Dearest Greater Lakewood Community,

Today is a very significant and emotional day for the Klal.

With siyata d’shmaya, and thanks to the tireless efforts of our Rosh Yeshivos, Gedolim, Rabbanim, askanim, menahelim, and dedicated rabbeim, the Lakewood community has worked incredibly hard to ensure that every eighth-grade bochur is given the opportunity to be placed in a mesivta where he can truly thrive.

Today alone, there are over 2,000 bochurim scheduled for farhers.

For many families, this process has been months in the making — filled with hope, anxiety, tefillah, and sometimes real fear. Parents have done everything they can to advocate for what they believe is the best place for their child. Some feel confident. Others are unsure. And for some, this period is genuinely a nightmare: sleepless nights, endless phone calls, uncertainty, and emotional strain.

We all know the reality.

Some families have connections. Some do not.

Some have financial means. Some do not.

But every child deserves the same thing: to be seen for who he is, with his own strengths, challenges, and potential — and to be given a fair chance to succeed.

No bochur should have to wait weeks or months, only to be forced into a place that is not right for him simply because options ran out.

This is a moment for us as a tzibur.

A time for every individual in our community to take a few extra moments today — and in the coming days — to daven for the bochurim, for their parents, for the Rabbanim and askanim involved, and for the Klal as a whole.

May we merit true siyata d’shmaya, that each child finds the right mesivta, the right environment, and the right path forward — b’kavod, b’nachas, and b’hatzlacha.

Sincerely,
A Yid who truly cares about the Klal

TLS welcomes your letters by submitting them to us via  Whatsapp  or via email  [email protected]

President Donald Trump said Iran’s Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei had reason for serious concern, as signs mounted that diplomatic efforts to ease tensions between Washington and Tehran were breaking down.

Asked in an interview with NBC News whether Khamenei should be worried, Trump replied, “He should be very worried.” The remark came as reports indicated that attempts to create a diplomatic off-ramp between the United States and Iran were faltering, increasing fears of a potential military confrontation.

Trump insisted that dialogue had not fully collapsed, saying, “They’re negotiating with us,” even as uncertainty surrounded the future of the talks.

During the interview, the reporter noted that Iranian protesters opposed to the regime felt abandoned by Trump, who had previously voiced support for them and encouraged public demonstrations. Those protests were followed by reports that thousands of demonstrators were killed, while Trump later said he had intervened to stop the planned executions of another 800 protesters.

Trump rejected the notion that the protesters had been abandoned. “We do have their back,” he said. He then asserted that U.S. actions had significantly weakened Iran, adding, “That country is a mess right now because of us. We went in, [and] we wiped out their nuclear [program],” referring to U.S. strikes on two Iranian nuclear facilities last June during the 12-day war between Iran and Israel.

After Trump again stated that Iran’s nuclear capabilities had been completely eliminated, he was questioned about the purpose of ongoing nuclear talks if the program had truly been destroyed.

In response, Trump claimed that Iran had attempted to rebuild its nuclear infrastructure at other locations, warning that such efforts would prompt further U.S. military action.

At the same time, Trump did not address reports that some nuclear sites were not hit in the June strikes or that the whereabouts of previously enriched uranium stockpiles remained unknown—issues that cast doubt on his assertion that Iran’s nuclear program had been entirely wiped out.

{Matzav.com}

Justice Minister Yariv Levin launched a fierce attack on the Supreme Court on Wednesday, accusing it of exceeding its authority and calling on the government to rally behind Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu in the face of its unauthorized interference in government decisions.

Levin’s statement followed the Court’s decision to issue a conditional order instructing Netanyahu to explain why he hasn’t dismissed National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir.

“The arsonists in the Supreme Court have long been behaving as if they were the government, the Knesset, and now they even think they can replace the people,” Levin said. “Without even the slightest authority in law and in complete contradiction to the most basic principles of any democracy, they are creating an unprecedented constitutional crisis with their own hands.”

Levin continued, “The entire government must stand behind the prime minister and say, ‘Enough is enough. The power to dismiss ministers belongs to the prime minister, and to him alone.”

Levin’s remarks came amid a wave of sharp reactions from ministers and coalition members condemning the Supreme Court’s order. Cabinet Secretary Yossi Fuchs issued an unusual warning, declaring that the government will not comply with a ruling ordering Netanyahu to fire Ben-Gvir.

Speaking at a conference in Eilat, Fuchs said, “There will come a point, just as in the IDF there is something called a ‘blatantly illegal order’—if the Supreme Court issues a ruling obligating the prime minister to fire a minister against whom there is no investigation nor indictment, that ruling itself will be a blatantly illegal order.”

Fuchs continued. “The Court issued a conditional order instructing the prime minister to justify why he hasn’t dismissed a serving minister elected by hundreds of thousands of voters. There is no criminal investigation against the minister. In my opinion, the Supreme Court will not cross such a red line.”

Earlier, Ben Gvir responded to the Court’s decision, saying, “The Supreme Court doesn’t only want to fire me—it wants to fire the people. It wants to fire millions of voters and deny them their right to vote. That will not happen. They have no authority. There will be no coup.”

(YWN Israel Desk—Jerusalem)

The IDF on Tuesday released drone footage it says shows armed members of Hamas using ambulances to transport weapons and fighters in northern Gaza, accusing the terrorist group of systematically exploiting civilian infrastructure during the current ceasefire.

According to the military, the footage was captured during what it described as “routine drone operations” in the Jabalia area, near the ceasefire line in the Gaza Strip. The IDF said the surveillance exposed Hamas operatives repeatedly using ambulances to move personnel and weapons from a hospital to a nearby school.

The clips released by the military show armed men gathered around an ambulance at two separate locations, with what Israeli officials say are weapons visible near the vehicle.

“This is further proof of the cynical exploitation carried out by Hamas on a regular basis,” the IDF said in a statement, accusing the group of violating international law by operating “under the cover of the civilian population for terrorist purposes.”

Israeli officials said the alleged activity reflects a broader pattern since the ceasefire took effect. The military said Hamas has continued to breach the agreement while working to rebuild its operational capacity.

“Since the beginning of the ceasefire, Hamas has violated the agreement and focused its efforts on restoring its military capabilities,” the IDF said.

The military also sought to preempt criticism over operations near sensitive civilian sites, including hospitals and schools, emphasizing that it considers such locations protected under international law.

“The IDF will continue to operate in accordance with international law with regard to medical facilities and educational institutions,” the statement said, adding that Hamas had deliberately embedded its infrastructure in those areas in a “blatant violation” of legal norms.

Hamas did not immediately respond to the allegations or comment on the footage.

Your browser does not support the video tag.

(YWN World Headquarters – NYC)

A $12 million transportation project is set to improve safety and mobility along Cedar Bridge Avenue (County Route 528) in Lakewood Township, spanning from South Clifton Avenue to Airport Road.

The county-led project, funded by the North Jersey Transportation Planning Authority, targets one of Ocean County’s busiest and most critical roadways. Cedar Bridge Avenue serves major commercial areas, community facilities, and key regional travel connections, and has long been the focus of serious safety concerns.

According to the New Jersey Department of Transportation’s 2023 network screening list, the corridor ranked highest in Ocean County for pedestrian and bicycle safety concerns and second overall for corridor safety concerns.

“This project addresses longstanding safety issues along a vital corridor for our residents and visitors,” said Ocean County Board of Commissioners Director Frank Sadeghi, co-liaison to the Ocean County Engineering Department. “These improvements will help reduce crashes and create safer options for people walking and biking throughout Lakewood Township.”

Planned improvements include upgraded traffic signals at six intersections and the construction of a shared-use path to better accommodate pedestrians and cyclists. Additional enhancements will include widened shoulders, high-visibility crosswalks, Americans with Disabilities Act-compliant curb ramps, and improved roadway lighting.

“The project builds on safety improvements completed along other portions of Cedar Bridge Avenue in 2015 and 2017 and will allow the county to fully implement recommendations from a 2014 road safety audit,” said Ocean County Commissioner Ray Gormley, also a co-liaison to the Ocean County Engineering Department. “Upgrading Cedar Bridge Avenue will benefit everyone who lives, works, and travels through Ocean County.”

Preliminary design work is expected to begin in summer 2026. Ocean County will oversee the project in cooperation with the North Jersey Transportation Planning Authority, the New Jersey Department of Transportation, and Lakewood Township officials.

The Ocean County Board of Commissioners said the project reflects the county’s continued commitment to improving roadway safety while planning for future growth, emphasizing that investments in proven safety improvements and modern infrastructure are essential to protecting residents, supporting local communities, and ensuring the county’s transportation network meets the needs of all users.

Lawmakers from Yisrael Beytenu have submitted new legislation that would overhaul Israel’s Chief Rabbinate by replacing the current system of two Chief Rabbis with a single officeholder, Arutz Sheva reports. The bill was introduced by MKs Avigdor Lieberman, Oded Forer, Evgeny Sova, Sharon Nir, and Hamad Amar.

Under the proposal, multiple sections of the Chief Rabbinate of Israel Law would be revised. Among the key changes are redefining the position from “the Chief Rabbis of Israel” to “the Chief Rabbi of Israel,” eliminating the provision that permits two candidates to be elected simultaneously, and formally assigning the Chief Rabbi to serve both as head of the Chief Rabbinate Council and as president of the Great Rabbinical Court.

In the explanatory notes attached to the bill, its backers contend that maintaining two Chief Rabbis is no longer justified and stems from an approach that no longer reflects Israeli reality.

“In recent years, a public debate has arisen regarding the need for dual Chief Rabbis in Israel. In the view of many, this duplication is superfluous and expresses anachronistic concepts of separate representation for ‘Ashkenazim’ and ‘Sephardim,’” the sponsors wrote.

They further argued that demographic and social changes in the country warrant a structural update to the institution. “Now, after decades of the ingathering of exiles in the State of Israel, the time has come to adapt the institution of the Chief Rabbinate as well to Israeli society. Since there is no longer any substantive justification for maintaining two Chief Rabbis, the economic and bureaucratic savings resulting from abolishing the dual roles become an additional and significant justification.”

The legislation mirrors an earlier proposal submitted by MK Lieberman and closely resembles a bill advanced by MK Elazar Stern during the 23rd Knesset.

{Matzav.com}

We’ve covered bookkeeping fundamentals and mistakes to avoid. Now comes the exciting part—turning those numbers into actionable insights that drive real growth.

Your books tell a story about what’s working, what’s not, and where your biggest opportunities lie. Let’s learn to read that story.

Start With Profit Margins, Not Just Revenue

Revenue milestones are exciting, but profit margins tell the real story. Calculate profit margin for each service: (Revenue – Direct Costs) ÷ Revenue × 100.

You might discover your most popular offering barely breaks even while a rarely promoted premium service has margins twice as high. This doesn’t mean abandoning low-margin offerings—they might serve strategic purposes—but you should make conscious decisions about pricing and promotion.

Identify Your Real Cost Drivers

Pull up your profit and loss statement from the past six months. Look at expenses as percentages of revenue. Which categories consistently represent the largest chunks?

One client realized they were spending 35% of revenue on contract labor—far above industry benchmarks. By bringing one role in-house and renegotiating rates, they reduced that to 22% while improving quality. That 13% difference transformed a struggling business into a profitable one.

Track the Metrics That Actually Matter

Generic statements are useful, but powerful insights come from tracking metrics specific to your business model.

Subscription businesses need monthly recurring revenue and churn rate. Service providers need utilization rates and average project value. Retail operations need inventory turnover.

Identify three to five numbers that best indicate your business health, then set up a dashboard to monitor them monthly. When metrics move in the wrong direction, you’ll catch problems early.

Use Historical Data to Forecast Smarter

Your past data can help you anticipate future needs with surprising accuracy. Look for seasonal patterns—many businesses experience predictable fluctuations.

Create a simple rolling forecast for the next three to six months based on historical trends. When you know February is historically slow and December peaks, you can make smarter decisions about marketing timing, maintenance scheduling, and cash reserves.

Benchmark Against Industry Standards

Research financial benchmarks for businesses similar to yours. How do your profit margins compare? What about overhead expenses as a percentage of revenue?

If you’re significantly out of line with industry norms, investigate why. One client discovered they were spending double the industry average on administrative overhead due to overly complex approval processes. Streamlining cut costs by 40% without reducing quality.

Make Data-Driven Growth Decisions

Before significant investments, model the financial impact. If you hire someone at $50,000 annually, how much additional revenue must they generate? Based on your profit margins and their expected productivity, is that realistic?

Before a major marketing campaign, review historical customer acquisition costs and lifetime value. How much can you afford to spend per new customer while maintaining healthy margins?

These projections won’t be perfect, but they help you make calculated risks rather than blind leaps.

Create Accountability Through Regular Reviews

Establish a monthly financial review meeting with yourself or your leadership team. Block out an hour to review statements, compare actual performance to projections, and discuss what the numbers reveal.

Come with specific questions: Why did expenses spike? What drove the revenue increase? Are we on track for quarterly goals?

Document insights and actions, then follow up next month to see if those actions had the intended effect. This creates continuous improvement where you’re constantly learning and refining.

Your Action Steps This Week

Don’t let this remain theoretical:

• Calculate profit margin for each main product or service
• Identify your three most important financial KPIs and create a simple tracking method
• Schedule your first monthly financial review as a recurring appointment

The difference between businesses that thrive and those that survive often comes down to how well they understand and use their financial information. You’re already maintaining your books—now make that investment pay off.

Next week, we’ll explore preparing for tax season success, including maximizing deductions and minimizing stress. But first, commit to engaging with your financial data at a deeper level. The insights are waiting for you.

—

About the Author:

Joe Herskowitz, EA, is the President and CEO of Lionstone Bookkeeping+, where he helps small and medium-sized businesses take control of their finances with expert bookkeeping and financial insights. With years of experience in business finance, Joe is passionate about making numbers work for business owners—not against them.

Have a bookkeeping or business finance question?

Reach out to Joe at [email protected] or call/text 732-803-7793 (no WhatsApp).

US President Trump said Iran’s Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei “should be very worried,” amid growing concerns that diplomatic efforts to ease tensions between Washington and Tehran are collapsing, raising the possibility of renewed military conflict.

Trump made the remarks in an interview with NBC News, when asked whether Khamenei should be concerned about the current situation.

“He should be very worried,” Trump said.

The comments come as reports indicate that attempts to establish a diplomatic off-ramp between the United States and Iran are falling apart, even as Trump insisted that talks are still ongoing.

Your browser does not support the video tag.

“They’re negotiating with us,” Trump said.

During the interview, NBC reporter Tom Llamas pressed Trump about Iranian anti-regime protesters, who have repeatedly called for US intervention as the regime continues a violent crackdown in an attempt to suppress unrest.

Llamas noted that many Iranian protesters feel betrayed by Trump, who had previously encouraged them to take to the streets and voiced support for their cause. According to reports, thousands were killed in subsequent crackdowns, and Trump later claimed he had intervened to prevent the execution of another 800 protesters.

“We do have their back,” Trump said. “That country is a mess right now because of us. We went in, and we wiped out their nuclear program,” Trump claimed, referring to US strikes on Iranian nuclear facilities during the 12-day war between Iran and Israel last June.

Trump added that Iran’s military and defense capabilities are currently “a mess” due to US intervention.

After again claiming that Iran’s entire nuclear program had been obliterated, Trump was asked why nuclear talks are even necessary if there is nothing left to negotiate over.

Trump responded that Iran has since attempted to rebuild its nuclear program at other locations, and warned that this would prompt another US strike.

“I want peace in the Middle East,” Trump said. “If we didn’t take out that nuclear, we wouldn’t have peace in the Middle East.”

Trump has avoided addressing reports that some Iranian nuclear sites were not targeted in the US strikes and that the location of already-enriched uranium stockpiles remains unknown — points that undermine his repeated claim that Iran’s nuclear program was fully destroyed.

(YWN World Headquarters – NYC)

WASHINGTON D.C (VINnews)-In a swift development highlighting tensions within the Federal Bureau of Investigation under new leadership, an FBI security specialist was escorted out of FBI headquarters this morning and handed a termination letter. The action came hours after undercover footage released by the O’Keefe Media Group (OMG) captured the official making disparaging remarks about FBI Director Kash Patel and expressing skepticism about potential prosecutions in ongoing fraud investigations.

The individual, identified in reports as Justin Devine, a security specialist with the Bureau, was recorded in conversation with an undercover OMG operative. In the hidden-camera video, Devine allegedly referred to Director Patel—a recent appointee under the Trump administration—as a “diva” and claimed he was “not good at his job” and “just wasn’t ready.” He further expressed doubt regarding accountability in high-profile fraud cases, specifically referencing investigative reporting by journalist Nick Shirley on alleged widespread fraud involving daycare centers in Minnesota.

“I don’t think anybody is going to prison,” Devine reportedly said in relation to the daycare fraud allegations. He suggested that such financial crime investigations often drag on for years, potentially outlasting the current administration, and that authorities might ultimately “point somebody” as a fall guy rather than pursue broad prosecutions. The comments appeared to downplay the prospects of arrests stemming from Shirley’s exposés, which have spotlighted claims of massive misuse of federal funds in Somali-run childcare programs in Minneapolis.

The sting operation is part of a series by O’Keefe Media Group, which has previously released similar undercover recordings purporting to show FBI and DOJ officials expressing doubts about pursuing certain cases aggressively. James O’Keefe announced the termination update on X (formerly Twitter), stating: “FBI security official was escorted out of the building this morning and handed his termination letter after we recorded him calling Kash Patel a ‘diva,’ and saying ‘I don’t think anybody is going to prison’ in regards to @nickshirleyy daycare reporting.”

Shirley’s reporting, which gained significant attention in late 2025, involved on-the-ground visits to daycare facilities and claims of irregularities in federal reimbursements. The allegations prompted increased federal scrutiny, including from the FBI and Department of Homeland Security, amid broader concerns over fraud in Minnesota’s child care and nutrition programs.

The rapid termination underscores the incoming FBI leadership’s apparent zero-tolerance approach to perceived disloyalty or undermining of priorities. Director Patel, known for his focus on rooting out internal resistance and prioritizing high-impact investigations, has overseen personnel changes aimed at addressing what supporters call “deep state” holdovers.

Critics of the sting operation have questioned the context of the recorded conversation, noting that Devine’s role as a security specialist may not position him to speak authoritatively on investigative outcomes. The FBI has not issued a detailed public statement on the termination at the time of this report, though sources indicate the decision followed internal review of the video.

This incident adds to the ongoing narrative of transition and reform at the FBI, as Director Patel works to implement changes amid high-profile cases and public scrutiny. O’Keefe Media Group described the event as evidence of systemic issues, stating it marks the seventh such admission captured in their recent efforts.

Further developments in the Minnesota fraud probes and any additional personnel actions will likely continue to draw attention as the administration advances its agenda on government accountability.

Diplomatic discussions scheduled for Friday between U.S. envoy Steve Witkoff and Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi will not take place, Axios reported, after the two sides failed to agree on how and where the meeting would be held.

According to the report, Washington informed Tehran that it would not accept Iran’s requests to alter either the venue or the structure of the talks. The meeting had been set for Istanbul and was expected to include representatives from other countries, but Iran pushed for changes that the U.S. ultimately refused.

While U.S. officials reviewed the proposal to move the talks, they decided against it and delivered a firm response. “We told them: ‘It’s either this or nothing.’ They said, ‘Okay, then nothing,’” a senior American official said. The official added, “We want to reach a real deal quickly, or people will look for other options.”

After news broke that the discussions had been called off, U.S. officials told Reuters that President Donald Trump is now increasingly inclined toward the use of military force against Iran.

Speaking earlier at a press conference, Secretary of State Marco Rubio sought to frame the negotiations as pragmatic rather than symbolic. “We do not view these meetings as concessions or legitimization. We are ready to talk to any adversary or ally of ours,” Rubio said.

Rubio also outlined what Washington believes must be addressed for any negotiations to have substance. “I think for the talks to bring something meaningful, they must include several issues – including ballistic missile ranges, the nuclear program, support for terrorist organizations in the region, and their treatment of their people,” he said.

An Iranian official rejected that broader scope, making clear that Tehran would not expand the agenda. “The talks with the US in Oman will only focus on the nuclear program. Ballistic missiles are not on the table,” the official said.

{Matzav.com}

A Rosh Yeshivah from the community of Shilo in the Binyamin region and three of his talmidim were arrested on Wednesday by police in northern Israel.

According to a report by the Honenu legal aid organization, the arrests were carried out shortly after the group was attacked by Arabs from the area.

The incident took place during a trip by the yeshiva students, most of whom are minors. According to the organization, at a certain point a group of Arab students arrived and began attacking the talmidim and a violent brawl ensued.

However, when police forces arrived at the scene, the officers chose to arrest three of the talmidim who had been attacked.

Attorney Nati Rom is providing legal assistance to the detainees on behalf of the Honenu organization.

Rom said, “These are minor yeshiva students who were on a school trip in the north. At some point, a group of Arabs attacked the students. The police officers who arrived at the scene chose to violently arrest three of the students. When the Rosh Yeshiva protested to them about the violence against his students, he, too, was arrested.”

(YWN Israel Desk—Jerusalem)

It is with great sadness that Matzav.com reports the petirah of Rav Elyakim Schlesinger zt”l, one of the ziknei roshei yeshivos, rosh yeshiva of Yeshivas Harama and author of Bais Av. He was 104 years old.

Rav Schlesinger was born on 22 Cheshvan 5682 (November 23, 1921) in Vienna to Rav Dovid Schlesinger and his mother, Baila. In 1931, as a young child, he moved with his family to Eretz Yisroel, where they settled in Tel Aviv. His formative Torah education began under the guidance of Rav Yosef Tzvi Dushinsky, and he later continued his learning at Yeshivas Kaminetz and at Yeshivas Lomza in Petach Tikvah.

Rav Schlesinger married his wife, Dina Yehudis, daughter of Rav Moshe Blau. Following the passing of his father-in-law, he was appointed Rosh Yeshiva of Yeshivas Pnei Moshe in Yerushalayim, a mosad established in Rav Blau’s memory. At the recommendation of the Brisker Rov, Rav Schlesinger later relocated to Europe. He first served as Rosh Yeshiva in the city of Kapellen, Belgium, for two years, before moving to London, where he founded Yeshivas Harama. The yeshiva was named in honor of the Chasam Sofer’s son, the Kesav Sofer, and later also in recognition of the Daas Sofer, who had been one of Rav Schlesinger’s rabbeim.

Over the decades, Rav Schlesinger became one of the central figures of the chareidi community in England, maintaining close relationships with many of the gedolei Yisroel of his generation, including the Brisker Rov and the Chazon Ish. His personal recollections and insights into those figures were later recorded in his sefer Hador Vehatekufah, which offers a rare first-hand window into the Torah leadership of the previous generation.

Beyond his role as Rosh Yeshiva, Rav Schlesinger was deeply involved in communal matters. He was long active in the protection of kevorim across Europe and served as chairman of the committee dedicated to safeguarding Jewish cemeteries on the continent. His principled stance on a range of public issues, particularly matters affecting Torah education and religious autonomy, made him a prominent voice of daas Torah and the preservation of authentic Yiddishkeit.

Rav Schlesinger was the author of numerous Torah works, including multiple volumes of Bais Av on Shas, halacha, machshavah, and drush, as well as a Haggadah shel Pesach and other seforim that reflect his breadth in both learning and hashkafah.

He is survived by a family of noted rabbonim and marbitzei Torah.

Yehi zichro boruch. 

{Matzav.com}

A 17-year-old student at Renaissance Charter School in Queens, NY, was arrested Monday after allegedly sending emails referencing “killing Jews” to multiple people connected to the school’s campus.

Police said the teen sent the messages around 12:30 p.m. to recipients linked to the Jackson Heights school, which serves students from pre-K through 12th grade. He was taken into custody about three hours later and charged with making terroristic threats and aggravated harassment as a hate crime.

Officials have not said whether the emails were directed specifically at students, faculty, or both. The school, located on 81st Street near 37th Avenue, has been operating since 1993, according to its website.

The arrest comes as city officials warn of a surge in antisemitic crimes. The New York City Police Department reported last week that anti-Jewish hate crimes jumped 182 percent in January compared with the same month last year, accounting for more than half of all reported bias incidents.

According to NYPD data, 31 anti-Jewish crimes were reported in January, up from 11 in January 2025.

The Queens case is the latest in a string of high-profile incidents that have raised concern among Jews across New York City.

Last week, authorities charged a New Jersey man after he repeatedly rammed his vehicle into the Chabad Lubavitch World Headquarters in Crown Heights. The suspect faces multiple hate crime charges and is being held on $500,000 bond.

Days earlier, a 32-year-old man attacked a rabbi in Queens while shouting antisemitic slurs as the victim walked to shul. The suspect was charged with assault and aggravated harassment, including one count as a hate crime, and was released under supervision despite prosecutors’ objections.

(YWN World Headquarters – NYC)

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Supreme Court on Wednesday allowed California to use a new voter-approved congressional map that is favorable to Democrats in this year’s elections, rejecting a last-ditch plea from state Republicans and the Trump administration.

No justices dissented from the brief order.

The justices had previously allowed Texas’ Republican-friendly map to be used in 2026, despite a lower court ruling that it likely discriminates on the basis of race.

Conservative Justice Samuel Alito wrote in December that it appeared both states had adopted new maps for political advantage, which the high court has previously ruled cannot be a basis for a federal lawsuit.

Republicans, joined by the administration, claimed the California map improperly relied on race, as well. But a lower court disagreed by a 2-1 vote.

The justices’ unsigned order keeps in place districts that are designed to flip up to five seats now held by Republicans, part of a tit-for-tat nationwide redistricting battle spurred by President Donald Trump, with control of Congress on the line in midterm elections.

Last year, at Trump’s behest, Texas Republicans redid the state’s congressional districts with an eye on gaining five seats.

California Gov. Gavin Newsom, a Democrat who is eying a 2028 presidential run, vowed to respond in kind, though he had to win over voters, not just lawmakers, to do so.

Filing for congressional primaries in California begins Feb. 9.

A structure fire that tore through a multifamily building under construction in Jackson Township last night has been ruled accidental.

As first reported by TLS, the blaze was reported at approximately 7:05 p.m. Police and fire crews arriving found heavy fire engulfing the end unit of the unfinished structure, which did not yet have utilities connected.

A thorough investigation was conducted by the Ocean County Prosecutor’s Office Major Crime Unit–Arson Squad, the Jackson Township Police Department Detective Bureau, the Jackson Township Fire Bureau, and the Ocean County Sheriff’s Office Crime Scene Investigations Unit.

Investigators determined that the fire originated in the center hallway of the first floor. Officials concluded that the blaze was likely caused by a propane convection heater that had been placed too close to combustible materials.

Ocean County Prosecutor Bradley D. Billhimer acknowledged the cooperative efforts of all agencies involved in the investigation.

NEW YORK (VINnews) – Employees at New York City’s Department of Health and Mental Hygiene have formed a new internal working group that accuses Israel of committing genocide, according to a report published Wednesday by the New York Post.

The group, called the Global Oppression and Public Health Working Group, held its first meeting Tuesday afternoon during work hours, with staff gathering at the department’s headquarters in Long Island City and remotely, the newspaper reported.

Video obtained by the Post shows a presenter saying the group was created “in response to the ongoing genocide in Palestine.” The meeting focused on what organizers described as global oppression and its impact on public health and health equity.

Among the speakers was Dr. Weeam Hammoudeh, a Hunter College professor and committee member of the Palestine Global Mental Health Network, who accused Israel of treating Palestinians as second-class citizens, according to a transcript reviewed by the newspaper.

The more than hour-long presentation did not include any reference to Hamas’ Oct. 7, 2023, attack on Israel or the events that triggered the ongoing war in Gaza, according to a department employee who attended the meeting and spoke to the Post on condition of anonymity.

A flyer promoting the meeting was circulated inside the health department building, the employee said.

“This is a meeting using New York City Department of Health resources that promote libel against the Jewish people,” Yael Halaas, president of the American Jewish Medical Association, told the newspaper.

A Jewish employee of the department told the Post that the event had caused internal divisions and hurt morale, saying staff members want to focus on public health rather than international political disputes.

Sarah McKenney, a director of operations for the department’s rapid response team, was identified by the Post as one of the organizers. Another organizer listed was Umaima Abbasi, a project coordinator at the department.

The Post reported that New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani has previously accused Israel of genocide and supports the boycott, divestment and sanctions movement against the Jewish state.

The Department of Health and the mayor’s office did not immediately respond to requests for comment, according to the newspaper.

Vice President JD Vance said Tuesday that he has no intention of apologizing to the family of Alex Pretti, the anti-ICE protester who was killed in Minneapolis, after Vance amplified a claim labeling Pretti an “assassin.”

Asked by The Daily Mail whether he would retract the description, Vance brushed aside the suggestion.

“For what?” Vance retorted.

He said the facts still need to be established and warned against drawing conclusions before investigators finish their work. “If something is determined, that the guy who shot Alex Pretti did something bad, then a lot of consequences are going to flow from that,” he added. “We’ll let that happen. I don’t think it’s smart to prejudge the investigation.”

