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Two IDF soldiers were lightly injured in a Hezbollah drone attack near Shlomi on Monday. The soldiers were evacuated to the hospital for treatment. In response to the attack, the IDF carried out airstrikes on a number of Hezbollah military sites in southern Lebanon Earlier on Monday, Hezbollah launched suicide drones at northern Israel, one of which hit a high-rise apartment building in Nahariya, only several buildings away from a kindergarten. B’Chasdei Hashem, there were no injuries but two apartments were badly damaged. (YWN Israel Desk – Jerusalem)

Dr. Barry Zisholtz, who retired last year after 46 years as a urological surgeon and who is known more commonly as “Dr. Z.,” received a knock on his door in March. A woman he didn’t recognize told him that she needed the doctor’s help. He asked what the trouble was.

“Your house was redistricted,” the woman told him. “Do you know who your state House representative is?”

Zisholtz, who had planned to spend more time with his wife and their seven children, learned that Georgia’s 86th District was represented by Imani Barnes, who had been elected with some 90% of the vote in 2023 in what had been a solidly Democratic seat.

In December, Barnes was one of dozens of Democrats who abstained from a mostly bipartisan bill condemning Hamas. In January, she voted against a bipartisan bill, which defines antisemitism in state law and which passed both houses of Georgia’s legislature by wide margins. Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp signed it into law that month.

“Who is this person? What’s she about?” Zisholtz told JNS on the sidelines of the Republican Jewish Coalition Summit in Las Vegas last week.

“She’s a very progressive Democrat, and she’s not a friend of Israel or the Jewish people,” he said. (JNS sought comment from Barnes.)

The retired surgeon asked around to see who was running against Barnes in the district in DeKalb County, just outside Atlanta. He was told that nobody was.

With only three days until the filing deadline, Zisholtz threw his hat in the ring.

“This was not on the agenda,” he told JNS, of his late political foray.

When he researched his opponent more, the retired doctor found that he disagreed with her on almost everything.

“I found she wants illegals to vote. Then I found she’s soft on crime. She’s pro-sanctuary cities,” he told JNS. “So there’s not one thing that I’m really in favor of that she supports, except I’m good with school lunches.”

An Orthodox Jew, who has served on the boards of several Atlanta-area Jewish institutions, Zisholtz knows that Israel and Gaza are not top of mind for most voters in his district.

His campaign platform includes “denouncing all bigotry and racism, including antisemitism” and “calling all terrorists, including Hamas, pure evil in no uncertain terms,” but all are further down the pecking order from kitchen table issues, like affordable health care, lower prescription drug prices and providing school choice and improved math and reading scores.

Zisholtz, who told JNS that he has knocked on some 9,000 doors, acknowledged that the race is an uphill battle.

“When I started, it looked very difficult, but I had three goals in mind. Number one is to win. Number two is to get the word out that it’s OK to fight back. And number three is to expose the individual for what she did,” Zisholtz said, of Barnes.

The retired doctor figures he has accomplished the second and third goals, and if he can pull off the first one, too, he told JNS that he will donate half of his salary to the local police and the other half to area schools.

“I’m not looking at this for a job,” he insisted.

Zisholtz told JNS that he is one of seven Republicans, who have stepped up to run against otherwise-unopposed House Democrats. “Because we stand for reason,” he said.

On May 21, Barnes won the Democratic primary unopposed, with 4,881 votes. Zisholtz secured all 428 votes in the Republican primary.

(JNS)

Rabbi Dr. Elie Abadie, the former senior Rabbi of the Jewish Council of the Emirates and the Association of Gulf Jewish Communities, spoke to Arutz Sheva about how Jewish life in the UAE has changed since October 7. Rabbi Abadi began by describing how the Jewish community in the UAE flourished after the Abraham Accords, with the Jewish population increasing from 200 to over 1,500. “They built Jewish businesses, kosher restaurants, and shuls,” he said. “We were doing everything very publicly with the support of the government. The Emirati population was very welcoming.” However, things began to change post-October 7. “Many Israelis came back to Israel. The government was concerned for the safety of the Jewish people and communities and they requested that we be much more quiet in a sense, not to engender any animosity for either tourists or anybody who may live there who has animosity toward the Jewish people.” Due to the new security measures, Rabbi Abadie said that Jews don’t wear yarmulkes or other signs of Judaism on the streets and even refrain from gathering in shuls to daven. “The Jewish community continues to live, continues to work, continues to do what they need to do as residents of the place, but they are trying to live much more carefully.” Rabbi Abadi stressed that the government’s directives are intended for the Jewish community’s benefit, not an act against it. “The UAE is one of the safest countries in the world, probably number two or three in the world. So they’re very concerned about the population, including the Jewish population, and certainly, they don’t want any event against the Jewish community.” (YWN Israel Desk – Jerusalem)

