Feed aggregator

Police have arrested four Arad residents in connection with the violent clashes that erupted earlier this week against members of the Gerer chassidus, following an incident in which local residents allegedly attempted to prevent chassidim from joining Wednesday’s large vehicle protest in support of imprisoned bnei yeshivah.

According to a statement released by Israel Police, officers from the Arad station took the four suspects into custody Friday on suspicion of involvement in the violent altercation. The suspects were brought in for questioning as investigators continue examining the incident.

Police said the confrontation occurred Wednesday afternoon after authorities received reports of a violent fight in one of the city’s neighborhoods. Officers responded quickly to restore order and immediately launched an investigation to determine the circumstances surrounding the incident and identify those involved.

The arrests come amid heightened tensions in Arad, where recent confrontations have broken out between different groups in the city. Wednesday’s violence required the intervention of large numbers of security personnel.

The incident reportedly began when secular residents attempted to block vehicles carrying Gerer chassidim who were planning to join the nationwide convoy traveling toward Military Prison 10 as part of the protest against the arrests of bnei yeshivah.

Police said the investigation remains ongoing and is focused on reconstructing the events and identifying all individuals involved in the violence. Officers continue to gather witness statements and additional evidence as part of the probe.

The four suspects remain under investigation on suspicion of assault, and police said further arrests may follow if additional individuals are identified as having participated in the attack. Authorities stated that they intend to bring all those responsible before the courts.

{Matzav.com}

The Belzer Rebbe convened senior rabbinic leaders and members of the Bnos Melachim committee of Belz to strengthen and expand the organization’s efforts to promote tznius within the Belz community. During the gathering, the Rebbe reflected on the founding of the Beis Malka educational network, emphasized the spiritual purpose behind its establishment, and declared that strengthening tznius among women would serve as a source of salvation for the entire generation.

The meeting, held at the Rebbe’s residence, brought together committee members and dayanim as part of an initiative to broaden and reinforce the activities of the Bnos Melachim committee. The organization was established to support families in upholding the community’s standards of tznius and to deepen women’s connection to the values and traditions of the Belz chassidus.

Addressing the gathering in the presence of the Rebbe, Rav Yehoshua Fink, a member of the committee and dayan who also serves as the spiritual director of Beis Malka, explained that although the committee is expanding, every mother within the Belz community is, in essence, a member of the initiative.

He stressed that the committee’s purpose is not to govern the public but to serve it.

“The committee,” Rav Fink said, “is not here to stand ‘above’ the ציבור, but rather its sole desire is to serve as a shaliach tzibbur, assisting the holy ציבור that wishes to follow the path of Torah and chassidus, the way of our holy fathers and rabbeim.”

Another committee member, Rav Elimelech Gross, spoke about the unique place women have always occupied within Belz.

“In Belz, righteous women have always held a special and honored place,” he said. He noted that the Belzer Rebbes would not enter the beis medrash without a women’s section, emphasizing that righteous women possess the ability to pierce the heavens with their tears, as “the gates of tears are never closed.” He added that this reflects the esteem in which women who faithfully uphold the standards of tznius have always been held, and recalled that the Rebbe has consistently spoken about the importance of the subject during the annual Stei’ige Torah gathering, presenting it as a fundamental pillar of authentic Jewish life.

Rav Aharon Mordechai Rokeach, who heads the committee, then addressed the gathering, praising its members for faithfully carrying out the Rebbe’s guidance.

“It is our sacred and pleasant obligation not to surrender to the temptations of the street,” he said. “‘Zich nisht lozen,’ but rather to continue walking in the path of Belz as it has been throughout the generations. Belz has always served as a model for the broader world of chassidus in matters of ruchniyus, and certainly in this area as well it must remain the standard-bearer.”

The Belzer Rebbe then delivered the keynote address, recounting at length the founding of the Beis Malka school system and the tremendous financial burden and other challenges that accompanied its creation.

“Many years ago, when Beis Malka was established, it involved tremendous financial burdens and many other challenges,” the Rebbe recalled. “People asked me why such an institution was necessary. I answered that the day would come when graduates of girls’ schools would be asked why they dressed a certain way, and their answer would be that they dressed that way simply because that was the custom at their particular school. I said that cannot be. There must be a defined path. Just as there is a proper mode of dress for men, there must likewise be a proper mode of dress for women, with clear boundaries. Beis Malka was not established so that girls could learn mathematics or other academic subjects. It was founded so that they would know how a Jewish daughter is meant to dress.”

The Rebbe also recalled a story about his grandfather, the Maharid of Belz.

