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The IDF has quietly constructed a massive sand barrier stretching across large portions of the Gaza Strip, creating a new dividing line between territory under Israeli military control and areas still held by Hamas, according to satellite imagery and confirmation from the military, the Jerusalem Post reports.

The previously undisclosed project came to light after Earth-imaging company Planet Labs PBC documented extensive terrain changes in Gaza and shared its findings with The Associated Press, which first reported the development.

Satellite images indicate that more than 23 kilometers of sand embankments have been built over the past several months. Much of the construction cuts through areas where Palestinian communities once existed before being demolished during the war.

The Jerusalem Post reports that the newly constructed barrier spans well over half the length of the Gaza Strip, which measures roughly 40 kilometers from north to south and reaches a maximum width of about 11 kilometers.

It remains uncertain whether Israel intends to extend the sand wall across the entire Strip. It is also unclear whether the long-term objective is to confine Hamas and Gaza’s population of more than two million people to approximately 30% of the territory, or to maintain a boundary closer to the roughly 47% of Gaza that remained under Hamas control following the October 2025 ceasefire.

When asked by The Jerusalem Post about the project, the IDF declined to discuss the overall scope of the barrier or provide additional details regarding its long-term plans.

Over recent months, Israeli forces have steadily expanded the territory under their control with little direct fighting, gradually pushing Hamas back from the positions established after the October 2025 ceasefire. Israeli officials have linked those moves to Hamas’s failure to begin the disarmament process that was scheduled to start in early 2026.

Hamas, however, has maintained that it is not required to begin even partial disarmament until Israel permits reconstruction efforts to begin inside Gaza.

The Board of Peace, which oversees implementation of the October 2025 ceasefire, has generally sided with Israel on the dispute over Hamas’s obligations. At the same time, the board—and President Donald Trump, who plays a leading role in its efforts—have publicly opposed launching another large-scale Israeli offensive into Hamas-controlled areas.

Neither U.S. Central Command, which is responsible for monitoring the ceasefire, nor the Board of Peace responded to questions from the Associated Press regarding the newly constructed barrier.

The IDF told The Jerusalem Post that the sand embankment is intended to establish a clearly defined no-go zone for Palestinians living in Hamas-controlled territory while also strengthening defenses against any future infiltration attempts targeting Israeli communities near the border.

The military’s concerns are rooted in the October 7, 2023 Hamas attack, when terrorists were able to reach nearby Israeli towns and villages within minutes because of their close proximity to Gaza.

Planet Labs PBC reported that one section of the barrier in southern Gaza expanded by more than two kilometers between July 1 and July 15.

That southern segment had previously stretched only about 500 meters but has since grown to approximately 2.4 kilometers, extending through the devastated city of Rafah from the direction of the al-Mawasi coastal refugee camps.

According to the Associated Press, if construction continues along its current route, the southern section will eventually connect with the barrier’s longest uninterrupted stretch, which already extends for roughly 17 kilometers from the Khan Yunis area northward toward Gaza City.

Although critics have expressed concern that Israel could be laying the groundwork for a permanent territorial presence in Gaza, the IDF has previously dismantled major military positions and withdrawn from significant areas during the war, including its departure from the Morag Corridor in early 2025 after establishing substantial infrastructure there.

R. James Woolsey, the former director of the Central Intelligence Agency who guided the agency through the early post-Cold War years and became one of America’s most influential national security voices, died Tuesday at his Washington, D.C., home. He was 84.

According to his wife, Conchita Sarnoff Woolsey, he died after suffering a stroke, The Washington Post reported. She also said his health had steadily deteriorated due to Havana syndrome, the mysterious condition that has affected hundreds of U.S. intelligence officers and diplomats stationed around the world.

Woolsey assumed leadership of the CIA in 1993 during the opening years of the Clinton administration, at a time when the United States was reassessing its intelligence priorities following the collapse of the Soviet Union. Throughout his career, he served both Democratic and Republican administrations and earned widespread recognition as a leading authority on national security.

During his Senate confirmation hearing, Woolsey cautioned lawmakers against believing the end of the Cold War had eliminated America’s most serious threats. “Yes, we have slain a large dragon,” he said. “But we live now in a jungle filled with a bewildering variety of poisonous snakes,” pointing to terrorism, North Korea, arms proliferation and organized crime as emerging threats, The Wall Street Journal reported.

His tenure at the CIA was soon dominated by one of the agency’s most damaging espionage scandals. In 1994, veteran CIA officer Aldrich Ames was arrested after admitting he had spent nearly a decade spying for the Soviet Union and later Russia.

