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IDF representatives informed the families of the fallen hostages Col. Asaf Hamami, Cpt. Omer Neutra, and Staff Sgt. Oz Daniel that their bodies have been returned to Israel, Israeli media outlets reported on Monday morning. The identification process was completed overnight by the Abu Kabir National Institute of Forensic Medicine, in cooperation with the Israel […]

After being informed that his request for a reduced sentence was denied, Ariel Shamai, a yeshiva bochur from Ateres Shlomo, reached out from prison to seek comfort and encouragement from the Slabodka rosh yeshiva, Rav Moshe Hillel Hirsch. The resulting conversation was deeply emotional and filled with words of chizuk and emunah.

Rav Hirsch took the call while traveling and immediately sought to strengthen the young man. Ariel described the pain and fear he was experiencing in prison, admitting that he was struggling to focus on learning and was worried about his spiritual state.

“I heard the difficult news,” began Rav Hirsch, his voice heavy with concern. “It must be that you are a very, very strong bochur to be able to withstand this. It’s very hard, very hard, but b’ezras Hashem, it will pass.”

The rosh yeshiva continued to reassure him, saying, “This is an extremely difficult nisayon, but it will pass if Hashem wills it. In the meantime, strengthen yourself as much as possible. Remember that everything comes from Hakadosh Baruch Hu, and that thought itself will give you strength to succeed in your learning — far more than before.”

He then added words that moved many who later heard the recording: “Because you are suffering for the sake of Torah, the Torah itself will come before Hashem and say, ‘He suffered for me — give him all the secrets of Torah.’ That’s what will happen. Through this, you will reach new levels in Torah.”

As Ariel poured out his heart, Rav Hirsch sighed deeply and said, “I understand your pain very well. But you must strengthen yourself with the knowledge that Torah speaks before Hashem and says, ‘He toiled for You, he sacrificed for You — give him the secrets of Torah.’ That’s what will happen.”

Concluding the conversation, the rosh yeshiva offered final words of encouragement: “What you are going through now will raise you higher and higher. Keep thinking of HaKadosh Baruch Hu constantly, and you will not be influenced by your surroundings. Even if you can’t concentrate, just saying the words of Torah is also valuable. Learn however you can, even without focus. Hashem will help you. Kol tuv, kol tuv.”

{Matzav.com}

Florida Lt. Gov. Jay Collins joins ‘Fox & Friends Weekend’ to discuss Zohran Mamdani’s projected victory in the New York City mayoral race and his warning to those who support socialism.

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The nation’s largest police fleet of Tesla Cybertrucks is set to begin patrolling the streets of Las Vegas in November thanks to a donation from a U.S. tech billionaire, raising concerns about the blurring of lines between public and private interests. “Welcome to the future of policing,” Clark County Sheriff Kevin McMahill said during a […]

Watch as President Trump discusses testing nuclear weapons, U.S.-China relations, Israel, the government shutdown, immigration, tariffs, and whether he’ll try to stay in the White House beyond 2028.

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People across the country formed long lines for free meals and groceries at food pantries and drive-through giveaways Saturday, after monthly benefits through the federal Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, or SNAP, were suddenly cut off because of the ongoing government shutdown. In the New York borough of the Bronx, about 200 more people than usual […]

‘The Ben Shapiro Show’ host Ben Shapiro analyzes New York City Democratic mayoral candidate Zohran Mamdani on ‘Life, Liberty & Levin.’

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In a post on Truth Social on Sunday evening, President Donald J. Trump issued a strong appeal to the Orthodox Jewish community—particularly in Lakewood, New Jersey—urging them to turn out in large numbers to support Republican gubernatorial candidate Jack Ciattarelli in Tuesday’s election.

Trump praised the Orthodox community’s overwhelming backing during the 2024 presidential race, describing Lakewood as one of his campaign’s greatest strongholds nationwide. “The Orthodox Jewish communities all across America voted in very big numbers for me in our Historic 2024 Presidential Campaign,” Trump wrote. “Lakewood, New Jersey, was one of our biggest Wins anywhere in the Country with more than 90% of the Vote.”

With the New Jersey governor’s race approaching on November 4, Trump declared, “I need ALL of my supporters in the Orthodox community in Lakewood and its surrounding towns to vote in HUGE numbers for Jack Ciattarelli.” He called Ciattarelli “a GREAT Governor” and emphasized that he has Trump’s “Complete and Total Endorsement,” assuring supporters that “He will never let you down!”

