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Rav Yigal Cohen, rosh mosdos Yabia Omer and a member of Israel’s Chief Rabbinate Council, spoke emotionally at the opening of the weekly shiur of Rishon LeTzion Rav Yitzchak Yosef, following Shas’ announcement regarding the continued leadership of the movement in the path of his father, Rav Ovadia Yosef.

Rav Cohen revealed that he had anxiously awaited the decision and had personally done whatever he could to help bring it about.

“This week I had a great simcha; we made a seudas mitzvah,” Rav Cohen said. “I was on edge the entire week, and I also took whatever steps I could so that, with Hashem’s help, our dream would come true — that our teacher, our rebbi and the crown of our head should lead us until the coming of Moshiach and beyond.”

“I davened to the Creator of the World, I pleaded with the Creator of the World, and I, as insignificant as I am, did whatever I could so that we could receive this beautiful crown,” he added.

Rav Cohen said he was deeply moved by the development and by the privilege of sitting alongside Rav Yosef.

“I am truly emotional. I don’t know who I am or what my life is that I merit sitting here next to Maran, and I’m not saying this as flattery. This week, I was genuinely so moved. Boruch Hashem, we have a crown, a beautiful crown, a crown of goodness, a crown filled with Torah, a crown filled with love, which leads us and will lead us until the coming of Moshiach.”

Rav Cohen then connected Rav Yitzchak Yosef’s leadership with the lifelong mission of his father, Rav Ovadia Yosef, particularly his work to bring Jews closer to Torah and mitzvos.

“The path of Maran, our teacher, our rebbi and the crown of our head, Rabbeinu Ovadia Yosef, and the one who continues his path, may he be distinguished for a good, long life, our leader, who, boruch Hashem, we follow by his light,” Rav Cohen said.

He added that the very fact that Rav Ovadia Yosef’s leadership has a continuation is itself reason for profound gratitude to Hashem.

“Not only did Maran Rabbeinu Ovadia Yosef come down to this world, Hashem also gave us continuity. For that alone, we should spend the entire day praising, thanking, glorifying and exalting the Creator of the World.”

Rav Cohen concluded with a bracha to Rav Yosef.

“May he continue to lead us until the coming of Moshiach and beyond. And we, with Hashem’s help, will give everything we have for the advancement of Torah, for the holy Torah, for Am Yisroel and for Toras Yisroel.”

Rav Yitzchak Yosef responded by praising Rav Cohen and his work spreading Torah, describing him as someone who “sits and immerses himself in Torah and teaches Torah to the masses.”

Rav Yosef recalled attending a large gathering together with Rav Cohen and being struck by the enormous following he had attracted.

“I couldn’t believe it. There were a thousand, two thousand… so many people, and somehow he draws them in,” Rav Yosef said.

“Today he is one of the strongest forces bringing Am Yisroel closer,” Rav Yosef added, explaining that he has watched Rav Cohen’s work develop over the years.

“It’s true. I have followed him for years. He follows Maran… and he does what Maran did.”

{Matzav.com}

Rav Shmuel Eliyahu has issued a sharp warning regarding Rav Shlomo Yehuda Be’eri, widely known as the Yenuka, saying that in his view, the popular figure cannot be compared to the great tzaddikim and baalei mofes he personally knew and urging those who seek his advice to keep their distance.

Speaking during an appearance on Avi Shushan’s podcast, Rav Eliyahu addressed the enormous following that has developed around the Yanuka, with large numbers of people seeking his brachos and guidance. Rav Eliyahu said that he believes such figures must be judged against the example set by genuine tzaddikim of previous generations.

Rav Eliyahu warned that there are “fake rabbis,” and said that one of the standards he uses is the Baba Sali, whom he knew personally. “I tell people, is the Yenuka like the Baba Sali or not? If he is, then he is a righteous person,” he said.

He recalled the extraordinary simplicity with which the Baba Sali lived in Netivot despite the considerable sums of money that people gave him. Rav Eliyahu noted that the Baba Sali could easily have chosen to live “in the most luxurious place,” but “did not want to.”

Rav Eliyahu also questioned the publicity and public-relations apparatus that can develop around prominent rabbinic personalities, contrasting that with the tremendous personal investment required of a genuine rov or tzaddik. Giving a bracha, he stressed, is itself an avodah requiring sincerity and emotional investment. “People don’t know that giving a blessing is difficult. A person has to bless with his heart.”

When asked directly about the tremendous excitement surrounding the Yenuka, Rav Eliyahu said that what he sees does not resemble the great rabbinic figures with whom he was personally familiar.

“He is not like your grandfather [the Baba Haki]. In my eyes, he is not a [rabbinic] figure. He is not like my father, not like Rav Tzadka, not like any of the righteous people I knew, who were truly miracle workers,” he said.

The interviewer then pressed Rav Eliyahu on how he accounts for the huge numbers of people who nevertheless flock to the Yenuka.

“I don’t feel comfortable talking about other people,” Rav Eliyahu responded.

Still, he made clear what he tells people who approach him privately and ask how they should relate to the phenomenon.

“Stay away from him. Stay away,” said Rav Eliyahu.

{Matzav.com}

Rav Yaakov Jan, the rov of Uman, is urging those traveling to Uman for the annual Rosh Hashanah trip to pay the city’s tourist tax following what he says is a commitment from Uman officials to improve and renovate streets in the city’s Jewish area.

The appeal comes amid a growing dispute over the tax, with some activists calling on visitors to refuse payment. Rav Jan said that while the tax should be paid, there must also be oversight to ensure that the money collected from visitors is actually used for its intended purposes.

According to Rav Jan, the municipality’s spending of the funds should be carefully monitored, particularly when it comes to infrastructure and streets in the areas where tens of thousands of visitors stay during the annual pilgrimage. He said cooperation with municipal officials, combined with proper accountability, should allow visitors to see tangible improvements on the ground.

Ichud Breslov, meanwhile, pointed to three reasons for travelers to take care of the payment before arriving in Uman.

Those who pay through the designated website in advance are charged $27, a lower amount than visitors who wait until they arrive in the city. Paying ahead of time is also expected to reduce long lines and congestion at the collection station near the bus terminals.