Pretti, 37, an ICU nurse, was fatally shot on January 24 during a confrontation with a Border Patrol agent and a Customs and Border Protection agent in Minneapolis. In the hours following the shooting, Sen. Chris Murphy of Connecticut criticized federal immigration enforcement, writing on X that “ICE must leave Minneapolis” and that “Congress should not fund this version of ICE.”

Stephen Miller, the White House deputy chief of staff, responded sharply to Murphy’s post.

“An assassin tried to murder federal agents,” Miller fired back at Murphy, “and this is your response.”

Vance shared Miller’s message on his personal social media account, where it remains visible even after video footage surfaced showing Pretti had been disarmed before the shooting.

Three days later, on January 27, President Trump declined to repeat Miller’s characterization when questioned by reporters outside the White House.

“I haven’t heard that. But he shouldn’t have been carrying a gun,” Trump said.

“Bottom line, everybody in this room, we view that as a very unfortunate incident, OK?” the president added. “Everyone, unless you’re a stupid person. Very, very unfortunate … I don’t like that he had a gun, I don’t like that he had two fully loaded magazines. That’s a lot of bad stuff.”

In the aftermath of the killing, Trump sent border czar Tom Homan to Minneapolis in an effort to ease tensions. The two agents involved in the shooting were placed on administrative leave, and the Justice Department opened a probe into whether Pretti’s civil rights were violated.

Vance again emphasized the need to wait for the investigative process to play out.

“Let’s do the investigation,” he said Tuesday. “Let’s figure out, did these officers have a reasonable fear of Alex Pretti given what happened? Did they engage in lawful conduct or unlawful conduct? Let’s let the investigation determine those things.”

{Matzav.com}

President Donald Trump on Thursday released a new architectural rendering of a proposed White House ballroom, a project estimated to cost $400 million that would significantly expand the East Wing’s capacity to host foreign leaders and official guests.

The image, which Trump posted on Truth Social, presents an east-facing view of the planned structure, appearing to look across the South Lawn from the direction of the Treasury Building.

“This beautiful building will be, when complete, the much-anticipated White House Ballroom — The Greatest of its kind ever built!” Trump wrote.

“It is a rendering from the Treasury Building, directly across the street, and it replaces the very small, dilapidated East Wing, which has been rebuilt many times, with a magnificent new East Wing consisting of a glorious ballroom that has been asked for by presidents for over 150 years.”

The illustration shows a substantial neoclassical extension connected to the White House, marked by a long row of tall columns, ornate arches, and a large triangular pediment dominating the front of the structure.

According to the rendering, the design is intended to complement the existing look of the executive mansion while giving the new wing a more imposing and ceremonial presence.

In the foreground, a black iron security fence and stone wall frame the view from outside the White House grounds, while a portion of the current White House complex is visible on the right side of the image.

Trump said the proposal respects the proportions of the historic residence.

“Being an identical height and scale, it is totally in keeping with our historic White House,” Trump wrote.

“This is the first rendering shown to the Public.

“If you notice, the North Wall is a replica of the North Facade of the White House, shown at the right-hand side of the picture.

“This space will serve our Country well for, hopefully, Centuries into the future!” he wrote.

The ballroom project has sparked opposition from the National Trust for Historic Preservation, which has filed a federal lawsuit seeking to stop construction until additional reviews are conducted.

In its filing, the organization alleges that the Trump administration demolished the East Wing in late October to clear space for a ballroom spanning roughly 90,000 square feet, contending that the work proceeded without congressional approval or required historic preservation and environmental reviews.

The complaint states that the area is already an active construction site, citing the presence of heavy equipment, pile driving operations, and cranes.

The National Trust argues that the administration was obligated to submit detailed plans to federal oversight bodies and provide an opportunity for public comment before beginning construction.

The group is asking the court to halt further progress on the project until those procedures are completed.

The Trump administration has responded that changes and expansions to the White House have been carried out by presidents throughout history.

Hatzolah of Central Jersey announced that Yaakov Taub of Toms River has joined the organization’s Vaad, adding new representation from the township to its leadership structure.

Taub, a healthcare owner and operator, brings professional experience in patient care and operations, along with long-standing involvement in community initiatives. Hatzolah officials said his background provides insight into the needs of patients and families served by the organization.

The appointment comes as Hatzolah of Central Jersey continues to expand in response to sustained population growth and increased demand for emergency medical services across its service area. Over the past decade, the organization has broadened recruitment and training efforts, supported members in obtaining paramedic certification, expanded and upgraded its ambulance and response vehicle fleet, and advanced plans for additional garages to improve regional coverage.

Alongside operational growth, Hatzolah has been expanding its leadership structure to reflect its wider geographic footprint. Officials said recent steps have included strengthening town-level coordination, onboarding a new captain from Jackson, and now adding Vaad representation from Toms River through Taub’s appointment.

According to the organization, these changes are intended to ensure that leadership, oversight, and community engagement keep pace with where members live and respond.

Hatzolah officials said Taub’s addition is expected to strengthen the Vaad’s role in guiding the organization’s operational, administrative, and strategic development as it continues to scale its emergency response capabilities.

The organization welcomed Taub and said it looks forward to his contributions as Hatzolah of Central Jersey continues its growth and service to the region.

(YWN World Headquarters – NYC)

Public Notice - Sale of 133 MLK Drive

NEW YORK (AP) — Rent can eat up an entire paycheck at the start of the month, so a growing number of renters are turning to a financial product that promises relief by letting them split the bill — for a price.

So-called “rent now, pay later” services have emerged over the past few years as housing costs climb and paychecks grow less predictable, particularly for lower-income and gig-economy workers. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, rents have jumped nearly 28% in past five years.

Companies such as Flex, Livble and, more recently, Affirm, say breaking rent into multiple payments can help renters manage cash flow. But consumer advocates warn the products typically function like short-term loans, layering fees onto already strained budgets and, in some cases, carrying triple-digit effective interest rates — raising questions about whether they ease financial pressure or deepen it.

Kellen Johnson, 44, started using Flex to split up his rent payments about two years ago. Instead of paying the whole $1,850 of his rent on the first of the month, Johnson would pay $1,350 on that date, and $500 on the 15th. For the service, Flex collected a $14.99 monthly subscription fee, as well as 1% of the total rent, which for Johnson was $18.50, bringing his monthly charges for the app to more than $33.

Johnson said he was willing to pay the extra costs in part because he worked as an independently contracted delivery person for Amazon at the time, and his paychecks could vary.

“It was an expense that I was incurring, but I went ahead as it was more convenient,” said Johnson, who now works as a driver for senior citizens in Sacramento, California.

Roughly 109 million Americans, or about 42.5 million households, are renters in the United States. The Census Bureau estimated in 2024 that a large share of those households pay 30% or more of their monthly income on rent. The bureau considers such households to be “cost burdened,” meaning rent consumes so much of their income that they have less ability to plan for future expenses or build wealth.

Rent now, pay later services generally operate the same way: The company pays the landlord the full rent when due, and the renter repays the company in two or more installments over the course of the month. Because rent can be such a large expense, the companies argue that spreading payments out can give renters more cash on hand.

Many of these services come with fees. The fees can be structured differently but should be generally thought of as cost of credit, consumer advocates warn. In Johnson’s case, he was paying $33.49 for a two-week loan of $500, for an effective annual percentage rate of 172%, when expressed using standard consumer-lending calculations.

“Renters should be skeptical of any financing providers that have partnered with a landlord and be skeptical of anything that sells itself as no fees or no interest,” said Mike Pierce, executive director of Protect Borrowers. Pierce previously worked at the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau.

Launched in 2019, Flex is one of the largest companies focused on splitting rent payments. The company says its 1.5 million customers now send about $2 billion a month in rent through its system, and several of the country’s largest landlords accept Flex as a payment option.

Flex says most of its customers are lower-income renters with weaker credit profiles. The company reports a median credit score of 604 among its users and says about one in three customers works more than one job to make ends meet. A Flex spokesman says the average customer uses the service three to four times a year. Johnson used it every month.

Livble does not charge a subscription, but charges renters a fee ranging from $30 to $40, according to the company’s help page. Depending on how long the renter defers part of the payment, Livble’s fees can translate into effective annual percentage rates of roughly 104% to 139%.

The buy now, pay later company Affirm said this month that it is piloting a program allowing some customers to split rent into two payments. The program is being tested in partnership with Esusu, a company that reports rent payments to credit bureaus to help consumers build credit. An Affirm spokesman said the company is not charging renters interest or fees to use the product, but may charge landlords fees.

As another financing option, landlords are increasingly accepting credit cards for rent payments. Bilt, a credit card startup, built its brand around targeting renters when it launched, and some tenants also use credit cards to accumulate rewards or points.

But paying rent by credit card can also be costly. Landlords typically pass the processing fees on to tenants. Depending on the card issuer and payment network, these fees can range from about 2.5% to 3.5% of the rent. For a renter paying $1,500 a month, that translates to roughly $37.50 to $52.50 in fees — a monthly cost comparable to what services like Livble and Flex charge.

Economists and renters’ advocates argue that none of these financing options address the fundamental issue of affordability in the rental market. If credit cards, or flexible rent payment options become more widely used, they worry rents could rise further as landlords start factoring in a potential renters’ weekly cash flow as opposed to the rental market in the area the building is located in.

Merchants already pass along credit card processing costs to customers in the form of higher prices, and advocates worry that the rental market could adopt similar patterns. For example, Livble is owned by RealPage, which last year settled allegations that its algorithm allowed landlords to collude and push rents higher.

A man convicted of trying to assassinate President Donald Trump on a Florida golf course in 2024 was sentenced Wednesday to life in prison.

U.S. District Judge Aileen Cannon pronounced Ryan Routh’s fate in the same Fort Pierce courtroom that erupted into chaos in September when he tried to stab himself shortly after jurors found him guilty on all counts.

Prosecutors had asked for life without parole, saying Routh is unrepentant and has never apologized. A defense attorney brought in for his sentencing asked for 27 years, noting that Routh is already turning 60.

Routh also received a consecutive seven-year sentence for one of his gun convictions.

Routh’s sentencing had initially been scheduled for December, but Cannon agreed to move the date back after Routh decided to use an attorney during the sentencing phase instead of representing himself as he did for most of the trial.

Prosecutors said in a sentencing memorandum that Routh has yet to accept any responsibility and should spend the rest of his life in prison, in accordance with federal sentencing guidelines. He was convicted of trying to assassinate a major presidential candidate, using a firearm in furtherance of a crime, assaulting a federal officer, possessing a firearm as a felon and using a gun with a defaced serial number.

“Routh remains unrepentant for his crimes, never apologized for the lives he put at risk, and his life demonstrates near-total disregard for law,” the memo said.

Routh’s new defense attorney, Martin L. Roth, asked for a variance from sentencing guidelines: 20 years in prison on top of a seven-year, mandatory sentence for one of the gun convictions.

“The defendant is two weeks short of being sixty years old,” Roth wrote in a filing. “A just punishment would provide a sentence long enough to impose sufficient but not excessive punishment, and to allow defendant to experience freedom again as opposed to dying in prison.”

Prosecutors said Routh spent weeks plotting to kill Trump before aiming a rifle through shrubbery as the Republican presidential candidate played golf on Sept. 15, 2024, at his West Palm Beach country club.

At Routh’s trial, a Secret Service agent helping protect Trump on the golf course testified that he spotted Routh before Trump came into view. Routh aimed his rifle at the agent, who opened fire, causing Routh to drop his weapon and run away without firing a shot.

In the motion requesting an attorney, Routh offered to trade his life in a prisoner swap with people unjustly held in other countries, and said an offer still stood for Trump to “take out his frustrations on my face.”

“Just a quarter of an inch further back and we all would not have to deal with all of this mess forwards, but I always fail at everything (par for the course),” Routh wrote.

In her decision granting Routh an attorney, Cannon chastised the “disrespectful charade” of Routh’s motion, saying it made a mockery of the proceedings. But the judge, nominated by Trump in 2020, said she wanted to err on the side of legal representation.

Cannon signed off last summer on Routh’s request to represent himself at trial. The U.S. Supreme Court has held that criminal defendants have the right to represent themselves in court proceedings, as long as they can show a judge they are competent to waive their right to be defended by an attorney.

Routh’s former federal public defenders served as standby counsel and were present during the trial.

Routh had multiple previous felony convictions including possession of stolen goods, and a large online footprint demonstrating his disdain for Trump. In a self-published book, he encouraged Iran to assassinate him, and at one point wrote that as a Trump voter, he must take part of the blame for electing him.

(AP)

FORT PIERCE, Fla. (AP) — A man convicted of trying to assassinate President Donald Trump on a Florida golf course in 2024 was sentenced Wednesday to life in prison.

U.S. District Judge Aileen Cannon pronounced Ryan Routh’s fate in the same Fort Pierce courtroom that erupted into chaos in September when he tried to stab himself shortly after jurors found him guilty on all counts.

Prosecutors had asked for life without parole, saying Routh is unrepentant and has never apologized. A defense attorney brought in for his sentencing asked for 27 years, noting that Routh is already turning 60.

The United States has rejected Iran’s demand to change the location and format of high-stakes nuclear talks planned for Friday, resulting in the reported cancelation of the talks.

Two U.S. officials told Axios that Washington informed Tehran on Wednesday it would not agree to moving the talks from Istanbul or limiting their scope to nuclear issues alone.

The talks were originally scheduled to take place in Istanbul, with several Middle Eastern countries participating as observers. But Iranian officials said Tuesday they wanted to relocate the meeting to Oman and shift to a bilateral format. U.S. officials saw the demand as an attempt to sideline discussions on missiles, regional proxies and human rights.

After briefly weighing the proposal, the administration decided to reject it.

“We told them it is this or nothing, and they said, ‘Ok, then nothing,’” a senior U.S. official said.

The standoff follows public remarks by Secretary of State Marco Rubio, who said that any meaningful talks with Iran must extend far beyond its nuclear program.

Speaking to reporters in Washington, Rubio acknowledged that plans for the Istanbul meeting had faltered after Iranian officials signaled they had not agreed to the format.

“We thought we had an established forum that had been agreed to in Turkey,” Rubio said. “I saw conflicting reports yesterday from the Iranian side saying that they had not agreed to that, so that’s still being worked through.”

Rubio said the administration remains willing to engage, but only under terms that reflect Washington’s broader security concerns.

“For talks to actually lead to something meaningful, they will have to include certain things,” he said. “That includes the range of their ballistic missiles. That includes their sponsorship of terrorist organizations across the region. That includes the nuclear program. And that includes the treatment of their own people.”

Iran has indicated it is prepared to discuss its nuclear activities, but not on U.S. terms. Washington has demanded that Tehran halt domestic uranium enrichment and ship its existing stockpiles out of the country — conditions the Islamic Republic has repeatedly rejected.

U.S. officials say Tehran’s effort to narrow the agenda reflects resistance to what the administration sees as a comprehensive deal aimed at curbing Iran’s regional influence and military capabilities.

“If the Iranians are willing to go back to the original format, we’re ready to meet this week or next week,” the senior official said.

But the official added that patience inside the White House is wearing thin.

“We want to reach a real deal quickly or people will look at other options,” the official said, referring to Trump’s repeated warnings that military force remains on the table.

Rubio framed Iran’s reluctance to broaden the talks as tied to deeper economic and political problems inside the country.

“The fundamental problem Iran faces is that what people are on the streets complaining about, this regime cannot address, because it’s economic,” he said. “One of the reasons why the Iranian regime cannot provide the people of Iran the quality of life that they deserve is because they’re spending all their money and resources sponsoring terrorism.”

Despite his skepticism about Tehran’s intentions, Rubio emphasized that Trump remains committed to testing whether diplomacy can still produce results.

“President Donald Trump is willing to talk to and meet with and engage with anyone in the world,” Rubio said. “We don’t view meetings as a concession or a legitimization.”

“If the Iranians want to meet, we’re ready,” he added. “I’m not sure you can reach a deal with these guys, but we’re going to try to find out.”

(YWN World Headquarters – NYC)

The following is an ‘Ask The Mayor’ question submitted to TLS, and the Mayor’s response. Email your questions for the Mayor to [email protected].

Question:

Dear Mayor,

I’m writing to express my concern about the traffic situation at the intersection of Washington Avenue and Pine Street. The conditions there have become increasingly dangerous, and it feels like an accident is just waiting to happen.

I drive through that area several times a day, and making a left turn from either direction—whether from Washington onto Pine or from Pine onto Washington—is extremely difficult and often unsafe. Cars come quickly, visibility is limited, and it’s nearly impossible to turn without feeling like another vehicle might hit you.

I hope that a traffic light or another safety measure can be installed soon. The current setup puts drivers at real risk, and improving it would make a meaningful difference for everyone who uses those roads.

Thank you for your ongoing efforts to keep our community safe.

Sincerely,

Sara G

Response from Mayor Coles:

Good morning

We are widening that stretch of Pine and will be adding traffic lights. I’m hoping most of the work will be done this coming spring and summer.

Thanks for reaching out

Ray

Question:

Dear Mayor,

I am writing to request the installation of a street light at the corner of Sunset and James.

This intersection sees a high volume of pedestrian traffic and is currently very dark at night, which poses a significant safety concern for the community.

Thank you for your assistance with this matter.

Best regards,

Moshe
Response from Mayor Coles:

Thanks Moshe

I’ll ask the engineers to contact the county, as this is their road and requires their buy in

Stay warm

Ray

—————–

Have a question for the Mayor? Send it to [email protected]

Have a question for the Chief? Send it to [email protected]

Federal authorities say a man living in the United States illegally, who was already under a standing deportation order, was hired by the New Orleans Police Department and issued a firearm while training to become an officer.

The individual, Larry Temah, 46, a migrant from Cameroon, was arrested by ICE at his residence on January 26, just days before he was scheduled to complete police academy training.

“This illegal alien from Cameroon, Larry Temah, is not only breaking the law with every step he takes in this country illegally, but the New Orleans Police Department hired him and issued him in a firearm — what kind of law enforcement department gives criminal illegal aliens guns and badges?” Homeland Security Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin said.

“It’s a felony for illegal aliens to even possess a firearm.”

According to ICE, Temah initially entered the United States lawfully in 2015 on a visitor visa. The following year, he received conditional permanent residency after marrying a U.S. citizen.

Federal officials say that arrangement later came under scrutiny. In 2022, Temah’s green card application was denied after authorities raised concerns that the marriage was not legitimate.

ICE said Temah was ordered to appear in immigration court but failed to attend hearings on three separate occasions.

An immigration judge later issued a formal deportation order against him.

The Trump administration has accused the New Orleans Police Department of recruiting Temah and providing him with a firearm despite his immigration status and the active removal order.

Police department officials strongly rejected those allegations, saying the claims mischaracterize the facts.

“The New Orleans Police Department verified Mr. Temah’s employment eligibility through ICE’s E-Verify system prior to hiring and was never notified of any ICE detainer,” a department spokesperson said.

“New Orleans is not a sanctuary city, and NOPD does not control jail operations or detainer decisions, which fall under the Sheriff’s Office.”

“Any claim that NOPD knowingly violated the law is false,” the spokesperson added.

{Matzav.com}

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — The Trump administration is reducing the number of immigration officers in Minnesota but will continue its enforcement operation that has sparked weeks of tensions and deadly confrontations, border czar Tom Homan said Wednesday.

About 700 federal officers — roughly a quarter of the total deployed to Minnesota — will be withdrawn immediately after state and local officials agreed over the past week to cooperate by turning over arrested immigrants, Homan said.

But he did not provide a timeline for when the administration might end the operation that has become a flashpoint in the debate over President Donald Trump’s mass deportation efforts since the fatal shootings of U.S. citizens Renee Good and Alex Pretti in Minneapolis.

Immigration and Customs Enforcement officials have said the surge in Minnesota that ramped up dramatically in early January is its “largest immigration operation ever.” Masked, heavily armed officers have been met by resistance from residents who are upset with their aggressive tactics.

A widespread pullout, Homan said, will only occur after protesters stop interfering with federal agents carrying out arrests and setting up roadblocks to impede the operations. About 2,000 officers will remain in the state after this week’s drawdown, he said.

“Given this increase in unprecedented collaboration, and as a result of the need for less public safety officers to do this work and a safer environment, I am announcing, effective immediately, we’ll draw down 700 people effective today — 700 law enforcement personnel,” Homan said during a news conference.

He didn’t say which jurisdictions have been cooperating with the Department of Homeland Security.

Trump administration pushed for cooperation in Minnesota
Trump’s border czar took over the Minnesota operation in late January after the second fatal shooting by federal officers and amid growing political backlash and questions about how the operation was being run.

Homan said right away that federal officials could reduce the number of agents in Minnesota, but only if more state and local officials cooperate. He pushed for jails to alert ICE to inmates who could be deported, saying transferring such inmates to ICE is safer because it means fewer officers have to be out looking for people in the country illegally.

The Trump administration has long complained that places known as sanctuary jurisdictions — a term generally applied to local governments that limit law enforcement cooperation with DHS — hinder the arrest of criminal immigrants.

Minnesota officials say its state prisons and nearly all of the county sheriffs already cooperate with immigration authorities.

But the county jails that serve Minneapolis and St. Paul and take in the most inmates had not previously met ICE’s idea of full cooperation, although they both hand over inmates to federal authorities if an arrest warrant has been signed by a judge. It wasn’t immediately clear after Homan’s remarks whether those jails have since changed their policies.

Border czar calls Minnesota operation a success
Homan said he thinks the ICE operation in Minnesota has been a success, checking off a list of people wanted for violent crimes who were taken off the streets.

“I think it’s very effective as far as public safety goes,” he said Wednesday. “Was it a perfect operation? No.”

He also made clear that pulling a chunk of federal officers out of Minnesota isn’t a sign that the administration is backing down. “We are not surrendering the president’s mission on a mass deportation operation,” Homan said.

“You’re not going to stop ICE. You’re not going to stop Border Patrol,” Homan said about the ongoing protests. “The only thing you’re doing is irritating your community”

U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement will immediately reduce its on-the-ground presence by 700 agents and place Customs and Border Protection officers under a single command structure led by ICE, border czar Tom Homan said Wednesday, describing the move as a shift toward a more efficient and safer enforcement model.

“I have announced, effective immediately, we will draw down 700 people — effective today — 700 law enforcement personnel,” Homan said during a press conference broadcast live on Newsmax and Newsmax2.

He said the reorganization also folds CBP personnel directly into ICE’s operational framework. “We have also fully integrated CBP personnel into the ICE team structure under one unified chain of command, not two chains of command. There’ll be one chain of command here.”

According to Homan, the reduction is possible because local and county jails in Minnesota have dramatically increased their cooperation with federal immigration authorities, routinely alerting ICE before inmates are released.

With advance notice, federal agents can assume custody inside secure jail facilities instead of making arrests in neighborhoods, a change Homan said cuts down on manpower needs and risk.

“That requires one or two officers instead of eight or 10 going into neighborhoods,” he said, calling the method safer and more efficient for civilians, officers, and detainees alike.

After the drawdown, Homan said roughly 2,000 agents will remain assigned, compared with a much smaller footprint before the current operation began. He estimated that initial staffing levels were around 150 people.

He also clarified that agents temporarily assigned to conduct fraud investigations are not part of the reduction. “We’ve got to remember that we’ve got special agents on detail here doing the fraud investigation,” he said. “They’re not going anywhere. They’re going to finish their job.”

Personnel responsible for officer protection and security will also remain in place, Homan said, stressing that safety considerations will determine whether any additional reductions occur. He cited ongoing threats and confrontations targeting federal agents.

“We will not draw down on personnel providing security for our officers,” Homan said, adding that authorities would continue to respond forcefully to hostile incidents.

Homan attributed the operational shift to growing cooperation from state and local officials, including sheriffs and jail administrators, saying that coordination has expanded rapidly in recent weeks.

“We currently have an unprecedented number of counties communicating with us now and allowing ICE to take custody of illegal aliens before they hit the streets,” he said.

He underscored that local agencies are not being asked to detain inmates beyond their scheduled release times or to carry out immigration enforcement themselves.

“We are not requiring jails to hold people past their normal release time,” he said, adding, “We’re not asking anyone to be an immigration officer.”

Under the new system, ICE agents take custody immediately upon an inmate’s release, a process Homan said lowers public safety risks while allowing federal officers to concentrate on higher-priority cases.

Homan said the changes fit within the Trump administration’s broader immigration enforcement approach, which he said focuses on public safety and national security while continuing to enforce immigration law nationwide.

{Matzav.com}

Attention Menahels, Rebbeim, Moros, Kriah Specialists and anyone who is or has a child suffering with Kriah issues:

Rabbi Dovid Ehrman from the Zobin Method in Yerushalayim [son-in-law of Rav Zobin] will be in Lakewood from February 10–22.

With more than four decades of experience and thousands of documented successes, helping students overcome reading challenges by diagnosing and addressing the exact root causes, providing a clear, structured path to success in Kriah and solving them in an average of 16 sessions, the Zobin Method remains a leading system in the field of reading remediation.

Do you have a student or child who is struggling with Kriah? Are you frustrated with lack of progress (and time and money)? Then this is for you!

During his visit, Rabbi Ehrman will present an overview of the Zobin Method through an exclusive masterclass offering professional clarity on the subject of Kriah with a focus on the main causes why Kriah can be so difficult for some people. The classes will discuss Lashon Hakodesh, vision and other areas of development which affect Kriah. Along with practical instructional tools for immediate use

Masterclass Schedule:
• Men
 February 12 |  8:30–10:00 PM
• Women
 February 16 |  8:30–10:00 PM

Advance registration is required.

💠 Rabbi Ehrman will be available to give a presentation to schools as well.

💠 In addition, Rabbi Ehrman will also be available to evaluate and provide a framework for a limited number of those who need Kriah help during his stay.

You can leave your info here Please contact me!

Or contact now: 718-841-9696 [email protected]

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“I know personally of many who have been helped and therefore laud the time, effort, and system which Rabbi Zobin has established. May his efforts lead to success for many.”

– Rabbi Levi Yitzchok Horowitz zt”l (The Bostoner Rebbe)

Israeli police have begun testing a new crowd-control method that mixes pepper spray into water cannons, replacing the controversial “skunk” liquid that has drawn years of public criticism and legal challenges. The move is being examined as a possible permanent policy change, according to a report by Ynet.

In recent weeks, police have conducted trials of the new measure at several hafganah events. Police sources say the pepper-spray-infused water has proven more effective at dispersing gatherings and that there is growing momentum within the force to adopt it as a standard alternative. The tests are part of a broader reassessment of crowd-control tactics.

Internal discussions were prompted by sustained criticism of the skunk liquid—a foul-smelling substance sprayed from water cannons that leaves an intense odor lingering for days. The skunk agent was first introduced in 2008 by the Border Police to address violent disturbances, but opposition to its use has mounted over time.

In recent months, dozens of chareidi residents of Yerushalayim, together with Deputy Mayor Tzachi Berr, petitioned Israel’s High Court of Justice against the Minister of National Security Itamar Ben Gvir and the Israel Police, demanding an end to the use of the skunk liquid. The petition argued that the substance poses health and environmental risks, has never undergone a formal safety review, and lacks approval from the Health Ministry.

Petitioners further claimed that the liquid has been deployed during hafganah activity in densely populated areas and narrow streets, causing respiratory and skin irritation, endangering children, the elderly, and pregnant women, and resulting in property damage and persistent odors that can linger for days.

At the time, police responded that their contract with the skunk liquid’s manufacturer was nearing its end and that alternative methods for dispersing hafganah events were under review. The current trials involving pepper spray mixed into water cannons now appear to be the first concrete step in that transition.

{Matzav.com}

NEW YORK (VINnews) — New York City’s chronic congestion and lack of curbside access are creating a new problem for shoppers: higher grocery prices.

Independent supermarkets across the city are bracing for price increases on popular snack brands after Mondelez International, one of the world’s largest food companies, said it will scale back direct deliveries to roughly 1,000 smaller grocery stores in New York, the NY Post reports.

The change is expected to affect well-known products such as Oreos, Ritz crackers, Triscuits and Chips Ahoy, according to grocery industry representatives. Store operators say prices on some items could rise by as much as $1 per package in the coming weeks as retailers shift to third-party wholesalers.

Mondelez, which also produces Philadelphia cream cheese, Clif Bars and Halls cough drops, informed grocers in a January letter that it is moving to a new distribution model and will no longer deliver directly to many independent stores. The company cited parking shortages and accessibility challenges for delivery trucks, industry officials said.

Large supermarket chains are expected to continue receiving direct deliveries, while smaller neighborhood grocers — including many in upper Manhattan and the outer boroughs — will need to rely on outside distributors. Those distributors typically charge higher fees and do not handle in-store stocking, increasing labor costs for retailers.

Trade groups representing independent supermarkets warned that the shift will likely be passed on to consumers already struggling with rising food prices.

The issue has drawn political attention in Albany and City Hall. The National Supermarket Association sent letters this week to Gov. Kathy Hochul and Mayor Zohran Mamdani urging intervention, arguing that the policy could undermine competition and disproportionately harm smaller stores that serve working-class neighborhoods.

Mondelez did not respond to requests for comment.

The development comes as state lawmakers consider new legislation aimed at strengthening oversight of grocery pricing practices, amid growing concerns about food affordability across New York.

