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[Video below.] An Orthodox Jewish leader was subjected to antisemitic harassment inside the U.S. Capitol this week after a pro-Palestinian activist confronted him in a hallway and shouted accusations related to Israel’s war against Hamas.
Rabbi Yaakov Menken, executive vice president of the Coalition for Jewish Values, said the incident occurred Thursday, December 12, and was captured on video that has since circulated online.
Menken said the activist approached him without provocation and began chanting slogans accusing Israel of “occupation,” making it clear, he said, that he was singled out because he is Jewish.
Video footage shows the activist, identified as being affiliated with the far-left group CodePink, confronting Rabbi Menken in a Capitol corridor and raising her voice as she repeated anti-Israel chants. Rabbi Menken responded forcefully.
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{Matzav.com}
It is with great sadness that Matzav.com reports the petirah of Rav Yaakov Yehoshua HaKohen Frankel zt”l, the longtime gabbai of the Harishonim Shul on Rechov Rabi Akiva, who passed away at the age of 91.
Rav Frankel collapsed earlier this week during a Daf Yomi shiur and was niftar several days later.
Rav Frankel was born in Poland on 23 Kislev 5695 to his father, Rav Yechezkel HaKohen Frenkel, and his mother, Mrs. Faiga Frankel. He was among the veteran residents of Bnei Brak and for more than five decades served as gabbai and rosh hakahal of the Harishonim Shul, the first shul established in the city, located on Rechov Rabi Akiva.
Known as an early riser with a deep love for Torah, Rav Frankel was devoted to the beis medrash and held talmidei chachamim in the highest esteem. Those who knew him recall his tireless dedication to the shul and the kehillah it served, a responsibility he carried faithfully for many years.
Following the passing of his wife, Gittel, more than a decade ago, his health declined. During that period, he regularly davened at the central Shoneh Halachos Shul on nearby Rechov HaRav Herzog, close to his home.
Last Sunday, Rav Frankel attended the Daf Yomi shiur at Shoneh Halachos as he did consistently. In the middle of the shiur, he suddenly collapsed. He was niftar on Friday.
Friends and acquaintances noted the poignant timing of his passing, which occurred just one day before his 91st birthday, 23 Kislev.
Rav Frankel is survived by his family, including his son, R’ Pinchas Avraham Frankel. The levayah took place after chatzos on Friday and he was laid to rest at the Ponevezh Cemetery in Bnei Brak.
Yehi zichro baruch.
{Matzav.com}
Federal prosecutors say a sweeping financial scheme turned a racial justice organization into a personal piggy bank, leading to serious criminal charges against a onetime Black Lives Matter leader in Oklahoma City.
According to an indictment returned by a federal grand jury, Tashella Sheri Amore Dickerson, 52, faces 25 criminal counts tied to an alleged misuse of millions of dollars in donated funds. The charges include 20 counts of wire fraud and five counts of money laundering, as detailed by U.S. Attorney Robert Troester.
The case centers on Dickerson’s tenure as executive director of Black Lives Matter OKC. Prosecutors allege that during that period she gained control over the group’s financial infrastructure, including bank accounts, PayPal, and Cash App, and then siphoned off large sums of money for her own benefit.
Authorities say the organization was never registered as a tax-exempt nonprofit. Instead, it operated under a fiscal sponsorship arrangement with the Arizona-based Alliance for Global Justice, which required that all donated funds be used strictly for approved charitable purposes and fully documented.
Beginning in late spring 2020, Black Lives Matter OKC reportedly brought in more than $5.6 million through online fundraising and national bail organizations, including the Community Justice Exchange, the Massachusetts Bail Fund, and the Minnesota Freedom Fund, prosecutors said.
Those donations, according to the indictment, were earmarked to post bail for people arrested during racial justice protests following the death of George Floyd. In some cases, the funds were also intended to establish a revolving bail fund or support other social justice initiatives permitted under federal tax law.
Instead, investigators allege that from June 2020 through at least October 2025, Dickerson diverted at least $3.15 million by depositing returned bail checks into her personal accounts rather than into accounts belonging to the organization.
Prosecutors claim the money was then spent on an array of personal expenses, including leisure trips to Jamaica and the Dominican Republic for Dickerson and others, extensive retail shopping, and at least $50,000 on food and grocery deliveries for herself and her children. The indictment also alleges she used the funds to buy a personal vehicle registered in her own name and to acquire six properties in Oklahoma City.
Those properties, authorities say, were titled either directly to Dickerson or to Equity International LLC, a company prosecutors allege she solely controlled.
The indictment further accuses Dickerson of submitting false annual reports to the Alliance for Global Justice using interstate communications. Prosecutors say the filings claimed the funds were used exclusively for tax-exempt purposes while omitting disclosures about personal expenditures.