Breslover officials said there is another important consideration: Advance payment helps formally coordinate the massive Rosh Hashanah pilgrimage with local authorities, an issue that has taken on added importance while Ukraine remains at war.

Breslover activist Levi Yitzchak Gewirtz also sharply criticized those encouraging visitors to withhold the tax.

“In light of publications by certain individuals calling for people not to pay the tourist tax in the city of Uman, we wish to make it unequivocally clear: Breslover chassidim disassociate themselves from these irresponsible calls and from the nonsense being published on the subject,” Gewirtz said.

He argued that Ukraine’s willingness to permit tens of thousands of Breslover chassidim to enter the country during wartime, while devoting resources to accommodating them and protecting their safety, carries with it an obligation for visitors to respect Ukrainian law.

Gewirtz noted that tourist taxes are commonplace in cities around the world and said the Uman levy is collected in accordance with Ukrainian law.

“We come to Uman as law-abiding guests, and we must respect the laws of the country and the local authorities,” he said.

Gewirtz acknowledged that visitors have every right to engage municipal officials and demand that more of the money be invested in infrastructure and services benefiting those who come to Uman. Such concerns, he said, do not justify violating the law or refusing to pay the required tax.

“G-d forbid that we should become partners with revolutionary and irresponsible elements who decided on their own to launch a ‘tax war’ against the Uman municipality and the State of Ukraine,” Gewirtz said.

He added that the Breslov community appreciates the willingness of both Ukraine and the Uman municipality to continue accommodating the tens of thousands of visitors despite the difficult circumstances created by the war.

The proper way to seek better conditions, Gevirtz concluded, is through dialogue with officials and oversight of how the funds are spent, not through calls to withhold payment.

{Matzav.com}

Humanoid robots shattered longstanding human athletic records while also producing plenty of awkward spills and comical mishaps at the World Robot Games in Beijing over the weekend, as China put its rapidly advancing robotics technology on full display.

Scores of humanoid machines, accompanied by the engineers and operators controlling them, gathered Sunday at Beijing’s Olympic speed skating arena for competitions ranging from track events and soccer to boxing and martial arts.

One of the weekend’s most striking performances came during Saturday’s opening ceremony, when a Chinese humanoid robot recorded a 100-meter time faster than the world record held by Jamaican sprinting legend Usain Bolt. The achievement quickly became a major story across Chinese state media.

Tiangong Ultra, a white humanoid robot without a head, completed the 100-meter sprint in 9.39 seconds, according to state broadcaster CCTV. Bolt’s world record, established in 2009, stands at 9.58 seconds.

The machines delivered another record-breaking performance on Sunday when the same model demolished the human world record in the 400 meters by nearly five seconds.

Tiangong Ultra, which was created by a Beijing research center backed by the local government, crossed the finish line in 38.16 seconds. Officials subsequently adjusted the recorded time slightly, to 38.15 seconds.

The racing was not always graceful. During one 400-meter heat, a robot covered in a white shell swung its arms wildly from side to side as it raced around the track, pitching so far forward that spectators openly wondered whether it was about to crash.

As it approached the finish line, the machine began wobbling noticeably but somehow managed to complete the race without toppling over.

In fact, some of the biggest reactions from the crowd came when things went wrong. Several robotic competitors were unable to get moving when their races began.

Other robots proceeded around the track at little more than a fast walking pace, while some collapsed almost immediately after the starting signal.

The soccer competition provided its own entertainment, with children and parents laughing as one toddler-sized humanoid sent the ball sailing completely off the field and over the knee-high barriers surrounding the pitch.

Even the slow-moving and somewhat awkward soccer action drew an enthusiastic response, with spectators roaring whenever the waddling robots managed to put the ball into the lightly defended goal.

Boxing proved equally unpredictable. The audience burst into laughter when one humanoid lost its balance inside the ring, staggered sideways and folded itself over the ropes. It remained there motionless until human handlers came over and carried it away.

For 72-year-old Beijing resident Hou Yali, the extraordinary speed displayed by some of the robots raised another question: how would they fare if they competed directly against people?

“We’ll be able to see more clearly whether machines can surpass humans,” said Hou, who is retired and lives in Beijing.

Still, she cautioned that outrunning humans is very different from demonstrating the intelligence and practical abilities that could make robots genuinely useful in everyday life.

“Right now, this is just running, just a competition of speed. It’s not a test of intelligence, or hiring someone to do household tasks or act as live-in help,” she said.

Hou currently pays human aides to come to her home each week to prepare meals and handle cleaning, but she said she would be interested in having robots eventually take over those responsibilities.

“With the development of our country’s economy, people have more money in their pockets, and they may decide to use robots,” she said.

{Matzav.com}

New Jersey Gov. Mikie Sherrill has signed sweeping legislation expanding the state’s legal protections for abortion and gender-transition services, strengthening New Jersey’s efforts to shield patients and providers from legal action originating in states where such procedures may be restricted or prohibited.

Sherrill signed S2260/A2218 into law Thursday during an event outside a Planned Parenthood facility in Montclair. The measure took effect immediately and significantly expands New Jersey’s existing “shield law” governing reproductive health care.

The legislation covers a broad category the state defines as reproductive health care, including “abortion, contraception, miscarriage management, assisted reproductive technology and services related to gender identity or expression.” It establishes additional protections for patients seeking such services in New Jersey and for medical professionals who provide them.

“Today is a historic day in New Jersey. The signing of S2260/A2218 sends a message to the country that in New Jersey we protect reproductive and gender affirming health care,” Sherrill said at the signing. “This legislation will ensure that everyone can access the care that they need safely and with dignity.”

Among the law’s most consequential provisions are expanded safeguards against efforts by other states to investigate, prosecute or impose civil liability on people for health care activity that is lawful in New Jersey. The measure limits New Jersey’s cooperation with certain out-of-state subpoenas, court judgments and criminal proceedings involving protected care performed legally within the state.

The law also establishes a new criminal offense of “interference with reproductive health care services.” The provision applies to specified conduct intended to interfere with people seeking or providing covered health services and creates potential criminal consequences for violations.

The measure additionally gives patients and providers new avenues to pursue civil claims in certain circumstances and strengthens protections surrounding access to facilities providing abortion or gender-transition services. Supporters say those provisions are intended to prevent intimidation, harassment and physical obstruction outside medical facilities.

