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The Boyaner Rebbe paid a special visit to the Belzer Rebbe to express appreciation after the wedding of his granddaughter was relocated to Belzer facilities following a security incident earlier in the week.

After a projectile fragment struck the Boyaner kloiz, the chasunah was moved to the underground complex of Belz, in the heichal of the “Groisseh Shtib” in Kiryas Belz in Yerushalayim. Ahead of the mitzvah tanz, the Boyaner Rebbe came to personally thank the Belzer Rebbe during a private meeting.

At the outset of their conversation, the Boyaner Rebbe warmly expressed his gratitude for the hospitality and gracious hosting extended by the Belzer Rebbe and his community. The Belzer Rebbe inquired about the beis medrash where the fragment had fallen, asking whether it was a temporary or permanent structure. In response, the Boyaner Rebbe spoke about the many nissim being witnessed during this period across Eretz Yisroel, while noting that there is still a need for rachamim, chassadim, and the coming of the geulah sheleimah.

The Belzer Rebbe responded that the galus has already lasted long enough, to which the Boyaner Rebbe replied, “בניסן נגאלו ובניסן עתידין להיגאל.”

The Boyaner Rebbe then requested that a Belzer niggun be sung, and together they sang “Meherah Hashem Elokeinu.” During the singing, the Boyaner Rebbe held the Belzer Rebbe’s hand, creating a moving moment of connection. Afterwards, they recited a bracha over wine, and the Belzer Rebbe offered his brachos for the simchah, while the Boyaner Rebbe in turn blessed the Belzer Rebbe with arichus yamim v’shanim tovos and extended wishes ahead of the upcoming Yom Tov of Pesach.

Later, before the mitzvah tanz, the Boyaner Rebbe publicly expressed words of praise and heartfelt thanks to the Belzer Rebbe and the Belz community for their assistance and support in ensuring the simchah could proceed despite the circumstances.

Israel’s education system is set to expand its reopening next week to additional regions outside the central Dan area, with a phased return focused primarily on younger children and subject to strict safety conditions.

The Home Front Command announced that beginning Sunday, a broad range of areas will shift from a limited activity status to a partial activity framework, allowing for a cautious and gradual return to routine under defined restrictions.

The areas included in the updated guidelines span parts of the southern Golan Heights (excluding Katzrin and Kedmat Tzvi), the Lower Galilee, the Carmel region (excluding Daliyat al-Karmel and Isfiya), Wadi Ara, and the Menashe region, with certain exceptions such as Or Akiva, Hadera, and Jisr az-Zarqa. In the south and the Shfela, the eased measures will apply to the Judean Lowlands except for Beit Shemesh, the Lachish region excluding major population centers like Ashdod, Yavne, Gedera, and Gan Yavne, as well as parts of the central Negev, excluding Be’er Sheva and Omer. Areas not listed will remain under existing restrictions.

Under the partial activity classification, educational institutions will be permitted to operate provided that students and staff can reach a properly protected shelter within the required response time. Similar conditions will apply to workplaces, which will be allowed to function only if they meet the same safety requirements.

The updated policy also introduces eased limits on gatherings and services, allowing up to 50 people in open areas and up to 100 people indoors, as long as all participants have quick access to an approved protected space.

A serious aviation incident was narrowly avoided Tuesday evening at Newark Liberty International Airport when an Alaska Airlines passenger jet came dangerously close to a FedEx cargo aircraft during a last-second aborted landing, according to radar tracking data.

Officials said Alaska Airlines Flight 294 was instructed to pull up and circle rather than land after FedEx Flight 721 had already been cleared to descend onto a runway that intersects with the one the passenger plane was approaching. The Federal Aviation Administration confirmed the sequence of events.

Flight tracking information indicated that the two aircraft passed within roughly 300 feet of each other—about the length of a football field—highlighting how close the situation came to becoming a catastrophe.

Audio recordings from air traffic control captured the tense moments, revealing that controllers redirected the Alaska Airlines jet just moments before it was scheduled to touch down.

