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A unique and educational shiur is scheduled to take place Monday night, June 8, when the Agudath Israel of America Torah Projects Commission hosts a special shiur in Monsey, NY featuring Rav Amitai Ben David, acclaimed author of Sichas Chulin and a noted expert in the practical and halachic aspects of shechitah.

The event, which will begin at 8:00 p.m. at Kollel Kinyan Hadaf in Monsey, is expected to draw Daf Yomi participants, bnei Torah, rabbanim, and members of the wider community interested in gaining a deeper understanding of one of the most fascinating and practical areas of halachah.

What will make the evening particularly noteworthy is that the shiur will be accompanied by a live shechitah and treifos demonstration, providing attendees with a rare opportunity to see firsthand many of the concepts discussed in Maseches Chulin and other related areas of Torah study. Through practical illustrations and real-world examples, participants will be able to better appreciate the intricate halachos governing kosher slaughter and the examination of animals.

Organizers say the program is designed not only for Daf Yomi learners currently studying or reviewing the sugyos of Chulin, but also for anyone seeking a clearer understanding of the halachic foundations behind the kosher food that appears on Jewish tables every day.

Rav Amitai Ben David has earned widespread recognition for his ability to present complex halachic topics in a clear and engaging manner. His work, Sichas Chulin, has become a classic for those learning about shechitah and treifos.

The shiur will take place at Kollel Kinyan Hadaf, located at 2 Ribier Court, at the corner of Concord Road in Monsey, which is Ahavas Torah, the shul of Rav Ephraim Wachsman.

The event is being sponsored by Meal Mart.

{Matzav.com}

A new survey of potential 2028 presidential contenders suggests that Vice President JD Vance and former Vice President Kamala Harris currently hold commanding positions within their respective parties, placing them at the forefront of early speculation about the next White House race.

According to polling data highlighted by Political Polls, Vance led the Republican field with 38 percent support, while Harris topped the Democratic side with 37 percent.

Among Republicans, Secretary of State Marco Rubio followed Vance with 18 percent support, while Donald Trump Jr. registered 10 percent.

Some political observers have noted that both Rubio and Trump Jr. would likely back a Vance presidential campaign rather than launch competing bids of their own. Under that scenario, support currently attributed to those figures could ultimately consolidate behind Vance, potentially giving him the backing of roughly two-thirds of Republican voters represented in the poll.

President Donald Trump weighed in this week on the possibility of a Republican ticket featuring both Vance and Rubio. Praising the pair, he remarked, “So I watch them together. They get along great. They have a good relationship. They’re sort of similar in a lot of ways, but they’re very talented. I think the two of them running together as a team would be very unbeatable.”

Trump continued his praise by adding, “I would think that JD and Marco as a team would be very hard to beat, when you compare that to these low IQ people that we have on the other side.”

On the Democratic side, Harris remains a central figure in early presidential discussions. Earlier this year, the 2024 Democratic nominee indicated that she “might” seek the presidency again in 2028.

Polling averages compiled by Race to the White House and reported in February showed Harris leading the prospective Democratic field with 27.5 percent support. She was followed by California Governor Gavin Newsom at 22.7 percent. Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez stood at nine percent, former Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg at 8.7 percent, Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro at 4.9 percent, and Illinois Governor J.B. Pritzker at 3.4 percent.

Although Ocasio-Cortez recently stated that her “ambition is way bigger” than running for president in 2028, recent reports have suggested that she may nevertheless be positioning herself for a possible White House campaign.

{Matzav.com}

President Donald Trump publicly intervened Monday in an effort to prevent further fighting between Israel and Iran, demanding that both sides immediately stop launching attacks following Iran’s violation of the ceasefire late Sunday night.

Taking to social media, Trump issued a direct appeal for calm, writing, “Israel and Iran must immediately stop ‘shooting.'”

The call came after Trump spent Sunday night urging Israel not to respond militarily to the missile barrage Iran launched toward northern Israel.

In comments to Barak Ravid of Channel 12 News, Trump revealed that he intended to personally contact Israeli Prime Minister Binyomin Netanyahu, stating, “I am going to call Netanyahu right now and tell him not to strike back.”

