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An Israeli district court has found Sheba Medical Center responsible for the death of a five-day-old premature baby who contracted a deadly antibiotic-resistant infection while hospitalized in the neonatal intensive care unit, ruling that failures in infection prevention and the medical response contributed to the infant’s death.

Judge Orly Mor-El determined that the evidence indicated the newborn most likely contracted the lethal bacteria inside Sheba’s NICU. The state, which operates the hospital, was ordered to pay nearly 2.2 million shekels in damages, legal fees and additional costs.

The baby was born prematurely at 35 weeks, weighing approximately 1.8 kilograms, or about four pounds. Although he was described as alert and in stable condition following his birth, doctors immediately admitted him to the NICU for observation.

Because the infant’s mother was a carrier of Group B Streptococcus, or GBS, doctors also began administering preventive antibiotics, a standard precaution under such circumstances.

For the first three days, there were no indications that anything was seriously wrong. The infant appeared to be developing as expected, and medical testing did not produce any results that raised alarms.

On the fourth day of his life, doctors stopped administering the antibiotics in accordance with standard medical protocol.

Later that same day, however, the baby’s condition suddenly and dramatically worsened.

The infant began suffering interruptions in his breathing, his heart rate dropped sharply, and his temperature climbed above 38 degrees Celsius, or 100.4 degrees Fahrenheit.

NICU personnel launched intensive efforts to resuscitate the baby and transferred him for critical care as they attempted to stabilize his condition. Despite those efforts, they were unable to save him.

The baby died the following day, at just five days old.

An examination conducted after his death determined that he had contracted an aggressive strain of Enterobacter bacteria known as ESBL, which is resistant to antibiotics.

In her ruling, Judge Mor-El found that the evidence made it substantially more likely that the newborn acquired the infection from within the NICU rather than from an outside source.

Hospital records played a significant role in that conclusion. At least 18 other premature babies being treated in the unit were found to be carriers of the same bacterial strain.

“The defendant’s silence works against it,” the judge wrote.

Mor-El found that the state had failed to establish that sufficient precautions were taken to prevent the bacteria from spreading among infants in the unit. She concluded that Sheba Medical Center had not demonstrated that all required infection-control procedures had been properly implemented.

The court also identified serious problems with the medical team’s response once the newborn’s condition began deteriorating.

According to the ruling, doctors mistakenly believed that the infant remained protected against infection because he had been receiving antibiotics until that morning.

As a result, the medical investigation into his rapidly worsening condition was delayed, as was the decision to broaden his antibiotic treatment.

The court concluded that the delay was a critical factor in the tragic outcome.

Judge Mor-El acknowledged that members of the hospital staff were attempting to care for the infant under difficult circumstances in an overcrowded NICU and that their actions were undertaken with good intentions.

Nevertheless, the court concluded that those circumstances did not absolve the state of responsibility and found it fully liable for the infant’s death.

The court awarded the baby’s estate 1,788,524 shekels in damages.

An additional 418,514 shekels was awarded for attorneys’ fees, along with further court costs, bringing the total amount the state was ordered to pay to nearly 2.2 million shekels.

{Matzav.com}

Rav Avigdor Nebenzahl, rov of the Old City of Yerushalayim, has issued a sharply worded letter opposing a planned joint prayer gathering involving Jews and Christians at the Kosel, calling the event a desecration of Hashem’s name and urging that it be canceled. The letter was also signed by the Rishon LeTzion, Rav Shlomo Moshe Amar.

The controversial gathering is scheduled to take place at the Kosel on 26 Tishrei 5787, shortly after Sukkos. Rav Nebenzahl warned that holding such an event at one of Judaism’s holiest sites would constitute a desecration of both Hashem’s name and the sanctity of the location.

In his letter, Rav Nebenzahl describes the proposed gathering as a desecration of Hashem’s name and of the site of the Bais Hamikdash, expressing unequivocal opposition to allowing it to proceed. He states that the entire length of the Kosel and its surrounding areas, as well as the Southern Wall and Davidson Center, are sacred Jewish prayer sites.

Rav Nebenzahl further writes that there is a “severe prohibition against cooperating in any manner whatsoever or participating with them in this event.”

He called upon every G-d-fearing Jew to distance himself from the gathering and to work with determination toward preventing it from taking place.

Rav Nebenzahl also addressed reports claiming that he had given his approval to the planned event, emphatically denying that he had ever done so.

“I hereby deny any publication claiming that, Heaven forbid, I gave my approval to this grave event at the Kosel, the likes of which has not occurred since the destruction of the Bais Hamikdash,” he wrote.

The letter portrays the planned gathering as unprecedented since the destruction of the Bais Hamikdash and warns of the serious spiritual and public consequences that could result from conducting such an event at the sacred site.

Adding considerable weight to the protest, Rav Shlomo Moshe Amar, the former Rishon LeTzion, added his signature to Rav Nebenzahl’s letter, joining the call against the planned joint prayer gathering.

Rav Amar’s participation reflects the seriousness with which leading rabbonim are viewing the proposal and broadens the rabbinic opposition to holding the event at the Kosel.

Concluding his letter, Rav Nebenzahl calls upon the public to actively seek the cancellation of the gathering.

“In these difficult days, when the honor of Hashem and those who study Torah is being desecrated, it is fitting for every G-d-fearing Jew to distance himself from the desecration of holiness and to act with mesirus nefesh to cancel the gathering, for the honor of Heaven and His Torah,” he wrote.

Rav Nebenzahl closes with an especially forceful declaration regarding participation alongside adherents of Christianity.

“Under no circumstances is it possible to participate together with believers in that man,” he wrote, using the traditional rabbinic reference to the central figure of Christianity.

The controversy comes amid years of disputes over the religious character of the Kosel and the activities permitted in and around its prayer areas. Previous battles have centered largely on efforts by the Reform and Conservative movements to conduct non-Orthodox prayer services at the site. The latest dispute, however, concerns an event involving joint prayer with Christians.

Rav Nebenzahl’s position is notable in light of his previous forceful condemnation of Jews who spit at or otherwise mistreat Christian clergy in the Old City. In those cases, he stressed that such behavior can constitute a serious desecration of Hashem’s name.

His opposition to mistreatment of Christians, however, is entirely separate from the current issue. Here, Rav Nebenzahl maintains that conducting a joint religious service with Christians at the Kosel itself crosses a fundamental religious boundary and constitutes a desecration of the sanctity of the site.

The United States has formally removed Syria from its list of state sponsors of terrorism, marking a dramatic shift in Washington’s relationship with Damascus and opening the door to billions of dollars in potential foreign investment as Syria seeks to rebuild following the collapse of the Assad regime.