ATLANTA (AP) — Fulton County has filed a motion in federal court seeking the return of all documents from the 2020 election that were seized last week from a warehouse near Atlanta by the FBI, officials in the Georgia county said Wednesday.

The motion also asks for the unsealing of a law enforcement agent’s sworn statement that was presented to the judge who signed off on the search warrant, according to the county chairman, Robb Pitts. The county is not releasing the motion because the case is under seal, he said.

The Jan. 28 search at Fulton County’s main election facility in Union City sought records related to the 2020 election.

President Donald Trump and his allies have fixated on the heavily Democratic county, the state’s most populous, since the Republican narrowly lost the election in Georgia to Democrat Joe Biden in 2020. Trump has long insisted without evidence that widespread voter fraud in the county cost him victory in the state.

Pitts defended the county’s election practices and said the county has conducted 17 elections since 2020 without any issues.

“The president himself and his allies, they refuse to accept the fact that they lost,” Pitts said. “And even if he had won Georgia, he would still have lost the presidency.”

Pitts cited comments by Trump earlier this week on a podcast where he called for Republicans to “take over” and “nationalize” elections.

“This case is not only about Fulton County. This is about elections across Georgia and across the nation,” he said.

A warrant cover sheet provided to the county includes a list of items that the agents were seeking related to the 2020 general election: all ballots, tabulator tapes from the scanners that tally the votes, electronic ballot images created when the ballots were counted and then recounted, and all voter rolls.

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump said Wednesday he and Chinese President Xi Jinping discussed the situation in Iran in a wide-ranging call that comes as the U.S. administration pushes Beijing and others to isolate Tehran.

Trump, who continues to weigh taking military action against Iran, announced last month in a social media post he would impose a 25% tax on imports to the United States from countries that do business with Iran.

Years of sanctions aimed at stopping Iran’s nuclear program have left the country isolated. But Tehran still did nearly $125 billion in international trade in 2024, including $32 billion with China, $28 billion with the United Arab Emirates and $17 billion with Turkey, according to the World Trade Organization.

Israel’s cost-of-living squeeze continues to hit households hard, and a new price comparison shows just how steep the gaps can be between supermarket chains—even for identical items. A recent survey aired on the consumer-affairs program Ossim Seder examined a focused basket of dairy products and uncovered a price difference of more than 25 percent between retailers.

The comparison, presented by journalist Tzvi Tessler, analyzed a standardized basket of basic dairy staples commonly found in Israeli refrigerators. The findings paint a stark picture of competition in the retail market and reveal just how much shoppers can save—or overspend—depending on where they buy.

Among large-format supermarkets typically located in industrial zones and requiring a dedicated trip, the race at the top was exceptionally tight. Osher Ad narrowly edged out rival Rami Levy by just a few shekels, with both chains significantly undercutting the rest of the field. By contrast, other retailers often marketed as “discount” options posted considerably higher prices, with a gap of nearly NIS 100 between the cheapest and most expensive stores in this category.

Dairy Basket Prices at Large Chains:

• Osher Ad – NIS 370.50

• Rami Levy – NIS 372.90

• Netto Savings – NIS 416.60

• Yesh Chesed – NIS 418.40

• Shefa Birkas Hashem – NIS 420.80

• Shuk Ha’ir – NIS 461.90

The picture changes—but not necessarily for the better—when shoppers opt for convenience and buy close to home. The data show that neighborhood shopping often comes at a premium, though there are notable exceptions. Some local groceries manage to stay competitive with the big chains, while others charge significantly more for the same products. At the bottom of the list this week was Maayan 2000, which recorded the highest price for the basket.

Dairy Basket Prices at Neighborhood and Small Stores:

• KT Market (Mishnas Yosef) – NIS 416.20

• Machsaney Hashuk Mehadrin – NIS 430.50

• Netto Savings (Neighborhood) – NIS 439.30

• Yesh Bashchuna – NIS 444.50

• Shira Market – NIS 446.70

• Good Market – NIS 451.50

• Carrefour Market (Mehadrin certifications) – NIS 453.00

• Shefa Birkas Hashem – Near Home – NIS 454.30

• Zol U’Begadol – NIS 456.40

• Maayan 2000 – NIS 464.80

What the Gaps Mean

The data reveal a striking difference of NIS 94.30—about 25.5 percent—between the cheapest basket at Osher Ad (NIS 370.50) and the most expensive at Maayan 2000 (NIS 464.80). In practical terms, a shopper who doesn’t compare prices could pay nearly NIS 100 extra for the exact same dairy items simply by choosing the wrong store. Over the course of a year, that gap can add up to thousands of shekels for an average family.

Another takeaway is that “neighborhood” does not automatically mean overpriced. The fact that KT Market’s basket (NIS 416.20) came in cheaper than some large discount chains demonstrates that reasonable prices are possible without a long drive, provided consumers stay vigilant, compare options, and shop strategically.

{Matzav.com}

Talks between Iran and the United States will be held Friday in Oman, Iranian media reported as tensions between the countries remain high following Tehran’s bloody crackdown on nationwide protests last month.

The semiofficial ISNA and Tasnim news agencies and the Student News Network reported on Wednesday that the talks would take place in Oman, though the sultanate did not immediately confirm this. Oman has hosted multiple rounds of earlier nuclear talks between Iran and the U.S. in the past.

The U.S. has not acknowledged the talks would take place in Oman, though the White House said it anticipated the negotiations would take place even after the U.S. shot down an Iranian drone Tuesday and Iran attempted to stop a U.S.-flagged ship.

Also on Wednesday, activists said the number of arrests topped 50,000 in the government crackdown, according to the U.S.-based Human Rights Activists News Agency, which has been accurate in other rounds of unrest in Iran.

At least 50,834 people have been arrested in connection with the Iranian government’s crackdown on protests, the activists said. The crackdown on the demonstrations has also killed at least 6,876 people, though there are fears many more may be dead.

The Associated Press has been unable to independently assess the death toll due to the sweeping internet shutdown in Iran.

On Tuesday, Iran’s reformist President Masoud Pezeshkian said he had instructed the country’s foreign minister to “pursue fair and equitable negotiations” with the U.S. in what was the first clear sign from Tehran it wants to try to negotiate.

The announcement came as a U.S. Navy fighter jet shot down an Iranian drone that approached an American aircraft carrier early on Tuesday morning. Iranian fast boats from its paramilitary Revolutionary Guard also tried to stop a U.S.-flagged ship in the Strait of Hormuz, the narrow mouth of the Persian Gulf, the Navy said. Iran did not immediately acknowledge either incident.

The incidents strained but apparently did not totally derail hopes for talks between Iran and the U.S. White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said U.S. special envoy Steve Witkoff has been planning to hold talks with Iranian officials in Turkey later this week.

U.S. President Donald Trump has suggested the US might use force against Iran in response to its deadly crackdown on protesters, and also is pushing Tehran for a deal to constrain its nuclear program.

Trump ”is always wanting to pursue diplomacy first, but obviously it takes two to tango,” Leavitt said. “You need a willing partner to achieve diplomacy and that’s something that special envoy Witkoff is intent on exploring and discussing.”

The shift toward negotiations marked a major turn for Iran, and it also signals that the move is supported by Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, who has the final say on all matters of state. The 86-year-old cleric previously had dismissed any negotiations.

Also on Wednesday, Iranian military chiefs visited a missile base of the country in attempt to highlight its military readiness after a 12-day war with Israel in June devastated Iran’s air defenses. The footage of the visit to a base holding the Khorramshahr missile, which has a range of more than 2,000 kilomters (1,250 miles) and was launched towards Israel during the war, will be broadcast on Iranian state television Wednesday evening.

(AP)

JERUSALEM (VINnews)-The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) on Tuesday released drone footage that it says shows armed Hamas operatives using ambulances to transport weapons and fighters in northern Gaza, in violation of a recent ceasefire agreement.

The military said routine drone operations in the Jabalia area, near the Gaza ceasefire line, revealed how armed Hamas terrorists “repeatedly and systematically” used ambulances to move operatives and weapons from a hospital to a school.

The released clips depict gunmen operating around an ambulance at two separate locations.

“This is further proof of the cynical exploitation carried out by Hamas on a regular basis and of its violations of international law under the cover of the civilian population for terrorist purposes,” the IDF stated.

The army added that since the start of the ceasefire, Hamas has violated the agreement and concentrated efforts on rebuilding its military capabilities.

“The IDF will continue to operate in accordance with international law with regard to medical facilities and educational institutions, including those in which Hamas chose to place its terrorist infrastructure, while committing a blatant violation of the rules of international law,” it said.

The footage was shared amid ongoing claims by Israel that Hamas embeds military activities within civilian infrastructure, including hospitals and ambulances, in Gaza. Hamas has previously denied such accusations.

NEW YORK (VINnews) — Democratic Socialist Diana Moreno won a special election Tuesday to represent Queens’ 36th District in the New York State Assembly, filling the seat vacated by Mayor Zohran Mamdani after his election last fall.

Moreno, a 38-year-old community organizer backed by Mamdani and the Democratic Socialists of America, won by a wide margin, capturing roughly three-quarters of the vote, according to election results reported by the Associated Press. She defeated two candidates aligned with the same political movement in a low-turnout contest.

The Assembly seat had been held by Mamdani since 2021 and became vacant following his victory in the mayoral race. Moreno’s decisive win cements continued DSA representation in the district.

The race also highlighted growing strains within New York City’s progressive political circles. U.S. Rep. Nydia Velázquez endorsed one of Moreno’s opponents, Rana Abdelhamid, a move widely seen as part of a broader disagreement with Mamdani over endorsements in other races. Velázquez has publicly criticized the mayor for backing candidates opposed by her political allies.

Elsewhere in the city, voters filled two additional legislative vacancies. Manhattan City Council Member Erik Bottcher won a special election for a state Senate seat, while former City Council Majority Leader Keith Powers secured a decisive victory for an Assembly seat on the Lower East Side.

Both men defeated Republican opponents by large margins. Bottcher’s move to the Senate is expected to trigger another special election later this year to fill his City Council seat.

Authorities are investigating a fire that broke out at Brick Township home early this morning.

The fire broke out around 1:00 AM on 17th Avenue.

No injuries were reported.

This was the third fire that broke out in the area within hours of each other – following Jackson and Lakewood.

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Dear Matzav Inbox,

I watched the Let’s Talk Kashrus episode about party planners, and honestly, I walked away boiling.

I’m a party planner. I’ve been doing this for 30 years. I’m not here to argue. I’m not here to defend myself or dodge questions. There is always room to improve. Fine. But if we’re finally talking about kashrus, then let’s actually talk about it — not dance around the elephant in the room.

Because here’s the reality everyone seems very comfortable ignoring.

There is a non-Jewish party planner operating openly in Lakewood, and Lakewood is giving it a blind eye. This isn’t a rumor. This isn’t new. This has been going on for years. I personally have raised this issue with people again and again. And again. And again. Nothing.

Let’s be clear about what this means.

She comes on Shabbos.
We don’t know who is putting the food into the warmers.
We don’t know where the knives come from.
We don’t know where the food is ordered from.
We don’t know what standards — if any — are being followed.

And everyone is just… eating.

People like to whisper, “Oh, she’s cheaper.” She’s not. Anyone who actually knows the industry knows that. Put that aside anyway. Even if she were cheaper, is that now the new bar for kashrus?

Why do we always wait for the explosion?

Why do we wait until there’s a massive scandal, headlines screaming, people discovering they’ve been eating non-kosher, and suddenly everyone clutching their pearls saying, “How could this have happened?”

How could it have happened?
Because it was happening in plain sight, and nobody wanted to deal with it.

Before we start lecturing Jewish party planners about certifications and requirements — a conversation I’m not running from — maybe someone should explain why half of Lakewood is perfectly comfortable trusting a non-Jew with kashrus with no transparency, no accountability, and no oversight.

Before you point fingers at us, answer that.

The rest of the party planners know about this. We’re not quiet about it. We’re raising the roof. And still — silence.

Personally? Before I go to a party, I ask who the planner is. I ask about the kashrus. I don’t just walk in and eat. Do other people do that? Or do they assume that if it looks nice and smells good, it must be fine?

That’s not kashrus.

If we’re serious about standards, then let’s be serious across the board — not selectively, not conveniently, and not only when it’s uncomfortable for the people actually trying to do things right.

We don’t need another scandal to wake up.
We need honesty.
And we need courage.

A Very Frustrated Party Planner
Lakewood, NJ

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TOKYO (AP) — Heavy snow piling up in northern Japan in the last two weeks has blocked roads and is being blamed for dozens of deaths nationwide.

As of Wednesday, 15 prefectures have been affected, with snow reaching up to 2 meters (6.5 feet) in worst-hit areas. The unusually heavy snowfall is largely due to a cold air mass from the Arctic that has lingered over the Japanese archipelago.

More than 1,700 homes were without electricity, and most train lines weren’t running, including the bullet trains, according to Aomori prefecture.

“We anticipate some roads might get blocked off, and so we are consulting with services that can help with ambulances and fire trucks to get through to their destinations,” Aomori Gov. Soichiro Miyashita told reporters Wednesday.

Emergency vehicles that weren’t able to get to their destinations had parked nearby, and medical staff gone on foot with stretchers to rescue people in need, he said.

People clear snow near houses in Aomori, northern Japan, Monday, Feb. 2, 2026. (Kyodo News via AP)

Miyashita said he was asking the city of Aomori to try to clear the main roads of snow, implying that the city is falling behind others. Schools in Aomori were shut, affecting thousands of schoolchildren, he added.

Most of the 35 deaths and hundreds of injuries reported across Japan were caused by falls among people trying to clear their homes of snow.

Twelve of the snow-related fatalities were reported in Niigata prefecture, a rice-growing region in northern Japan, including a man who was found collapsed on the roof of his home in Uonuma city on Jan. 21. In Nagaoka city, a 70-year-old is believed to have died after falling from his roof, according to the Niigata government.

Japan’s chief government spokesperson, Minoru Kihara, warned that although the weather was getting warmer, more danger could lie ahead because snow would start melting, resulting in landslides and slippery surfaces.

Injuries nationwide numbered 393, including 126 serious injuries, 42 of them in Niigata. Fourteen homes were damaged, three in Niigata and eight in Aomori prefecture.

More heavy snow is forecast for the coming weekend in northern Japan.

People walk in a snow in Kanazawa, Ishikawa prefecture, Japan, on Jan. 23, 2026. (Kazushi Kurihara/Kyodo News via AP)

A person walks in a snow in Nagaoka, Niigata prefecture, Japan, on Jan. 22, 2026. (Chiaki Ueda/Kyodo News via AP)

JERUSALEM (VINnews) — Dozens of  roshei yeshiva, rabbis, and educators in Religious Zionist institutions convened this week for an emergency discussion in the wake of the IDF’s intended promotion of a pilot program integrating women into the Armored Corps’ maneuvering units.

Among the participants were Rabbi Hanan’el Etrog, head of Yeshivat Shavei Hevron; Rabbi Rafi Peretz, head of the Atzmona pre-military academy; Rabbi Kobi Dvir of Yeshivat Mitzpe Ramon; Rabbi David Fendel, head of Yeshivat Sderot; Rabbi Yehoshua Van Dyke, head of Yeshivat Itamar; and senior teachers from the yeshivot of Mitzpe Ramon, Dimona, Sderot, Nof HaGalil, Kiryat Shmona, and the Keshet academy.

During the meeting, testimonies were presented from religious soldiers in the Engineering Corps who fought in Gaza. They claimed that female paramedics and combat soldiers were assigned to remain with them for extended periods in crowded armored personnel carriers and buildings, contrary to the Joint Service Ordinance. The rabbis warned of halachic difficulties, harm to motivation, and even damage to combat performance.

“The army violated its own orders,” charged Rabbi Dror Aryeh of Yeshivat Sderot. “We are in the period following a round of fighting. Right now, the struggle must be to roll back norms that were introduced into the system under claims of emergency and saving lives. Thousands of halachically observant soldiers remained silent and cooperated after the fact during combat, but we must not institutionalize these violations for the future.”

Other representatives noted that a similar process had previously occurred in the Artillery Corps, where “a norm of mixed-gender service was introduced,” which they say effectively pushed yeshiva students out of the corps. In one testimony, a rabbi-teacher serving in artillery described issues of immodest dress and shared spaces in a command APC, which he said led to professional and operational issues.

Participants also discussed a shift in the mindset of religious youth enlisting in the IDF. According to them, soldiers who served in armor, infantry, artillery, and other corps have produced a new generation of recruits who are aware of the centrality of their contribution to the army and the spiritual values they bring with them.

Rabbi David Fendel warned that if the move continues, students may “vote with their feet” and avoid enlisting in the Armored Corps. He called for an urgent letter from yeshiva rabbis to the defense establishment demanding that the move be halted, which he described as being perceived as a serious blow to the IDF.

Attorney Tzafnat Nordman presented a professional overview to the rabbis, according to which similar pilot programs in units such as 669, Sayeret Matkal, and mobility units ended in professional and medical failure. According to the assessment presented at the meeting, senior command is aware of these findings, but the IDF Spokesperson presents them to the public as a success due to political and legal pressure from women’s organizations.

Nordman added that the Chief Armored Officer, Brig. Gen. Ohad Maor, is now facing a strategic decision ahead of another pilot program in tanks planned for this coming November. She emphasized the need for rabbis and students to make their voices heard in the face of external pressure and petitions to the High Court.

At the conclusion of the meeting, participants called for the establishment of a broad public action and monitoring headquarters bringing together hesder yeshiva students,  yeshivot Gevohot, pre-military academies, and reservists. According to the call, this body would collate information on trends and incidents, expose external pressure factors, support soldiers in the field, and work with decision-makers in the IDF.

In a major legal reversal, the Supreme Court ruled in a majority opinion on Tuesday that the government is not required to hold a competitive selection process for the appointment of the Civil Service Commissioner.

The renewed hearing was held before a five-judge panel. Three justices, Deputy President Noam Sohlberg, David Mintz, and Yael Willner, considered the court’s conservative wing, ruled that there was no basis for judicial interference in the government’s decision to appoint the commissioner through a special appointments committee, as has been customary for the past three decades, prevailing over the positions of left-wing justices Yitzchak Amit and Daphne Barak-Erez.

The ruling overturned the Court’s ruling in August 2024 by a smaller three-judge panel, which had ordered the government to justify why the commissioner’s appointment should not follow a competitive process such as a search committee, a position that aligned with the demand of Attorney General Gali Baharav-Miara. The government refused to accept the intervention in its authorities and demanded a further hearing in an expanded panel, arguing that the requirement was an unprecedented infringement on its constitutional authority.

Sohlberg leveled direct criticism at both Attorney General Gali Baharav-Miara and Justice Amit for their effort to intervene in the government’s authorities, stating, “The manner in which this process concluded demonstrates the need for caution when pursuing sharp policy changes. Great effort was invested from many directions; prices were paid—among them, the prolonged vacancy in the Civil Service Commission—and yet, ultimately, we have returned to our starting point: the appointment method used here for over 30 years. Looking ahead, this outcome—and the long journey that led to it—should be considered by all involved before attempting to change what is established and proven. Changes, even dramatic ones, can be necessary and welcome, but moderation and caution are equally vital.”

Justice David Mintz also sharply criticized the very notion of judicial intervention in the case, stating that the Supreme Court must exercise restraint, stressing that the petition attempted to impose a “desired” legal outcome rather than one grounded in existing law. He stressed that the petitioners failed to identify — even marginally — any legal basis that could justify overturning the government’s decision.

Mintz emphasized that the separation of powers requires judicial restraint and that the Court must not substitute its own judgment for that of the government as long as no clear legal rule has been breached.

By contrast, Amit warned of the “destructive consequences” of the ruling. Amit argued that allowing the prime minister to directly choose the Civil Service Commissioner would inevitably lead to a political appointment of someone who is supposed to serve as a gatekeeper. “When the prime minister, who is a political figure, himself chooses the Civil Service Commissioner… the result is one: a political appointment,” Amit wrote, adding that “those who will pay the price for this are all of us.”

Amit responded to his fellow justices in harsh tones, accusing them of ignoring a changing reality and deteriorating norms of governance. He described the situation as an existential danger to the public system: “Turning a blind eye to changes in reality undermines the very core of the Court’s role—whose task is to guard, and to guard itself, against a reef or an iceberg that could send the ship down to the depths,” he stated.

(YWN Israel Desk—Jerusalem)

Dozens of Rabbanim and Roshei Yeshivos of Dati Leumi yeshivos convened this week for an emergency discussion in wake of the IDF’s intention to advance a pilot program to integrate women into the front-line combat units of the Armored Corps’s tank crews, Arutz Sheva reported.

During the meeting, testimonies were presented by religious soldiers who fought in Gaza, saying that female paramedics and combat soldiers were assigned to work and stay with them for prolonged periods in cramped conditions inside Namer armored personnel carriers and buildings—in violation of the army’s own mixed-service regulations. The Rabbanim warned of halachic dilemmas, declining morale, and even combat performance issues.

Other representatives noted that a similar process had previously taken place in the Artillery Corps, where “a norm of mixed-gender integration was introduced,” resulting in the effective exclusion of talmidei yeshivos from the corps. In one testimony, a Rosh Mesivta serving in the Artillery Corps described problems of inappropriate dress and shared spaces inside an APC, which, he said, impaired combat readiness.

Rabbi Dovid Fendel warned that if the pilot proceeds, the talmidim may “vote with their feet” and avoid enlisting in the Armored Corps. He called for the Rabbanim to issue an urgent letter to the Defense Ministry demanding that the plan be halted, which he described as causing serious harm to the IDF.

“The army violated its own orders,” said Rabbi Dror Aryeh of Sderot Yeshiva. “Now, in the days after a round of combat, our task is to roll back norms introduced under the pretext of wartime necessity and pikuach nefesh. Thousands of soldiers loyal to halacha remained silent and cooperated b’di’eved during the war, but it is forbidden to entrench these violations of orders for the future.”

Attorney Tzafnat Nordman presented an analysis indicating that similar integration pilots in elite units such as 669, Sayeret Matkal, and logistics convoy units ended in professional and medical failures. According to her, the IDF’s senior command is aware of these results, but IDF spokespeople continue to portray them publicly as successes due to political and legal pressure from women’s advocacy organizations.

Nordman noted that Chief Armored Officer Brig. Gen. Ohad Maor now faces a strategic decision regarding another tank pilot program scheduled for November. She emphasized the importance of Rabbanim and talmidim voicing their position amid growing external pressure and petitions to the Supreme Court.

It should be noted that last month, in an interview with Orna Yashar on the program “Zavit Yeshara” produced by the Mida website, Rabbi Shlomo Aviner, the Rosh Yeshivah of the Ateret Yerushalayim Yeshiva, addressed the issue of integrating women into the IDF and into the Armored Corps in particular. Rabbi Aviner presented a firm position that women’s service in the IDF in itself is a fundamental mistake but emphasized that placing women inside tanks is a violation of halacha and constitutes a red line for the Religious Zionist public.

Rabbi Aviner stated that if the army proceeds with the plan to integrate women into tanks, he will instruct his students not to enlist in the Armored Corps. “The army is not a place for girls,” he said, adding that having men and women confined together in a tank for long periods creates an immodest situation that contradicts what he called “true integration.” He added that under such circumstances, “religious young men will choose other combat units instead of the Armored Corps.”

The discussion also touched on the physical toll experienced by female combat soldiers. Rabbi Aviner said that women are not physically suited for such strenuous loads and face serious risks of long-term injuries. The interviewer, Orna Yashar, shared her own experience as a former officer, explaining that she had carried heavy equipment in service and only began suffering medical problems years later.

Beyond the health aspect, Rabbi Aviner said that mixed-gender integration weakens the IDF’s military effectiveness. “It lowers the level of the unit,” he said, adding that many officers have decried the fact that the integration of women into such roles undermines the overall strength and cohesion of their teams.

(YWN Israel Desk—Jerusalem)

A central segment of the long-awaited upgrade to Route 60, the main artery linking Gush Etzion with Yerushalayim, has opened to traffic eight months earlier than planned, a move expected to significantly ease chronic congestion along the heavily traveled corridor.

The project, led by Israel’s Ministry of Transport and carried out by the state infrastructure company Moriah, is advancing at an accelerated pace. Additional sections of the road are scheduled to open over the coming weeks, further improving traffic flow and driving safety in the area.

Route 60, which serves as a sensitive and vital gateway into and out of Yerushalayim, is undergoing a comprehensive overhaul as part of the project. The road is being expanded from a single lane in each direction into a divided highway with two lanes each way. The upgrade is designed to accommodate growing traffic volumes, enhance safety standards, and substantially reduce travel times for commuters and residents.

At this stage, the stretch between Husan and the Shayarot Junction has been completed and opened to traffic, featuring two lanes in each direction. Officials say the opening of this segment has already led to noticeable improvements, including smoother traffic flow, reduced bottlenecks, and a higher level of road safety. Remaining segments of the project are expected to be opened gradually over the next two weeks.

Later this year, an interchange at the Shayarot Junction area is slated to open, including new underground passages. This phase is expected to complete the transportation upgrade along the route and allow for continuous, safer, and more convenient travel.

Once the project is fully completed, residents of Gush Etzion and surrounding communities—including Efrat, Kiryat Arba, and nearby localities—are expected to benefit from a modernized and safer roadway, offering a faster and more reliable connection to Yerushalayim and better suited to the region’s growing transportation needs.

{Matzav.com}

By Y.M. Lowy

A new pedestrian plaza is being planned for 10th Avenue between 48th and 49th Streets, and Maimonides Health is inviting Boro Park residents to help shape what it will look like and how it will work.

The proposed plaza would convert part of the street space into a pedestrian-focused area designed for safer walking, easier access, and more usable public space near the hospital corridor. 

To gather community input, Maimonides Health, together with engineering firm TYLin and the NYC Department of Transportation, will host a public open house next Tuesday, Feb 10, from 5:00 PM to 7:00 PM in the main lobby of Maimonides Medical Center at 4802 10th Avenue. Attendees can drop in at any time during those hours, review design concepts, and speak directly with project staff.

Neighbors, local business owners, and community members are encouraged to attend and share feedback before plans move forward. No RSVP is needed.

Questions can be directed to the Maimonides Health Community Relations Department at (718) 283-7412.

JERUSALEM — Lawmakers from Yisrael Beytenu have put forward a bill that would change Israel’s current Chief Rabbinate structure, replacing the longstanding system of separate Ashkenazi and Sephardic Chief Rabbis with a single national Chief Rabbi.

The legislation, submitted by MKs Avigdor Liberman, Oded Forer, Evgeny Sova, Sharon Nir, and Hamad Amar, would amend key sections of the Chief Rabbinate Law. Among the proposed changes are removing references to “Chief Rabbis of Israel,” eliminating the ability to run dual candidacies, and making the Chief Rabbi the head of both the Chief Rabbinate Council and the Great Rabbinical Court.

The lawmakers said the dual system no longer reflects contemporary Israeli society, which has become far more integrated since the country’s founding. They also highlighted practical benefits, noting that combining the two positions could streamline operations and reduce administrative costs.

“This change is designed to modernize the office and better reflect the realities of Israeli life today,” the bill states, emphasizing that the distinction between Ashkenazi and Sephardic Chief Rabbis is largely symbolic in the current era.

The proposal echoes a similar bill submitted previously by Liberman and is comparable to a measure introduced by MK Elazar Stern in Israel’s previous Knesset session, showing ongoing interest in reforming the Chief Rabbinate.

JERUSALEM (VINnews) — The condition of Hamas terrorists is far worse than previously believed, according to a new report by “Gaza Report,” a collation on X of news and analysis from Gaza. According to the report, some terrorists have sold the military equipment in their possession in order to survive.

The report states that, according to security sources, dozens of fighters are selling their weapons, ammunition, communication equipment, and explosives to arms dealers, gangs, and crime groups. What began as isolated incidents has now become a widespread trend throughout the Gaza Strip, especially in areas such as Tel al-Sultan, Shuja’iyya, and eastern Khan Younis.

The main reasons for the distress reportedly include the halt in salary payments, lack of operational leadership, reduction in military activity, and a severe sense of abandonment. According to the report, the terrorists feel they have been deserted by the terror organization’s leadership and are instead taking care of their families on their own.

The large quantities of weapons being sold are reaching various actors such as gangs, criminal groups, and even organized crime networks, fueling looting, extortion, and violence against residents. It is also noted that Hamas leadership in Gaza is aware of the development but has so far refrained from acting openly on the issue, fearing an even more severe internal deterioration from their perspective.

Meanwhile, Israel’s Coordinator of Government Activities in the Territories believes that ahead of the second stage of the ceasefire agreement with Gaza, Israel should demand that the United States halt and reduce the number of aid trucks entering Gaza from 600 per day to no more than 200, and that their contents should also be inspected. Israeli officials reportedly believe that food trucks entering Gaza should not exceed 120 per day.

Officials in the Coordination of Government Activities unit argue that allowing trucks in at this scale effectively finances Hamas. According to Israeli calculations, the value of each truck is estimated at about half a million shekels. Hamas reportedly collects a 15% tax on each truck — about 75,000 shekels per truck. Based on this calculation, Hamas is said to be generating roughly 45 million shekels per day solely from the entry of these trucks.