Michael McCormick, a former FAA deputy administrator, explained that the complexity of intersecting runways can create difficult timing challenges for controllers.

“”It is a challenge for a tower controller to try to get that timing perfect, it doesn’t always work and that’s what happened in this case, so the tower controller waited and unfortunately, in my opinion, too long and they had to send the aircraft on a go-around,” McCormick said.

Both the FAA and the National Transportation Safety Board have launched investigations into the near collision to determine exactly what went wrong.

The incident comes as airports across the country continue to grapple with staffing shortages tied to the ongoing partial government shutdown, with Transportation Security Administration workers still reporting to duty without pay.

Economic analysts at the White House have estimated that the shutdown has already resulted in losses exceeding $2.5 billion.

Efforts to resolve the funding impasse have stalled in Washington. Senate Democrats last week blocked legislation that would have restored funding to the Department of Homeland Security for the fourth time in recent weeks.

Airline industry leaders have voiced growing frustration. Delta Air Lines CEO Ed Bastian sharply criticized lawmakers over the situation, calling their failure to reach a resolution “inexcusable.”

“We’re outraged,” Bastian seethed.

As of Thursday, the partial government shutdown had stretched into its 33rd day, with no immediate resolution in sight.

Hundreds of bochurim from abroad learning in Eretz Yisroel gathered in Yerushalayim for a special asifah of chizuk focused on strengthening themselves against the growing nisyonos of modern technology, with a particular emphasis this year on the dangers of artificial intelligence and the widespread breaches found in phones used in chutz la’aretz.

The asifah, held at the call of gedolei Yisroel, is an annual gathering aimed at reinforcing awareness and responsibility among bochurim regarding the sakanos of technology. This year, special attention was given to the increasing accessibility of AI and the serious peritzos that exist in devices commonly used outside Eretz Yisroel, challenges that are becoming more difficult to guard against.

Addressing the gathering were leading roshei yeshiva, including Rav Dovid Cohen, Rav Yehoshua Eichenstein, Rav Yisroel Binyomin Schreiber, and Rav Chaim Peretz Berman, who spoke about the importance of maintaining kedusha and yiras Shamayim in a world filled with constant distraction and exposure.

A particularly moving moment came with the arrival of the mashgiach, Rav Don Segal, whose presence brought a powerful sense of hisorerus to the tzibbur. He delivered heartfelt words about the chovah to guard oneself from the influences of technology, and at the conclusion of his remarks, the bochurim burst into a stirring rendition of “V’taher Libeinu,” filling the room with emotion.

Closing words of inspiration were delivered by Rav Tzvi Meir Zilberberg, while the asifah was guided with clarity and warmth by Rav Shlomo Miller, who served as the emcee for the event.

At the conclusion of the gathering, the bochurim accepted upon themselves a formal kabbalah to use only machshirim kesheirim approved by the Vaad HaRabbonim L’Inyanei Tikshores. They also committed to refraining from engaging with AI and to maintaining taharah and kedusha within their dormitory and yeshiva living environments.

{Matzav.com}

Israeli Prime Minister Bibi Netanyahu on Thursday strongly denied accusations that he steered President Trump into a confrontation with Iran, insisting that the president acted independently and solely in the interest of the United States.

Addressing reporters, Netanyahu rejected the premise outright. “Does anyone really think that someone can tell President Trump what to do? Come on,” Netanyahu said during a press conference. “President Trump always makes his decisions on what he thinks is good for America.”

He firmly pushed back against suggestions that Israel had pulled the United States into the ongoing conflict with Tehran, stressing instead the close working relationship between the two countries while making clear that Trump charted his own course.

“I didn’t have to convince him,” Netanyahu said, referring to prior discussions the two leaders had regarding Iran’s nuclear program.

Netanyahu described the cooperation between Washington and Israel as tightly coordinated, noting collaboration at both the military and intelligence levels. He added that their joint efforts are producing rapid results, saying they are “achieving goals at lightning speed.”

Pointing to Trump’s earlier actions on Iran, Netanyahu noted that the president’s withdrawal from the nuclear agreement during his first term came without any outside pressure.