The U.S. State Department announced the decision following a congressional review period and after President Donald Trump’s administration had already taken steps to ease sanctions imposed on Syria.

The move is expected to significantly reduce Syria’s isolation from the international financial system while eliminating restrictions that had affected foreign assistance and defense-related exports.

Secretary of State Marco Rubio said as the process moved forward that lifting the restrictions would make international trade and investment possible and provide Syria with an opportunity to rebuild after years of devastating conflict.

The decision comes amid commitments from Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa that his government will no longer support terrorism, a key issue in Washington’s deliberations over changing Syria’s status.

Trump and al-Sharaa also met last month during the NATO summit in Ankara, as the two governments continued a remarkable diplomatic rapprochement that would have been nearly unimaginable under Syria’s previous government.

The lifting of the restrictions is expected to unleash significant investment interest from the Gulf, with Saudi companies and businesses from other Gulf states reportedly preparing to invest billions of dollars in Syria’s reconstruction.

Since the Assad regime was toppled in late 2024, the new government in Damascus has received growing international backing as it attempts to stabilize the country and restore Syria’s economic and diplomatic relationships.

Al-Sharaa has meanwhile embarked on an extensive diplomatic campaign aimed at establishing the legitimacy of his government, meeting with leaders across Europe and the Middle East as Damascus seeks to emerge from years of international isolation.

{Matzav.com}

Rav Reuven Elbaz, rosh yeshiva of Yeshivas Ohr Hachaim and a member of the Moetzet Chachmei HaTorah of Shas, delivered stirring words of chizuk during Selichos at his yeshiva overnight, urging his talmidim and mispallelim to recognize how quickly Elul is passing and to take full advantage of the remaining days for teshuvah and personal growth.

“Time jumps, time skips; it does not move normally,” Rav Elbaz said. “Already a third of the month that we began, Elul, is gone. We now have two-thirds left — we have to utilize them very, very well.”

Rav Elbaz cited the Rambam’s teachings in Hilchos Teshuvah, emphasizing that genuine teshuvah begins with a sincere internal decision to abandon a sin and not return to it.

“A person wants to do teshuvah — all he has to do is make a decision in his heart, confess with his lips, and accept in his heart that he will not do it anymore,” Rav Elbaz said. “Hashem sees the heart. When a person accepts something in his heart, immediately Hakadosh Boruch Hu helps him.”

Rav Elbaz then spoke at length about the remarkable transformation of Rav Uri Zohar zt”l, who embraced a life of teshuvah in adulthood and ultimately became, as Rav Elbaz described him, an extraordinary talmid chochom.

Rav Elbaz related that Rav Zohar would describe how, once he made an absolute commitment to following the path of Torah, he began experiencing unmistakable siyata diShmaya that enabled him to overcome the many difficulties accompanying such a dramatic change in his life.

During the early stages of his journey, Rav Zohar also faced significant differences within his own home. Rather than attempting to force his new way of life upon his family, however, he allowed the transformation to unfold gradually.

Over time, Rav Elbaz related, Rav Zohar’s children began joining him at his Shabbos table, and eventually his wife also grew stronger in her commitment to Torah.

Rav Elbaz also referred to the eventual teshuvah of members of the family of famed Israeli singer Arik Einstein, who had been one of Rav Zohar’s closest friends, and described Rav Zohar’s extraordinary attachment to Shabbos.

“This is my soul, this is me,” Rav Elbaz quoted Rav Zohar as saying. “No one will replace me; no person in the world will ever replace me.”

Concluding his remarks, Rav Elbaz stressed that extraordinary spiritual achievement is not reserved for a select few, but is within the reach of anyone prepared to pursue it with determination and consistency.

“Every single person can become a righteous, holy person. Every person can reach the highest levels. What does it take? Desire, determination, dedication to the goal. Don’t move. Set yourself a goal in life — and you will go far.”

{Matzav.com}

Israel Police is preparing to send its largest-ever delegation to assist the tens of thousands of Breslover Chassidim expected to travel to Uman for Rosh Hashanah, with more than 40 Israeli police officers slated to be deployed along key travel routes and in Uman itself.

According to a report by Shilo Fried, the planned deployment will surpass the number of Israeli officers sent in previous years to accompany the massive annual pilgrimage to the kever of Rav Nachman of Breslov.

The Israeli officers are expected to be stationed in Ukraine and Romania, including at border crossings used by the travelers, as well as in Uman. Their responsibilities will include providing translation assistance, helping travelers navigate interactions with local authorities and working to prevent incidents during the complicated journey.

The delegation could grow further if additional countries through which the Breslover travelers are expected to pass request the presence of Israeli police officers at airports or border crossings.

Preparations are underway in Uman for approximately 45,000 mispallelim to arrive for Rosh Hashanah, with an estimated 35,000 expected to travel from Israel.

Because of the ongoing war in Ukraine and the inability of the large numbers of travelers to fly directly into the country, hundreds of flights are expected to land in neighboring countries. Travelers will arrive through Romania, Moldova, Poland, Hungary, Slovakia and Bulgaria before continuing overland toward Ukraine and ultimately Uman.

The Israeli Foreign Ministry is also preparing an extensive operation to assist the travelers. Dozens of Israeli diplomats are expected to be positioned at airports and border crossings along the various routes as part of the government’s logistical support operation.

The overall cost to the Israeli government of providing the additional police, diplomatic and logistical assistance is expected to reach hundreds of thousands of shekels.

Ukrainian officials and Breslover organizations are meanwhile making their own preparations for the arrival of the massive crowds.

According to an earlier report by Emess, the Ichud Breslov B’Uman organization reached an agreement with the Uman municipality concerning the tourist tax imposed on visitors. Under the arrangement, travelers who pay the tax in advance will be charged $27 instead of the $45 fee charged upon entering the city.

Rav Nosson Ben Nun, chairman of Ichud Breslov, also recently met with the governor of the Cherkasy region, the regional police commander and other senior officials to coordinate arrangements ahead of Rosh Hashanah.

Officials emphasized during the discussions that visitors will be required to comply with instructions issued by Ukrainian authorities throughout their stay, particularly given the continuing wartime conditions in the country.

Travelers will also be expected to strictly observe local curfew hours and other security regulations imposed by Ukrainian authorities.

The unusually large Israeli police deployment reflects the logistical challenge surrounding this year’s Rosh Hashanah pilgrimage, as tens of thousands of Breslover Chassidim make their way through multiple countries and border crossings before reaching Uman for the annual gathering at the kever of Rav Nachman.

