunderstanding. “You will lower your prices,” he told them. “You will take the cost of the goods and add only a fair margin. And you will do this not because I am asking you, but because the Torah demands it.”

But Rav Shraga Feivel did not stop at words. He personally subsidized the difference between what the merchants needed to survive and what the people could afford to pay. He became, in effect, a one-man social safety net—covering the gap between need and capacity with his own resources.

A Joy That Transformed a City

The gaon Rav Nosson Tzvi Finkel related that when he visited the home of Rav Shraga Feivel Frank on the occasion of a simchah, the joy that filled the house was palpable. Rav Shraga Feivel’s simchos were never private affairs. They were communal events in which the entire kehillah participated. The poor came alongside the wealthy. The talmidei chachamim sat beside the baalei batim. And at the center of it all was Rav Shraga Feivel himself, his face radiant with a joy that came not from his own celebration but from the knowledge that he was bringing happiness to others.

At one such gathering, Rav Shraga Feivel was observed dancing with an abandon that seemed out of character for a man of his dignity. When asked about it, he replied simply: “When a Yid rejoices at a simchah shel mitzvah, the Shechinah itself dances with him. How can I remain still?”

Father and Brother: The Two Tzvi Pesach Franks

In addition to his four daughters, Rav Shraga Feivel had two sons: Raphael, his firstborn, and Tzvi Pesach, named after Rav Shraga Feivel’s own father, Tzvi Pesach Hirsh Frank. Rav Shraga Feivel’s son Tzvi Pesach married a daughter of Rav Aryeh Leib Broida. His mother was Mina (née Torzki).

A word must be said here to avoid a common confusion. Rav Shraga Feivel’s brother, Rav Yehuda Leib Frank, was one of the founders of the settlement of Hadera in Eretz Yisrael, and his son—also named Tzvi Pesach Frank—became the renowned Chief Rabbi of Yerushalayim, the great posek who served as Av Beis Din and Rav of Yerushalayim for decades, authoring the monumental Har Tzvi and Mikra’ei Kodesh. This Rav Tzvi Pesach Frank, the nephew, was born in Kovno in 1873 and emigrated to Eretz Yisrael in 1892. His father-in-law’s brother-in-law was Rav Yosef Chaim Sonnenfeld. His son-in-law was Rav Shmuel Rozovsky, the great Rosh Yeshiva of Ponevezh. So there were two Tzvi Pesach Franks in the family—uncle and nephew—both products of the Kovno Torah world that Rav Shraga Feivel had done so much to sustain. Rav Shraga Feivel’s wife’s brother-in-law, Rav Zevulun Barit, served as Av Beis Din of Plungian.

The Twilight of a Tzaddik

Rabbi Chaim Shraga Feivel Frank was born in the year 5603 (1843) and passed away at the tragically young age of forty-three, in 1886. His death left all of Kovno in mourning. The gaon Rav Yitzchak Elchonon Spector, the great Rav of Kovno who had served the community since 1864, was so moved by his passing that he personally participated in the taharah—the ritual preparation of the body for burial—an extraordinary honor that speaks volumes about the esteem in which Rav Shraga Feivel was held.

Rav Shraga Feivel had left instructions that no hespedim be delivered at his funeral. Rav Yitzchak Elchonon stood before the assembled mourners and said: “I would disobey his request—but I am afraid of him.” With that, he sat down. It was, in its way, the most eloquent hesped that could have been delivered—a testament to the awe that this young man had inspired in the gadol hador.

Rav Shraga Feivel’s youngest daughter, Devorah Kramer, recalled this scene decades later, preserving it for posterity. That the memory of his levayah was still vivid to his children after so many years testifies to the profound impression their father had left—a man they barely had time to know, yet whose values shaped every aspect of their lives.

An Eternal Legacy

Today, the physical structures that Rav Shraga Feivel built have long since crumbled. The Aleksot estate was swept away by the tides of two World Wars and Soviet occupation. The Jewish community of Kovno, which numbered over 35,000 on the eve of the Second World War, was nearly annihilated in the Holocaust. The Kovno Ghetto was established in Slobodka in 1941, and the Slabodka Yeshiva—the very institution Rav Shraga Feivel had helped sustain—saw its rabbis and students among the first victims of Nazi brutality.

But the spiritual legacy he created endures beyond anything brick and mortar could contain. His nephew, Rav Tzvi Pesach Frank, became one of the most revered poskim in Jewish history, serving as the Chief Rabbi of Yerushalayim for decades. His son-in-law Rav Isser Zalman Meltzer’s Even HaEzel remains a cornerstone of Torah scholarship. His son-in-law Rav Moshe Mordechai Epstein helped bring the Slabodka Yeshiva to Eretz Yisrael, where it continues to flourish as Yeshivas Chevron. And in Lakewood, New Jersey, the institution founded by his great-son-in-law Rav Aharon Kotler now enrolls thousands upon thousands of full-time Torah scholars—a living fulfillment of the deathbed dream of a leather merchant from Aleksot who understood that the only wealth worth accumulating is the wealth of Torah.

Rav Yisrael Salanter himself wrote of his devoted supporter: “I shall never cease to be amazed by the greatness of Rav Feivel Frank, of blessed memory. He was the kind of Jew the world rarely produces—a man whose Torah was matched by his deeds, whose generosity was matched by his humility, and whose vision for the Jewish future was matched by his tireless effort to make that vision real.”

That vision—of a Jewish world sustained by Torah, nourished by chesed, and guided by the uncompromising belief that spiritual wealth matters more than material fortune—is alive today in every beis midrash from Lakewood to Yerushalayim. It is the legacy of Rav Chaim Shraga Feivel Frank.

The author can be reached at [email protected]

In an opinion article published by Arutz Sheva, Moshe Phillip, the chairman of the Americans For A Safe Israel organization, asserts that placing thousands of soldiers of a Muslim-majority country that “fails to recognize Israel’s right to exist” poses severe security risks to Israelis’ lives.

Indonesia announced on Tuesday that it is preparing as many as 8,000 soldiers for the multinational force in Gaza, making it the first country to confirm the deployment of its troops to the Strip following the ceasefire deal signed four months ago.

“How can a nation that refuses to recognize Israel be trusted to have heavily armed soldiers in Gaza?” Philip wrote. “This is the question that Israelis should be asking their politicians. Kan News has reported that Indonesian soldiers will arrive in Gaza within weeks. On paper, this might look like a contribution to regional stability. But for Israel, allowing Indonesian soldiers—even troops Indonesia claims have been trained to be peacekeepers—to deploy in Gaza would be a tremendous strategic mistake.”

“Indonesia does not recognize Israel, has never had diplomatic relations with Israel, and has consistently voted against Israel at the United Nations. The proposed deployment is not in the best interest of either the United States or Israel. Israeli leaders still have time to prevent this.

“The government of Indonesia has publicly reaffirmed that it does not have an official relationship with Israel, and this position has remained unchanged for decades. Despite rare and unofficial contacts, Jakarta maintains a foreign-policy posture rooted in rejecting Israel’s legitimacy. Indonesia has no embassy in Israel. This lack of diplomatic relations is not some small thing—it is a deliberate Indonesian policy that signals serious national opposition to Israel’s very existence.

“Indonesia has consistently voted against Israel at the UN, often enthusiastically. Jakarta routinely supports resolutions condemning Israel for what it describes as an “unlawful occupation” of Palestinian territory. Indonesian officials publicly welcome UN resolutions calling for a full Israeli withdrawal and regularly state that Israel has no legitimate sovereignty in Palestinian Arab-populated areas. Indonesia already has a history of condemning Israeli Knesset votes, reinforcing its long-standing pattern of hostility. These are not the votes or statements of a neutral nation capable of acting as an even-handed peacekeeping presence; they are the actions of a state that aligns diplomatically against Israel over and over again.

“This all really matters when discussing the possible deployment of Indonesian troops into Gaza. Embedding soldiers from a country that refuses to recognize Israel, has no diplomatic ties with Israel, and consistently backs resolutions targeting Israel’s legitimacy introduces serious risks. Peacekeepers must be trusted by all sides if they are to function effectively. Given Indonesia’s history, Israel cannot reasonably be expected to view these troops as neutral actors, and Israel’s leaders have the opportunity now to say just that, and they should.

“In October 2024, dramatic testimony revealed that Hezbollah terrorists captured by the IDF confirmed that they had paid members of UNIFIL (the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon) to use their outposts and surveillance cameras along the border with Israel. What assurances are there that troops from a nation like Indonesia, when its citizens know full well that their government opposes Israel, would not similarly collaborate with Hamas? Who will make sure that Indonesia’s soldiers don’t sell weapons or ammunition to Hamas or Islamic Jihad? Not for ideological reasons but just to make money.

“There is also the practical question of what message the United States would send by supporting such a deployment. America consistently works to protect Israel’s security. Allowing troops from a nation that has taken every opportunity at the UN to oppose Israel would create an unnecessary contradiction in U.S. policy. It would legitimize Indonesia’s behavior: aggressive anti-Israel diplomacy paired with a sudden interest in placing thousands of soldiers in a territory vital to Israel’s security. Washington should be wary of giving political cover to states whose UN voting records consistently undermine U.S. and Israeli interests.

