Dear Matzav Inbox,
This letter is a plea for our community to wake up and address the increasing number of divorces among our young couples.
The sacred institution of marriage, a cornerstone of our frum life, is facing unprecedented challenges, and we are witnessing a disturbing trend: marriages that end before they truly begin.
We must ask ourselves why this is happening.
Quietly, behind closed doors, the question is whispered, but the answer is seldom confronted. The truth is that many of these couples were never truly married in the first place. Yes, they stood under the chuppah and embarked on what was supposed to be a lifelong journey together. But too often, they were not prepared for the reality of marriage—the depth of commitment, the hard work, the avodah of a relationship, the selflessness required to build a bayis ne’eman together.
When a marriage crumbles within its first year, leaving behind shattered dreams and sometimes even a child, it is a tzarah not just for the couple but for all of us. We have failed them. We have allowed the superficial pressures of society to dictate their choices, pushing them toward marriage before they were ready, before they understood what marriage truly means.
In many cases, these young couples enter marriage with a mindset that is still single. They may wear the outward symbols of marriage—she wears a shaitel, he wears a tallis—but their hearts and minds are not united in the way that marriage demands. They may have been drawn together by fleeting emotions, by societal expectations, or by the allure of a chasunah, but these are not the foundations on which a strong, lasting marriage can be built.
Marriage is a journey, not a destination.
The initial excitement, the joy of being newlyweds, is just the beginning. The real work of marriage begins when the “honeymoon phase” fades and the challenges of daily life set in. It is then that couples must lean on each other, grow together, and face the world as one. But too many of our young couples lack the maturity and the mental preparedness to do this. They are quick to focus on each other’s flaws, to imagine that there is someone better out there, rather than working on themselves and their relationship.
We live in a world where social media creates an illusion of endless choices, where success and wealth seem to come quickly and easily to others. But real life is not like that. Just as no one becomes rich overnight, no one builds a strong marriage without effort, dedication, and time. The real reward of marriage, of life itself, comes from consistency, from hard work, from the daily acts of chesed and ahavah that build a home.
If we want to reverse this trend, we must start before the chasunah, before shidduchim even begins. We must teach our young people what marriage really is, what it requires, and what it offers. We must encourage them to understand themselves, to know why they want to get married, and to be prepared for the journey ahead. And a journey it is.
Let us not be silent. Let us not ignore this crisis. It is time to take action, to support our young couples, and to ensure that when they stand under the chuppah, they are truly ready to build a life together.
Sincerely,
Someone Who is Surrounded By the Crisis, Helping Couple After Couple
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Chief Rabbi of the UK Rav Ephraim Mirvis slammed the British government following its announcement that it is suspending 30 arms export licenses to Israel. Foreign Secretary David Lammy announced on Monday that the UK is immediately suspending 30 out of 350 arms licenses due to “the risk that the arms will be used in serious violations of international humanitarian law.” Lammy, who made his announcement as the levayos of six Israeli hostages executed in cold blood last week were still taking place, insisted that it is not an arms embargo and that “the UK continues to support Israel’s right to self-defense in accordance with international law.” He did not mention the murder of the hostages or the over 1,000 Israelis tortured, murdered, and abducted on October 7, including 14 British citizens. He did not mention that five British citizens are still being held in Gaza. Following the decision, Rav Mirvis stated: “It beggars belief that the British government, a close strategic ally of Israel, has announced a partial suspension of arms licenses, at a time when Israel is fighting a war for its very survival on seven fronts forced upon it on the 7th October, and at the very moment when six hostages murdered in cold blood by cruel terrorists were being buried by their families.” “As Israel faces down the threat of Iran and its proxies, not just to its own people, but to all of us in the democratic west; this announcement feeds the falsehood that Israel is in breach of International Humanitarian Law, when in fact it is going to extraordinary lengths to uphold it. Sadly, this announcement will serve to encourage our shared enemies. It will not help to secure the release of the remaining 101 hostages, nor contribute to the peaceful future we wish and pray for, for all people in the region and beyond.” Former UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson responded to the decision on Tuesday, stating: “Hamas is still holding many innocent Jewish hostages while Israel tries to prevent a repeat of the 7th October massacre. Why are Lammy and Starmer abandoning Israel? Do they want Hamas to win?” Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu said: “Days after Hamas executed six Israeli hostages, the UK government suspended thirty arms licenses to Israel. This shameful decision will not change Israel’s determination to defeat Hamas, a genocidal terrorist organization that savagely murdered 1200 people on October 7, including 14 British citizens. Hamas is still holding over 100 hostages, including 5 British citizens. Instead of standing with Israel, a fellow democracy defending itself against barbarism, Britain’s misguided decision will only embolden Hamas. “Israel is pursuing a just war with just means, taking unprecedented measures to keep civilians out of harm’s way and comporting fully with international law. Just as Britain’s heroic stand against the Nazis is seen today as having been vital in defending our common civilization, so too will history judge Israel’s stand against Hamas and Iran’s axis of terror. “With or without British arms, Israel will win this war and secure our common future.” (YWN Israel Desk – Jerusalem)
Nikki Haley, the former US Ambassador to the UN, on Monday, strongly urged President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris to handle Hamas as a terrorist organization rather than pressuring Israel to accept a deal for hostage release.