Critics, however, have raised First Amendment concerns about portions of the law affecting activity outside such facilities, particularly their potential application to protesters and individuals engaged in sidewalk counseling or prayer. Conservative opponents argue that the statute could chill constitutionally protected speech and religious expression.

Another major component of the legislation expands New Jersey’s shield protections to explicitly encompass gender-transition-related medical care. Advocates of the measure had sought the change as numerous other states moved to restrict such treatments, particularly for minors.

The legislation also addresses insurance protections and professional consequences for medical providers. Supporters say doctors and other providers who perform care that is lawful under New Jersey law should not face professional or legal repercussions in the state solely because another jurisdiction prohibits the same treatment.

New Jersey already has some of the nation’s strongest statutory protections for abortion. State law guarantees a right to abortion, and officials have sought to position New Jersey as a destination for patients coming from states where abortion has been restricted following the U.S. Supreme Court’s 2022 decision overturning Roe v. Wade. State legislative findings have cited an approximately 30% increase in patients arriving from outside New Jersey for reproductive health services.

The new legislation builds upon protections enacted under Gov. Phil Murphy, but goes substantially further in establishing barriers against legal actions initiated elsewhere and extending the shield framework to gender-transition services.

Supporters spent nearly three years pushing for the legislation. Advocacy organizations including Planned Parenthood Action Fund of New Jersey and Garden State Equality hailed Sherrill’s signature, saying the measure makes clear that medical providers and patients operating legally in New Jersey will be protected from attempts by other states to punish them.

The bill cleared the Legislature on June 30. The Senate ultimately approved S2260 by a 25-15 vote before the measure was sent to Sherrill for her signature.

The signing further solidifies New Jersey as one of the country’s most aggressive states in protecting abortion and gender-transition services at a time when state governments across the country are moving in sharply different directions on both issues.

{Matzav.com}

President Donald Trump said that construction of his planned White House ballroom and military complex is running “under budget” and “ahead of schedule,” one day after Chief Justice John Roberts temporarily cleared the administration to continue work on the project.

“Tremendous work has been done on the magnificent BALLROOM/MILITARY COMPLEX being built on the grounds of the White House!” Trump wrote on Truth Social, posting a photograph showing progress at the construction site.

The massive project has become the subject of multiple legal challenges and heightened scrutiny amid reports that the administration intended to draw on congressional appropriations designated for other federal agencies to help cover construction expenses.

Trump initially said the $400 million project would be financed entirely through private contributions. The projected price tag subsequently climbed to $600 million, according to records reported by The Washington Post.

Contractor documents dating to March 2025 reportedly indicated that officials anticipated approximately $293 million would come from private donations, with additional funding potentially drawn from taxpayer-supported budgets belonging to entities including the U.S. Secret Service and the White House Military Office.

Trump, however, again insisted Saturday that taxpayers would not be responsible for the project, while declaring that construction is progressing faster and more economically than planned.

“The Ballroom will be paid for with ZERO Dollars of Taxpayer Money,” he continued. “Great American Patriots and Companies are footing the entire bill.”

The Hill said it contacted the White House seeking additional information regarding the financing and status of the project.

Trump’s comments came after Roberts issued an order Friday allowing the administration to temporarily resume construction. The chief justice put on hold a lower court directive that would have stopped above-ground work on the ballroom complex.

The Supreme Court action does not resolve the underlying legal dispute or constitute a final decision on whether construction may ultimately proceed. Instead, the temporary order gives the justices additional time to consider the Trump administration’s emergency appeal while allowing work to continue in the meantime.

Attorney General Todd Blanche welcomed Roberts’s intervention, saying he was “extraordinarily appreciative” of the chief justice’s decision.

“There has been a need for a ballroom and a safe space and a military installation for decades on the White House grounds, and President Trump has delivered on that,” Blanche told Fox News on Friday. “And so, we’re going to continue to let the process move forward through the courts, but we’re appreciative we got this stay yesterday and we’re going to keep on building.”

{Matzav.com}

Dear Matzav Inbox,

I can’t read another article on Matzav about the Lakewood bussing situation. It infuriates me and I’ll explain to the olam why.

Maybe it’s time for Lakewood to stop begging.

After this latest LSTA disaster, with families suddenly being told that non-mandated busing will cost $945 per child instead of $385, I keep coming back to one question: Does anyone in Trenton understand what Lakewood’s frum parents are saving the State of New Jersey every single year?

Maybe they need to be reminded.

According to the New Jersey Department of Education’s own review of the Lakewood school district, Lakewood has approximately 50,000 school-age children, with about 84% — roughly 42,000 children — attending nonpublic schools, most of them private religious schools. (If my numbers are slightly off, I apologize, but I believe that I’m in the ballpark.)

Think about that number for a minute.

More than 40,000 children in one town are being educated outside the public-school system. Their parents pay property taxes like everyone else. They pay state taxes like everyone else. But they don’t ask the government to provide their children with public-school classrooms, teachers, principals, textbooks, buildings and everything else that comes with educating a child.

And now we’re fighting over buses?

Maybe it’s time for every frum parent in Lakewood to register his or her children for public school. Seriously.

No more meetings. No more carefully worded letters explaining Lakewood’s “unique circumstances.” Just show up and register 40,000-plus children for public school and say: Here you go. You educate them.

Where exactly would they put them?

According to the New Jersey Department of Education, the average Budgetary Cost Per Pupil in New Jersey for the 2024-25 school year was $21,199. And that figure doesn’t even include transportation, school construction debt and certain other major expenses.

Do the math.

40,000 additional students multiplied by $21,199 comes to nearly $848 million a year.

$848 million a year!

And we’re fighting over $2.7 million? Peerim.

If you use the roughly 42,000 figure indicated by the state’s own Lakewood numbers, you’re approaching $900 million annually using that statewide per-pupil average.

And again, that $21,199 figure doesn’t even include transportation.

The state’s broader Total Spending Per Pupil figure, which does include transportation and a number of other expenses, is $29,978. I’m not suggesting that you can simply multiply that number by every private-school child and declare that Lakewood is “saving” the state that exact amount. Obviously, school funding and expenses are more complicated than that. But come on.