The findings from a survey by Nishma Research released on Sunday has shed light on the middos that Orthodox Jewish communities across the US prioritize and where they feel there is room for improvement. The study, which focused on bein adam l’chavero, was intentionally released ahead of the Yamim Noraim. The survey, which is not a demographic profile but rather a resource for community introspection, asked respondents to assess both their personal conduct and their community’s performance in cultivating middos. The virtues explored included anavah, chesed, tzedakah, and shemiras halashon, among others. Key Findings: Respondents identified chesed, tzedakah, and kibbud av v’em as the strongest areas in their communities. The findings suggest that Orthodox communities provide robust support systems for those in need, with many citing the presence of charitable organizations like G’machs and Tomchei Shabbos. The survey revealed significant areas for growth, particularly in controlling harmful speech. A staggering 69% rated their community’s performance in shemiras halashon as “fair” or “poor.” Other areas needing attention include anavah, dan l’kaf zechus, savlanus, and sameach b’chelko. One respondent lamented, “Lashon hara is rampant, and there is a lot of stereotyping based on what shul or school people attend.” While about 60% of respondents agreed that Jewish schools and rabbanim are doing a good job emphasizing middos, only 10% fully agreed, with most believing there is room for improvement. Many called for schools and rabbanim to place greater emphasis on teaching good character traits. “It would be great if schools would put more of an emphasis on really teaching middos and making meaningful incentives for kids,” one respondent suggested. When reflecting on their own behavior, many respondents acknowledged that controlling gossip is an area they struggle with personally. Several expressed a desire to be more proactive in stopping harmful conversations. “I want to work on speaking up when my friends speak lashon hara,” one person shared. Others focused on improving empathy and patience, particularly within their families, and developing strategies for better self-awareness and kindness. Respondents also highlighted the need to stop being overly judgmental of others, with an emphasis on understanding different perspectives and being more compassionate. One respondent remarked, “I want to work on being less judgmental and more dan l’kaf zechus. Sometimes, I make assumptions without knowing what’s really going on in the other person’s life.”

Nearly a year after Hamas’s assault on Israel on October 7, a range of legal obstacles has delayed Israel’s justice system from commencing trials for the thousands of terrorism suspects captured on that day or in the subsequent war in Gaza.

A report in Haaretz, citing anonymous sources from the State Attorney’s Office, highlighted several issues hindering the prosecution. These included insufficient evidence in many cases, an already overburdened justice system, lack of defense representation for those facing charges, and concerns that starting legal proceedings might endanger hostages still in Gaza or jeopardize ongoing negotiations to secure their release.

The report indicated that investigations into the thousands of suspected terrorists arrested since October 7 are either concluded or nearing completion. Despite this progress, it remains uncertain when these suspects will face trial.

On that day, more than 3,000 Hamas militants infiltrated southern Israel, killing around 1,200 people—mostly civilians—across various towns and military bases. The attackers also committed brutal crimes, including sexual violence, and took 251 hostages.

Israeli forces killed approximately 1,000 of the assailants, with many others retreating to Gaza. About 200 were captured alive, and thousands more have been detained in Gaza over the past year, although exact figures from the IDF are lacking, and many suspects have been released after interrogation.

In some cases, although investigations are complete, prosecutors have scant evidence to directly link certain suspects to specific killings, making a successful prosecution difficult.

One approach proposed by Haaretz involves grouping suspects by the towns where they operated during the attacks and trying them together. However, this method could face challenges from the International Court of Justice and other bodies for failing to align with international legal standards.

Another solution to the strain that hundreds of trials would place on the judicial system is the possibility of holding these trials in military courts, according to the report.

But this solution introduces another problem: who will represent the suspects? Israeli public defenders have refused to take on their defense. No alternative proposals were mentioned in the report, but in a parallel situation during the 1961 trial of Nazi war criminal Adolf Eichmann, Israel relied on foreign attorneys.

A final issue raised in the report concerns the safety of hostages still held in Gaza, as ongoing mediation efforts continue to seek an exchange deal that could see hostages released in return for Palestinian prisoners and a ceasefire.

Currently, the suspects arrested since October 7 are housed in two Israeli facilities, Ofer and Ktziot prisons. They are divided into two categories: those believed to have been involved in the October 7 attacks or its planning, and who are treated as criminal defendants, and those held under administrative detention as unlawful combatants.

These divisions were implemented to protect the rights of the criminal defendants, as reported by Haaretz, to prevent potential accusations of mistrials that might ultimately allow suspects to be released. Some suspects have been shifted between these groups as new evidence emerges, even in recent weeks.

Since the United States recently indicted Hamas leaders, including Yahya Sinwar, following the murder of six hostages by Hamas, Israel’s State Attorney’s Office has faced growing criticism from police and the public for not prosecuting those involved in the October 7 attacks.

However, Yuval Kaplinksy, the former head of the State Attorney’s international department, explained to Haaretz that Israel’s legal framework does not permit the indictment of individuals who are not in custody or accessible for legal proceedings.

“Unlike the US, Israel doesn’t indict people who are not under arrest or available for proceedings,” he clarified.

“The US sees a duty to the Americans harmed by October 7 in filing an indictment,” he said, “but I don’t think there’s a single prosecutor in the US who believes that Sinwar will really be caught and put on trial in the US.”

As of now, 97 of the 251 hostages kidnapped on October 7 are believed to still be in Gaza, including the remains of at least 33 people confirmed dead by the IDF.

In a temporary truce in late November, Hamas released 105 civilians, with four hostages freed earlier. Eight hostages have been rescued by Israeli troops, while the remains of 37 have been recovered, including three who were accidentally killed by Israeli forces during escape attempts.

Hamas continues to hold two Israeli civilians who entered Gaza in 2014 and 2015, along with the bodies of two IDF soldiers killed in 2014.

{Matzav.com Israel}

New Hampshire Gov. Chris Sununu came to the aid of a contestant choking on a lobster roll at a seafood festival eating contest, using the Heimlich maneuver after the man signaled for help. The contestant, Christian Moreno, recovered and resumed eating at the competition on stage Sunday. Moreno was one of six participants at the Hampton Beach Seafood Festival contest. They had 10 minutes to eat as many lobster rolls as they could. The New England sandwich is traditionally stuffed with lobster, celery and mayonnaise and served on a hot dog-style bun. “I’m shooting for at least 20,” Moreno, of Nashua, said in a video account before the contest started, saying he studied competitive eater Joey Chestnut of hot dog-contest eating fame. Moreno was at the end of a long table, close to where Sununu was watching on the side of the stage after speaking to the crowd a bit earlier. Standing, Moreno had downed about two lobster rolls when he started choking and tapped his chest, video showed. Sununu rushed out a short time later, put his arms around Moreno and started abdominal thrusts. He said he got in four or five compressions before first responders took over and assisted in dislodging the food. “I’m just glad I paid attention in my high school health class,” the Republican governor said in a statement Monday. His office said it was the first time he had performed the Heimlich maneuver. Moreno, who didn’t have his glasses on, wasn’t aware it was the governor who had helped save him. “My counter came up to me and, like, made a joke. And was like, ‘Oh, like, I bet nobody else can say that they’ve gotten the Heimlich from the governor before.’ And I looked at him, was just like, that was, that was the governor?” Moreno told WMUR-TV. Moreno recovered and went back to the contest. He didn’t win, but he did consume nine lobster rolls in all. (AP)