{Matzav.com}

Nick Bougas, the American cartoonist whose virulently antisemitic and racist artwork gained widespread notoriety and whose “Happy Merchant” drawing eventually became one of the internet’s most recognizable antisemitic memes, has died at the age of 71.

A native of Savannah, Georgia, Bougas produced much of his controversial artwork under the pseudonym A. Wyatt Mann. His illustrations began appearing prominently in white supremacist publications during the late 1980s and early 1990s.

By far his most infamous creation was the image known as the “Happy Merchant,” which portrayed a Jewish man using grotesquely exaggerated facial characteristics, a beard and hands rubbing together in a pose intended to suggest avarice. Long after its original appearance, the cartoon took on a new life online, becoming widely circulated as an antisemitic meme.

People associated with Bougas have confirmed that he was responsible for the cartoons, although Bougas himself never publicly admitted that he had drawn them. The Anti-Defamation League and other organizations that monitor antisemitism have identified the Happy Merchant as a recurring hate symbol that proliferated on internet imageboards and, eventually, across social media.

{Matzav.com}

The wreckage of the Altalena, the arms-carrying Irgun vessel whose destruction during Israel’s War of Independence became one of the most bitter episodes in the fledgling state’s history, has been located deep beneath the Mediterranean Sea off Israel’s coast, government ministers announced Monday.

National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir and Heritage Minister Amichai Eliyahu, both members of Otzma Yehudit, said the vessel remains intact and was discovered at approximately 12:30 a.m. at a depth of 503 meters, or about 1,650 feet, roughly 20 kilometers — 12 miles — offshore “during a complex maritime search operation.”

The ministers attributed the discovery to “long months of meticulous planning and preparation” and the deployment of “special sensors and advanced survey systems.” They said additional information about the operation would be presented at a press conference.

Despite Ben Gvir’s involvement in announcing the discovery, an IDF spokesperson said the military did not participate in the effort to find the Altalena.

Hebrew-language media reported that the search was spearheaded by the Marine Mapping Division of the Survey of Israel, the government body responsible for the country’s mapping and surveying operations.

Hagai Ronen, director-general of the agency, hailed the discovery as a significant intersection of modern technology and Israeli history.

“The locating of the Altalena is an exciting historical moment, in which knowledge, technology and advanced mapping capabilities allow us to touch on a significant chapter in the history of the State of Israel.”

According to Ynet, search teams located the vessel using sonar equipment. Because the wreck lies more than 500 meters beneath the surface and far offshore, however, bringing the entire ship to the surface is believed to be extremely difficult and potentially impossible.

The Heritage Ministry is reportedly examining other ways of commemorating the wreck if it cannot be recovered. Among the possibilities under consideration is placing a floating marker above the location, while efforts are also underway to document the Altalena in its current underwater resting place.

This is not the first time authorities have claimed to have pinpointed the ship. In December 2012, officials announced that the Altalena had been located several miles off Rishon Lezion at a depth of approximately 300 meters. The government said at the time that it hoped to raise the wreck and place it on land in either Tel Aviv or Jerusalem as a memorial.

The Altalena arrived in Israel in June 1948 carrying weapons and ammunition for Menachem Begin’s Irgun forces as the newly established Jewish state was fighting its War of Independence.

Israel and the IDF had been established only weeks earlier, and tensions between Prime Minister David Ben-Gurion and Begin were already intense. Ben-Gurion demanded that the weapons aboard the Altalena be handed over to the newly created IDF, setting the stage for an armed confrontation.

After reaching the Israeli coast and eventually running aground, the vessel became the center of a tense standoff. Irgun members aboard the ship faced IDF and Palmach troops positioned onshore, and the confrontation ultimately erupted into gunfire. Forces on land, under the command of a young Yitzhak Rabin — who would later become IDF chief of staff and prime minister — were ordered to destroy the vessel, which was struck by artillery and burst into flames.

Sixteen members of the Irgun and three IDF soldiers were killed during the confrontation, while the weapons and other supplies aboard the Altalena were lost.

The episode has long been remembered as one of the moments when the newly established State of Israel came perilously close to an internal civil war. Begin instructed his men not to retaliate against the government forces and later reflected on the decision, saying, “My greatest accomplishment was not retaliating and causing civil war.”

The burned-out remains of the Altalena were subsequently pulled farther offshore and sunk. In the decades since, the confrontation and Ben-Gurion’s decision to fire on the ship have remained deeply controversial, particularly on the Israeli right, where the Altalena became an enduring political and historical symbol.

Kan reported in August 2025 that Eliyahu had allocated NIS 1 million — approximately $335,000 — toward efforts to locate the historic wreck. The funding supported the Israeli marine research vessel Bat-Galim, which carried technology capable of searching for and identifying the ship’s remains.

Following the discovery, Eliyahu described the find as “a defining moment for our national memory.”

Ben Gvir also portrayed the discovery as an important moment in confronting a painful episode from Israel’s earliest days, though his precise role in the search operation was not immediately clear.

“Tonight, we are closing a historic circle on one of the most painful and formative events in the history of Israeli society,” said Ben Gvir, whose role in the operation is unclear. Ben Gvir heads the Otzma Yehudit party, which Eliyahu belongs to.

{Matzav.com}

Israeli Prime Minister Binyomin Netanyahu disclosed Monday that Iran had attempted to assassinate one of his children, revealing information that Israeli authorities had previously barred from publication.

Speaking in an interview with Channel 14 News, Netanyahu described the alleged Iranian plot while explaining the extraordinary security measures surrounding members of his family.

“There is something here that is unbelievable. Iran targeted one of my children. Iran tried to murder one of my children,” he said.

Pressed on whether his assertion was based on intelligence that had been presented to him, Netanyahu declined to provide further details and instead reiterated the claim.

“Iran tried to assassinate one of my children,” he said.

Netanyahu said the security protection afforded to his children should therefore not be viewed as an unnecessary privilege, arguing that the threat against them is concrete.

“It is something without which this attempt will simply succeed,” he said.

The disclosure comes weeks after the Ministerial Committee for Shin Bet Affairs approved long-term security arrangements for the Netanyahu family. Under the July 16 decision, Netanyahu will receive security protection for the remainder of his life, while his wife, Sara, will remain protected for her husband’s lifetime. Netanyahu’s sons are slated to retain security for five years even if he does not serve another term as prime minister.

Ahead of that decision, the Shin Bet and Mossad reportedly concluded that Netanyahu and members of his family would remain under a high threat level throughout their lives. Israeli security officials have cited concerns that the country’s enemies could seek revenge against Netanyahu and his relatives over the assassinations of senior Iranian officials during the war.