“Hersh Goldberg-Polin, an American citizen, was executed in Gaza. Seven Americans are still being held hostage by the same terrorists who murdered Hersh,” Haley emphasized in a post on social media platform X.
“This is unacceptable. The United States should demand the immediate release of hostages from Hamas and their sponsors, Iran. Harris and Biden need to recognize Hamas as a terrorist group and act accordingly, instead of putting pressure on Israel,” she continued.
In an earlier post, Haley urged Biden and Harris to impose sanctions on Iran due to its support for terrorist organizations such as Hamas.
Haley also posted a video from the funeral of Goldberg-Polin, shared by his mother, Rachel, and stated, “How many more of these funerals have to happen before Kamala Harris and Joe Biden start playing hardball and put the sanctions back on Iran? Iran, Hamas, Hezbollah, Houthis, none of these terror groups take this administration seriously. Cut off their money so the horror stops.”
These posts followed Biden’s remark that he does not believe Netanyahu has done enough to secure a hostage deal, responding with “no” when questioned on the matter.
Subsequently, the White House issued a statement after Biden and Harris met with the US hostage deal negotiation team, stating, “President Biden expressed his devastation and outrage at the murder of the six hostages and reaffirmed the importance of holding Hamas’s leaders accountable.”
Biden has been advocating for a ceasefire and hostage release deal, initially proposed in May, but Hamas has repeatedly rejected all offers.
On Motzoei Shabbos, speaking about efforts to secure a ceasefire and hostage release, Biden said, “It’s time this war ended…I think we’re on the verge of having an agreement.”
He remained “still optimistic” about the possibility of reaching an agreement and noted that “people are continuing to meet.”
“We think we can close the deal, they’ve all said they agree on the principles,” Biden added.
Last Sunday, two Egyptian security sources informed Reuters that discussions in Cairo about a potential ceasefire in Gaza and a hostage release deal concluded without reaching an agreement.
{Matzav.com}
An attempted jailbreak in Congo’s main prison left 129 people dead, including some who were shot and others who died in a stampede at the overcrowded facility, authorities said Tuesday. Activists alleged the death toll was higher but did not provide a figure. A provisional assessment showed that 24 inmates were fatally shot by “warning” shots fired by guards as they tried to escape from the Makala Central Prison in the capital of Kinshasa early on Monday, Congolese Interior Minister Jacquemin Shabani said on the social platform X. “There are also 59 injured people taken into care by the government, as well as some cases of women raped,” he said, adding that order has now been restored at the prison, part of which was burned in the attempted jailbreak. He did not elaborate on the incidents of rape. The prison holds both male and female inmates. It was not known if all 129 fatalities were inmates. Also, it wasn’t immediately clear how the stampede occurred as details of the jailbreak remained sparse. Makala, Congo’s largest penitentiary with a capacity for 1,500 people, holds over 12,000 inmates, most of whom are awaiting trial, Amnesty International said in its latest country report. The facility has recorded previous jailbreaks, including in 2017 when members of a religious sect stormed the prison and freed dozens of inmates. Gunfire inside the prison started around midnight on Sunday and lasted into Monday morning, local residents in the area said. “Shots were ringing out everywhere,” said Stéphane Matondo, who lives nearby, adding that military vehicles arrived shortly after and that the main road to the prison was blocked. Videos posted online show bodies lying on the ground inside the prison, many of them with visible injuries. Another video shows inmates carrying bodies that appeared to be lifeless onto a vehicle. There were no signs of forced entry into the prison, which is located in the city center, 5 kilometers (3 miles) from the presidential palace. The attempted escape was plotted from inside the prison by inmates in one of the wings, Mbemba Kabuya, the deputy justice minister, told the local Top Congo FM radio. In the hours following the attack, officials visited the prison as authorities convened a panel to investigate the incident. Congolese President Felix Tshisekedi, who is in China on an official visit, has not publicly commented on the incident. Calling for an independent investigation, rights groups and the opposition accused the government of using excessive force and covering up the true death toll. An earlier statement from a senior government official on Monday said that only two people died. Martin Fayulu, an opposition leader, compared the death toll to “summary executions” and said it was an “unacceptable crime that cannot go unpunished.” Makala — among other prisons in Congo — is so overcrowded that inmates often starve to death, activists say. Scores of prisoners have been released in recent months as part of efforts to reduce the number of inmates. Justice Minister Constant Mutamba called the attempted jailbreak a “premeditated act of sabotage” and promised a “stern response.” His deputy, Samuel Mbemba Kabuya, blamed the country’s magistrates and judges for the overcrowding in prisons, saying people are quickly jailed at the early stage of their trials. Mutamba announced a ban on the transfer of […]
The United Nations Security Council is scheduled to meet on Wednesday to discuss the hostages held by Hamas in the Gaza Strip, following an “urgent request” by Israel’s U.N. Ambassador Danny Danon.