Trump specifically mentioned the thousands of yeshiva students who voted for him last year, urging them to return to the polls to help deliver another victory. “Jack needs every single Vote in the community, including all the Yeshiva students who turned out to vote for me last year,” he wrote. “Your Votes in this Election will save New Jersey, a State that is near and dear to my heart.”

The post focused heavily on economic themes, with Trump promising that Ciattarelli would implement conservative fiscal reforms. “Jack will cut your taxes, and tremendously reduce your out of control and ridiculous Energy costs — whereas his opponent will double, triple, and even quadruple your Energy, and other costs,” he said.

Concluding his message, Trump made a direct appeal to voters: “You will rue the day that you voted for her. VOTE FOR JACK CIATTARELLI ON TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 4TH!”

{Matzav.com}

The Paris prosecutor said Sunday that two of the suspects in the Louvre jewels heist had previously been convicted in a theft case together 10 years ago, as three alleged members of the team of four are now in custody. Laure Beccuau said the DNA of a 37-year-old man who was charged Saturday was found […]

President Donald Trump sees tariffs — or the threat of them — as a powerful tool to bend nations to his will. He has used them in an unprecedented way, not only as the underpinning of his economic agenda, but also as the cornerstone of his foreign policy in his second term. He has wielded […]

A sudden and unexpected show of support for Democratic mayoral candidate Zohran Mamdani from one faction within the Satmar community has sparked intense disagreement, laying bare sharp internal rifts over how to approach a candidate many see as deeply controversial.

The endorsement for the jihad supporter and Muslim socialist came on Sunday, when Mr. Moshe Indig — a longtime political figure among the Ahronim, the group aligned with Rav Aharon Teitelbaum of Satmar — announced at a Williamsburg gathering that he was backing Mamdani for mayor, The Forward reports.

But before the day was over, the move had ignited outrage. Three leaders from the same Ahronim faction quickly released a joint letter distancing themselves from the endorsement and reaffirming their community’s backing of Andrew Cuomo, the same candidate they had supported during the Democratic primary.

Indig, who earlier in the campaign had described Mamdani as “very nice, very humble” and “not antisemitic,” has not responded publicly since the uproar erupted.

If Mamdani — a proud socialist and outspoken critic of Israel who currently leads the race by a wide margin — wins on Tuesday, it would mark the third straight mayoral contest in which the Ahronim camp’s political endorsement aligned with the eventual victor. That track record began in 2013, when they backed Bill de Blasio over the more establishment-favored Bill Thompson, and continued in 2021 when they supported Eric Adams, while other chassidic groups, including the Zalonim, threw their support behind Andrew Yang.

This latest development came just days after the Satmar faction led by Rav Zalmen Teitelbaum of Satmar declared that they would not endorse any candidate in this race. In their statement, they decried the “fear campaign” being waged against Mamdani, even as they had met with Cuomo earlier in the week together with Mayor Eric Adams. Despite that meeting, they ultimately withheld support from either side.

In a public letter distributed to their followers, the Satmar leadership cited several of Mamdani’s recent promises to the chareidi community. Among them, they highlighted his commitment to defend the independence of yeshivos facing pressure from state regulators, as well as his pledges to expand affordable housing and create universal childcare programs that would benefit frum families.

Should Mamdani prevail, he would become New York City’s first Muslim mayor.

Andrew Cuomo, meanwhile, continues to command broad Jewish support. Recent polling shows that Jewish voters — who account for about 10 percent of the city’s electorate — heavily favor him. A Quinnipiac poll of 170 Jewish respondents put Cuomo at 60 percent and Mamdani at just 16, while a Marist survey of 792 likely voters (including 11 percent who identified as Jewish) found a 55 to 32 percent split in Cuomo’s favor.

{Matzav.com}

New tests of the U.S. nuclear weapons system ordered up by President Donald Trump will not include nuclear explosions, Energy Secretary Chris Wright said Sunday. It was the first clarity from the Trump administration since the president took to social media last week to say he had “instructed the Department of War to start testing […]

President Trump on Zohran Mamdani: “I’m much better looking than him! But it’s going to be hard to give a lot of money to New York—if a communist is running the city, that money is being wasted. I’m not a fan of Cuomo, but between a bad Democrat and a communist, I’d choose the bad […]

President Trump pushed back forcefully against criticism of his administration’s immigration enforcement during a tense “60 Minutes” interview set to air Sunday night — his first appearance on CBS News since he sued the network.

Pressed by anchor Norah O’Donnell about the aggressive tactics used in recent ICE operations, Trump dismissed claims that his administration had gone too far. “No. I think they haven’t gone far enough because we’ve been held back . . . by the liberal judges that were put in by Biden and by Obama,” he said, according to an advance preview of the segment.

