Fourteen-year-old Chaim Yosef Eisenthal z”l was killed last night during a protest in Yerushalayim, an event that has left the city—and far beyond it—reeling in shock and grief.
[Pictured above is the invitation to Yosef’s bar mitzvah, held a year and a half ago.]
The morning after the tragedy did not begin with routine headlines or updates, but with a heavy sense of anguish. The loss of a child, many said, eclipses politics, sectors, and arguments, forcing a painful national reckoning.
At the opening of the Kikar FM broadcast in Israel, host Eli Gothelf said that the very fact that a 14-year-old boy lost his life in the street should shake the entire country. “Not a sector, not a camp, not a political debate,” he said. “In a democracy, protest is a right. But in a democracy, a 14-year-old child is not supposed to die in the street. He is not supposed to be killed.”
Gothelf stressed that when a child is killed, questions of affiliation or ideology become irrelevant. “When a child goes out to a protest and does not come home, this is no longer an internal dispute. This is a flashing red warning light,” he said.
Also interviewed on the program was Motti Bukchin, spokesman for ZAKA, who spoke with visible pain as he described what the organization’s volunteers encountered at the scene.
“This is a horrifying event,” Bukchin said. “I don’t know whether to call it an accident, a killing, or an attack. In the end, there is a child in his early teens who was killed for nothing. Entire families are destroyed.”
According to Bukchin, ZAKA volunteers arrived shortly after the incident, while rescue forces were still working to extricate the victim. “The bus dragged him,” he said. “People ran after the driver and shouted for him to stop—and he kept going.”
He described long, agonizing minutes as teams waited for firefighters to arrive with hydraulic equipment. “Only after they lifted the bus were they able to extricate the victim. Sadly, he was already without signs of life, with multi-system injuries, no pulse and no breathing.”
Bukchin emphasized that, from his perspective, the central issue is not only the sequence of events but their tragic result. “It doesn’t matter what came before what,” he said. “The outcome is a 14-year-old child who lost his life in a tragic way.”
He noted that the scene was especially difficult, requiring extended and painstaking work by volunteers to collect findings and care for the deceased with dignity. “This work is done in front of the public, in front of a family that understands that their child has been killed. It is true kindness,” he said.
Despite decades of experience with ZAKA, Bukchin said the pain never dulls. “Every time it is new. No two events are the same. Every family, every person who dies, is an entire world.”
{Matzav.com}
Dear Matzav Inbox,
There is something deeply disingenuous about the way many of our communal media platforms — including Matzav, by the way — operate today, whether in print, online, or across WhatsApp and social media.
On the one hand, these very same outlets regularly publish articles, op-eds, and impassioned posts lamenting the “culture of excess” that has crept into our lives. They bemoan the outrageous costs of weddings, the pressure to keep up, the corrosive effect of luxury spending on families, and the unhealthy expectations being imposed on young couples and parents just trying to breathe.
And then, without skipping a beat, the next page, post, or story is an advertisement for a five-star Pesach program in Europe, a luxury summer rental with “full staff,” a high-end restaurant opening, concierge services, boutique interior designers, or upscale apartments in Eretz Yisroel marketed as “must-have opportunities.” One minute we’re being warned about runaway materialism. The next minute we’re being sold $25,000 watches, gourmet tasting menus, and prestige real estate, all wrapped in glossy graphics and slick copy.
The uncomfortable truth is that the very platforms that wring their hands over the spending culture are, in fact, major engines driving it. Advertising does not merely reflect reality; it shapes it. When luxury is constantly normalized, glamorized, and pushed into every communal space, it inevitably seeps into expectations and behavior.
You cannot pour gasoline on a fire all week long and then publish a sermon on fire safety and expect to be taken seriously.
To then posture as critics of the problem they actively profit from is, quite frankly, hypocrisy. Sorry for saying the raw emes.
At the very least, there should be some honesty. These outlets are not neutral observers. They are nogeya b’dovor. They are making substantial money off the very excesses they publicly decry. Stop pretending to occupy some lofty moral high ground while cashing the checks that keep the cycle spinning.
If communal media truly wants to be part of the solution, it starts with self-awareness and integrity. Until then, the lectures about “crazy spending” ring hollow, drowned out by the posts and ads screaming the exact opposite message.
Sincerely,
Yehoshua Boruch Jacobs
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{Matzav.com}
It is with great sadness that Matzav.com reports the petirah of Rav Moshe Aryeh Sheinert zt”l, who was niftar at the age of 90.
Rav Sheinert was among the senior and most respected members of the Belzer community and served for many years as the mashgiach ruchani at Talmud Torah Machzikei Hadass of Belz in Boro Park. He also served as a mashpia at Yeshivas Torah Ve’Emunah of Belz, where he influenced generations of talmidim with warmth, depth, and unwavering devotion to Torah.
Born in Sivan 5695 (1935) to his father, Reb Shlomo Sheinert, he studied in his youth at Bais Medrash Govoha in Lakewood under Rav Aharon Kotler.