According to the envoy, it will mark the first time since the Oct. 7 attack that the Security Council has convened for an official deliberation on the issue.
Hamas currently holds 101 hostages, including 97 of the 251 captured on Oct. 7.
“It is a disgrace that it has taken the Council 11 months and the brutal execution of six hostages by Hamas terrorists to finally convene this discussion,” Danon tweeted on Tuesday morning, referring to the bodies of abductees recovered from a Rafah tunnel on Saturday.
“I extend my gratitude to the representatives of the United States, the United Kingdom and France for calling for this meeting. The Security Council must unequivocally condemn this Nazi-like terrorist organization and demand the immediate and unconditional release of all hostages,” he continued.
The three countries are among the five permanent members of the Security Council, along with China and Russia. Ten non-permanent members are elected for two-year terms by the General Assembly. JNS
{Matzav.com}
The incitement in Israel against Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu has reached new heights in recent days, with left-wing provocateurs repeatedly calling him a “murderer” in the wake of the executions of the six hostages in Gaza last week. Housing Minister Yitzchak Goldknopf complained about the incitement in the Cabinet meeting this week, saying that people who call Netanyahu a murderer should be imprisoned. He also slammed opposition leader Yair Lapid who claimed that Netanyahu was responsible for the murders. National Unity chairman Benny Gantz spoke at the Israel Bar Association in Tel Aviv on Tuesday and referred to the incitement against Netanyahu. “I would like to state the obvious here – Netanyahu is not a murderer and I condemn the incitement against him,” he said. “Sinwar is a murderer, Hamas and Hezbollah and the Revolutionary Guards – they are our enemies.” However, Gantz couldn’t resist the opportunity to slam Netanyahu in other ways, continuing his speech by saying: “But Netanyahu has lost his way and sees himself as the state. And this is dangerous. He is the father of the conceptzia of survival in power at any cost.” (YWN Israel Desk – Jerusalem)
Four former military leaders have strongly criticized Democrat presidential candidate Gov. Tim Walz (D-MN), accusing him of exaggerating his military achievements and avoiding deployment to Iraq. Their comments were made during an interview on The Megyn Kelly Show that aired Monday. Watch it above.
Retired Minnesota National Guard Command Sergeant Major Paul Herr labeled Walz as a “habitual liar.”
“He’s a habitual liar. He lies about everything! He lies about stuff that doesn’t make sense,” Herr said.
Walz has claimed for nearly 20 years to be a “retired command sergeant major,” when, in reality, he retired as a “master sergeant,” a rank lower.
Herr, along with three other retired senior leaders from the Minnesota National Guard, pointed out that Walz has a history of falsehoods beyond just his military rank.
“He says all these things like, ‘I was a football coach.’ You were assistant coach and you were fired because of a DUI that you lied about being deaf to try and get out of whatever you were trying to get out of there,” he said.
Another misleading claim by Walz involves his statement about carrying weapons “in war,” even though he never served in a combat zone. In response, the Harris-Walz campaign stated that Walz had “misspoke,” and Walz himself later attributed the error to his use of grammar and the intensity of his speech during a recent interview with CNN.
Additionally, Walz misrepresented the method used to conceive his two children, claiming they were conceived through in vitro fertilization when, in fact, intrauterine insemination was used.
“I mean, it just it’s just one habitual lie after another. They keep piling up, and eventually, you can’t present enough blankets to cover it up,” Herr said.