Evidence of Iranian efforts to target senior Israeli officials emerged two years ago with the arrest of Motti Maman, a 73-year-old Ashkelon resident accused of being recruited by Iranian intelligence operatives to participate in assassination plots. Israeli authorities said the potential targets included Netanyahu, then-Defense Minister Yoav Gallant and then-Shin Bet chief Ronen Bar.

According to Israeli security officials, Maman was secretly transported into Iran on two occasions and received money in connection with missions he was asked to carry out. Authorities said his involvement stemmed from an effort to obtain “easy money” after falling into debt.

Netanyahu’s revelation came amid separate reports that Iranian state television broadcast a video threatening Barron Trump, the 20-year-old son of President Donald Trump.

The Iranian video, titled “Where and How Barron Trump Should Be Killed,” alleges that Barron’s movements have been “fully monitored” and claims that information has been gathered about the university he attends, vehicles traveling with him and the locations of Secret Service personnel assigned to his protection. The broadcast additionally claimed that a $10 million bounty had been placed on Barron, though that assertion had not been independently confirmed at the time of publication.

The latest threat follows another video released in July by the Tasnim News Agency, which is affiliated with Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps. That publication claimed Iranian operatives had uncovered access routes and vulnerabilities involving Melania Trump’s security arrangements in New York. The New York Post also reported in late May on an alleged plot targeting Ivanka Trump.

Iranian state media have additionally directed threats at President Trump himself. In July, a billboard erected in Tehran’s Islamic Revolution Square depicted Trump apparently lying dead in a coffin and carried the English-language threat, “We will kill Trump.”

{Matzav.com}

Following days of intense backlash from Lakewood, NJ parents and mosdos over a stunning increase in non-mandated busing costs, the price families will be required to pay has now been reduced, with the additional charge cut from $560 to $290 per child.

The revised fee means parents will pay a total of $675 per child for non-mandated transportation for the 2026-27 school year rather than the $945 announced by the Lakewood Student Transportation Authority last week.

The turnaround comes after the original increase sparked an uproar across the Lakewood region, with families protesting the sudden financial burden and mosdos taking the extraordinary step of recommending that parents not opt into the program at the $945 rate.

Under the original plan announced last week, the annual cost of non-mandated transportation was set to soar from $385 to $945 per child, leaving families who had already paid the initial $385 with another $560 bill for each affected child.

For a family with four children requiring non-mandated busing, the original increase would have meant an additional $2,240 this year alone, bringing the family’s total transportation bill to $3,780.

The announcement immediately generated widespread anger in a community already grappling with tuition, inflation and rapidly rising household expenses.

The controversy escalated further when the Igud Hamosdos advised Lakewood schools that parents should not, at that point, opt into non-mandated transportation at the newly announced $945 rate.

The position was that the dramatically higher transportation expense should not simply be transferred to parents, and that government funding should instead be found to cover the shortfall.

That recommendation raised the possibility of a major transportation crisis just as the new school year is getting underway. If large numbers of parents refused to enroll their children, LSTA routes could potentially be consolidated or eliminated, leaving families scrambling for transportation and adding countless vehicles to Lakewood’s already heavily congested roads.

Now, following meetings involving representatives of LSTA, local and state government officials and askanim, a portion of the increase has been eliminated.

In a message sent to parents Monday, YSA announced the breakthrough.

“We are pleased to report that we met with representatives of the LSTA, our local and state government officials, and askanim. To ensure bussing for our Kehila starts on time, we were able to reduce the additional non-mandated bussing fee to $290. At this point, we recommend that parents opt in for transportation. Please note that the fee is due now.”

The message continued: “Together, Bezras Hashem we will continue working with the many stakeholders involved to explore possible solutions for bussing. We will continue to keep you updated throughout the year. Thank you for your patience and cooperation.”

The revised arrangement represents a reduction from what parents were facing just days ago. Instead of paying an additional $560 above the original $385 charge, families will now be asked to pay another $290, bringing the total annual cost to $675. In other words, the increase itself has been cut nearly in half — from $560 to $290.

For a family with four affected children, the additional expense drops from $2,240 under the $945 rate to $1,160 under the new $675 rate — a savings of $1,080 compared with what the family was facing under the original announcement.

But many parents are still not satisfied, feeling that this whole thing is still a racket, forcing them to pay more into a system that seems to forever be asking for more.

So, while the latest agreement appears to have defused the immediate threat of widespread opt-outs and a potential transportation breakdown, major questions remain unanswered.

Most notably, it remains unclear how the approximately $270-per-child gap between the $945 LSTA said was necessary and the newly established $675 parent charge will be covered.

The Township, which is itself facing significant budget pressures, is still not contributing funds to cover the shortfall, according to those involved in the discussions.

That leaves open the obvious question of where the money is coming from and whether the arrangement reducing the parent contribution is sustainable for the remainder of the year and beyond.

The underlying financial problem facing Lakewood’s non-mandated transportation system has therefore not disappeared simply because the immediate fee has been reduced.

Chinatown community leaders are pressing Mayor Zohran Mamdani to reconsider plans for a massive new jail in the heart of the Manhattan neighborhood, warning that the deep excavation required for the project could cause surrounding ground to sink and potentially threaten nearby buildings.

The proposed 16-story detention facility is one piece of New York City’s $16 billion effort to shutter the Rikers Island jail complex and replace it with four borough-based jails located closer to courthouses. Under the current timetable, the broader project could be completed by 2032.

“The jail site sits on the soft, waterlogged ground of the old Collect Pond,” according to an Aug. 21 letter sent by 18 local leaders to the mayor, Deputy Mayor Julia Kerson, “Close Rikers’ Czar Dana Kaplan and City Council Speaker Julie Menin.

The group argues that construction at the White Street property could pose unusual risks because crews would have to dig deeply beneath the groundwater level.

“The construction plan calls for the deepest excavation ever attempted on its site, digging well below the water table. The city’s report warns that pumping out that water during construction can cause the surrounding ground to sink, and once it sinks, it does not come back,” the letter said.

The controversy centers on the former Manhattan Detention Complex at 124–125 White Street, which has been demolished to make way for the new borough-based jail. The project has faced intense opposition for years from Chinatown residents, merchants and community groups who have objected to the size, location and potential neighborhood impact of the facility.

The borough-based jail initiative dates back to the administration of Mayor Bill de Blasio, who launched the effort to close Rikers Island nearly a decade ago. The project continued to move forward during Eric Adams’ mayoralty and has now become an issue confronting the Mamdani administration.