“In his first term in office, he didn’t need any convincing,” Netanyahu said. “He said the Iranian nuclear deal was the worst deal that he’d ever seen, and he walked out of it.”

Recalling a meeting at Mar-a-Lago ahead of Trump’s return to office, Netanyahu said the president himself initiated the discussion about Iran.

“The first thing he said to me was, ‘Bibi, we’ve got to make sure that Iran doesn’t have nuclear weapons,’” Netanyahu said.

“He said that to me — I didn’t say it to him.”

Netanyahu also issued a stark warning about Iran’s leadership, characterizing them as driven by extreme ideology and cautioning about the potential consequences if they were to acquire nuclear capabilities.

“Just imagine what they would do … if these lunatics had nuclear weapons and the means to deliver them to every American city and every European city,” he said.

“This is a danger for the entire world.”

He further highlighted Iran’s past involvement in attacks against Americans, referencing incidents such as the 1983 bombing of U.S. Marine barracks in Beirut and assaults on U.S. forces in Iraq and Afghanistan.

“They tried to assassinate the American president, Donald Trump, not once, but twice,” he said.

Netanyahu added that support for confronting Iran extends beyond the United States and Israel, saying that numerous world leaders privately share the same position, even if they do not express it publicly.

He concluded by commending Trump’s stance on Iran, saying the global community is indebted to the president for taking on the regime.

“We see eye to eye on that — President Trump and I, Israel and America,” Netanyahu said.

{Matzav.com}

[Video below.] President Donald Trump referenced Japan’s 1941 attack on Pearl Harbor on Thursday as he defended the decision to keep recent U.S. and Israeli strikes on Iran secret, speaking during a White House meeting with Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi.

Responding to a question about why allies, including Japan, were not informed in advance of the strikes, Trump emphasized the importance of maintaining secrecy in military operations. “We went in very hard and we didn’t tell anybody about it because we wanted surprise. Who knows better about surprise than Japan? OK, why didn’t you tell me about Pearl Harbor?”

“You believe in surprise, I think, much more than us,” Trump added, referencing the 1941 attack on the U.S. naval base in Hawaii that led to America’s entry into World War II.

WATCH:

The United States and Japan, once adversaries during the war, later formalized their alliance with a peace treaty signed in 1951, and have remained close allies since.

Trump’s remarks drew laughter from those present in the Oval Office, including Vice President JD Vance, Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, and other senior officials. Members of the Japanese delegation and reporters from both countries were also in attendance.

The president went on to explain that the element of surprise played a decisive role in the early stages of the Iran campaign, which began late last month with coordinated U.S. and Israeli strikes.

“We had to surprise them and we did and because of that surprise, the first two days we probably knocked out 50% of what we — much more than we anticipated doing. And if I go and tell everybody about it, it’s no longer a surprise,” Trump said.

In separate remarks last week, Trump spoke about earlier strikes on Kharg Island, a key Iranian oil hub, saying the U.S. military had “totally demolished” much of the site, while joking that “we may hit it a few more times just for fun.”

Kharg Island, located off Iran’s coast, is a major center for the country’s oil infrastructure.

During the meeting, Trump also addressed broader questions about the war effort, including the anticipated financial cost and the impact on global energy markets.

A report by The Washington Post indicated that the Pentagon is preparing to request $200 billion from Congress to support ongoing operations. Trump acknowledged the figure, noting that the funding would cover more than just the Iran campaign.

The president confirmed that the request includes broader considerations, saying it is “for a lot of reasons, beyond even what we’re talking about in Iran.”

“This is a very volatile world, and the military equipment, the power of some of this weaponry is unthinkable. You don’t even want to know about it. Oh, you could end this thing in two seconds if you wanted to,” Trump added.

Trump also commented on oil prices, which have risen in recent weeks as Iran has disrupted shipping through the Strait of Hormuz, a key global energy route.