{Matzav.com}
As Iran threatens to attack Israel over the assassination of a Hamas leader in the Iranian capital, its long-vaunted missile program offers one of the few ways for Tehran to strike back directly, but questions loom over just how much of a danger it poses. The program was behind Iran’s unprecedented drone-and-missile assault on Israel in April, when Iran became the first nation to launch such a barrage since Iraqi dictator Saddam Hussein lobbed Scud missiles at Israel in the 1991 Gulf War. But few of the Iranian projectiles reached their targets. Many were shot down by a U.S.-led coalition, while others apparently failed at launch or crashed while in flight. Even those that reached Israel appeared to miss their marks. Now a new report by experts shared exclusively with The Associated Press suggests one of Tehran’s most advanced missiles is far less accurate than previously thought. The April assault showed “some ability to strike Israel,” said Sam Lair, a research associate at the James Martin Center for Nonproliferation Studies who worked on the analysis. But “if I were supreme leader, I would probably be a little disappointed.” If Iranian missiles are not able to hit targets precisely “that recasts their role,” Lair added. “They’re no longer as valuable for conducting conventional military operations. They may be more valuable simply as terror weapons.” As an example, he recalled the harassing missile fire seen on cities in the Iran-Iraq war in the 1980s, when Iran could fire a variety of missiles at a large city and hope some got through. Iran has repeatedly said it will retaliate for the killing of Ismail Haniyeh. Israel is widely suspected of carrying out the assassination, though it has not claimed it. The Iranian mission to the United Nations did not respond to a request for comment. But Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei tacitly acknowledged the country’s failure to strike anything of importance in Israel. “Debates by the other party about how many missiles were fired, how many of them hit the target and how many didn’t, these are of secondary importance,” Khamenei said. “The main issue is the emergence of the Iranian nation” and the Iranian military “in an important international arena. This is what matters.” A fusillade of missiles and drones Retaliation had been expected for days after a suspected Israeli strike on April 1 hit an Iranian diplomatic compound in Damascus, Syria, killing two Iranian generals and five officers, as well as a member of the Lebanese Shiite militia Hezbollah. Footage aired on state television showed that Iran’s April 13 assault began with Revolutionary Guard commander Gen. Hossein Salami speaking by telephone with Brig. Gen. Amir Ali Hajizadeh, the commander of the Guard’s aerospace division. “Start the ‘True Promise’ operation against Zionist regime’s bases,” he ordered. As the missiles headed skyward, people across Iran stopped what they were doing and pointed their mobile phones at the launch noise from their cars and the balconies of their homes. Videos analyzed by the AP showed multiple launch sites, including on the outskirts of Arak, Hamadan, Isfahan, Kermanshah, Shiraz, Tabriz and Tehran. Grainy footage later released through pro-Iranian military social media accounts showed missiles thundering off truck-based mobile launchers. Iran’s bomb-carrying Shahed drones, widely used by Russia in its war on Ukraine, leaped off metal […]
Turkish authorities claim to have detained a key operative connected to Israel’s Mossad national intelligence agency in Istanbul, the country’s pro-government Hürriyet newspaper reported on Tuesday.
Liridon Rexhepi, a Kosovo national who was said to have entered Turkey on Aug. 25, was arrested on Friday after Ankara’s National Intelligence Organization (MIT) identified him as an “operator of a financial network supporting Mossad’s activities in the country,” Hürriyet said.
Rexhepi stands accused of sending funds to field operatives in Turkey who, acting on orders of Israel’s Mossad, conducted drone surveillance, engaged in psychological warfare targeting “Palestinian politicians” and gathered intelligence on Syria from Turkish soil, according to the report.
MIT uncovered several payments to Turkish operatives via Western Union and, following his arrest, Rexhepi was said to have admitted to making the transfers during police questioning, Hürriyet reported. The Kosovar was subsequently “arrested and sent to prison,” per the report.
Turkish intelligence found that the Mossad sent funds to its operatives in Turkey, mainly from Kosovo and other Eastern European countries. The funds received by Turkish operatives through Western Union and cryptocurrency were allegedly also used to pay Syrian contacts.
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan has become ever more hostile towards the Jewish state and closer to Hamas since the terror group’s Oct. 7 massacre in Israel, in which some 1,200 people were murdered.
In May, Erdoğan called Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu a “vampire who feeds on blood,” urging Muslims to fight the Jewish state.
“The world is watching the barbarity of … a vampire who feeds on blood called Netanyahu, and they are watching it on live broadcast,” he said.
Two months ago, Erdoğan told Newsweek that Palestinian terrorists in Gaza are “simply defending their homes, streets and homeland.
“What is between Israel and Gaza is not war,” he continued. “Israel has been treating Gaza as an open-air prison for years. They are usurping Palestinians of their homes, businesses and farmlands throughout Palestinian territory using thieving terrorists they call settlers.”
