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Report: UAE Weighing Leaving Abraham Accords

Matzav -

A Saudi royal family insider revealed to Kan News that the Crown Prince of Saudi Arabia and the President of the United Arab Emirates recently agreed on a joint course of action should Israel move forward with annexing Judea and Samaria.

The source explained that if Israel extends sovereignty over the territories, the UAE would weigh pulling out of the Abraham Accords entirely.

The same source cautioned that Saudi Arabia has made it clear such a move by Israel would likely shut the door permanently on any chance of future normalization between the kingdom and Israel.

The Abraham Accords, first signed in 2020, brought Israel into formal diplomatic relations with the UAE and Bahrain, with Morocco and Sudan later joining the pact.

Although the Biden administration has publicly supported the agreement, it has so far failed in its attempts to expand the circle of countries, including its ongoing but unsuccessful push to bring Saudi Arabia into the accords.

{Matzav.com}

GOOD RIDDANCE: Terrorist Who Bragged About Murdering 10 Israelis Is Eliminated

Matzav -

Mahmoud Afana, the Hamas terrorist who openly bragged about slaughtering 10 Israelis during the October 7 massacre, was reportedly eliminated in an Israeli airstrike on Thursday in Deir al-Balah.

The disturbing conversation in which Afana repeatedly boasted about his killings became public two and a half weeks after the massacre, when it was presented during a United Nations Security Council session.

At the time, Foreign Minister Eli Cohen released an audio recording of Afana speaking to his parents. “I’m talking to you from a Jewish woman’s phone. I killed her and her husband; with my own hands, I killed 10,” Afana told his father. He had made the call using one of his victims’ phones, whose body was later discovered in the Gaza envelope.

In the same recording, Afana continued: “Dad, 10 with my own hands. I’m inside Mefalsim, Dad, I killed 10. Their blood is on my hands. Give me Mom.” His mother answered: “Oh my son, may God protect you.” Afana insisted: “I swear, 10 with my own hands, I killed 10 with my own hands.” His mother responded: “May God bring you back safely.” Afana added: “Dad, get back on WhatsApp, I want to do a live broadcast for you from Mefalsim.”

His mother expressed her pride and urged him on: “I wish I were with you.” Afana told her: “Mom, your son is a hero.” His brother then entered the discussion, asking: “You killed 10?” Afana affirmed: “Yes, I killed 10, I swear.”

When his brother asked if he was in Zikim, Afana clarified: “I’m in Mefalsim, not in Zikim. I’m the first to enter, under the protection and with help of Allah. Raise up your head, Dad.”

His brother pressed him to come back to Gaza, but Afana refused. “Return? There’s no return. It’s either death or victory. How can I return? Open WhatsApp, see how many are dead. How I killed them with my own hands.”

{Matzav.com Israel}

Billionaire Zohran Mamdani Donor Bankrolling National ‘Woke Math’ Movement

Matzav -

The wealthy heiress who recently handed over $250,000 to a super PAC boosting socialist Zohran Mamdani’s New York City mayoral campaign is also behind a nationwide drive to push “woke math” into classrooms — a movement critics warn is designed to mold students into socialist radicals, The NY Post was told.

Liz Simons, the daughter of late hedge fund billionaire Jim Simons, runs a foundation worth nearly a billion dollars that denounces traditional, race-neutral math and replaces it with race-centered, progressive instruction that infuses social justice into standard lessons.

This model, which has been promoted in California but blocked in Florida, alters basic subjects by injecting racial discussions into otherwise straightforward math exercises.

For example, a class on interpreting graphs could morph into a broader conversation about economic inequality between white Americans and minority groups.

Mamdani’s education agenda includes stopping the expansion of charter schools, broadening access to universal pre-K, and removing competitive admissions criteria for middle schools in order to integrate classrooms more fully.

While “woke math” hasn’t yet been a centerpiece of the mayoral contest, critics worry Simons’ backing of Mamdani points to him supporting such ideas.

Yiatin Chu, who leads Parent Leaders for Accelerated Curriculum & Education as well as the Asian Wave Alliance, said she was alarmed at the possibility and found Simons’ influence “troubling.”

“Woke math lowers the bar without helping black students. While test results show gains among black and Hispanic students, the gap with Asian and white students hasn’t closed. We hope Mamdani doesn’t undo progress.”