According to an MRC NewsBusters report, ABC News’ David Muir, who will be moderating Tuesday night’s presidential debate between Kamala Harris and Donald Trump, has given glowing coverage to Harris in previous weeks while Trump’s coverage has been almost entirely negative.

From NewsBusters:

MRC analysts reviewed all 100 campaign stories that aired on ABC’s World News Tonight from the day Harris entered the race (July 21) through September 6, including weekends. Our analysts found 25 clearly positive statements about Harris from reporters, anchors, voters or other non-partisan sources, with zero negative statements — none. That computes to a gravity-defying 100% positive spin score for the Vice President.

As for Trump, our analysts found just five clearly positive comments, vs. 66 negative statements, for a dismal 7 percent positive (93% negative) spin score.

Our measure of good press/bad press omits partisan comments, as well as “horse race” assessments about the candidates’ poll standings and prospects. So while viewers of ABC’s World News Tonight certainly heard negative comments about Harris during these past six-and-a-half weeks, all of them were from Trump, his campaign team, or other Republicans — never from reporters or nonpartisan sources.

At the same time, while our spin score similarly excludes all Democratic soundbites about the Republican nominee, ABC’s reporters and anchors either jumped in to criticize Trump themselves, or broadcast negative comments from non-partisan sources to impart a heavily negative spin to the former President’s coverage.

During these same weeks, both the CBS Evening News and NBC Nightly News also delivered highly positive coverage for Harris, and mostly negative coverage for Trump, yet not as extreme as we found with ABC’s World News Tonight. Employing the same methodology, coverage of Harris was 94% positive on CBS, and 71% positive on NBC — historically good press, but not as good as the 100% positive press she received on ABC.

Will we see a fair and balanced presidential debate?

Full report over at NewsBusters:

{Matzav.com}

Australian Hamas supporters held a protest outside Perth’s only Jewish school on Monday, The Australian reported. Carmel Schoool is a Modern Orthodox school that offers Jewish education from pre-school through high school, the only Jewish school located in Western Australia. The Australian Jewish Association slammed the protesters for targeting children, stating: “This outrageous protest crosses all red lines. To bring their anti-Israel hate right near the heart of the Perth Jewish community, including the city’s only Jewish school. AJA has been contacted by outraged members of the Perth Jewish community.” “Our community will not be intimidated. The Government needs to start taking this seriously. Jewish children targeted outside Carmel School, Perth’s only Jewish school.‘Free Palestine’ hate has swept across Australia as Labor governments have stood by. How low will they stoop?” Sky News host Sharri Markson also slammed the protest, stating: “Palestinian protesters targeting a Jewish school in Perth this morning is utterly unacceptable. There are NO circumstances where scaring school children is ok. Shame on them. WA Premier Roger Cook needs to call this out and make sure anyone outside a school is removed immediately.” (YWN Israel Desk – Jerusalem)

UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Turk urged the global community to take action against Israel during his speech at the 57th session of the Human Rights Council on Monday.

In his address, Turk focused extensively on the conflict between Israel and Hamas, allocating more time to criticizing Israel than Hamas, the group responsible for starting the war with its attack on October 7. He spent the most significant portion of his remarks on this issue, emphasizing Israel’s actions over those of Hamas, which had initiated the violence with a brutal massacre on October 7.

“Since the horrific 7 October attacks claimed the lives of over 1,200 victims in Israel and injured many others, over 40,000 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli forces, several thousand injured, and thousands remain under the rubble in Gaza,” Turk said, quoting figures from the Gaza Health Ministry, an entity controlled by Hamas. These numbers are viewed with skepticism as they do not differentiate between combatants and civilians and are generally considered unreliable.

Turk drew a comparison between the Israeli hostages taken on October 7 and Palestinians imprisoned by Israel. He stated, “Each day, Palestinians struggle to survive. Nearly 1.9 million people have been forcibly displaced across the strip, many multiple times. Eleven months on, 101 Israeli hostages are still held to be in Gaza. While the actual number is likely higher, almost 10,000 Palestinians are held in Israeli prisons or ad hoc military facilities, many arbitrarily, with over 50 people having died due to inhumane conditions and ill-treatment.”

Additionally, Turk condemned Israel’s counterterrorism operations in Judea and Samaria, which resulted in six fatalities over the past two weeks. “In the West Bank, deadly and destructive operations, some at a scale not witnessed in the last two decades, are worsening a calamitous situation there, already aggravated by serious settler violence,” he remarked.

Turk emphasized the need to halt the war and prevent a broader regional conflict, stating, “Ending that war and averting a full-blown regional conflict is an absolute and urgent priority.” He further urged the international community to act against Israel on issues that go beyond the war.

“Equally, the wider situation of illegality across the occupied Palestinian territory deriving from Israel’s policies and practices, as so clearly spelled out by the International Court of Justice in its Advisory Opinion in July, must be comprehensively addressed,” Turk stated, accusing Israel of showing “blatant disregard for international law.”

