All are asked to daven for the renowned mekubal Rav Dovid Batzri, who has been hospitalized and is in need of rachamei Shomayim.
Rav Batzri, 85, rosh yeshiva of Yeshivas HaShalom in Yerushalayim, was admitted to Hadassah Ein Kerem Hospital in Yerushalayim. He was transferred from Bnei Brak to Yerushalayimso that he could be treated at the medical center where his full medical records are on file, following a serious medical episode in the past from which he recovered with siyata d’Shmaya.
In recent years, Rav Batzri has resided on Rechov Harav Landau in Bnei Brak.
Shas chairman MK Aryeh Deri visited Rav Batzri at Hadassah Ein Kerem on Tuesday, accompanied by former Health Committee chairman MK Yoni Mashriki. Deri has been closely involved in overseeing the rov’s medical care since his hospitalization, working to ensure that senior physicians and department heads are directly involved in his treatment in order to provide the best possible care. A statement from Shas indicated that there has been a slight improvement in Rav Batzri’s condition.
All are asked to daven for Rav Dovid Shalom ben Victoria.
{Matzav.com}Medical staff at Yerushalayim’s Shaare Zedek Medical Center were left astonished this week after an 11-year-old boy emerged completely unharmed following the accidental swallowing of a pair of scissors, an incident that ended without surgery or injury in what doctors described as an extraordinary occurrence.
The boy, identified only as Y., was brought late at night to the pediatric emergency department at Shaare Zedek after ingesting scissor blades measuring approximately three centimeters in length. An initial X-ray revealed the scissors inside his stomach, with the blades visibly open, raising immediate concern over the risk of serious internal injury.
Specialist teams in pediatric surgery and pediatric gastroenterology were urgently summoned, and preparations were made to take the child into surgery to remove the object. However, while Y. was already under full anesthesia in the operating room, a follow-up X-ray produced a startling development.
The imaging showed that the scissors had somehow closed on their own, passed safely through the stomach, and advanced deep into the small intestine—significantly reducing the immediate danger.
“There was a real concern that the open scissors could cause damage to the esophagus or stomach, which is why we planned to locate and extract them,” explained Dr. Esther Orlinsky-Mayer, a pediatric gastroenterology specialist at Shaare Zedek. “Miraculously, and for reasons we cannot explain, we saw that the scissors had closed by themselves, dramatically lowering the risk of injury to the digestive tract.”
Following consultation among all relevant medical teams, doctors decided against surgical intervention. Instead, Y. was transferred to the pediatric surgery ward for close monitoring.
Over the next two days, the medical team closely tracked his condition. Ultimately, the scissors exited his body naturally, without causing any internal damage. The boy remained in very good condition throughout and required no further treatment.
The child’s mother described the outcome as nothing short of miraculous. “It’s one huge miracle,” she said. “By incredible Divine mercy, my son wasn’t harmed at all.” She added words of gratitude to the medical staff, praising the pediatric emergency team for their immediate response and the gastroenterology and surgical teams for their professionalism and swift decision-making during the late-night hours.
Shaare Zedek officials noted that while foreign-object ingestion is not uncommon in children, the safe passage of a sharp object of this kind without injury is exceptionally rare.
{Matzav.com}
Israeli military police on Tuesday evening arrested a yeshiva student at his home in Ramat Gan, weeks after an earlier attempt to detain him was blocked by mass protests.
The detainee was identified as Yitzchak Rebibo, a talmid at Yeshivas Rabbeinu Chaim Ozer in Bnei Brak. According to reports, military police officers detained him outside his residence shortly after he had finished lighting Chanukah candles with his family.
Approximately three weeks ago, military police sought to arrest Rebibo on allegations that he failed to report to an induction office. That attempt was thwarted when hundreds of yeshiva bochurim and avreichim from across the chareidi community converged on the area following an emergency call circulated among activists. The demonstrators physically blocked the arrest, staging a protest against what they described as the unjust detention of a yeshiva student engaged in Torah study.
During the earlier confrontation, a military police vehicle was overturned amid the unrest. In the aftermath, police carried out arrests of individuals suspected of involvement in that incident.
The advocacy organization Notnim Gav has taken up Rebibo’s case and is providing support to him and his family. The group arranged legal representation, with attorney Shlomo Chadad handling the matter on his behalf.
{Matzav.com}Campus and law enforcement officials confirmed Tuesday that a Jewish, pro-Israel professor at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology was killed in a shooting at his residence in Brookline, Massachusetts.