Downplaying the impact of Iran’s attack, Trump said, “The Iranian strikes didn’t hurt anybody. Hopefully Israel is not going to retaliate. If Bibi strikes them back it’s just gonna keep going like the last 47 years, or the last 3000 years.”

Trump also expressed optimism about ongoing diplomatic efforts with Tehran, asserting that the United States is nearing a breakthrough. “Very close to a final deal with Iran. It is going to be a good deal. I don’t want it to blow up because of what is happening now.”

Emphasizing his desire to prevent another round of hostilities, Trump reiterated his intention to contact Netanyahu directly. “I am going to call Bibi right now and tell him not to retaliate. Each of them had their fun. Israel had its strike and Iran had its strike. We don’t need another one,” he stressed.

The Israeli Air Force carried out a sweeping operation against key Iranian military assets on Monday morning, targeting and destroying strategic air-defense systems across the country in a move aimed at expanding Israel’s operational freedom over Iranian territory.

Acting on intelligence provided by the IDF Intelligence Directorate, dozens of Israeli fighter jets participated in the large-scale mission, which focused on defensive infrastructure maintained by the Iranian regime.

In recent months, Iran had been working to rebuild and strengthen its air-defense network after suffering significant setbacks during Operation Roaring Lion. New detection and interception systems had been deployed in multiple locations throughout the country as part of that effort. According to the IDF, the latest strikes successfully eliminated many of those restored capabilities.

Military officials said the operation further weakens Iran’s ability to defend its airspace and builds upon the damage inflicted during Operation Roaring Lion, when Israeli forces severely degraded the regime’s defensive network.

The latest attacks come as fighting between Israel and Iran continues to intensify. Following Iran’s missile attacks against Israel beginning Sunday night, Israel launched two separate waves of retaliatory strikes aimed at strategic targets inside Iran.

The opening phase of the operation concentrated on Iran’s air-defense infrastructure. Israeli aircraft struck surface-to-air missile batteries and related systems in the Tehran area, as well as locations in central and western Iran, seeking to reduce the regime’s ability to detect incoming threats and engage hostile aircraft or missiles.

A second wave of strikes shifted focus to critical economic and industrial targets in southwestern Iran. Among the sites hit was a major petrochemical facility in the Ahvaz region, where Israeli forces targeted infrastructure connected to Iran’s energy sector.

{Matzav.com}

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Extremist elements within the Eidah HaChareidis are reportedly considering holding a so-called “Pulsa Denura” ceremony targeting Attorney General Gali Baharav-Miara, according to a report published by Yisroel Hayom.

The report states that the initiative is being discussed by members of the same extremist group that was involved in last week’s violent demonstration outside the home of Supreme Court Deputy President Noam Sohlberg.

According to sources cited in the report, the plan has not yet received final approval and remains contingent on authorization from rabbinic leaders. One source within the Eidah HaChareidis reportedly said that any such step would require formal rabbinic consent, but added, “It’s not far from that at all.”

The ceremony being discussed is known as a “Pulsa Denura,” a controversial and highly publicized ritual that has occasionally been invoked by fringe groups in Israel. It is traditionally described as a mystical curse ceremony intended to bring divine punishment upon an individual. Such ceremonies are generally rejected by mainstream rabbinic authorities and are not part of normative Jewish practice.

The report comes just days after extremists vandalized the home of Justice Sohlberg in the community of Alon Shvut. During the disturbance, rioters damaged property, including smashing the windows of the justice’s vehicle and destroying flower pots outside his residence. Dozens of suspects were subsequently arrested.

Meanwhile, Israel’s judicial system staged solidarity gatherings Sunday morning in response to the attack on Sohlberg’s home.

Speaking on behalf of Israel’s judges, Judge Yaron Levy declared, “The Judges Association expresses its full support and solidarity with Justice Sohlberg and his family and calls on all branches of government, the law enforcement system, and Israeli society to unequivocally condemn any attempt to harm judges or subject them to pressure, threats, or intimidation because of their role. We cannot accept a situation in which public or political disagreements are translated into attacks against judges.”