No other nation or conflict received as much attention in Turk’s speech. He mentioned the challenges facing women in Afghanistan and the human rights situation in Iran with only a single sentence for each. Similarly, the ongoing war between Russia and Ukraine and the human rights crisis in Sudan were each summarized in one paragraph, far less time than he dedicated to Israel.

Turk has previously faced allegations of bias against Israel. For instance, after Hamas executed six Israeli hostages just over a week ago, Turk referred to the incident with uncertainty, mentioning only “reports” and calling for an “independent investigation” into the matter.

Following Israel’s response to the October 7 massacre, in which 1,200 people were murdered by Hamas, Turk quickly condemned Israel’s actions. In November, he issued a statement criticizing Israel’s countermeasures, without acknowledging the atrocities committed by Hamas or condemning their actions directly.

{Matzav.com}

Tropical Storm Francine formed Monday off the coast of Mexico and was expected to drench the Texas coast with up to a foot (30 centimeters) of rain before coming ashore in Louisiana Wednesday night as a hurricane. The U.S. National Hurricane Center in Miami said Francine is located about 245 miles (395 kilometers) southeast of the mouth of the Rio Grande, and about 480 miles (770 kilometers) south-southeast of Cameron, Louisiana. Francine’s top winds Monday morning were about 50 miles per hour (85 kilometers per hour). A tropical storm is defined by sustained winds between 39 mph and 73 mph (62 kph and 117 kph). Francine should be a hurricane as it approaches the northwestern Gulf Coast on Wednesday, pushing a storm surge of up to 10 feet (3 meters), forecasters said. “Francine is expected to bring heavy rainfall and the risk of considerable flash flooding along the coast of far northeast Mexico, portions of the southernmost Texas coast, the Upper Texas Coast, southern Louisiana, and southern Mississippi into Thursday morning. A risk of flash and urban flooding exists across portions of the Mid-South from Wednesday into Friday morning,” the hurricane center warned. (AP)

The police union representing the officers who handcuffed Tyreek Hill on the ground before Sunday’s game alleged that the Miami Dolphins star was “uncooperative” and only “redirected” to the ground to be detained.

The union alleged in a statement to TMZ that Hill, 30, “refused to sit on the ground” and was “therefore redirected.” Hill, who went on to score a long touchdown Sunday that was punctuated with a celebration where he placed his hands behind his back, has lobbed the idea of litigation against the Miami-Dade Police Department.

The agency said Sunday it had initiated an “immediate review of all details surrounding the incident.”

Three hours later, it said that the officer was placed on administrative duties while a probe is completed. The South Florida Police Benevolent Association claimed in its statement that the action against Hill was needed for “officer safety.” It added that the traffic stop was necessary because Hill was “driving in a manner in which he was putting himself and others in great danger.” Hill was cited for careless driving and for not wearing a seatbelt. Read more. 

Former Russian Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev, a close ally of President Vladimir Putin, issued a stark warning on Saturday, predicting that the United States will face an “imminent new civil war” linked to ongoing sanctions against Russia and the upcoming 2024 U.S. presidential election. Since the onset of the Russia-Ukraine war in February 2022, the U.S. and its allies have imposed thousands of sanctions targeting Russian individuals, businesses, and institutions. In a message posted on Telegram, Medvedev, who now serves as the deputy chairman of Russia’s Security Council, addressed the political climate in the U.S. as it heads into a heated election. Medvedev cast doubt on Trump’s potential to significantly alter U.S. policy toward Russia, saying, “Out of spite for the current administration, Donald Trump has threatened to lift sanctions against Russia. But will he really do it if elected? No, of course not. For all his apparent bravado as an ‘outsider’, Trump is ultimately an establishment insider.” He characterized Trump as a “pragmatist” who recognizes that sanctions weaken the dollar’s global dominance but suggested Trump wouldn’t defy the U.S. establishment, often referred to as the “Deep State.” Medvedev was equally critical of Harris, dismissing her as “inexperienced” and reliant on scripted speeches, while predicting no major policy shifts under her administration. “There were sanctions against the USSR throughout the 20th century, and they’ve returned on an unprecedented scale in the 21st. So, it’s sanctions forever. Or rather, until the U.S. collapses during an imminent new civil war,” Medvedev said. In response to Medvedev’s comments, Trump’s spokesperson Steven Cheung dismissed the Russian leader’s remarks, stating, “Putin has endorsed Kamala Harris because he knows she will be a pushover for Russia.” This is not the first time Medvedev has warned of civil unrest in the U.S. In a July 4 message, he likened the current American political climate to the American Civil War, drawing parallels to the conflict in Ukraine. Throughout the Russia-Ukraine war, Medvedev has gained attention for his provocative statements on social media, including calls for nuclear strikes against NATO and threats to eliminate Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky. Despite Medvedev’s frequent warnings, the U.S. Department of State has downplayed their significance. In a previous statement, a department spokesperson called his remarks “standard Kremlin nonsense” and advised against taking them seriously. Other Russian officials have echoed the idea of a U.S. civil war. In December 2023, political scientist Sergei Markov, a former advisor to Putin, suggested that civil unrest in the U.S. would quickly lead to an end to the war in Ukraine, arguing that Kyiv would rush to negotiate a settlement if the U.S. was destabilized. (YWN World Headquarters – NYC)

Hearing aids can be expensive and tricky to access. But building them into headphones, such as Apple’s popular AirPods, could improve access to hearing treatment, Apple claims.

Apple said Monday that its AirPods Pro 2 will soon double as an FDA-approved hearing device. The long-anticipated move comes two years after the Food and Drug Administration green-lit the sale of hearing aids over the counter. Some brands such as Jabra already make traditional aids you can order directly online without a prescription, while companies including Sony started making earbuds with hearing enhancement for people with mild to moderate hearing loss. But Monday’s update from the Cupertino, Calif., company marks the first time consumer-favorite Apple has added hearing features beyond noise cancellation and adjustable sound levels.