The victim was identified as Nuno F. Gomes Loureiro, 47, a nuclear science and engineering professor originally from Portugal. Authorities said he was shot at his apartment Monday night and later died from his wounds Tuesday morning at a Boston-area hospital.
Brookline police said officers were dispatched to the scene at approximately 8:30 p.m. following reports of gunfire. Investigators have not made any arrests, and the Norfolk County District Attorney’s Office said the matter remains “an active and ongoing homicide investigation.”
A neighbor told CBS News that they heard “three loud bangs” coming from the apartment, initially thinking someone was “kicking in a door.”
Loureiro joined MIT’s faculty after an extensive academic career in physics. He earned his undergraduate degree from Instituto Superior Técnico in Lisbon in 2000 and completed his doctorate at Imperial College London in 2005, according to his university biography.
Widely respected in his field, Loureiro was known for advanced research into plasma dynamics — the component of blood that carries platelets and cells throughout the body — as well as his work on developing clean fusion energy as a response to climate change. Earlier this year, he was appointed director of MIT’s Plasma Science and Fusion Center.
{Matzav.com}
[COMMUNICATED]
Donate to the general fund to support all the victims and their families.
A SHATTERING ACT OF HATE has ripped through our community!
On Sunday December 14, 2025, a day of joy and light was brutally transformed into a scene of unimaginable horror at Bondi Beach. The annual Chanukah by the Sea celebration, a beacon of unity for the Jewish community, was mercilessly targeted in a DEADLY TERRORIST ATTACK!
THIS IS NOT JUST NEWS—THIS IS A CATASTROPHE!
At least two armed fanatics opened fire on innocent men, women, and children gathered to light the menorah, turning a celebration of faith into a massacre. Multiple lives were extinguished in a blaze of hate, and dozens more are fighting for their lives with critical injuries.
THIS WAS A STRIKE AGAINST US ALL!
This cold-blooded rampage is a vile act of antisemitic terror that has been condemned by every decent voice across Australia and the globe. But condemnation is not enough!
WE MUST ACT NOW!
* Families are shattered!
* Friends are grieving in shock!
* Survivors need immediate, sustained support!
THE NEED IS CRITICAL. THE TIME FOR SOLIDARITY IS OVERDUE! We must rally immediately to support the victims, their families, and the wounded community. DO NOT let this act of hatred triumph!
ALL DONATIONS ARE TAX-DEDUCTIBLE IN BOTH THE USA AND AUSTRALIA
All fund distribution will be overseen by the campaign committee and The Jewish House, NSW
Rabbi Aycee Abrahams
Rabbi Menachem Aron
Rabbi Mendel Kastel
Rabbi Sender Kavka
Rabbi Aron Moss
Rabbi Mendy Schapiro
Rabbi Levi Wolff
Rabbi Mendy Kotlarsky
Endorsed by Merkos – Chabad World Headquarters and Chabad NSW
Donate to the general fund to support all the victims and their families.
Fifteen people from across Australia’s Jewish community were killed Sunday night when gunmen opened fire at a Chanukah anukkah celebration on Sydney’s Bondi Beach, turning a public religious gathering into one of the deadliest antisemitic attacks outside Israel in decades.
The shooting took place during “Chanukah by the Sea,” an event organized by the Chabad movement to mark the first night of the Jewish festival. Authorities said the attackers fired roughly 50 rounds into a crowd of about 1,000 people. At least 38 others were wounded, including two police officers.
Australian officials described the massacre as the second-deadliest mass shooting in the country’s history and the most lethal attack targeting Jews abroad since the outbreak of the Israel–Hamas war following the October 7, 2023, assault on southern Israel.
As investigations continue, the identities of the victims — ranging from rabbis and Holocaust survivors to a young child — underscore the scale and brutality of the attack.
This article will be updated as additional information becomes available.
Edith BrutmanEdith Brutman was identified Tuesday as one of those killed. She was a prominent Jewish communal figure and served as vice president of an anti-prejudice and anti-discrimination committee affiliated with B’nai B’rith New South Wales.
B’nai B’rith described Brutman as a devoted and gracious member of the organization, noting her longstanding commitment to fighting discrimination. A colleague said she was deeply passionate about combating antisemitism and prejudice in all forms.
Australian media reported that Brutman attended the event with a friend, Tibor Weitzen, and that the two were seated together when they were fatally shot.