Opponents are particularly concerned about the foundations beneath some of Chinatown’s older structures. According to the community leaders, numerous nearby buildings stand on wooden pilings installed roughly a century ago that remain structurally sound because they are submerged in groundwater.

The leaders, citing an analysis by architect William Bialosky, contend that lowering the groundwater level could expose those wooden supports to air, accelerating deterioration and potentially compromising the buildings above them.

“The buildings in the danger zone are our homes, our small businesses, the historic buildings along Baxter Street, and Chung Pak senior housing, where some of our most vulnerable neighbors live,” the Chinatown reps said.

City officials, however, have maintained that the project is being engineered with those concerns in mind. Officials said last month that extensive safeguards are being incorporated to ensure “building safely below the [water] table.”

A July 20 report prepared by the city Department of Design and Construction, contractor Tutor Perini, the Department of Correction and other participants in the project detailed the measures intended to protect neighboring properties during excavation.

According to the report, crews will construct a continuous underground retaining barrier using overlapping concrete piles. The wall is designed to support the excavation, restrict movement of the surrounding soil and control groundwater while work proceeds far below street level.

Project officials acknowledged in the report that groundwater management is an essential component of maintaining stability and “protecting surrounding structures.”

The builders nevertheless maintain that the planned pile-wall system will substantially reduce soil movement and protect nearby buildings, underground utilities and other public infrastructure from the effects of construction.

“Only water within the excavation area is managed, minimizing impacts to the surrounding groundwater level,” the report said.

Officials further argued that the sealed retaining-wall approach is specifically intended to isolate the excavation from the neighborhood around it.

“By containing groundwater and excavation effects within the site, the sealed-wall method reduces risks to surrounding properties and infrastructure.”

Similar secant-pile construction techniques have been employed on major projects elsewhere in New York City, including the Gateway Tunnel Project, 100 11th Avenue in Chelsea, the Hudson Square development known as Project Galaxy for the Walt Disney Company, and 120 Fifth Avenue in Brooklyn.

The dispute over the engineering risks comes amid broader complaints about work already taking place at the Chinatown property. During the demolition and dismantling of the old detention complex, nearby residents have complained about recurring dust, trucks operating or traveling uncovered, idling vehicles and persistent construction noise.

The Chinatown Environmental Health Working Group has also reported elevated levels of particulate matter pollution in the vicinity of the construction site.

Among those who signed the Aug. 21 appeal to Mamdani were Vic Lee, CEO and co-founder of Welcome to Chinatown Inc.; Jan Lee, co-founder of Neighbors United Below Canal; Thomas Yu, executive director of Asian Americans for Equality; and Wayne Ho, president and CEO of the Chinese-American Planning Council, Inc.

{Matzav.com}

The Trump administration on Monday formally launched “Operation Economic Outcast,” an aggressive new campaign aimed at economically isolating Iran and cutting off the revenue streams sustaining the regime, with Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent warning foreign governments that Washington intends to “tighten the noose” around Tehran.

The strategy is designed to pressure countries around the world to halt oil purchases, energy transactions and other commercial dealings with Iran, effectively forcing governments and businesses to choose between maintaining economic ties with Tehran and facing consequences from the United States.

Bessent said President Trump has personally become involved in the pressure campaign, contacting foreign leaders directly with demands that they end specified dealings with Iran. He cautioned that Washington “does not have infinite patience” for governments that fail to cooperate.

“The president is making phone calls to world leaders with specific requests to cease their interactions with the regime. We are already seeing results,” Bessent said, without naming any specific countries.

The economic offensive comes as the war with Iran reaches the six-month mark and follows repeated signals from the administration that it was preparing what officials had described as an “Economic D-Day” intended to dramatically intensify financial pressure on Tehran.

Among the specific demands already conveyed to foreign governments, Bessent said, is a directive to close Bank Melli branches operating within their borders. Bank Melli is Iran’s largest government-owned commercial bank and represents one of the financial institutions Washington is seeking to isolate.

Bessent described Operation Economic Outcast as a comprehensive effort intended to close off alternative avenues through which Tehran could evade the mounting economic restrictions. He said the initiative will “foreclose every other option available,” describing the strategy as a “zero leakage approach” designed to leave the Iranian regime with “no minimal breathing space” to recover economically.

The administration’s objective, according to Bessent, is to confront Tehran with a stark decision between continued defiance accompanied by severe economic isolation and changing course in exchange for the possibility of eventually restoring normal international economic relations.

“Iran now faces a very clear choice, with only two paths before them: complete global isolation and a subsistence economy, or a path back to normalcy with an opportunity to rejoin the global economy,” he said.

Bessent indicated that Monday’s announcement represents only the beginning of the new financial offensive. He said additional sanctions will be unveiled following his press conference and revealed that a major financial institution is expected to be sanctioned before the end of the week.

The Treasury secretary characterized the administration’s broader strategy toward Iran as one of “economic asphyxiation,” signaling that Washington intends to steadily eliminate Tehran’s remaining access to international commerce and financial networks.

{Matzav.com}

A victim of the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks has been formally identified through forensic investigative genetic genealogy, marking the first time New York City has successfully used the emerging technique to identify someone killed at the World Trade Center.

A quarter-century after the attacks claimed nearly 3,000 lives, New York City authorities continue the painstaking effort to identify remains recovered from the World Trade Center site.

The latest identification was made by the New York City Office of the Chief Medical Examiner in conjunction with the NYPD Detective Bureau. Investigators used genetic genealogy, a method that combines DNA analysis with genealogical and family-tree research to establish a person’s identity.

The newly identified victim was an adult woman whose relatives have chosen not to publicly disclose her identity. Her identification brings the number of World Trade Center victims formally identified to 1,654.

“It’s a breakthrough,” Dr. Jason Graham, New York City’s chief medical examiner, told ABC News. “I’m delighted to be able to say that we’ve now applied new methods to the World Trade Center identification efforts, and we have a new identification for the first time in 25 years using new methods, forensic investigative genetic genealogy.”

The scientific tools that made the identification possible were not available when the attacks occurred in 2001, leaving investigators at the time without techniques that have since transformed the investigation of unidentified remains and decades-old cases.

“The technology really wasn’t there,” said NYPD Det. Gregory Paduano. “There’s a lot of good future with genealogy.”

Forensic investigative genetic genealogy has increasingly been used by law enforcement agencies to crack cold cases and identify unknown victims. New York City’s medical examiner and the NYPD have more recently begun applying the same methodology to the enormous and uniquely difficult task of identifying World Trade Center victims.