Following his marriage, Rav Sheinert was among the founders and early members of the Belzer kehillah on Manhattan’s East Side, together with Rav Yosef Meir Weiss, the rov of Narol. He maintained a close relationship with the Naroler Rebbe, the Rav’s son, and together they were instrumental in establishing Belzer institutions in the United States.
Rav Sheinert later settled in Boro Park, where he served for many years as a spiritual guide and mechanech, shaping hundreds of talmidim in the mesorah handed down through generations. He was renowned for sharing stories and teachings he had personally heard from Rav Aharon of Belz and other Torah giants.
Approximately twenty years ago, Rav Sheinert moved to Kiryat Belz in Yerushalayim. At the directive of the Belzer Rebbe, he assumed the role of mashpia at Yeshivas Torah Ve’Emunah, an institution dedicated to baalei teshuvah. There, he devoted himself to drawing Jewish hearts closer to their Father in Heaven, leaving an indelible impact on countless lives.
In recent years, his health declined and he was confined to his home.
The levayah took place Tuesday, departing from the Sanhedria Funeral Home in Yerushalayim and passing the Belzer Bais Medrash, before continuing to the Machzikei Hadass section at Har HaMenuchos for kevurah.
Yehi zichro baruch.
{Matzav.com}
After arriving in New York following a nonstop 22-hour journey from Sydney, Ahmed al-Ahmed and Rabbi Yehoram Ulman began their time in the United States Tuesday at the resting place of the Lubavitcher Rebbe, Rabbi Menachem Mendel Schneerson, in Queens.
The visit marked the start of a joint tour that will take the two men through New York and Washington, D.C., where they are scheduled to meet with a range of public figures and dignitaries. For Rabbi Ulman, the trip is deeply personal: a chance to publicly and privately express gratitude to a man who risked his own life to save members of his community.
Al-Ahmed became known worldwide following the Dec. 14, 2025, terror attack at Chabad-Lubavitch of Bondi’s Chanukah celebration in Sydney. During that attack, two terrorists opened fire on the crowd, murdering 15 people. Al-Ahmed, a local shopkeeper, charged one of the gunmen, wrestled away his weapon, and was shot twice in the process. Rabbi Ulman serves as the rabbi and spiritual leader of Chabad-Lubavitch of Bondi, where most of the victims were congregants or colleagues, including his son-in-law, Rabbi Eli Schlanger.
For Rabbi Ulman, traveling together to the United States symbolizes the Jewish community’s appreciation to a Syrian-born Muslim who acted without hesitation to save others. “Ahmed did what he did that day because he believed that G d placed him at the scene for a reason, and that’s what gave him the strength to save lives,” Ulman told Chabad.org. “This is something people from all walks of life can and must learn from.”
Al-Ahmed recalled how the events of that night unfolded almost by chance. On the early evening of Sunday, Dec. 14, he was walking along Bondi Beach looking for a cup of coffee. Finding none, he noticed a large gathering across the street at Archer’s Park. “I thought there might be coffee there, so I approached the security guard, who told me it was the Chanukah by the Sea celebration,” al-Ahmed told Chabad.org. “I saw the Menorah standing tall. I knew these were our Jewish brothers, and I felt happy to see it.”
Moments later, the celebration turned into a scene of terror. Gunfire erupted as two attackers positioned above the crowd began shooting. “If G d had willed to take my life, it would have ended there,” al-Ahmed said, describing how bullets flew past him. He dropped to the ground and crawled behind parked cars for cover, where he realized he was in a position to act as one of the terrorists advanced, continuing to fire at men, women, and children.
Al-Ahmed said he could not remain hidden. “To hear children screaming and women crying, I couldn’t stand it,” he said. “I had a duty; there was nothing to think about. Here was a man taking innocent lives. Nobody can take a human life—that’s in G d’s hands alone.”
Another bystander, 30-year-old Israeli Gefen Bitton, joined him and relayed information about the gunman’s movements. Despite still recovering from painful surgery on his left arm, al-Ahmed edged closer, moving from car to car before making his move. “It was as if I saw myself from above, going around the car toward him, and, I swear: I felt G d helping me,” he recalled.
He lunged at the terrorist, tackled him, and managed to wrench the gun away, halting the attack for crucial moments. Almost immediately, the second terrorist opened fire, striking al-Ahmed in the shoulder and arm. Bitton, who followed him in, was also shot and badly wounded.
At 6:46 p.m., six minutes and ten seconds after the first shots were fired, police finally neutralized the attackers. By then, Rabbi Ulman’s community had been devastated.
The victims included Rabbi Ulman’s son-in-law, Rabbi Eli Schlanger, with whom he had worked side by side on community initiatives for more than 18 years; Rabbi Yaakov Levitan, a quiet but central force in the community; Reuven Morrison, a close friend and pillar of Chabad of Bondi; Alex Kleytman, another longtime friend; and eleven others. Those lost included cherished community members, a Holocaust survivor, and a 10-year-old girl, Matilda.