Boris Gurman, 69, and Sofia Gurman, 61Boris and Sofia Gurman, a Russian-Jewish couple married for 34 years, were killed while attempting to stop one of the attackers near his vehicle, according to family statements and local media.
Video footage circulated by Australian outlets showed the couple struggling with one of the gunmen in what relatives later described as an instinctive effort to protect others.
Their family said the images of their final moments brought both heartbreak and pride, calling their actions a reflection of their character and selflessness. Boris was a retired mechanic, while Sofia worked for Australia Post. They are survived by their son.
Marika Pogany, 82Marika Pogany, a grandmother and longtime volunteer, was named among the victims on Monday. She had deep ties to the Jewish community and maintained strong connections to her Hungarian roots.
In 2019, Pogany received the Jewish Communal Appeal’s Mensch Award after delivering more than 12,000 kosher Meals on Wheels over two decades. She was also an active member of a local bridge club, where friends remembered her as fiercely loyal and warm.
Members of a Jewish community in present-day Slovakia noted that Pogany regularly attended Holocaust memorial events. She was photographed smiling in the front row at the Chanukah celebration shortly before the attack.
Peter MeagherPeter Meagher, a retired police officer, was killed while working as a freelance photographer at the event. A longtime volunteer with the Randwick Rugby Club, he was widely regarded as a central figure in the organization.
The club said it was devastating that Meagher survived years on the front lines of law enforcement only to be killed in retirement while pursuing a personal passion. Fellow volunteers described his death as a tragic case of being in the wrong place at the wrong time.
Tibor Weitzen, 78Tibor Weitzen was a father, grandfather, and great-grandfather who had been a beloved member of Sydney’s Jewish and Chabad communities for decades.
According to family members, Weitzen emigrated from Israel to Australia in 1988. His granddaughter described him as someone who saw only the good in people and was deeply proud of his family.
Chabad-affiliated media reported that Weitzen was killed while attempting to shield a family friend from gunfire.
Matilda Britvan, 10Matilda Britvan, a 10-year-old girl, was the youngest victim of the attack. She was attending the Chanukah celebration when she was fatally shot.
Britvan was a student at Harmony Russian School in Sydney, which described her as a bright and joyful child who brought light to those around her. The school said her memory would be honored through unity and compassion.
A fundraiser established by one of her teachers is raising money to support her mother.
Reuven Morrison, 62Reuven Morrison, a grandfather and community activist, was killed after confronting one of the attackers during the shooting.
Video footage shows Morrison throwing objects and shouting at the gunman in an apparent attempt to stop the attack. He was later shot by a second assailant.
His daughter said Morrison immediately moved to protect others when the shooting began, adding that “if there was one way for him to go on this Earth, it would be fighting a terrorist.”
A year before his death, Morrison warned in a media interview about growing antisemitic threats in Australia. Originally from the former Soviet Union, he discovered his Jewish identity in Sydney and remained deeply connected to Jewish life even after relocating part-time to Melbourne.
He is survived by his wife and daughter.
Rabbi Yaakov Halevi Levitan, 39Rabbi Yaakov Halevi Levitan was a Chabad emissary and served as secretary of the Sydney Beth Din. He also worked at the BINA Jewish education center.
Born in Johannesburg, Levitan studied in South Africa, Israel, and later the United States. He was known for his quiet professionalism and behind-the-scenes dedication to Jewish communal infrastructure.
He is survived by his wife and four children, ranging in age from six to 16.
Dan Elkayam, 27Dan Elkayam, a French national who immigrated to Australia last year, was also among those killed.
France’s foreign minister confirmed Elkayam’s death, expressing profound sadness and solidarity with his family, the Jewish community, and the Australian public.
Elkayam, a native of Paris, moved to Sydney in December 2024 for work. His professional background was in information technology, and his social media accounts reflected a passion for travel, outdoor adventure, and sports. Chabad organizations noted that he was killed while celebrating Chanukah with fellow Jews.
He was also an active soccer player and a member of the Rockdale Ilinden Football Club, which described him as a talented and well-liked figure within the team.
Rabbi Eli Schlanger, 41Rabbi Eli Schlanger was serving as the assistant rabbi of Chabad of Bondi at the time of his death. Born in London, he studied in France and later in New York, where he received rabbinic ordination before moving to Australia.
Schlanger was widely known for encouraging Jewish pride and resilience amid rising antisemitism. In public statements earlier this year, he urged members of the community to respond to hatred by strengthening their Jewish identity and visibility.