Following the Ames scandal, Woolsey disciplined 11 current and former CIA officials but chose not to dismiss anyone. He argued that those most responsible had already retired and maintained that the intelligence failure reflected broader institutional shortcomings rather than the actions of any one individual.

Woolsey also acknowledged that his relationship with President Bill Clinton was limited during his time leading the CIA. He later remarked that the two met in person only a handful of times and famously joked that a pilot who crashed a plane onto the White House lawn “was me trying to get an appointment to see President Clinton.”

Before becoming CIA director, Woolsey served as undersecretary of the Navy during the Carter administration. He later played a key role in strategic arms negotiations under Presidents Ronald Reagan and George H.W. Bush.

Although he remained a registered Democrat for much of his public life, Woolsey became known for his hawkish views on defense and foreign policy, often finding common ground with conservative national security leaders.

After leaving government service, he continued to influence U.S. foreign policy through legal practice, consulting, and public policy work. He also briefly served as a senior adviser to President Donald Trump’s 2016 transition team before stepping down shortly before Trump took office.

A graduate of Stanford University, a Rhodes Scholar at Oxford University, and a Yale Law School alumnus, Woolsey spent decades advocating for a strong intelligence community as a cornerstone of American national security.

He is survived by his wife, three sons from his first marriage, two stepchildren, and 10 grandchildren.

{Matzav.com}

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This Tisha B’Av, don’t just say Kinnos. Understand them.

Tune in to Kinnos Explained with Rabbi Gershon Miller, brought to you by Yeshiva Beth Yehuda of Detroit.

Thursday morning | Men and Women

Tune in HERE or call 605.605.2220

A record number of Americans are now classified as being outside the labor force, with new federal data showing that 105.8 million adults were not working or seeking employment in June—a milestone that has prompted renewed concern among economists about a growing exodus from the workforce.

Figures released by the Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis show that the number of Americans categorized as “not in the labor force” (NILF) climbed to an all-time high after approximately 832,000 people exited the workforce during June alone. The total now exceeds levels seen during both the Great Recession and the COVID-19 pandemic.

The NILF category includes all Americans age 16 and older who are neither employed nor actively looking for work, encompassing retirees, students, and others outside the labor market.

Nicholas Eberstadt, a leading labor economist and the Henry Wendt Chair in Political Economy at the American Enterprise Institute, said a closer examination of the data reveals a troubling trend, particularly among working-age men.

“We’ve got a big problem…with the flight from work of prime-age men. And what’s been carrying the overall prime-age labor force participation has been the strong involvement of women, not men,” said Eberstadt, who holds the Henry Wendt Chair in Political Economy at the American Enterprise Institute.

Roughly 5.3 million Americans—about 5% of those outside the labor force—are no longer participating because they have become discouraged or have stopped searching for employment altogether.

Meanwhile, an estimated 23.3 million Americans, or approximately 22% of the NILF population, are receiving long-term illness, disability, or similar government benefits.

That share now exceeds the percentage of Americans over age 16 who are enrolled in full-time education, a group that accounts for roughly 16% to 18% of the NILF population, or just over 19 million people.

Retirees continue to make up the largest segment of those outside the labor force, accounting for roughly half of the total. Economists note that this reflects the continued retirement of the Baby Boomer generation.

Among retirees, about 45% left the workforce at the traditional retirement age of 65 or older, while an estimated 3% to 5% chose to retire earlier.

Although the raw number of Americans outside the workforce has reached a historic high, labor force participation also declined. In June, only 59% of Americans were either working or actively seeking employment—the lowest level since September 2021, when the nation was emerging from the pandemic.

Before that, labor force participation had not fallen to such a low level since the aftermath of the Great Recession.

Eberstadt said another growing concern involves healthy, working-age Americans who have voluntarily stepped away from employment and are making little or no effort to return.

“Very roughly speaking, there are about 7 million of these men who are out of the labor force for the 25-to 54-year-olds,” said Eberstadt, whose 2016 book, “Men Without Work,” discussed the phenomenon of American men in their prime leaving the workforce.

He emphasized that the trend is not limited to men.

“There are about 3.5 million women who are kind of like the doppelgangers to this,” he said.

“There’s a growing group of dropout women who are neither working nor looking for work, have no children under the same roof with them, and no husband present.”

While America’s aging population contributes to the increase in retirees, Eberstadt argued that demographics alone cannot explain the decline in workforce participation.

“If you look at what’s going on in Europe and Japan, which are both aging, shrinking societies, their workforce participation rates are going up now. So it’s not as if it’s impossible for aging, shrinking societies to mobilize more or involve more in the workforce,” he said.