Members of the State Attorneys Organization, which represents more than 1,100 prosecutors and government attorneys, also gathered outside courthouses across the country in a show of support for Sohlberg and the rule of law.

“At this hour, we will all leave the courtrooms and stand outside the courthouse in solidarity and support of the judicial system and the rule of law,” said attorney Orit Korin, chairwoman of the organization. “Under no circumstances can violence against judges or legal professionals be tolerated because of any public dispute.”

{Matzav.com}

Israel carried out a series of airstrikes against military assets of the Iranian regime early Monday, just hours after Iran violated a ceasefire by launching missile attacks toward Israel. According to the IDF Spokesperson’s Unit, Israeli Air Force aircraft targeted military sites in western and central Iran.

Reports from Iranian media indicated that explosions were recorded in several locations, including Tehran, Isfahan, and Karaj. Among the reported targets was Mehrabad International Airport in the Iranian capital.

Additional blasts were heard in various parts of the country, with reports suggesting that a UAV storage facility in Tehran was among the sites struck. In total, approximately 15 Israeli strikes were reported across Iran.

Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps officially acknowledged that Israel had attacked targets inside Iran, claiming that ballistic missiles were employed during the operation.

The Israeli strikes followed an Iranian missile assault launched several hours earlier, despite the ceasefire arrangement. Iran fired multiple barrages totaling ten missiles toward northern Israel, the Sharon region, and parts of Shomron.

According to the IDF, all of the incoming missiles were successfully intercepted. Roughly thirty minutes after the alerts began, the Home Front Command informed residents that they could safely leave protected areas.

Air raid sirens sounded across dozens of communities during the attack. Magen David Adom crews treated two people who were hurt while rushing to shelters, including a woman who sustained moderate injuries.

Firefighters responded to several blazes that erupted in open areas of the Galilee and Golan Heights after interceptor fragments fell to the ground. In Yokneam, shrapnel struck a vehicle, causing minor damage but no injuries.

Following the Iranian attack, Prime Minister Bibi Netanyahu held a phone conversation with President Donald Trump as Israeli leaders weighed possible responses. The discussion ended shortly after midnight.

Axios later reported that Trump urged Netanyahu not to respond militarily to the missile attack and instead allow additional time for diplomatic efforts.

According to a U.S. official quoted by Axios, Trump told Netanyahu to refrain from retaliating because “we are close to doing something good in terms of a deal”.

The report stated that Netanyahu objected to the request but ultimately “pseudo agreed” not to proceed with an immediate response.

At the same time, IDF Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Eyal Zamir convened a high-level assessment with members of the General Staff Forum to review the rapidly developing situation.

During the consultation, Zamir stressed that the military had completed all necessary preparations and was fully ready to execute additional operations if directed to do so.

“The IDF will strike the enemy with determination as soon as the order is given,” the Chief of Staff stated.

Defense officials emphasized that operational plans have been finalized and that Israeli forces remain at an elevated level of readiness following Iran’s decision to violate the ceasefire.

{Matzav.com}

Shas chairman Aryeh Deri has delivered a blunt message to coalition leaders: if the proposed Basic Law: Torah Study is not advanced this Wednesday, no other legislation will move forward.

The ultimatum comes after renewed pressure from chareidi parties to advance the bill, which has remained stalled for an extended period despite repeated calls for action.

Deri was the first to publicly demand movement on the legislation following last week’s Shas faction meeting. Only after his intervention did other chareidi parties begin actively promoting the measure, which is formally registered under the name of Degel HaTorah. Even within the Litvish faction, there had been uncertainty last week over whether to push the legislation at all.

According to Shas officials, Deri considers passage of the Basic Law: Torah Study an urgent priority and is less concerned with which party receives political credit for the initiative. Party leaders also stressed that no one in Shas requested the postponement of the Ministerial Committee for Legislation meeting, which was expected to discuss the proposal.

Degel HaTorah chairman MK Moshe Gafni said Sunday evening that the bill had been placed on the agenda of the Ministerial Committee for Legislation.