“Some could argue that Indonesia, as the world’s largest Muslim-majority country, could bring credibility or balance to peacekeeping in Gaza. But Indonesia itself has made clear that even its hypothetical willingness to recognize Israel is conditional-based, not on diplomacy or mutual respect, but on Israel first recognizing an independent Palestinian state that doesn’t even exist. That is not neutrality; it is political blackmail.

“Allowing troops from such a country into Gaza could lead to confusion, conflicting mandates, and serious security complications. Peacekeepers need to coordinate closely with Israeli defense forces in any post-conflict scenario. The introduction of a politically motivated military contingent would risk undermining Israel’s security and could embolden groups that oppose Israel’s right to defend itself.

“Indonesia’s longstanding refusal to recognize Israel, its lack of diplomatic relations, and its record of consistently voting against Israel at the UN make it the wrong country to provide troops in Gaza. For the security of Israel, for the strategic interests of the United States, and for the prospects of a Gaza free of Hamas, the Indonesian army soldiers must stay home in Indonesia.”

(YWN Israel Desk—Jerusalem)

Israel’s Ministry of Health has authorized a new enforcement step allowing unvaccinated children to be kept out of kindergartens and other educational institutions if they were exposed to measles, as authorities intensify efforts to contain a severe outbreak spreading across the country.

The decision followed a confirmed exposure event on February 4 at a kindergarten in the Samaria community of Emanuel, where a child who was later diagnosed with measles attended while contagious. That incident initially led to the exclusion of two unvaccinated children, a number that later rose to six across two kindergartens operating in the same facility.

The order is based on Section 19 of the Public Health Ordinance and applies only to unvaccinated children who had close contact with a confirmed measles patient and did not receive post-exposure preventive treatment, such as vaccination within 72 hours of exposure.

Health officials note that measles is among the most infectious diseases known, with more than a 90% chance of transmission to unvaccinated individuals following close contact. The virus can incubate for as long as 21 days, and infected individuals are capable of spreading it before symptoms become visible. Severe complications may occur, including encephalitis, with mortality estimated at roughly one in every 1,000 cases and a similar likelihood of lasting neurological damage. In rare cases, a fatal degenerative brain disease can develop years after infection, particularly when exposure occurs before the age of two.

The outbreak, which began around April of last year, has so far produced about 2,900 confirmed cases, though health officials believe the actual number may exceed 10,000. Fourteen children have died, and 20 patients remain hospitalized, including 10 in intensive care units. Cases have been reported in Yerushalayim, Beitar Illit, Bnei Brak, Modi’in Illit, Kiryat Gat, Petach Tikva, and Netivot.

The Ministry of Health’s Public Health Division underscored the importance of vaccination, stating: “After an exposure event, the risk of developing the disease is very high. We recommend preventive vaccination within 72 hours, which prevents illness very effectively.” Officials also stressed that while parents are entitled to make decisions for their own children, “parents cannot decide for other children,” warning that allowing exposed, unvaccinated children to attend group settings endangers others, including immunocompromised individuals and pregnant women.

In Israel, measles vaccines are offered free of charge at one year of age and again before first grade, and are widely regarded as safe and highly effective based on extensive research. The Health Ministry urged parents to act quickly, emphasizing that vaccination can avert serious illness and fatalities.

The exclusion orders are temporary and will be reassessed on a weekly basis or adjusted if new medical developments arise, such as the onset of symptoms. Authorities warned that sending an exposed, unvaccinated child to school in violation of the order could be treated as a criminal offense.

Officials described the policy as a necessary precaution in the face of an extreme public health emergency, aimed at safeguarding the wider population during one of the most serious measles outbreaks Israel has faced in recent years.

{Matzav.com}

JERUSALEM (VINnews)- Israel’s Shin Bet security agency said it has dismantled a terror network based in Judea-Samaria that was directed by operatives in Lebanon with ties to Hamas and Hezbollah.

The network was instructed to photograph an Israeli settlement in preparation for an attack, and its members conducted firearms training, the agency said. Five Palestinians from Judea-Samaria have been indicted in connection with the case.

In October 2025, Shin Bet agents detained Mohammad Sadka, a Palestinian from the village of Anza in Judea-Samaria, on suspicion of planning a terror attack.

Interrogation of Sadka revealed that he had traveled to Lebanon, where he was recruited by a Lebanese operative identified as Musa Abu Saif, also known as Jibril, to enlist others for the network. After returning to Judea-Samaria via Jordan, Sadka recruited additional operatives, including Mohammad Khalil from Ramallah and Mohammad Barahmeh from Anza, who were subsequently arrested for questioning, Shin Bet said.

Sadka maintained contact with his Lebanese handlers through social networks and gaming applications, the agency added.

Shin Bet said it simultaneously uncovered another cell managed by the same Lebanese figures. Two Palestinians from the village of Tell — Dia a-Din Hamad and Nasser Asida — were arrested.

Investigations showed they were recruited by a Lebanese operative using the name Mujahid, along with others known as Abu Ahmad and Abu Wahid. Contact was maintained via social media.

As part of their recruitment, the pair underwent firearms training in preparation for an attack, were directed to photograph a community in Samaria in the northern part of Judea-Samaria, and arrangements were made to transfer funds for purchasing weapons, Shin Bet said.

Further intelligence and investigations identified the head of the Lebanese infrastructure as Mujahid Dahsha, a Lebanon resident with ties to Hamas and Hezbollah operatives.

Shin Bet described the operation as a significant disruption of efforts by Hamas and Hezbollah to establish and activate terror cells in Judea-Samaria through remote direction and recruitment.

JERUSALEM (VINnews) Judea and Samaria District Commander Chief Superintendent Moshe Pinchi met on Monday evening with the mother and family members of missing teenager Moishy Kleinerman, who has been missing since March 2022 after visiting the tomb of Rabbi Shimon bar Yochai on Mount Meron.

The investigation into Kleinerman’s disappearance is ongoing and includes the use of specialized tools and capabilities.

According to a report by Ynet, police are employing artificial intelligence technology in an effort to solve the mystery of Kleinerman’s disappearance. The AI tools are being used to scan security camera footage and identify details that may not have been detected through human review.

The investigation began after a missing persons report was filed at the Modi’in Illit police station several days after Kleinerman failed to return home from his visit to Meron. Extensive searches were conducted by police and other forces over many days, utilizing a wide range of resources and methods.

After the teenager was not located, responsibility for the case was transferred to the Major Crimes Unit of the Judea and Samaria District.

As part of the ongoing investigation, Chief Superintendent Pinchi met with the family Monday evening to brief them on new investigative actions and recent developments aimed at locating Kleinerman.

“Locating the missing person is a district-wide challenge, and we will continue our extensive efforts to solve this case,” Pinchi told the family. “As part of the investigation, we are using special methods and tools, including advanced technological solutions in cooperation with civilian companies. This meeting was held to update the family on the progress of the investigation.”

Kleinerman’s mother, Gitti Kleinerman, said she has not lost hope despite nearly four years having passed since her son disappeared. “The case is still on the table, and we remember Moishy 24/7,” she said. “This emotional meeting gives us the feeling that the Judea and Samaria District police attach great importance to this case, and we see that there are constant new developments. We thank the police for keeping us updated and hope for good news.”

A White House official reiterated on Monday that US President Donald Trump opposes Israel extending sovereignty to Judea and Samaria, underscoring the administration’s position amid recent Israeli government decisions affecting the area.

“A stable West Bank keeps Israel secure and is in line with this administration’s goal to achieve peace in the region,” the official said in remarks to the Reuters news agency.

The statement followed Israeli cabinet approvals a day earlier of a series of moves expected to significantly alter the legal and civil framework in Judea and Samaria, with an emphasis on cutting red tape and speeding up settlement growth.

The initiatives, advanced by Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich and Defense Minister Israel Katz, are designed to roll back regulations dating to the Jordanian period and to modernize land administration. Among the central steps is the declassification of land registry records that had long been kept sealed, a change intended to increase transparency and enable lawful property transactions.

In addition, ministers voted to abolish the prohibition on selling real estate to Jews, nullifying a Jordanian-era law that barred such sales. Under the new policy, Jewish purchasers will be able to buy land through procedures closer to those used inside central Israel. Authority over planning in Jewish areas near Hebron’s Cave of the Patriarchs was also shifted to the Civil Administration, a move expected to simplify and accelerate planning approvals.

Further cabinet actions include enhancing the administrative status of Rachel’s Tomb to improve the delivery of municipal services, expanding state enforcement powers in Areas A and B for environmental and legal matters, and reviving a land acquisition committee that had been inactive for years in order to secure land for future settlement activity.

Trump has previously made his position clear on the issue. In September, he told reporters that he would “not allow” Israel to move forward with sovereignty in Judea and Samaria.

“I will not allow Israel to annex the West Bank. No, I will not allow it. It’s not going to happen,” Trump said at the time when asked directly about the matter.

When questioned about whether he had discussed the issue with Prime Minister Bibi Netanyahu, Trump responded, “Yeah, but I’m not going to allow it,” reiterating his firm stance.