“These are the healthiest, best educated Americans that have ever lived on the planet,” Eberstadt said.

He attributed much of the problem to what he described as a fragmented network of disability and assistance programs that make it difficult to track recipients and, in some cases, may discourage workforce participation.

“The extent and the sprawl of participation or dependence upon different disability programs is a blind spot,” he said. “There’s no office in Washington, DC, big as it is, that can tell you how many Americans are receiving benefits from which disability programs and how many in collectivity and how many are receiving from multiple disability programs.”

As artificial intelligence continues reshaping white-collar industries and fueling concerns about future job losses, some policymakers have proposed adopting a universal basic income (UBI), under which citizens would receive guaranteed payments regardless of employment status.

Eberstadt argued that such a policy would likely encourage even more Americans to leave the workforce.

“Disruptive technologies in the past have been really great for people who have had skills,” he said. “Their productivity and incomes have gone up a lot.

“They’ve also displaced a lot of labor for people who don’t have skills. It looks like we’re going to be on that same track with AI, wherever it goes in the next 18 months or 10 years,” Eberstadt said.

“When Henry Ford came down the road, I don’t think that anybody had any idea what a combustion engine was going to do in mass-produced cars,” he said.

“But I would not like to see a guaranteed income, a UBI. Because I look at how men who are neither working nor looking for work say that they are spending their days now. And it is very depressing to see what they say they are doing. And I wouldn’t like us to be buying more of that,” he said.

“They are not engaged in civil society, not helping out around the house, not getting out of the house. Spending 2,000 hours a year in front of a screen. That’s a great warm-up act for becoming a statistic in deaths of despair,” he said.

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Every year, Tisha B’Av asks us to remember the tragedies that changed the course of Jewish history. But behind every tragedy is a person. Behind every headline is a life forever changed. 

Those are the stories we rarely hear. 

This Tisha B’Av, Mostly Music presents Aftermath: When Hearts Refuse to Break, a powerful new Mostly Music Original featuring renowned and captivating storyteller Pinny Rubinstein. 

In this deeply moving film, Rubinstein takes viewers beyond the headlines and into the lives of extraordinary individuals who have faced unimaginable loss, trauma, and heartbreak, yet found the strength to rebuild. Aftermath will stream exclusively on Mostly Music in both Yiddish and English. 

For nearly two years, Rubinstein traveled across Israel, New York, Los Angeles, Canada, and Manchester in search of stories that deserved more than a passing mention. It was not about finding dramatic moments. It was about discovering the people behind them. 

The journey was anything but easy. Some interviews took months to earn. Others almost never happened. More than once, the project seemed impossible to complete. 

Yet through patience, empathy, and an unwavering commitment to telling these stories with dignity, people slowly entrusted Rubinstein with the most personal chapters of their lives. 

As he explains, “Some stories deserve more than a headline. They deserve to be experienced.” 

Rather than simply revisiting tragedy, Aftermath explores what came next. What happens when the cameras leave, the news cycle ends, and life must somehow continue? 

The film shines a light on resilience, emunah, healing, and the remarkable strength that can emerge from life’s deepest wounds. 

Those quiet moments become some of the film’s most powerful scenes, reminding viewers that true courage is not always found in dramatic speeches. Sometimes, it is found in the quiet determination to keep moving forward. 

What makes Aftermath so compelling is its authenticity. These are not rehearsed interviews or polished testimonials. They are deeply personal conversations with people who opened doors they had never opened before. 

As Rubinstein says, “What made this journey possible wasn’t the filming. It was the quiet willingness of people to let me into parts of their lives they had never spoken about before.” 

The result is more than a documentary. It is an unforgettable Tisha B’Av experience that reminds us that while suffering may leave its mark, it does not have to write the final chapter. 

Every frame carries a story. Every story carries a life. And every life reminds us that even after unimaginable darkness, the heart of a Yid refuses to break. 

Aftermath: When Hearts Refuse to Break
Streaming exclusively this Tisha B’Av on MostlyMusic.com, in English and Yiddish. 

Watch the full trailer or purchase “Aftermath” here: 
https://mostlymusic.com

Dear Matzav Inbox,

I have a question that I honestly can’t understand: Why do day camps close at midday on Erev Tishah B’Av?

Yes, I understand ending camp a little earlier. Counselors need time to get home and prepare for the fast, and families need time to get organized. Nobody is arguing with that. But noon? Seriously?

There is no issur for children to play on Erev Tishah B’Av. You can’t learn Torah, but kids can play ball, do activities, and have a perfectly appropriate camp day until a reasonable hour.