Apple said that after FDA clearance in the fall, the hearing features will be available via a software update. The AirPods Pro 2 will cost $249.

Many hearing aids already come with Bluetooth and can work like headphones. But adding hearing-aid technology to popular earbuds such as Apple’s could expand access to hearing help, said Tricia Ashby-Scabis, senior director of audiology practices at the American Speech and Hearing Association.

While 15 percent of U.S. adults say they struggle to hear, just a third of people over 70 who could benefit from hearing aids use them, according to data from the National Health Interview Survey. Among people younger than 70, that number is just 16 percent. Experts list cost, geography and stigma among the reasons people don’t get the hearing help they need – many are uninsured, don’t see a primary care physician, live too far away from a hearing screening or feel embarrassed to wear aids.

The popularity of AirPods could mean more people get hearing assistance earlier, Ashby-Scabis said.

“I think people are a little more accepting of having something in the ears and having it be visible,” she said.

Over-the-counter hearing aids are best for people with mild to moderate hearing loss, experts say. Ideally, people with more severe hearing loss will experiment with the AirPods and realize they need a more powerful option, Ashby-Scabis said.

Even people with milder hearing loss might need an audiologist to help them set up or fine-tune the AirPods’ hearing features. Hearing aids aren’t like reading glasses, Ashby-Scabis said – you can’t always pop them on and go.

Early treatment helps lessen the negative effects of hearing loss, which include cognitive decline, depression, anxiety and higher health-care costs, according to the National Council on Aging. (Check out this guide to see what hearing loss may look and sound like.) Apple says the new AirPods Pro will come with default loud noise reduction, as well as an app-based hearing test that automatically adjusts the sound levels on your AirPods based on the results. If your test reveals hearing loss, it’s a good idea to visit an audiologist for more comprehensive testing.

(c) Washington Post

Devices powered by lithium-ion batteries are overheating more often during airline flights and passengers often put them in checked bags that go into the cargo hold, where a fire might not be detected as quickly. Overheating incidents rose 28% from 2019 to 2023, although such events remain relatively rare, UL Standards said in a report released Monday. E-cigarettes overheated more often than any other device, based on reports from 35 airlines, according to the report. In 60% of the cases, the overheating — called thermal runaway — happened near the seat of the passenger who brought the device on board. In July, a smoking laptop in a passenger’s bag led to the evacuation of a plane awaiting takeoff at San Francisco International Airport. Last year, a flight from Dallas to Orlando, Florida, made an emergency landing in Jacksonville, Florida, after a battery caught fire in an overhead bin. More than one-quarter of passengers surveyed for the study said they put vaping cigarettes and portable chargers in checked bags. That is against federal rules. The Transportation Security Administration prohibits e-cigarettes and chargers and power banks with lithium-ion batteries in checked bags but allows them in carry-on bags. The rule exists precisely because fires in the cargo hold might be harder to detect and extinguish. UL Standards, a division of UL Solutions Inc., a safety-science company previously known as Underwriters Laboratories, based its findings on data from 35 passenger and cargo airlines including almost all the leading U.S. carriers. The Federal Aviation Administration reports 37 thermal-runaway incidents on planes this year, through Aug. 15. There were a 77 reports last year, a 71% increase over 2019, according to the FAA numbers. Considering that airlines operate about 180,000 U.S. flights each week, incidents in the air are relatively uncommon, and lithium batteries can overheat anywhere. “We also know that one of these thermal-runaway incidents at 40,000 feet does present unique risks,” said UL’s David Wroth. Those risks have been known for many years. After cargo planes carrying loads of lithium-ion batteries crashed in 2010 and 2011, the United Nations’ aviation organization considered restricting such shipments but rejected tougher standards. Opponents, including airlines, argued that the decision on whether to accept battery shipments should be left up to the carriers, and some no longer take bulk battery shipments. The most common lithium-ion-powered devices on planes are phones, laptops, wireless headphones and tablets. About 35% of reported overheating incidents involved e-cigarettes, and 16% involved power banks. UL Standards, a division of UL Solutions Inc., a safety-science company previously known as Underwriters Laboratories, based its findings on voluntary reports from 35 passenger and cargo airlines including almost all the leading U.S. carriers. (AP)

It is with great sadness that Matzav.com reports the tragic passing of 2-year-old Henny Weingarten a”h, who was struck and killed by a vehicle in Monsey, NY today.

The heartbreaking incident occurred on Calvert Drive, where Hatzolah paramedics responded swiftly. Henny was transported to Nyack Hospital, where, despite their best efforts to revive her, she tragically succumbed to her injuries.

Our thoughts and tefillos are with the Weingarten family during this unimaginably difficult time.

Umacha Hashem dimah me’al kol ponim.

{Matzav.com}

Israeli Cabinet ministers on Sunday night were presented with video footage of the tunnel in Rafah where the six murdered hostages were held, footage they described as “stomach-churning” and “horrific.”

IDF Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Herzi Halevi showed the visual documentation from southern Gaza at the request of Defense Minister Yoav Gallant.

Ministers did not see the hostage’s corpses but rather the inhumane conditions in which their Hamas captors forced them to live.

The bodies of Hersh Goldberg-Polin, 23, Eden Yerushalmi, 24, Almog Sarusi, 25, Alexander Lobanov, 32, Carmel Gat, 40, and Master Sgt. Ori Danino, 25, were found in a 65-foot-deep tunnel on Aug. 31. The bodies had gunshot wounds to the head and elsewhere.

