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A familiar and beloved figure who welcomed countless visitors to the Kosel HaMa’aravi for decades has passed away. Reb Mordechai Levy z”l, widely known as the “Ish HaKosel – Man of the Kosel,” passed away at the age of 81. His levayah was held on Friday and kevurah took place on Har HaMenuchos in Yerushalayim.

Reb Mordechai had become one of the most recognizable and cherished presences at the Kosel. For years, he stood in the shadow of the ancient stones of the site, greeting thousands of mispallelim with warmth.

Reb Mordechai passed away at Shaarei Tzedek Medical Center in Yerushalayim after a period of suffering. He leaves behind a large family, as well as countless admirers and regular visitors to the Kosel who feel his absence deeply.

Those who frequented the site knew that Reb Mordechai was far more than just another regular mispallel. He had become, in many ways, the living spirit of the Kosel plaza itself. Anyone who arrived at s’rid Beis Mikdasheinu, whether in the quiet hours before dawn or late at night, would likely encounter his radiant presence.

He was known for offering heartfelt brachos to anyone who approached him, greeting people with an unusually warm smile. His friendly words and encouragement made him a source of comfort for countless visitors.

Reb Mordechai had a particularly special connection with soldiers of the Israel Defense Forces. Whenever he noticed a soldier standing at the Kosel plaza in uniform, he would approach, place his hand gently on the soldier’s head, and shower him with brachos for protection and success.

Yehi zichro boruch. {Matzav.com}

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu convened a high-level security meeting tonight with Defense Minister Yisrael Katz and top military and intelligence officials as Israel weighs the possibility that the Iranian regime could collapse under mounting pressure from the ongoing war. According to Channel 12, Israeli leaders believe the intensifying campaign against Iran is exposing deep […]

A federal jury in Brooklyn on Friday convicted a Pakistani national accused of working with Iranian operatives to orchestrate a plot to assassinate Donald Trump at a campaign rally during the 2024 presidential race. The defendant, Asif Merchant, 48, was found guilty of murder-for-hire and terrorism-related charges after jurors deliberated for less than two hours. […]

New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani is facing mounting criticism after a report revealed that his wife, Rama Duwaji, liked social media posts celebrating the Oct. 7, 2023, Hamas attack on Israel — the deadliest assault on Jews since the Holocaust. The report, published by Jewish Insider, found that Duwaji’s Instagram account had interacted with […]

Israeli security officials believe that Mojtaba Khamenei, the son of Iran’s late supreme leader Ali Khamenei and a leading contender to succeed him, survived an airstrike this week that targeted senior Iranian leadership figures. According to the Israeli assessment, Mojtaba Khamenei was wounded in the strike but remains alive. The development comes as Iran’s clerical […]

SPRING FORWARD UNITED STATES: Set those clocks 60 minutes ahead before you hit the hay on Motzei Shabbos. The time change officially starts Sunday at 2 a.m. local time. Digital clocks like the ones on cellphones will automatically change. Analog clocks and any clocks or watches that do not automatically adjust will need to be […]

Ali Larijani, one of the senior figures remaining in Iran’s leadership, issued a stark warning today that President Donald Trump would face consequences following the U.S. and Israeli military strikes that have severely weakened Iran’s top leadership.

Larijani, who currently serves as secretary of Iran’s Supreme National Security Council and previously held a position within the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, made the statement in a post on X. “We won’t let #Trump off the hook; he must pay the price—he’s martyred our leader and our people. This isn’t a simple matter; we won’t let it go until we retaliate in kind.”

Iran has been carrying out retaliatory attacks since last Saturday’s large-scale strike on Tehran that killed Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. In response, Iran has launched missiles and drones toward American military facilities located in territories around the Persian Gulf.

Larijani’s message was posted as Trump attended a solemn dignified transfer ceremony at Dover Air Force Base in Delaware, where the remains of six U.S. soldiers killed in an Iranian strike on an American installation in Kuwait were returned to the United States.

