Hashkafa in the Workplace will be hosting a special Legal Holiday Vaad on Thursday, January 1, bringing together prominent rabbonim to address pressing hashkafic and practical issues facing frum professionals in today’s workplace.
The event will take place at Beru, located at 2373 U.S.-9 in Toms River, New Jersey, beginning at 9:45 a.m. Coffee, refreshments, and lunch will be served.
The Vaad will feature divrei chizuk and guidance from a distinguished panel of rabbonim, including Rav Dov Kahan, Rov of Bais Medrash of Arlington; Rav Doniel Osher Kleinman, Rov of Khal Nachlas Dovid; and Rav Joey Haber.
A chinuch panel will feature Rabbi Binyomin Basch, Menahel of Yeshiva Shagas Aryeh, and Rabbi Moshe Wilhelm, Menahel of Yeshiva Nesivos Hatorah
Opening remarks will be delivered by Reb Itche Rosenbaum, with the program moderated by MC Reb Bentzi Shechter.
The morning schedule will include individual presentations followed by a Chinuch panel discussion, providing participants with practical tools and Torah-based perspective on navigating workplace challenges, legal holidays, and professional environments while remaining firmly rooted in Torah values.
Hashkafa in the Workplace continues to develop programming aimed at strengthening frum professionals by addressing real-world issues through the lens of Torah and daas Torah. This Legal Holiday Vaad is designed to maximize participation by taking advantage of the day off, allowing attendees to immerse themselves in meaningful learning and discussion.
Additional information about the program is available at hashkafaintheworkplace.com.
{Matzav.com}
A newly released study warns that hostile discourse toward Israel is gaining traction within segments of the American Right, driven in part by prominent media influencers whose reach shapes public opinion well beyond fringe circles.
According to the research, the intensification of anti-Israel messaging is no longer confined to far-left or activist environments. Instead, it is increasingly penetrating populist right-wing and MAGA-aligned audiences through high-profile commentators, marking a notable shift in where such rhetoric is taking hold.
The report highlights that language once primarily associated with far-left discourse—most notably the term “genocide”—is now appearing with growing frequency among influential figures on the Right.
“Even on the American far Right, antisemitism is already visible, and ‘on the table,’” JPPI Director-General Shuki Friedman said.
“The data should serve as a glaring warning light for Israel and the Israeli leadership regarding the support it can mobilize from the right, today and certainly in the future. Only decisive action that provides a counterweight to this extremism can preserve this vital base of support in the US,” he added.
The findings are based on an artificial intelligence-driven analysis conducted by the Jewish People Policy Institute, which examined thousands of social media videos published by Tucker Carlson and Candace Owens. The study, released Sunday, found a substantial increase in both the volume and intensity of negative commentary about Israel in recent months.
Researchers concluded that both figures sharply expanded their focus on Israel, Jews, and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, with those topics appearing more frequently than discussions of other global issues such as the Ukraine-Russia war, tensions with China, or Iran.
Israel emerged as a “central, and at times dominant,” theme in their content, with Owens’ shift beginning in February and Carlson’s becoming pronounced in August.
The analysis showed that Carlson’s rate of negative commentary about Israel rose significantly over the past six months compared to the previous half-year. While the study did not find that Carlson consistently crossed into explicit antisemitism under the IHRA definition, it noted that he regularly provides a platform to known antisemitic figures, including Holocaust deniers and extremists such as Nick Fuentes, without drawing firm lines or offering substantive criticism of their views.
Owens’ content, by contrast, was described as more overt. The study found that more than 96% of her references to Israel were negative, often employing aggressive and hostile language.
In examining overall trends, JPPI emphasized that the main shift was quantitative rather than stylistic: the number of negative posts increased substantially, even if the proportion framed negatively remained relatively stable.
The content flagged by researchers included material comparing Israel to Hamas, the use of the term “genocide,” accusations that Israel deliberately kills children, and the promotion of conspiratorial claims about Israeli or Jewish influence over the US government.
When the focus turned explicitly to Jews, the findings were even more stark. The analysis found that 45% of videos mentioning Jews carried an antisemitic angle, a figure that climbed sharply in the past six months, reaching approximately 75%.
Examples cited in the study included sweeping generalizations about Jews, descriptions of Jews as a “cult,” allegations of “Jewish supremacy,” and recurring claims of control, deceit, and manipulation. The report also noted repeated assertions that accusations of antisemitism are merely a “Zionist diversion tactic.”
Overall, the study concludes that the growing prominence of such narratives among influential right-wing figures represents a significant and troubling development, with potential long-term implications for public discourse and Israel’s standing among key segments of the American political landscape.
{Matzav.com}
A storm has erupted across the chareidi community in the United States after a group of welathy donors announced a coordinated decision to withhold financial support from Torah institutions in Israel that publicly criticize the Israel Defense Forces.
The initiative, organized under the name “Coalition for Talmud Torah & Security,” has triggered intense backlash, particularly as yeshivos and kollelim in Israel face severe financial strain amid deep budget cuts and the ongoing draft crisis. The move has been described by critics as a serious blow to the Torah world at a moment of unprecedented vulnerability.
According to materials circulated by the coalition, the signatories framed their position as a response to what they described as a global escalation of threats against Jews. “The Jewish nation is under sustained attack from enemies of Hashem and His Torah who find common cause in harming His people. The battle against the Jews has been globalized. Intimidation and violence are now taking place across the streets of Europe and North America, and in other parts of the world, culminating most recently in the horrific massacre at Bondi Beach, Australia. Enemies of the Jewish people grow more vocal and emboldened by the day, and the illusion that any country is a safe haven for Jews is rapidly collapsing.”