The Civil Administration also claims that warehouses in Gaza are currently full, and due to Hamas’s taxation, food and goods brought in large quantities are still sold at inflated prices in Gaza’s markets. According to assessments by the Coordinator of Government Activities in the Territories, there is currently a cash shortage inside Gaza. However, recent market demands have led to creative solutions, from the use of cash-transfer apps in Gaza’s commerce to offsetting balances between bank accounts and money changers.

JERUSALEM (VINnews) — The Israel Defense Forces announced Tuesday that it carried out a precision strike in the southern Gaza Strip targeting a senior Hamas commander responsible for the October 7 Nir Oz attack, following the severe injury of an IDF officer in northern Gaza.

The targeted operation eliminated Bilal Abu Assi, a Hamas Nukhba platoon commander who led the October 7 infiltration into Kibbutz Nir Oz, during which dozens of civilians were killed or abducted. Abu Assi is also believed to have been involved in holding deceased hostages and orchestrating attacks against Israeli troops throughout the ongoing conflict.

The strike was carried out after militants reportedly fired on IDF forces overnight Wednesday, a violation of the ceasefire agreement in place. According to the IDF, the operation aimed to neutralize the immediate threat posed by Abu Assi while minimizing the risk to civilians. The military acknowledged reports that several uninvolved individuals, including medical personnel, may have been affected despite extensive surveillance and the use of precise munitions.

In a statement, the IDF said, “We remain committed to protecting Israeli civilians and soldiers from terror attacks. Our forces will continue to target those responsible for orchestrating violence while taking all possible measures to reduce civilian harm.”

The operation reflects Israel’s continued focus on dismantling Hamas’s leadership and operational capabilities, particularly among units involved in high-profile attacks like Nir Oz. Israeli officials emphasized that actions against key militants are carried out in response to specific threats and incidents on the ground.

Rudy Giuliani said Tuesday that New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani’s political worldview and alleged sympathy for Islamic extremism explain the decision to roll back a long-standing policy aimed at protecting homeless individuals during dangerously cold weather.

Appearing on Newsmax’s “Ed Henry The Big Take,” Giuliani sharply criticized Mamdani’s beliefs, arguing they reflect an indifference to human life. “Communists have no regard for human life,” Giuliani said.

“Neither do Islamic extremist supporters. He’s both — he’s like a double vector,” he continued.

Giuliani went on to draw a broader historical comparison. “There’s no group of people that have less regard for human life over the last 150 years than the followers of Karl Marx,” he said. “The only group that might equal that is the last 1,400 years of the strict followers of Muhammad.”

According to Giuliani, the overturned rule was an emergency safeguard that had been in place for decades, allowing city officials to suspend normal restrictions and require homeless individuals to enter shelters when temperatures dropped to dangerous levels.

“He reversed a policy of New York City that started before me, continued with me, and continued to him,” Giuliani said.

“It’s a policy that says if you get near freezing, then all these rules about you can’t force the homeless to go into a shelter are over. You can force them to go into a shelter.”

Giuliani’s comments came as the city was still dealing with the deadly impact of Winter Storm Fern, which he noted resulted in the deaths of 16 homeless individuals amid brutal cold conditions.

Mamdani, who identifies as a democratic socialist, has openly advocated for a larger government role in areas such as housing, healthcare, and economic policy.

He won election in November after campaigning on a platform centered on expanded public spending, broader city-managed services, and increased government involvement in the economy.

Giuliani also accused Mamdani of aligning himself with extremist organizations and hostile foreign actors, saying the evidence was clear. “He’s very favorable to Hamas,” Giuliani said, referencing the Gaza-based terrorist group. “They’ve only killed hundreds of thousands of people.

“Very favorable to Iran,” he added. “His father was a big supporter of all of them.

“He can’t fool anybody that he isn’t a supporter.”

{Matzav.com}

JERUSALEM (VINnews) — Following the recent fatal vehicle ramming incidents in which two yeshiva boys were killed, and the troubling footage of the behavior of some charedi youths during protests, the Edah HaChareidis has taken responsibility. The Emes news site revealed that in the past 24 hours a special public declaration was distributed explicitly calling on yeshiva students not to participate in the demonstrations at all, in order to reduce friction, prevent danger to human life, and halt further deterioration in the serious scenes seen on the ground.

The declaration was published in advance of Wednesday’s large charedi enlistment at draft centers, which was expected to engender significant protests. The protests against the military draft decree and the wave of arrests have been led primarily by the Edah HaChareidis and the Jerusalem Faction.

With the publication of the declaration by the Edah, expectations are that the number of people participating will drop significantly, with those continuing to protest being mostly older married men. So far, other communities taking part in the demonstrations have not issued similar guidelines, but the expectation is that comparable steps will be taken there as well, in an effort to prevent further tragedies.

As previously reported, about two weeks ago, Naftali Tzvi Kramer z”l, a 17-year-old yeshiva student, was killed after being struck by a Metropolin bus at the entrance to the community of Komemiyut. He had been participating in a nearby protest against plans to perform autopsies on the bodies of toddlers from a daycare tragedy,  a decision that was ultimately canceled by order of the High Court. In a video that surfaced, seminary girls riding on the bus can be heard shouting, “What’s happening to him? He’s going wild!” moments before the fatal impact.

About a month earlier, Yosef Eizental z”l, a 14-year-old boy from the Ramot neighborhood, was dragged under the wheels of a Jerusalem bus (Route 64) that became caught in the center of a draft protest in the area. Eyewitnesses described unusual and reckless driving during which the teen was fatally run over, while another boy who had been clinging to the bus miraculously survived.

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — Talks between Iran and the United States will be held Friday in Oman, Iranian media reported Wednesday.

The semiofficial ISNA and Tasnim news agencies, as well as the Student News Network, all reported the talks would take place.

Oman did not immediately acknowledge it would host the talks. The sultanate hosted multiple rounds of earlier nuclear talks between Iran and the U.S.

The U.S. has not acknowledge the talks would take place in Oman, though the White House said it anticipated the negotiations would take place even after the U.S. shot down an Iranian drone Tuesday and Iran attempted to stop a U.S.-flagged ship.

THIS IS A BREAKING NEWS UPDATE. AP’s earlier story follows below.

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — At least 50,834 people have been arrested in connection with the Iranian government’s crackdown on protests, activists tracking the number of people who have been killed or detained said on Wednesday.

The crackdown on the demonstrations has also killed at least 6,876 people, according to the U.S.-based Human Rights Activists News Agency, which has been accurate in other rounds of unrest in Iran. It fears even more may be dead.

The Associated Press has been unable to independently assess the death toll due to the internet shutdown.

Vice President JD Vance sharply criticized Rep. Jerry Nadler on Tuesday after the New York Democrat suggested that people might be justified in using deadly force against a federal agent if they believed they were being abducted by “masked hoodlums.”

Vance condemned Nadler’s comments in blunt terms, labeling them “despicable.”

Nadler made the remarks during a House Judiciary Committee hearing, where he argued that what he described as attacks on Americans posed the most serious threat facing the country.

“What is the major problem in our country today is the fascism in our streets; the attacks on American citizens by masked hoodlums. If you were attacked by a masked person, you might think you were being kidnapped; you’d be justified in shooting the person to protect yourself,” Nadler said.

Vance responded to the comments on X, directing his criticism at the veteran lawmaker, who is retiring from Congress.

“Jerry Nadler is one of the highest ranking Democrats in the House of Representatives and he is openly calling for people to shoot federal law enforcement.

“This is despicable behavior from an elected official and I’m sure the leftwing media will cover it extensively,” Vance wrote.

Nadler went on to expand on his concerns during the hearing.

“We see people being shot, for what? For driving a car?” he said.

The exchange followed a series of deadly incidents involving federal agents that have drawn scrutiny and political backlash.

Federal officials say Renee Good was shot and killed last month by an Immigration and Customs Enforcement agent after she attempted to flee in her vehicle to avoid arrest on suspicion of obstructing an immigration enforcement operation.

Authorities said Good used her car to block agents on a residential street and struck an officer, prompting the agent to fire in self-defense.

Others have challenged the government’s version of events leading up to Good’s death.

Several weeks later, Alex Pretti was fatally shot while interfering with an ICE operation in Minneapolis, an incident that prompted some Democrats to renew calls for dismantling the agency altogether.

{Matzav.com}

JERUSALEM (VINnews) — A new study by the Taub Center and the KI Institute, published today (Wednesday), reveals that children in charedi neighborhoods become eligible for autism benefits at an average age of 4.7 years,a gap of two years compared to children in non-charedi neighborhoods.

The researchers, Dr. Sarit Silverman, Dr. Guy Amit, and Dr. Yair Tzadaka, warned that this delay leads to missing what they called the “golden hour”: the most critical time window for effective early intervention, when a child’s potential for developmental progress is at its highest.

In Arab society and in neighborhoods of low socioeconomic status, a different type of gap was found: many children at high risk do not enter the diagnostic system at all and remain outside the system, despite higher exposure to risk factors characteristic of these populations.

The study data indicate that over two decades, autism diagnosis rates in Israel have increased twentyfold, from 1 in 1,000 children in 2005 to about 20 in 1,000 children in 2025. However, despite rising awareness and social acceptance, the growth is not equal across sectors, and disparities in access to services remain significant.

The study included 16,993 children. The researchers examined the age of autism diagnosis in Israel using data from the Tipat Chalav (infant clinic) system and data from the National Insurance Institute regarding the date of eligibility for benefits.

The findings showed that access to early diagnosis, the critical stage for effective developmental intervention, depends heavily on area of residence and sectoral affiliation. Children from the lowest socioeconomic clusters received eligibility on average 1.3 years later than children from middle-to-upper socioeconomic groups (age 4 versus 2.7).

To address the problem, the researchers propose leveraging the existing public Tipat Chalav infrastructure for universal screening. The plan would be based on a risk-prediction model enabling early identification without requiring additional budget, and would ensure equal access for all sectors from the earliest stages of development.

JERUSALEM — Maj. Gen. Ghassan Alian, concluding nearly five years as head of Israel’s Coordinator of Government Activities in the Territories (COGAT), expressed deep remorse over the military’s failures leading to Hamas’s October 7, 2023 attack, during a handover ceremony Tuesday.

Alian, speaking at the event, said he felt “profound pain and deep embarrassment” as an officer and commander for the “systemic failure of October 7.”

“As an army, we did not meet our most basic obligation to ensure the protection of the residents of the border communities and the State as a whole,” he said.

Alongside his regret, Alian noted pride in his tenure and contributions to the unit, which coordinates humanitarian and civilian matters in the Gaza Strip, West Bank, and recently in Israeli-controlled areas of southern Syria.

Alian is set to take on a new role as liaison to the Druze population in Syria and Lebanon under the IDF’s Northern Command.

“Today, I conclude my role, but I commit to continue acting, for as long as I am able, for the security of the people of Israel and the State of Israel,” he added.

Maj. Gen. Yoram Halevi, a retired senior Israel Police officer, assumed leadership of COGAT in an unprecedented appointment — the first time a former top police official has been given such a high-ranking IDF position.

Halevi, who retired as deputy commissioner, previously led the Jerusalem and Southern districts, the Border Police, the Lahav 433 major crimes unit, and the elite Yamam counterterrorism unit.

In remarks at the ceremony, Halevi acknowledged the evolving challenges facing Israel.

“The State of Israel is currently facing major challenges, alongside significant opportunities,” he said. “Reality is changing rapidly, and new mechanisms are taking shape every day. Within this changing environment, the missions, challenges, and areas of responsibility of COGAT continue to grow.”

He said he had studied the unit extensively in recent months and recognized its potential to address current realities.

“Above all, I have learned that COGAT has a real capability to help realize the potential inherent in this period, and that a heavy responsibility rests on its shoulders to ensure that this happens,” Halevi added.

Halevi’s son, Chief Inspector Yitav Lev Halevi, 28, a Yamam commander, was killed in a May 2024 counterterrorism operation in the West Bank.

COGAT operates under the Defense Ministry and is commanded by an IDF major general. It handles coordination of civilian and humanitarian issues with Palestinians in Gaza and the West Bank, as well as related matters in southern Syria.

Israeli authorities today lifted a gag order, allowing publication of the identity of the mayor arrested and questioned earlier this week on suspicion of bribery and misappropriation of funds. The suspect is Tomer Glam, the mayor of the southern city of Ashkelon.

According to investigators, Glam is suspected of diverting donations that were earmarked for the welfare of soldiers for his personal use. The investigation, led by the elite police anti-corruption unit Lahav 433, followed a covert probe that unfolded over recent months.

Police allege that donations totaling millions of shekels, contributed to the Ashkelon municipality by individuals and organizations in Israel and abroad, were transferred into a community fund and from there funneled into the private accounts of the mayor. The funds were reportedly donated to support residents during the ongoing war.

A police statement said the covert investigation was conducted by the National Fraud Investigations Unit, which examined suspicions that a portion of the donations intended for public welfare were ultimately used for the personal benefit of the mayor and individuals close to him.

Attorneys Victor Ozen and Esther Bar Zion, who represent Glam and his wife, rejected the allegations. In a statement, they said: “This is an upright, ethical, and honest individual who was detained, provided a full account, and will do everything necessary to prove to the police that there is absolutely no basis to the suspicions attributed to him, apparently due to an error.”

The attorneys added that Glam works “day and night for the city,” is deeply committed to the safety and welfare of its residents, and expressed confidence that within days investigators would conclude that there was no wrongdoing in his conduct.

The investigation is ongoing, and no charges have been filed at this stage.

{Matzav.com}

A New Jersey state Senate committee is schedule to hold a hearing on a bill that would make discrimination based on a person’s height or weight illegal under the state’s Law Against Discrimination.

The bill, sponsored by Senator Andrew Zwicker, a Democrat representing parts of Hunterdon, Mercer, Middlesex and Somerset counties, and Sen. Angela V. McKnight, a Democrat from Hudson County, would add height and weight to the list of protected characteristics under the decades-old statute.

If enacted, the measure would prohibit employers, landlords, businesses, financial institutions and government entities from discriminating against individuals because of their height or weight, subject to limited exceptions.

The legislation allows for employment-related distinctions when height or weight is a bona fide occupational qualification and permits public accommodations to impose restrictions for legitimate safety reasons.

Individuals who believe they have been discriminated against would have access to the same remedies available for other forms of unlawful discrimination, including compensatory and punitive damages.

Under the bill, discrimination would be prohibited in hiring, firing, compensation and other terms of employment, as well as in housing sales and rentals, access to public accommodations, credit and lending practices, and business transactions.

The bill’s sponsors say the legislation is modeled after Michigan’s civil rights law, which includes height and weight among its protected categories.

The measure has been introduced and is pending technical review by legislative counsel. It would take effect immediately if approved by the Legislature and signed into law by the governor.

A previous version of this bill was approved by the state Senate last session, but died in the Assembly.

LONDON (VINnews) — Rabbi Elyakim Schlesinger, a senior Orthodox Jewish scholar and longtime head of Yeshivat HaRama in London who played a central role in establishing advanced Torah study in Britain, has died. He was 104.

Rabbi Schlesinger died after his condition worsened following pneumonia and subsequent kidney complications, according to community officials. He was hospitalized Tuesday night and died after his vital signs declined. Even in his final days, Rabbi Schlesinger remained mentally lucid and delivered a Torah talk during seudah shlishit, the third Shabbat meal.

His funeral was scheduled to take place Wednesday in London, with burial planned at the Enfield cemetery.

Rabbi Schlesinger was born in Vienna in 1921 and raised in a rabbinic family. He studied Torah from an early age under his grandfather, Rabbi Eliezer Lipman Schlesinger. Before his bar mitzvah, Rabbi Schlesinger enrolled in the famed Pressburg yeshiva, later continuing his studies in Nitra, where he received rabbinic ordination.

In 1935, Rabbi Schlesinger immigrated with his family to what was then British Mandate Palestine, settling in Tel Aviv. He later studied in Jerusalem under Rabbi Yosef Tzvi Dushinsky and continued his education at the Lomza Yeshiva in Petach Tikva and at Ponevezh Yeshiva, where he developed a close relationship with founder Rabbi Yosef Shlomo Kahaneman.

In 1944, Rabbi Schlesinger married Dina Yehudit Blau, daughter of Rabbi Moshe Blau, a senior leader of Jerusalem’s Eidah HaChareidis and a prominent figure in Agudat Israel. Following Rabbi Moshe Blau’s death, Rabbi Schlesinger was appointed head of Yeshivat Pnei Moshe in Jerusalem.

At the recommendation of Rabbi Yitzchak Zev Soloveitchik, the Brisker Rav, Rabbi Schlesinger later moved to Europe, serving briefly as a rosh yeshiva in Belgium before settling in London. There, Rabbi Schlesinger founded Yeshivat HaRama, named in memory of prewar European yeshivot, and helped establish London’s first kollel for advanced married Torah scholars.

The institution became a cornerstone of Orthodox Jewish learning in Britain and influenced the growth of the country’s postwar Torah community.

Rabbi Schlesinger maintained close relationships with leading rabbinic authorities of the 20th century, including Rabbi Soloveitchik and Rabbi Avraham Yeshaya Karelitz, the Chazon Ish, and documented those connections in his writings.

Rabbi Schlesinger’s home was widely known as a refuge for students, orphans and others in need. Over decades, Rabbi Schlesinger taught thousands of students and was an outspoken advocate for independent religious education. He was also active in fundraising efforts to support institutions aligned with strict Orthodox standards.

Rabbi Schlesinger is survived by nine children, including his eldest son, Rabbi Eliezer Schlesinger, who continues to lead Yeshivat HaRama, as well as numerous grandchildren and great-grandchildren.

A California statute that prohibits federal law enforcement officers from wearing masks while performing their duties will not be enforced by the Los Angeles Police Department, according to LAPD Chief Jim McDonnell.

Speaking with KABC, McDonnell said it would be unreasonable for one armed law enforcement agency to confront another, warning that such an approach would only create unnecessary conflict. He took aim at the No Secret Police Act, arguing that it reflects poor judgment and a lack of careful consideration.

McDonnell has also voiced criticism over how immigration enforcement operations have been carried out in Los Angeles, distancing his department from those actions.

“We are in line with our federal partners on everything except immigration enforcement,” he said.

“What we’ve seen since June here in Los Angeles and seen across the country, we’re as frustrated as everybody else — about the way that’s being done,” McDonnell added.

The police chief said he worries that aggressive enforcement tactics could discourage residents from contacting police when they need assistance, though he acknowledged there has been no documented decline in calls for service.

In an appearance on “Good Day Los Angeles,” McDonnell emphasized that the LAPD does not cooperate with federal law enforcement agencies on immigration matters.

“We’ve been solid on that since 1979. That’s been our policy,” he said.

“That’s worked for us. We cannot afford to alienate immigrant communities within Los Angeles,” McDonnell continued.

“We’ve built up trust over many years, and we can’t afford to lose that trust,” he said.

“We’ve tried to be as clear as we can about what our position is relative to ICE and immigration enforcement. We don’t work with ICE on that,” McDonnell added.

The mask ban has also drawn sharp criticism from the Department of Homeland Security. Tricia McLaughlin, a DHS spokesperson, said the law violates the Constitution.

“At a time that ICE law enforcement faces a 1,000% increase in assaults and their family members are being doxxed and targeted, the sitting Governor of California signed unconstitutional legislation that strips law enforcement of protections in a disgusting, diabolical fundraising and PR stunt,” McLaughlin said in a statement issued last fall when the bill was signed.

California has since agreed not to implement the law while a lawsuit brought by the Trump administration proceeds through the courts.

{Matzav.com}

JERUSALEM (VINnews) — Large teams of volunteers and medics were alerted  on Wednesday morning to a charedi family’s home in the Shmuel HaNavi neighborhood of Jerusalem following a report of a baby who did not wake from sleep.

Emergency personnel performed resuscitation efforts on the toddler in an attempt to save his life. He was evacuated to the hospital in critical condition.

United Hatzalah stated: “United Hatzalah medical teams are currently performing resuscitation on a one-year-old baby who lost consciousness at his home (did not wake from sleep) in the Shmuel HaNavi neighborhood of Jerusalem. At this stage, his condition is defined as critical.”

United Hatzalah medics Yechiel Stern and Ariel Drei said: “We were told that the toddler did not wake from his sleep after having contracted measles several days ago. We performed resuscitation efforts and he was then evacuated to Hadassah Mount Scopus Hospital in critical condition while resuscitation efforts continued. United Hatzalah psychotrauma teams operated at the scene due to the nature of the incident.”

The hospital later reported that the baby had passed away, but did not verify yet that the cause was measles.

Since the beginning of the outbreak, 13 other deaths from measles have been reported, all among children. According to official data, 10 of the cases were recorded in Jerusalem, one case in Beit Shemesh, and two in Tiberias.

The main centers of the current measles outbreak are: Jerusalem, Beit Shemesh, Bnei Brak, Modi’in Illit, Nof HaGalil, Kiryat Gat, Netivot, the Mateh Binyamin Regional Council, Beitar Illit, Tiberias, Safed, and Petah Tikva. Lod and Hatzor HaGlilit have also recently been added to the list of red (high-risk) cities.

Following the death of a one-year-old toddler, apparently from measles, Prof. Ilan Dalal, Chair of the Israel Pediatric Association and head of the Pediatrics Division at Wolfson Medical Center, said:

“Measles is not a ‘mild childhood illness,’ but the most contagious disease in the world, which can be fatal. Today’s tragic case is a painful and chilling reminder of the importance of vaccinations even in 2026. Fourteen deaths in Israel this past winter, more than in any other Western country, should concern us all.”

President Donald Trump briefly contemplated stepping away from diplomatic talks with Iran after a series of confrontations in the Persian Gulf that U.S. officials characterized as “aggressive,” according to a report published Tuesday by The Wall Street Journal citing senior American officials.

Despite the tensions, the discussions planned for later this week are still expected to move forward. The report did not specify what factors ultimately led Trump to allow the negotiations to continue.

Among the incidents cited was an episode in which Iran launched a drone that was intercepted and destroyed by a U.S. Navy fighter jet as it neared the aircraft carrier USS Abraham Lincoln in the Arabian Sea.

That encounter took place just hours after Iranian forces allegedly harassed a U.S.-flagged merchant ship crewed by Americans as it transited the Strait of Hormuz.

According to the report, the drone involved was a Shahed-139, which was downed by an F-35C fighter launched from the Lincoln while the carrier was operating roughly 500 miles off Iran’s southern coastline. No U.S. service members were injured, and American military hardware was not damaged.

Even with those developments, White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said the administration still intends to proceed with talks between special envoy Steve Witkoff and Iranian representatives. “President Trump is always wanting to pursue diplomacy first, but obviously it takes two to tango,” she said. “As always, though, of course, the president has a range of options on the table with respect to Iran.”

Trump also addressed the matter directly on Tuesday, confirming that negotiations with Iran are underway while declining to disclose the location of the talks.

“They are negotiating. They’d like to do something, and we’ll see if something is going to be done,” Trump said.

Reflecting on earlier dealings with Tehran, he added, “They had a chance to do something a while ago, and it didn’t work out. And we did Midnight Hammer. I don’t think they want that happening again,” referring to U.S. strikes on Iran’s nuclear facilities last June. “But they would like to negotiate. We are negotiating with them right now, yes.”

When pressed on where the upcoming meeting would take place, Trump responded simply, “I can’t tell you that.”

{Matzav.com}

The State Attorney’s Office filed indictments in the Be’er Sheva District Court on Wednesday against 12 defendants accused of participating in a “systematic and sophisticated” smuggling operation that brought goods into Gaza for profit.

A hearing regarding the Shin Bet chief’s brother, Betzalel Zini, will take place on Thursday, at which time an indictment against him will also be filed.

According to the indictment, the suspects acted with full awareness that the prohibited goods could reach Hamas and its terrorists and that their actions were likely to aid the organization in its conflict with Israel by strengthening its financial and logistical capacity. As a result, they were charged with aiding the enemy during wartime.

The smuggled goods included cigarette cartons, iPhones, car batteries, communication cables, vehicle parts, and other items worth millions of shekels.

The twelve defendants include Eliran and Avi Elgarbli, Amad al-Din Abu Mukh, Ofer Sankar, Yosef Yohananov, Yuri Yakubov, Menachem Abutbul, Nadav Halfon, Meir Levy, Oshri Dahan, Yaron (Beni) Peretz, Atar Even, and the company Anona, owned by Avi and Yaron.

The prosecution claims that the group, some of them reserve soldiers, exploited weak points in Gaza border crossings and the ongoing military activity in the area to smuggle goods while disguising their actions as legitimate military operations. The goods were collected, repackaged, and loaded under the guise of official IDF convoys, using military uniforms and documents to conceal the true purpose of their entry.

In one case, it is alleged that Menachem offered bribes to Betzalel Zini and Aviel Ben-David—reservists with clearance to escort military convoys into Gaza—asking them to transfer the contraband for a share of the profits. Menahem reportedly gave Zini a carton of cigarettes, after which Zini and Ben-David smuggled the goods into Gaza and received fifteen thousand shekels each in exchange.

The Shin Bet issued a statement in response, saying: “We emphasize that during the war, and even more so since the beginning of the ceasefire, Hamas and the terrorist organizations have been working to rehabilitate and rebuild their military and civilian systems and to strengthen Hamas’s governance in the Gaza Strip. This includes restoring damaged military infrastructure, recruiting and training operatives, renewing logistical activity, and rehabilitating command-and-control systems in the Strip.

“Smuggling constitutes a significant threat to the security of the State of Israel, as it contributes to Hamas’s survival and governance as a result of the economic profits from goods brought into the Strip. It supports Hamas’s military buildup, force development, and the restoration of military capabilities through the smuggling of goods that support production systems, as well as the smuggling of means, capabilities, and technological equipment—and even the potential smuggling of weapons. It also poses a threat stemming from the possibility that smuggling routes could be used as a platform for advancing offensive military activity into Israel and against our forces operating in the Gaza Strip.”

It should be noted that the IDF itself provides massive amounts of aid to Gaza, with a massive volume of humanitarian aid trucks entering the Gaza Strip over the past three months, four times the UN requirements for Gaza’s population.

(YWN Israel Desk—Jerusalem)

By Rabbi Yair Hoffman

After much of the Torah world having recited Tehillim, Rav Elyakim Schlesinger zt”l passed away this morning at the age of 104. Baruch Dayan HaEmes.

Rav Schlesinger was born in Vienna when the embers of the Austro-Hungarian Empire were still warm, and he was niftar in London having lived through an era that saw the destruction and rebuilding of Torah on the European continent. HaRav Elyakim Schlesinger zt”l was perhaps the last living human bridge connecting the Torah world of prewar Europe with the flourishing world of Torah that we know today. His petirah marks not merely the loss of a great Rosh Yeshiva and posek—it is the closing of an extraordinary chapter in the mesorah of Klal Yisroel.

When we think about what it means to live for over a century, we sometimes focus on longevity itself. But Rav Schlesinger’s 104 years were not simply about length of days. Every decade of his life was marked by a distinct and towering mission—absorbing Torah from the prewar Gedolim, rebuilding Torah in postwar Europe, and fiercely guarding the mesorah for future generations. He was a man who could speak with first-hand knowledge of the Chazon Ish and the Brisker Rov, and yet who in recent years led the charge against the British government’s attempts to impose secular curricula on chareidi schools. The scope of his life defies easy categorization.

A Viennese Cradle of Greatness

Rav Elyakim Schlesinger was born on 22 Cheshvan 5682 (November 23, 1921) in Vienna, Austria, to Rav Dovid Schlesinger and his wife Baila. The Schlesinger home was no ordinary household. His grandfather was none other than Moreinu Yaakov Rosenheim, one of the founders and longtime president of the World Agudath Israel movement—the man who had helped unite Orthodox Jewry across national boundaries into a cohesive force.

Rav Schlesinger thus grew up in a home that was literally a bais vaad lachachamim—a meeting place for the greatest Roshei Yeshiva, Rabbonim, and Admorim who frequented Vienna. The luminaries of European Jewry walked through the Schlesinger-Rosenheim home, and the young boy absorbed it all.

In 1931, with Europe’s political skies darkening, the family relocated to Eretz Yisroel and settled in Tel Aviv. The young Elyakim was just ten years old, yet he had already been steeped in the traditions and bearing of authentic European Yiddishkeit. The family’s move was prescient—just a few years later, the world they had left behind would be consumed in flames.