In January, Turkish authorities arrested 33 individuals on suspicion of conducting espionage activities on behalf of the Mossad. The alleged agents were accused of surveillance, assaults and abduction attempts. JNS
{Matzav.com Israel}
The University of Maryland, College Park (UMCP) has revoked its permission for a pro-Hamas rally that was scheduled to take place on October 7, the anniversary of the deadly Hamas attack across southern Israel last year, which claimed 1,200 lives. The rally, organized by Students for Justice in Palestine (SJP), had initially been approved by the university in August, sparking significant backlash from the Jewish community on campus. The event’s approval led to widespread protests, with groups such as Maryland Hillel urging the university to reconsider, arguing that the rally could be seen as a celebration of anti-Jewish violence. On Sunday, the university announced that it had canceled the event, citing a “safety assessment” as the reason for the decision, though it did not specifically address the intentions of SJP. In a statement, UMCP President Darryll Pines explained that the decision followed an extensive review of potential risks associated with the event. “Given the overwhelming outreach, from multiple perspectives, I requested a routine targeted safety assessment for this day to understand the risks and safety measures associated with planned events,” Pines said. He noted that the university police had found no immediate threat but emphasized that the assessment was a “prudent and preventive measure.” Pines further explained that, as a precaution, the university decided to limit activities on October 7 to those officially sponsored by the university, focused on reflection. “All other expressive events will be held prior to October 7, and then resume on October 8 in accordance with time, place, and manner considerations of the First Amendment,” he added. The decision was welcomed by the university’s Jewish Student Union, which expressed relief but also concern that such a decision was necessary in the first place. “While we are reassured by this decision, we are distraught that it had to be made at all,” the group said in a statement, adding that Jewish life at the university remains strong and proud. The UMCP chapter of SJP, known for its radical positions, has previously sparked controversy on campus. Following last year’s attack on October 7, SJP held a “vigil” for Palestinian terrorists and organized events intended to create divisions between Jewish students and other minority groups. The chapter has publicly rejected the two-state solution and called for the destruction of Israel, describing it as a “settler-colonial ethnostate.” “UMD SJP unequivocally states that the Zionist state of Israel has no right to exist,” the group declared in a statement issued in July, adding that Israel’s policies are driven by “genocidal intent” to displace Palestinians. (YWN World Headquarters – NYC)
Israeli Prime Minister Bibi Netanyahu on Tuesday called the British government’s partial suspension of arms sales to Israel a “shameful decision” that won’t stop the Jewish state’s determination to defeat Hamas.
“Days after Hamas executed six Israeli hostages, the UK government suspended thirty arms licenses to Israel,” the premier posted on X.
“This shameful decision will not change Israel’s determination to defeat Hamas, a genocidal terrorist organization that savagely murdered 1,200 people on October 7, including 14 British citizens,” he continued.
“Hamas is still holding over 100 hostages, including 5 British citizens. Instead of standing with Israel, a fellow democracy defending itself against barbarism, Britain’s misguided decision will only embolden Hamas,” wrote Netanyahu.
“Israel is pursuing a just war with just means, taking unprecedented measures to keep civilians out of harm’s way and comporting fully with international law. Just as Britain’s heroic stand against the Nazis is seen today as having been vital in defending our common civilization, so too will history judge Israel’s stand against Hamas and Iran’s axis of terror.”
Netanyahu concluded: “With or without British arms, Israel will win this war and secure our common future.”
The U.K. suspended some arms sales to the Israel Defense Forces on Monday, claiming there is a “clear risk” the weapons could be used by the Jewish state’s military to “commit or facilitate a serious violation of international humanitarian law.”