“Everything was going great, the economy was great, oil prices were very low, gasoline was dropping too,” Trump told reporters. “And I saw what was happening in Iran and I said, ‘I hate to make this excursion, but we have to do it,’ and I actually thought the numbers would be worse.”

Reflecting on his decision to launch the strikes, Trump said he had expected a sharper economic impact.

While making the decision, he recalled thinking, “Oil prices will go up, the economy will go down a little bit.”

He added, “I thought it would be worse, much worse actually,” before concluding, “It’s not bad and it’s going to be over with pretty soon.”

{Matzav.com}

[COMMUNICATED]

By C.B. Weinfeld

The embrace lasted only seconds, but it captured everything Project Inspire stands for.

At the Motzei Shabbos Gala, Oren had just finished sharing his experience from October 7, when he drove back into the line of fire near the Gaza border to rescue young people fleeing the Nova Festival massacre. Among them was a young boy who had been bleeding for hours while hiding in a ditch. Oren jumped in, shielded him with his body, and applied direct pressure to the wound, keeping him alive until they reached a field hospital.

The crowd sat in awe. Then came a moment no one expected.

In a carefully planned surprise, that same boy, Maayan, suddenly walked onto the stage.

The audience froze as rescuer and survivor embraced. When Shulem Lemmer began singing “One More Dance,” the room rose with him in a powerful expression of unity, resilience, and shared responsibility.

But the roots of that moment began much earlier.

Months before, during a Project Inspire leadership trip to Israel, Shalom Brickman, already deeply involved in learning and supporting less affiliated Jews, realized there was one step in kiruv he had never taken: personally offering someone the opportunity to put on tefillin. Standing beside Oren at the Nova site, he asked. Oren said yes, and he has been putting them on ever since.

That moment, Shalom, Oren, and Maayan’s embrace on stage, was the pinnacle of the Project Inspire Motzei Shabbos Gala and reflects the heart of Project Inspire: meaningful change begins when ordinary people take one courageous step toward another Jew.

This spirit defined every part of Project Inspire 2.0. From the moment participants arrived, the atmosphere was charged with purpose. This was not a passive conference, but an immersive experience designed to engage and activate.

Through dynamic workshops and open discussions, participants explored how to initiate conversations naturally, extend invitations, and build authentic relationships that endure.

One of the most powerful moments came on Shabbos afternoon with the launch of the first-ever “Teach It Forward” program at a Project Inspire convention. It marked a first step toward becoming comfortable sharing Torah with less affiliated Jews. Attendees were divided into three learning tracks and then regrouped across tracks with one mission: to teach one another what they had learned.

The Teach It Forward program reflected this idea in action. By helping participants become comfortable teaching what they know, even small pieces of Torah, it transformed hesitation into confidence and demonstrated that the first step in kiruv often begins with simply sharing one idea with another Jew.

For many, this was their first experience actively transmitting ideas rather than simply absorbing them. The room buzzed with energy as participants leaned in to ensure their message was clearly understood. When their words were fully received, the sense of accomplishment was palpable. It captured a central Project Inspire message: whether one knows the alef or the beis, the responsibility is to teach what we know.

This message echoed throughout the weekend. Rabbi Chaim Sampson, Founding Director of Project Inspire, emphasized that meaningful change begins with taking personal responsibility. Just as Rav Noach once urged him to find ten men to stand up and make a difference, Rabbi Sampson explained that the same mindset drives Project Inspire’s growing initiatives, many of which are already seeing strong participation and expanding interest.

Participants were also joined by Rabbi Moshe Weinberger, the Rov of Aish Kodesh, whose farbrengen and unforgettable Shalosh Seudos created an atmosphere of warmth and spiritual elevation that lingered long after the final zemirah.

On Friday night, the women gathered for a meaningful discussion circle in an intimate setting that fostered openness and connection. The conversation continued late into the evening, strengthening bonds and deepening the shared sense of mission.