During the exchange, O’Donnell challenged Trump with reports showing ICE agents “tackling a young mother, tear gas being used in a Chicago residential neighborhood, and the smashing of car windows.” She asked pointedly, “You’re okay with those tactics?”

“Yeah, because you have to get the people out,” Trump replied without hesitation.

The interview, filmed Friday at Trump’s Mar-a-Lago estate in Florida, marks a significant moment as the administration continues to face lawsuits and injunctions tied to its immigration policies. One recent legal battle in Illinois saw a Biden-appointed federal judge block Trump’s plan to deploy National Guard troops to Chicago amid escalating tensions over enforcement measures.

Trump also used the interview to weigh in once again on New York City’s mayoral race, taking aim at the progressive frontrunner. “He’s far worse than a socialist,” the president said, referring to “communist” candidate Zohran Mamdani.

O’Donnell then asked Trump about the comparisons some have drawn between him and Mamdani. “Some people have described him as a left-wing version of you … charismatic, breaking the old rules. What do you think about that?” she pressed.

“Well, I think I’m a much better-looking person than him, right?” Trump quipped, drawing laughter in the studio.

The broadcast comes shortly after a shake-up at CBS News, where Bari Weiss — the journalist and founder of The Free Press, and a former editor at both The Wall Street Journal and The New York Times — recently took over as editor-in-chief.

Trump’s appearance follows his legal battle with CBS’s parent company, Paramount, over a 2024 “60 Minutes” episode featuring then–Vice President Kamala Harris. Trump alleged that the segment was deceptively edited to favor his opponent in the presidential race.

In July, Paramount agreed to pay Trump $16 million to settle the lawsuit, closing a contentious chapter between the network and the president — just in time for his return to the program he once accused of bias.

{Matzav.com}

President Donald Trump addressed the Republican Jewish Coalition’s Annual Leadership Summit in Las Vegas on Sunday, using the occasion to celebrate four decades of the organization’s impact and to highlight what he described as an unprecedented record of support for Israel and the Jewish people.

“Hello to everyone at the Republican Jewish Coalition and congratulations on 40 amazing years,” Trump opened, extending warm thanks to National Chairman Norm Coleman, CEO Matt Brooks, and Miriam Adelson for their partnership and leadership.

Reflecting on his political achievements, Trump described what he called “the most important election victory in the history of our country,” telling the audience, “With the help of many of you, we won all seven swing states by millions of votes. We won the Electoral College 312 to 226. We won the popular vote for the first time of any Republican in decades.”

He praised the RJC’s efforts in energizing Jewish voters, noting, “The RJC helped ensure that we won the highest percentage of Jewish vote of any Republican since 1988.” Then, with characteristic humor, he added, “I can’t imagine we didn’t do better than that after all I’ve done for the Jewish vote, I must be honest with you. But that’s okay. 1988’s not that bad.”

Trump portrayed the current state of the nation as one of renewal. “One year ago we were a dead country. Now we’re the hottest country anywhere in the world by far,” he said, citing border control, foreign policy wins, and what he claimed were record-breaking economic gains. He also pointed to an end to “eight wars in nine months” and referenced “the historic peace deal that ended the war in Gaza.”

“After two harrowing years of darkness, our 20 courageous hostages will return to the loving embrace of their families. And you have to remember we also got many of the other hostages out long before that,” Trump said, drawing applause.

Speaking passionately about his connection to Israel, Trump declared, “Israel has never had a better friend than President Donald J. Trump.” He then revisited his administration’s foreign policy record: “In my first term, I terminated the disastrous Iran nuclear deal. With Operation Midnight Hammer last June, we totally obliterated Iran’s nuclear enrichment capacity. And we didn’t even get them by surprise. They expected it and they got obliterated.”

He reminded the audience of his historic decisions that reshaped U.S.-Israel relations: “After years of broken promises by many other American presidents, I kept my promise, officially recognized the capital of Israel and moved the American embassy to Jerusalem. I also recognized Israeli sovereignty over the Golan Heights. Who would have done that? Nobody even thought I was going to think about it. Nobody else thought about it for 70 years, but I did it.”

Trump continued, “I withdrew the United States from the anti-American, anti-Israel UN Human Rights Council and terminated funding for the extremely corrupt United Nations Relief and Works Agency.”

Turning to domestic issues, Trump underscored his administration’s actions against antisemitism. “Just as I promised, we’re deporting the foreign jihadist sympathizers and Hamas supporters from our country… I signed a historic executive order directing every department and agency in the federal government to do everything in their power to end the scourge of antisemitism in America.”