{Matzav.com}

NEW YORK (VINnews) — On Monday, Israeli President Isaac Herzog addressed a major memorial for the victims of the Bondi Beach terror attack. In attendance were families of the victims of the terror attack, survivors of the attack, and thousands of members of the Sydney Jewish community.

Also in attendance at the event were the Governor of New South Wales, Margaret Beazley; Premier of New South Wales, Chris Minns MP; former Prime Minister of Australia, Scott Morrison; the Chairman of the World Zionist Organization, Yaakov Hagoel; the Chairman of the Jewish Agency, Maj. Gen. (res.) Doron Almog; Chair of the Fund for Victims of Terror and J-Ready, Former MK Ayelet Nahmias-Verbin; as well as leaders of the Australian Jewish community, including Jeremy Leibler, President of the Zionist Federation of Australia; David Ossip, President of the NSW Jewish Board of Deputies; and Gary Pearlstone, President of the NSW UIA.

לזכרם של 15 הקורבנות בטבח בחוף בונדי

In memory of the 15 victims of the Bondi Beach Massacre pic.twitter.com/bttz6vBdDP

— יצחק הרצוג Isaac Herzog (@Isaac_Herzog) February 9, 2026

Thank you for that hug at Bondi, Mr. President @Isaac_Herzog. It means more than we can ever express! 🇮🇱 🫂 🇦🇺 pic.twitter.com/RwdQ0CDWrr

— Arsen Ostrovsky (@Ostrov_A) February 9, 2026

The following is a synopsis of Herzog’s speech:

“15 innocent lives, Jewish and non-Jewish, gunned down by cruelty, by hate, by evil, by extremism. Dozens more were wounded, as the Australian people and the Jewish people worldwide were left with trauma. The physical and emotional scars from December 14 will forever be a part of our two nations.”

“I am honored to join this beautiful community, which includes bereaved families of Bondi, accompanied by bereaved families of Israel. We have longed to see you and to grieve with you, and we come bearing the prayers of your Israeli family.”

“I know the tragedy of Bondi is not an isolated event. I know also that it follows two agonizing years for this community. Your Jewish identities became targets in Australia, just as you watched a massacre unfold in Israel.”

“The hatred that triggered the shooting at Bondi is the very same, age-old, plague of antisemitism endured by our parents and grandparents. It began long before October 7th, generations before even the State of Israel was born. Yet somehow, the October 7th massacre, the greatest mass murder of Jews since the Shoah, emboldened closeted antisemites, here in Australia and around the world.”

“The horrors in Israel empowered Jihadi extremism to rear its ugly head, here, in the country that welcomed thousands and thousands of survivors of the Holocaust, refugees of pogroms, Jews reemerging behind the Iron Curtain.”

“Friends, this is why we are here in Sydney. Why we had to come. We had to be here with you! Hug you, strengthen you and tell you: Am Yisrael Chai!”

“Only by doing, by showing up. And so, in the wake of the horror at Bondi Beach, we felt we must come to Australia to look you in the eye. To show up for you. We have come here not simply to tell you we are with you, but to show you that we are with you.”

“Australian Jewry has been with us in our greatest hours of need. This community is inspirational in its connection to Israel, in its proactive Zionism. Your carry your Jewish identities with pride, and I embrace the opportunity to recognize this incredible community, your contribution to Australia and to the people of Israel! I view my visit here as an opportunity to tell the story of who we are, as a people and as a nation.”

“And I am here also to reinvigorate the important relations between our two strong democracies. I know that by working together we will find the way to expand collaboration and increase understanding and upgrade our relations. During my visit, I intend to discuss it with your national leadership.”

“Our nations are bound by this history, by decades of close friendship, by this outstanding Jewish community, and now, dear friends, we are unfortunately bound also by tragedy. Together we grieve, together we remember, and together we will build a safer future we can share! I thank you all, and I salute the many leaders in this room.”

הקדיש שהרעיד לבבות: בניו של הקדוש הרב אלי שלנגר הי״ד אומרים קדיש בבית הכנסת של חב״ד בבונדי אוסטרליה, מול נשיא המדינה יצחק הרצוג וראש ממשלת אוסטרליה השנוי במחלוקת. רגע שבו הכאב היהודי הפרטי הופך לעדות חיה מול העולם כולו. pic.twitter.com/EkcIwYFrtd

— יוסי אליטוב Yossi Elituv (@yoelituv) February 10, 2026

On Tuesday Herzog visited the Chabad center in Sydney and heard a moving Kaddish from the son of Rav Eli Shlanger, a Chabad emissary who was murdered at the Bondi Beach massacre. Herzog was accompanied by Rav Shlanger’s father-in-law, Rav Yehoram Ullman.

Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. warned on Monday that America’s heavy dependence on ultra-processed foods is damaging children’s health, characterizing efforts to confront the problem as “spiritual warfare,” according to a report by the Washington Examiner.

Kennedy made the remarks during a sit-down conversation with Heritage Foundation President Kevin Roberts marking the first anniversary of his Make America Healthy Again initiative. He argued that highly processed foods now dominate what Americans eat and are a major driver of chronic illness, especially among children.

“It’s spiritual warfare. It’s a war at scale against cellular activity. It’s an assault on children,” Kennedy said, citing administration figures indicating that about 70% of the calories consumed by American children come from ultra-processed foods.

He likened the long-term health consequences of these products to tobacco use, asserting that ultra-processed foods are “much worse than cigarettes” in terms of their lasting impact on health.

Kennedy also pointed to the financial toll of poor diet, saying chronic illnesses linked to nutrition now account for a substantial portion of federal healthcare spending. He estimated that roughly 40 cents of every taxpayer dollar is spent treating preventable metabolic disease.

Addressing criticism that his approach could lead to excessive government control, Kennedy dismissed claims that his policies amount to a “nanny state.”

He emphasized that Americans should continue to have the freedom to decide what they eat, including indulgences like soda or sweets, but argued that people are entitled to clear, honest information about the health effects of those choices.

“I’m not going to take away anybody’s donuts or Coca-Cola,” Kennedy said, stressing that individual choice must go hand in hand with accurate and transparent guidance.

Kennedy further took aim at what he described as outsized corporate influence on nutrition research and public health messaging, urging parents to view food advertising and official recommendations with “fierce skepticism.”

He maintained that both government institutions and the food industry have fallen short in protecting children from harmful dietary patterns.

As part of his broader agenda, Kennedy has advocated for changes to the federal Dietary Guidelines for Americans, calling for increased emphasis on protein, healthy fats, and whole foods, while reducing reliance on refined carbohydrates and processed products.

The remarks reflect Kennedy’s wider push to challenge established public health assumptions and redirect federal policy toward what he says is a more candid, preventive, and health-focused approach.

{Matzav.com}

WATCH:

Indonesia, the most populous Muslim-majority country in the world, officially confirmed on Tuesday that its army is preparing to send up to 8,000 soldiers to serve in the multinational peacekeeping force in Gaza as part of President Donald Trump’s peace plan.

The announcement is a significant development as Indonesia is the first country to officially confirm its intention to establish peacekeeping forces in Gaza, four months after the signing of the ceasefire agreement.

Indonesian Army Chief of Staff Gen. Maruli Simanjuntak told Bloomberg that one brigade of between 5,000 to 8,000 soldiers is being prepared to operate in Gaza.

However, he emphasized that no final decisions have been made yet on the details and the army is still in its planning stages, but initial preparations have already begun.

Indonesia does not officially recognize Israel but maintains discreet trade and tourism ties with Israel.

During US President Donald Trump’s first term in office, his administration reportedly was close to finalizing deals with Indonesia and Mauritania to be the next Muslim states to normalize ties with Israel but ran out of time before Trump’s term was over.

(YWN Israel Desk—Jerusalem)

HaGaon HaRav Dov Landau referred to the arrests of Bnei Torah this week at a Siyum on Masechtas Nega’im by the members of the Taharos Kollel on Monday evening.

After praising the avreichim for their accomplishment, the Rosh Yeshiva said, “Sadly, there are those who don’t understand the greatness and virtue of Torah and even persecute lomdei Torah. In recent days, lomdei Torah have once again been arrested. This is something that shocks every Jewish heart. Anyone who takes part in the terrible crime of restricting the steps of lomdei Torah, know—there’s a Borei Olam; yesh din v’Dayan! (There’s judgment and there’s a Judge!)”

“We all share in the pain of those who were imprisoned because of their desire to learn Torah—and the sorrow of their families—and we daven with all our hearts that this evil will pass like smoke that dissipates.”

“Everyone also knows that efforts are currently being made to prevent such cases from happening, but it is clear that now we are in a difficult situation in which lomdei Torah are being persecuted and sought out everywhere,” the Rosh Yeshiva warned. “Bochurim and avreichim who are at risk of arrest must be careful not to expose themselves to the authorities, and in times of danger, all paths are presumed dangerous. This will be the situation until the matter is settled, b’ezras Hashem—soon.”

“May it be His will that we always rejoice with the Torah without anyone disturbing us and that this decree be annulled.”

(YWN Israel Desk—Jerusalem)

In an exceptionally shocking incident for the world’s only Jewish state in 2026, the IDF openly admitted that it blatantly violated the most basic religious right of a newlywed avreich and prevented him from laying tefillin while in military custody for “draft dodging.”