Learning at the Feet of Giants

In Eretz Yisroel, the foundations of Rav Schlesinger’s lifelong avodas haTorah were set in place. He came under the guidance of Rav Yosef Tzvi Dushinsky zt”l, the great Rav of Yerushalayim and head of the Eidah HaChareidis. Under Rav Dushinsky, the young talmid absorbed the derech of authentic Yerushalmi Torah—a world of uncompromising yiras Shamayim blended with brilliant lomdus. was a prized talmid of the Shevet Sofer (a grandson of the Chasam Sofer) in the Pressburger Yeshiva and later served as Rav of Galanta, Slovakia, and then of Chust, where he founded a major yeshiva that became one of the leading Torah institutions in Hungary. In 1933, following the petirah of Rav Yosef Chaim Sonnenfeld, Rav Dushinsky was invited to succeed him as Ga’avad of the Eidah HaChareidis in Yerushalayim. He immigrated to Eretz Yisroel together with twenty-five talmidim, founded Yeshivas Beis Yosef Tzvi, and established a community of Hungarian Jews in Yerushalayim. He was renowned both as a brilliant posek and as a fierce guardian of authentic Yiddishkeit, waging battles against the Reform and Neologue movements in Hungary and later standing as an uncompromising voice for Torah independence in Eretz Yisroel. His love for his talmidim was legendary, and in the aftermath of the Churban, he devoted himself to rescuing young survivors from spiritual decline. He was niftar on Erev Sukkos 5709 (1948). His Torah writings were later published in the Toras Maharitz series, and the community he founded developed into the Dushinsky Chassidic dynasty, led today by his grandson and namesake.

A beautiful detail that speaks volumes about the Schlesinger family’s character: When young Elyakim arrived to learn under Rav Dushinsky, the Rav told him, “You will see here different minhagim and behavior from what you have seen in your father’s house. However, I want you to conduct yourself the way you have been used to and have been taught by your father.” The family’s adherence to the traditions of Chassidei Ashkenaz—their ancestral mesorah—was so well-known that even Rav Dushinsky himself honored it.

He subsequently learned in Yeshivas Kaminetz and at Yeshivas Lomza in Petach Tikvah—one of the few yeshivos at the time that accepted bachurim from chutz la’aretz. During this period he became known for his crystal-clear havana, his yiras Shamayim, and his unwavering fealty to mesorah.

His uncle, Rav Yechiel Michel Schlesinger, was the Rosh Yeshiva and founder of the famous Yeshivas Kol Torah in Yerushalayim. Torah greatness was, quite literally, in the family’s blood.

Two Towering Relationships: The Chazon Ish and the Brisker Rov

Perhaps the most remarkable dimension of Rav Schlesinger’s early years was his intimate closeness with two of the greatest Gedolei Yisroel of the twentieth century: the Chazon Ish and the Brisker Rov.

While learning in Petach Tikvah, the young Schlesinger would visit Bnei Brak frequently, and it was through these visits that he developed a deep and close relationship with the Chazon Ish, Rav Avraham Yeshaya Karelitz zt”l. This was not a casual acquaintance—it was a bond of genuine closeness. After his marriage, when Rav Schlesinger moved to Yerushalayim and found himself geographically distant from Bnei Brak, he actually complained to the Chazon Ish that he was living too far from him. The Chazon Ish’s response was telling: “Go to the Brisker Rov.”

But the Brisker Rov, Rav Yitzchok Zev Soloveitchik zt”l, was not easily accessible. Rav Schlesinger visited several times and was, as his son later related, “completely ignored.” When he went back to the Chazon Ish to complain, the Chazon Ish told him he had to akshan zich—to be dogged and persistent, and not give up.

The breakthrough came through a Torah insight. Rav Schlesinger’s uncle, Rav Michel Schlesinger, the founder of Kol Torah, was gravely ill. Rav Elyakim had been learning with one of Rav Michel’s sons for his bar mitzvah and had taught the boy a pshetl—a Torah insight. He was then asked to take the boy to the Brisker Rov for a bracha. The Brisker Rov held Rav Michel in high esteem, so they were admitted. The boy delivered the pshetl, and after they left, one of the Brisker Rov’s sons came running out: “My father is calling you.”

Rav Schlesinger later said he was terrified—he had no idea what the Brisker Rov wanted from him. The moment he walked in, the Brisker Rov asked, “Who wrote this pshetl?” Rav Schlesinger admitted it was his own work. The Brisker Rov told him to sit down. From that moment on, a deep and enduring closeness was forged. As his son later observed, “A good vort was always the way to get to the Brisker Rov.”

These were not mere biographical details. These relationships would shape the entire trajectory of Rav Schlesinger’s life and define his approach to Torah, mesorah, and communal leadership for the next seven decades.

Rav Schlesinger married his wife, Dina Yehudis, the daughter of Rav Moshe Blau zt”l—one of the great leaders of Agudath Israel in Eretz Yisroel and a central figure in the Old Yishuv of Yerushalayim. The shidduch united two of the most prominent families in the Orthodox world: the Rosenheim-Schlesinger dynasty and the Blau family, pillars of principled Torah leadership.

Following the petirah of his father-in-law, Rav Schlesinger was appointed Rosh Yeshiva of Yeshivas Pnei Moshe in Yerushalayim, a mosad established in Rav Moshe Blau’s memory. Even at that young age, his sense of achrayus—communal responsibility—extended far beyond his immediate surroundings. Rebbetzin Schlesinger would be his devoted partner for seventy-four years, until her petirah in 2019.

A Call from the Brisker Rov: Returning to Rebuild Europe

The defining moment of Rav Schlesinger’s life came when the Brisker Rov gave him an extraordinary charge: return to Europe and rebuild Torah life on the continent.

One must pause to appreciate the magnitude of this request. Europe in the late 1940s was a continent of ashes. The great yeshivos had been destroyed. The kehillos had been decimated. The infrastructure of a thousand years of Torah life lay in ruins. And here was a young Rosh Yeshiva in Yerushalayim, married into a distinguished family, with a promising future in Eretz Yisroel—being asked to leave it all behind and venture back into the continent of destruction.

But when the Brisker Rov speaks, one listens.

Rav Schlesinger first traveled to Kapellen, Belgium, where he served as Rosh Yeshiva for two years, strengthening a fragile postwar kehilla that was struggling to find its footing. He then moved to London, England, where approximately in 1947 he would establish his life’s great Torah institution: Yeshivas Harama.

Yeshivas Harama: A Pillar of Torah in England

The name “Harama” was not chosen lightly. It reflected Rav Schlesinger’s deep reverence for the dynasty of the Chasam Sofer—specifically his son, the Kesav Sofer, and later the Daas Sofer, who had been among Rav Schlesinger’s own rabbeim. The name thus carried within it the weight of an entire mesorah, an unbroken chain stretching from Pressburg to London.

Over the ensuing decades, Yeshivas Harama became one of the pillars of serious lomdus in England. Rav Schlesinger continued to deliver shiurim to its talmidim for an astonishing span of time—well into his advanced years. The yeshiva produced generations of talmidei chachamim and bnei Torah who would go on to shape communities across England, Eretz Yisroel, and beyond.

His impact went far beyond the walls of the yeshiva. Rav Schlesinger became one of the most influential and respected Gedolei Torah in England’s frum community, widely sought after for hadracha on hashkafic and communal matters alike. He was, in many ways, the spiritual compass of London’s chareidi world.

A Prolific Mechaber: The Beis Av and Beyond

Rav Schlesinger was also a prolific author whose seforim reflect extraordinary breadth and depth. His magnum opus, the multi-volume Beis Av, spans Shas, halacha, machshavah, and drush, and is characterized by his trademark clarity of thought. The sefer has become a respected source cited by talmidei chachamim across the Torah world.

He also authored a Haggadah shel Pesach and additional seforim, all marked by the same quality of incisive analysis and faithfulness to the mesorah of his rabbeim.

Perhaps most precious of all was his sefer Hador Vehatekufah (“The Generation and the Era”), in which he recorded his personal recollections and insights from the great Torah leaders he had known intimately—the Chazon Ish, the Brisker Rov, and others. This sefer stands as an invaluable historical and Torah record, a first-hand window into the Torah leadership of a generation that has now passed entirely from this world.

Protecting Jewish Cemeteries Across Europe

There is a dimension of Rav Schlesinger’s legacy that is not sufficiently known, and it deserves far greater recognition. For decades, he served as President, Chairman, and Head of the Rabbinical Board of the Committee for the Preservation of Jewish Cemeteries in Europe (CPJCE). In this capacity, he became the international address for the protection of Jewish graves across the European continent.

In a memorandum he authored explaining the halachic basis for this sacred work, Rav Schlesinger wrote: “The connection between the soul and the human body after death is an essential aspect of our belief in the eternity of the soul. The soul suffers when a grave is disturbed or even when disrespect is shown to what appear to us to be merely dry bones.”

Rav Schlesinger invested enormous personal energy into safeguarding cemeteries from desecration, working with governments and diplomats across Europe, earning the respect and admiration of governmental leaders from Romania to Lithuania to Poland. He supervised restoration projects, guided halachic decision-making on sensitive questions of kavod hameis, and ensured that the resting places of our ancestors—from small-town shtetl cemeteries to major communal burial grounds—were treated with the dignity demanded by Torah law.

A Champion of Torah Education’s Autonomy

In the final years of his life, Rav Schlesinger emerged as one of the most vocal and courageous defenders of Torah education’s autonomy in the United Kingdom. As the British government’s Department of Education and its regulator, Ofsted, intensified pressure on chareidi mosdos to conform to secular educational mandates—including curriculum requirements that contradicted fundamental principles of emunah—Rav Schlesinger stood firm.

He served as President of the Rabbinical Committee of Traditional Charedi Education and instructed heads of institutions to demonstrate mesiras nefesh in resisting government interference with Torah chinuch. In 2019, at the remarkable age of 97, he personally led a delegation of senior rabbanim to the Houses of Parliament in Westminster to meet with government ministers about the crisis facing chareidi education. In 2022, at the age of 100, he wrote directly to the newly appointed Education Secretary, calling on her to scrap the proposed Schools Bill that he said would fundamentally undermine religious freedom.

His positions were firm and uncompromising. As he wrote in his letter, the United Kingdom had long prided itself on allowing people of all faiths to live in harmony according to their religious principles—but the proposed legislation threatened to overturn that great tradition. A centenarian fighting for the future of Jewish children’s chinuch: if that does not inspire, nothing will.

The Last Bridge to a Vanished World

What made Rav Schlesinger truly irreplaceable was not any single achievement, remarkable as each one was. It was the totality of what he represented: a living, breathing link to a vanished world.

He had sat in the presence of the Chazon Ish. He had earned the respect of the Brisker Rov through a brilliant Torah insight. He had grown up in the home of Yaakov Rosenheim, the architect of Agudath Israel. He had learned under Rav Yosef Tzvi Dushinsky, the Rav of Yerushalayim. He carried within him the mesorah of the Chasam Sofer’s dynasty through the Kesav Sofer and the Daas Sofer.

All of this he transmitted—through his shiurim, his seforim, his personal example, and his communal leadership—to generations of talmidim who never knew that prewar world firsthand. He was, in the deepest sense, a nosein Torah—not merely a teacher of Torah, but a transmitter of an entire world.

The Gemara (Moed Katan 25b) states that the petirah of a tzaddik is compared to the burning of a Sefer Torah. When Rav Schlesinger was niftar, it was not merely one Sefer Torah that was consumed—it was an entire library of living memory, a treasury of first-hand encounters with Gedolei Yisroel whose very names inspire us to greater avodas Hashem.

Lessons for Our Generation

Rav Schlesinger’s life teaches us several enduring lessons.

First, the power of mesiras nefesh for mesorah. When the Brisker Rov asked him to leave Yerushalayim and return to the continent of destruction, he went. He did not calculate personal comfort or career advancement. He went because the mesorah needed him there.

Second, the value of persistence in building relationships with Gedolim. The Chazon Ish told him to akshan zich—to persist in seeking closeness with the Brisker Rov. That persistence bore fruit that lasted a lifetime and shaped an entire community.

Third, the sacred obligation to protect the honor of the dead. In an age when Jewish cemeteries across Europe were being neglected, desecrated, or paved over, Rav Schlesinger made their protection a central mission of his life. This is a dimension of chesed shel emes—true, selfless kindness—that is too often overlooked.

Fourth, the imperative to fight for the autonomy of Torah chinuch, no matter the cost. At an age when most people have long retired from public life, Rav Schlesinger was leading delegations to Parliament and writing letters to government ministers. The chinuch of Jewish children was not something he was willing to compromise on—ever.

And finally, the importance of recording and transmitting the wisdom of the great Torah leaders one has been privileged to know. Rav Schlesinger’s Hador Vehatekufah ensured that the words, the mannerisms, and the Torah of the Chazon Ish and the Brisker Rov would not be lost. Every person who has a relationship with a gadol has an obligation to record what they have seen and heard for the benefit of future generations.

Yehi Zichro Baruch

HaRav Elyakim Schlesinger zt”l was a talmid of prewar Europe, a builder of postwar Torah, a guardian of mesorah, a protector of the dead, and a champion of the living. He lived for 104 years, and every one of those years was filled with avodas Hashem, ahavas Torah, and dedication to Klal Yisroel.

He is survived by his sons, including Rav Yeshaya Schlesinger, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren who carry forward the mesorah he embodied. May the study of his Torah, the reading of his seforim, and the continuation of his life’s work serve as an aliyah for his neshamah.

With his petirah, the bridge across a century has been folded. But the Torah he transmitted, the talmidim he shaped, and the mesorah he guarded so fiercely—these will endure forever.

The author can be reached at [email protected]

WATCH:

In an unprecedented move, the Supreme Court issued a conditional order on Wednesday morning to Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu to explain why he hasn’t dismissed National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir from his position.

The order was issued in response to four petitions from left-wing organizations challenging Ben Gvir’s continued tenure, which claim that he improperly interfered with police operations, including in appointment procedures and ongoing investigations.

Attorney General Gali Baharav-Miara supported the petitioners’ request for the issuance of a conditional order.

In an unusual move, the Supreme Court also decided to expand the panel hearing the petitions seeking Ben Gvir’s removal, which will now include nine justices — almost the full bench of the current Supreme Court.

Minister Ben Gvir responded to the Supreme Court’s decision, saying, “You have no authority. There will be no coup.”

Last Thursday, Ben Gvir submitted a request to the court, in which he demanded that it refrain from issuing a conditional order without first holding a hearing, arguing that the petitions lack any legal basis and that the court has no authority to compel a prime minister to dismiss a serving minister, especially in the absence of an indictment or a deficiency in the minister’s eligibility for the office.

He further argued that ordering the dismissal of a serving minister would set a dangerous and exceptional precedent, one that does not exist in recognized democracies, and that such a move would severely harm representative democracy and the sovereignty of the electorate.

The request submitted on Ben-Gvir’s behalf by his attorney, David Peter, emphasized that a comprehensive and detailed preliminary response had been provided on behalf of the minister, addressing every claim and even exposing serious misrepresentations by the Attorney General’s Office.

“Given the absence of any legal, factual, or jurisdictional basis, the court is asked to dismiss the petitions outright and refrain from considering the issuance of a conditional order,” the request stated. “Any attempt to issue such an order without a hearing would amount to an unprecedented legal ambush.”

The Attorney General, supported by left-wing organizations, has engaged in numerous efforts to remove Ben-Gvir from his position. When Ben-Gvir announced in March 2025 that his Otzma Yehudit party is returning to the government following the resumption of the war in Gaza, Baharav-Miara immediately announced that it is “illegal” for him to do so. Following her announcement, left-wing organizations filed petitions with the Supreme Court against his return to the government. However, after Baharav-Miara understood that the Supreme Court would not align with her position, she agreed to represent Ben-Gvir against the petitions at the Supreme Court in exchange for a limited reduction of his authority in his role.

At the time, Ben-Gvir’s associates said, “The Attorney General and the Supreme Court are acting against Ben-Gvir in a way that they have not acted against any other minister.”

Previously, Baharav-Miara tried to fabricate a criminal case against Ben-Gvir, and former Shin Bet chief Ronen Bar launched a secret probe against his office. Additionally, State Attorney Amit Aisman asked Baharav-Miara to launch a criminal investigation against Ben-Gvir for “inciting violence” against the residents of Gaza.

(YWN Israel Desk—Jerusalem)

National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir made a dramatic decision on Wednesday to ban the continued use by police of water cannons that spray foul-smelling liquid (“skunk spray”), tear gas, or dye—despite explicit requests from senior police officials and opposition from the Attorney General.

The move came after the minister learned that the police have been using the tool selectively, with the overwhelming majority of use targeting Chareidi protestors and settlers, while police refrained from using it at other protests.

Over the past 24 hours, ahead of a discussion in the Knesset’s National Security Committee on discontinuing the use of skunk spray, senior police officers exerted heavy pressure on Ben Gvir’s office and on committee chairman MK Tzvika Fogel, urging them to continue authorizing the use of the method. Despite these efforts, Ben Gvir refused to change his stance, saying he would not endorse a tool that has become “a means of punishment against specific sectors.” He added that while he has equipped the police with many tools to combat crime and terrorism, he will not tolerate discriminatory enforcement.

Sources in Minister Ben Gvir’s office said, “With all the minister’s appreciation for the police, the minister is drawing a red line against selective enforcement. They added that the minister will not permit the use of invasive and harmful tools such as skunk liquid and gas as long as data shows they are used primarily against the Chareidi community and residents of Yehuda and Shomron.

It is important to note that water cannons have not been banned, and their use with clean water remains permitted. The law solely prohibits the use of skunk spray, tear gas, and dye through water cannons for crowd-dispersal purposes.

As YWN reported on Tuesday, after years of public criticism and petitions to the Supreme Court of Israel, Israel Police have begun testing a new method for dispersing protests: water cannons using water mixed with pepper spray, instead of the controversial “skunk” spray.

(YWN Israel Desk—Jerusalem)

by Rabbi Yair Hoffman

Please help stop the “Woke Cure” that offers death to the depressed, the disabled, the elderly, and the lonely, treating the extinguishing of a human soul as just another medical “option” on a menu of treatments.

A truly compassionate society does not hand a poisoned cup to one crying out in pain. It sits at the bedside. It invests in palliative care. It fights for better mental health treatment. It lovingly tells the patient with every fiber of its collective will, “Y_our life matters too much for us to help you end it.”_

The so-called “final cure” is no cure at all — it is a final failure of morality. It is WOKE.

Psak Halacha – This was published 12 years ago, and applies even more nowadays

Regarding attempts to pass “Death with Dignity” legislation:

The chiyuv (Torah injunction) of “Lo sa’amod al dam re’echa”, obligates everyone to do what he or she can, to help prevent assisted suicide and/or euthanasia.

Allowing the legalization of “assisted suicide”, even if this particular law in practice would only result in assisting a suicide and not euthanasia, is to allow shefichas-domim (bloodshed). Furthermore even rendering such actions not being subject to prosecution, is allowing shefichas-domim (bloodshed), al achas kama vekama (how much more so), in cases of assisted suicide leading to euthanasia.

Voting on the basis of this issue. This obligation would include:

1)  Thus, when voting for any public official, this issue must be considered as top priority, certainly overriding financial considerations, government programs, etc. By voting for people who support these laws, we become accountable for their actions. This ruling would still apply even if these laws were to be passed, we would still be forbidden to vote for legislators who voted for these laws. This is the most important way to fulfill our obligation.

2)  Urging one’s legislators to vote against these bills, if and when they arise[1] and to urge the governor to veto such bill, were it to pass the legislature.

3)  Helping in efforts to repeal such laws, in areas[2] where such legislation was already passed.

Even a few votes can make a major difference, both by legislators and the public—sometimes the vote of a single legislator can decide the fate of these laws—as is evidenced by the recent vote in the New Jersey State Assembly (in November 2014), where an assisted suicide bill was passed by just one vote. We have seen in several recent races in Jewish neighborhoods, that even a handful of votes can make the difference in the outcome of the election[3]. Furthermore, some legislators keep track of the calls that are made to their offices on particular controversial issues, and vote according to their results.

May the Creator of all life grace us with the merit to save innocent lives, fulfilling our role as an or legoyim (light unto the nations). In that merit, may we help usher in the Final Redemption by Moshiach Tzidkeinu.

Rabbonim are listed alphabetically.

Mordechai Chaim Auerbach

Monsey

Boruch Hirschfeld

Ahavas Yisroel, Cleveland

Avrohom Reich

Hatzolas Yisroel

Eliyahu Ben-Haim

RIETS/Kehillah Yotzei Mashad

Zalman Leib Hollander

Khal Nachlas Moshe, Spring Valley, NY

Dovid Ribiat

mechaber “The 39 Melochos”

Haim Benoliel

Bnai Yosef/Mikdash Melech

Shmuel Kamenetsky

Talmudical Academy of Philadelphia

Yosef Yitzchok Rosenfeld

Monsey Dometz

Gad Bouskila

Netivot Israel

Yosef Meir Kantor

Cong. Agudath Israel of Monsey

Chaim Schabes

Knesses Yisroel

Yitzchok M. Braun

Shaaray Zion

Elya Nota Katz

Stamford Yeshiva

Dovid Schustal

Bais Medrash Govoha, Lakewood

Shlomo Breslauer

Bais Tefiloh

Eliezer Langer

Cong. Israel, Poughkeepsie, NY

Yaakov Shulman

Talmud Torah of Flatbush

Eliyahu Brog

Bais Yisroel

Yeshaye Gedalye Kaufman

Hisachdus Moetz, Kruleh Dometz

Moshe Silberberg

Shuvu/mechaber “Zichron Tzvi Meir”

Simcha Bunim Cohen

Khal Ateres Yeshaya

Amram Klein

Ungvar

Moshe Soloveitchik

Chicago

Yitzchok Cohen

Yeshiva University RIETS

Shloime Ben Zion Kokis

Zichron Mordechai

Yitzchok Sorotzkin

Mesivta of Lakewood

Moshe Donnebaum

Hechel Hatorah/Adas Yisroel/Melbourne

Grainom Lazewnik

Khal Adar Gbir

Tzvi Steinberg

Kahal Zera Avraham, Denver

Michoel Elias

Kehilas Yisroel, Spring Valley

Philip Lefkowitz

Jackson, NJ; mult. congregations in US, UK & Canada

Shlomo Stern

Debreciner Rov

Eytan Feiner

Kneseth Israel, (The White Shul) Far Rockaway

Moshe Tuvia Lieff

Agudath Israel Bais Binyomin

Elazar Mayer Teitz

Chief Rabbi of Elizabeth, NJ

Menachem Fisher

Vien Monsey

Shmuel Miller

Yeshiva Bais Yisroel

Elya Ber Wachtfogel

Yeshiva of South Fallsburg

Noson Yermia Goldstein

mechaber of “Migdalos Noson”

Avrohom Yaakov Nelkenbaum

Mirrer Yeshiva

Boruch Hersh Waldman

Siach Yitzchok, Suffern

Avrohom Gordimer

Coalition for Jewish Values

Yechiel Perr

Yeshiva of Far Rockaway

Moshe Weissman

Ohel Moshe

Shmuel Gorelick

Mesivta Ohel Torah

Steven Pruzansky

Bnai Yeshurun, Teaneck

Benjamin Yudin

Shomrei Torah, Fair Lawn, NJ

Moshe Green

Yeshivah D’Monsey

Aaron Rakeffet-Rothkoff

YU Gruss Kollel

Yeruchum Zeilberger

Stamford Yeshiva

Yisroel Dovid Harfenes

Yisroel Vehazmanim

Gavriel Zinner

Nitei Gavriel

Institutions are listed for identification purposes only.

[1] as is currently in New Jersey   [2] such as Washington state and Oregon

[3] most noticeably (demonstrated) in the Senate election between David Storobin and Lew Fidler, where Storobin won by less than 20 votes.

Sponsored by Jews for Torah Values  [email protected]

By Rabbi Yair Hoffman

The funeral was an event of extraordinary magnitude. It was conducted as an official state ceremony, attended by Turkish military officers, government officials, and representatives of foreign nations whose consulates lined the waterfront. Ottoman authorities provided an entire battalion of troops to escort the cortege—an honor extended to only two or three chief rabbis in the entire history of the empire.

 Members of his community walked alongside the bier carrying his seforim and lit candles – all in front of the military generals and government officials.

Who was this extraordinary man, and where did he come from?

But first, a quick explanation of a Psak that Rav Palagi gave that the Poskim have not understood.  Rav Palagi ruled that a sukkah may not be erected by a gentile.  This has shocked Poskim because the Gemorah tells us that a Sukkas GaNBach is permitted, and this is the final ruling of the Shulchan Aruch!  The answer, this author believes, is simple.  The Chacham bashi lived in Izmir where many of the residents had gentiles build Sukkos, and the gentiles were so acquainted with the Jewish community that they perceived it as a religious obligation. They were not building it for the purposes of shade – they were building it as a religious tool! The Sukkas Ganbach was when they built it for shade!

And now back to Rav Palagi the man.

In the annals of Torah scholarship, there are certain luminaries whose breadth of knowledge, depth of compassion, and sheer volume of literary output defy the imagination. Rabbi Chaim Palagi, the legendary Chacham Bashi of Izmir, stands as an extraordinary figure of the nineteenth century—a man who authored approximately eighty seforim, served as the supreme halachic authority of one of the Ottoman Empire’s most important Jewish communities, and championed the cause of the poor and downtrodden with a fierce and unrelenting passion.

Known by the acronyms HaChabif (or Moharchaf), he was described in his own time as a living Gaon—a 19th-century heir to the legacy of the great Babylonian academies.

His halachic responsa reached communities across the entire Jewish world—from Morocco and Egypt to France and Switzerland, from Poland and Russia to Iraq and Syria. His seforim have been reprinted for generations and remain a central reference in Sephardic and Ashkenazic scholarship alike. And yet, beyond the towering intellectual achievement, what emerges most powerfully from every account of his life is the extraordinary middos—the remarkable character traits—that animated everything he did. Here was a man who never sold a single one of his books, distributing each one freely at a seudas mitzvah. Here was a leader who, on his very deathbed, asked that the community not trouble itself to pray for his recovery, but rather hire poor men from the city to pray—thereby providing them with parnassah in his final hours.

The Jewel of the Aegean: Izmir and Its Jewish Community

To understand the world of Rabbi Chaim Palagi and where he came from, one must first understand the city that produced him. Izmir—known to the Western world as Smyrna—sits on the eastern shore of the Aegean Sea, nestled at the head of a deep natural gulf along the coast of western Anatolia. For centuries, its magnificent harbor made it one of the great commercial crossroads of the Mediterranean, linking the vast interior of Asia Minor to the trade routes that connected Europe, North Africa, and the Levant.

By the time of Rav Palagi’s birth in the late eighteenth century, Izmir had grown into the Ottoman Empire’s most important port city after Constantinople itself, a teeming metropolis where Turkish, Greek, Armenian, and Jewish merchants traded alongside one another in the bustling bazaars of the Kemeraltı district.

The Jewish presence in this Aegean port stretched back to antiquity—inscriptions from the second and third centuries attest to a Jewish community in Roman-era Smyrna. But it was the great waves of Sephardic immigration following the Spanish expulsion of 1492 and the Portuguese expulsion of 1497 that truly transformed the city’s Jewish landscape.

Thousands of exiled Jews, carrying with them the traditions of medieval Iberian Jewry, settled across the Ottoman Empire, and Izmir gradually became one of their most important centers. By the early seventeenth century, the port’s exploding commercial importance drew successive waves of Jewish settlers from Salonika, Constantinople, the Aegean islands, North Africa, and Italy. Congregations bearing the names of their places of origin—Etz Chaim, Portugal, Gerush—established shuls, schools, and batei din in the heart of the city’s Jewish quarter, known as the Juderia.

By the mid-nineteenth century, the Jewish community of Izmir numbered as many as forty thousand souls, making it the third-largest Jewish community in the Ottoman Empire, after Salonika and Constantinople. Under Ottoman law, Jews held the status of dhimmis—protected non-Muslim subjects who administered their own educational and judicial institutions and collected their own communal taxes in exchange for a special levy known as the jizya.

Izmir’s Jews flourished in commerce, manufacturing, and banking; they served as dragomans (translators) for European consulates and trading houses, and they exported figs, raisins, carpets, and licorice root to markets across the continent. It was the largest, wealthiest, and most intellectually vibrant Sephardic community in Asia Minor—and it was the community that Rav Chaim Palagi was born to lead.

Early Life and Illustrious Lineage

Rabbi Chaim Palagi was born on 19 Shevat 5547 (1788) to Rav Yaakov Palagi, himself a noted talmid chacham and mekubal, and his wife, Kali Kadin. The family name—Palagi (also rendered Palachi, Palaggi, or Falagi)—was part of the illustrious Pallache family, whose roots in the Sephardic rabbinical world ran deep. Their home stood in the densely packed Jewish quarter that hugged the slopes above Izmir’s busy waterfront, where Ottoman mosques, Greek churches, and lehavdil – Sephardic synagogues shared a single skyline.

His maternal grandfather was the towering Rav Yosef Raphael ben Chaim Chazan, author of the monumental Chikrei Lev, who served as the Rishon L’Tzion—the chief rabbi of the Sephardic community in Eretz Yisroel—in his later years. The young Chaim served his grandfather from his earliest youth, and it was this formative relationship that shaped both his character and his scholarship. Rav Yosef Raphael’s vast erudition and communal stature left an indelible impression on his grandson, influencing his halachic methodology, his communal orientation, and the prodigious literary output that would eventually number in the dozens of volumes.

Of his own childhood dedication, Rav Chaim later wrote: “I call heaven and earth as my witnesses that from the day of my earliest awareness until I reached the age of twenty, I was diligent in my studies day and night without any interruption whatsoever.” This was not empty rhetoric. T

he young prodigy began writing at the age of sixteen, and by the time he was seventeen he had already completed his first sefer, Pe’ulas Tzaddik L’Chaim, a commentary on Pirkei Avos—an astonishing achievement for a teenager growing up in the narrow alleyways of the Izmir Juderia.