“This megadonor may impact his chancellor choice or NYC’s math curriculum,” she added.

Jean Hahn, a Queens public-school mother, argued that woke math lessons focus more on political training than academic skills.

“I’m already concerned as a parent that Mamdani has stated he will resume” many of former far-left Mayor Bill de Blasio’s “diversity initiatives, which were racially toxic,” Hahn said.

Simons inherited an immense fortune after her father — a mathematician turned hedge fund titan — died in May 2024 with a net worth exceeding $31 billion, and she has been spending his fortune aggressively.

She and her husband, philanthropist Mark Heising, co-founded the Heising-Simons Foundation, which has invested heavily in woke math programs. That includes $1.7 million since 2023 for the Racial Justice in Early Mathematics Project (RJEM) at Chicago’s Erikson Institute.

In Chicago, where fewer than 20 percent of public school students are proficient in math, the foundation funneled $800,000 this March into RJEM to develop seminars, teaching guides, and resources for educators incorporating “racial justice” into math lessons. Two years earlier, it distributed $900,000 for $7,000 teacher mini-grants promoting the same cause.

Between 2022 and 2023, Heising-Simons also poured at least $4 million into other woke math organizations, tax filings show. That included $630,825 to San Francisco’s Tandem Partners in Early Learning and $665,000 to Arizona-based Illustrative Mathematics.

The foundation further funded a math program in Alexandria, Virginia, that instructed young children to count storybook characters by skin color and create racial breakdown charts — even noting books with very few white characters.

The impact of this effort remains unclear.

Still, Virginia placed dead last in the nation — 51st out of all 50 states and Washington, D.C. — for math recovery between 2019 and 2024, while Alexandria students fell more than a grade level behind in reading compared to pre-pandemic, according to federal testing released in January.

Simons’ foundation also joined with the Gates Foundation to give $553,750 to TODOS Mathematics for All, an Arizona-based nonprofit pushing DEI and “anti-racist activism” in math teaching, according to RealClearInvestigations.

That same investigation reported “no credible research” proving that woke math raises achievement.

Despite Mamdani’s prior claim that billionaires “shouldn’t exist,” Simons stunned political observers when she dropped $250,000 last month into New Yorkers for Lower Costs, a PAC created to back his mayoral run.

{Matzav.com}

Trump Threatens Chicago’s Criminals With ‘Department of WAR’ Post

Matzav -

President Trump issued a fierce warning to criminals in Chicago on Saturday, vowing to send in the recently rebranded Department of War. The declaration came in a fiery post on Truth Social.

“Chicago about to find out why it’s called the Department of WAR,” the president declared, referencing the executive order he signed on Friday restoring the Pentagon’s original name.

The post was paired with an AI-generated image showing Trump against the backdrop of the Chicago skyline, helicopters in the air, and flames surrounding him, dressed as Robert Duvall’s character from Apocalypse Now.

“I love the smell of deportations in the morning,” the caption on the photo read, along with the phrase “Chipocalypse Now.”

This was not the first time Trump raised the prospect of deploying National Guard forces to Chicago. He has long argued that the city’s crime and illegal immigration problems require such action, even as Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker pushed back against the idea.

“We’re going in,” Trump told reporters in the Oval Office on Tuesday.

“I didn’t say when.”

The White House has avoided specifying a timeline, though reports suggest troops could arrive within days.

Pritzker hit back at Trump’s latest post, blasting him as a “scared man.”

“The President of the United States is threatening to go to war with an American city,” he wrote on X.

“This is not a joke. This is not normal. Donald Trump isn’t a strongman, he’s a scared man. Illinois won’t be intimidated by a wannabe dictator.”

Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson also condemned Trump’s threats. “The President’s threats are beneath the honor of our nation, but the reality is that he wants to occupy our city and break our Constitution.”

“We must defend our democracy from this authoritarianism by protecting each other and protecting Chicago from Donald Trump,” Johnson added on X.

Initially, Trump said he would prefer Pritzker to formally request troops, but during his remarks in the Oval Office he made it clear that his patience had worn thin.

“If the governor of Illinois would call up, call me up, I would love to do it,” Trump said.

“Now, we’re going to do it anyway. We have the right to do it.”