After fierce public condemnations of the incident, the IDF spokesperson issued a statement admitting that the avreich, Avraham Ben Dayan, had requested to put on tefillin but ultimately did not do so “due to an unexpected delay in his intake.”

It should be noted that according to the family, Ben Dayan, who was arrested on Motzei Shabbos, asked multiple times throughout the day on Sunday to put on tefillin—not just once.

The IDF statement continued, “This is a highly exceptional case that is not in line with the IDF’s regulations. The IDF regrets the distress caused. Procedures at the prison have been clarified for immediate implementation, and the matter will be thoroughly investigated by commanders in order to prevent similar cases in the future.”

Since Ben Dayan’s arrest on Motzei Shabbos, two additional Bnei Torah were arrested and handed over to military police.

(YWN Israel Desk—Jerusalem)

In the third arrest of a Ben Torah this week, a 20-year-old yeshiva bochur, a talmid of a Chabad yeshiva, was arrested late Monday night by the Rosh HaAyin police and handed over to the military police.

The bochur, Ariel Koren, spent the night behind bars and is expected to be brought before a military judge on Tuesday, who will determine the continuation of his proceedings.

It should be noted that the recent arrests were carried out by Israel Police officers, despite statements by Police Chief Danny Levy last week that the police would not take part in the arrests of Chareidi “draft dodgers” or their transfer to military police.

The arrest comes a day after the Chareidi sector was shocked by the incident in which a newlywed avreich was prevented from laying tefillin while in the custody of military police.

(YWN Israel Desk—Jerusalem)

An extremist was detained after allegedly planning to spray pepper spray at the Stoliner Rebbe, according to sources on Monday, following a separate incident earlier in the day in which radical protesters publicly harassed the rebbe.

Journalist Yoeli Brim reported that a zealot was apprehended while carrying pepper spray that he intended to use against the Stoliner Rebbe. According to the report, police later released the suspect and did not confiscate the pepper spray.

Earlier in the morning, a group of extremists from the fringes of the chareidi community confronted and humiliated the Stoliner Rebbe as he arrived in the Gush Shemonim area to attend a bris for the son of one of his chassidim.

The protesters, who oppose the Rebbe’s involvement in efforts to arrange adapted military service frameworks for the chareidi public, lay in wait for him and vandalized his vehicle by throwing eggs, ketchup, and other objects at it.

The Rebbe himself was not harmed in the attack, though visible damage was caused to his car, as seen in the photo above obtained by Matzav.com.

Despite the incident, the Rebbe instructed his chassidim—consistent with his long-standing approach over decades—to remain silent and not respond in any way to the provocations.

Across the chassidic world and beyond, strong condemnations were voiced over what many described as a severe affront to kavod haTorah.

{Matzav.com}

Coalition Chairman Ofir Katz announced Monday that Shas and Degel HaTorah will vote in favor of splitting Israel’s Arrangements Law, despite sharp disagreements that last week led to a last-minute postponement amid strong chareidi opposition.

Speaking after intensive coalition talks, Katz said that although disputes remain, the two chareidi parties will support the move alongside the coalition. He added that negotiations over the draft exemption legislation and passage of the state budget will continue “until a solution is reached.”

The vote had been delayed just days earlier after chareidi factions signaled anger over unresolved issues, threatening to withhold support. Even on Monday, coalition tensions persisted, with last-minute efforts underway to secure agreements and prevent another breakdown.

At the same time, criticism of the chareidi parties is growing from within the coalition itself. Eli Dalal, a Likud lawmaker who serves as coalition coordinator on the Knesset Finance Committee, publicly called on Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to restore order.

“What is happening in the Knesset these days is simply unbearable, inappropriate, and must stop,” Dalal wrote on X. “I call on Prime Minister Netanyahu to announce that if the chareidi parties do not immediately agree to pass the budget, he should declare elections. It is unacceptable to hold the entire people of Israel hostage.”

The developments underscore continued friction within the governing coalition as it works to advance key budgetary legislation while navigating disputes over military service exemptions and broader arrangements tied to the state budget.

{Matzav.com}

El Al has informed passengers of a new safety policy prohibiting the use of portable power banks during flights, citing concerns over fire hazards caused by overheating and ignition incidents onboard aircraft.

The Israeli airline announced over the weekend that passengers are no longer permitted to use portable chargers at any point during a flight, nor may they charge such devices using the aircraft’s electrical outlets. The move brings El Al in line with international aviation safety standards already adopted by many global carriers.

In a notice to customers, the airline stated that there is now an absolute ban on using portable power banks during flight, as well as a prohibition on charging them through onboard power sockets. El Al also clarified that power banks with a capacity exceeding 100 watt-hours are not approved for air travel.

Under the updated guidelines, each passenger may bring only one portable power bank onboard, and its capacity must not exceed 100Wh. Chargers that do not clearly display their watt-hour rating will not be permitted on the aircraft.

El Al warned that passengers who do not comply with the new requirements risk having the device confiscated by the flight crew. The airline emphasized that it bears no responsibility for loss or damage to power banks that are seized due to failure to meet safety regulations.

The airline said the decision was driven by multiple cases worldwide in which portable chargers caught fire during flights, posing a serious safety risk.

The updated policy aligns with recommendations issued by international aviation authorities, including the European Union Aviation Safety Agency, the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration, the International Air Transport Association, and the International Civil Aviation Organization.

Similar restrictions have already been implemented by other airlines. Swiss International Air Lines, for example, banned the use of portable power banks during flights beginning January 15 and limited passengers to carrying no more than two such devices.

El Al said the new measures are part of its ongoing efforts to enhance onboard safety and reduce the risk of fire-related incidents during air travel.

{Matzav.com}

What was once considered an eccentric indulgence reserved for a handful of outliers has quietly become a mainstream choice across the chareidi world: spending the Yom Tov season abroad. A quick glance at the chareidi press today reveals an almost endless list of mehadrin kosher Yom Tov programs in destinations across Europe and beyond. To understand how this shift happened—and why it continues to accelerate—we spoke with program organizers, participants, and kashrus supervisors who accompany this rapidly growing industry year after year.

Anyone passing through Ben Gurion Airport’s Terminal 3 in the weeks leading up to Pesach might momentarily think they’ve wandered onto Rechov Rabi Akiva or into the heart of Geulah. Thousands of families, weighed down with suitcases, children, and seforim, stream through the terminal, leaving behind the dust, scrubbing, and pressure of pre-Pesach cleaning in favor of a fully prepared, strictly kosher Yom Tov experience overseas.

What began roughly a decade ago as a trickle has since turned into a flood. Today, Pesach programs abroad are no longer the domain of the wealthy elite. Instead, they have become a practical—and often preferable—option for the average chareidi family.

“It’s simple math,” says Menachem, a father of seven from Modi’in Illit, as he compares offers. “A decent hotel in Yerushalayim or Netanya for ten days can cost me like a mortgage. In Greece or Cyprus, I get a five-star resort, flights for the entire family, and food at the level of high-end weddings—and when all is said and done, the final number in my bank account is often lower than if I stayed in Israel.”

Paradoxically, economics have become the main engine driving the phenomenon. In the past, foreign vacations were seen as extravagant, while Israeli alternatives felt more reasonable. Today, the reality has flipped. With Israeli hotels burdened by high kashrus costs and peak demand from the general public, chareidi entrepreneurs abroad capitalize on Europe’s off-season. Entire resorts are rented at bargain rates, kashered from the ground up, and transformed into all-inclusive Pesach destinations that would be unthinkable in Israel.

But money is only part of the story.

For many families, the overseas experience offers something Israel simply cannot: Yom Tov Sheini. “There’s something uplifting about two consecutive days of Yom Tov,” explains Rav Y., a veteran mashgiach who has accompanied these programs for years. “It gives families real time to elevate themselves spiritually, without the abrupt rush of Yom Tov ending so quickly like it does in Israel. The tefillos, the seudos, the singing at the second ‘closing’ of the chag—it creates an atmosphere of a Yom Tov that lingers. It’s not just a vacation; it’s a spiritual experience that leaves a lasting impression on children.”

Concerns that once surrounded “foreign food” have also largely disappeared. Today’s Pesach programs operate with near-military precision. Teams of mashgichim arrive weeks in advance, dismantling kitchens and rebuilding them from scratch with brand-new Pesach equipment.

There are no “secondary kitchens” or compromises. Menus are built to the highest standards: no gebrokts, no kitniyos, and meat from the most stringent shechitos, including Kehillos, Eidah HaChareidis, and Rav Landau. “The luxury is American-level,” says one organizer, “but the kashrus is Meah Shearim. Guests don’t need to ask questions—they know every crumb has passed through layer upon layer of supervision.”

And then there is perhaps the most transformative element of all: freedom for mothers.

In a community where Pesach preparations are a relentless logistical operation, the decision to go to a hotel is, above all else, an act of self-preservation. Instead of scrubbing shutters and baking under pressure, chareidi mothers find themselves by the pool or in a plush lobby, while their children attend organized Pesach day camps staffed by counselors flown in from Israel.

It is one of the few settings in which a chareidi mother truly does not have to cook, clean, or serve. For once, she is genuinely free.