Lawmakers were shocked to see the video of the tunnel, which was 31.5 inches (80 cm) wide. Blood stains and torn clothes can be seen in the video and it is believed that the male abductees attempted to shield the female captives.

Ministers were also informed during the session that the murders occurred on Thursday evening, placing their executions at the same time that a Cabinet meeting was taking place regarding the Philadelphi Corridor that runs along Gaza’s border with Egypt. The meeting ended with a vote in favor of maintaining security control over the buffer zone. Therefore, it is impossible that the guards shot the hostages based on the Philadelphi Corridor decision, as some have argued, but instead likely because they felt that the IDF was closing in on them.

“It was perfectly quiet in the room. It was one of the hardest videos to watch. It turns your stomach. The tunnel is narrow and low, you can either lie down, or sit or walk on your knees. You can’t fit more than a mattress and a half across. You can assume that they slept either in turns or along the length of the tunnel,” ministers said.

“You see in the documentation a lot of drinking water and protein bars, some clothes, a chess board or backgammon and notebooks. Seeing the video and realizing that they survived 11 months only sharpens the understanding of what they are going through. No one remains indifferent,” they added, calling Hamas terrorists “monsters” and “human animals.”

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu told the ministers: “When you watch this video, it sharpens your understanding of the evil we are facing. They are Satan incarnate.”

Channel 12 on Sunday published other findings from the IDF’s initial investigation into the murders, including evidence that some of the abductees defended themselves and fought their captors.

The investigation found that the hostages had difficult standing in the tunnel, and with no air vents, difficulty breathing. There were no toilets or showers. They showered with water bottles, from which they also drank, and suffered from starvation and drastic weight loss, with Yerushalmi only weighing 36 kilos (79 pounds). The few protein bars found were not enough to prevent hunger.

Notebooks were collected by security forces and will be delivered to the families.

The IDF has opened an investigation after the names of six slain hostages were leaked before their families could be notified through official channels.

News of the bodies’ recovery spread online hours before they were returned to Israel, resulting in the families learning of their loved ones’ deaths through social media rather than from the army.

To put a stop to the rumors, the army felt obliged to publish a special announcement that the bodies had been recovered, although without confirming the identities of the abductees.

During Sunday night’s presentation to the Cabinet, the team led by Mossad chief David Barnea that is negotiating for the release of the 101 remaining hostages gave an overview of the talks, saying that “Israel does not know if and when the American compromise proposal will be submitted. [Hamas leader Yahya] Sinwar has hardened positions and he is expanded the numbers of murderers [Palestinians serving life sentences in Israeli jails Hamas wants released] in a way that goes beyond the range that allows for consensus.” JNS

{Matzav.com Israel}

According to a report by Informa Connect Academy, Elon Musk, the CEO of Tesla, SpaceX, and X, is projected to become the world’s first trillionaire by 2027, based on his current annual growth rate of 110%. Musk, currently the richest man in the world with a net worth of $237 billion, is expected to reach this milestone despite a recent $13.9 billion drop in his wealth. The report, “The 2024 Trillion Dollar Club,” also identifies other billionaires who could join Musk in the trillionaire club, including: – Gautam Adani (2028, 123% annual growth rate) – Jensen Huang (2028) – Prajogo Pangestu (2028) – Bernard Arnault (2030) – Mark Zuckerberg (2028) The concept of a billionaire was first achieved in 1916 by John D. Rockefeller, founder of Standard Oil. (YWN World Headquarters – NYC)

[COMMUNICATED]

WATCH:

From the Mountain to Capitol Hill.

Rabbi Soroka: I’ll never forget this story—my wife won’t let me forget it. I was in the state capital working on important legislation, and there was gridlock—nothing was happening. It was already summer, and she said, “We have to go on a family trip.” I said, “What happens if there’s a breakthrough?” She replied, “Then we’ll turn right back.”

So we went on a family trip, and I remember we were on a mountaintop in Acadia National Park, Maine, with no phone reception. We got to the top of the mountain, and a voicemail came in from one of the legislative leaders. He said, “I’m in a meeting right now with the other three legislative leaders—the Senate President, the Speaker, and the Republican Senate leaders. We’re about to work out a compromise on the bill, but we wanted to discuss the provision you wanted. Give us a call as soon as possible.”

I stood at the edge of the mountain, unable to move an inch, because if I did, I would lose reception. My family waited for over an hour while I was on the phone. Then I told them, “I gotta go. I gotta fly back.”

Long story short, Rabbi Yitzchok Ehrman, who is now the COO of The Agudah, creatively managed to get me from the mountaintop to catch a plane from Bangor, Maine. Let’s just say it involved a generous incentive to one harried Uber driver who drove all the way to where I was. I flew back to Chicago while my wife had to drive 26 hours by herself with all the kids. It was a tremendous sacrifice on her part. I’m still paying it off.

Joke aside, I’m incredibly blessed to have a supportive, amazing family. Having a spouse and children who understand the importance of what we’re doing and are supportive is crucial. When they say, “We’re all in on the sacrifice,” it encourages us to keep doing what we do.

Help us to continue to do for the Klal. Please donate generously to your state or community campaign. 

https://www.charidy.com/wedo

Full interview with Rabbi Soroka:

Watch Interview:

In a candid conversation between Rabbi Yitzchok Hisiger and Rabbi Shlomo Soroka of Agudah’s Chicago office offers an inside look at the tireless work happening behind the scenes at The Agudah.  From his unexpected foray into advocacy — where he “faked it till he made it” — to negotiating scholarship tax credits from a mountaintop in Maine, Rabbi Soroka shares stories that reveal the high stakes and quiet victories that define his role.  

Rabbi Yitzchok Hisiger:  You’re busy, so I’ll dive straight into it. What brought you to the world of politics and askanus?