“Basic Law: Torah Study has been placed on the agenda of the Ministerial Committee for Legislation. At the direction of our revered Torah leaders, I was instructed to submit and advance this legislation,” Gafni said.

Gafni also expressed frustration that the committee had not yet convened.

“To my great surprise, the committee has still not met today,” he said. “I demand that it be convened immediately so that the bill can be brought before the Knesset plenum on Wednesday for its preliminary reading.”

Meanwhile, MK Yinon Azoulay has submitted a similar proposal. However, due to concerns raised by the Knesset’s legal advisers, it remains unclear whether his version of the legislation will be ready for a vote as early as Wednesday.

Despite the growing pressure from the chareidi parties, a senior Likud official told Kikar HaShabbat on Sunday that there is significant doubt whether the current coalition has the votes necessary to pass the measure.

“There is serious doubt that the current coalition can secure a majority for the Basic Law: Torah Study,” the official said.

The assessment raises questions about whether the legislation can clear even its first hurdle if it reaches the Knesset floor.

As previously reported, earlier Sunday, Deri visited Prison 10, where several yeshiva bochurim are being held over military draft-related issues. During the visit, he pledged to continue fighting for passage of the Basic Law: Torah Study and sharply criticized the treatment of Torah learners.

“From here we cry out: Stop treating Torah learners like criminals,” Deri declared.

{Matzav.com}

As the draft crisis continues to deepen and thousands of bnei yeshivah remain without a regulated legal status, leading Gedolei Yisroel are being asked to weigh in on a series of critical questions that could shape the future of the chareidi community and the olam haTorah.

One of the most pressing issues centers on the alert systems that notify the public whenever there is an attempt to detain a chareidi draft evader. These networks mobilize activists and supporters whenever there is concern that a detainee may be transferred from civilian police custody to military authorities or when military police attempt an arrest directly.

The alert systems were originally established by the Peleg Yerushalmi. Now, however, leading rabbinic authorities are being asked whether the broader chareidi public should cooperate with and respond to those alerts.

The question emerged prominently during the recent Vaad of Ichud Bnei HaYeshivos, where thousands of regional coordinators had an opportunity to present the issue to senior roshei yeshivah. Two of the most prominent participants, members of the Moetzes Gedolei HaTorah Rav Moshe Hillel Hirsch and Rav Dovid Cohen, declined to address the matter publicly on camera, choosing instead to provide their guidance privately over Shabbos.

In the meantime, the organization Ezram U’Maginam has moved forward with its own initiative, establishing what is believed to be the first independent alert network within the Litvishe community.

The new system will operate alongside the existing Peleg Yerushalmi networks known as “Black Alert” and “The Kidnappers Have Arrived,” providing real-time notifications regarding arrest attempts involving bnei yeshivah.

The controversy surrounding the alert systems intensified after Tel Aviv City Council member Hadas Regulsky submitted an urgent request to Attorney General Gali Baharav-Miara and Israel Police Commissioner Danny Levy demanding that the hotlines be shut down immediately.

Regulsky stated that she first approached cellular providers and requested that the lines be disconnected. The companies reportedly refused, explaining that they lacked the authority to terminate communications services without either a court order or a directive from a government agency.

Having failed to persuade the telecommunications companies, Regulsky has now turned to law enforcement authorities in an effort to have the networks blocked.

Meanwhile, Shas chairman Aryeh Deri has increased pressure on coalition leaders, warning that he will not permit legislative proceedings to continue unless the proposed Basic Law: Torah Study is brought for approval this Wednesday.

Deri conveyed the message during discussions with senior coalition officials, signaling that the legislation has become a top priority for the chareidi parties.

Later in the evening, Degel HaTorah chairman MK Moshe Gafni publicly aligned himself with Deri’s position.

“Basic Law: Torah Study has been placed on the agenda of the Ministerial Committee, and pursuant to the instructions of the Gedolei HaTorah shlita, I have been working to advance it,” Gafni stated. “Remarkably, the committee has still not convened. I demand that it meet immediately so that the legislation can be brought to a vote.”

The coordinated push reflects growing determination among the chareidi parties to secure legal protections for lomdei Torah amid the ongoing draft crisis.

{Matzav.com}