Judging by the numbers, the trend shows no sign of slowing. The chareidi market has discovered that the world is wide, and that it is possible to combine halachic stringency with a high standard of living. What was once viewed as a reluctant compromise has become, for thousands of families, the preferred option—Pesach celebrated lechatchilah, with hiddur, joy, rest, and a very real sense of cheirus.

{Matzav.com}

Hamas on Monday evening issued a sharp response to reports that Israel is fast-tracking approval of legislation that would allow the death penalty for terrorists, following disclosures that preparations for implementing the law have already begun.

The terror group reacted to a report aired on Channel 13 News regarding the acceleration of the legislative process and initial steps to establish enforcement mechanisms. In a statement, Hamas accused Israel of exposing what it called its true nature. “(The move) exposes the true face of this entity, which exists on bloodshed, organized crime and collective punishment,” the organization claimed.

Hamas further alleged that advancing the legislation constitutes a serious violation of international law and global conventions. Referring to Israel’s prison policies, the group described the proposed law as part of what it termed an escalation against incarcerated terrorists.

“It is about unprecedented steps within a policy of ‘slow killing’ that the occupation is carrying out against the prisoners,” the statement asserted, adding that the measures reflect “sadism and systematic torture inside the prisons.”

The organization also alleged that prisoners are subjected on a daily basis to “abuse, medical neglect and deliberate starvation,” which it claimed is a continuation of what it described as Israel’s war against the Palestinian people.

Hamas concluded its statement with an appeal to the international community, calling for immediate intervention. “We call on the United Nations and all international legal and humanitarian institutions to act immediately and effectively to protect our prisoners and to stop this dangerous crime,” the statement read.

As previously reported, the Israel Prison Service has in recent days begun advancing dedicated preparations for the possible implementation of the death penalty law for terrorists, which has already passed its first reading in the Knesset. The preparations reportedly include establishing a designated facility for carrying out sentences, formulating operational procedures, training personnel, and examining practices in countries where similar punishment exists.

{Matzav.com}

Reports from the Gaza Strip said Monday that one of four terrorists killed earlier in the day in eastern Rafah was Anas Issa al-Nashar, the son of Issa al-Nashar, identified as one of the founders of Hamas.

According to the reports, the four terrorists were killed after emerging from an underground shaft connected to the subterranean tunnel network in the eastern Rafah area. Al-Nashar was named as one of those eliminated during the incident.

Additional details circulating in Gaza claimed that the slain terrorist’s mother is a senior figure in Hamas’ women’s movement. It was also reported that one of his brothers was killed in 2006, while another brother and other members of the family were killed during the current war. The reports further noted that al-Nashar was the nephew of Abu Ahmad al-Bawwab, the commander of Hamas’ eastern Rafah battalion, who was killed in early 2025.

The incident occurred during ongoing operations by Israel Defense Forces to clear the area of terrorists and terror infrastructure in eastern Rafah. According to the IDF, troops identified four terrorists emerging from an underground shaft in the area and opening fire on forces from the 7th Brigade.

IDF troops returned fire and killed all four terrorists. The military said that, b’chasdei Shomayim, there were no injuries to Israeli forces during the exchange.

{Matzav.com}

OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) — Oklahoma’s Statewide Charter School Board voted Monday to reject an application for a religious virtual charter school backed by a Florida-based Jewish network, saying it is bound by state constitutional limits and a prior court ruling.

The proposal by Ben Gamla Charter School sought to open an online public charter school in Oklahoma. The vote comes months after the U.S. Supreme Court left in place a decision blocking the creation of what would have been the nation’s first Catholic public charter school in the state.

Board members said they were constrained by the Oklahoma Supreme Court’s determination that charter schools are public schools and therefore must remain secular under the state constitution, which bars the use of public funds to support religious institutions.

Several speakers at the meeting urged the board to reject the proposal, arguing that taxpayer dollars should not fund religious education. Others questioned why the application was being considered in light of existing legal precedent.

Ben Gamla representatives said they plan to continue pursuing the effort and may seek further review in federal court.

Americans United for Separation of Church and State praised the board’s decision, saying it protects religious freedom and the constitutional separation of church and state.

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Senior rabbis from the Religious Zionist community issued a public warning on Monday against what they described as deliberate attempts to inflame tensions and sow division between Religious Zionists and the chareidi public, particularly surrounding the ongoing debate over military conscription.

In a letter signed by dozens of rabbis along with bereaved families, the authors cautioned that outside interests are exploiting the sensitive issue of the draft to pit one sector against another. “In recent times, parties with vested interests are trying to stir conflict between different groups in Israeli society, including between the chareidi public and the national camp,” the letter states.

The rabbis acknowledged that disagreements exist, including within the Religious Zionist camp itself, but stressed that these differences must not become a source of internal fracture. “It is no secret that there are ideological gaps and disagreements on the issue of conscription between different streams within the national camp,” they wrote, adding, “We will continue to discuss and argue, but we will do so as loving brothers.”

They further warned that political maneuvering around the draft issue could have broader consequences, cautioning that “the attempt to dismantle the national camp and the right-wing government under the pretext of the ‘draft law’ is falling into a trap.”

Alongside the warning, the rabbis voiced support for the proposed draft legislation, saying that in its current form it has the potential to significantly increase enlistment from the chareidi sector. They wrote that the bill could result in “triple the number of chareidim being drafted into the IDF in a way that will ease the burden on reserve soldiers and strengthen the IDF.”

The letter described chareidi backing for the legislation as a rare opportunity, stating, “The chareidi agreement to the law is a historic opportunity that must not be missed.” The rabbis concluded by expressing support for political leadership on the right, saying, “We strengthen the hands of the leaders of the camp to continue leading the right-wing government for many more years.”

{Matzav.com}

A spokesman for Hamas issued a warning Monday against Palestinian groups in Gaza that cooperate with Israel, signaling rising internal tensions as fighting and political rivalries continue in the enclave.

In a statement, Abu Obeida, the spokesman for the group’s armed wing, the al-Qassam Brigades, said a “dark fate” awaited Israeli-backed forces operating in Gaza.

The remarks appeared to follow a social media post by Ghassan al-Dahini, a leader of an anti-Hamas militia near Rafah, who mocked the death of a Hamas-linked gunman killed earlier in the day.

“These groups act only under the protection of the occupation,” Abu Obeida said, accusing rival militias of fully aligning with Israel and serving its interests.

“A dark fate is coming soon for those who serve the occupation,” he added, invoking a historical figure associated in Islamic tradition with betrayal.

Abu Obeida also praised four terrorists whom the IDF said were killed after emerging from a tunnel in Rafah earlier Monday.

“Godspeed to our heroic resistance fighters… who preferred martyrdom to surrender,” he said, referring to the incident.

The dispute escalated after Dahini posted what he claimed was footage and graphic imagery of one of the slain gunmen, taunting the family and accusing Hamas of abandoning its fighters.

“Tell his mother he’s not coming home,” Dahini wrote. “Your son got what he asked for.”

He also alleged that Hamas leaders had fled Gaza through the Rafah Crossing, which reopened last week and is partially administered by his group.

Hamas’s internal security unit, known as Sahm 103, rejected Dahini’s claims and accused him of exploiting the deaths for propaganda.

The unit said Dahini falsely took credit for the killings, despite knowing they were caused by Israeli airstrikes, and denied that Hamas leaders had fled through the crossing.

According to Sahm 103, the gunman targeted by Dahini was Anas al-Nashar, whose family has suffered multiple losses in the conflict. His father, Issa al-Nashar, is a senior Hamas official and former mayor of Rafah, the unit said.

The statement also noted that Anas’s mother is the sister of Mohammad Bawab, an East Rafah Battalion commander killed by Israel in December after emerging from a tunnel.

Sahm 103 further accused Dahini’s family of profiting from humanitarian aid while publicly criticizing Hamas.

The public exchange highlights growing friction between Hamas and rival Palestinian groups in Gaza, some of which Israel has accused of collaborating with its security forces.

Analysts say the episode underscores Hamas’s efforts to deter internal dissent and maintain control amid ongoing military pressure and fragile ceasefire arrangements.

As fighting continues in southern Gaza, officials warn that rivalry among armed factions could further destabilize the territory and complicate efforts to restore security and governance.

(YWN World Headquarters – NYC)

In an extraordinary display of achdus and hasmadah, 309 lomdim completed the entire Shas in a single day this past Sunday, gathered under one roof for ATIME’s annual Shas-A-Thon. The monumental undertaking was dedicated as a zechus for couples awaiting a yeshuah, and served as a tremendous source of chizuk for the thousands of couples yearning to build families of their own.

For six consecutive hours, the specially constructed Bais Medrash hummed with the sound of Torah, as masechtos were learned and completed in an atmosphere charged with purpose and emotion. The Siyum HaShas marked not only the culmination of intense limud, but also a powerful statement of hope and solidarity.

The Shas-A-Thon also functions as a critical fundraiser, enabling ATIME to continue providing its wide range of vital services and support to couples navigating the challenges of infertility.

Following the completion of the learning, participants and their wives were seated for an elegant dinner. Hagaon Harav Elya Brudny, Rosh Yeshiva of the Mirrer Yeshiva, delivered a stirring drasha, inspiring the crowd with words of chizuk before reciting the Hadran.