Rabbi Soroka: I’ve been with The Agudah for nine years now. Prior to that, I was the director of the St. Louis Kollel. I started off as a rosh chaburah, then I took over responsibility for the financials and operations of the kollel.

I was just trying to help my community in other ways, so I got a little engaged politically over there.

There was this fundraiser for the kollel, and I was trying to find an affordable way to bring in a celebrity. I invited Roy Blunt, who was the U.S. Senator for Missouri at the time. He was more than happy to participate.

A couple of weeks later, he called me and said, “I’m working on this bill, a big aid package to Israel. I want your take on it. Here’s my cell phone number. Call me back.”

I got pretty nervous, so I called The Agudah. I spoke to Abba Cohen, and I think it was A.D. Motzen who was on the line as well, and we walked through different aspects of the bill. I had no idea what I was talking about; I just knew I had to listen and repeat it as if I was some brilliant strategist. I guess I did a good enough job that it caught the eye of The Agudah team.

There were some other local issues I was helping out with, and I ended up running for school board over there at the behest of Rav Shmuel Kamenetsky. He said that I had to do it for Klal Yisroel. I did it; I lost the race, but we accomplished what we wanted to, so it was all good.

Rabbi Hisiger:  In those cases where you’re not successful, so many hours of work—probably hundreds—are invested into something where people don’t see the fruits of your labor. They can’t even appreciate that effort.

Rabbi Soroka: Well, the community I live in is very special and unique. They’re watching developments carefully and always asking how they can help. It would be nice to say it’s all fruitful, but ultimately, our job is to do the hishtadlus, and the outcome is up to Hakodosh Baruch Hu. We’re maaminim.

My wife, who has always been supportive, reminds me that we’re all puppets. This is our job: to do the work, but the outcome is up to Hashem, and He’s got no shortage of money. He’s very wealthy, so He can support us all.

But people really do appreciate what we’re doing. Sometimes I need to work on my anavah. I know I’m saying it tongue-in-cheek, but wherever I go, people, often complete strangers, approach me and say, “Thank you so much for all that you do.” Sometimes they’re more specific: “Thank you for helping me with X, Y, and Z,” “Thank you for that scholarship,” “Thank you for getting back my Medicaid,” “Thank you for fixing that food stamp issue,” or, “Thank you for helping me get a passport to visit my dying dad.” These things happen all the time. The community is very appreciative.

That’s good to hear, because The Agudah is a klal organization that only a select few get to work for, but many want to help. What would you tell them?

Whenever someone wants to get involved, I find it amazing, because there’s so much to do and we can’t do it all on our own. We have opportunities for everyone, whether it’s volunteering for events, get-out-the-vote campaigns, or other activities. We need people to engage, host politicians, be shul captains, attend meetings, or address community issues like safety or antisemitism. We need to show that we’re engaged and have community support.

Coming to Springfield is a long shlep—over seven hours of travel. So I say, if you want to get involved, buckle up, because we have a lot of work to do.

I find that most people, either on their own or when asked, are happy to get involved. Even those who can’t leave their homes can help by supporting The Agudah financially. I recently spoke with a prominent political donor who said, “What my party needs is an Agudah. You represent a small community and achieve so much. We need something similar.” I saw some envy in his demeanor that we have such a tight-knit, engaged constituency.

You mentioned often meeting politicians and various people in the halls of power. You’re in environments that aren’t necessarily conducive to Yiddishkeit. How do you navigate that?

One of the first pieces of advice someone gave me was to sit down with elected officials at a lounge or bar to cultivate relationships. I didn’t feel that it was appropriate for a ben Torah, so I sought guidance from Rabbi Zwiebel. Today, I might go to places where others are drinking, but I won’t consume alcohol.

Another lobbyist once asked me if wine and alcohol were not kosher because he noticed that I never drink. I explained that wine actually plays a big role in Jewish tradition, but I hold myself to a certain standard. He respected that. “You know,” he told me, “I was kind of hoping you were gonna say that.”

I was initially worried that maintaining these standards might hurt me professionally, but I realized that doing this to be mekadeish Sheim Shamayim only helped. When people see that you’re uncompromising and true to your values, they respect that. They appreciate that I’m here to represent my community.

What’s truly inspiring is how, alongside their public advocacy, Agudah personnel across the country also help families and individuals. This balance perfectly captures the dual role that The Agudah plays on behalf of both the tzibbur and the yochid.

Sometimes our most gratifying moments come from helping individuals, even if we can’t always assist them. I recently got a call from a distraught mother whose child was born with a very serious medical condition requiring a complex surgery not covered by their insurance. They were on public aid, and the procedure was out of state. I reached out to the insurance company’s lobbyist, and he assured me that he’d take care of it. A day later, he called back to say that the surgery would be covered. It’s still in process, but we’re cautiously optimistic.

A couple of weeks ago, someone reached out to our office because her family was kicked off Medicaid, their food stamps were cut in half, and her husband had a medical condition they couldn’t afford to treat. They were getting the runaround from the Department of Human Services and local agencies. Despite filing appeals, nothing was happening and no one was helping them. I reached out to my state senator, and within a day, everything was resolved.

There’s a family that was quite well-off who never applied for tax credit scholarships because they were actually one of the community’s big donors. One Shabbos, the father, with a heavy heart, confided in me that they had hit a rough financial patch. Everything had gone south for them, and unfortunately, it all culminated after the scholarship application period had closed. I told him that I’d look into it. It turned out that the application had just closed that Friday. I reached out to the scholarship organization we work closely with and they reopened the application just for him. No one else knew that the application link was live, yet he was able to apply and secure scholarships for all his kids.