Larijani, who was born into a well-known family in Iraq, has played a prominent role in Iranian politics for years. He previously served as a representative for Iran in negotiations over its nuclear program and has long been viewed as a figure likely to continue playing an influential role within the regime.

Earlier Saturday, Trump issued a warning of his own in a post on Truth Social, declaring that Iran would face severe consequences and suggesting that additional targets were now under consideration.

In that message, Trump said Iran would be “hit very hard” and added that areas and groups not previously regarded as targets were now “under serious consideration for complete destruction and certain death.”

{Matzav.com}

Prediction market platform Kalshi is facing a class-action lawsuit accusing the company of refusing to pay out roughly $54 million to users who wagered that Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei would leave office before March 1, 2026.

Khamenei was killed on Saturday during joint U.S.-Israeli strikes that also killed hundreds of people, including several senior Iranian officials.

Those attacks came after months of military buildup by the United States in the region.

According to the lawsuit, many Kalshi users were attracted to the company’s “Khamenei Market” because of rapidly changing geopolitical developments surrounding Iran.

The complaint claims that only after the Iranian leader was killed did Kalshi invoke a contractual “death carveout” clause in order to avoid paying bettors.

“With an American naval armada amassed on Iran’s doorstep and military conflict not merely foreseeable but widely anticipated, consumers understood that the most likely—and in many cases the only realistic—mechanism by which an 85-year-old autocratic leader would ‘leave office’ was through his death. Defendants understood this as well,” the lawsuit said.

The lawsuit argues that the market language made clear that Khamenei leaving office could occur through any circumstance, including death.

The wording, according to the complaint, was “clear, unambiguous and binary,” and the plaintiffs describe Kalshi’s conduct as “deceptive” and “predatory.”

Filed in the U.S. District Court for the Central District of California, the lawsuit also alleges that trading in the market continued even as reports about Khamenei’s death were beginning to spread.

Kalshi disputed the claims. A company spokesperson said the firm’s policies were consistent and clearly stated from the outset, explaining that the market rules “included every precaution …. to make sure people could not trade on the outcome of death.”

The spokesperson also said the company reimbursed users for fees and losses connected to the market.

“We even reimbursed all fees and net losses out of pocket — to the tune of millions of dollars — to make sure not a single person lost money on this market,” the spokesperson said.

Prediction markets have surged in popularity since the 2024 U.S. presidential election, when the real-time probabilities on such platforms proved more accurate than many traditional polls in predicting Donald Trump’s victory.

These markets allow users to trade contracts tied to real-world outcomes, covering topics that range from sporting events to political developments and economic indicators.

Typically, users purchase “yes” or “no” contracts priced between zero and 100 cents, with payouts triggered once the relevant outcome is officially confirmed.

{Matzav.com}

Toronto Police tell Jews that they cannot count on the police for protection, after two Shuls were targeted by gunfire on Friday night.

The Israel Defense Forces said Saturday it carried out a precision strike targeting commanders from the Quds Force’s Lebanon Corps of Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IGRC) operating in a Beirut hotel. According to the IDF, the commanders were working to advance terror plots against Israel from Lebanese territory. The military said the Quds Force’s […]

ADDITIONAL FOOTAGE: Apocalyptic scene in northern Tehran tonight as the Aqdasiyeh oil depot burns uncontrollably after being struck, sending towering flames and thick plumes of smoke into the sky.

CENTCOM: If you kill Americans, if you threaten Americans anywhere on earth, we will hunt you down without apology and without hesitation and we will kill you.

Mojtaba Khamenei, widely viewed as a leading candidate to succeed Iran’s late supreme leader, was reportedly injured during an Israeli airstrike carried out as part of the large-scale military campaign against Iran.

According to a report Saturday by The Times of Israel, the son of the slain Ayatollah Ali Khamenei survived an assassination attempt during the opening phase of Israel’s Operation Lion’s Roar on February 28, which coincided with the United States’ Operation Epic Fury.

The broader wave of strikes during the joint operation killed his father along with roughly 40 other senior officials in the Islamic Republic’s leadership.