The evening’s musical program featured the Freilach Orchestra, the Shira Choir, and Yonatan and Aharon Razel, elevating the already electrified atmosphere. In a surprise highlight, Mordechai Ben David appeared to the delight of the crowd, performing beloved nostalgic hits in a uniquely moving presentation. Massive screens behind him displayed archival footage of a younger MBD singing those very same songs, as he performed a live duet with his younger self!

WATCH AND ENJOY!

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(YWN World Headquarters – NYC)

UNITED NATIONS (AP) — The United Nations said Monday it’s waiting to find out how much of the nearly $4 billion the United States owes the world organization the Trump administration intends to pay and when the money will arrive.

U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres warned last week that the world body faces “imminent financial collapse” unless its financial rules are overhauled or all 193 member nations pay their dues, a message clearly directed at the United States.

The U.S. owes $2.196 billion to the U.N.’s regular operating budget, including $767 million for this year, according to a U.N. official. The U.S. also owes $1.8 billion for the separate budget for the U.N.’s far-flung peacekeeping operations, and that also will rise.

The U.S. Mission to the United Nations confirmed that U.S. Ambassador Mike Waltz said the Trump administration planned to make a significant down payment on its arrears in a matter of weeks, with the final amount still to be determined. His comments were first reported by Reuters.

U.N. spokesman Stephane Dujarric told reporters Monday that Guterres has been in touch with Waltz “for quite some time,” and the U.N.’s controller also has been in touch with U.S. officials.

”We’re waiting to see exactly when payments will be made and in what amount,” Dujarric said.

Guterres said in a letter to all member nations last week that cash for the U.N.’s regular operating budget could run out by July, which could dramatically affect its operations.

President Donald Trump has said the United Nations has not lived up to its potential. His administration did not pay anything to the United Nations in 2025, and it has withdrawn from U.N. organizations, including the World Health Organization and the cultural agency UNESCO, while pulling funding from dozens of others.

U.N. officials have said 95% of the arrears to the U.N.’s regular budget is from the United States.

The country second on the list for not paying its mandatory regular dues is Venezuela, which owes $38 million, the U.N. official said. The South American nation, whose economy was struggling before the U.S. military raid in January that deposed then-President Nicolás Maduro, has lost its right to vote in the General Assembly for being two years in arrears.

Nearly 60 countries paid their annual dues by the Feb. 8 due date.

Indonesia is expected to become the first country to deploy troops to the International Stabilization Force (ISF), a multinational mission tasked with overseeing aspects of security and stabilization in Gaza during the second phase of the ceasefire, according to Kan News.

The report said Indonesia will be the first nation to move beyond general pledges and commit forces to the mission, marking a significant step in the international effort to manage post-conflict conditions in the enclave.

Indonesian troops could be deployed within weeks, shortly after President Prabowo Subianto visits Washington for a summit hosted by President Donald Trump on February 19, according to the broadcaster.

In recent months, several countries — including the United Arab Emirates, Egypt, Italy, Pakistan, Qatar, and Turkey — had been mentioned as potential contributors to the ISF. However, none had previously committed to sending forces on the ground.

The ISF is not expected to engage in direct combat with Hamas or attempt to disarm the group proactively. Instead, the force is expected to focus on supervising ceasefire lines and managing border-related security arrangements.

According to Kan, Indonesian soldiers are likely to oversee portions of defensive lines in southern Gaza, particularly in the Khan Yunis and Rafah areas. Their role would center on monitoring compliance with ceasefire terms and supporting stability in sensitive zones.

Still, major operational questions remain unresolved, including rules of engagement in the event of contact with Hamas fighters and the scope of authority granted to international troops.

Officials are also debating the size of Indonesia’s deployment, with estimates suggesting at least several thousand personnel. It remains unclear how quickly other countries will follow Jakarta’s lead and contribute forces to the mission.

The future of the ISF may hinge on developments in the coming months. If Hamas does not begin a serious disarmament process by early May — around the Trump administration’s 100-day benchmark — Israeli officials and international partners may reconsider the mission’s viability.

Under that scenario, analysts say Israel could resume large-scale ground operations in Gaza, potentially bringing an end to the current stabilization framework.

For now, Indonesia’s commitment marks the first concrete step toward building an international presence in Gaza, signaling cautious momentum behind the Trump administration’s Phase II ceasefire strategy.

(YWN World Headquarters – NYC)

Israel Police are asking for the public’s assistance in locating Amitai Gonen, an 11-year-old boy from Shilo–Shvut Rachel, who has been missing since Monday afternoon.

According to police, Amitai left school in Ofra at approximately 1:30 p.m. and was last seen in the area of the Ofra hitchhiking point. Since then, contact with him has been lost and his whereabouts remain unknown. Searches are currently ongoing in the Binyamin region.

Amitai is described as approximately 1.35 meters (4 feet 5 inches) tall, with a slim build, light complexion with freckles, light brown hair, and blue eyes. At the time he was last seen, he was reportedly wearing a light brown hoodie and matching light brown pants.

Anyone with information regarding Amitai’s location, or who may have seen him, is urged to contact the Israel Police emergency center by dialing 100, or to call the Binyamin police station at 02-970-6444.

{Matzav.com}

Iran could agree to dilute its stockpile of uranium enriched to 60 percent in exchange for the lifting of sanctions related to its nuclear program, according to comments made Monday by Mohammad Eslami, head of the Atomic Energy Organization of Iran.

Speaking to reporters, Eslami said Tehran is open to reducing its highly enriched uranium reserves if international restrictions are removed, according to Iran’s state-run media.

Eslami also confirmed that Iran has resumed communications with the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), but criticized the UN watchdog for failing to fully investigate U.S. strikes on Iranian nuclear facilities in June 2025.

“Our relations with the IAEA are established, but it has an unfulfilled task regarding a military attack on facilities under safeguards,” Eslami was quoted as saying. “It cannot remain silent about what happened.”

The IAEA has previously said it has not been granted access to several sites damaged in the strikes and has warned that accounting for Iran’s enriched uranium stockpile remains “long overdue.”

Under agency guidelines, inspectors are expected to verify stocks of highly enriched uranium — material enriched to levels approaching weapons-grade — on a monthly basis. Uranium enriched to 60 percent purity is considered a short technical step from the roughly 90 percent needed for nuclear weapons.

Eslami said IAEA inspectors are currently monitoring other nuclear facilities across Iran, as indirect talks between Tehran and Washington resumed Friday in Oman.

“For the centers that were not attacked, inspectors came and visited,” he said, adding that inspections have continued at undamaged facilities.

The IAEA has repeatedly urged Iran to provide clarity on the status of its uranium stockpile and allow full inspections to resume. In a recent report, the agency said the quantity of highly enriched uranium Iran has produced is “a matter of serious concern” and warned that it has lost “continuity of knowledge” regarding Tehran’s nuclear materials.

That loss, the agency said, will make it difficult and time-consuming to reconstruct a complete picture of Iran’s nuclear activities.

Efforts to restore cooperation have stalled. A September agreement in Cairo was intended to pave the way for renewed inspections, but Tehran later declared the deal void, citing limited progress.

Meanwhile, Iranian officials have signaled that Tehran is unwilling to abandon uranium enrichment altogether.

Earlier this week, Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said a complete halt to enrichment was “absolutely unacceptable.”

“Discussions should focus on scenarios in which uranium enrichment continues, alongside assurances that the enrichment is solely for peaceful purposes,” Araghchi said.

The renewed diplomatic activity comes amid mounting pressure from Washington. President Donald Trump has threatened military action following a U.S. naval buildup in the region and has called on Iran to abandon uranium enrichment, curb its missile program, and halt support for armed groups.

While Iran has long rejected U.S. demands for a full enrichment freeze, regional diplomats say Tehran has shown some willingness to discuss limits on enrichment levels and purity, as well as potential multinational arrangements.

Whether Iran’s offer to dilute its uranium stockpile will translate into broader concessions remains uncertain, as negotiations continue under heightened regional and international scrutiny.

(YWN World Headquarters – NYC)

Israel’s state-owned defense firm Israel Aerospace Industries (IAI) marked a major milestone Monday with the delivery of its 350th set of fighter jet wings to Lockheed Martin for use in the production of F-35 aircraft.

The announcement highlights Israel’s expanding role in the global supply chain for the advanced stealth fighter, which has become a cornerstone of U.S. and allied air power.

Earlier this month, the IDF confirmed that three new F-35i aircraft had arrived at Nevatim Air Force Base, raising Israel’s total fleet to 48 jets out of 50 already purchased under long-term procurement agreements.

The deliveries are part of a multi-year deal designed to expand Israel’s F-35 inventory from 25 to 50 aircraft. While the latest planes were originally expected in late 2025, some shipments were delayed, with the final two still scheduled for delivery in 2026.

IAI’s delivery of its 350th wing underscores the company’s broader role in the F-35 program, which now spans 11 countries and more than 1,300 operational aircraft worldwide.

Israeli officials have repeatedly pointed to the F-35’s strategic value. Defense Minister Israel Katz recently suggested that the aircraft, which played a key role in strikes on Iran’s nuclear infrastructure in June 2025, could be used again in future operations.