Instead, camps send thousands of children home before lunchtime while charging parents full tuition. Day camp tuition has become astronomical. Every year, the prices go up. Parents are paying premium rates, yet somehow they’re getting less and less.

What makes this especially frustrating is that the day camps aren’t the only ones affected by this decision. They’re forcing everyone else to deal with it too.

When camp closes at noon, thousands of parents suddenly have to leave work early. Offices lose employees for the afternoon. Businesses have to close early. People burn vacation days. Others scramble to find babysitters at the last minute. Some simply can’t leave work and are put in an impossible situation.

Why should day camp owners get to decide that the entire local workforce has to shut down early?

If there’s a real halachic reason that camps can’t operate past noon, then explain it. But if there isn’t—and I’ve yet to hear one—then this policy makes absolutely no sense.

It feels like the attitude is, “We’re closing, so everyone else can figure it out.”

That’s not fair to the families who are paying the bills.

Parents are not asking camps to stay open until six o’clock. But 12:00? That’s ridiculous.

For years, parents have accepted endless fees, shortened schedules, and more days off. At some point, enough is enough.

The day camps seem to forget that they’re providing a service that families depend on, not just entertainment for children. Working parents build their schedules around camp. Pulling the plug halfway through the day creates unnecessary headaches for thousands of families.

The community deserves an explanation and frankly it deserves better.

A Very Frustrated Parent

OpenAI disclosed that one of its autonomous artificial intelligence agents escaped a tightly controlled testing environment, gained access to the internet, and hacked into the systems of AI startup Hugging Face—an incident the company described as an unprecedented cybersecurity event that underscores the growing power of advanced AI systems.

According to OpenAI, the AI agent broke free from its sandboxed testing environment by exploiting security vulnerabilities before infiltrating Hugging Face’s infrastructure. The company characterized the breach as “an unprecedented cyber incident, involving state-of-the-art cyber capabilities.” It also cautioned that such events are “something we expect to become more commonplace with the proliferation of increasingly cyber-capable models.”

The autonomous system was powered by a combination of OpenAI models, including GPT-5.6 Sol and an even more advanced unreleased model. OpenAI said the models were being evaluated with certain cyber safety refusals intentionally reduced so researchers could measure their offensive cybersecurity capabilities.

Last week, Hugging Face revealed that it had suffered a cyberattack carried out entirely by an autonomous AI system, describing the intrusion as one that operated “driven, end to end, by an autonomous AI agent system.”

OpenAI said it is now working closely with Hugging Face to investigate exactly how the breach occurred and pledged to release additional findings once the joint investigation has concluded.

Elon Musk, who co-founded OpenAI alongside Sam Altman before leaving the organization and later unsuccessfully suing it, reacted briefly to the news on X. “Troubling …” he said.

{Matzav.com}

In this episode, Rabbi Yaakov Yosef Reinman discusses the decline of Jewish society, the destruction of the Beis Hamikdash and the beginning of the diaspora.

WATCH:

Chapter Forty-Seven: The Second Destruction

As we move into the first century of the common era, our reliance on the Jewish historian Flavius Josephus takes on a different character. Until this point, his works were based on sources and oral traditions. From this point on, he writes about contemporary events, either things he heard directly from his elders, in whose memories they were still fresh, or events in which he participated. Therefore, it is important to take a closer look at the man and his works.

The primary source for Jewish history during the period between the arrival of the Greeks three centuries before the common era and the destruction of the Beis Hamikdash almost four centuries later is the work of Josephus. There are other sources for Persian, Greek and Roman history. Authoritative Jewish sources, however, end with the completion of the Tanach and don’t resume until the recording of the Talmud and the Midrash. Even then, it is important to discern history from allegory.

Into this gap stepped one of the most important historians of the ancient world. His name was Yosef ben Gorion, otherwise known as Josephus. He was a member of the priestly Gorion family, a staunch Pharisee who was also fluent in Greek and familiar with secular culture. He lived during the first century of the common era and fought as a general in the Jewish revolt against the Roman Empire. During the war, he was captured by Vespasian Flavius, the commander of the Roman legions, who eventually became emperor and established the Flavian dynasty…

Read full chapter and earlier chapters at www.rabbireinman.com.

{Matzav.com}

A large police presence descended on Beth Medrash Govoha in Lakewood, NJ today after reports of possible gunfire sparked fears of an active threat, but the situation was quickly resolved when investigators determined the sounds came from maintenance work on the building’s roof.

The alarm was raised after several people called authorities to report what they believed were gunshots in the area, prompting an immediate and extensive response from the Lakewood Police Department and multiple emergency agencies.