Foreign Secretary David Lammy informed lawmakers that London would cancel 30 out of 350 licenses, banning the export of aircraft, drones, helicopters and ground-targeting equipment. JNS
{Matzav.com}
A decision on whether to reclassify marijuana as a less dangerous drug in the U.S. won’t come until after the November presidential election, a timeline that raises the chances it could be a potent political issue in the closely contested race. The U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration last week set a hearing date to take comment on the proposed historic change in federal drug policy for Dec. 2. The hearing date means a final decision could well come in the next administration. While it’s possible it could precede the end of President Joe Biden’s term, issuing it before Inauguration Day “would be pretty expedited,” said cannabis lawyer Brian Vicente. That could put a new spotlight on the presidential candidates’ positions on marijuana. Vice President Kamala Harris has backed decriminalizing the drug and said it’s “absurd” to have it in the DEA’s Schedule I category alongside heroin and LSD. The Democratic nominee’s position has shifted over the years; she once oversaw the enforcement of cannabis laws and opposed legalized recreational use for adults in California while running for attorney general in 2010. Former President Donald Trump, the Republican nominee, signaled support for a Florida legalization measure on Saturday, following earlier comments that he increasingly agrees that people shouldn’t be jailed for the drug now legal in multiple states, “whether that’s a good thing or a bad thing.” During his run for president in 2016, Trump said that he backed medical marijuana and that pot should be left up to the states. But during his first term, then-Attorney General Jeff Sessions lifted an Obama-era policy that kept federal authorities from cracking down on the pot trade in states where the drug is legal. Trump’s campaign didn’t immediately respond to a query about his position on rescheduling the drug. The Justice Department proposed reclassifying it in May, saying the change would recognize marijuana’s medical uses and acknowledge it has less potential for abuse than some of the nation’s most dangerous drugs. The proposal, which would not legalize marijuana for recreational use, came after a call for review from Biden, who has called the change “monumental.” The DEA has said it doesn’t yet have a position on whether to go through with the change, stating in a memo that it would keep weighing the issue as the federal rulemaking process plays out. The new classification would be the most significant shift in U.S. drug policy in 50 years and could be a potent political issue, especially with younger voters. But it faces opposition from groups such as Smart Approaches to Marijuana. Its president, Kevin Sabet, argues there isn’t enough data to move cannabis to the less-dangerous Schedule III category, alongside ketamine and some anabolic steroids. The DEA’s move to hold the hearing is “a huge win in our fight to have this decision guided by medical science, not politics,” he said in a statement, adding that 18 states’ attorneys general are backing his opposition. The hearing sparked some consternation among pot industry players, though little surprise about the DEA decision to hold one. “While the result ultimately may be better, I think we’re so used to seeing delays that it’s just a little disappointing,” said Stephen Abraham, chief financial officer at The Blinc Group, supplier of cartridges and other hardware used in pot vapes. “Every […]
It is with great sadness that Matzav.com reports the petirah of Rabbi Yisroel Schenkolewski z”l, a longtime askan and baal chesed in the Lakewood, NJ Torah community, following a protracted illness. He was 80.
Rabbi Schenkolewski was well-known for his significant contributions to chinuch, most notably as the co-founder of Bais Kaila High School, which he established in 1977 alongside Rabbi Shmuel Mayer. The school, named in memory of his daughter, has provided a wonderful chinuch b’derech Yisroel saba to generations of bnos Yisroel.
In addition to his work in the world of chinuch, Rabbi Schenkolewski was deeply involved in the kehillah as a chaplain for the Lakewood Police Department and an active participant in local politics, where he was known for advocating on behalf of the yeshiva community. His leadership and influence extended beyond education, impacting the broader Jewish community in Lakewood through his various roles.
The levayah will be held at 4:30 p.m. at the Bais Yitzchok Bais Medrash of Bais Medrash Govoha in Lakewood, NJ. The aron will then be flown to Eretz Yisroel for kevurah on Har Hamenuchos in Yerushalayim.
Rabbi Schenkolewski is survived by his wife, Mrs. Craindel Schenkolewski, and their wonderful family.
Yehi zichro boruch.
{Matzav.com}
YWN regrets to inform you of the petirah of R’ Yisroel Schenkowleski z”l, one of Lakewood’s earliest and most prolific askanim, who helped set the foundation for the town to become a thriving makom torah. He was 80 years old. In addition to his work with the local, county, state and federal governments for more than 40 years, R’ Yisroel was also a key factor behind the growth of Torah in the township, including by founding the Bais Kaila girls school. The levaya is scheduled to take place at 4:30 PM on Tuesday afternoon at BMG’s Bais Yitzchok bais medrash, with kevurah in Eretz Yisroel. THE FOLLOWING IS VIA LAKEWOOD ALERTS R’ Yisroel’s tireless efforts touched every aspect of the community, from education to emergency services, law enforcement, and government. Through unwavering dedication, R’ Yisroel formed strong relationships with officials across the state, earning respect and recognition far and wide. One of his most notable achievements was the implementation of virtual autopsies in Ocean County, a project that ensured kavod hameis in tragic circumstances. He was also known in Hatzolah as “Dispatch 1”, as he manned the phone lines for Hatzolah on the overnights every single day for around 25 years. R’ Yisroel’s connections in the political arena enabled him to work effectively with local, county, and state officials to address tzorchei tzibbur, and his influence was instrumental in shaping Lakewood into the thriving kehilla it is today. Thanks to R’ Yisroel’s selfless work, phone calls to state departments are met with respect and prompt attention. Boruch Dayan HaEmmes…
Rep. Pramila Jayapal (D-Wash.), who has called Israel a “racist state” and who, in December, twice hedged when condemning Hamas terrorists raping Israeli women, accused Israeli Prime Minister Bibi Netanyahu of “sacrificing” hostages and civilians.