Among those killed in the attack was Mojtaba’s wife, Zahra Haddad Adel, who came from a prominent family closely tied to Iran’s ruling religious establishment.

It remains unclear whether Mojtaba Khamenei, 56, was inside his father’s compound when it was struck by Israeli airstrikes or whether he was targeted separately in another strike against regime leadership.

Reports have also not clarified the severity of the injuries he sustained.

Following the attack, Mojtaba is believed to have gone into hiding as Israel and the United States continue launching strikes against targets linked to the Iranian regime.

Within Iran’s power structure, Mojtaba has long been viewed as the preferred candidate of the powerful Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps to replace his father. However, some members of the 88-member Assembly of Experts—the body responsible for selecting the next supreme leader—have reportedly expressed reservations about transferring the country’s leadership to the late ayatollah’s son.

Mojtaba Khamenei has been known for strongly embracing the same hardline conservative ideology and anti-Western outlook that defined his father’s leadership of the Islamic Republic.

President Donald Trump criticized the possibility of Mojtaba taking power, saying such a move would be unacceptable to the United States and would not resolve the ongoing conflict.

“They are wasting their time. Khamenei’s son is a lightweight,” Trump said this week.

“We want someone that will bring harmony and peace to Iran.”

According to reports, the Assembly of Experts may convene within the next 24 hours to discuss and potentially select the country’s next supreme leader.

Because the Assembly’s usual meeting location was destroyed in Israeli airstrikes earlier this week, the leadership vote is expected to be conducted remotely.

Whoever ultimately assumes the position will gain authority over the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, a powerful military force that has played a dominant role in governing the country for decades.

{Matzav.com}

Authorities searched through rubble and debris in southern Michigan on Saturday after suspected tornadoes tore through the region and killed four people, including a 12-year-old boy, during powerful storms also blamed for two deaths in eastern Oklahoma. First responders from multiple agencies in the Union Lake area near Union City looked for more possible victims […]

Biden Draws Attention With Remark During Jesse Jackson Memorial Service

Joe Biden drew notice Friday during a memorial service for Rev. Jesse Jackson when he made a pointed remark while reflecting on his childhood experiences with a speech impediment.

The comment came as Biden spoke to mourners about being mocked as a young person for his stutter and how speech disorders are often misunderstood as a sign of lower intelligence.

“If I told you I had a cleft palate or clubfoot, none of you would have laughed,” Biden said.

“But it’s OK to laugh at stuttering. … It’s the one place where people think you’re stupid.

“Oh, really? I’m ….. a lot smarter than most of you,” he added, before quickly pivoting back to his broader point.

“But all kidding aside, it makes you feel really small.”

Biden delivered the remarks during a memorial gathering in Chicago attended by many prominent Democratic political figures and civil rights leaders who came to honor Jackson’s decades of activism and influence.

Among those present were former presidents Barack Obama and Bill Clinton, along with former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, former Vice President Kamala Harris, and Rev. Al Sharpton.

The service took place at the 10,000-seat House of Hope arena, where hundreds of attendees assembled to commemorate Jackson’s life and contributions.

Jackson, who passed away at the age of 84, first gained national recognition as a close associate of Martin Luther King Jr. during the Civil Rights Movement.

He later established the Rainbow PUSH Coalition and ran two campaigns for the Democratic presidential nomination in 1984 and 1988, efforts that helped expand Black voter participation and reshape the Democratic Party’s political coalition.

Speakers throughout the memorial highlighted Jackson’s talent for forging alliances across political lines and bringing attention to the concerns of marginalized communities.

During his remarks, Biden also revisited his personal experiences with overcoming a stutter, using the story to speak about resilience and the emotional toll of being ridiculed as a child.

At another point in his speech, Biden spoke about Africa’s future population growth while recalling a past conversation involving Jackson.

“I remember telling Jesse that I knew I knew a guy, in South Africa,” former President Biden recalled.