That night, Rabbi Ulman rushed to the hospital to be with his daughter, Chayale Schlanger, whose back had been grazed by a bullet, and her two-month-old son Shimshy, injured by shrapnel. He was the one who had to call Eli’s parents and deliver the devastating news.
Despite his own grief, Rabbi Ulman felt a responsibility to his shattered community. “I didn’t have the luxury to wait a week before speaking to my community,” he said, “We all desperately needed to hear some perspective.” Over the course of that week, he officiated at ten funerals, each eulogy heavier than the last.
Three weeks later, still immersed in mourning, Rabbi Ulman reflected on the balance between grief and gratitude. “You have to allow yourself to be broken at a time like this,” he said. “At the same time, amidst the brokenness, we have to be grateful.”
He credits al-Ahmed’s bravery, along with others such as Morrison who also tried to stop the attack, with saving countless lives. Thinking of his daughter, his five grandchildren, and the many others who survived, Rabbi Ulman said, “In the greatest tragedies, there are always miracles. It could have been much, much worse.”
Standing beside al-Ahmed at the Ohel, Rabbi Ulman said he was grateful for the opportunity to personally express thanks on behalf of the Jewish people. “He’s a hero,” Ulman said. “It may be tempting to think, ‘someone else is being attacked, that’s not my business.’ But Ahmed didn’t think that way. His actions announce that this is not a Jewish issue; it is a human issue. We don’t only take care of our own. We look after each other. We are all G d’s children, and He gave each of us the ability to choose good over evil.”
Ulman added that al-Ahmed’s actions exemplify true kindness. “In the Torah, among the non-kosher birds, there is listed one bird called a ‘chasidah’—which means ‘kindness.’ Why is it called that? ‘Because,’ the Talmud says, ‘it shows kindness to its friends.’ But if it’s kind, why isn’t it kosher? It’s not kosher because it is kind exclusively to its own friends. That’s not true kindness. True kindness extends beyond our circle—if innocent people are being hurt, and G d puts us in a position to help, we must act. Ahmed did exactly that. He shows us what true kindness looks like.”
Al-Ahmed, for his part, has downplayed the attention he has received since the attack. “I just did my duty as a human being,” he told Chabad.org. “Afterward, in the hospital, my phone started ringing and ringing. I was told the whole world knows me. For what? I did my duty as a human being.”’
{Matzav.com}
The U.S. Supreme Court is preparing for a consequential stretch, with decisions expected as early as Friday in cases that carry far-reaching political, economic, and social consequences in the United States and beyond.
According to the court’s public schedule, the justices signaled on Tuesday that opinions in argued cases may be issued when they take the bench for a scheduled session on Friday. As is customary, the court has not disclosed which specific rulings will be released.
Among the most closely watched matters is the challenge to President Donald Trump’s global tariff regime, a case that could reshape international trade policy and redefine the limits of presidential authority. The dispute stems from Trump’s decision to impose broad tariffs by invoking a 1977 statute designed for national emergencies.
During oral arguments held on Nov. 5, justices from across the ideological spectrum raised pointed questions about whether the law justified the administration’s actions. The case reached the high court after lower courts ruled that the administration’s use of the statute went beyond what Congress authorized.
Trump has publicly voiced alarm over the possibility of an adverse ruling. In a social media post last Friday, he warned that striking down the tariffs would be a “terrible blow” to the United States. In another message posted on Monday, Trump defended the policy, writing, “Because of Tariffs, our Country is financially, AND FROM A NATIONAL SECURITY STANDPOINT, FAR STRONGER AND MORE RESPECTED THAN EVER BEFORE.”
The tariffs were imposed under the International Emergency Economic Powers Act on imports from multiple countries. The administration argued that persistent trade deficits constituted a national emergency and also used tariffs targeting China, Canada, and Mexico as leverage to combat the flow of fentanyl and other illegal drugs into the United States.
Beyond the tariff dispute, the court — which has a 6–3 conservative majority — is weighing several other high-profile cases. In October, justices heard arguments over a challenge to Section 2 of the Voting Rights Act of 1965, a cornerstone provision that prohibits election maps that weaken minority voting power even without explicit proof of discriminatory intent.
During that hearing, the conservative bloc appeared inclined to narrow the reach of the provision, potentially making it harder to challenge redistricting plans alleged to dilute minority influence.
Also argued in October was a First Amendment challenge to a Colorado law barring licensed psychotherapists from performing “conversion therapy” on minors. The law targets practices aimed at changing a minor’s sexual orientation or gender identity.
In that case, a majority of justices signaled sympathy toward a Christian counselor who contends the law violates constitutional protections for free speech, suggesting the statute may not survive scrutiny.
The court’s docket remains packed in the weeks ahead. On Jan. 13, the justices are scheduled to hear arguments over Republican-backed state laws that prohibit transgender athletes from competing on female sports teams at public schools.
Later in the month, on Jan. 21, the court will take up another case with sweeping economic implications: Trump’s effort to remove Federal Reserve Governor Lisa Cook. The challenge, which raises questions about the independence of the central bank, involves an action without historical precedent. Cook continues to serve in her role while the case is pending.
{Matzav.com}