“We already can see that it’s promising,” said Dr. Jennifer Odien, a forensic anthropologist in the New York medical examiner’s office. “Not every case is going to be able to go through genetic genealogy, but we do have DNA profiles that are not matching to our reference samples, so that’s the group right now that we’re focusing on and that hopefully is going to yield more positive results.”

Odien said investigators have identified 47 DNA profiles that could potentially be candidates for identification through genetic genealogy.

Those cases, however, represent only a small portion of the enormous amount of work that remains. Nearly 1,100 people killed at the World Trade Center — roughly 40% of the victims — have still not been formally identified 25 years after the attacks.

The Office of the Chief Medical Examiner has repeatedly pledged that its identification effort will continue, regardless of how much time passes, as advances in forensic science provide new opportunities to identify victims whose remains could not previously be matched.

“The World Trade Center was the largest mass murder in the history of the United States, and it represents also the most complex forensic identification effort in our history,” Graham said. “And being able to apply new innovations to that identification work is a remarkable way that we can keep our commitment to the families.”

{Matzav.com}

[COMMUNICATED]

Originally branded as “Frumster.com,” the online Jewish dating-for-marriage service was launched in Passaic, New Jersey in 2001, and certainly had its many early doubters. But today, with B”H thousands of marriages, JWed has proved them otherwise.

In fact many Shadchanim, have found their own spouse on JWed!

Within a safe and secure online dating environment, JWed uniquely enables frum Jewish men and women of all hashkafic backgrounds and ages, to find their zivig – themselves. 

How Does JWed Work?

Frum singles signup on the JWed website or app and complete a comprehensive online registration. After hands-on screening, an approved member can search other like-minded frum singles, based on their selected criteria and preferences. Members can initiate and reply to other members in a secure online dating environment, and decide themselves whether to exchange private contact details and/or meet.

JWed Creates A Less Dismissive Dating Environment

The raison d’être of JWed has always been to nurture a more substantive and empowering dating-for-marriage journey. Derek Saker, co-founder and CEO believes that “While shadchanim, family and friends are important vehicles of introduction, very often, singles know themselves best.” He says JWed’s marriage record demonstrates the power of singles searching themselves, and how meaningful online communications between two singles before physically meeting, so often then counters the common superficial dismissiveness of ‘the date’ on paper.

Each JWed Profile Is a Neshama, Not a Number

Each JWed profile is as unique as the person behind it. JWed recognizes that every Jewish single best expresses themselves in different ways. Members utilize the many diverse JWed profile tools that speak to them, and create their one-of-a-kind holistic profile of themselves, that best speaks to others.

From VoiceIntro – where members add an audio introduction to their profile – to FriendsIntro, where a member can invite others to post positive reflections about them – JWed ensures every single’s profile goes far beyond the generic and often dismissive.

Josh from Miami, who met his wife Shani from Los Angeles on JWed, comments “What I found most inviting about Shani’s profile was her hilarious audio introduction – full of wit and good humor! It’s such a key part of who Shani is, which immediately grabbed my attention, and which I would otherwise have never known from the generic profiles out there.”

Over 65% of JWed Marriages Initiated by Female Members

At JWed, Jewish women of all hashkafas feel empowered to take the lead and initiate a message to a potential match – rather than simply waiting to be found.

Nechama, who met her now-husband Aryeh on JWed, shares “When I saw Aryeh’s very original JWed profile, and that he had only recently joined, I decided there was no way I was going to wait, and I messaged him first!” They have been married for 3 years, and are blessed with two wonderful young children.

Going Beyond Local

Over 70% of JWed marriages are between two singles out-of-city, state or country. The focus of every JWed member is in finding their zivug – not just the best available option within driving distance!

Take Shlomo, who had recently moved from Chicago to Yerushalayim, and Devorah who lived in London. Both had been dating for some time, and neither had looked much beyond either the walls of Yerushalayim or the Atlantic Ocean.

Then, as Shlomo remembers “When I saw Devorah’s profile, her insights, what she was looking for, and admittedly the beautiful photos with her nieces and nephews – I decided to reach out to her – even though she was in the U.K.” It turned out Devorah was already seriously considering a move to Israel. Shlomo flew into London to see Devorah and the rest, as they say, is history. Devorah and Shlomo have been married for just under a year, and now live in Ramat Shlomo.

JWed has tens of thousands of approved members of all ages, locations, and Jewish backgrounds. From Hassidic to Modern Orthodox, Yeshivish Black Hat to Chabad, the common denominator is a sincere desire to meet their zivug, to grow and build a life of simcha together. 

With 4,100 couples already married, there has never been a better time to find your zivug – on JWed.com!

President Trump dramatically intensified his trade confrontation with Canada on Monday, announcing that tariffs on Canadian vehicles, auto parts and steel will rise to 50% beginning Jan. 1, 2027, while declaring that America’s northern neighbor no longer deserves his tongue-in-cheek consideration as a potential 51st state.

The escalation came after Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney characterized the increasingly bitter trade dispute between the longtime allies as a “war.”

“Canada has been ripping off the United States of America for years. Their ridiculously high tariffs on our Farmers and farm products has made life impossible for these great American Patriots, and has long created a 60 Billion Dollar Deficit between our two Countries. Not sustainable, and NOT ANYMORE!,” Trump wrote on Truth Social.

Trump said the next major round of tariffs will take effect at the beginning of the new year, raising duties on Canadian automobiles, automotive components and steel to 50%. He also revived his repeated references to Canada becoming America’s 51st state — this time to announce that the country had forfeited that distinction.

“Canada will be treated like a State no longer! On Trade, and in other ways, also, they are among the worst Nations in the World to deal with. They feel entitled, and yet, WE DON’T NEED CANADA, THEY NEED US! They do 95% of their business with the U.S., with us, the exact opposite!,” Trump wrote.

The latest threat follows another major tariff move by the Trump administration over the weekend. On Saturday, the United States imposed 50% duties on a range of Canadian imports, including beer, cheese and electronics, after negotiations between Washington and Ottawa failed to produce a trade agreement.

Canada has already promised to retaliate. Carney announced that his government will impose counter-tariffs on American products beginning Sept. 8, signaling that Ottawa has no intention of backing down as the dispute widens.

“We were attacked. You’re at war when you get attacked. We got attacked,” he said Saturday. “That’s fine. We’ve got the reserves. We’ve got the resilience. We’ve got the plan. We’ve got the focus. We will respond.”

The Canadian retaliation is expected to target several major American industries, including steel, dairy, agricultural equipment, and pulp and paper. Carney said Ottawa intends to respond on a “dollar for dollar” basis to Washington’s measures.