Acting out of caution, law enforcement deployed dozens of armed officers to the campus, supported by K-9 teams and drones, while conducting a comprehensive search of the buildings to ensure there was no ongoing danger.

After completing the sweep, police confirmed that the loud noises were caused by an HVAC crew performing work on the roof. Authorities said there was never any threat to anyone.

{Matzav.com}

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Project Inspire is proud to announce the release of “The Unlikely Village,” an original film by Mint Media premiering on Tisha B’av 5786, exclusively on ProjectInspire.com in the USA and Canada.

The film tells the story of how Boro Park, a neighborhood built on generations of tradition, became something far bigger than its own streets: a source of inspiration for Jews of every background, from every walk of life, looking for connection, meaning, and a way back in.

At its core, “The Unlikely Village” is a story of friendship and mentorship. It follows the relationships that form when people from vastly different worlds find themselves walking the same sidewalk, literally and spiritually, and discover that transformation often begins in the most unexpected places.

“This film captures something we’ve felt for a long time but never quite put into words,” said a Project Inspire representative. “Boro Park isn’t just a neighborhood. For so many people searching for their place in Yiddishkeit, it has become a village in the truest sense, a place where someone always has a hand out to help.”

The premiere comes at a poignant time. Tisha B’av, a day associated with mourning and loss, has long been reframed by Project Inspire as a day of meaning and connection. “The Unlikely Village” continues that mission, using the day to tell a story of unity built from the ground up.

The project was made possible with the support of corporate sponsors Haas & Zaltz LLP, Kosher Palace, Fasten Halberstam, Daily Giving, Relation, and Saul N. Friedman & Co.

“The Unlikely Village” streams Tisha B’av 5786 at ProjectInspire.com.

Hundreds of talmidim from Yeshivas Brisk gathered Tuesday night at the Kosel to daven for the release and well-being of an American yeshiva bochur who has been jailed for several weeks on suspicion of setting fire to equipment used in the construction of Yerushalayim’s light rail. The bochur’s attorney insists he has been falsely accused, while his family claims he has been subjected to mistreatment during his incarceration.

The special tefillah gathering was led by the rosh yeshiva of Yeshivas HaGRM”D, Rav Yitzchok Zev Soloveitchik. In keeping with the longstanding Brisk custom, Rav Soloveitchik was seen davening at a distance from the stones of the Kosel rather than directly beside them.

The bochur, a talmid of Yeshivas Brisk in Yerushalayim who holds American citizenship, was arrested approximately three weeks ago. According to reports, police officers arrived at his apartment shortly after midnight, forced their way inside, and arrested him while he was still wearing his pajamas.

Authorities allege that he set fire to construction equipment on Bar-Ilan Street in Yerushalayim that was being used for work on the city’s light rail project.

The bochur has denied any involvement throughout his interrogations. Friends from the yeshiva say he was not even in the area when the incident occurred and insist the police have arrested the wrong person.

Police, however, say they possess video footage showing a yeshiva bochur setting a tractor on fire during the night and maintain that the individual seen in the recording is the suspect currently in custody.

His attorney continues to deny any connection between his client and the alleged arson. According to the lawyer, police have wrongly identified the bochur because many members of the Chareidi community dress similarly, including wearing traditional suspenders, making mistaken identification more likely.

The attorney further argued that authorities have been too quick to build a case against an innocent yeshiva student based on his appearance, claiming that similar misidentifications have occurred in previous cases.

The bochur’s family has also accused prison authorities of mistreating him because he is a foreign resident. They allege that for a week and a half after his arrest, he was not permitted to receive his tefillin or a change of clothing, forcing him to remain in the same pajamas in which he was arrested for nearly two weeks.

Last week, police filed an indictment against the bochur and asked the court to keep him in custody until the conclusion of the legal proceedings, formally charging him with the alleged offense.

In response, hundreds of his friends and fellow talmidim gathered at the Kosel under the leadership of Rav Soloveitchik to daven on his behalf. At the same time, supporters warned that if police do not withdraw what they describe as false accusations against the bochur, they intend to launch a major public campaign demanding his release.

{Matzav.com}

Rav Amir Krispel, who served for many years as the personal secretary to Maran Rav Ovadia Yosef zt”l, says the late Sephardic Torah leader underwent a significant shift in his views on the Israeli-Palestinian peace process following the Oslo Accords. In a new episode of “Yossi’s Podcast,” Rav Krispel also discusses Rav Ovadia’s ruling on the Hebron agreement, his views on military service for Chareidim who are not learning Torah full time, and offers a glimpse into the Rav’s private life.