He noted significant steps to hold academic institutions accountable. “We have secured some of the largest discrimination settlements in modern times. There’s been nothing like it. In just nine months, we have done more to protect Jewish Americans than any administration in history by far. And we’re just getting started.”

As he closed, Trump reaffirmed his commitment to the values and causes shared by the audience. “Together, we will make America stronger, safer, richer, prouder, and greater than ever before… God bless America. I’m with you all the way.”

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{Matzav.com}

As the sun dipped over Cholon on Sunday evening, thousands gathered in the streets to welcome home Bar Kuperstein, who had endured two long years of Hamas captivity. Draped in an Israeli flag, Kuperstein stepped out of a van to the roar of the crowd, emotion etched across his face as he finally set foot in his hometown, just south of Tel Aviv.

Standing at the doorway of his home, he addressed the jubilant crowd with heartfelt words of gratitude. “Two years of captivity, of darkness, of fear. Two years of davening and hope that was never extinguished. Two years that you did not forget me — not you, not my friends, and not the nation of Israel,” he said, his voice breaking with emotion.

“Thank God that after two years I’ve returned home. I stand here today in the city that I love so much and say thank you — thank you to everyone who prayed for me, that donned tefillin, that put up a sign, that you didn’t let me disappear,” Kuperstein continued, his words met with cheers and tears from those who had followed his ordeal from afar.

Holon Mayor Shai Keinan described the moment as one of national unity and renewal, calling Kuperstein’s homecoming “an exciting moment of communal embrace, great joy, and renewed hope.”

Before his return, Kuperstein had been recovering at Kfar Maccabiah in Ramat Gan, where hostages’ families stayed throughout the crisis and where released captives were brought for rehabilitation after leaving the hospital.

Outside the hotel’s entrance, before heading home, Kuperstein stood beside his father, Tal Kuperstein — a man who had suffered a stroke years earlier and who, during his son’s captivity, fought his own battle to regain his ability to stand and speak. Their embrace was a powerful image of endurance and faith.

Kuperstein, a medic from Cholon, had been working at the Nova music festival on October 7 when he was abducted by Hamas terrorists. His release came on October 13, as part of a ceasefire arrangement that saw the return of the final 20 living hostages.

{Matzav.com}

President Donald Trump revealed Sunday night that Hamas had returned the body of American citizen Omer Neutra, along with the remains of two other hostages. “I spoke to Omer’s parents, Ronen and Orna,” Trump said, expressing sorrow and support for the grieving family.

Ronen Neutra, Omer’s father, later wrote an emotional message: “And your children shall return to their own borders. Our Omer is on Israeli soil, at last. So much pain, and so much relief.”

Earlier that evening, Israel’s Prime Minister’s Office confirmed that three coffins containing the bodies of hostages had been transferred to Israeli custody through the Red Cross. The remains were received inside Gaza by the IDF and Shin Bet in a formal military handover attended by the Chief Military Rabbi. From there, they were brought to the National Center for Forensic Medicine under the Ministry of Health for identification.

Officials stated that after the identification process is completed, the families of the victims will be formally notified.

In a separate announcement, Hamas released identification documents — including the IDF card and driver’s license — belonging to the late Assaf Hamami, who was killed during the October 7 massacre. Hamas representatives had earlier informed Al-Hadath that they recovered the bodies of three Israeli hostages who were slain.

Reports from Sunday morning indicated that members of Hamas’s military wing joined Red Cross personnel and engineering vehicles entering Shuja’iyya, in eastern Gaza City, to search for the remains of hostages believed to have been killed.

Just a day earlier, Israel’s Institute of Forensic Medicine had completed testing remains that had previously been turned over by Hamas, concluding that they did not belong to any of the hostages.

According to the IDF, Hamas is currently holding at least two bodies that could be returned immediately. The army further estimates that there are between three and five additional sets of remains whose locations are unknown even to Hamas.

{Matzav.com}

President Donald Trump took to Truth Social Sunday evening with a targeted message to the Orthodox Jewish community — singling out Lakewood, New Jersey, by name and urging its residents to turn out “in huge numbers” for Republican gubernatorial candidate Jack Ciattarelli. In the post, Trump praised Lakewood for delivering him “one of our biggest […]

President Donald Trump took to Truth Social Sunday evening with a targeted message to the Orthodox Jewish community — singling out Lakewood, New Jersey, by name and urging its residents to turn out “in huge numbers” for Republican gubernatorial candidate Jack Ciattarelli. In the post, Trump praised Lakewood for delivering him “one of our biggest […]