Zevy Samet, an aspiring basketball star, attended the convention together with several of his YU teammates and quickly became an integral source of inspiration and energy throughout the weekend. The process he began several years ago, quietly taking responsibility within his own circle and strengthening his teammates’ connection, has steadily grown over time. Most recently, that growth led to two transformative Shabbos weekends in Lakewood and Inwood. These experiences were created from the ground up by Project Inspire. What began as one young man stepping forward years earlier ultimately led many of his teammates to take their first steps toward keeping Shabbos and beginning their own journeys of connection.

Between sessions, hallways buzzed with networking, idea-sharing, and spontaneous conversations. Participants exchanged experiences, formed new partnerships, and began envisioning how to bring what they had learned back into their own communities.

That sense of momentum reached another peak at the Motzei Shabbos Gala, where the crowd felt they were witnessing not just an inspiring event, but a movement gaining strength and clarity before their eyes.

By the weekend’s close, the energy was unmistakable. Conversations had shifted from inspiration to commitment. Partnerships were forming. Concrete next steps were already underway.

The true measure of Project Inspire is not what happens during a convention, but what happens afterward: in the concrete initiatives already underway, from mentorship networks to Shabbos experiences and community partnerships that are actively drawing more Jews into connection every day. The response has been tremendous, with participants stepping forward in growing numbers and the movement continuing to gain momentum long after the weekend ended.

This is not a moment for inspiration alone. It is a moment for action.

Project Inspire is already mobilizing mentorship networks, Shabbos experiences, leadership initiatives, and community partnerships that are reconnecting Jews across the country, and the momentum is only growing.

Step in. Take responsibility. Join the movement today at www.projectinspire.com or call (646)-291-6191 and be the one who says: I’m in.

Officials in Israel and the United States believe the war with Iran is expected to continue for an extended period, with current assessments indicating that the fighting will last through Pesach and may continue even longer.

The evaluation, reported by i24, is based on internal discussions held in Jerusalem and Washington and reflects a shared understanding among senior officials in both capitals. According to the report, military operations are continuing at full intensity, with no signs of a slowdown.

Israeli defense officials say the U.S. military remains deeply engaged, maintaining what they describe as a “full throttle” pace in terms of operational activity and involvement in the conflict.

Senior Israeli officials also assess that President Donald Trump remains committed to continuing the campaign at this stage and is not exerting pressure to curb or limit operations. At the same time, defense officials note that in previous situations—such as the decision to halt strikes against the Houthis—policy changes were announced suddenly through the media without prior coordination.

There is currently no defined end date for the war, and U.S. officials have not set one. On the contrary, expectations are that the campaign will continue.

During a security cabinet meeting held last night that extended past midnight, Israeli ministers were told that the war is likely to continue for several more weeks. According to professional assessments cited by Channel 12, the military plan is progressing quickly and in line with its original objectives, but there is no expectation of an imminent end.

Officials involved in the discussions said, “There is no expiration date for the war, and the Americans have not set one either—on the contrary.” Israeli sources emphasized that additional operations inside Iranian territory are still planned, aimed at further undermining the regime.

At the same time, updated intelligence assessments do not indicate an immediate collapse of the Iranian government. In recent briefings, political leaders were told that there are no visible signs of surrender in Tehran, and the regime does not appear close to falling.

According to officials familiar with the matter, “Surrender to the United States and Israel is simply not part of the Iranian regime’s vocabulary.” This understanding has reinforced expectations that the conflict will be prolonged and that additional steps will be necessary before the strategic objectives defined at the outset of the campaign are achieved.

The Trump administration announced Thursday that it has opened investigations into 13 states that mandate abortion coverage in state-regulated health insurance plans, escalating a legal and political dispute over federal conscience protections.

At the center of the issue is the Weldon Amendment, a provision included annually in federal spending bills that prohibits governments from penalizing healthcare entities that decline to provide, cover, or refer for abortion services.

During the Biden administration, the Department of Health and Human Services’ Office for Civil Rights took the position that the amendment did not apply to employers or plan sponsors. The current administration has reversed that interpretation, arguing that the protections do extend to those groups.

Officials now contend that states requiring abortion coverage could be violating federal law if they do not allow insurers or employers to opt out. The administration said it has sent formal inquiries to the states in question to gather further details.