If convicted on all counts, Dickerson could face up to 20 years in prison for each wire fraud charge and up to 10 years for each money laundering charge, in addition to substantial fines.
{Matzav.com}
‘The Big Money Show’ reacts to New York City Mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani releasing a video instructing individuals on how to resist I.C.E. and and discusses his agenda.
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Emergency measures are being rolled out across Waterbury and nearby towns after a major water main failure disrupted service for a vast portion of the region. Officials say tens of thousands of residents have been affected by the incident.
City leaders confirmed that public schools in Waterbury will be closed on Monday, while restaurants were instructed to shut their doors tonight as a precaution. The closures come amid concerns about water safety and system stability.
“At this point, any facility that serves food and prepares food … even if they currently have water pressure, should not be serving food until such time as we can lift the boil water notice,” Waterbury Mayor Paul K. Pernerewski Jr. said.
A boil water advisory remains in effect for Waterbury as well as the neighboring communities of Wolcott and Watertown, as officials warn that the water system cannot yet be deemed safe for consumption.
The crisis began when a large water main ruptured along Thomaston Avenue on Wednesday. Conditions worsened Friday night, when officials said the entire water system lost pressure.
Governor Ned Lamont and municipal officials said during a Saturday press conference that repair crews have been working nonstop since the break occurred, operating around the clock in an effort to restore full service.
To address immediate needs, Pernerewski said the Connecticut National Guard will assist with distributing bottled water to residents once deliveries reach the city.
{Matzav.com}
Chaos unfolded this afternoon near Brown University when gunfire erupted just as final exams were underway, leaving two people dead and eight others wounded, authorities confirmed. The victims who survived were transported to Rhode Island Hospital, roughly two miles from campus, where they remain in critical but stable condition.
Providence Fire Department Chief Derek Silva said the two fatalities were pronounced dead at the scene. “Those are the only injuries or casualties that we know at this time,” he said, cautioning that the situation remains fluid and the total number could still change.
The shooting occurred shortly after 4 p.m. ET outside the Barus and Holley building, which houses Brown’s School of Engineering and its Physics Department. According to Brown University Provost Francis Doyle, students were actively taking final exams inside the building at the time.
Police are now engaged in an extensive manhunt for the shooter, who remains at large. Deputy Police Chief Timothy O’Hara described the suspect as “a male dressed in black” during an evening press briefing. Investigators believe the suspect fled on foot, exiting through doors on the Hope Street side of the building. O’Hara said it is still unclear how the individual initially gained entry and noted that authorities have received no confirmed sightings since the escape.
As law enforcement continues the search, a shelter-in-place order remains in effect for the university and surrounding neighborhoods. Brown officials urged students and faculty to strictly comply. “This means keeping all doors locked and ensuring no movement across campus,” the university said in an alert.
President Trump said Friday night that he had been briefed on the situation. “What a terrible thing it is,” the president told reporters in brief remarks. “All we can do right now is pray for the victims.”
Addressing questions about campus security, Provost Doyle explained that access to the building is normally controlled by swipe cards, but noted there was “probably a lot of traffic” because exams were scheduled between 2 p.m. and 5 p.m.
“We’re utilizing every resource possible to find the suspect,” O’Hara said, emphasizing the scale of the ongoing operation.
Providence Mayor Brett Smiley confirmed that city police, Brown University authorities, and the FBI are working together on the investigation. “Sadly, today is a day that the city of Providence and the state of Rhode Island prayed would never come,” Smiley told reporters.
Officials are also asking anyone who may have witnessed the shooting or has relevant information to contact law enforcement immediately.
Earlier in the day, confusion spread over reports that a suspect had been taken into custody. Brown officials, followed by media reports and President Trump, initially stated that someone had been detained, but later corrected that information.
“While [Brown University’s department of public safety] was at one point informed that there was an individual in custody, that person was determined not to be the shooting suspect after questioning,” the university clarified in a Friday night emergency update.
Authorities have not yet released the identities of the victims or provided further details about the suspect. Brown officials said the two people killed were members of the community and that the university is working closely with local hospitals to identify the injured.
It is with great sadness that Matzav.com reports the passing of 10-year-old Batsheva Lieberman a”h of Lakewood, NJ.
She was a daughter of R’ Elimelech Shmuel and Devorah Leeba Lieberman of the Dewey Avenue neighborhood.
The levayah will take place tonight at 9 PM at the Congregation Sons of Israel Holocaust Memorial Chapel, located at 613 Ramsey Avenue in Lakewood, NJ, followed by kevurah at the adjacent Mt. Sinai Cemetery.
Yehi zichrah boruch.
{Matzav.com}