We’re talking about tens of thousands of children who would have to be accommodated somehow if their parents actually exercised their right to send them to public school. The financial and logistical cost would be staggering.

And what are Lakewood parents asking for? A ride to school. That’s what makes this so infuriating.

People love to say, “Well, in other cities, if you send your child to private school, you pay for transportation yourself.” Fine. Lakewood is not other cities.

Lakewood has tens of thousands of private-school children traveling every morning to scores upon scores of schools scattered across town. We have a road system that was never designed for anything remotely resembling our current population. Traffic is already unbearable. And Lakewood has nothing resembling an adequate public transportation system that would allow thousands of older children to get themselves to school without buses.

Those two problems — inadequate infrastructure and inadequate public transportation — are not the fault of parents.

In Lakewood, busing isn’t some cute little perk. It is part of what keeps the town functioning.

Imagine taking thousands of children off buses and putting them into thousands of additional cars every morning and afternoon. Anyone who has driven down Route 9 at 8:30 in the morning should understand why that is not a serious solution.

And meanwhile, the elephant in the room remains untouched: Lakewood’s private-school community is educating more than 40,000 children without asking the public-school system to actually educate them.

Nobody is asking New Jersey to pay the tuition.

Nobody is asking the state to pay the rebbeim.

Nobody is asking the state to pay for the teachers, menahelim, classrooms, school buildings or the electric bills.

We’re asking for buses.

The state should be looking at Lakewood and saying, “You mean tens of thousands of children are being educated privately and transportation is what we have to help with? Where do we sign?”

Instead, parents are being handed a bill for $945 per child.

Maybe the people making these decisions have become so accustomed to Lakewood parents sending their children to private schools that they have forgotten the alternative.

Perhaps they need to see it. Register the kids. Forty thousand of them.

Let the state explain where they should report on the first day of school. Let them find the classrooms. Let them find the buildings. Let them figure out the transportation. And let them figure out how to pay for it all.

The state has the luxury of never having to confront what Lakewood’s educational reality would cost if tens of thousands of families weren’t paying to educate their own children.

Perhaps it’s time that somebody in Trenton took out a calculator.

More than 40,000 children. More than $21,000 per public-school student under the state’s own average budgetary-cost figure.

And Lakewood is fighting over buses.

If New Jersey thinks courtesy busing is expensive, they should try the alternative.

It’s time, rabbosai, to teach them a lesson.

Who’s ready to enroll in public school along with my kids?

Sincerely,

A Fed-Up Lakewood Parent

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An IDF career soldier was stabbed multiple times in a terror attack in the Jordan Valley on Sunday morning after stopping near a shopping center while traveling with his pregnant wife for an anniversary vacation.

The victim, Elchanan Chanania, was taken to Shaare Zedek Medical Center in Yerushalayim, where his condition stabilized. His brothers said he was expected to undergo surgery.

Chanania’s brothers, Shlomo and Yosef, said the couple had been heading to northern Israel for a family getaway marking their wedding anniversary when they stopped along the way.

According to the brothers, Chanania got out of his vehicle to purchase cigarettes when the terrorist came up behind him and attacked. They said he was stabbed three times in the shoulder and twice in the back before the assailant escaped.

“We hope they catch him and give him the death penalty. Am Yisrael Chai,” the brothers said, urging security forces to quickly locate the attacker.

Magen David Adom received the initial report of the stabbing at 9:18 a.m. Paramedics, together with IDF personnel, treated Chanania at the scene for penetrating wounds before transporting him by intensive care ambulance to Shaare Zedek.

MDA emergency medic Gal Shani said Chanania remained conscious throughout the initial treatment.

“We received a report about a man who had been stabbed,” Shani said. “We met the wounded man, who was fully conscious and suffering from a stab wound to his upper body. We provided medical treatment and evacuated him in an intensive care ambulance to the hospital in moderate condition and fully conscious.”

A preliminary police probe found that Chanania had pulled over on Route 90 near a commercial center and was outside his vehicle when the terrorist approached from behind, stabbed him and fled.

Security forces immediately launched an extensive search for the attacker. IDF troops and police established roadblocks around Al-Auja and nearby communities as forces began combing the area.

The IDF later said the search had expanded across the Al-Auja and Jericho areas, with soldiers questioning suspects and collecting intelligence that could lead them to the terrorist.

Military officials said forces were also remaining in continuous communication with residents and local security personnel as the manhunt continued.

Police officers from the Jordan Valley station, along with forensic teams from the Judea and Samaria District, opened an investigation and began gathering evidence from the scene of the attack.

{Matzav.com}

Former U.S. intelligence analyst Jonathan Pollard announced on Sunday that he is entering Israeli politics.

Appearing with former deputy foreign minister Sharren Haskel at the Kosel, Pollard said he would run for the Knesset on the slate of the newly formed Israel First Party founded by Haskel.

The 72-year-old Pollard said the failures surrounding Hamas’s Oct. 7, 2023, attack had convinced him that Israel has been “abandoned and betrayed” by its leadership.

“With you, I hope there will be a new government dedicated to protecting the land and the people of Israel,” said Pollard.

After Oct. 7, 2023, “no one wanted to take responsibility,” he said.

He also praised Haskel for her past efforts on his behalf, saying she had worked quietly and effectively without seeking credit.

“The only way to prevent another Oct. 7 is to put people like you in positions of responsibility,” he said.

Haskel welcomed Pollard’s decision to join her political platform, saying his support was both a privilege and a responsibility.

Pollard, an American-born Jew, was arrested by the FBI in 1985 while working as a civilian U.S. Navy intelligence analyst in Washington. He pleaded guilty to providing classified information to Israel and was sentenced to life in prison in 1987.

He was released on parole in 2015 and moved to Israel in 2020 after restrictions on his movement expired.

The Canadian-born Haskel is a former Likud lawmaker who later joined Gideon Sa’ar’s New Hope Party. Haskel broke with Sa’ar in July 2026 after he backed legislation shielding Haredi draft refusers from arrest, which she said undermined national security and her principles.

Israel’s general election is set for Oct. 27, 2026.