“Today’s labor strike and protests are extremely important,” Jayapal stated on Monday. “Netanyahu has no interest in a ceasefire—he’s prioritized his own political survival while sacrificing hostages and tens of thousands of innocent Palestinians.”
“The United States must use the entirety of our leverage to end this war,” the congresswoman added.
Jayapal’s statement didn’t mention Hamas, the U.S.-designated terror organization that executed the hostages.
In a fact sheet on the “elements of antisemitic discourse” by Kenneth Marcus, president and general counsel of the Louis D. Brandeis Center for Human Rights Under Law, posted on the website of the United Nations Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, the suggestion that Jews “sacrifice” others is identified as Jew-hatred.
“Since medieval times, Jewry has frequently been depicted as a wealthy, powerful, menacing and controlling collectivity, demanding the sacrifice of others to their own greed,” per the fact sheet. JNS
{Matzav.com}
Eli Goldschmidt, who served as a Knesset member for the Labor Party and One Israel from 1992-2001, called on the opponents of the current government to take stock and reflect on their part in Israel’s failure to reach a hostage deal with Hamas. “We and our side are also to blame for the fact that the hostages haven’t yet returned home,” Goldschmidt said. He then clarified that he does partially blame Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu for the fact that Hamas has not agreed to a deal but claimed that it’s only because of his right-wing partners Betzalel Smotrich and Itamar Ben-Gvir. “First and foremost Bibi, Smotrich and of course, Sinwar are to blame for the fact that there is no hostage deal. But Bibi allied himself with Smotrich and Ben-Gvir because he couldn’t form a coalition in any other way because our side refused to sit with him in the same government. By the way, if we would have, there would have been no judicial reform and there might not have been an October 7th.” “The very difficult truth is that we hate Bibi more than we want the best interests of the hostages. If we wanted their best interests, we would need to show restraint and forbearance. I know it’s difficult because we truly hate Bibi – but we would make the effort to save the lives of innocent people being held captive by Hamas. “I don’t know if there’s still a chance to change the matter [of forming a unity government] and I also think that Lapid and Gantz aren’t courageous enough to bring up the idea for fear that their base will have their heads.” “The matter causes me great angst because our side is not free of sin either. In another month and half, it will be Yom Kippur. I feel like we, our side, need to do a cheshbon nefesh.” (YWN Israel Desk – Jerusalem)
A former deputy chief of staff to New York Gov. Kathy Hochul was charged Tuesday with acting as an undisclosed agent of the Chinese government, federal prosecutors revealed in a sprawling indictment. Linda Sun, who held numerous posts in New York state government before rising to the rank of deputy chief of staff for Hochul, was arrested Tuesday morning along with her husband at their $3.5 million home on Long Island. Sun and her husband, Chris Hu, are expected to make an initial court appearance Tuesday afternoon, a spokesman for the U.S. attorney’s office in Brooklyn said. A lawyer for Sun, Seth DuCharme, did not immediately return an email seeking comment. The FBI searched the couple’s $3.5 million home in Manhasset late July but declined to release further details at the time. Sun worked in state government for about 15 years, holding posts in the administration of former Gov. Andrew Cuomo and eventually becoming Hochul’s deputy chief of staff, according to her LinkedIn profile. In November 2022, Sun took a job at the New York Department of Labor, as deputy commissioner for strategic business development, but she left that job months later in March 2023, the profile said. In a statement, a spokesperson for Hochul’s office said the administration fired Sun after “discovering evidence of misconduct.” “This individual was hired by the Executive Chamber more than a decade ago. We terminated her employment in March 2023 after discovering evidence of misconduct, immediately reported her actions to law enforcement and have assisted law enforcement throughout this process,” the statement reads. Sun and Hu live in a gated community on Long Island called Stone Hill. The couple purchased the house in 2021 but placed it in a trust earlier this year, records show. (AP)
U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) announced that its forces, in collaboration with the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), captured an ISIS leader who played a key role in aiding the escape of terror group members from a detention facility in Syria. The ISIS leader, identified as Khaled Ahmed al-Dandal, was apprehended on Sunday, just days after five ISIS foreign terrorist fighter detainees broke out from the Raqqah Detention Facility. According to CENTCOM, two of the escapees were recaptured by the SDF, while three others remain at large. Al-Dandal was identified as a “facilitator” who was instrumental in assisting the escaped ISIS fighters. Currently, more than 9,000 ISIS detainees are held across over 20 SDF-operated detention facilities in Syria. The military warned that ISIS aims to free its imprisoned members in an effort to reignite the group’s activities. CENTCOM Commander Gen. Michael Erik Kurilla emphasized the threat posed by the large number of detained ISIS fighters, describing them as a “literal and figurative ‘ISIS Army’ in detention.” He added that a mass escape of these fighters would pose a significant danger to the region and beyond. Gen. Kurilla also highlighted ongoing efforts by the U.S. and the international community to repatriate the ISIS fighters to their countries of origin to mitigate the risk of a resurgence. This latest development follows a recent U.S. military operation in collaboration with Iraqi Security Forces that resulted in the death of at least 15 ISIS operatives in Western Iraq this past Thursday morning. The renewed focus on ISIS comes amid rising concerns about the threat posed by terrorist groups, three years after the U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan. Recent incidents, including an ISIS-linked stabbing attack in Germany and threats against a concert in Austria, have heightened these concerns among security experts. (YWN World Headquarters – NYC)
Shas chairman MK Aryeh Deri informed Prime Minister Bibi Netanyahu that the Cabinet’s decision on the Philadelphi corridor last Thursday was a misstep, according to a report by Kan 11 News on Monday.
