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[Video below.] An Orthodox Jewish leader was subjected to antisemitic harassment inside the U.S. Capitol this week after a pro-Palestinian activist confronted him in a hallway and shouted accusations related to Israel’s war against Hamas.
Rabbi Yaakov Menken, executive vice president of the Coalition for Jewish Values, said the incident occurred Thursday, December 12, and was captured on video that has since circulated online.
Menken said the activist approached him without provocation and began chanting slogans accusing Israel of “occupation,” making it clear, he said, that he was singled out because he is Jewish.
Video footage shows the activist, identified as being affiliated with the far-left group CodePink, confronting Rabbi Menken in a Capitol corridor and raising her voice as she repeated anti-Israel chants. Rabbi Menken responded forcefully.
WATCH:
{Matzav.com}
It is with great sadness that Matzav.com reports the petirah of Rav Yaakov Yehoshua HaKohen Frankel zt”l, the longtime gabbai of the Harishonim Shul on Rechov Rabi Akiva, who passed away at the age of 91.
Rav Frankel collapsed earlier this week during a Daf Yomi shiur and was niftar several days later.
Rav Frankel was born in Poland on 23 Kislev 5695 to his father, Rav Yechezkel HaKohen Frenkel, and his mother, Mrs. Faiga Frankel. He was among the veteran residents of Bnei Brak and for more than five decades served as gabbai and rosh hakahal of the Harishonim Shul, the first shul established in the city, located on Rechov Rabi Akiva.
Known as an early riser with a deep love for Torah, Rav Frankel was devoted to the beis medrash and held talmidei chachamim in the highest esteem. Those who knew him recall his tireless dedication to the shul and the kehillah it served, a responsibility he carried faithfully for many years.
Following the passing of his wife, Gittel, more than a decade ago, his health declined. During that period, he regularly davened at the central Shoneh Halachos Shul on nearby Rechov HaRav Herzog, close to his home.
Last Sunday, Rav Frankel attended the Daf Yomi shiur at Shoneh Halachos as he did consistently. In the middle of the shiur, he suddenly collapsed. He was niftar on Friday.
Friends and acquaintances noted the poignant timing of his passing, which occurred just one day before his 91st birthday, 23 Kislev.
Rav Frankel is survived by his family, including his son, R’ Pinchas Avraham Frankel. The levayah took place after chatzos on Friday and he was laid to rest at the Ponevezh Cemetery in Bnei Brak.
Yehi zichro baruch.
{Matzav.com}
Federal prosecutors say a sweeping financial scheme turned a racial justice organization into a personal piggy bank, leading to serious criminal charges against a onetime Black Lives Matter leader in Oklahoma City.
According to an indictment returned by a federal grand jury, Tashella Sheri Amore Dickerson, 52, faces 25 criminal counts tied to an alleged misuse of millions of dollars in donated funds. The charges include 20 counts of wire fraud and five counts of money laundering, as detailed by U.S. Attorney Robert Troester.
The case centers on Dickerson’s tenure as executive director of Black Lives Matter OKC. Prosecutors allege that during that period she gained control over the group’s financial infrastructure, including bank accounts, PayPal, and Cash App, and then siphoned off large sums of money for her own benefit.
Authorities say the organization was never registered as a tax-exempt nonprofit. Instead, it operated under a fiscal sponsorship arrangement with the Arizona-based Alliance for Global Justice, which required that all donated funds be used strictly for approved charitable purposes and fully documented.
Beginning in late spring 2020, Black Lives Matter OKC reportedly brought in more than $5.6 million through online fundraising and national bail organizations, including the Community Justice Exchange, the Massachusetts Bail Fund, and the Minnesota Freedom Fund, prosecutors said.
Those donations, according to the indictment, were earmarked to post bail for people arrested during racial justice protests following the death of George Floyd. In some cases, the funds were also intended to establish a revolving bail fund or support other social justice initiatives permitted under federal tax law.
Instead, investigators allege that from June 2020 through at least October 2025, Dickerson diverted at least $3.15 million by depositing returned bail checks into her personal accounts rather than into accounts belonging to the organization.
Prosecutors claim the money was then spent on an array of personal expenses, including leisure trips to Jamaica and the Dominican Republic for Dickerson and others, extensive retail shopping, and at least $50,000 on food and grocery deliveries for herself and her children. The indictment also alleges she used the funds to buy a personal vehicle registered in her own name and to acquire six properties in Oklahoma City.
Those properties, authorities say, were titled either directly to Dickerson or to Equity International LLC, a company prosecutors allege she solely controlled.
The indictment further accuses Dickerson of submitting false annual reports to the Alliance for Global Justice using interstate communications. Prosecutors say the filings claimed the funds were used exclusively for tax-exempt purposes while omitting disclosures about personal expenditures.
If convicted on all counts, Dickerson could face up to 20 years in prison for each wire fraud charge and up to 10 years for each money laundering charge, in addition to substantial fines.