{Matzav.com}

Key West, Florida, has elected its first Jewish mayor in the city’s nearly two centuries of history, with longtime city commissioner and attorney Samuel Kaufman defeating incumbent Mayor Dee Dee Henriquez in Tuesday’s election.

Kaufman told JNS that the historic nature of his election carries particular meaning for him, especially given the role Jews have played in the island community over the years.

“To carry that forward and to contribute in a positive way to the entire city as a Jewish person, given our values and given what it means to me to be a Jewish person, it’s an incredible honor and responsibility,” Kaufman said. “It gives me incredible pride to be that first Jewish mayor.”

Although the mayor’s office in Key West is officially nonpartisan, Kaufman is a Democrat, while Henriquez is a Republican. Kaufman captured approximately 58% of the vote, compared with 42% for the incumbent.

Born in New York City, Kaufman has spent the past three decades building his professional career in Key West. He said his victory included support from Republican voters who crossed party lines following a major corruption controversy that rocked the incumbent city administration.

“We had a really huge corruption scandal,” Kaufman told JNS. “Our city attorney, our city building official and our city code enforcement director were all taken out in handcuffs.”

Three officials connected to the administration were charged with felonies involving evidence tampering in 2025, a development that Kaufman said played a role in the political environment surrounding this year’s election.

Key West, the largest municipality in the Florida Keys, has approximately 25,000 permanent residents. Kaufman estimates that roughly 1,000 members of the city’s population are Jewish.

The city’s population, however, swells dramatically because of tourism. Key West estimates that approximately 3 million visitors arrive each year, and the impact of that enormous tourist presence emerged as a major concern for residents during the mayoral race.

“We don’t want five cruise ships a day,” Kaufman said. “We can’t accommodate that. We don’t have the infrastructure for that.”

“We like one cruise ship a day, on my side of the political scale,” he told JNS. “Others may want three or four ships a day.”

Politically, Kaufman characterized Key West as a “liberal blue” enclave within the more conservative Monroe County. Despite its liberal political leanings, he said the city has largely avoided the anti-Israel activism that has surfaced in some other progressive communities.

Kaufman attributed that in part to Key West’s ties to its Jewish population and to the significant number of Israelis with connections to the city.

“You won’t see Palestinian flags ever in the city,” Kaufman told JNS. “The same week as Oct. 7, I sponsored a resolution, and it was unanimously approved by our city commission, condemning the terrorist attack and supporting the State of Israel.”

Kaufman said the city went even further by displaying the Israeli flag outside City Hall following the Oct. 7 terrorist attack.

“As a result of that we’re probably the only city in the state and in the country that raised the Israeli flag on our City Hall, next to our state flag, next to the American flag,” he said. “It stayed there for four months.”

Kaufman describes himself as a “somewhat observant” Jew and said he davens at the local Chabad. With his election victory coming shortly before the High Holidays, the mayor-elect said he is especially looking forward to celebrating the upcoming Yomim Tovim with the local Jewish community.

“It’s going to be a bigger party than ever,” he said. “People should feel excited about going to such a special place like Key West.”

“We’re an inclusive place that will even elect a Jewish mayor,” Kaufman said.

{Matzav.com}

The U.S. Postal Service is moving ahead with new requirements governing the distribution of mail-in ballots ahead of the November midterm elections, adopting rules that closely track a President Donald Trump executive order even after a federal judge blocked enforcement of that directive.

USPS announced the new guidelines Friday, outlining conditions states would have to meet for the Postal Service to distribute mail-in and absentee ballots. The changes stem from Trump’s March executive order aimed at tightening requirements surrounding mail voting.

The details are contained in a 95-page USPS report scheduled to be formally published Aug. 26. Under the plan, states seeking Postal Service distribution of mail ballots would be required to provide information identifying voters considered eligible based on citizenship data, similar to provisions contained in Trump’s executive order.

States would have until 60 days before the Nov. 3 midterm elections to inform USPS that they intend to provide a list of eligible voters based on citizenship information. The Postal Service would then distribute mail-in or absentee ballots to those residents.

Postmaster General David Steiner indicated in June that USPS planned to follow Trump’s directive. Testifying before senators, Steiner said the new approach was designed to ensure “the right ballots are going to the right people.”

But in August, U.S. District Judge Indira Talwani issued a nationwide order blocking implementation of the president’s directive. Talwani said making significant changes to election procedures so close to the midterms could produce unnecessary “confusion” and “chaos.”

“That it is now less than 90 days before the November 3, 2026 midterm elections underscores the critical need for an injunction to prevent Defendants from changing election rules on the eve of the election,” Talwani wrote in her ruling.

The White House defended its election agenda following the court decision. Spokesperson Lauren Bis said the administration “will continue lawfully enacting the agenda President Trump was elected to enact – which includes the safety and security of American elections.”

Trump has long criticized widespread use of mail-in voting and has repeatedly alleged that the system is susceptible to extensive voter fraud, claims that have not been substantiated by evidence demonstrating widespread fraud through mail ballots.

The president also sharply criticized a Supreme Court ruling in late June that upheld the counting of mail ballots that are postmarked by Election Day but received afterward. Trump described the ruling as a “tremendous loss in the Supreme Court.”

Mail voting continues to represent a substantial portion of ballots cast nationwide. According to a June report from the U.S. Election Assistance Commission, 30.3% of votes in the 2024 general election were cast by mail — nearly one out of every three ballots and significantly above the levels recorded before the COVID-19 pandemic.

Trump has also continued pressing Congress to enact stricter federal voting requirements. During an interview in August, he declined to dismiss the possibility of declaring a national emergency if the Senate failed to approve the Safeguard American Voter Eligibility, or SAVE America, Act.

The legislation would require individuals to provide proof of U.S. citizenship when registering to vote and to present photo identification when casting ballots at polling places.

Asked about the possibility of taking emergency action if the measure did not pass, Trump left the door open.

“Let me just say that stranger things have happened, OK? I’ll leave it at that,” he said.

{Matzav.com}

White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt will leave her administration post at the end of August, but she is not leaving President Donald Trump’s political operation, announcing that she will join the Trump-aligned super PAC MAGA Inc.

Leavitt revealed her plans while speaking with reporters outside Air Force One on Friday evening, saying that her next job will be with MAGA Inc., the powerful political organization supporting Trump and Republican candidates.