Aside from the bigger issues my colleagues and I deal with both locally and nationally, sometimes it’s a communal matter that might seem trivial but is anything but—like the pool that the community uses. They ran into issues and couldn’t get a permit for occupancy because the gas company was delayed in turning on the gas.

It’s not a trivial matter. Yiddishe kids need a kosher outlet, and this was the only aquatic facility available for many of them. I contacted the gas company’s lobbyist, and within an hour, they turned on the gas. I also called the state representative, and despite the bureaucrat in charge of occupancy certificates being out of the country, we managed to get it done within a couple of hours. An hour before Shabbos, we got the certificate, and by Sunday, it was open swim for all.

Are these some of the recent issues you’ve been dealing with?

What comes to mind off the cuff. Currently, we’re assisting with a project that I can’t discuss publicly at this time. We’re leveraging political goodwill to ensure the process moves quickly, and we’re cautiously optimistic about it going through, be’ezras Hashem. 

Similarly, just before the summer, we assisted a yeshiva in Southern Illinois that needed health department clearance for a new property. By connecting them with their state representative and senator, we secured approval in just two days.

We’ve also been tackling the Evanston eruv project, a long-standing initiative with many, many hurdles. Thanks to support from my state senator and Cook County commissioner, we’ve made swift progress. We’re hopeful that it’ll soon be a reality.

The benefits of maintaining political relationships aren’t always immediate. They are the result of years of consistent engagement and community presence. When these efforts bear fruit, the rewards are truly worthwhile.

I do need to say, though, to bring it all into perspective: Would you conclude that The  Agudah is all about opening gas lines, pools, expediting property closings, arranging passports, Medicaid, or burials for meis mitzvah? I wouldn’t. There are gas companies, passport agencies, chesed shel emes organizations, and real estate lawyers for that. That’s not what The Agudah is all about.

The Agudah, however, is about ALL of that.

It’s about giving Klal Yisroel a platform, a unified voice, and a powerful network of resources across the country. Maintaining strategic relationships, opening doors, and bridging our communities nationally and globally. 

And when there’s a problem in Houston, or chas v’shalom a crisis for our nation, we have the collective power to step in on behalf of the tzibbur and fill in the gaps for individuals when needed.

We do all this and more so that Klal Yisroel has an address to turn to and a number to call. And when that call comes in, we take it. Because this is what we do.

Help us to continue to do for the Klal. Please donate generously to your state or community campaign.  https://www.charidy.com/wedo
Agudath Israel of America 42 Broadway, 14th Floor, New York, NY 10004  970-578-7664

On Sunday, American airline JetBlue announced it is changing the onboard maps on all carriers, to comply with U.S. guidelines for the Middle East, after it was revealed airline labeled Israel as “Palestinian Territories.”

“We’re sorry for the concern this has caused.,” JetBlue said in a message to Ynet. Emphasizing their mission and values that prioritize the customers feeling safe onboard, the airline said: We can assure you that no one on the JetBlue team was involved with drawing or labeling the map of the region and we were not previously aware of the issue.”

The company said the false map was provided by a third-party company, which the airline will stop using.

“After a careful review, we have decided to switch to a new map vendor. While our content provider works on making this transition, we have also asked the current vendor to adjust our onboard map so that it aligns with the U.S. government’s map guidance for the region. We are making these changes as quickly as the technology allows.”

The map incident was not the first time JetBlue was called out for anti-Israel bias. Back in April, a Jewish passenger said she was kicked off a JetBlue flight after complaining about a flight attendant wearing a “Free Palestine” pin on his uniform.

At the time, the company apologized to the passenger, announced it would change it’s policy regarding such pins, and said: “We hope with these actions we can welcome him back onto a JetBlue flight in the future.”

{Matzav.com} 

Former Hamas hostage Aviva Siegel revealed the harrowing conditions she faced while being forced to participate in propaganda videos during her 51 days of captivity in the Gaza Strip. Siegel, who was abducted from Kibbutz Kfar Aza on October 7, described how Hamas captors pressured her to memorize specific lines and staged scenes to portray her treatment as humane, despite the dire conditions she endured. In an interview with The Wall Street Journal, Siegel, 62, recounted the difficulties of remembering lines provided by her captors, who would repeatedly correct her during filming. “‘You didn’t say that you’re 62.’ ‘You didn’t say that you’re from Kfar Aza.’ ‘You didn’t say that Bibi needs to bring you back,’” she remembered them saying, explaining how the pressure left her struggling to focus. Siegel and her husband, Keith, were taken hostage by Hamas during the group’s brutal attack on southern Israel. She was released on November 26 as part of a temporary ceasefire agreement brokered by Qatar and the United States, but her husband remains in captivity. Throughout her time as a hostage, Siegel said she was forced to participate in three staged propaganda videos, with her captors insisting that she smile and act as though she was being treated well. “They used to make food and put it on the table. We had to sit next to them and smile and say everything is okay, just for the picture,” Siegel told the Journal. She also recalled refusing offers of a hairbrush and hair clip, knowing her appearance reflected the poor conditions she was kept in. Hamas has used videos of hostages as part of a psychological warfare campaign, according to Israeli officials and human rights groups. In Israel, families of hostages have allowed the media to air these videos in the hope of keeping public attention on their loved ones’ plight. Gershon Baskin, a key negotiator in the 2011 release of IDF soldier Gilad Shalit, told the Journal that Hamas’s propaganda efforts are aimed at exploiting public sentiment in Israel, with the hostage videos playing a significant role in shaping public opinion. “Hamas wants this war to end, and this is how they think that pressure can be put on Netanyahu,” Baskin said, noting that the videos have a profound impact on Israeli society. Israeli intelligence sources said they are also closely analyzing the footage to assess the physical and mental health of the hostages, dissecting “every single frame” for clues about their condition. (YWN World Headquarters – NYC)