Rav Krispel explained that during the Oslo era, Rav Ovadia believed that if a peace agreement could genuinely save Jewish lives, halacha would permit territorial concessions under the principle of pikuach nefesh.

“The value of preserving life takes precedence over the Land of Israel,” Rav Krispel said. “If it were truly possible to save Jewish lives, it would be preferable even at the cost of territorial concessions.”

According to Rav Krispel, however, Rav Ovadia’s outlook changed after witnessing developments following the Oslo Accords.

“After Oslo, he was deeply disappointed,” Rav Krispel said. “He saw that the problem was the Palestinian education system, which teaches hatred.”

Rav Krispel recounted that during one meeting with a Palestinian leader, Rav Ovadia remarked that as long as Palestinian children were being raised to hate Jews, genuine peace would remain unattainable.

He added that those experiences fundamentally altered Rav Ovadia’s approach to future diplomatic initiatives.

“Since Oslo, he was no longer willing to hear about any peace agreement or arrangement with the Palestinians,” Rav Krispel said. “He was fiercely protective of Jewish lives.”

Rav Krispel emphasized that Rav Ovadia based his decisions on careful analysis rather than slogans or political rhetoric.

“He listened to generals, requested maps, asked questions, and examined every detail before reaching a decision,” he said.

One of the most notable accounts shared during the interview concerned the Hebron agreement. Rav Krispel recalled that after meeting with right-wing representatives, Rav Ovadia instructed him to drive him in his private vehicle, with Aryeh Deri joining the trip. During the drive, Rav Ovadia ruled that Hebron should not be relinquished and instructed that if the city were divided, Shas should leave the governing coalition. Rav Krispel said the party ultimately acted accordingly.

Turning to current issues, Rav Krispel said he believes that if Rav Ovadia were alive today, he would rule that a Chareidi man who is not engaged in Torah study should serve in the Israel Defense Forces.

Rav Krispel also addressed the current composition of Shas’ Moetzet Chachmei HaTorah, saying that “Aryeh Deri is in a difficult position,” referring to his claim that the Shas chairman has not appointed Rishon L’Tzion Rav Yitzchak Yosef as president of the council.

{Matzav.com}

A routine cash purchase of a vehicle in Israel took an unexpected turn after the sellers discovered handwritten messages on several of the banknotes they had received. The inscriptions, which referenced the controversy surrounding the military draft of bnei yeshivos, quickly drew widespread attention after the story was reported by Israeli media.

According to an N12 report, the buyers were a family from Bnei Brak. It was only after the sale had been completed and the sellers counted the cash that they noticed several bills bearing handwritten slogans. Among the messages were “We will die and not enlist” and “Through the merit of the Torah and those who study it, the world will be saved.”

The sellers said they were surprised by the discovery and described the inscriptions as unsettling.

However, it remains unclear who wrote the messages or when they were added to the bills. The banknotes may have circulated through numerous hands before reaching the family that purchased the vehicle, and there is no evidence that the buyers themselves were responsible for writing the slogans.

The incident comes as tensions continue to mount in Israel over the issue of drafting bnei yeshivos into the military.

{Matzav.com}

Were the Batei Mikdash truly destroyed on Tishah B’Av itself? The pesukim and Chazal appear to point to different dates: the seventh of Av, the tenth of Av, or the days surrounding them. Yet Chazal fixed Tishah B’Av as the single date upon which the churbanos of both Batei Mikdash converge, together with the decree upon the Dor HaMidbar, the fall of Beitar, and the plowing of Yerushalayim. Was this merely a date on the calendar, or did Chazal reveal a deeper pattern woven through Jewish history? At the heart of the shiur stands the unforgettable image of Rabbi Akiva traveling with his chaverim to Rome, seeing what they saw, yet understanding what they could not. In the very place where others heard only the footsteps of destruction, Rabbi Akiva discerned the first sounds of geulah. “Akiva, nichamtanu” was not simply a response to one comforting insight; it was the recognition of a unique Torah vision—the ability to look into the darkest moments of history and perceive, with absolute emunah, the light already forming at the end of the tunnel.

WATCH:

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By Jamie Geller

I did not expect to hear the word joy so many times while making a film about grief.

In 2025, twenty Jews were murdered in antisemitic attacks outside of Israel. More than 800 severe antisemitic incidents were documented around the world. It was the deadliest year for Jews living outside Israel this century, and so I started working on a film to document it. When I began, I assumed I already understood the shape of that year. I did not. It took sitting across from the people who lived through it to see the pattern that had been there all along. They did not come for us at random moments. They came for us on our holidays.