Teachers and Semicha

Rav Chaim studied under several distinguished masters. Among his primary teachers were his grandfather Rav Yosef Raphael Chazan, Rav Yitzchak Mayo, Rav Pinchas Raphael Yehoshua di Sigura (known as the Pardes), and Rav Yitzchak Gatignio (Gategno), author of Beis Yitzchak. In 5567 (1807), at the age of nineteen, he married Estrola (Asterula), the daughter of Yitzchak Rabi. Six years later, in 5573 (1813), he received the exalted ordination of “HaChacham HaShalem” from his grandfather Rav Raphael Yosef and from Rav Chaim Yitzchak Algazi—a recognition that, even at twenty-five, he was already counted among the city’s most formidable Torah scholars.

Rise to Communal Leadership

In a remarkable display of respect, Rav Chaim refused to accept any public rabbinical position during his father’s lifetime. It was only in 5588 (1828), after Rav Yaakov’s passing, that he agreed to serve as a dayan in the Beis Din and as Rosh Yeshiva of the Beis Yaakov Rabi yeshiva in Izmir—the very institution where he had studied in his youth.

He also sat and learned in the Beis Hillel yeshiva, where he composed many of his seforim, and he taught in the Eitz HaChaim yeshiva, where his grandfather had also taught.

In 5597 (1837), Rav Chaim was appointed Av Beis Din of the Great Rabbinical Court of Izmir—a body of remarkable stature that comprised forty-five rabbanim. This role positioned him as the foremost halachic authority in a community that served as a hub for Jewish life across the entire Aegean region and beyond, with ties to Jewish communities in Salonika to the northwest, Rhodes and the Dodecanese islands to the south, Constantinople to the northeast, and the ancient Jewish settlements of the Anatolian interior.

Tragically, in 5598 (1838), his beloved wife Estrola passed away, leaving him bereft after three decades of marriage.

The Tanzimat Reforms and the Chacham Bashi

The decades of Rav Chaim’s ascendancy coincided with one of the most turbulent and transformative periods in Ottoman history. Beginning with the Edict of Gülhane in 1839, the Ottoman government embarked on a sweeping program of modernization known as the Tanzimat (“Reorganization”). Driven by reformist statesmen and promulgated under Sultan Abdülmecid I, the Tanzimat sought to reverse the empire’s decline by overhauling its legal, military, and administrative systems along European lines. For the empire’s non-Muslim minorities—Jews, Greeks, and Armenians—these reforms had far-reaching consequences. The traditional dhimmi status, which had afforded protected autonomy but also legal inferiority, began to shift. The landmark Hatt-ı Hümayun of 1856 declared all Ottoman citizens equal before the law regardless of creed, opening new avenues for Jews to participate in government and civic life while simultaneously prompting the Ottoman state to assert greater control over the internal affairs of minority communities.

It was within this rapidly changing political landscape that Rav Chaim reached the pinnacle of communal leadership. In 5615 (1855), he was elevated to the office of Chacham Bashi (Chief Rabbi) of Izmir—the highest rabbinical position in the city. A year later, his appointment was personally confirmed by Sultan Abdülmecid I through an official royal decree known as a “Nishan,” which granted him sweeping judicial and communal authority.

Under the Tanzimat framework, the Chacham Bashi was not merely a spiritual leader; he held government-sanctioned power to adjudicate civil disputes, enforce his rulings, and oversee the administration of the entire Jewish community. Rav Chaim now bore responsibility not only for the religious life of Izmir’s Jews but for their civic governance as well—all while navigating the crosscurrents of Ottoman reform, European commercial pressure, and the internal tensions of a community undergoing rapid social change.

Champion of the Poor and Downtrodden

Perhaps no aspect of Rav Chaim Palagi’s legacy resonates more powerfully than his tireless advocacy for the poor and vulnerable members of his community. He was a communal leader who marshaled his halachic authority in service of the oppressed.

The economic stratification of Izmir’s Jewish community had grown increasingly severe during the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries. While a class of prosperous merchants and Franco (European-protected) traders amassed fortunes through the port’s booming export trade in figs, raisins, carpets, and wool, a far larger population of artisans, peddlers, and laborers struggled to survive in the cramped quarters of the Juderia. The gap between rich and poor was a source of mounting communal tension, and Rav Chaim placed himself on the side of the disadvantaged.

He repeatedly and publicly rebuked the wealthy notables of the community for their treatment of the poor. In particular, he excoriated the practice by which the affluent evaded paying their fair share of communal taxes and instead dramatically increased the gabela—the tax on kosher meat—effectively shifting the entire burden onto the shoulders of those who could least afford it.

“This is not what Hashem desires,” he thundered. “Instead of tzedakah, there is outcry! There is no greater robbery and oppression than this!”

He enacted a takkanah requiring that a portion of the revenue from the meat tax be set aside for the poor and for those who toiled in Torah study. This bold redistribution brought him into bitter conflict with some of the community’s most powerful figures—but Rav Chaim did not waver.

He established charitable institutions and social welfare organizations throughout the city, and he labored personally to build a Jewish hospital in Izmir—an institution that would eventually serve patients of all faiths in the Karataş district. To fund this effort, he enlisted the financial support of international philanthropists including Baron Rothschild in Paris and Sir Moses Montefiore in London, with whom he maintained warm personal relationships.

He marshaled those same connections to help rescue the Jews of Damascus during the infamous Blood Libel of 1840, when members of the ancient Jewish community of Syria’s capital were falsely accused of ritual murder—a crisis that reverberated through Jewish communities from the Levant to Western Europe and galvanized international Jewish solidarity.

Middos

Despite the crushing demands of his schedule—as Av Beis Din, Chacham Bashi, Rosh Yeshiva, and prolific author—he made time for every person who came to him, regardless of their stature. He himself described the challenge: “From age forty, when I was appointed to be a rabbinical judge and teacher and to handle matters of concern to the public, until this day, there is not a minute when I am not surrounded by litigants or by public affairs. These matters come both from this city and its environs, and also various decrees of the government keep me busy with matters affecting the public.” And yet, he continued: “When a man or woman comes before me and speaks for a long time in order to pour out their sorrow… I don’t push them away, as I don’t want to embarrass them or make them feel that I don’t care about their pain.”

That poignant reference to “various decrees of the government” speaks to the unique pressures faced by the Chacham Bashi of a major Ottoman city during the Tanzimat era. As the empire’s reform agenda expanded, the Ottoman authorities increasingly involved communal religious leaders in civil administration, taxation disputes, and matters of public order. Rav Chaim was not merely a rav and a posek; he was, in effect, a government-recognized magistrate responsible for mediating between his community and the Ottoman state.

His son, Rav Avraham, painted a vivid portrait of his father’s character at home: “His behavior with his family and the excellence of his character traits in dealing with them was unique in the world. He never became upset about any household issue; to the contrary, he always made peace overtures. He never became upset at the children’s noise. He used to call them to him each morning to recite the morning brachos, and they prayed out loud. Very patiently, every day, he performed the mitzvah of ‘V’shinantam l’vanecha.’ He would instruct his children in yiras Shamayim… and never to make fun of any person. Once, a member of his household offended another person, and he did not rest until that person had been appeased. A number of times, he even gave money to a person who had been offended.”

Rav Chaim was also renowned for his extraordinary hachnasas orchim. He ruled that a host is permitted to deviate from the truth—to exaggerate or adjust details—in order to spare a guest from discomfort or embarrassment.

Pioneer of Jewish Education

Rav Chaim invested enormous energy and authority in improving the state of Jewish education in Izmir, with special attention to the children of the poor. His educational reforms unfolded against the backdrop of a larger struggle over the future of Jewish schooling in the Ottoman Empire. During the second half of the nineteenth century, the Alliance Israélite Universelle, based in Paris, was establishing French-language schools across the Sephardic diaspora, promoting a modernized, European-oriented curriculum that some traditional leaders viewed with alarm. Rav Chaim’s approach was different: he sought not to import a foreign model but to strengthen the existing communal framework from within, ensuring that every Jewish child—rich or poor—received a solid grounding in Torah, tefillah, and Hebrew literacy.

He instituted what might be described as a form of compulsory education: no father was permitted to remove his son from the Talmud Torah until the child had mastered, at minimum, the order of tefillah and the ability to read. Furthermore, he decreed that no artisan was permitted to employ a boy as an apprentice until inspectors—whom Rav Chaim personally appointed—certified that the child had completed his studies. Before his passing, he established a special oversight committee to supervise the city’s educational institutions.

He founded and supported multiple yeshivos where select avreichim studied without any tuition or fees, and he personally bore the financial burden of supporting the scholars and their families. In addition, he responded to hundreds of halachic inquiries that streamed into Izmir from across the globe—from Egypt, Libya, Morocco, Jerusalem, Tunisia, Holland, Germany, France, the Ottoman Empire, Russia, Iraq, Syria, Poland, and Switzerland. That such a diverse array of communities—spanning three continents, multiple languages, and vastly different cultural contexts—turned to a single rav and Posaik in an Aegean port city speaks volumes about the authority Rav Chaim commanded in the wider Torah world.

Concern for Public Health

Izmir in the nineteenth century was periodically ravaged by the diseases that afflicted all densely populated Mediterranean port cities—cholera, plague, and typhus swept through the crowded quarters at irregular intervals, and the great fire of 1841 that destroyed the Jewish neighborhood was only the most dramatic in a series of urban catastrophes. Against this backdrop, Rav Chaim Palagi displayed a striking awareness of public health concerns.

He publicly opposed the smoking of cigarettes—not only on Shabbos, where the prohibition was clear, but even during the week, on the grounds that smoking was harmful to health. This was a remarkable position for the mid-nineteenth century, when the medical dangers of tobacco were not yet widely recognized.

He also enacted various communal regulations designed to promote the welfare and health of Izmir’s residents, understanding that a rabbi’s responsibility extended not merely to spiritual matters but to the physical wellbeing of his flock.

The Obligation to Respond

One of Rav Chaim’s particularly illuminating teachings concerns the obligation to respond promptly to correspondence. In his Ginzei Chaim, he writes powerfully that failing to respond to a letter in a timely fashion is not merely a breach of common courtesy but an actual Torah violation. He explained that derech eretz—basic decency—requires an immediate response, and that forcing someone to wait anxiously for a reply can cause genuine anguish and even long-term health concerns. Not responding, he wrote, is cruel and a sign of arrogance, and Hashem will repay such behavior measure for measure.

His son Rav Avraham testified that his father always answered letters from even the simplest people. In this, Rav Chaim exemplified the principle that true gadlus encompasses not only intellectual brilliance but meticulous attention to interpersonal obligations.

A Staggering Literary Legacy

The sheer scope of Rav Chaim Palagi’s literary output is almost beyond comprehension. He authored approximately eighty seforim spanning the entire breadth of Torah scholarship: seven works on Tanach, nine on the Talmud, fifteen volumes of midrashim and derashos, numerous works of mussar, and twenty-four compositions on halacha, Kabbalah, and she’eilos u’teshuvos. He began writing at the age of sixteen and did not stop until the day before he died.

Among his most celebrated works are the Kaf HaChaim—a comprehensive treatment of halacha and mussar organized according to the daily schedule, Shabbos, and Rosh Chodesh; Lev Chaim—responsa on Orach Chaim published when he was just thirty-two years old; Tochachas Chaim—ethical exhortations on the Torah portions; Mo’ed L’Chol Chai—halachic rulings and moral instruction for the festivals; Nishmas Kol Chai—an important collection of responsa; and Artzos HaChaim—a passionate work extolling the virtues of Eretz Yisroel, the land he yearned to reach but never would.

Nearly all of his seforim bear the word “Chaim” (life) in their titles—a beautiful reflection of the vitality and life-giving quality he sought to infuse into every area of Torah learning.

Upon the completion of each sefer, Rav Chaim would hold a festive seudas mitzvah and distribute copies of the new work to all who attended, free of charge. He never sold a single copy of any of his books. Some people speculated that his astonishing productivity in writing must be supernatural—perhaps the result of employing Divine Names. But his son Rav Avraham firmly rejected this notion, testifying: “My father’s fear and awe of Heaven, and his wisdom, were much greater and stronger than any Divine Name used to write with!”

The Great Fire of 1841

On 11 Av 5601 (1841), a devastating fire swept through Izmir, destroying much of the Jewish quarter and engulfing Rav Chaim’s home. Such conflagrations were a recurring terror in the densely built neighborhoods of Ottoman cities—Izmir’s wooden houses, pressed tightly together along narrow lanes, were catastrophically vulnerable to fire, and the Jewish quarter had been ravaged before. But the losses sustained in the 1841 fire were uniquely devastating for the world of Torah scholarship: fifty-four of Rav Chaim’s manuscript works were consumed—years of painstaking scholarship reduced to ashes in a single night.

Rav Chaim’s own agonized words convey the magnitude of the loss: “That night, the vast majority of my Torah writings which I had nurtured and raised were consumed… all together they became food for the fire. Woe for that which has departed, woe for a loss that can never return… In those days my mind was not with me from the enormity of my sorrow, and sleep fled from my eyes, and I wept day and night—how could such a great evil have befallen us?”

But then, in a passage that reveals the depth of his emunah, he continued: “The kindness of Hashem I shall recall, the praises of Hashem for all that He has bestowed upon us. For with His help, blessed be His Name, I returned to the texts to restore from memory what had been burned—and from then until now, a third and a quarter…” Over the ensuing years, he painstakingly reconstructed much of what had been lost, ultimately publishing dozens of works. A small number remained in manuscript form. In recent years, many of his compositions have been reprinted by the Shuvei Nafshi Institute in Yerushalayim.

His Reach Across the Jewish World

Rav Chaim Palagi’s influence extended far beyond the Aegean coast. His halachic rulings and responsa were sought by communities across the Sephardic world and Europe—from the ancient Jewish communities of Baghdad and Aleppo to the kehillos of Amsterdam and Paris. In a telling illustration of his stature, when the great Rav Yosef Chaim of Baghdad—the Ben Ish Chai—was only fourteen years old, a halachic query arrived at his father’s home from none other than Rav Chaim Palagi, the Chief Rabbi of Izmir. The correspondence between these two titanic figures of Sephardic Jewry—one in the great Mesopotamian center on the Tigris River, the other in the bustling Aegean port on the Turkish coast—speaks volumes about the vast network of Torah communication that crisscrossed the Ottoman Empire and the centrality of Rav Chaim’s role within it.

Turkish Jews to this day venerate his memory with extraordinary reverence. In Izmir’s synagogues, when his name is mentioned or his rulings cited, the entire congregation rises and bows in respect. His grave in the Gürçeşme cemetery of Izmir remains a place of pilgrimage for Jews from around the world.

Challenges and Steadfastness

Rav Chaim’s decades of communal leadership were not without turbulence. His determination to redirect meat-tax revenues toward education and charitable causes brought him into conflict with powerful communal figures who profited from the existing system. In the mid-1860s, as his health began to decline, certain secular leaders within the Izmir community attempted to exploit the situation and maneuver for his removal from office.

The episode must be understood against the backdrop of the larger political struggle that was reshaping Jewish communal governance across the Ottoman Empire. The Tanzimat-era Organic Statute—promulgated as part of the Ottoman government’s drive to reorganize minority communities along centralized, bureaucratic lines—envisioned a structure in which secular communal councils would share or even supersede the authority of the traditional rabbinical leadership. In Izmir, as in other Ottoman cities, this created a fault line between those who wished to preserve the Chacham Bashi’s traditional prerogatives and those—often wealthier, more Europeanized community members—who sought to limit rabbinic power in favor of lay governance. Rav Chaim’s fierce independence and his willingness to challenge the wealthy on behalf of the poor made him a particular target.

The dispute escalated dramatically in November 1865, when members of the communal council challenged Rav Chaim’s authority over the gabela. When the concession holders complained to the Ottoman government, an envoy sent from Adrianople to investigate—Rav Shmuel Danon, representing the regional Chacham Bashi—actually recommended Rav Chaim’s removal and proposed himself as a replacement. The matter was referred to Constantinople. But the overwhelming majority of Izmir’s Jews rallied behind their beloved rav. A delegation traveled to the imperial capital to plead his case, and the Ottoman authorities ultimately upheld Rav Chaim’s position, confirming his appointment as Chief Rabbi for life.

At the age of seventy, Rav Chaim resolved to fulfill his lifelong dream of ascending to Eretz Yisroel. But the leaders and members of the Izmir community pleaded with him not to leave, and he acceded to their wishes—subordinating his personal yearning to the needs of his flock.

A Story of Gentle Persuasion

A revealing story captures Rav Chaim’s unique approach to leadership. A rumor had spread that a certain wealthy man had pledged a substantial sum to the Jewish community of Tiberias, far across the sea and overland in the Galilee of Eretz Yisroel. The man denied the pledge and refused to pay. An emissary from Tiberias brought him before the Beis Din in Izmir, where it was demonstrated that he had, in fact, never made such a commitment.

The case was closed—but Rav Chaim was not finished. A few days later, he privately summoned the man and said to him, in essence: “You are correct—you made no such pledge, and no one can compel you to pay. But since there is already a widespread rumor that you did, why not turn this into a merit? Let me explain to you how great a mitzvah it would be to support the community in Eretz Yisroel.” Moved by Rav Chaim’s sincerity and wisdom, the man agreed—and made the donation voluntarily.

Final Days and Legacy

On Simchas Torah of 5628 (1867), during the public Torah reading, Rav Chaim read aloud the pasuk “Vayamas sham Moshe”—“And Moshe died there”—and burst into tears. His congregants understood the ominous significance and wept along with him.

On 16 Shevat 5628 (February 9, 1868), Rav Chaim completed his final sefer, Bircas Mo’adecha L’Chaim—derashos for the festivals and months of the year. The next day, 17 Shevat, he passed away from blood poisoning at the age of eighty-one. Even in his final hours, his concern was for others: he asked that the community not burden itself with prayers for his recovery, but rather engage poor men of the city to pray on his behalf—thereby providing them with employment.

His Distinguished Children

Rav Chaim’s sons carried forward his legacy of Torah scholarship and communal leadership. His eldest son, Rav Avraham, succeeded him as head of the Beis Din in Izmir and authored several important works including Padah Es Avraham and Berech Es Avraham. His second son, Rav Rachamin Nissim Yitzchak (known as the Ran”I), authored Yafeh LaLev, Avos HaRosh, and other works. His third son, Rav Yosef, authored Yosef Es Echav and other seforim. Both Rav Avraham and Rav Rachamin Nissim Yitzchak succeeded their father as Grand Rabbi of Izmir—ensuring that the Palagi family’s stewardship of the community’s spiritual life continued well into the early twentieth century.

Rav Chaim Palagi was buried in the ancient cemetery of Izmir. An intriguing anomaly has been noted: while all other headstones in the cemetery face south, his alone faces east—toward Yerushalayim—for reasons that remain unclear. In the 1920s, amid the upheaval of the Greco-Turkish War and the transformation of Izmir under the new Turkish Republic, his grave was relocated to the Gürçeşme cemetery, where it continues to attract visitors and pilgrims from around the world.

Conclusion

Rabbi Chaim Palagi was a towering colossus of Torah scholarship, communal compassion, and personal piety. In an era before modern communications, his halachic influence spanned continents—from the banks of the Tigris to the banks of the Seine, from the shores of North Africa to the communities of Eastern Europe. In a community beset by poverty, political upheaval, and the dislocations of Ottoman modernization, he served as an unyielding advocate for the weak. In a life marked by personal tragedy—the loss of his wife, the destruction of decades of manuscript work in a devastating fire—he rebuilt, restored, and continued to give.

He wrote approximately eighty seforim and never sold a single one. He served as the supreme halachic authority for one of the Ottoman Empire’s greatest Jewish communities—a bustling Aegean port city of forty thousand Jews—and never turned away a supplicant, no matter how humble. He was offered the opportunity to fulfill his dream of living in Eretz Yisroel and sacrificed it for the needs of his community. And on his deathbed, his final concern was that poor men be given employment through the mitzvah of davening on his behalf.

More than a century and a half after his passing, his seforim continue to be studied, his rulings continue to be cited, and his grave continues to draw those who seek inspiration from one of the most remarkable Torah leaders the Sephardic world has ever produced. The Lion of the Geonim rests in Izmir, but his Torah—and his example—are very much alive.

Much of the material for this article was found in the remarkable Hebrew language biography by Rabbi Dr. Shimon Eckstein (1999) z”l, a Talmid of Yeshiva Torah v’Daas and a Rav in Ottawa, Canada.

The author can be reached at [email protected]

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It is with deep pain and regret that YWN shares the petirah of HaRav Elyakim Schlesinger zt”l, who was niftar at the age of 104, concluding a life that spanned more than a century of Torah, mesorah, and an unwavering commitment to Klal Yisroel.

Born in Vienna on 22 Cheshvan 5682 (1921) to his parents, Rav Dovid and Baila, Rav Schlesinger zt”l came of age during a turbulent era for European Jewry. He was able to leave Europe at the age of 10, in 1931, when his family relocated to Eretz Yisroel and settled in Tel Aviv. There, the foundations of his lifelong avodas haTorah were laid.

His early Torah development took place under the influence of Gedolei Hatorah from the prewar years. Among his primary rebbeim was Rav Yosef Tzvi Dushinsky zt”l, under whose guidance Rav Schlesinger absorbed the derech of authentic Yerushalmi Torah. He later learned in Yeshivas Kaminetz and in Yeshivas Lomza in Petach Tikvah, becoming known for his crystal-clear havana, yiras Shamayim, and fealty to mesorah.

He married his wife, Dina Yehudis, the daughter of Rav Moshe Blau zt”l, and following the petirah of his father-in-law, he was appointed Rosh Yeshiva of Yeshivas Pnei Moshe in Yerushalayim. Even then, at such a young age, his sense of achrayus extended beyond his immediate surroundings.

At the behest of the Brisker Rov, Rav Schlesinger undertook the difficult mission of returning to Europe in order to rebuild Torah life on the continent. He first served as Rosh Yeshiva in Kapellen, Belgium, where he spent two years strengthening a fragile postwar kehilla. He later settled in London, where he founded Yeshivas Harama, a mosad that would become one of the pillars of serious lomdus in England. The yeshiva’s name reflected his reverence for the Chasam Sofer and his descendants, including the Kesav Sofer and the Daas Sofer, who had been among his rabbeim.

Over the ensuing decades, Rav Schlesinger zt”l became one of the most influential and respected Gedolei Torah in England’s frum community. He maintained close and enduring relationships with leading gedolei Yisroel, including the Chazon Ish, and was widely sought after for hadracha on both hashkafic and communal matters. His rare firsthand knowledge of earlier gedolim, and his ability to convey their derech with clarity and fidelity, were preserved in his sefer Hador Vehatekufah, which stands as an invaluable historical and Torah record.

In addition to his role as Rosh Yeshiva, Rav Schlesinger was deeply involved in public affairs affecting Torah Jewry. For many years, he devoted himself to the protection of kevorim across Europe, even serving as chairman of a committee dedicated to safeguarding cemeteries from desecration. He was also known for his firm and uncompromising positions on issues relating to chinuch and religious independence, earning a reputation as a courageous and consistent voice of daas Torah.

Rav Schlesinger zt”l was also a prolific mechaber, whose seforim reflect both breadth and depth. His multi-volume Beis Av spans Shas, halacha, machshavah, and drush, and he authored additional seforim, including a Haggadah shel Pesach, all characterized by his unique clarity.

The petirah of HaRav Elyakim Schlesinger zt”l is the loss of a living bridge to a vanished world—a talmid of prewar Europe, a builder of postwar Torah, and a guardian of mesorah well into the modern era.

Yehi zichro baruch.

(YWN World Headquarters – NYC)

A one-year-old baby from Jerusalem who had no underlying conditions and was not vaccinated against measles died on Wednesday due to complications of the disease, Israel’s Health Ministry announced.

The baby was pronounced dead at the emergency room at Hadassah Har HaTzofim Hospital after being evacuated from his home early in the morning. He is the 14th fatality since the outbreak of measles began. Almost all of the victims were healthy babies and toddlers who had not been vaccinated against the disease.

Early Wednesday morning, reports said that United Hatzalah volunteers carried out resuscitation efforts on a one-year-old baby who lost consciousness at his home in the Shmuel HaNavi neighborhood in Jerusalem.

Hatzalah volunteers Pini Weiss and Mordechai Greifer said, “When we arrived, we were handed an approximately one-year-old baby who wasn’t breathing and had no pulse after, according to family members, he did not wake up from his sleep.”

“Together with MDA EMTs and paramedics, we immediately began advanced resuscitation, including chest compressions and ventilation. While resuscitation continued, he was evacuated in critical condition by an MDA intensive care unit ambulance to Hadassah Har HaTzofim Hospital in the city.”

“We were told that the baby did not wake up from his sleep after having contracted measles a few days earlier,” Yechiel Stern and Ariel Drai, United Hatzalah emergency medical responders, said. “United Hatzalah resilience teams operated at the scene due to the nature of the incident.”

United Hatzalah volunteers noted a concerning rise in the number of children in Chareidi neighborhoods nationwide who have reached life-threatening conditions due to measles, with some tragic cases resulting in death.

(YWN Israel Desk—Jerusalem)

An IDF reserve officer was seriously wounded by terrorist gunfire near the Yellow Line in northern Gaza overnight Tuesday.

“Immediately after the shooting, tanks fired at the terrorists, and at the same time airstrikes were launched in the area,” the IDF spokesperson stated. “This constitutes a blatant violation of the ceasefire agreement.”

The officer was evacuated to the hospital, and his family was notified.

The incident occurred overnight Wednesday during an operational mission by the Alexandroni Brigade (3rd Brigade).

The incident comes after a series of similar incidents in the area. On Monday, troops from the Alexandroni Brigade opened fire and killed four terrorists who were advancing toward their position in a manner that posed an immediate threat.

A similar incident occurred on Sunday, when combat soldiers from the 7th Armored Brigade operating in southern Gaza identified several terrorists approaching their position and opened fire, killing one of them.

About three weeks ago an IDF combat team from the 7th Brigade eliminated six Hamas terrorists who were detected west of Rafah, beyond the Yellow Line—an incident the IDF described at the time as a serious breach of the ceasefire.

According to the IDF, the incident unfolded after six armed terrorists were identified in the western Rafah area. Following searches in the area, an exchange of fire took place, during which the 7th Brigade’s combat team killed all six terrorists.

(YWN Israel Desk—Jerusalem)

Israeli Finance Ministry Minister and member of the Security Cabinet Ze’ev Elkin warned on Tuesday night that continued opposition by chareidi parties to the draft law could lead to harsher outcomes for the chareidi public and destabilize the coalition, including the risk of elections without an approved state budget. Speaking in an interview on the HaMahadura HaMerkazit program, Elkin argued that internal resistance—particularly by the Chassidishe Agudas Yisroel faction—could make passage of the legislation impossible and ultimately harm the very communities seeking to block it.

Addressing reports of quiet contacts between Naftali Bennett and chareidi figures, Elkin said such maneuvering was unsurprising but misguided. “In politics, anything can happen,” he said, adding that some in the chareidi street are misreading the situation. “There are elements in the chareidi public who oppose the current version of the law and are hoping that maybe they’ll get more from Bennett. I think they are deluding themselves. As someone who has been following the draft law for a long time, I see the same pattern repeat itself: a proposal is put on the table, certain factions reject it in the hope of something better, time passes, and then they say, ‘Too bad we didn’t agree back then,’ because the new proposals are worse. This is a cycle that has been repeating itself since 2012.”

Elkin directed pointed criticism at the Chassidishe Agudas Yisroel faction, warning that its stance could stall the process entirely. “I’m afraid that this time as well Agudas Yisroel is making the same mistake,” he said. “Its opposition makes it impossible to pass the law, because no one in the coalition wants to be someone else’s Shabbos goy.”

Turning to the prospect of the government collapsing before the state budget is approved, Elkin issued a stark warning to chareidi representatives. “Let’s say the draft law isn’t passed and we go to elections—does it make sense to go to elections without a budget?” he asked. “I think that would be a very big mistake. It would be an economically ‘dead year.’ The first to be hurt by that would be the chareidi public, because a large portion of its funding is not in the base budget. Under a continuing budget of one-twelfth, that money won’t be transferred. It would be a kind of ‘self-inflicted punishment.’ If I were advising them, I would recommend: first approve a budget, and then go to elections.”

On security matters, Elkin addressed American demands to disarm Hamas as part of President Donald Trump’s plan, expressing doubt that diplomatic avenues alone would succeed. “Trump said it correctly: either it happens the easy way, or the hard way,” Elkin said. “The hard and bad way is clearly only the IDF, because no one else will do this job for us. I’m skeptical that diplomatic moves will help, and therefore the ball will return to the IDF.”

At the same time, Elkin pointed to what he described as significant achievements on the ground. “We defeated Hamas militarily,” he said. “They no longer have a shared border with Egypt, we have control over the Philadelphi Corridor, and therefore their ability to rebuild their strength is very limited.”