“The F-35 remains a central pillar of Israel’s deterrence and operational capability,” Katz has said in recent remarks.

U.S. Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee praised the milestone, calling it a symbol of deep bilateral cooperation.

“The delivery of the 350th wing of an F-35 symbolizes the power of the eternal partnership between the U.S. and Israel,” Huckabee said. “When Israeli innovation and American industry act together, the results are capabilities which no one can compete with.”

IAI Chief Executive Boaz Levy echoed that sentiment, emphasizing decades of collaboration.

“This foundation stone exemplifies dozens of years of close cooperation with American industry, based on common values, advanced technological capabilities, and reciprocal commitment,” Levy said.

The milestone comes as Israel and the United States continue to deepen defense coordination amid regional tensions, particularly with Iran. Analysts say Israel’s growing industrial footprint in major U.S. weapons platforms strengthens both countries’ military readiness and political alignment.

With most of its F-35 fleet now in service and domestic production contributions expanding, Israel is positioning itself as both a major operator and a key partner in one of the world’s most advanced fighter programs.

(YWN World Headquarters – NYC)

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New leadership brings with it a moment of possibility. With a new governor in Trenton, New Jersey stands at the threshold of a fresh start—not only for state government, but for how our Jewish community engages with it.

Governor Mikie Sherrill’s early actions signal a serious commitment to change. From the appointments she has made to the tone she has set, it is clear that this administration is focused on making government work more effectively for the people of New Jersey. Rather than defaulting to political insiders, the governor has brought experienced, career professionals into key roles—individuals who understand how government agencies operate and how to deliver results. That choice alone speaks volumes.

For too long, many New Jersey residents have felt that politics outweighed practical problem-solving in Trenton. This administration appears determined to reverse that dynamic. A government staffed by professionals with real-world experience is better positioned to respond to the needs of businesses, families, nonprofits, and faith communities alike. That approach is encouraging, and it deserves recognition.

Change, however, is never the work of one administration alone. It also requires openness from the broader public. Regardless of how one voted in the last election, this is a moment for coming together. Constructive engagement—not division—will best serve our community. The Jewish community has always understood the importance of partnership, civic participation, and working across differences for the common good. Now is the time to apply those values once again.

At the New Jersey Jewish Business Alliance, we have seen firsthand the governor’s willingness to listen and learn. Over the past several years, we had the opportunity to work with her and her staff and were fortunate to host her at three separate community functions in the fifteen months leading up to November. At each event, she was engaged, thoughtful, and genuinely interested in understanding the needs and concerns of our community—particularly those of Jewish business owners and professionals navigating an increasingly complex economic environment.

That kind of engagement matters. When leaders take the time to listen, they build trust. When they seek to understand the unique challenges facing different communities, they govern more effectively. Our hope is that this administration continues to prioritize open dialogue and collaboration, especially with communities that have long contributed to New Jersey’s economic vitality and civic life.

New Jersey’s Jewish community is diverse, resilient, and deeply invested in the success of this state. We run small businesses, employ thousands, support local charities, and strengthen the social fabric of our towns and cities. We want to see New Jersey thrive—not just for ourselves, but for all who call it home.

As we look ahead, I am optimistic. Optimistic that Trenton will be receptive to thoughtful change. Optimistic that this administration will continue to value experience, competence, and cooperation. And optimistic that, by working together, we can help make New Jersey an even better place for our community and for all its citizens.

We stand ready to continue that work.

David Rosenberg is Executive Director at the New Jersey Jewish Business Alliance and co-Executive Director at JBar

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has advanced his scheduled meeting with U.S. President Donald Trump to this week in order to deliver a detailed, in-person briefing on Israel’s latest intelligence regarding Iran, according to a report by Channel 12.

The Israeli outlet reported that Netanyahu intends to personally present Trump with the same intelligence assessment he recently shared with U.S. special envoy Steve Witkoff during a visit to Israel last week.

According to an unnamed source close to the prime minister cited by Channel 12, Netanyahu opted to deliver the briefing himself to ensure that the information is conveyed accurately and without distortion.

The presentation is expected to focus on Iran’s nuclear and ballistic missile programs, as well as Tehran’s continued support for regional proxy groups. The briefing will also address the Iranian government’s violent suppression of recent protests against the regime.

U.S. and Israeli officials have repeatedly expressed concerns that Tehran is accelerating elements of its nuclear program, raising fears of a potential regional escalation.

Netanyahu has long positioned Iran as Israel’s primary security threat and has urged successive U.S. administrations to take a tougher stance against the Islamic Republic. By advancing the meeting, analysts say, the Israeli leader appears to be seeking to shape Washington’s approach at a critical moment.

The White House has not yet publicly commented on the timing or agenda of the meeting. However, officials familiar with U.S.-Israeli relations say the discussion is likely to influence future diplomatic and security coordination between the two allies.

(YWN World Headquarters – NYC)

Israel’s Chief Rabbi, Rav Kalman Meir Bar, took part Monday in the 15th Conference of Religious Leaders in Israel, held in Nazareth, where senior figures from multiple faiths gathered to discuss shared challenges, promote unity, and coordinate efforts to combat extremism and violence.

The conference, organized by the Interior Ministry and its Department for Religious Communities, was held at the Golden Crown Hotel in Nazareth and focused this year on the theme “From Polarization to Unity,” with an emphasis on strengthening social cohesion, advancing peace, and confronting evil.

During the proceedings, Rav Bar played a central role in interfaith discussions with religious leaders, focusing on the responsibility of spiritual leadership to reduce polarization in Israeli society and to foster coexistence and peace. He also participated in a dedicated working group that examined the impact of polarization on public life and explored practical ways to address it.

Addressing the gathering, Rav Bar said: “This gathering of religious leaders is important both practically and symbolically. We must use the power we have as religious leaders to promote peace and goodness in the world — not only in matters that directly affect us.”

He continued by pointing to global conflicts and humanitarian crises. “If a war in Ukraine has claimed the lives of nearly a million people, we have an obligation to speak out clearly. And if there are other places of suffering, hunger, and evil, it is our duty to raise a clear and unambiguous voice. Not only to issue statements, but also to advance initiatives, partnerships, and concrete actions to increase goodness and eradicate evil in the world.”

Rav Bar stressed that the very act of convening carried an important message. “Judaism is not an enemy of Christianity or Islam. On the contrary. Judaism is a religion of peace, especially when it comes to other faiths that believe in one God. We are all children of one Father. And precisely when there are those who try to ignite a religious war by distorting religion and using it to justify terror and the harming of innocents, we declare loudly: there is no religious war between Judaism and Islam. On the contrary. There is brotherhood and peace — and above all, a shared mission to eradicate evil, fight it, and promote goodness and peace for all who live in this land.”

Interior Ministry Director-General Israel Uzan also addressed the conference, emphasizing the influence of religious leadership. “The heads of religions and communities in Israel have a central role and significant ability to promote values of unity, tolerance, peace, and shared living. Meetings between religious leaders, based on open and respectful dialogue, are an important pillar in strengthening social cohesion and building a more united and healthy society. We will continue to reinforce this area in the Interior Ministry by advancing meetings, dialogue, and cooperation, viewing religious leaders as key partners in shared responsibility and in preserving the fabric of life in Israel.”

The conference concluded with a formal signing ceremony of a joint declaration by the religious leaders, read aloud in Hebrew, Arabic, and English, expressing a shared commitment to social unity, interfaith dialogue, and the advancement of peace.

Among the participants were Greek Orthodox Patriarch Theophilos III, Latin Patriarch Archbishop Pierbattista Pizzaballa, the head of the Greek Catholic Church, Druze spiritual leader and chairman of the Supreme Druze Council Sheikh Mowafaq Tarif, Muslim Sharia Court of Appeals judge Dr. Iyad Zahalka, Interior Ministry Director-General Israel Uzan, Emir Mohammed Sharif, and representatives of Israel’s various religious communities.

{Matzav.com}

LOS ANGELES (AP) — A federal judge on Monday blocked a California law from going into effect that would ban federal immigration agents from covering their faces, but they will still be required to wear clear identification showing their agency and badge number.

California became the first state to ban most law enforcement officers from wearing facial coverings under a bill that was signed in September following the summer of high-profile raids by Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers in Los Angeles.

The Trump administration filed a lawsuit in November challenging the laws, arguing that they would threaten the safety of officers who are facing harassment, doxing, and violence and that they violated the constitution because the state is directly regulating the federal government.

Judge Christina Snyder said she issued the initial ruling because the mask ban as it was enacted did not also apply to state law enforcement authorities, discriminating against the federal government. The ruling could have national implications as states grapple with how to deal with federal agents enforcing the Trump administration’s immigration crackdown.

It left open the possibility to future legislation banning federal agents from wearing masks if it applied to all law enforcement agencies, with Snyder writing “the Court finds that federal officers can perform their federal functions without wearing masks.” The ruling will go into effect Feb. 19.

Democratic Gov. Gavin Newsom signed the bill in September banning some law enforcement officers from wearing masks, neck gaiters, and other facial coverings. It was slated to go into effect Jan. 1 but was put on hold due to the lawsuit.