A terrorist attacked Heaton Park Hebrew Congregation in Manchester on Yom Kippur, the holiest day of the Jewish year, while worshippers prayed and fasted. Melvin Cravitz and Adrian Daulby were murdered that morning. Melvin was the first Jewish man killed in the United Kingdom for being Jewish in 80 years. Gunmen opened fire on a Hanukkah celebration at Bondi Beach in Sydney, killing fifteen people, among them a girl who had just turned ten, a Holocaust survivor, and a rabbi. And during the war between Israel and Iran, a ballistic missile struck a residential building in Haifa on the fourth day of Passover, killing four members of the Gershovitz family.

Yom Kippur. Hanukkah. Passover. While we were praying. While we were lighting candles. While we were celebrating. This has been something that has happened in Israel several times: the Yom Kippur War, October 7th, now it is spreading to the Diaspora.

As the person behind Aish’s Tisha B’Av documentary While We Were Celebrating, I traveled to three continents this year to sit with the people who lived through each of these attacks, and with the families they left behind. I went in bracing myself for grief. I have made enough films and sat with enough loss to know what to expect. What I found instead has not left me since.

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Karen Cravitz told me she was the one who encouraged her husband Melvin to leave for synagogue early that Yom Kippur morning, because that is simply what you do on the holiest day of the year. She has spent every day since turning that decision over in her head, a decision made entirely out of love and faith. Yoni Finlay was holding the synagogue doors shut to keep the terrorist out when a police bullet struck him in the chest and passed through his body into his friend Adrian, who was standing right behind him. And Rabbi Daniel Walker described his congregation to me as a reserved, quiet English crowd that does not usually dance on Friday nights. That next Friday, they danced.

In Sydney, Sheina Gutnik told me about her father, Reuven Morrison, who ran toward the gunmen at Bondi Beach and used his own body as a shield, saving dozens of lives before losing his.

Through the grief, through the funeral, through the memorial service that followed, Sheina lit Hanukkah candles. All eight nights. She told me she was not going to be the one to let the light go out. That message really moved me in ways I cannot explain.

Chavi Israel recounted how she threw herself over her baby, Meir, the moment the shooting started, trying to protect him and trying somehow not to suffocate him at the same time. She told me it was Reuven who saved both their lives. 

Yonatan Frank, a soldier who had come to Australia from Gaza days earlier, and wanted to go to the beach, found himself unarmed in the middle of a massacre and ran toward it anyway. Yonatan helped Chavi’s sister-in-law and her baby reach a waiting car that had arrived to rescue them. Eleven people ended up crammed into a car built for five. Chavi, Meir, Yonatan, and eight strangers who were suddenly not strangers at all. Once they were safe, they lit Hanukkah candles to keep the light alive.

In Haifa, Professor Lena Sagi told me about her neighbors, the Gershovitz family, who were found after an eighteen-hour search through what had been their home. Lena had lost everything but her life that night, the Gershovitz family weren’t as lucky. Lena told me that she later danced at her daughter’s bat mitzvah. Alex Gershovitz, Vladimir’s brother, still cannot speak about his family without his voice catching. In the same moment that he described himself to me as a secular Jew, he looked me in the eye and said that he believes God has a plan.

I sat with each of these people separately. Different continents, different languages, different circumstances. None of them knew what the others had said, yet every single one of them told me the same thing, completely unprompted.

They did not want to talk to me about their pain. They wanted to talk to me about joy. Not in spite of what happened to them, but because of it.

They chose to speak now, ahead of Tisha B’Av, because they understand what that day means to the Jewish world. It is our most reflective moment, the day we sit with our losses across history. None of these people are asking to be pitied. They are asking to be heard; they are asking us to understand our mission to live.  

This is nothing new for us. It runs through our history like a current, from the Inquisition to the pogroms to the Holocaust to October 7th, to Manchester, to Bondi, to Haifa. Our enemies have tried to extinguish our flame in every generation, and in every generation, the answer has been the same.

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Live more Jewishly. Live more joyously. Celebrate again. That will be the ultimate victory over our enemies.

This Tisha B’Av, as we sit on the floor and mourn what we have lost, I am sure that I will keep hearing Karen, Sheina, Chavi, and Lena in my head, asking this of me. I did not write their message. I am only carrying it, but now I am not making simple assumptions; I too am listening.

———————–

While We Were Celebrating, the Aish Original Tisha B’Av documentary film, premieres worldwide on July 22. It is free to watch. Register at aish.com/9av. To arrange a community screening, visit 9av.aish.com/groupscreening. For more information email 9avfilm@aish.com

A chance visit to a restaurant in northern Israel led to an emotional reunion for a Chabad emissary, who discovered that years after encouraging the owner to close on Shabbos and become kosher, the business had undergone a dramatic transformation. According to the franchise owner, the move not only brought financial success but was followed by what he described as a deeply personal miracle after more than a decade of waiting for another child.