“I was going to go see name is Nelson Mandela. And, I’m Jesse saying, how are you going? You guys actually see him, by the way? You know, the continent of Africa is going to be the largest continent in the world in terms of population of the year 2050, the largest in the entire world. Watch, man. Watch.”

The line in which Biden said he was “a lot smarter than most of you” quickly spread online and was added by critics to a list of remarks that have drawn attention on social media.

Under one repost of the viral moment from user Libs of TikTok, one commenter wrote, “That’s a strange line to deliver at a memorial service.”

Another quipped, “Never ending comedy from this guy. So happy he’s back in public.”

Aside from Biden’s remarks, the event largely centered on remembering Jackson’s long career as a civil rights leader and his role in shaping the modern Democratic Party while encouraging broader political participation across the United States.

{Matzav.com}

משלוח מנות איש לרעהו אלע מיינע מצוות שענק איך אוועק פאר אידןבמתנה גמורה וחלוטה!טאמער האב איך עולם הבא, זאלן זיי האבן מיין עולם הבאאיך שענק זיי דאס אויך אוועק!   מתוך דברות קודש שושן פורים תשל”טמאת הרה”ק מצאנז קלויזענבורג זי”ע   – קטע ווידיאו מצורף בסוף – צו הערן און זעהןקליקט דא   צו הערן דורכ’ן […]

A lengthy handwritten and autographed letter in the handwriting of the holy Admor Rabbi Yisrael Alter of Gur, author of Beis Yisrael, written during the Yamim Nora’im between Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur of the year 1961.

By Yosef Sosnow It is no secret that antisemitism has reared its ugly head throughout the world. It is not an exaggeration to say that the overt antisemitism being witnessed worldwide has not been seen since the 1930’s. As a son and son-in-law of Holocaust survivors, Rav Dovid Hofstedter views this epidemic of antisemitism with […]

Microsoft warned Friday that North Korean operatives are increasingly using artificial intelligence tools to pose as Western job applicants and obtain remote technology positions, allowing them to funnel salaries and access to corporate systems back to Pyongyang.

According to the company, the operation relies on fabricated or stolen identities that are used to apply for software development and IT positions at companies in Western countries.

Microsoft said the individuals involved rely on AI-generated images to create professional headshots, develop believable Western-sounding names and email addresses, and customize job applications to match specific postings. During job interviews, the company reported that some applicants employ voice-modification technology to disguise their accents.

The company also said the operatives continue using artificial intelligence after being hired, relying on it to draft emails, translate documents, and produce code while attempting to avoid suspicion. One network of North Korean operatives tracked by Microsoft under the name Jasper Sleet, the company said, “leverages AI across the attack lifecycle to get hired, stay hired, and misuse access at scale.”

Officials say the scheme is significant because it has evolved from simple payroll fraud into a broader security concern for companies.

U.S. authorities have previously said North Korean remote IT worker operations depend on stolen or falsified identities, facilitators located in the United States, and so-called laptop farms that allow workers located overseas to appear as though they are operating computers inside the United States.

In June 2025, the Justice Department said the schemes had infiltrated more than 100 American companies. The FBI has also warned that in some cases the workers have taken sensitive corporate data or attempted to extort companies using the information.

Microsoft said it shut down roughly 3,000 Outlook and Hotmail accounts last year that were connected to fraudulent North Korean IT worker operations.

The company advised employers to take additional precautions during hiring, including conducting interviews via video or in person and watching for potential signs of manipulated images such as irregularities around faces, eyes, ears, or glasses.

Federal investigators have issued similar recommendations, urging companies to strengthen identity verification procedures, closely examine employment histories, and carefully review remote hiring practices.

Upwork, one of the online job platforms mentioned as a site where software and IT roles are often posted, said it actively works to identify and remove fraudulent users from its marketplace.

{Matzav.com}

Secretary of War Pete Hegseth: With every passing day, we have more and more leverage because we have more and more capabilities. We’re hitting them harder and harder, and they have less of an ability to defend themselves. So, we’re pressing the offensive every single day, creating all the leverage.