{Matzav.com}
‘The Big Money Show’ reacts to New York City Mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani releasing a video instructing individuals on how to resist I.C.E. and and discusses his agenda.
WATCH:
Emergency measures are being rolled out across Waterbury and nearby towns after a major water main failure disrupted service for a vast portion of the region. Officials say tens of thousands of residents have been affected by the incident.
City leaders confirmed that public schools in Waterbury will be closed on Monday, while restaurants were instructed to shut their doors tonight as a precaution. The closures come amid concerns about water safety and system stability.
“At this point, any facility that serves food and prepares food … even if they currently have water pressure, should not be serving food until such time as we can lift the boil water notice,” Waterbury Mayor Paul K. Pernerewski Jr. said.
A boil water advisory remains in effect for Waterbury as well as the neighboring communities of Wolcott and Watertown, as officials warn that the water system cannot yet be deemed safe for consumption.
The crisis began when a large water main ruptured along Thomaston Avenue on Wednesday. Conditions worsened Friday night, when officials said the entire water system lost pressure.
Governor Ned Lamont and municipal officials said during a Saturday press conference that repair crews have been working nonstop since the break occurred, operating around the clock in an effort to restore full service.
To address immediate needs, Pernerewski said the Connecticut National Guard will assist with distributing bottled water to residents once deliveries reach the city.
{Matzav.com}
Chaos unfolded this afternoon near Brown University when gunfire erupted just as final exams were underway, leaving two people dead and eight others wounded, authorities confirmed. The victims who survived were transported to Rhode Island Hospital, roughly two miles from campus, where they remain in critical but stable condition.
Providence Fire Department Chief Derek Silva said the two fatalities were pronounced dead at the scene. “Those are the only injuries or casualties that we know at this time,” he said, cautioning that the situation remains fluid and the total number could still change.
The shooting occurred shortly after 4 p.m. ET outside the Barus and Holley building, which houses Brown’s School of Engineering and its Physics Department. According to Brown University Provost Francis Doyle, students were actively taking final exams inside the building at the time.
Police are now engaged in an extensive manhunt for the shooter, who remains at large. Deputy Police Chief Timothy O’Hara described the suspect as “a male dressed in black” during an evening press briefing. Investigators believe the suspect fled on foot, exiting through doors on the Hope Street side of the building. O’Hara said it is still unclear how the individual initially gained entry and noted that authorities have received no confirmed sightings since the escape.
As law enforcement continues the search, a shelter-in-place order remains in effect for the university and surrounding neighborhoods. Brown officials urged students and faculty to strictly comply. “This means keeping all doors locked and ensuring no movement across campus,” the university said in an alert.
President Trump said Friday night that he had been briefed on the situation. “What a terrible thing it is,” the president told reporters in brief remarks. “All we can do right now is pray for the victims.”
Addressing questions about campus security, Provost Doyle explained that access to the building is normally controlled by swipe cards, but noted there was “probably a lot of traffic” because exams were scheduled between 2 p.m. and 5 p.m.
“We’re utilizing every resource possible to find the suspect,” O’Hara said, emphasizing the scale of the ongoing operation.
Providence Mayor Brett Smiley confirmed that city police, Brown University authorities, and the FBI are working together on the investigation. “Sadly, today is a day that the city of Providence and the state of Rhode Island prayed would never come,” Smiley told reporters.
Officials are also asking anyone who may have witnessed the shooting or has relevant information to contact law enforcement immediately.
Earlier in the day, confusion spread over reports that a suspect had been taken into custody. Brown officials, followed by media reports and President Trump, initially stated that someone had been detained, but later corrected that information.
“While [Brown University’s department of public safety] was at one point informed that there was an individual in custody, that person was determined not to be the shooting suspect after questioning,” the university clarified in a Friday night emergency update.
Authorities have not yet released the identities of the victims or provided further details about the suspect. Brown officials said the two people killed were members of the community and that the university is working closely with local hospitals to identify the injured.
It is with great sadness that Matzav.com reports the passing of 10-year-old Batsheva Lieberman a”h of Lakewood, NJ.
She was a daughter of R’ Elimelech Shmuel and Devorah Leeba Lieberman of the Dewey Avenue neighborhood.
The levayah will take place tonight at 9 PM at the Congregation Sons of Israel Holocaust Memorial Chapel, located at 613 Ramsey Avenue in Lakewood, NJ, followed by kevurah at the adjacent Mt. Sinai Cemetery.
Yehi zichrah boruch.
{Matzav.com}
A political storm erupted tonight after Yesh Atid chairman Gadi Eisenkot hinted that the opposition could form a government even with only 57–58 seats, widely interpreted as a signal that he would consider relying on external support or abstentions from Arab parties.
Eisenkot made the remarks on Channel 12’s “Meet the Press,” saying that the opposition “will know how to form a government even with 57 or 58 votes.” The comment triggered fierce criticism from both coalition leaders and factions within the opposition itself, beginning with an immediate rebuke from National Unity chairman Benny Gantz.