In closing, Elkin also touched on the brewing coalition crisis surrounding the dairy reform, urging all sides to reach a compromise that balances lowering the cost of living with protecting farmers in Israel’s periphery and safeguarding the country’s food security.

{Matzav.com}

Firefighters responded Tuesday night to a fire at Shiras Devorah Girls High School on Oak Street in Lakewood, where hundreds of students were inside the building preparing for a school expo, LAKEWOOD ALERTS REPORTED.

The girls were safely evacuated to the Bais Tova gym after flames were reported inside Shiras Devorah’s walls and smoke was detected in the basement. Emergency crews arrived quickly and began investigating the source of the fire.

All students are safe and have been accounted for. No injuries were reported.

Hatzolah was dispatched as a precaution.

It remains unclear whether the fire was connected in any way to the planned student-led expo, which had been scheduled to take place at the school.

Authorities are continuing to investigate the cause of the fire.

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(YWN World Headquarters – NYC)

The Belzer Chassidus on Tuesday forcefully rejected reports claiming that the Belzer Rebbe took part in drafting religious guidelines incorporated into new Israel Defense Forces General Staff orders. Senior figures in the chassidus dismissed the claims with derision, stating unequivocally that neither the Rebbe nor anyone acting on his behalf had any involvement in the matter at any stage.

The response followed earlier reports alleging that the Belzer Rebbe and the Stoliner Rebbe participated in formulating rules intended to regulate chareidi enlistment in the IDF, including direct dialogue with military officials, the dispatch of representatives to meetings, and approval of specific clauses in the orders.

Belzer sources flatly denied the claims, calling all such reports “false,” and added that the journalists who published them failed to seek any response from the chassidus beforehand. According to the statement, this omission violated basic standards of journalistic ethics and professional conduct.

The denial came as additional coverage aired on i24NEWS, which reported on the composition of a supervisory committee tasked with overseeing chareidi service frameworks within the IDF. The report said the committee would include representatives from Ashkenazi and Sephardi yeshivos, as well as figures linked to the Belzer and Stoliner courts.

According to that report, the committee members named were Rav Dovid Leibel, Rav Shimon Binik, Rav Avrohom Borodiansky, Rav Meir Antebi, Rav Asher Zelfreind, and Rav Carmi Gross. The committee is expected to have authority to conduct inspections at IDF bases where chareidi soldiers are serving.

Earlier on Tuesday, journalist Yoeli Brim reported that the Belzer and Stoliner Rebbes were involved in shaping the religious standards embedded in the new General Staff orders, including participation in discussions with the IDF and approval of the final language. That account was categorically rejected by Belz.

The controversy unfolded on the same day that IDF Chief of Staff Herzi Halevi signed the new General Staff orders formally regulating chareidi service in the military. Until now, policies governing chareidi enlistment had been internal directives of the IDF Manpower Directorate. The new orders elevate those policies to binding General Staff regulations, subject to formal oversight, implementation, and periodic review at the highest levels.

The orders outline additional rights for chareidi soldiers, including designated prayer times, mehadrin kashrus standards, and the option of a declaration of allegiance in place of a formal oath.

They also establish three dedicated chareidi service tracks. One framework assigns soldiers to gender-segregated teams. A second, known as the “Cherev” track, provides fully gender-segregated units—such as entire battalions—where combat commanders are generally chareidi or religious soldiers, with rare exceptions requiring special approval. A third framework, the “Dovid” track, consists of units in which all personnel maintain a religious lifestyle; such units will require individual authorization from the head of the Manpower Directorate.

Under the new regulations, candidates seeking placement in chareidi tracks will be required to pass an evaluation demonstrating adherence to a chareidi way of life, with provisions allowing for removal from the framework if those standards are not maintained. The orders also permit chareidi soldiers, under justified circumstances, to enter and leave bases without wearing uniforms, and stipulate that their induction will be conducted via declaration rather than oath.

{Matzav.com}

As young Jews around the world face unprecedented challenges and isolation, 1,200 young Jewish professionals from 30 countries paused their busy lifestyles to take part in the largest international gathering of young Jewish professionals in the world. The Chabad Young Professionals Encounter weekend featured workshops addressing pressing topics facing young Jews, the world-record Met@Chabad speed-dating event, Chabad’s response to the Bondi massacre: the launch of fifteen new Chabad centers Leilui Nishmas the Kedoshim.

For 72 hours, young Jews from 100 cities across the globe, some of whom are the only Jews in their workplace or social circles, experienced inspiring workshops, an uplifting Shabbos in Crown Heights, meaningful connections, and a sense of community critically needed in these uniquely challenging times.

On Friday afternoon, before Shabbos began, attendees heard from Eliya Cohen, who spent 505 days as a hostage in Gaza after being kidnapped on October 7, 2023. Cohen spoke about resilience, faith, and maintaining hope under extreme conditions, themes that resonated deeply with an audience grappling with their own, less extreme, challenges.

Former Hostage Eliyah Cohen, interviewed by Rabbi Beryl Frankel and Rabbi Nissi Lepkivker of CYP International, spoke about resilience, faith, and maintaining hope under extreme conditions.

The weekend also featured the world’s largest in-person speed-dating event, and Jewish industry leaders who spoke about navigating professional life while maintaining Jewish values, and workshops addressing mental health, dating, and confronting antisemitism in the workplace.

For Lucretia Kleiman, 24, a pharmaceutical coordinator from New Jersey, the weekend represents a continuation of a journey that began in high school. Raised in a Conservative Jewish household, she became deeply involved in CTeen (Chabad Teen) and later founded the Chabad at her college. Last month, she helped launch a Chabad Young Professionals chapter in Fair Lawn, New Jersey.

“The Lubavitcher Rebbe always said, ‘A little bit of light dispels a lot of darkness,'” she said. “With so much darkness in the world, I think bringing that light back to my community, more events, more classes, is what we need.”

Powered by Met@Chabad, the weekend also featured the world’s largest in-person Jewish speed-dating event.

On Motzai Shabbos, they gathered for Havdala, standing shoulder to shoulder, candles flickering in their hands, followed by an emotional rendition of Ani Maamin, bonding them with their brethren 10,000 miles across the globe.

A live video feed connected the group to hundreds more gathered in Bondi Beach, Australia, a community still reeling from the Chanukah terrorist attack that killed 15 people, including two local Chabad rabbis who organized the event. Chants of “We love you Sydney!” echoed off the walls.

Rabbi Mendy Ulman, director of Chabad Young Professionals in Bondi and brother-in-law of Rabbi Eli Schlanger, who was murdered in the attack, addressed both crowds simultaneously on the importance of seeing the divine light and positivity in the world.

“This live stream coming from New York to Bondi and back has been immense for our community,” Rabbi Ulman said. “It has given us strength beyond words. In the past, our young community might have felt a little far away because of the physical distance. But this moment we shared is so powerful, we feel closer than ever.”

For Jacob Kasper, a 27-year-old from Estonia, the moment resonated deeply. His older brother lives in Australia and attends Chabad events there. When news of the Bondi attack first broke, fear was his immediate reaction.

“When we saw the Australian young Jews together with us through the livestream, mourning yet still celebrating their Jewishness, it reminded me that we have to keep adding goodness to the world,” Jacob said.

“Each one of you is a light and a leader. I’m inspired by your unwavering commitment to stand proudly wherever you are and uplift and include those around you,” said Rabbi Mendy Kotlarsky, Chairman of Chabad’s Global Networks, opening the evening.

“Look around this room,” Igor Tulchinsky, the billionaire founder of quantitative hedge fund WorldQuant, told the crowd Saturday evening. “A thousand young Jews in Crown Heights on a Saturday night. This is not normal. This is not accidental. This is Jewish history in motion.”

Igor Tulchinsky, the billionaire founder of quantitative hedge fund WorldQuant, told the crowd Saturday evening. “A thousand young Jews in Crown Heights on a Saturday night. This is not normal. This is not accidental. This is Jewish history in motion.”

In a powerful response to the Bondi tragedy, Rabbi Kotlarsky announced the establishment of fifteen new CYP Lounges for the world’s largest young Jewish professional community. The lounges will serve as spaces where young Jewish professionals can network, study, celebrate their heritage, and launch new initiatives for their communities.

Rabbi Kotlarsky announced the establishment of fifteen new CYP Lounges to serve as safe spaces where young Jewish professionals can network, study, celebrate their heritage, and launch new initiatives for their communities.

“When they try to extinguish our light, our response is to increase it,” declared Rabbi Kotlarsky.

For Jacob, the announcement hit home. “As a member of a very small Jewish community, it’s so important to be part of something bigger,” he said. “We can’t wait to have such spaces in Estonia.”

On Motzai Shabbos, 1200 gathered for Havdala, standing shoulder to shoulder, candles flickering in their hands, followed by an emotional rendition of Ani Maamin, bonding them with their brethren 10,000 miles across the globe.

Jacob’s journey to the CYP Encounter underscores what draws young Jews from around the globe to CYP Encounter. Seven years ago, while researching his family tree, he discovered an unexpected truth: he was Jewish. He contacted his local Chabad rabbi, and a new chapter began.

“In Estonia, you’re always explaining what it means to be a Jew; nobody really knows,” he said. “Sometimes you need a place to recharge. This weekend recharged me physically and spiritually.”

Representing the 325 communities in the world’s largest young Jewish professionals network, the young leaders requested berachos and recorded the kabalos they were taking upon themselves.

On Sunday morning, after an uplifting farbrengen and concert to set the tone, participants visited the Lubavitcher Rebbe’s Ohel. Representing the 325 communities in the world’s largest young Jewish professionals network, the young leaders requested berachos and recorded the kabalos they were taking upon themselves.

For Evan Gravitt, a young professional from Whitefish, Montana, the moment at the Ohel was unlike anything he had experienced.

“I walked in, read my note, said the Shema, tore it up, and threw it,” he recalled. “And there was a moment where all time stopped. I felt heard. I felt seen. It was very emotional.”

Evan described the Jewish community in Montana as small, “we know each other like a family,” and said he plans to bring the weekend’s inspiration back with him.

“I’m going to keep pressing,” he said. “I see young Jews everywhere I go, friends of mine, and I invite them to Shabbat, to candlelightings. They don’t always come. But I’m going to keep encouraging them. I want them to feel welcome. I want them to feel like they’re part of something.”

He paused. “Until I found Chabad, I never felt comfortable and accepted. And as an adult, it means so much to have a community thousands of miles away from home.”

Evan described the Jewish community in Montana as small, “we know each other like a family,” and said he plans to bring the weekend’s inspiration back with him.

These scenes unfolded at CYP Encounter, the four-day summit that has become the largest international gathering of young Jewish professionals in the world. But this year’s event carried an added urgency, reflecting a generational turning point for young Jews turning to authentic Torah and Mitzvos while navigating careers, relationships, and identity amid a global surge in antisemitism.

“In my city, wearing a kippah has become an act of courage,” said Jonathan Pachter, 29, a finance professional from Paris. “But seeing fellow young Jewish professionals here living proudly gives us strength.”

An unusually forceful editorial published Tuesday in the Israeli daily Yated Neeman launched a sweeping and uncompromising attack on Israel’s judicial system and the military establishment, declaring that the Torah world will not yield to arrests, sanctions, or political pressure. The editorial frames the current moment as a decisive struggle over the identity of the state and the standing of Torah learners, asserting that Torah alone is the true and unchangeable constitution of the Jewish people.

The article describes what it calls an escalation in the battle over the character of the country, insisting that Torah cannot and will not be reshaped to suit political circumstances. Against the backdrop of growing pressure on yeshivos and kollelim, the editorial quotes Rav Dov Landau as saying: “At this time, when the burden on the yeshivos and kollelim has grown heavier due to decrees and harassment by state authorities, the urgent need of the hour is to strengthen those who learn Torah.” The paper notes that Rav Landau undertook a demanding campaign of encouragement across Torah institutions of all communities and backgrounds, a campaign that is continuing in the present days.

According to the editorial, the goal of this effort is to reinforce resolve, prevent spiritual weakening, increase kevod Shomayim, and raise high the banner of Torah and respect for its learners. The message delivered during these visits is quoted as: “The Torah unites the entire Jewish people, and through it we will merit salvation from all troubles, from within and from without.”

The article then turns to the parsha of Yisro, portraying the annual renewal of the covenant between the Jewish people and the Ribono Shel Olam. The editorial presents the current struggle as a spiritual campaign against what it calls the dominant Israeli cultural current, urging the nation to close ranks in a unified front.

In one of its sharpest passages, the editorial accuses the judicial system and its allied bodies, together with the military authorities, of adopting an agenda aimed at reducing the presence of Torah in Israel. It asserts that opponents of Torah and adversaries of the chareidi public have revealed their intentions, aided by what the paper describes as collaborators from religious-Zionist circles who, it claims, are intensifying public campaigns through their media outlets.

The article expands at length on the battle with Amalek, arguing that true victory was achieved not on the battlefield itself but in the place where Moshe Rabbeinu stood engaged in tefillah and spiritual leadership. According to the editorial, wars arise when commitment to Torah weakens, while victory comes through strengthening Torah study. It highlights Yehoshua’s role as a devoted Torah figure, chosen to lead precisely because of his lifelong immersion in Torah rather than any military training or command experience.

The editorial argues that although the physical fighting was carried out by soldiers, victory was achieved solely through the spiritual power of Torah. It stresses that this reality may not be perceptible to the physical senses, but is an accepted truth transmitted through Torah Shebaal Peh.

The piece goes on to describe Israeli society as being under what it calls a foreign spiritual domination by a small but aggressive minority. It accuses this group of seeking to uproot the covenant of Sinai and strip away what the editorial describes as the true spiritual protection that shields the nation. According to the article, efforts by the judiciary and political actors to undermine the Torah-based foundation of Jewish life are steadily intensifying.

Addressing arguments that Torah law should be adjusted to modern realities, the editorial challenges the notion that divine law is meant to adapt to human circumstances. Instead, it argues that the world itself was created in accordance with the Torah, and therefore reality must conform to Torah rather than Torah bending to reality. It maintains that attempting to replace Torah law with human-devised legal systems represents a distortion of the divine design underlying creation.

In response to what it describes as coercive measures, the editorial declares unequivocal defiance. It states that no Torah learner will abandon his studies because of arrests, enforcement actions, or sanctions. The article emphasizes that the Torah was accepted at Sinai as the binding constitution of the Jewish people, accepted unanimously and irrevocably.

The editorial draws a distinction between a state constitution, which it says can be changed by majority vote, and the constitution of a nation, which it argues cannot be altered. Jewish nationhood, it asserts, was forged at the giving of the Torah, not through international resolutions, parliamentary decisions, or judicial rulings.

Reiterating its core message, the article declares that loyalty to Torah will never change under any circumstances. It insists that “the Torah will not be adjusted to fit circumstances”; rather, “circumstances must be reshaped to align with the Torah, regardless of the cost.”

In one of its most striking lines, the editorial concludes that just as past adversaries failed, current efforts will also collapse. “Even the Israelis will not prevail over the Jews,” it states, warning that incitement, coercion, arrests, and sanctions are destined to fail. The struggle, the editorial says, is not about communal rights but about the honor of Hashem, framing the confrontation as a spiritual battle fought for a higher purpose.

The piece closes by returning to the theme of the covenant renewed each year with the reading of Parshas Yisro, asserting that Torah learners understand the roots of the struggle and will not abandon their posts. It ends by quoting Rav Landau’s declaration: “Even things that are well known must be said. Nothing overrides Torah study, and through the study of Torah we will merit salvation from all troubles, from within and from without.”

{Matzav.com}

[Video below.] President Trump lashed out at CNN anchor Kaitlan Collins during a tense Oval Office question-and-answer session on Tuesday, criticizing her demeanor and attacking her credibility as she pressed him on the release of files connected to Jeffrey Epstein.

As Collins posed a series of questions about the Justice Department’s handling of the Epstein materials, Trump cut her off with a personal rebuke, telling her, “CNN has no ratings because of people like you,” and labeling her the network’s “worst reporter.” He added a remark about her expression, saying, “You know, she’s a young woman. I don’t think I’ve ever seen you smile.”

Trump escalated his criticism moments later, referencing his long familiarity with Collins and broadening the attack to her employer. “I’ve known you for 10 years. I don’t think I’ve ever seen a smile, because you know you’re not telling the truth and you’re you’re a very dishonest organization and they should be ashamed of you,” he said.

Collins tried to interject, quietly noting that she was “talking about survivors of a … abusers,” suggesting that the subject matter did not lend itself to levity.

Collins began her journalism career covering entertainment before moving into political reporting, later serving as a White House correspondent for the Daily Caller starting in 2016.

She joined CNN in 2017 and reported on Trump’s first term from the White House before transitioning into anchor positions in 2023.

WATCH:

{Matzav.com}

PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) — Federal officers are temporarily restricted from using tear gas at protests outside a Portland immigration building, a judge in Oregon ruled Tuesday, just days after agents fired gas into a crowd of demonstrators that local officials described as peaceful and which included young children.

U.S. District Judge Michael Simon ordered federal officers to not use chemical or projectile munitions unless the person targeted poses an imminent threat of physical harm. Simon also limited federal officers from firing munitions at the head, neck or torso “unless the officer is legally justified in using deadly force against that person.”

The temporary restraining order will be in effect for 14 days.

The ruling came in response to a lawsuit filed by the ACLU of Oregon on behalf of protesters and freelance journalists covering demonstrations at the flashpoint U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement building.

The suit names as defendants the Department of Homeland Security and its head Kristi Noem, as well as President Donald Trump. It argues that federal officers’ use of chemical munitions and excessive force is a retaliation against protesters that chills their First Amendment rights.

The Department of Homeland Security did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Courts elsewhere have also considered the issue of federal agents’ use of chemical munitions against protesters, as cities across the country have seen demonstrations against the Trump administration’s surge in immigration enforcement.

Last month, a federal appeals court suspended a decision that prohibited federal officers from using tear gas or pepper spray against peaceful protesters in Minnesota who aren’t obstructing law enforcement. An appeals court also halted a ruling from a federal judge in Chicago that restricted federal agents from using certain riot control weapons, such as tear gas and pepper balls, unless necessary to prevent an immediate threat. A similar lawsuit brought by the state is now before the same judge.

The Oregon complaint describes instances in which the plaintiffs — including a protester known for wearing a chicken costume, a married couple in their 80s and two freelance journalists — had chemical or “less-lethal” munitions used against them.

In October, 83-year-old Vietnam War veteran Richard Eckman and his 84-year-old wife Laurie Eckman joined a rally that peacefully marched to the ICE building. Once there, federal officers launched chemical munitions at the crowd, hitting Laurie Eckman in the head with a pepper ball and causing her to bleed, according to the complaint. With bloody clothes and hair, she sought treatment at a hospital, which gave her instructions for caring for a concussion. A munition also hit her husband’s walker, the complaint says.

Jack Dickinson, who frequently attends protests at the ICE building in a chicken suit, has had munitions aimed at him while posing no threat, according to the complaint. Federal officers have shot munitions at his face respirator and at his back, and launched a tear-gas canister that sparked next to his leg and burned a hole in his costume, the complaint says.

Freelance journalists Hugo Rios and Mason Lake have similarly been hit with pepper balls and tear gassed while marked as press, according to the complaint.

“Defendants must be enjoined from gassing, shooting, hitting and arresting peaceful Portlanders and journalists willing to document federal abuses as if they are enemy combatants,” the complaint says. “Defendants’ actions have caused and continue to cause Plaintiffs irreparable harm, including physical injury, fear of arrest, and a chilling of their willingness to exercise rights of speech, press, and assembly.”

Local officials have also spoken out against the use of chemical munitions. Portland Mayor Keith Wilson demanded ICE leave the city after federal officers used such munitions Saturday at what he described as a “peaceful daytime protest where the vast majority of those present violated no laws, made no threat, and posed no danger to federal forces.”

“To those who continue to work for ICE: Resign. To those who control this facility: Leave,” Wilson wrote in a statement Saturday night. “To those who continue to make these sickening decisions, go home, look in a mirror, and ask yourselves why you have gassed children.”

The protest was one of many similar demonstrations nationwide against the Trump administration’s immigration crackdown in cities like Minneapolis, where in recent weeks federal agents killed two residents, Alex Pretti and Renee Good.

___

State Attorney Amit Isman instructed the police at the last minute to add the offense of “aiding the enemy during wartime” against Betzalel Zini, the brother of the Shin Bet chief, and two additional soldiers who are involved in a case concerning the smuggling of cigarettes into the Gaza Strip during the war.

The offense of “aiding the enemy in wartime” is among the most serious in Israeli law and carries a possible sentence of death or life imprisonment.

Only a few weeks ago, indictments were filed in a similar case involving soldiers from the Bedouin reconnaissance battalion accused of smuggling cigarettes into Gaza—but they faced a less severe national security charge, carrying a maximum penalty of five years in prison.

Zini and two soldiers were allegedly involved in the same act.

Senior political commentator Amit Segal responded: “We live in a remarkable era of law enforcement in which it’s better to be a Bedouin than to be the Shin Bet chief’s brother.”

Channel 14 journalist Yinon Magal wryly commented, “If Zini’s brother really knew about the smuggling of cigarettes into Gaza, it’s strange that Isman didn’t charge him with genocide as well.”

Likud MK Moshe Saada exorciated the State Attorney’s decision. “The failed and unfit Amit Isman continues to use his position for political purposes, systematically targeting members of the national camp,” he stated.

Saada added, “The bizarre directive to add the offense of aiding the enemy—punishable by death or life imprisonment—over cigarette smuggling is part of a deliberate witch hunt aimed at triggering a constitutional crisis or the resignation of the Shin Bet chief, who exposed the Military Advocate General affair and refuses to align with Isman and his deep-state colleagues.”

Earlier today, during a court hearing, the court lifted a gag order, revealing that Betzalel Zini is suspected of involvement in cigarette smuggling into the Gaza Strip during the war.

Police informed the court that his interrogation had concluded and emphasized that the suspicion against him concerns cigarette smuggling only. His detention, as well as the detention of two additional soldiers, was extended until Thursday.

Thirteen additional suspects have been arrested in the case.

Strategic consultant Berale Crombie responded to the report by stating: “This is what political persecution looks like!”

“I’ve known Betzalel Zini for quite some time. He’s an idealist — principled, honest, and upright. This is a man who left behind a successful business with income and employees at the start of the war and has since completed over 700 (!!) days of reserve duty. He went in and out of Gaza as part of a logistics unit to deliver equipment to soldiers, risking his life amid live fire and falling shells. And this precious person has been sitting in a cell for a month now, without an indictment, and every time he is supposed to be released, he is sent back for another interrogation.”

“You won’t convince me there’s no personal persecution here—deeply personal. You won’t convince me it’s unrelated to that absurd clause Maj. Gen. Zini was forced to sign—that if a relative of his ever ‘gets into trouble,’ he would be required to resign from his position. A precedent-setting clause that only a Shin Bet chief coming from the right was asked to sign. And ever since, they have been looking for threads leading to someone in his family. I know these Stasi methods very well.”

“And now they’re telling us that Betzalel Zini, who left behind a home with a wife and children and a business with employees, smuggled cigarettes into Gaza—and that this is very serious. Smuggling cigarettes to the enemy during wartime—are you out of your minds?! Truly insane… especially considering that every single day, dozens—if not hundreds—of trucks enter Gaza, loaded with food, cigarettes, and even iPhone 18s. That’s really serious—and it’s happening in broad daylight.”

“Now, to be clear: if some soldiers illegally smuggled goods into Gaza, that’s indeed very serious. But it’s also clear to me that this good, idealistic man has no connection to this affair or the investigation—except, of course, for the fact that his family name is Zini.”

“I know that now all the self-righteous people will accuse me of defending someone just because of ‘political alignment.’ Spare me. It’s not about politics. I just know exactly who this man is—and I also know that on the other side are people who will stop at nothing, not even at blood libels or framing innocent men for crimes they never imagined committing.”

(YWN Israel Desk—Jerusalem)

TUCSON, ARIZONA (VINnews)- Authorities in Pima County are investigating a ransom note received by a local news station as part of the ongoing search for Nancy Guthrie, the 84-year-old mother of NBC’s “Today” show co-host Savannah Guthrie.

Pima County Sheriff Chris Nanos confirmed to CBS News that the note was sent to an Arizona television station on Monday. The station reportedly agreed not to publicize it initially. According to the sheriff, the note included specific details about Nancy Guthrie’s home and what she was wearing on the night she disappeared, though officials have not verified the accuracy of those details or the note’s legitimacy.

Investigators are taking the communication seriously, with the FBI reviewing the note and sharing it with Savannah Guthrie, Nanos said. The sheriff emphasized that detectives are coordinating closely with federal authorities and pursuing all leads in what they believe is an abduction.

Nancy Guthrie was last seen at her home in the Catalina Foothills area near Tucson on Saturday night, around 9:30 p.m. She was reported missing on Sunday after failing to attend her regular church service, prompting family members to search the property before contacting authorities.

Sheriff Nanos has described the home as a crime scene, citing signs of forced entry and other concerning evidence indicating that the 84-year-old did not leave voluntarily. Blood was reportedly found at the scene, and Nancy Guthrie requires daily medication for her health—authorities have warned that her condition could become critical without it. She is described as sharp-minded with no cognitive issues, and her disappearance is not believed to be related to wandering or dementia.

Multiple media outlets, including TMZ, have reported receiving alleged ransom demands, some reportedly seeking millions in Bitcoin cryptocurrency with a deadline for payment. The Pima County Sheriff’s Department has acknowledged awareness of circulating reports about possible ransom notes and reiterated that they are “taking all tips and leads very seriously.”

Savannah Guthrie has publicly appealed for prayers on social media, describing her mother as “a woman of deep conviction, a good and faithful servant,” and urging supporters to join in praying for her safe return.

A reward of up to $2,500 has been offered by 88-Crime, a nonprofit partnering with local law enforcement, for information leading to an arrest in the case. The FBI and other agencies are assisting in the investigation, which includes searches by drones, helicopters, search-and-rescue dogs, and volunteers.

Anyone with information is urged to contact the Pima County Sheriff’s Department or submit tips anonymously through available channels. Authorities continue to stress the urgency of locating Nancy Guthrie as soon as possible.

 For many residents of Bnei Brak and the wider chareidi public who use kosher phones, a routine task—adding credit to a Rav-Kav public transportation card—has become a daily frustration. Speaking on the radio program Osim Seder BaMoked HaTziburi, hosted by Tzvi Tessler, a caller described how the lack of accessible charging options has turned simple bus travel into a logistical ordeal.

Leah, a Bnei Brak resident and computer teacher, told the program that she is routinely forced to walk significant distances just to reload her card. “I go specifically to the light rail, a ten-minute walk each way, just to top it up,” she said on air. According to Leah, neighborhood stores and groceries that once offered Rav-Kav charging services have shut down their terminals due to technical problems and a lack of financial viability.

The difficulty becomes even more acute when children are involved. Without access to smartphone apps on kosher phones, parents have no way of checking the remaining balance on their children’s cards. “Kids come to me and ask, ‘Mom, is there money?’ and I have to rack my brain every time,” Leah said, describing the constant uncertainty. The current system, in which no receipt is issued on the bus, leaves parents in the dark and forces them to physically visit distant service points just to find out whether a card still has credit.

In response to inquiries, Israel’s Ministry of Transport Israel said it is aware of the difficulties and is working on alternative solutions. The ministry said there are more than 150 dedicated service stations nationwide, along with thousands of charging points in retail stores and ATMs. It also pointed to a telephone service center at 03-7207406 that allows credit-card top-ups by phone.

However, that option has its own limitation: phone recharging still requires users to physically visit a service terminal to “activate” the credit on the card, effectively sending them back to square one.

Drawing on her technological background, Leah suggested what she described as a straightforward fix—direct charging by entering a Rav-Kav card number and credit-card details, similar to other bill-payment systems. Tessler explained that this is technically complex because the Rav-Kav is a physical card that does not transmit data. He did note, however, that a proposal raised in the past with then–Deputy Minister Maklev, involving a monthly direct-debit system, has yet to be implemented.

Leah concluded by arguing that the current situation ultimately hurts state revenues. “It’s in their interest that there should be money,” she said, explaining that many children board buses unable to pay because their cards are empty, forcing parents into complicated tracking and double payments after the fact. “There need to be more logical solutions,” Tessler said, promising to continue following the issue.

In a formal response, the Ministry of Transport said: “The Ministry of Transport and the National Public Transportation Authority are aware of the difficulties raised by passengers who do not have smartphones, and are working to provide a range of alternative and accessible solutions for topping up and checking Rav-Kav balances. Today, Rav-Kav cards can be charged at dedicated stations deployed across the country (more than 150 stations), as well as at thousands of retail outlets and ATMs that provide charging and balance-inquiry services.

“In addition, a telephone service center is available at 03-7207406, through which passengers can receive information, assistance in locating charging points, and even perform Rav-Kav top-ups by phone, with activation completed at service stations.

“There is also an option to top up Rav-Kav cards through the ‘Nedarim Plus’ system, available in synagogues and other community centers. The ministry continues to examine additional ways to improve accessibility and service for all passengers, with the goal of ensuring public transportation that is available, simple, and equitable for the entire population.”