“I have related in the past that when one of the young women in my grandfather the Maharid’s family was preparing to travel to another city, he first asked to inspect her suitcase to ensure that every article of clothing she was taking complied with the standards of tznius.”

The Rebbe stressed that every standard accepted within Belz is rooted in the long-established traditions of the chassidus.

“We must understand that everything we undertake to observe is based on the customs practiced in Belz. There must be care taken regarding the dress of both men and women. Everything must be conducted according to Torah and chassidus. We have gathered here today to address this matter. We established Beis Malka so that we would not need to compromise in these areas, as circumstances required during the war years.”

He continued by emphasizing that responsibility begins at home and extends to those in positions of influence.

“Every individual must ensure that these standards are upheld within his own home. Likewise, those who have influence over the ציבור have an obligation to speak about these matters. New fashions and new ‘musters’ are constantly emerging. Those appointed to oversee this issue have the responsibility to ensure that standards of women’s tznius are not weakened beyond what is absolutely necessary.”

Turning to the future of the community, the Rebbe stressed that preserving the next generation depends on parents serving as living examples.

“If we wish to raise chassidishe doros, we must first ensure that parents conduct themselves properly. That is why we have assembled today—to establish clear standards and restore matters to their proper place. We must build a generation of descendants who are deeply attached to the love and fear of Hashem, and therefore parents must lead by example and carefully uphold all the standards of tznius that have always been observed in Belz.”

The Rebbe concluded with a strong appeal to preserve firm boundaries despite changing fashions and social trends.

“If we indeed strengthen ourselves, remain steadfast and resolute, and refuse to yield, recognizing that there are boundaries which must never be crossed, we will merit the continued preservation of Judaism according to our sacred tradition. But if people begin searching for leniencies and creating new standards, no one can know how far that may lead. If we remain faithful to what has been observed until now, and everyone knows that in Belz these standards are carefully maintained, that strengthening will be the salvation of the entire generation.

“There must be a geder that is never crossed. New styles and new ideas appear constantly, and no one knows what the next trend will be. Therefore, we must establish a geder that serves as a firm boundary which is never breached. If we do so, we will succeed in continuing forward.”

Following the Rebbe’s address, members of the committee approached to receive a specially blessed coin from the Rebbe as a token of encouragement for their continued work.

{Matzav.com}

An emotional ceremony honoring 60 newly certified morai tzedek and rabbanim took an unexpected turn Wednesday evening when Sephardic Chief Rabbi Rav Dovid Yosef publicly revealed that legal restrictions prevented him from officially signing their certification documents.

The event, held in honor of the new morai hora’ah, was led by Rav Dovid Yosef together with Rav Gidon Ben Moshe and attended by numerous prominent dayanim and rabbanim. The evening celebrated the successful completion of the rigorous examination process by the new rabbanim.

Despite the festive atmosphere, the ceremony was overshadowed by two unexpected developments: legal limitations that affected the certification process and severe traffic disruptions that prevented several leading gedolei Torah from attending.

During the presentation of the certificates, attendees noticed that although Rav Dovid Yosef had originally been expected to personally sign each semichah certificate, his signature did not appear on the documents.

Addressing the matter directly, the Rishon Letzion explained to those in attendance: “Originally, I was supposed to sign the certificates myself, but this crazy state prohibits me from doing so.”

The event had also been scheduled to include the participation of Chacham Shlomo Machpud, a member of the Moetzet Chachmei HaTorah, along with several other distinguished rabbanim who had confirmed their attendance in advance.

However, widespread road closures and massive traffic congestion caused by a vehicle protest forced them to turn back before reaching the venue, making it impossible for them to participate in the ceremony.

Despite those setbacks, the evening concluded on an uplifting note as the newly certified morai tzedek formally accepted the responsibility of hora’ah, marking the beginning of their service as rabbanim and halachic authorities in communities across the country.

{Matzav.com}

Dozens of left-wing demonstrators gathered Friday morning at the entrance to Bnei Brak in an attempt to block traffic in protest of this week’s chareidi vehicle demonstrations against the draft law. The protest, held just hours before Shabbos, led to confrontations with local residents, though turnout was far smaller than organizers had promised.

The demonstration took place on Rechov Kahaneman after organizers had vowed to significantly disrupt access to the city. Despite those declarations, only a relatively small number of protesters arrived at the scene.

Residents strongly objected to the protest, particularly because it was held during the busy hours leading up to Shabbos, when thousands of families were making their final preparations. The area quickly became the site of heated confrontations as locals expressed anger over the attempt to block one of the city’s main thoroughfares at such a sensitive time.