The statement goes on to link the security of Jewish communities worldwide to the strength of the State of Israel. “The security of Israel has become a personal and critical matter. Developments worldwide indicate that our people’s future is increasingly tied to Eretz Yisrael, and that Jewish safety across the Diaspora depends on the strength of the Jewish state and its unique capacity to deter and respond to threats beyond its borders.”
Addressing the role of the military, the coalition wrote: “In these dangerous times, we feel the imperative, as servants of Hashem and lovers of His Torah, to stand as one and support our unified interests. The Israel Defense Forces (‘IDF’) bear responsibility for the physical protection of the Jewish people in the State of Israel. We support them and daven for their success, together with the broader security and intelligence apparatus that assists in safeguarding all Jewish life.”
At the same time, the group stressed that it does not view its position as a retreat from support for Torah learning. “Therefore, we make our position explicit. We remain wholly committed to the support of Torah, Yeshivos, Kollelim and Talmidei Chachamim — the very life force of our holy nation.”
However, the coalition drew a clear red line regarding public opposition to the military. “And because of that commitment to Toras Chaim, we cannot in good conscience support institutions whose public posture undermines those charged with defending Jewish life. Accordingly, we will only provide financial support to Torah institutions that do not publicly speak against, protest, or delegitimize the IDF while they bear the burden of defending Jewish lives. This policy will remain in effect until such positions are reconsidered in a manner consistent with the defense of Jewish life.”
Responding to criticism that the move interferes in the highly charged debate over conscription, the coalition insisted that it is not taking sides. “This stance takes no position on the current debate regarding the draft. It addresses only the propriety of public opposition to the IDF during an ongoing defense of Jewish life.”
The statement concludes with an appeal for unity, even as controversy continues to mount. “We state this position in unity and responsibility, confident that the strength of our people lies in the alignment of Torah, security and mutual commitment. Through achdus, may we merit the geulah sheleimah, b’karov.”
While several well-known philanthropists have reportedly declined to join the initiative and say they will continue supporting Torah institutions without conditions, the announcement has intensified concern that the Torah world — already under severe pressure — now faces a deepening internal rift alongside its external challenges.
{Matzav.com}
Former Israeli prime minister Naftali Bennett issued a sharply worded video statement on Tuesday, accusing advisers in the office of Prime Minister Bibi Netanyahu of deliberately carrying out actions that harmed Israel’s diplomatic and security interests during wartime.
Bennett said materials that have recently come to light indicate that Netanyahu’s advisers not only received payment from entities linked to Qatar, but also used their positions within the Prime Minister’s Office to undermine relations with Egypt, which he described as a country of strategic importance to Israel. He alleged that statements attributed to the advisers point to a calculated effort intended to advance the interests of Qatar and Hamas.
According to Bennett, the conduct in question constitutes a severe security offense carried out knowingly and with intent at a time of war. He stressed that Israeli criminal law addresses such actions explicitly, citing Section 121, which provides that anyone who deliberately sabotages Israel’s relations with another state may face a sentence of up to “life imprisonment.” Bennett said he believes this provision applies squarely to the current case and should guide both legal authorities and public discourse.
The former prime minister further argued that, now that the facts are publicly known, Netanyahu bears responsibility to immediately stop funding the legal defense of his advisers, to publicly condemn their actions, and to provide clear answers to Israeli citizens. He said the Prime Minister’s Office must be entirely free of interests tied to hostile states, adding that IDF soldiers and the public deserve absolute certainty on this matter.
Bennett concluded that the allegations raise fundamental questions of trust, accountability, and national security at a moment when Israel remains engaged on multiple fronts and public confidence in leadership is critical.
{Matzav.com}
Israel’s High Court of Justice instructed the state on Tuesday to submit an expedited response to a petition seeking the immediate suspension of billions of shekels earmarked for chareidi education.
Supreme Court Justice Yael Wilner ordered the state to respond by Wednesday morning to an application filed by opposition leader Yair Lapid and other lawmakers from his Yesh Atid party. The petition asks the court to freeze the transfer of approximately NIS 1.8 billion that was approved last week by the Knesset Finance Committee, most of it designated for chareidi institutions.
The funds, drawn from the state budget reserve, were approved on Thursday and allocated to chareidi education, religious education, settlement-related education, and various coalition agreements. Petitioners argue that the decision violates the law and budgetary procedures.
According to the breakdown approved by the committee, NIS 426 million was allocated to Chinuch Atzmai, NIS 360 million to the Maayan HaChinuch HaTorani network, and NIS 136 million to recognized and unrecognized chareidi educational institutions. An additional NIS 151 million was designated for chareidi talmudei Torah that are exempt from teaching core curriculum subjects. Another NIS 111 million was approved for the Administration for Settlement Education to implement political agreements, in line with demands by the Religious Zionism party.
Following the committee’s approval, Lapid and fellow Yesh Atid lawmakers filed their petition with the High Court, asserting that the transfer of funds was unlawful.
Reacting sharply, United Torah Judaism chairman Yitzchak Goldknopf accused Lapid of acting out of hostility toward the chareidi public.
“Yair Lapid once again proves that the only fuel driving him is hatred of chareidim,” Goldknopf said. “The petition to the High Court is yet another attempt to harm the basic rights of hundreds of thousands of parents and children whose only ‘crime’ is their desire to preserve their way of life and the tradition of their forefathers.”
Goldknopf stressed that the funds in question had passed all required professional and legal approvals and were intended to correct longstanding discrimination in the budgeting of exempt institutions and recognized but unofficial educational frameworks.
“We are confident that the court will reject this political attempt to interfere with legitimate budgetary decisions of the government,” he said. “We will continue to stand guard to ensure that every child in Israel receives what he deserves, without discrimination between sectors. We will not allow chareidi children in Israel to be turned into second-class citizens.”
{Matzav.com}