The president also went after Pritzker online, branding him “weak and pathetic” after the governor accused him of “attempting to manufacture a crisis.”

“Six people were killed, and 24 people were shot, in Chicago last weekend, and JB Pritzker, the weak and pathetic Governor of Illinois, just said that he doesn’t need help in preventing CRIME,” Trump posted on Truth Social.

Over the Labor Day holiday, the city endured even worse violence, with seven killed and 54 shot. Pritzker nevertheless continued to resist Trump’s plans.

The governor argued that the president’s real motivation was political.

“He has other aims, other than fighting crime,” Pritzker said Sunday during an appearance on CBS’s Face the Nation.

“The other aims are that he’d like to stop the elections 2026 or, frankly, take control of those elections,” he claimed.

“He’ll just claim that there’s some problem with an election, and then he’s got troops on the ground that can take control.”

In response, Mayor Johnson directed Chicago’s police force not to cooperate with federal troops or National Guard members should they be deployed.

He also urged citizens to resist Trump’s plans. “Stand up against this tyranny,” Johnson said on Saturday.

Gov. Pritzker added his own warning: “We have received credible reports that we have days, not weeks, before our city sees some type of militarized activity by the federal government. It is unclear at this time what that will look like exactly.”

Trump has also mentioned targeting other cities with Guard units and federal law enforcement, citing New York and New Orleans, though Chicago has been his primary focus. He has labeled it the “murder capital of the world.”

The city recorded 573 homicides in 2024, far more than New York City’s 377 or Los Angeles’s 268. Chicago’s murder rate stood at 21.7 per 100,000 residents, compared to New York’s 4.7.

Trump already dispatched National Guard troops to Washington, DC, in August to address crime there.

In that deployment, the Guard did not make arrests but provided support for security operations, while the FBI and local police arrested nearly 2,000 people since the August 7 order.

Sending troops into Chicago would pose additional legal hurdles. In Washington, DC, the Guard answers directly to the president. In contrast, state Guards fall under the authority of their governors.

Earlier this year, Trump deployed 4,000 National Guard troops to Los Angeles during protests against ICE, ignoring objections from California Gov. Gavin Newsom. Newsom sued, claiming the action was unlawful.

This past Tuesday, a federal judge agreed with Newsom, ruling that the administration had broken the 19th-century Posse Comitatus Act, which restricts the use of military forces in domestic law enforcement.

{Matzav.com}

These Shadchanim Saw a Need — And They’re Calling On You to Take Action

Matzav -

[COMMUNICATED]

Every chassan should feel like a king.
Unfortunately, not every chassan does.

When families are drowning in wedding-related expenses, the sense of royalty is hijacked by a deep sense of distress.

Suddenly:

  • Gifts for the kallah become a pressure — “Do we really need to spend on this right now?”

  • A  new hat for the chassan becomes a guilt-ridden quest — “I really can’t ask my parents to pay another dollar.”

  • The chassan’s wardrobe becomes the breaking point — “We’re way over our heads. How will we cover all this? How???”

That’s why these three leading Lakewood shadchanim founded Zichron Mattel: so every chassan can feel like a king, no matter what financial hardship their family is going through.


R’ Meir Levi, R’ Shlomo Lewenstein, and R’ Tzodek Katz

Donate to the only organization restoring dignity to struggling chassanim in Lakewood

For the past 10+ years, R’ Meir Levi, R’ Shlomo Lewenstein, and R’ Tzodek Katz have thrown themselves into this mission.

And right now, it’s YOUR time to restore royalty to a chassan.

With your help, every qualifying chassan’s family receives $6000 in purchasing power, so they can shop at participating local stores for:

  • The chassan’s wardrobe

  • Yichud room jewelry for the kallah

  • A beautiful leichter for the kallah

  • Leather siddur, tehillim & machzorim for the kallah

Help Chassanim Now

Giving to Zichron Mattel is handing the crown of dignity back to a chassan and his parents — letting them walk into stores, browse, and shop for purchases like any other person can.

You can make this happen.

Give the joy of royalty back to a chassan and his family today

IDF Eliminates Hamas Terrorist Mahmoud Afana in Gaza Airstrike

Yeshiva World News -

ELIMINATED: The evil Gazan terrorist who boasted of murdering 10 Jews “with his own hands” during the October 7 massacre was eliminated in an IDF airstrike in Gaza on Thursday, Gazan media reported on Shabbos. According to the reports, Mahmoud Afana was killed in an airstrike in Deir al-Balah.