He is survived by his wife and five children, the youngest of whom was born just two months before the attack. Family members and colleagues described him as energetic, warm, and deeply committed to helping others.
Alex Kleytman, 87Alex Kleytman, an 87-year-old Holocaust survivor originally from Ukraine, was attending the Chanukah celebration with his wife, Larisa, when the shooting began.
According to his wife, Kleytman was killed while physically shielding her from gunfire. A retired civil engineer, he had endured the trauma of the Holocaust as a child before immigrating to Australia in search of a safer future.
Jewish social service organizations previously documented the suffering he and his family experienced during the war, noting that despite the horrors of his past, Kleytman devoted his later years to building a stable life and family in Australia.
Ongoing InvestigationAustralian authorities said multiple investigative units remain involved in the probe, which is examining the attackers’ movements, motivations, and potential links to extremist networks. Officials said security protocols for large public events are under review in the wake of the massacre.
Leaders across Australia and the international Jewish community condemned the attack, calling it an act of terror aimed at civilians celebrating a religious holiday.
Memorials and vigils are being organized across Sydney and beyond as the country grapples with the scale of the loss and the devastating impact on families and the broader community.
{Matzav.com}
A soldier serving in the Israel Defense Forces was killed on Tuesday after being struck by gunfire at a military installation in northern Israel. He was rushed from the scene to a hospital in critical condition, where doctors later pronounced him dead.
The IDF announced that the fallen soldier’s family has been informed of the incident. A formal investigation has been opened by the Military Police Investigations Unit, and once it is completed, the findings will be transferred to the Military Prosecution for review.
Separately, the military earlier this month released the conclusions of a special professional panel that examined the death of Sergeant Yosef Chaim Zvi Serlin, a combat trainee in Unit 504 who was killed during a training exercise in March 2025.
According to the committee’s findings, Serlin was injured during a hand-to-hand combat drill that involved a “gauntlet” exercise, a practice that was not part of the unit’s standard training program. The drill required trainees to run through a confined passage while being physically assaulted by fellow soldiers, with the aim of testing defensive reactions under pressure.
The investigation concluded that the drill was conducted in violation of standing orders and safety regulations and without proper oversight. In response, the chief infantry and paratroopers officer ordered the immediate cancellation of all gauntlet-style exercises throughout the IDF.
Military Intelligence chief Major General Shlomi Binder accepted the committee’s recommendations and imposed disciplinary actions. These included a formal reprimand for the commander of Unit 504, a six-year delay in promotion for the commander of Serlin’s unit, and the removal of three additional officers from their positions.
{Matzav.com}
FBI Director Kash Patel said Tuesday that internal communications confirm long-standing reports that agents warned against the 2022 search of President Donald Trump’s Mar-a-Lago estate because they believed probable cause had not been established.
According to a batch of newly declassified emails released by Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Chuck Grassley of Iowa, FBI personnel repeatedly raised red flags with Justice Department officials in the weeks leading up to the search, arguing that the evidentiary foundation for a warrant was weak. Those concerns, the emails show, were ultimately brushed aside by prosecutors in the Biden administration.
“It’s true – we just turned over documents to Capitol Hill to be made public showing the FBI told DOJ they did not have probable cause for raiding President Trump’s home in Mar-a-Lago but DOJ ‘didn’t give a damn’ and did it anyway,” Patel wrote on X.
The internal correspondence spans from June 2022 until shortly before the Aug. 8, 2022 raid and includes exchanges between FBI agents and DOJ attorneys. In multiple messages, agents described the information supporting a search as thin, outdated, or unverified.
“Very little has been developed related to who might be culpable for mishandling the documents,” an FBI official serving as an assistant special agent in charge wrote in one email. The official added that claims about additional boxes of documents still being stored at Mar-a-Lago were based on a “single source,” were “not corroborated,” and might be “dated.”
Other emails show frustration within the bureau over the drafting of the warrant application. One agent objected to being asked to repeatedly revise affidavit drafts without any new evidence emerging.
“We haven’t generated any new facts, but keep being given draft after draft after draft,” the agent wrote. “Absent a witness coming forward with recent information about classified [materials] on site, at what point is it fair to table this?”
Despite those internal objections, DOJ officials concluded that the legal threshold had been met and pressed forward with a sweeping warrant authorizing searches of Trump’s residence, office, and storage areas at the Florida property.