Gantz quickly moved to push back on Eisenkot’s suggestion, warning that a minority government was not a viable option. “Gadi, my friend, we have already been in that movie of trying to swear in a minority government. It wasn’t realistic then, and it’s even less realistic after October 7. What Israel needs is a broad Zionist government of 70 members of Knesset, not a transitional government dependent on the Arab parties that will bring us Ben Gvir with 20 seats,” he said.
Likud leaders seized on the disagreement to accuse the opposition of preparing to collaborate with Arab factions. In a sharply worded statement, the party charged: “The alliance of the dangerous: the opposition is once again joining with the Muslim Brotherhood. Eisenkot exposed the real plan—relying on anti-Zionist Arab parties to form the next government.”
Likud added that “whether through outside support or direct partnership, such a government would be dependent on the Muslim Brotherhood—a dangerous pattern from which no lessons have been learned since October 7.”
Coalition chairman Ofir Katz also attacked Eisenkot’s remarks, tying them to other recent statements from across the opposition. “Yair Golan already said that potential partners include Mansour Abbas and even Ayman Odeh. Yair Lapid opposes a law preventing terror supporters from running for office. And now Eisenkot says it openly. Is there anyone left who still doesn’t understand that the ‘Anyone but Bibi’ bloc plans to form a government with Abbas and Tibi?” he said.
{Matzav.com}
It is with great sadness that Matzav.com reports the petirah of Rav Reuvane Chinn zt”l, a towering talmid chacham, revered mechanech, and lifelong oved Hashem, who was niftar shortly before Shabbos after suffering cardiac arrest. He was in his early seventies.
For nearly four decades, Rav Reuven stood at the heart of Yeshiva Gedolah of Toronto, serving as a beloved R”M since 1988 and shaping the second seder 11th grade shiur with his trademark clarity, depth, and boundless dedication. To countless talmidim, his shiur became a defining stage of their growth, demanding, uplifting, and delivered with the unmistakable sweetness and yashrus that were synonymous with his name.
Rav Reuven’s lifelong ascent in Torah began in the early 1970s, when he traveled to Yerushalayim and entered the world of Rav Berel Soloveitchik at Yeshivas Brisk. Rav Reuven absorbed the Brisker derech with the precision, intensity, and emes that would characterize his learning for the rest of his life.
From there, his path led him to Philadelphia, where he became a close talmid of Rav Elya Svei and ybl”c Rav Shmuel Kamenetsky. Their imprint upon him was lifelong; he often described himself as carrying their guidance, their derech, and their sense of responsibility to talmidim every time he entered the classroom.
Later, in Toronto, Rav Reuven learned for many years under Rav Shloime Miller at Kollel Avreichim. The relationship between rebbi and talmid ran deep. Those close to the Rosh Kollel attest that Rav Shlomo held Rav Reuven in extraordinarily high esteem, an esteem earned through brilliance in Torah, diligence, humility, and an unwavering commitment to emes.
Beyond the walls of the yeshiva, Rav Reuven served as a mohel for almost five decades. Hundreds of families across Toronto and beyond entrusted him with this sacred mitzvah. Those who knew him recall a mohel whose hands were precise, whose manner was gentle, and whose sense of responsibility was profound.
One of the most remarkable aspects of Rav Reuven’s life was his absolute devotion to vasikin davening. Nearly fifty years ago, he survived a serious car accident. Emerging from that experience, he accepted upon himself—permanently—to daven vasikin every single day of his life. And so he did.
He became the heart of the Zichron Shneur Vasikin Minyan, serving as its unofficial spiritual anchor. Through freezing winters, exhausting days, travel, and illness, nothing deterred him. Not a single day passed without vasikin, including the very last day of his life. This alone speaks volumes about the inner greatness and unwavering service to Hashem that pulsed through every fiber of his being.
Those who learned with him struggle to describe the magnitude of his Torah knowledge. It is said by respected talmidei chachomim that Rav Reuven possessed an almost astonishing mastery, a yedius haTorah that was vast, organized, and alive.
People who interacted with him often felt they were standing before a yerei Shamayim of rare purity, a man saturated with chesed, neimus, humility, and an unshakeable sense of straightness and truth.
He was an adam gadol in the truest sense. When one looked at him, one saw yiras Shamayim. When one spoke with him, one felt sweetness and kindness. And when one learned from him, one sensed the presence of a true gadol.
His sudden passing has left talmidim spanning four decades overcome with grief, their rebbi taken in a moment.
The levayah is scheduled to take place tomorrow morning at 9:15 a.m. at Yeshiva Gedolah of Toronto, located at 70 Fairholme Avenue in Toronto. A live hookup will be available in the basement of the yeshiva dormitory, located at 567 Lawrence Avenue West. Kevurah will take place in Lakewood, NJ.
Yehi zichro boruch.
{Matzav.com}