New York Schools Enforce Statewide Cellphone Ban as Students Adjust to Bell-to-Bell Restrictions

Yeshiva World News -

Students across New York returned to school Tuesday under the state’s new bell-to-bell cellphone restrictions, marking a major change in classroom and campus culture from kindergarten through 12th grade. The new policy requires students to stow their phones in lockers or, in some schools, secure them in locked pouches until the final bell rings. Reactions among students have been mixed. Teachers are also adjusting to the new rules, with some rethinking classroom practices that once relied on smartphones for quick photos or digital assignments. Parents have voiced mixed opinions. Some expressed concern about losing direct communication during the school day. The law provides exemptions for students requiring medical monitoring, as well as those with Individualized Education Programs (IEPs) or other special learning needs. Parents are still able to reach their children through school offices, and students may use school phones to call home if necessary. The cellphone ban, passed earlier this year by state lawmakers and signed by Gov. Kathy Hochul, is part of a broader effort to limit distractions and improve in-person social interaction in schools. Officials say they will continue to monitor the rollout as districts adapt to the change. (YWN World Headquarters – NYC)

HISTORIC MOVE: Shaare Zion Sets Precedent, Requiring Members To Be Registered To Vote To Reserve Yamim Noraim Seats

Yeshiva World News -

Shaare Zion, the largest Sephardi shul in Brooklyn, has announced that proof of voter registration will now be required for members and their spouses to reserve seats for Yomim Noraim — a groundbreaking policy believed to be the first of its kind in the frum community. The announcement comes two months before New York City voters head to the polls to elect a new mayor. In a letter to members, the shul’s executive committee expressed concern that the outcome of the election could have major implications for the safety and quality of life of Jewish communities across the city. “As a result, we have no choice but to require that all of our members and their spouses provide proof of voter registration prior to securing their High Holiday seats,” the letter states. The committee emphasized that while Yidden ultimately rely on Hashem for protection, hishtadlus is essential. The letter encouraged all eligible members to register to vote, providing a city registration link for convenience. “While we daven and rely on Hashem for the safety of our community, we believe we must put in our best effort to try to avoid a very serious danger that can affect all of us,” the committee wrote. The decision is being praised as a revolutionary step that could serve as a model for other kehillos, inspiring greater engagement and achrayus in elections that directly impact the future of Jewish life in the city. (YWN World Headquarters – NYC)

HaMayer: Lighting Up The World With Every Note

Matzav -

[COMMUNICATED]

Sniper Studios Presents: HaMayer

Prepare to be swept away by the soul-stirring debut album of Mayer Engel, HaMayer, a musical journey that blends timeless emotion with a modern energy all its own.

This album is a true collaboration of talent, featuring the remarkable child vocalist group E-Minor (Featuring Nesanel Tuvia Gottesman, Yisroel Kravitz, Yosef Rooz, and Yitzchok Zinger) whose voices elevate the music to new heights. The tracks were masterfully arranged by the gifted Shloimi Schinfeld and ZELIG, with the exceptional vocals recorded at Sniper Studios, ensuring every note hits with precision and heart.

Mayer Engel himself shines as both a composer and performer, composing seven of the songs, including “Ir Al Tila,” “Torah,” and “HaMayer,” each one a testament to his deep connection to the music and his roots.

Also featured are the contributions of Sam Glazer, Shimi Maryles, and ZELIG,  who composed songs for this album.

As a special touch, Mayer’s son, Shimmy, makes a guest appearance, adding his unique voice to the album.

And last but certainly not least, a heartfelt thank you to Nochi Krohn for allowing Mayer and E-Minor to cover and recreate his beautiful song V’nikeisi — a perfect way to honor the rich traditions of Jewish music.

HaMayer is not just an album, but an experience—one that will leave you inspired, uplifted, and moved by the incredible talents of Mayer Engel and his collaborators.