The protest was organized following statements by attorney Ayelet Hashachar Seidof, head of the “Mothers on the Front” movement, who announced that activists intended to block Bnei Brak in response to this week’s chareidi vehicle protests against the conscription of bnei yeshivah.

“Road blockages will be met with road blockages,” Seidof said in advance of the demonstration, adding that the goal was “to disrupt the lives” of Bnei Brak residents.

The decision to stage the protest immediately before Shabbos drew sharp criticism throughout the city, as the streets were filled with pedestrians, children, and shoppers completing their last-minute preparations.

Large numbers of local residents gathered opposite the demonstrators, with some chanting, “We will die rather than be drafted.” Tensions escalated into physical confrontations that included pushing between protesters and chareidim. During the disturbance, one female protester removed her shirt as part of the demonstration. Police officers at the scene intervened in an effort to separate the opposing groups and prevent further escalation.

According to the organizers, Friday’s demonstration was intended as retaliation for this week’s vehicle protest, during which chareidi demonstrators blocked major highways across Israel for several hours in protest of the arrests of bnei yeshivah.

{Matzav.com}

As the number of bnei yeshiva currently held in Israel’s military prison reportedly stands at 46, a former inmate has offered a firsthand account of daily life behind bars, describing an environment centered around tefillah and Torah learning and insisting that incarceration is “not scary at all.”

Speaking with Betzalel Kahn on Israel’s Kol Chai Radio, 24-year-old Shmaryahu Greineman, who was imprisoned in the military jail in recent months, shared details about the prison routine and conditions. He said that during his incarceration there were only six bnei yeshiva in the facility.

Greineman explained that inmates are divided among four different companies based on the length of their sentence and the nature of their offense. According to him, bnei yeshiva are generally assigned to Company A, which houses prisoners serving relatively short terms.

He said the spiritual center of prison life is the beis medrash and shul.

“It’s either being inside your cell or being in the shul,” he said.

Greineman noted that the prison provides a wide range of seforim, including Shas, Chumashim, Tanach, Mishnayos, and Mishnah Berurah. Prisoners are also permitted to bring books back to their cells during lockdown periods.

He added that inmates are given opportunities to daven three times each day and that military regulations require prison officials to accommodate regular davening times and the laying of tefillin.

“On Shabbos they give even more time, and the religious needs are respected,” he said.

Discussing contact with family members, Greineman explained that each inmate is allotted seven minutes of telephone time per day.

“After seven minutes, the call disconnects automatically,” he said.

He noted, however, that conversations with attorneys are not subject to any time limit and added that bnei yeshiva entering prison generally receive assistance and guidance from various organizations.

Asked whether imprisonment was frightening, Greineman answered without hesitation.

“Not at all.”

He added that the presence of other bnei yeshiva makes the experience significantly easier, allowing them to learn together throughout the day.

“If I were there today among the 46 bochurim, it would actually be much easier,” he said.

Greineman also described what he called a unique phenomenon within the prison, referring to it as a place “where people learn emunah.”

He said that many secular soldiers begin moving closer to Judaism during their time in prison.

“Suddenly, people with tattoos begin coming to the shul, putting on tefillin, keeping Shabbos, and listening to words of Torah,” he said, describing what he believes is a widespread and meaningful spiritual transformation experienced by many inmates.

President Trump on Friday sharply criticized Iran after acknowledging that the regime launched a drone attack against a commercial vessel in the Strait of Hormuz, calling the strike a violation of the ceasefire established under the US-Iran memorandum of understanding.

In a post on Truth Social, Trump revealed that Iranian forces launched multiple attack drones at ships traveling through the strategic waterway.

“The Islamic Republic of Iran shot at least four One Way Attack Drones at Ships transversing the Strait of Hormuz,” the president wrote. “One of the Drones solidly hit the upper deck of a large and very expensive Cargo Carrying Ship. Damage was done, but the Ship was able to proceed on its way.”

Trump added that US forces intercepted the remaining drones before they could reach their targets.

“We knocked down three other Drones. Obviously, this is a foolish violation of our Ceasefire Agreement,” he added.

The president’s remarks came a day after the attack, when the White House initially took a more measured approach, saying only, “We are aware of these reports and looking into them.”

The incident has raised fresh concerns about the stability of the already fragile ceasefire while complicating ongoing efforts to ensure the safe movement of commercial shipping through the Strait of Hormuz, one of the world’s most critical maritime trade routes.

Reaffirming the administration’s position, the White House stated, “President Trump has been clear that Iran cannot subvert the free flow of traffic in the strait.”