With neither government showing signs of retreating, officials on both sides have accused the other of preventing negotiators from reaching an agreement.

US Trade Representative Jamieson Greer, who has been heading the American negotiations, said Canadian officials were demanding concessions Washington was unwilling to provide.

“I think there were things that the Canadians just — you know, they wanted more,” he told CNBC on Monday morning.

Carney, who has increasingly sought to portray himself as prepared to confront Trump and defend Canadian economic interests, offered essentially the opposite assessment of why the negotiations collapsed.

“They asked too much and offered too little,” he said.

Iranian media tied to the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps has intensified its threats against President Donald Trump and his family, broadcasting a video on state television that purportedly tracks the whereabouts and movements of the president’s 20-year-old son, Barron Trump.

The disturbing propaganda emerged alongside separate reports alleging that a $10 million bounty has been offered for Barron Trump.

According to Middle East news outlet Al Bawaba, the video was broadcast by IRGC-linked media as well as Iran’s state-controlled Channel 3 and appeared under the title, “Where to kill Barron Trump?”

Al Bawaba reported that the production claimed to provide details about Barron Trump’s location and movements, depicting the president’s youngest son as potentially accessible to those seeking to attack him.

The outlet additionally reported claims that a $10 million bounty had been placed on Barron Trump. It was not immediately possible to independently verify whether the purported bounty had been officially authorized.

The latest propaganda comes after another threatening campaign by IRGC-linked media targeting first lady Melania Trump.

In July, the IRGC-affiliated Tasnim News Agency circulated a video titled “Where to Kill Melania?!” that focused on places the first lady reportedly visits in New York and discussed her shopping patterns. The production also purported to reveal information concerning her Secret Service security arrangements.

The video urged potential attackers to take advantage of what it portrayed as weaknesses in her protection.

At the conclusion of the video, the threat shifted directly to the president’s son: “Barron Trump, wait for us!” The Secret Service said it was aware of the threatening content and noted that threats against individuals under its protection are investigated.

The increasingly explicit targeting of Trump’s relatives comes amid a wider Iranian campaign of threats directed at the president since the beginning of the U.S.-Iran war.

A massive billboard displayed in Tehran’s Islamic Revolution Square in July showed Trump apparently lying dead inside a coffin. The display featured a stark message written prominently in English: “We Kill Trump.”

Other banners reportedly showed coffins draped in American flags alongside images of Trump, Melania Trump and other members of the president’s family.

Iranian-linked outlets have also previously distributed a video titled “Where to Kill Trump?!” that claimed to identify and map routes used by Trump’s motorcade while traveling between airports and his residences in Florida and New York.

The Secret Service confirmed that it was reviewing that threatening material as well.

The latest threats mark a significant intensification of Tehran’s years-long calls for revenge against Trump and other U.S. officials over the 2020 killing of IRGC Quds Force commander Qasem Soleimani.

SCRANTON, PA — Tefillos are being requested for Rav Yaakov Schnaidman, rosh yeshiva of Yeshiva Bais Moshe of Scranton, who was admitted to the hospital after experiencing shortness of breath.

Yeshiva Bais Moshe informed alumni, parents and friends of the yeshiva of Rav Schnaidman’s hospitalization, asking the tzibbur to be mispallel for his complete recovery.

Rav Schnaidman has served for decades at the helm of Yeshiva Bais Moshe, one of America’s longstanding yeshivos. Together with Rav Chaim Bressler, Rav Schnaidman established the yeshiva in Scranton in 1965. Both were talmidim of Rav Aharon Kotler zt”l and sought to establish a makom Torah that would transmit the mesorah and derech halimud they had absorbed from their rebbi.

The name for Tehillim is Rav Yaakov ben Chana.

Rabbi Binyomin Dovid Lipskind zt”l, the longtime legendary administrator of Yeshivas Kol Torah in the Bayit Vegan neighborhood of Yerushalayim, passed away overnight following a serious illness and a period of suffering. He was 74.

For decades, Rabbi Lipskind played an instrumental role in the growth and development of Kol Torah, having been personally asked by Rav Shlomo Zalman Auerbach zt”l to assume responsibility for the yeshiva’s administration and help establish and expand its institutions.

Rabbi Lipskind was born in Buffalo, New York, and was involved in Jewish activities from an early age. Following the Six Day War, while still a young man, he organized rallies of support and fundraising efforts aimed at assisting the development of Yerushalayim and providing aid to those in need.

In the United States, he completed his studies in sociology with distinction and subsequently began working professionally as a sociologist. He later moved to Eretz Yisroel on his own, enlisted in the IDF and served as an officer in the Israeli Air Force.

After settling in Eretz Yisroel, Rabbi Lipskind was asked to establish and direct the department serving senior citizens for the Bnei Brak municipality.

Eight years later, his rebbi, Rav Shlomo Zalman Auerbach, asked him to leave Bnei Brak and relocate to Yerushalayim to help strengthen and develop Yeshivas Kol Torah in Bayit Vegan and assist the yeshiva’s roshei yeshiva.

For approximately 25 years, Rabbi Lipskind served as the yeshiva’s renowned administrator. During that period, he oversaw extensive development, expansion and consolidation of Kol Torah and its affiliated institutions. Among his major accomplishments was the development and construction of the yeshiva campus in Bayit Vegan.

Alongside his highly visible responsibilities at the yeshiva, Rabbi Lipskind quietly devoted himself to helping people in need. Many of those he assisted were talmidim of the yeshiva, while he also dedicated significant efforts to helping at-risk youth.

Rabbi Lipskind was a man of exceptional honesty and integrity who sought no recognition for his accomplishments and took little personal credit for the institutions and initiatives he helped build.

Even during his later years, he continued contributing his personal resources and abilities to tzedakah and chesed organizations throughout Yerushalayim. Among his communal accomplishments was the establishment of a shul in the Kiryat Yovel neighborhood.

In recognition of his extensive efforts to strengthen the Torah world in Yerushalayim, as well as his decades of work on behalf of needy families and struggling young people, Rabbi Lipskind was awarded the prestigious Yakir Yerushalayim honor.

Friends and acquaintances recalled that it was virtually impossible to hear a critical word from him. They said he avoided rebuke and negativity, instead greeting people with warmth, encouragement, generosity of spirit and an instinctive ability to see the good in others.

Rabbi Lipskind had an especially deep aversion to machlokes and was pained whenever he witnessed discord between people.