The investigations were initiated by the HHS Office for Civil Rights. “to address certain states’ alleged disregard of, or confusion about, compliance with the Weldon Amendment,” office Director Paula M. Stannard said in a statement.

“Under the Weldon Amendment, health care entities, such as health insurance issuers and health plans, are protected from state discrimination for not paying for, or providing coverage of, abortion contrary to conscience. Period,” Stannard said.

The states under review include California, Colorado, Delaware, Illinois, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Minnesota, New Jersey, New York, Oregon, Vermont, and Washington. All but Vermont are led by Democrat governors.

The Weldon Amendment is part of a broader set of so-called conscience protections, which shield individuals and healthcare organizations that decline to participate in abortion services or certain medical procedures based on religious or ethical beliefs.

Legal experts say the interpretation of the amendment has shifted depending on which party controls the White House. Mary Ziegler, a law professor at the University of California, Davis, noted that there has been a “partisan swing” in how broadly or narrowly the provision is applied.

Ziegler added that because the text of the amendment does not explicitly reference employers or plan sponsors, Democrats may have a stronger argument, though the issue has not yet been definitively settled in court.

Elizabeth Sepper, a law professor at the University of Texas at Austin, pointed to policy proposals from the Heritage Foundation, including Project 2025, which suggested that a Trump administration could cut off Medicaid funding to states found to be in violation of the amendment.

“What we’re seeing here is the fulfillment of a promise to the religious right,” she said.

During Trump’s first term, his administration sought in 2020 to withhold federal healthcare funding from California over what it viewed as a violation of the Weldon Amendment. That decision was reversed the following year when a new administration took office.

{Matzav.com}

Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard said Thursday that the United States and Israel have been operating with distinct objectives in the war against Iran, even as both countries have coordinated closely on military actions.

Speaking before the House Intelligence Committee during its annual global threats hearing, Gabbard explained that Israel has concentrated on targeting Iran’s leadership, while President Trump has directed U.S. efforts toward dismantling Iran’s missile capabilities and naval forces.

“The objectives that have been laid out by the president are different from the objectives that have been laid out by the Israeli government,” Gabbard told the House intelligence committee’s annual hearing on worldwide threats to the United States.

“We can see through the operations that the Israeli government has been focused on disabling the Iranian leadership. The president has stated that his objectives are to destroy Iran’s ballistic missiles launching capability, their ballistic missile production capability, and their navy,” she said.

Although officials in Washington and Jerusalem have repeatedly emphasized strong coordination in their joint air campaign, both sides have acknowledged that their strategic goals are not identical.

As the war approached its third week, Israeli operations have focused on eliminating senior Iranian clerics and military commanders, while U.S. strikes have primarily targeted infrastructure tied to Iran’s missile program.

The divergence became more apparent Wednesday night, when Trump wrote on social media that Washington “knew nothing” about Israel’s strike on the South Pars gas field in Iran. The attack prompted Iran to retaliate by targeting energy infrastructure in Qatar. Trump added that Israel would refrain from striking the gas field again unless Iran carried out further attacks against Qatar.

During the hearing, Gabbard said she could not explain Israel’s decision to target infrastructure that Trump had indicated should remain off-limits, after being pressed on the issue by Rep. Joaquin Castro, a Democrat from Texas.

Her testimony before the House followed a similar appearance the previous day before the Senate Intelligence Committee, where she joined CIA Director John Ratcliffe and other senior intelligence officials.

At both hearings, lawmakers repeatedly asked whether Iran posed an “imminent” threat to the United States at the time the joint U.S.-Israel air campaign began on Feb. 28.

The question gained added attention after Joe Kent, who had been leading the National Counterterrorism Center, resigned earlier in the week, becoming the first senior official in Trump’s administration to step down over the conflict. Kent said Iran did not present an imminent threat to the United States.

Gabbard maintained in both appearances that the determination of whether such a threat exists rests solely with the president, indicating that the final judgment lies with Trump.

{Matzav.com}