In addition to exempting state law enforcement officers, it made exceptions for undercover agents, protective equipment like N95 respirators or tactical gear, and other situations where not wearing a mask would jeopardize an operation. Snyder sided with the federal government, which argued this exemption was discriminatory against federal agents.

Newsom also signed into law a measure requiring law enforcement to wear clear identification showing their agency and badge number while on the job, which was challenged by the federal government but upheld by the judge.

California State Sen. Scott Weiner, who proposed the original bill to ban facial coverings, said Monday he would immediately introduce new legislation to include state police in the law.

“ICE and Border Patrol are covering their faces to maximize their terror campaign and to insulate themselves from accountability,” Weiner said in a news release. “We will ensure our mask ban can be enforced.”

At a Jan. 14 hearing, Snyder repeatedly asked the government’s lawyer, Tiberius Davis, to explain why banning masks would impede the federal law enforcement in carrying out their duties, if officers rarely wore masks prior to 2025.

Davis cited claims by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security that there has been a multifold increase in assaults and threats against federal officers. He also brought up an incident in Los Angeles where three women are being accused of livestreaming while following an ICE agent home and posting the address on Instagram.

“There is real deterrence on the officer’s safety and ability to perform their duties,” Davis said.

Cameron Bell, California Department of Justice attorney, challenged his claims, saying there was no concrete evidence that federal agents can’t perform their duties without facial coverings.

Bell referenced declarations from U.S citizens who have been detained by federal agents but thought they were being kidnapped.

“It’s obvious why these laws are in the public interest,” Bell said.

The federal government also argued in legal briefs that allowing California’s legislation could lead other states to be “emboldened to impose similar unconstitutional restraints.”

Davis cited a statement from Newsom in July 2025 during an interview posted online where he discussed the mask ban bill, saying, “It appears that we don’t have the legal authority for federal agents but we do for other law enforcement authorities.”

Los Angeles County supervisors voted in December to enact a local ordinance banning law enforcement from wearing masks that went into effect Jan. 8. However, the sheriff’s department said it would not enforce the ordinance until after the court ruled on the statewide mask ban. The Los Angeles Police Department had also said it wouldn’t enforce the mask ban.

Hatzolah of Central Jersey held a ribbon-cutting ceremony this week to mark the addition of a newly dedicated Shabbos vehicle to its growing operational fleet, an initiative designed to support emergency response while upholding the community’s commitment to Shemiras Shabbos at the highest level.

The Shabbos vehicle was generously sponsored by Lilac & Creme, a beloved local cheesecake company known throughout the region for its quality products and strong committment to our community . The dedication ceremony recognized Lilac & Creme’s meaningful contribution and the impact the vehicle will have on Hatzolah’s ability to serve patients quickly and responsibly around the clock.

Shabbos vehicles play a unique and essential role in HCJ’s emergency operations. When Hatzolah members respond to medical emergencies on Shabbos, their focus remains solely on delivering immediate care and safe transport when needed. After a call is completed, a Shabbos vehicle, operated by a non-Jewish driver, enables members to return home without unnecessary additional driving, helping HCJ maintain both operational readiness and a rigorous standard of Kedushas Shabbos.

“This vehicle exemplifies who we are and how we serve,” said Meilech Esterzohn, CEO of Hatzolah of Central Jersey. “Our community relies on us for rapid, professional emergency medical response, and we take that responsibility seriously every day of the week. We are equally serious about maintaining the highest standard of Shemiras Shabbos. This vehicle helps us do both, and we’re deeply grateful to Lilac & Creme for stepping forward in such a thoughtful and impactful way.”

Hatzolah of Central Jersey thanked Lilac & Creme for its generosity and partnership, and expressed appreciation to community members whose ongoing support enables HCJ to expand its lifesaving work.

Nine people were arrested and a demonstrator was taken to the hospital after clashes erupted during a hafganah Monday evening at the Geha Junction, as police moved to clear blocked roadways and restore traffic flow in the area.

According to Israel Police, officers operated near Geha Junction, close to Bnei Brak and Givat Shmuel, after demonstrators protesting the arrest of yeshiva students blocked Highway 4. Police said protesters sat on the road, physically blocked vehicles and confronted officers, actions that endangered both themselves and other motorists.

Police commanders declared the gathering an illegal demonstration prior to any enforcement measures. Despite repeated warnings, authorities said the protesters refused to comply with instructions and continued blocking traffic.

As the situation escalated, police used crowd-dispersal measures and force to extract vehicles trapped at the scene. During the disturbances, officers reported that stones and pyrotechnic devices were thrown at police forces. Two officers were injured, and windows of a police patrol vehicle were shattered. All roadways in the area were later reopened to traffic.

Police said nine individuals suspected of disorderly conduct were taken into custody.

In a statement, police said: “The Israel Police views the right to protest as a cornerstone of a democratic state and allows demonstrations as long as they take place within the framework of the law; however, the police will not permit disturbances of any kind, harm to freedom of movement, or any behavior that could endanger public safety.”

Separately, volunteers from Hatzalah treated a man injured during the protest. Together with paramedics from Magen David Adom, responders provided medical care to a 23-year-old man suffering a head injury. He was evacuated in moderate condition to Beilinson Hospital in Petach Tikva.

Hatzalah medics Eli Biton and Moshe Ashkenazi said: “When we arrived at the scene with a MDA ambulance that we staff, we found a 23-year-old man who was semi-conscious and suffering from a head injury after being harmed by violence during a protest taking place at the location. Together with Hatzalah and MDA medics, we provided him with initial medical treatment, including stabilization and bandaging, and evacuated him in moderate condition for further care in the trauma room at Beilinson Hospital in Petach Tikva.”

{Matzav.com}

WASHINGTON D.C (VINnews)- Leo Terrell, chair of the Department of Justice’s Task Force to Combat Antisemitism, on Monday, told a hearing of the Religious Liberty Commission that the Trump administration is dedicated to addressing the rise in antisemitism.

Terrell, who also serves as senior counsel to the assistant attorney general for civil rights, emphasized the historical role of the Jewish community in the civil rights movement and the need to protect it.

“The Jewish community has always been an integral part of the Civil Rights Movement and must be protected,” Terrell said at the hearing.

Identifying himself as a Black Baptist, Terrell stressed that antisemitism transcends any single group.

“I am proud to be a Black Baptist. No, I’m not Jewish. [Antisemitism] is not a Jewish issue. It’s an American issue. It’s a Western civilization issue,” he said.

The comments underscore the administration’s broader efforts, following President Trump’s executive order that led to the task force’s formation in early 2025. The multi-agency initiative prioritizes rooting out antisemitic harassment, particularly in schools and on college campuses.

Terrell’s testimony highlights a cross-community approach to the issue, framing it as a fundamental threat to American values and Western civilization that requires unified action.

Toms River Town Hall will be closed for at least the next two days, and possibly longer, due to significant flooding caused by a burst pipe, township officials announced.

The flooding impacted all three floors of the municipal building, prompting an immediate shutdown while cleanup and repairs are underway. A professional cleanup contractor is already on site addressing the damage, and the building will remain closed until it is deemed safe for employees and the public.

Despite the closure of Town Hall offices, inspections will continue as scheduled for the Building, Zoning, Engineering, and Code Enforcement departments.

As a result of the closure, the Township Council meeting scheduled for Wednesday has been canceled.

Officials said further updates will be provided as more information becomes available and as the situation develops.

The Israel Defense Forces have confirmed that there are currently no tunnels extending from the Gaza Strip into Israeli territory, according to the deputy commander of the Alexandroni Brigade, as IDF troops continue to hold and operate in key areas of Gaza.

While the Alexandroni Brigade maintains control over strategic sectors inside the Strip, the brigade’s deputy commander, Lt. Col. M., said Israel’s territory is secure from underground infiltration originating in Gaza. “The IDF knows for sure today that there are no tunnels crossing from Gaza into Israeli territory,” he said.

Lt. Col. M. attributed this assessment to improved technological capabilities that give forces a detailed understanding of underground activity. “The threat of tunnels crossing into Israeli territory is almost non-existent. Inside the ‘perimeter’ and in the areas controlled by the IDF, there are still infrastructures, and the forces continue to operate daily to locate and destroy them,” he explained.

According to the deputy commander, combat operations above ground are continuing at a high tempo along the so-called “yellow line.” He noted that enemy operatives attempt to exploit IDF rules of engagement. “The enemy knows we don’t shoot at women and children, and he tries to operate within this space,” Lt. Col. M. said. “What has changed is the precision in the use of force and the adjustments we’ve made in the rules of engagement. We are prepared for attempts to approach, drones, and hostile presence that emerges from the rubble.”

Lt. Col. M. also described a recent incident underscoring the constant vigilance required of troops in the field. During a nighttime offensive operation roughly two weeks ago, IDF forces encountered a terrorist cell. A company commander was wounded during the clash and evacuated for medical treatment, while the troops continued the engagement and killed two terrorists shortly afterward.

“This is an operational routine where we are always alert. The threat can emerge at any moment, and there’s no room for surprises,” he said. “Our positions are meant to protect the forces, while the offensive activity continues to push forward, up to the yellow line, to ensure no threat approaches our communities.”

{Matzav.com}