Her departure from the White House had already been announced, with Leavitt saying she wanted more time with her young and growing family. Her final day as press secretary is expected to come at the end of August.

Leavitt did not disclose what position she will hold at MAGA Inc. The move, however, marks a return to familiar territory: She previously served as the organization’s spokesperson before moving to Trump’s 2024 presidential campaign.

“You guys will still see me all the time,” she told reporters.

MAGA Inc., which is closely aligned with Trump and the Republican Party, has reportedly amassed more than $350 million as Republicans prepare for the November midterm elections, according to The Hill.

Leavitt said Friday’s trip aboard Air Force One would also mark her final official flight in her role as White House press secretary. She accompanied Trump to Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, where the president was scheduled to appear at a campaign rally for Sen. Darline Graham, a Republican seeking a full term in the seat previously held by her late brother.

The outgoing press secretary and her husband, Nicholas Riccio, have two preschool-age children. Their son was born in July 2024, while their daughter was born in May of this year. Riccio is a New Hampshire real estate developer and investor whose holdings include both commercial and residential properties.

Trump has made clear that Leavitt’s departure from the press secretary’s podium will not end her role in his broader political circle. Following her announcement, the president said she would remain involved with the White House as one of his “top advisers” and would continue to be an “influential voice within the Republican Party.” Leavitt similarly said that leaving the administration would not end her “fight” against the Democratic Party.

The White House has not yet announced who will succeed Leavitt. She returned from maternity leave in mid-July and decided shortly afterward that she would permanently step away from the press secretary position.

Trump has acknowledged intense interest in the job, indicating that numerous candidates are being considered and that selecting Leavitt’s successor will not be an easy decision.

Among the names reportedly being considered are CNN conservative commentator Scott Jennings and Katie Miller, the wife of White House deputy chief of staff Stephen Miller.

“I will tell you this, and Karoline will tell you this,” Trump told reporters Friday, “I have never seen so many job applications in my life.”

Leavitt made history when she became White House press secretary at age 27 at the beginning of Trump’s second administration, becoming the youngest person ever to hold the position. During her tenure, she developed a reputation for aggressively defending the administration and readily sparring with veteran members of the White House press corps.

{Matzav.com}

The percentage of American kindergartners vaccinated against measles, mumps and rubella has slipped further, falling below the level public health officials say is generally needed to prevent measles outbreaks, according to newly released federal data.

Figures from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s SchoolVaxView program for the 2025-2026 school year show that 92.4% of kindergartners nationwide had completed the MMR vaccine series. That represents a decline from the previous school year and leaves the national rate below the 95% level that health experts generally cite as necessary for community immunity against highly contagious measles.

According to the CDC, approximately 280,000 kindergartners across the country do not have documentation indicating that they completed the MMR series.

The decrease was not limited to the MMR vaccine, with federal figures showing declining coverage for other routine childhood vaccinations as well.

The CDC reported that vaccination rates fell from the previous year for every vaccine included in its data, extending a downward pattern that the agency has observed since the COVID-19 pandemic.

The national vaccination rate for polio was also 92.4%, while coverage for DTaP — the vaccine protecting against diphtheria, tetanus and pertussis — stood at 92%.

More than half of the states recorded declines during the school year in vaccination rates for each of four major vaccines: MMR, DTaP, polio and varicella.

Meanwhile, vaccine exemptions among kindergartners continued to rise. The percentage of children receiving exemptions from at least one required vaccine climbed to 4.2%, compared with 3.6% during the previous school year.

The CDC found that exemption rates increased in 41 states as well as Washington, D.C. Twenty-four states now have exemption rates exceeding 5%.

Altogether, approximately 155,000 kindergartners received an exemption from at least one required vaccination during the 2025-2026 school year.

The statistics were assembled through the Immunization Services Division of the CDC’s National Center for Immunization and Respiratory Diseases, using vaccination and exemption information submitted by individual states.

Public health authorities have repeatedly expressed concern that declining MMR vaccination rates could leave more communities susceptible to measles outbreaks.

Measles was declared eliminated in the United States in 2000, a designation meaning that the virus was no longer spreading continuously within the country.

This year, however, the United States has experienced its highest number of measles cases in more than 30 years, with outbreaks concentrated largely in communities where vaccination rates are lower.

Officials say the combination of national MMR coverage falling below 95% and increasing exemption rates presents particular concerns because clusters of unvaccinated children can remain vulnerable to outbreaks even when a state’s overall vaccination rate is comparatively high.

The CDC recommends that children receive two doses of the MMR vaccine before entering kindergarten, in addition to recommended vaccinations against diphtheria, tetanus and pertussis, polio and varicella.

Every state permits medical exemptions from school vaccination requirements, while most states also allow exemptions based on religious beliefs or personal objections.

The CDC’s SchoolVaxView data page containing the latest figures was updated Aug. 17.

{Matzav.com}

Iran warned countries around the world Saturday not to participate in President Donald Trump’s escalating economic campaign against Tehran, threatening to treat governments that cooperate with Washington’s restrictions as enemies while declaring that the Strait of Hormuz will remain closed.

Mohsen Rezaei, head of Iran’s Supreme National Security Council, delivered the warning in comments aired by Iranian state television as the regime confronted a sweeping new American effort aimed at further isolating and crippling the Iranian economy.

“We declare to all countries… do not join the economic war waged by the United States,” Rezaei said.

“Any country participating in the imposition of economic restrictions against us is considered an enemy,” he added.

Rezaei also threatened a severe Iranian response if Trump moves from economic pressure to renewed military action against the Islamic Republic.

Should Trump “take action, our confrontation will be like an earthquake,” he said.

The Iranian official made clear that Tehran also has no immediate intention of reopening the Strait of Hormuz, the critical maritime passage that has been at the center of the confrontation.

“The Strait of Hormuz is closed and will not reopen,” Rezaei declared. “If the United States changes its behavior and fulfills its commitments, the equation will be different, but this time the United States must act. It cannot be resolved through words and talks.”

Rezaei said Iran and Oman have reached an understanding regarding what he described as a “middle route” through the strategic waterway, although the two governments have not yet completed a joint statement outlining the arrangement.