{Matzav.com}

The chairman of the Noam party, MK Avi Maoz, delivered a sharply worded speech in the Knesset plenum on Monday against the judicial system, following the Supreme Court’s interim order preventing the closure of Army Radio.

In his remarks, Maoz said that over the years, successive IDF chiefs of staff—from Shaul Mofaz through Moshe Ya’alon, Gabi Ashkenazi, Benny Gantz, Gadi Eisenkot, and Aviv Kochavi—made weighty decisions, including the closure of brigades and divisions, which harmed the army’s readiness and its ability to face complex threats, without being held accountable for those decisions, even retroactively.

He added that even after the October 7 attack and the ensuing multi-front war, none of those decision-makers were required to explain the damage to the army’s readiness.

“But when it comes to closing Army Radio, suddenly interim orders are issued,” Maoz said. He added that chiefs of staff had also advanced pilot programs that were contrary to biology and nature by integrating female soldiers into elite combat units while lowering performance standards—without any judicial interference.

Continuing his criticism, Maoz accused the Supreme Court justices of “trampling democracy and impairing the elected officials’ ability to govern,” even as Justice Yitzhak Amit “complains about harm to judicial independence.”

Quoting Amit’s statement, “If the law is not equal for everyone, it’s worth nothing”—Maoz commented that “that was the moment when irony died,” adding, “I completely identify with that sentence. The problem is that it’s not implemented.”

He accused law-enforcement authorities of selective enforcement and questioned whether the law is applied equally to “Mordechai David and the anarchist protesters from Kaplan, to the judicial system itself and to right-wing elected officials.”

He further questioned whether conflict-of-interest rules are applied to judges in the same way they’re applied to politicians and whether the Attorney General treats the current government the same as the previous one.

He concluded by saying, “Most of the public already understands the political bias of the judicial system and the fabrication of cases.”

He concluded his speech with a direct call to the State Prosecutor’s Office: ““Stop the dirty tricks. Enough. We’ve had enough of you.”

(YWN Israel Desk—Jerusalem)

A source familiar with the investigation into the Military Advocate General affair responded to the statement by the police’s legal adviser, Brig. Gen. Elazar Kahana, determining that Attorney General Gali Baharav Miara was not involved in the case, Arutz Sheva reported.

“Kahana is completely a loyalist of Gali Baharav-Miara,” the source told Arutz Sheva. “When there was an attempt to move him from his position to head of the Prosecution Division, Baharav-Miara dug in her heels to stop it.”

The source added that Kahana’s conclusion “is meaningless.”

“His ‘determination’ that the Attorney General wasn’t involved in the MAG affair is as insignificant as if [Deputy Attorney General] Gil Limon made a similar claim,” he said. “In any case, Kahana will finish his post within about two weeks, and a new police legal advisor will be appointed.”

The source also welcomed the police chief’s decision to transfer the investigation materials to the legal adviser to the Ministry of Justice, calling it “a good decision.”

He said that the police chief’s decision achieved two things. “The police did not state that the investigation has ended, but only that the ‘main investigative actions have been completed.’ Secondly, the police chief announced that an external figure would be appointed to accompany the investigation.”

(YWN Israel Desk—Jerusalem)

Elazar Vigdorovitz, an Israeli chareidi man suspected of serious fraud and scam offenses, has managed to escape law enforcement for the second time — most recently during his deportation from the United States to Israel.

According to a report by Avishai Grintzayg on i24NEWS, Vigdorovitz was deported from New York to Israel under escort by U.S. federal officers after being caught attempting to illegally enter the United States from Canada.

During the overnight flight, Vigdorovitz allegedly faked a heart attack, forcing the plane to make an emergency landing in Dublin, Ireland — where he managed to escape from the airport. Israeli police officers, who had been waiting for him at Ben Gurion Airport with an arrest warrant, were left empty-handed.

Hidden In A Trunk

The affair began after Vigdorovitz and his associate, Yisrael Anden, were caught at border control in New York. According to investigators, Anden attempted to smuggle Vigdorovitz from Canada into the United States by hiding him in the trunk of a vehicle, underneath suitcases.

The two were arrested while trying to cross into the U.S. via the Rainbow Bridge, which connects Niagara Falls in Canada to Niagara Falls in the United States, about 30 kilometers north of Buffalo.

The U.S. Department of Justice stated that the arrest took place in the early morning hours of January 8. Inside the vehicle were suitcases belonging to both suspects, as well as luggage belonging to another chassid who had flown with them from Poland to Canada and had rented the car for Anden.

Multiple Charges And Visa Denials

According to the report, Vigdorovitz told border officials that he did not know his actions constituted a criminal offense, and claimed he was unsure whether Anden even knew he was hiding in the trunk.

Anden remains in custody in the United States and is expected to stand trial there before eventually being extradited to Israel.

Vigdorovitz has been barred from entering the United States after his visa application was denied in 2023. Just days before the smuggling attempt, on January 5, 2026, he tried applying for entry via the ESTA online system — but that request was also denied.

He currently faces additional charges in the U.S., including fraud, conspiracy, forgery, use of forged documents, fabrication of evidence, and obstruction of justice.

Negligence Allegations And Interpol Failure

After his arrest, Vigdorovitz was deported. Israeli police informed American authorities that an active arrest warrant existed against him, and U.S. officers escorted him to the aircraft and ensured he boarded.

Despite this, he managed to escape during the emergency landing in Dublin.

Sources now claim that negligence by Israel’s international prosecution department played a role, as no Interpol Red Notice was issued against him — a move that could have enabled his arrest abroad. Police are now attempting to trace his whereabouts after his second escape.

Not His First Major Case

This is not Vigdorovitz’s first serious run-in with the law.

Approximately eight years ago, he was involved in a major criminal case in Ukraine, where he paid criminals to plant cannabis in the luggage of a chassidic couple, in order to have them arrested in Israel as revenge over a personal dispute.

The couple was fully cleared of all charges. Vigdorovitz admitted his actions as part of a plea deal and served four years in prison. In sentencing, the judge emphasized the severity of the crimes, stating that the defendant “made worldwide efforts to carry out his actions.”

Additional Fraud Investigations

At the same time, Mako reported that Vigdorovitz is also wanted in Israel in connection with a sophisticated real estate scam, involving the sale of an apartment belonging to two elderly, isolated women and the takeover of another property in Tel Aviv.

If he is eventually extradited to Israel following the conclusion of U.S. proceedings, he is expected to be interrogated in these cases and face the serious charges against him.

(YWN World Headquarters – NYC)

SAN FRANCISCO – Immigration and Customs Enforcement has no planned immigration operations at Sunday’s Super Bowl LX, according to a communication from the game’s host committee to local officials.

The Bay Area’s host committee informed elected officials in San Francisco, Santa Clara and San Jose of the development in a memo following calls Friday with members of the NFL security and events teams and federal and local law enforcement officials.

The host committee wrote in the memo, a copy of which was obtained Monday by The Washington Post: “Public safety is our top priority for Super Bowl LX. We have been in daily contact with the NFL, which has confirmed the following with the Department of Homeland Security: There are no planned ICE immigration enforcement operations associated with SBLX.”

The committee wrote that in “coordination with NFL security and local law enforcement, DHS will have federal agents at the Super Bowl to keep fans safe.” It added that the “federal security presence at SBLX is consistent with past Super Bowls and comparable to how DHS protects other major sporting events like the Olympics and World Cup.”

Cathy L. Lanier, the NFL’s chief security officer and a former D.C. police chief, confirmed the host committee’s assertion Tuesday.

“There are no planned ICE or immigration enforcement operations that are scheduled around the Super Bowl or any of the Super Bowl-related events,” Lanier said at a news conference related to Super Bowl security.

As with any Super Bowl, there are many related events for fans scheduled for the week leading up to the game.

“That includes all of the Super Bowl-related events,” Lanier said. “Again, we’ve been working with our DHS partners for 18 months. Everybody has got specific roles that they’re assigned to. There’s no ICE agents assigned as a part of our security team here. But everybody is focused on our mission here and already at it as of this morning.”

Jeffrey M. Brannigan, the Department of Homeland Security’s designated federal coordinator for Super Bowl LX, was asked during Tuesday’s news conference whether he also would commit to no ICE operations at the Super Bowl.

“I defer to Chief Lanier on those questions,” Brannigan said.

Of the DHS role at the Super Bowl, Brannigan said: “Our responsibility is to support the security planning of the cities that are responsible for these events. And that is what we are doing. There are multiple DHS agencies involved in that effort, including DHS law enforcement but not exclusive to DHS law enforcement. … The department’s depth in providing services, technical expertise and personnel to this event and other special events is wide ranging and well established.”

The Seattle Seahawks are scheduled to face the New England Patriots on Sunday at Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara.

The Department of Homeland Security did not specify its plans Monday.

“DHS is committed to working with our local and federal partners to ensure the Super Bowl is safe for everyone involved, as we do with every major sporting event, including the World Cup. Our mission remains unchanged,” assistant secretary Tricia McLaughlin said in a statement. “We will not disclose future operations or discuss personnel. Super Bowl security will entail a whole of government response conducted in-line with the U.S. Constitution. Those who are here legally and are not breaking other laws have nothing to fear.”

Protests have erupted in cities nationwide in recent weeks over federal immigration personnel’s deployment across the country and the fatal shootings of two Americans, Renée Good and Alex Pretti, in Minneapolis last month.

The killing of Pretti, an ICU nurse, two weeks after immigration officers fatally shot Good, a poet and mother of three, added to mounting public outrage and demands for accountability over the militarized tactics the Trump administration has pursued while ramping up immigration enforcement.

Bad Bunny, the halftime performer at the Super Bowl, sharply criticized ICE during Sunday’s Grammy Awards. The Puerto Rican rapper, who won best música urbana album, received a standing ovation for his remarks.

“Before I say thanks to God, I’m going to say: ICE out,” Bad Bunny said. “We’re not savages, we’re not animals, we’re not aliens. We are humans. And we are Americans. … The only thing that is more powerful than hate is love.”

President Donald Trump, after attending last year’s Super Bowl in New Orleans, has said he will not attend this year’s game. He has cited the distance of the game from the East Coast and the selections of the musical performers.

Homeland Security Secretary Kristi L. Noem previously said ICE would conduct enforcement activities at the Super Bowl.

“I have the responsibility to make sure everybody who goes to the Super Bowl has the opportunity to enjoy it and to leave safely,” Noem told Benny Johnson on “The Benny Show” in October, according to Fox News. “That’s what America’s about. We’ll be all over that place.”

Noem said then that those attending the Super Bowl should be law-abiding Americans “who love this country.”

The Super Bowl is classified as a Special Event Assessment Rating (SEAR) Level 1 event, which DHS defines as “significant events with national and/or international importance that require extensive federal interagency support.” As with other NFL games, flight above the stadium will be temporarily restricted. Federal authorities will be on hand to mitigate any threatening drone activity. State and local authorities and local law enforcement, the NFL and a collection of federal agencies are involved in the planning.

– – –

Goodell on security

NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell did not directly address the issue of ICE operations at his annual news conference during Super Bowl week Monday.

“Security is obviously one of the things we focus on the most,” Goodell said. “It’s a SEAR 1 level event that involves unique assets at the federal level, the state level and the local level all working together. I see no change in that in the preparations for the Super Bowl. We have not seen that. We’re working with all three of those levels and doing everything we can to make sure it’s the safest environment. And the federal government is a big part of that, including this administration and every other administration before that. … I just anticipate we’ll continue to do the work to make it the safest event.”

Goodell called Bad Bunny “one of the great artists in the world” and added: “That’s one of the reasons we chose him. But the other reason is he understood the platform he was on. And this platform is to use to unite people and to be able to bring people together with their creativity, with their talent and to be able to use this moment to do that. … I think he’ll have a great performance.”

(c) 2026, The Washington Post

{Matzav.com}

WASHINGTON (AP) — A federal judge said Tuesday that he knows of no U.S. Supreme Court precedent to justify the Pentagon’s censuring of a sitting U.S. senator who joined a videotaped plea for troops to resist unlawful orders from the Trump administration.

Sen. Mark Kelly had a front-row seat in a courtroom as his attorneys urged U.S. District Judge Richard Leon to block the Pentagon from punishing the Arizona Democrat, a retired U.S. Navy pilot. Leon didn’t immediately rule from the bench on Kelly’s claims that Pentagon officials violated his First Amendment free speech rights.

But the judge appeared to be skeptical of key arguments that a government attorney made in defense of Kelly’s Jan. 5 censure from Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth.

“You’re asking me to do something the Supreme Court has never done,” the judge told Justice Department attorney John Bailey. “Isn’t that a bit of a stretch?”

Bailey argued that Congress decided that retired military service members are subject to the same Uniform Code of Military Justice that applies to active-duty troops.

“Retirees are part of the armed forces,” Bailey said. “They are not separated from the services.”

Benjamin Mizer, one of Kelly’s lawyers, said they aren’t aware of any ruling to support the notion that military retirees have “diminished speech rights.” And he argued that the First Amendment clearly protects Kelly’s speech in this case.

“And any other approach would be to make new law,” Mizer added.

Leon, who was nominated to the bench by Republican President George W. Bush, said the Pentagon’s actions against Kelly could have a chilling effect on “many, many other retirees who wish to voice their opinion.”

The judge said he hopes to issue a ruling by next Wednesday. Kelly shook hands with two government attorneys after the hearing.

In November, Kelly and five other Democratic lawmakers appeared on a video in which they urged troops to uphold the Constitution and not to follow unlawful military directives from the Trump administration.

Republican President Donald Trump accused the lawmakers of sedition “punishable by DEATH” in a social media post days later. Hegseth said Kelly’s censure was “a necessary process step” to proceedings that could result in a demotion from the senator’s retired rank of captain and subsequent reduction in retirement pay.

The 90-second video was first posted on a social media account belonging to Sen. Elissa Slotkin. Reps. Jason Crow, Chris Deluzio, Maggie Goodlander and Chrissy Houlahan also appeared in the video. All of the participants are veterans of the armed services or intelligence communities.

The Pentagon began investigating Kelly in late November, citing a federal law that allows retired service members to be recalled to active duty on orders of the defense secretary for possible court-martial or other punishment.

Hegseth has said Kelly was the only one of the six lawmakers to be investigated because he is the only one who formally retired from the military and still falls under the Pentagon’s jurisdiction.

State Attorney Amit Isman has directed police to expand the list of suspected offenses against Bezalel Zini and two other soldiers to include “assisting the enemy in wartime,” a move taken at the final stage of a probe into the alleged smuggling of cigarettes into the Gaza Strip during the war.

Under Israeli law, assisting the enemy in wartime is among the gravest criminal offenses, with penalties that can reach life imprisonment or even death.

The decision marks a sharp escalation from a similar case only weeks ago, when soldiers from the Bedouin Reconnaissance Battalion accused of smuggling cigarettes into Gaza were charged with a lesser security offense carrying a maximum sentence of five years. Investigators say Zini and the two other suspects are alleged to have engaged in the same conduct.

MK Moshe Saada, who previously served as deputy and acting head of the Police Internal Investigations Department (Mahash), condemned the prosecutor’s decision. “Amit Isman, who is unfit and has failed, continues to use his position for political purposes and to act systematically to thwart members of the national camp,” Saada said.

Saada went further, accusing the prosecution of abusing its authority. “The delusional instruction to add an offense of assisting the enemy-punishable by death or life imprisonment-to an allegation of cigarette smuggling is part of a planned witch hunt whose goal is to trigger a constitutional crisis or to force the resignation of the Shin Bet chief, who exposed the military advocate general affair and does not fall in line with Isman and his deep-state associates.”

Earlier on Tuesday, a court approved publication of the fact that Zini is suspected of involvement in the wartime smuggling of cigarettes into Gaza.

Police told the court that Zini’s questioning has concluded and stressed that the central allegation against him relates solely to cigarette smuggling. His detention, along with that of the two other soldiers, was extended until Thursday. At the same time, authorities confirmed that all three are also under investigation for assisting the enemy in wartime.

According to police, investigators carried out a series of investigative steps over the past several weeks and have now completed the evidence-gathering phase.

Following developments in the case, prosecutors have submitted a prosecutor’s statement against Zini, a procedural step that typically precedes the filing of formal charges, which is expected on Thursday.

{Matzav.com}

Legislation that U.S. President Donald Trump signed into law on Tuesday included more than $4 billion for Israel, as well as several other provisions in support of the Jewish state, according to the American Israel Public Affairs Committee.

Trump acted fewer than three hours after the U.S. House of Representatives cleared the bill that would reopen the federal government through Sept. 30 after a short shutdown. The Senate had passed the legislation earlier.

Atop the list is $3.8 billion for the U.S.-Israel Memorandum of Understanding, which includes $3.3 billion in security assistance and $500 million for missile defense, such as Iron Dome and Arrow.

“Congress sent a powerful message about the strength and vibrancy of the U.S.-Israel alliance,” AIPAC stated. “This funding makes America safer, stronger and more prosperous, and ensures our democratic ally can defend itself from our shared enemies.”

Other funding includes $47.5 million for U.S.-Israel emerging technology cooperation (a $27.5 million increase), $75 million for U.S.-Israel counter-drone and directed energy investment (up $20 million), $80 million for U.S.-Israel anti-tunnel defense cooperation (a $32.5 million increase), $37.5 million for the Nita Lowey Middle East Partnership for Peace Act that supports economic cooperation and peace building and $3 million for U.S.-Israel international development cooperation.

The measure also bans funding for the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees, the International Criminal Court, the International Court of Justice and the U.N. Human Rights Council’s Commission of Inquiry against Israel.

“Congress once again came together to send an unequivocal and bipartisan message of support for Israel and the U.S-Israel relationship,” AIPAC stated. “This strong bipartisan support reflects that the enduring partnership between the United States and the Jewish state remains stronger than ever.” JNS

{Matzav.com}

A fire has ripped through homes under construction in Jackson this evening, as first reported on TLS Communities.

The fire broke out at the Jackson 21 community shortly after 7:00 PM, and quickly spread throughout the structure.

Firefighters are attempting to contain the blaze.

Videos on TLS Communities. 

Developing. 

https://thelakewoodscoop.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/IMG_7503-W.mp4

YS GOLD 

We regret to inform you of the passing of Reb Shimshon Pattashnik, z”l, the longtime shammas of Congregation Beth Israel on 11th Avenue Shul. He was a longtime Boro Park resident and left this world at the age of 94. 

The niftar hailed from a Lubavitcher family in Baltimore, and his father was a Rov in the community. Reb Shimshon attained semicha in Yeshivas Ner Yisroel, and became a Rov in an out of town community. 

He came to Boro Park for the chinch  his children, and soon assumed the position of shammas at Congregation Beth Israel. 

Rav Pesach Korb, the longtime Rov of the shul, describes a personality who did his work with great devotion and care. “He was a Talmid chochom, and a ba’al middos,” he said. “And his word was a word.”  

Reb Shimshon was deeply beloved by all the members of the congregation, and was part of all their simchos and other occasions. 

His passing is a sad loss for this kehillah and for the Boro Park community in general. 

The levaya will take place at Shomrei Hadas at 11:30 Wednesday morning, and he will be laid to rest on Old Montefiore Cemetery.   

Yehi zichro baruch.

The Otef Israel Forum responded to the report on Tuesday on mortar shells and rockets that were discovered in the southern Gaza Strip, warning that, in its words, this is only “the tip of the iceberg” of a much wider and dangerous phenomenon.

According to the forum, trucks entering the Strip from Egypt are not subjected to adequate security screening. The statement added that the sheer volume of trucks entering Gaza from Israel through the Kerem Shalom Crossing also makes proper inspections impossible.

“This is an enormous flow of trucks,” the statement said. “Under these conditions, effective supervision and control over what enters the Strip simply cannot be carried out.”

The forum stressed that as long as Hamas has not been demilitarized, no trucks should be allowed to enter the Gaza Strip. “We reiterate our warning: any truck entering Gaza could be the one that enables the next massacre.”

The forum called on the government and the security establishment to change the policy governing the entry of goods into Gaza and to place the prevention of terrorist rearmament at the very top of national priorities.

(YWN Israel Desk—Jerusalem)

SAN FRANCISCO – Google breached its own policies that barred use of artificial intelligence for weapons or surveillance in 2024 by helping an Israeli military contractor analyze drone video footage, a former Google employee alleged in a confidential federal whistleblower complaint reviewed by The Washington Post.

Google’s Gemini AI technology was being used by Israel’s defense apparatus at a time that the company was publicly distancing itself from the country’s military after employee protests over a contract with Israel’s government, according to internal documents included in the complaint.

In July 2024, Google’s cloud-computing division received a customer support request from a person using an Israel Defense Forces email address, according to the documents included in the complaint, which was filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission in August. The name on the customer support request matches a publicly listed employee of Israeli tech firm CloudEx, which the complaint to the SEC alleges is an IDF contractor.

The request from the IDF email address asked for help making Google’s Gemini more reliable at identifying objects such as drones, armored vehicles and soldiers in aerial video footage, according to the internal documents included with the complaint. Staff in Google’s cloud unit responded by making suggestions and doing internal tests, the documents said.

At the time, Google’s public “AI principles” stated that the company would not deploy AI technology in relation to weapons, or to surveillance “violating internationally accepted norms.” The whistleblower complaint alleges that the IDF contractor’s use contradicted both policies.

The complaint to the SEC alleges that Google broke securities laws because by contradicting its own publicly stated policies, which had also been included in federal filings, the company misled investors and regulators.

“Many of my projects at Google have gone through their internal AI ethics review process,” the former employee who filed the complaint said in a statement to The Post, provided on the condition of anonymity for fear of retaliation from the company. “That process is robust and as employees we are regularly reminded of how important the company’s AI Principles are. But when it came to Israel and Gaza, the opposite was true. … I filed with the SEC because I felt the company needed to be held accountable for this double standard.”

A Google spokesperson contested the whistleblower’s allegations and said the company did not violate its AI principles because the account’s usage of its AI services was too small to be “meaningful.” The AI product that was used is broadly available to any customer, the spokesperson said.

“We answered a general use question, as we would for any customer, with standard, help desk information, and did not provide any further technical assistance,” a statement provided by the spokesperson said. “The ticket originated from an account with less than a couple hundred dollars of monthly spend on AI products, which makes any meaningful usage of AI impossible.”

Google documentation for its “cloud video intelligence” service says that tracking objects in video is free for the first 1,000 minutes and then costs 15 cents per minute.

A spokesperson for the SEC declined to comment. Anyone can file a complaint with the agency, which does not make them public. Complaints do not automatically lead to an investigation.

Representatives for the IDF and CloudEx did not respond to requests for comment.

In 2024, CloudEx was among the sponsors of a tech conference held south of Tel Aviv called “IT for IDF,” which featured Israeli military officials praising the importance of cloud computing to its operations in Gaza, according to the event website.

The complaint to the SEC claims that the use of Gemini described in the internal Google documents was related to Israel’s operations in Gaza, without citing specific evidence. Google previously said its work for the Israeli government was “not directed at highly sensitive, classified, or military workloads relevant to weapons or intelligence services.”

Google, which used the motto “Don’t be evil” when it went public in 2004, has since its founding focused on serving consumers and businesses. More recently, company leaders have also sought defense contracts, triggering protests from some employees.

The company introduced its AI policies that barred uses related to weapons or surveillance in 2018, after employee pushback led the company to decline to renew a Pentagon contract that involved analyzing drone footage.

In 2021, Google and Amazon won a $1.2 billion cloud deal with Israel’s government known as Project Nimbus. Microsoft also provides cloud computing to the Israeli government. Amazon founder Jeff Bezos owns The Post.

Some Google, Amazon and Microsoft employees have protested the companies’ work with Israel. Google fired more than 50 workers in April 2024, according to a group representing the workers, after some of them staged sit-ins at company offices and demanded it cease working with the Israeli government. Microsoft has also fired workers, after protests at its campus near Seattle.

Google in February of last year updated its AI policies to remove its pledges not to apply the technology to weapons or surveillance, saying it needed to evolve to help democratically elected governments keep up in the global battle for AI dominance.

When the CloudEx employee filed the support request to Google in 2024, they described a bug that led to the Gemini AI software failing to properly analyze aerial footage some of the time. A Google staffer was copied in on the initial request, according to the documents included in the complaint to the SEC. The complaint alleges that staffer works on the IDF’s Google Cloud account.

After exchanging several messages with a Google support worker, the CloudEx employee said the issue resolved itself, according to the documents.

In December, the Pentagon announced that Google’s Gemini was the first AI offering to be provided to Defense Department employees on its new GenAI.mil platform, under a new drive to increase military use of the technology.

The whistleblower report adds to claims that major American tech companies have been drawn into assisting Israel in its war in Gaza, even as public opposition to the war in the United States has grown.

Israel has said that about 1,200 people, most of them civilians, died in the Oct. 7, 2023, attacks by Hamas that triggered the war. The Gaza Health Ministry, which does not differentiate between civilians and combatants, says that more than 71,000 Palestinians have been killed in the Israel-Gaza war.

Reporting from The Post and other news organizations has shown that Google and other U.S. tech giants have worked on military-related projects for Israel.

In January 2025, The Post reported that Google employees rushed to provide the Israeli military with greater access to AI tools in the weeks after the Oct. 7 attack. An internal document showed that one Google worker had warned colleagues that if requests from Israel’s Defense Ministry for more AI capacity were not approved, the country might turn to Amazon instead.

In August, Microsoft, which also has contracts with the Israeli government, said it had opened an internal inquiry after the Guardian newspaper reported that the company’s cloud services were being used to store phone-call data obtained through large-scale surveillance of civilians in Gaza and the West Bank.

In September, Microsoft said the investigation led it to shut off a unit inside Israel’s Ministry of Defense from accessing some cloud services, in line with its terms of service barring mass surveillance of civilians.

(c) 2026, The Washington Post

President Donald Trump signed a roughly $1.2 trillion government funding bill Tuesday that ends the partial federal shutdown that began over the weekend and sets the stage for an intense debate in Congress over Homeland Security funding.

The president moved quickly to sign the bill after the House approved it with a 217-214 vote.

“This bill is a great victory for the American people,” Trump said.

The vote Tuesday wrapped up congressional work on 11 annual appropriations bills that fund government agencies and programs through Sept. 30.

Passage of the legislation marked the end point for one funding fight, but the start of another. That’s because the package only funds the Department of Homeland Security for two weeks, through Feb 13, at the behest of Democrats who are demanding more restrictions on immigration enforcement after the shooting deaths of Alex Pretti and Renee Good by federal officers in Minneapolis.

Leaders are digging in for a fight

Difficult negotiations are ahead, particularly for the agency that enforces the nation’s immigration laws — U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, or ICE.

House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries quickly warned Democrats would not support any further temporary funding for Homeland Security without substantial changes to its immigration operations., raising the potential of another shutdown for the department and its agencies.

“We need dramatic change in order to make sure that ICE and other agencies within the department of Homeland Security are conducting themselves like every other law enforcement organization in the country,” Jeffries said.

Speaker Mike Johnson said he expects the two sides will be able to reach an agreement by the deadline.

“This is no time to play games with that funding. We hope that they will operate in good faith over the next 10 days as we negotiate this,” said Johnson. “The president, again, has reached out.”

But Johnson’s counterpart across the Capitol, Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D., sounded less optimistic of a deal. “There’s always miracles, right?” Thune told reporters.

Voting with no margin for error

The funding bill that cleared Congress Tuesday had provisions that appealed to both parties.

Republicans avoided a massive, catchall funding bill known as an omnibus as part of this year’s appropriations process. Such bills, often taken up before the holiday season with lawmakers anxious to return home, have contributed to greater federal spending, they say.

Democrats were able to fend off some of Trump’s most draconian proposed cuts while adding language that helps ensure funds are spent as stipulated by Congress.

Still, Johnson needed near-unanimous support from his Republican conference to proceed to a final vote on the bill. He narrowly got it during a roll call that was held open for nearly an hour as leaders worked to gain support from a handful of GOP lawmakers who were trying to advance other priorities unrelated to the funding measure.

The final vote wasn’t much easier for GOP leaders. In the end, 21 Republicans sided with the vast majority of Democrats in voting against the funding bill, while that exact same number of Democrats sided with the vast majority of Republicans in voting yes.

Trump had weighed in Monday in a social media post, calling on Republicans to stay united and telling holdouts, “There can be NO CHANGES at this time.”

Key differences from the last shutdown

The current partial shutdown that is coming to a close differed in many ways from the fall impasse, which affected more agencies and lasted a record 43 days.

Then, the debate was over extending temporary coronavirus pandemic-era subsidies for those who get health coverage through the Affordable Care Act. Democrats were unsuccessful in getting those subsidies included as part of a package to end the shutdown.

Congress made important progress since then. Some of the six appropriations bills it passed prior to Tuesday ensured the current shutdown had less sting. For example, important programs such as nutrition assistance and fully operating national parks and historic sites were already funded through Sept. 30.

The remaining bills passed Tuesday mean that the vast majority of the federal government has been funded.

“You might say that now that 96% of the government is funded, it’s just 4% what’s out there?” Johnson said. “But it’s a very important 4%”

(AP)