Project Manager – Nachum Dovid Stamm

Media by – Little Brook Studios | Visit https://www.LittleBrookStudios.com

Elephant Painting by: Shira Cenzer

Connect with Mayer Engel:

Email – mayerengelmusic@gmail.com

WhatsApp – 917-830-4905

Visit – https://www.MayerEngel.com

HaMayer: Lighting Up The World With Every Note

Yeshiva World News -

Sniper Studios Presents: HaMayer Prepare to be swept away by the soul-stirring debut album of Mayer Engel, HaMayer, a musical journey that blends timeless emotion with a modern energy all its own. This album is a true collaboration of talent, featuring the remarkable child vocalist group E-Minor (Featuring Nesanel Tuvia Gottesman, Yisroel Kravitz, Yosef Rooz, and Yitzchok Zinger) whose voices elevate the music to new heights. The tracks were masterfully arranged by the gifted Shloimi Schinfeld and ZELIG, with the exceptional vocals recorded at Sniper Studios, ensuring every note hits with precision and heart. Mayer Engel himself shines as both a composer and performer, composing seven of the songs, including “Ir Al Tila,” “Torah,” and “HaMayer,” each one a testament to his deep connection to the music and his roots. Also featured are the contributions of Sam Glazer, Shimi Maryles, and ZELIG,  who composed songs for this album. As a special touch, Mayer’s son, Shimmy, makes a guest appearance, adding his unique voice to the album. And last but certainly not least, a heartfelt thank you to Nochi Krohn for allowing Mayer and E-Minor to cover and recreate his beautiful song V’nikeisi — a perfect way to honor the rich traditions of Jewish music. HaMayer is not just an album, but an experience—one that will leave you inspired, uplifted, and moved by the incredible talents of Mayer Engel and his collaborators. Project Manager – Nachum Dovid Stamm Media by – Little Brook Studios | Visit https://www.LittleBrookStudios.com Elephant Painting by: Shira Cenzer Connect with Mayer Engel: Email – mayerengelmusic@gmail.com WhatsApp – 917-830-4905 Visit – https://www.MayerEngel.com

Eliminated: Terrorist Who Bragged About Murdering 10 Jews With “His Bare Hands” On Oct. 7

Yeshiva World News -

The evil Gazan terrorist who boasted of murdering 10 Jews “with his own hands” during the October 7 massacre was eliminated in an IDF airstrike in Gaza on Thursday, Gazan media reported on Shabbos. According to the reports, Mahmoud Afana was killed in an airstrike in Deir al-Balah. Afana’s disturbing conversation in which he boasted about the murders was publicized two and a half weeks after the massacre by then-Foreign Minister Eli Cohen at a UN Security Council discussion. In a call he made from the phone of one of the victims, Afana was heard saying to his father, “I’m talking to you from a Jewish woman’s phone. I killed her and her husband, with my own hands. I killed 10.” Afana told his father he was speaking from Kibbutz Mefalsim. “Open my WhatsApp now and see all those killed. Look how many I killed with my own hands. Your son killed Jews! I’m calling you on WhatsApp; open the phone, go. Put Mother on.” Mother says, “Oh my son, G-d bless you!” “I swear, 10 with my own two hands, Mother. I killed ten with my own hands.” His mother said, “I wish I were with you.” Afana replied, “Mother, your son is a hero.” His brother then joined the conversation, asking, “You killed 10?” Afana confirmed, “Yes, I killed 10, I swear.” His brother urged him to return to Gaza, to which Afana replied, “Return? There’s no return. It’s either death or victory. How can I return? Open WhatsApp, and see how many are dead. How I killed them with my own hands.” During Cohen’s speech at the session, he said, “October 7 will be remembered in history as no less than a cruel massacre; it is a day when the whole world was awakened against extremism. More than 1,500 Hamas and Jihad terrorists infiltrated Israel with cruelty reminiscent of ISIS, murdering more than 1,400 children, babies, women and men, and wounding over 4,000.” Cohen added, “They went from house to house, massacred entire families. People in their beds, in the streets, on the way to the synagogue. Burned them alive. Danced and sang on bodies. You weren’t there; you didn’t see the horror. Think of the innocent people who just woke up on a Saturday morning; so many of them have not yet been brought to burial. This massacre will be remembered in history as a terrible act worse than ISIS; Hamas are the new Nazis.” (YWN’s Jerusalem desk is keeping you updated after tzeis ha’Shabbos in Israel)

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