The threats came just days after Trump unveiled a massive new economic offensive against Iran, announcing Wednesday that Washington would seek to tighten financial pressure on Tehran and penalize countries that help keep the Iranian economy afloat.

Trump described the campaign in a Truth Social post as “an economic D-Day,” portraying the measures as an effort to cripple the Iranian regime financially and prevent it from rebuilding its ability to threaten the United States and its allies.

“These maniacs are on the ropes, and these HISTORIC MEASURES will cripple them and their ability to project terror worldwide. IRAN WILL NEVER HAVE A NUCLEAR WEAPON,” he wrote.

Trump stressed Friday that the decision to intensify economic warfare should not be interpreted as taking military action off the table.

“No, not at all,” the President replied to reporters when asked if the shift towards economic warfare means that the military options are limited. “It just means that we’re seeing what happens. They have no money, they have no navy, they have no air force, they have 350% inflation. So we’re just going to sort of see what happens.”

The president also asserted that the United States holds overwhelming leverage over Iran and the region surrounding the Strait of Hormuz.

“We have total control, as you know, of the border. We have total control, if you look at the blockade, we have total control of that entire region having to do with the Strait of Hormuz. And that means well into it, the land areas,” Trump continued.

Trump said Tehran remains interested in reaching an agreement with Washington, but argued that Iranian leaders have not yet agreed to terms that he considers acceptable.

He said Iran “would love to make a deal, but they are not ready to make the right deal, in my opinion.”

{Matzav.com}

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Thousands of Belzer chassidim and talmidim of Yeshivas Brisk experienced an emotional Shabbos of gratitude and thanksgiving, as both the Belzer Rebbe and the Brisker rosh yeshiva, Rav Avrohom Yehoshua Soloveitchik, recited the bracha of Hagomel following their respective illnesses and recoveries.

On Shabbos morning, during Krias HaTorah at the Belzer beis medrash, the Belzer Rebbe recited Hagomel, marking exactly one year since the surgery he underwent during the month of Elul last year.

In another expression of thanksgiving, the Belzer Rebbetzin lit an additional candle before Shabbos in accordance with a new practice instituted by the Rebbe this past week.

A family simcha took place on Motzoei Shabbos shortly before midnight, when a pidyon haben was held for the Rebbe’s great-grandson, a son of his grandson, Rav Yisroel Menachem Nachum Rokeach.

Meanwhile, an especially emotional scene unfolded at Yeshivas Brisk, where Rav Avrohom Yehoshua Soloveitchik, the rosh yeshiva, spent Shabbos in his new apartment adjacent to the yeshiva and participated in all of the tefillos.

During Krias HaTorah, Rav Soloveitchik received the aliyah of Levi. The rosh yeshiva then recited Hagomel, breaking down in tears as he gave thanks following the severe illness and medical ordeal that had left him critically ill and bedridden.

The moment was particularly moving for the talmidim and mispallelim who had followed the rosh yeshiva’s difficult medical condition and had davened intensely for his recovery.

At the conclusion of davening, Rav Avrohom Kagan, a senior mispallel at the yeshiva and a rosh mesivta at Yeshivas Kaminetz, broke into a powerful song of praise and thanksgiving to Hashem. Rav Kagan’s father had been a member of the Chazon Ish’s minyan.

An additional simcha took place on Friday, when a bris was held at Rav Soloveitchik’s home for his grandson.

The Boyaner Rebbe, who is related to the family through the mechutan, came to participate in the bris and was honored with amidah labrachos.

Following the bris, the Boyaner Rebbe and Rav Soloveitchik shared a warm conversation, with the Rebbe graciously inquiring about the rosh yeshiva’s health and well-being.

{Matzav.com}

Thousands of families in Modiin Illit, Bnei Brak and Rechasim were left without electricity during critical hours on Erev Shabbos and, in some areas, into Shabbos itself, sparking mounting anger over repeated power failures that residents say have become an increasingly serious infrastructure problem.

The outages struck as families were preparing for Shabbos amid intense summer heat, leaving homes without air conditioning and preventing many residents from completing their cooking. The latest failures come after similar outages in recent weeks, prompting residents to demand a lasting solution from the Israel Electric Corporation.

In Modiin Illit, a widespread outage began on Erev Shabbos and left thousands of residents waiting for hours without knowing when service would be restored. In some neighborhoods, electricity returned only about half an hour before Shabbos, after families had already struggled through much of their preparations without power in the sweltering heat.

Other sections of the city remained without electricity until approximately an hour after Shabbos had begun.

“We had a power outage from four in the afternoon, we were left without much food because we hadn’t managed to cook it, and Shabbos came in with a gloomy atmosphere because we had no main course or cholent,” residents told Kikar HaShabbos.

The latest incident was not an isolated one. Modiin Illit has experienced a series of electricity failures in recent weeks, including the previous Shabbos, when thousands of residents reportedly went without power for hours. In some parts of the city, electricity remained out throughout Shabbos.

Additional problems were reported this past Shabbos as well. At approximately 10 p.m. on Friday night, residents again reported disruptions to the city’s electricity supply.

Similar outages were reported in Bnei Brak and Rechasim, where residents in several neighborhoods were forced to contend with power failures during the busy hours leading into Shabbos while temperatures remained extremely high.

Over the past week, outages were also reported in the Chazon Ish and Ezra Street areas of Bnei Brak. Numerous families were left without electricity, while some buildings reportedly received only partial power, leaving residents unable to operate air conditioners and other essential appliances.

Israel Electric Corporation CEO Meir Spiegler addressed the outage in Modiin Illit and suggested that unauthorized apartment subdivisions and private electrical connections may be contributing significantly to the strain on the local grid.

“The heavy load apparently also stems from apartment subdivisions and private connections that, naturally, were not taken into account when the network’s capacity was planned,” Spiegler said.

In a message distributed to residents while crews were working to restore service, Spiegler said, “A team of company employees is on the ground working to restore electricity to residents. They have now located the malfunction, and it will take approximately another hour to restore electricity to all residents. This week, we will carry out a fundamental treatment of the system that supplies Modiin Illit.”

Spiegler also sharply criticized what he described as illegal electrical arrangements that place additional pressure on the system.