“His entire life he fled from disputes and was always pained by quarrels between people. His entire being was one of prayer and yearning that there should be peace between one person and another, both within our own community and between our community and all the other communities and segments of the nation. He could not bear division,” an acquaintance related.

During the final weeks of his life, despite his greatly diminished strength, Rabbi Lipskind displayed extraordinary determination as he merited completing the writing of a Sefer Torah.

Rabbi Lipskind leaves behind a distinguished family who continue along the path he established throughout his lifetime.

Yehi zichro baruch.

{Matzav.com}

Mike Pence warned Sunday that an escalating tariff battle between the United States and Canada could hurt American consumers and businesses, arguing that a trade war with the neighboring country is the “last thing” the U.S. economy needs as it continues to recover.

Appearing on CNN’s “State of the Union,” Pence was questioned by host Dana Bash about the renewed trade tensions between Washington and Ottawa, with the two countries threatening matching 50% tariffs following the collapse of negotiations Friday night.

“I want to ask you about something a little closer to home in the U.S., and that is the renewed trade war between Canada and the U.S., going dollar for dollar on 50% tariffs. Trade talks collapsed on Friday night. The Canadian prime minister blamed unfair last minute demands by the U.S., saying the administration asked too much and offered too little, and that Canada is effectively at war with the U.S. on trade. Does that help Americans right now?” Bash asked.

Pence responded by pointing to concerns about affordability and reiterating his longstanding opposition to the Trump administration’s broad use of tariffs, contending that their costs ultimately fall on Americans.

“Look, we hear about the issue of affordability right now and as you know I’ve taken a firm position since Liberation Day tariffs, that fortunately the Supreme Court turned over, that American businesses and American consumers pay American tariffs. And I think the last thing we need right now, as our economy is getting back on its feet, is a trade war with Canada.”

Pence said he hopes the latest escalation is ultimately part of an effort to secure a negotiated agreement rather than the beginning of a prolonged economic confrontation between the two countries.

“My hope is, for the sake of American families and for the sake of the American economy, is that what we’re looking at here is negotiation and not confrontation in a trade war.”

House Speaker Mike Johnson said Sunday that he remains confident Republicans will retain control of the House in the November 3 midterm elections, predicting that control of the chamber will ultimately be decided by approximately 19 highly competitive races.

During an appearance on Fox News Channel’s “The Sunday Briefing,” Johnson pushed back against suggestions that Democrats are positioned to take the majority, telling host Peter Doocy that his travels across the country have left him optimistic about Republican prospects.

The discussion began after Doocy asked Johnson about a New York Times report detailing a private meeting between House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries and Jared Kushner, President Donald Trump’s son-in-law.

“I heard about it the first time this morning,” Johnson responded.

“I know Jared is a smart guy, and he hedges bets. But I’m telling you what, you better not bet against the House Republicans. I’ve been all around the country the last several weeks.

“This is going to come down to a race of about 19 seats that will decide the fate of the Republic. It’s a contrast election, a contrast between common sense and crazy. I’m telling you, our base is going to turn out, and we’re going to hold the House Republicans.”

Doocy then asked whether the Kushner-Jeffries meeting could indicate that the White House is exploring which Democrats it might be able to work with should the party capture the House.

“I don’t know what that’s about. I know Jared has interests in lots of other things going on. He’s not really directly involved in the admin, at least in the day-to-day in the White House,” Johnson replied.

“But I would tell you this, I’ve been on a non-stop tour. This is my pit stop, Peter, on a 30-day non-stop campaign fundraising tour.”

Johnson said his campaign swing has been focused on the districts where the battle for control of the House is expected to be decided.

“But look, I’m going to the places where the races are really tight, right?” he said.

The speaker then pointed to projections from the Cook Political Report as evidence of just how narrow the fight for the House has become.

“So the Cook Political Report says as of yesterday, on election night, you can expect 211 Republican victories, 205 Democrat victories, 19 seats in the middle. Now, we know what those 19 seats are.”

Johnson said Republicans have spent the past year and a half preparing specifically for those battleground races and expressed confidence in the party’s candidates, political message and financial position.

“We’ve been working on this for a year and a half. I love our candidates, I love our message, I love our fundraising advantage. I’m telling you, we’re going to defy history and hold us to court.”

{Matzav.com}

A tense incident unfolded overnight in Cholon when a bochur from Yeshivas Ateres Shlomo was detained by police and faced possible transfer to the military authorities, prompting the activation of the “Tzeva Shachor” emergency alert system. The bochur was ultimately released, even as the arrest of another yeshiva bochur in Haifa a day earlier is expected to trigger major protests and possible road closures in the Bnei Brak area on Monday.

The Tzeva Shachor system, which alerts activists when yeshiva bochurim face possible arrest and transfer to the military police, was activated shortly after midnight following the detention at a Paz gas station near the Hashivah Junction in Cholon.

The bochur was held at the location for approximately half an hour. Despite initial concerns that he would be handed over to military authorities, he was eventually released without being transferred to the military police.

According to information from the scene, the detained individual is a talmid of Yeshivas Ateres Shlomo who was traveling to the yeshiva in Rishon LeTzion. Police were reportedly made aware that the Tzeva Shachor system had been activated, and a short time later the bochur was permitted to leave.

The overnight incident came just one day after the arrest in Haifa of Yisroel Guchfi, a talmid of Yeshivas Kfar Chassidim in Rechasim who previously learned at Yeshivas Beis Medrash Elyon.

Guchfi recently transferred to Yeshivas Kfar Chassidim at the beginning of the new zeman. On Sunday afternoon, he left his home in Bnei Brak’s Pardes Katz neighborhood and was traveling back to the yeshiva when he encountered a problem with an inspector in Haifa because of a malfunction involving his Rav-Kav transportation card.

Police were summoned to the scene and subsequently arrested Guchfi. After authorities determined that he was classified as a military draft evader, he was transferred into the custody of the military police.

The arrest has prompted the faction led by Rav Tzvi Friedman to prepare for protests in central Israel this evening. Although organizers had not yet finalized the precise location and time, the demonstration was expected to take place near the entrance to Bnei Brak on Highway 4 at approximately 6 p.m.

Police are preparing for potentially significant traffic disruptions along Highway 4 in both directions, particularly between the Aluf Sadeh Interchange and the Em HaMoshavot Interchange.

Authorities have also warned motorists of the possibility of severe congestion and additional road closures along the heavily traveled Jabotinsky corridor connecting Petach Tikvah, Bnei Brak and Ramat Gan.

Organizations assisting yeshiva bochurim facing military proceedings are providing Guchfi with legal representation and accompanying his family as his case moves forward.

{Matzav.com}