“The vote on Philadelphi was a grave mistake that tied our hands,” Deri reportedly told Netanyahu. Referring to the killing of the six hostages, he added, “From the moment we voted and after what happened, we must not change the decision.”
In response to the report, Shas stated that “Deri never comments on security-related conversations, whether the leak is true or false.”
During a press conference on Monday evening, Netanyahu was questioned about the report and took the opportunity to condemn the leaks from cabinet meetings.
“It is wrong that the military censor allows the publication of quotes from the cabinet, it is wrong that there is no polygraph law and the legal advisers do not allow us to pass one, we will have to bring in legislation that will deal with this,” Netanyahu said.
He also remarked that “this does not happen in any western country in the world. We are arming Hamas with information against us.”
{Matzav.com Israel}
When he first emerged on social media, the user known as Harlan claimed to be a New Yorker and an Army veteran who supported Donald Trump for president. Harlan said he was 29, and his profile picture showed a smiling, handsome young man. A few months later, Harlan underwent a transformation. Now, he claimed to be 31 and from Florida. New research into Chinese disinformation networks targeting American voters shows Harlan’s claims were as fictitious as his profile picture, which analysts think was created using artificial intelligence. As voters prepare to cast their ballots this fall, China has been making its own plans, cultivating networks of fake social media users designed to mimic Americans. Whoever or wherever he really is, Harlan is a small part of a larger effort by U.S. adversaries to use social media to influence and upend America’s political debate. The account was traced back to Spamouflage, a Chinese disinformation group, by analysts at Graphika, a New York-based firm that tracks online networks. Known to online researchers for several years, Spamouflage earned its moniker through its habit of spreading large amounts of seemingly unrelated content alongside disinformation. “One of the world’s largest covert online influence operations — an operation run by Chinese state actors — has become more aggressive in its efforts to infiltrate and to sway U.S. political conversations ahead of the election,” Jack Stubbs, Graphika’s chief intelligence officer, told The Associated Press. Intelligence and national security officials have said that Russia, China and Iran have all mounted online influence operations targeting U.S. voters ahead of the November election. Russia remains the top threat, intelligence officials say, even as Iran has become more aggressive in recent months, covertly supporting U.S. protests against the war in Gaza and attempting to hack into the email systems of the two presidential candidates. China, however, has taken a more cautious, nuanced approach. Beijing sees little advantage in supporting one presidential candidate over the other, intelligence analysts say. Instead, China’s disinformation efforts focus on campaign issues particularly important to Beijing — such as American policy toward Taiwan — while seeking to undermine confidence in elections, voting and the U.S. in general. Officials have said it’s a longer-term effort that will continue well past Election Day as China and other authoritarian nations try to use the internet to erode support for democracy. A message left with the Chinese Embassy in Washington was not immediately returned. Compared with armed conflict or economic sanctions, online influence operations can be a low-cost, low-risk means of flexing geopolitical power. Given the increasing reliance on digital communications, the use of online disinformation and fake information networks is only likely to increase, said Max Lesser, senior analyst for emerging threats at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies, a national security think tank in Washington. “We’re going to see a widening of the playing field when it comes to influence operations, where it’s not just Russia, China and Iran but you also see smaller actors getting involved,” Lesser said. That list could include not only nations but also criminal organizations, domestic extremist groups and terrorist organizations, Lesser said. When analysts first noticed Spamouflage five years ago, the network tended to post generically pro-China, anti-American content. In recent years, the tone sharpened as Spamouflage expanded and began focusing on divisive […]
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