“This is wild, lawless and illegal conduct that harms every one of us and causes those G-d-fearing residents who act in accordance with the law to pay a heavy price in the form of power outages as a result of their actions,” Spiegler said. “It is time to put an end to this, and the sooner the better. It depends solely on the regulatory and enforcement authorities faithfully carrying out their responsibilities.”

Residents, however, are directing growing criticism at the Israel Electric Corporation, arguing that regardless of the causes behind the increased demand, the infrastructure must be capable of providing reliable electricity to the rapidly growing communities it serves.

They say the recurring outages are no longer merely an inconvenience, particularly when they occur on Erev Shabbos and during periods of extreme summer heat. Beyond ruining food and disrupting Shabbos preparations, residents warn that prolonged power failures can pose a health risk to elderly residents, young children and others particularly vulnerable to high temperatures.

At the same time, some Modiin Illit residents have raised serious concerns of their own about what they describe as unauthorized electrical connections operating in certain parts of the city. They contend that such connections present a significant safety hazard while also adding to the burden on the electricity network.

According to those residents, four wedding halls and more than 100 guest rooms are operating in the area in question, creating substantial additional demand on the local power system. They say the heavy load has repeatedly coincided with disruptions in electricity service, further fueling calls for authorities and the Israel Electric Corporation to address the problem before another outage leaves families in the dark.

{Matzav.com}

A remarkable story from approximately 75 years ago has been revealed for the first time, detailing how Rebbetzin Sarah Yisraelson a”h, a daughter of Rav Yosef Shalom Elyashiv zt”l and granddaughter of Rav Aryeh Levin zt”l, was arrested at her home amid efforts at the time to conscript religious women into the Israeli military.

The previously unknown episode was related by her brother, Rav Binyomin Dovid Elyashiv, during a nichum aveilim visit following Rebbetzin Yisraelson’s petirah late last week.

Rav Dovid Cohen, rosh yeshiva of Yeshivas Chevron, came to be menachem avel, and during their conversation, Rav Elyashiv shared the extraordinary story about his sister, describing her as the first person to be arrested for draft evasion during that period.

According to Rav Elyashiv, the incident occurred approximately 75 years ago, when the newly established State of Israel was attempting to impose military service on young women, a move that was met with fierce opposition from leading gedolei Yisroel.

Rebbetzin Yisraelson was arrested at her home and taken into custody. Rav Elyashiv recalled that during the episode, she drank coffee and remained under arrest for approximately half a day.

Efforts quickly began to secure her release.

Rav Elyashiv explained that his family had close ties with then-Chief Rabbi Rav Yitzchok Isaac Herzog, who had learned in the same kollel as his father, Rav Yosef Shalom Elyashiv.

Those connections, together with the intervention of the family’s grandfather, Rav Aryeh Levin, the legendary “father of the prisoners,” ultimately helped secure Rebbetzin Yisraelson’s release and return home.

Rav Aryeh Levin was renowned for his tireless work on behalf of Jewish prisoners and for the extraordinary personal devotion he showed to those who were incarcerated, making his involvement in his granddaughter’s case particularly significant.

The story had apparently remained largely unknown for decades and emerged only during the shivah for Rebbetzin Yisraelson, providing a striking historical glimpse into the early battles surrounding the proposed conscription of religious women.

After recounting how his sister had become the first person arrested over the issue, Rav Elyashiv concluded with a pointed hope particularly resonant amid the current battles surrounding military conscription.

“Be’ezras Hashem, she will also be the last,” he said.

{Matzav.com}

Three young sisters were rushed to the hospital on Shabbos morning after ingesting a large quantity of medication at their home in the Ramat Daled neighborhood of Beit Shemesh, while in a separate incident in Bnei Brak, a 6-year-old girl suffered moderate burns after boiling water spilled on her from a hot-water urn.

The three sisters, ages 1, 2 and 3, were found with diminished levels of consciousness after family members discovered that they had apparently swallowed a significant quantity of medication.

Emergency personnel from Tzevet Hatzalah and Magen David Adom were dispatched to the Beit Shemesh home and provided the children with initial medical treatment before transporting them to Hadassah Ein Kerem Hospital in Yerushalayim. All three were reported to be in stable condition at the time of transport.

Tzevet Hatzalah Shabbos responders, paramedic Nati Ben Shimon and EMTs Kobi Marder and Yehoshua Gottlieb, described the scene.

“When we arrived at the scene with the MDA ambulances that we staff, we were directed into a home, where we saw three sisters, toddlers aged one, two and three, with diminished levels of consciousness, after family members told us that they had swallowed a large quantity of medication,” they said.

“Together with additional MDA EMTs and paramedics, we provided them with initial medical assistance and evacuated them via an MDA mobile intensive care unit and ambulance in stable condition for further treatment at Hadassah Ein Kerem Hospital in Yerushalayim.”

Following the frightening incident, Tzevet Hatzalah reminded parents of the importance of keeping medications and other potentially dangerous substances stored in high, secure locations that are inaccessible to children.

In a separate emergency on Shabbos afternoon, United Hatzalah medical personnel responded to Rav Brutt Street in Bnei Brak after a girl approximately 6 years old was badly burned by boiling water that spilled from a hot-water urn.

The girl suffered burns to multiple areas of her body and was treated at the scene before being transported to Sheba Medical Center at Tel Hashomer. Her condition was listed as moderate.

Yosef Bruchim, a United Hatzalah EMT, Shabbos responder and ambulance driver, said rescuers were told that the boiling water had spilled onto the girl’s face, limbs and back.

“We were told that the girl suffered burns to her face, limbs and back after a hot-water urn containing boiling water spilled on her,” Bruchim said. “With the assistance of additional EMTs, I provided her with medical treatment and evacuated her in a United Hatzalah ambulance to Sheba Hospital at Tel Hashomer for further medical treatment, with her condition defined as moderate.”

United Hatzalah used the incident to remind parents to place hot-water urns and electric kettles in locations that cannot be reached by young children.

The organization also stressed that electrical cords connected to kettles and hot-water urns should be kept entirely out of the reach of children and toddlers, since pulling on a cord can cause a container of boiling water to fall and result in severe burns.

{Matzav.com}