At the same time, FBI personnel advocated for a less aggressive course. Agents suggested notifying Trump’s legal team that a warrant was being prepared and pursuing voluntary compliance, which Trump’s attorneys had already offered.
“Even as we continue down the path toward a search warrant, WFO [Washington, D.C., Field Office] believes that a reasonable conversation with the former president’s attorney … ought not to be discounted,” the official wrote, noting that the documents could be secured while classification issues were resolved.
In another internal assessment, the FBI’s Washington Field Office stated it did “not believe … that we have established probable cause for the search warrant for classified records at Mar-a-Lago,” even as DOJ leadership maintained the opposite view.
Emails also reflected concerns that executing a raid would backfire. Agents warned it could be “counterproductive” and urged consideration of “alternative, less intrusive and likelier quicker options” for retrieving any remaining records. Those proposals were rejected.
The search resulted in the seizure of thousands of documents from Trump’s first term, including materials labeled classified. Prosecutors later brought 40 federal charges accusing Trump of mishandling classified documents, all of which he denied, pleading not guilty and disputing any wrongdoing.
In July 2024, U.S. District Judge Aileen Cannon dismissed the indictment after ruling that special counsel Jack Smith had been improperly appointed. After Trump’s re-election, the Biden Justice Department dropped its appeal of Cannon’s decision, citing longstanding DOJ policy against prosecuting a sitting president.
{Matzav.com}
President Donald Trump on Tuesday approved a new proclamation that widens his administration’s travel ban, extending full entry restrictions to additional countries, according to Newsmax Wires.
The White House said the directive blocks most travel to the United States by nationals of Burkina Faso, Mali, Niger, South Sudan, and Syria, citing ongoing failures by those governments to satisfy U.S. security and screening requirements, Reuters reported.
Officials said the decision reflects concerns that authorities in those nations cannot consistently verify the identities or backgrounds of travelers, a vulnerability the administration says poses a risk to public safety.
The proclamation also applies full restrictions to individuals traveling on documents issued by the Palestinian Authority, a measure the administration said was necessary to eliminate a weakness in the existing vetting process, Reuters said.
The latest move builds on a proclamation Trump signed on June 4 that created a layered system of travel bans and visa limitations tied directly to national security considerations, according to the Federal Register.
Under that earlier order, the administration halted most new visas for citizens of Afghanistan, Chad, the Republic of the Congo, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Haiti, Iran, Libya, Myanmar, Somalia, Sudan, and Yemen, based on State Department guidance summarizing the policy.
That June proclamation also introduced partial visa suspensions for Burundi, Cuba, Laos, Sierra Leone, Togo, Turkmenistan, and Venezuela, applying only to certain visa categories, the State Department said.
Administration officials said the countries targeted in the June action were chosen due to factors such as high visa overstay rates, unreliable passport and civil registry systems, and limited cooperation with U.S. law enforcement and intelligence agencies.
Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem indicated earlier this month that further expansion was under consideration, saying during a television interview that more than 30 countries were being reviewed.
Noem said the administration’s objective was to restore “common-sense enforcement” and ensure that everyone entering the United States undergoes thorough and reliable vetting.
CBS News separately reported that Department of Homeland Security officials had completed internal security assessments and were preparing to roll out additional restrictions based on those findings.
Supporters of the travel ban argue that the policy fulfills Trump’s long-standing pledge to prioritize American safety and tighten enforcement they believe had eroded under previous administrations.
The expanded restrictions come as the administration presses ahead with a broader immigration crackdown that includes tougher border controls, increased interior enforcement, and a renewed emphasis on national sovereignty, according to multiple media reports.
Earlier this month, the Department of Homeland Security proposed new regulations that would require travelers from Visa Waiver Program countries to provide more extensive personal information, including social media history.
Officials said those proposed rules are designed to close loopholes exploited by hostile actors and prevent visa-free travel from becoming a security risk.
Immigration policy analysts outside the administration said the expanded ban substantially raises the number of people subject to U.S. entry limits, according to the American Immigration Council.
The Council on Foreign Relations noted that many of the countries facing full bans are dealing with instability or conflict, conditions U.S. officials argue make dependable screening extremely difficult.
Critics have warned that the policy could damage diplomatic relationships, but administration officials have responded that security imperatives take precedence over diplomatic concerns.
The White House has stressed that the proclamation allows for narrow exceptions and case-by-case waivers for individuals who clearly satisfy U.S. security standards, consistent with the framework established in June.
{Matzav.com}