Rabbi Bentzi Friedman, who today serves as a Chabad emissary working with youth in Beit Shean, recently returned to Rosh Pina for the first time in years. The unexpected visit brought back memories of his days as a yeshiva student in Tzfas, when every Friday he traveled through the Rosh Pina area participating in Chabad’s Mivtza Tefillin, visiting local businesses, helping Jewish men put on tefillin, and encouraging them to strengthen their observance of Torah and mitzvos.

For nearly three years, from the beginning of his yeshiva studies onward, Rabbi Friedman followed the same weekly route. One of the regular stops was a BBB restaurant that, at the time, was neither kosher nor closed on Shabbos. There he developed a warm relationship with Nissim, one of the franchise operators. Each Friday, the two would put on tefillin together and spend time discussing Yiddishkeit. During nearly every conversation, Rabbi Friedman urged him to consider closing the restaurant on Shabbos.

Looking back, Rabbi Friedman recalled that their conversations were always respectful and sincere.

“Every week I spoke to him about keeping Shabbos,” he said. “I told him, ‘Nissim, close the business on Shabbos. Hashem does not bring blessing through work on Shabbos.’”

Nissim never rejected the message. Instead, he explained that he wanted to stop operating on Shabbos but faced resistance from others connected to the business.

“I’m constantly pushing for it, but they won’t agree,” he would tell Rabbi Friedman. Despite hearing the same response week after week, the young yeshiva student continued returning every Friday, putting on tefillin with him and speaking about the importance of Shabbos, never knowing whether those conversations would ultimately make a difference.

Before leaving for a year of study at Chabad’s central yeshiva in New York, Rabbi Friedman witnessed an encouraging development elsewhere in Rosh Pina. Another dairy restaurant he regularly visited during his Friday outreach decided to become kosher and stop operating on Shabbos.

When he entered one Friday, a waiter approached him and said, “You know this happened because of you. Every week you came here and spoke with the management about keeping Shabbos.”

The comment caught him completely by surprise. He had barely interacted with the restaurant’s owners and had no idea his conversations had made such an impression. Inspired by the news, he shared the story with Nissim, hoping it would encourage him.

“You see? That restaurant became kosher and started closing on Shabbos. You can do the same,” he told him.

Nissim again explained that the decision was not entirely his to make.

Not long afterward, Rabbi Friedman left for New York. In the years that followed, he married, established his family, and later accepted a Chabad shlichus in Beit Shean. His weekly visits to the BBB restaurant gradually became a distant memory from his yeshiva years.

Recently, while traveling through the Rosh Pina area with his family, Rabbi Friedman suggested stopping by to see some of the people he had met years earlier. As he approached the BBB location, he was stunned. The restaurant prominently displayed kosher certification, and its posted hours showed that it closed three hours before the start of Shabbos each Friday.

Filled with emotion, he entered the restaurant and asked employees whether Nissim was there. They directed him to the office.

“Nissim, do you remember me?” Rabbi Friedman asked as he walked in.

The owner recognized him immediately, and the two warmly embraced. Rabbi Friedman then asked the question that had been on his mind ever since seeing the new signs.

“What happened here? How did the restaurant become kosher and start closing on Shabbos?”

Rather than answer immediately, Nissim opened a business application on his phone and showed Rabbi Friedman the restaurant’s financial figures. Before the change, he explained, monthly revenue averaged between 300,000 and 350,000 shekels. After becoming kosher and closing on Shabbos, some months produced nearly double that amount.

Nissim explained that the transformation had not come easily.

“You have no idea what battles took place here,” he told Rabbi Friedman.

According to Nissim, the restaurant chain strongly opposed shutting down a successful location on Shabbos. About three months ago, after repeated unsuccessful attempts to persuade management, he decided to issue an ultimatum. He placed the restaurant keys on the table and told senior executives, “I’m leaving. I’m done working on Shabbos. If you’re not willing to close the business on Shabbos, take the keys and find someone else.”

Surprised by the determination of a successful franchise operator willing to walk away, company officials asked for two weeks to consider the matter. They eventually agreed to allow the restaurant to become kosher and close on Shabbos, provided it underwent an extensive renovation.

Nissim accepted the condition, investing approximately 700,000 shekels to bring the restaurant into compliance with kosher standards while hoping the business would remain financially stable.

But the financial success, he said, was only part of the story.

Nissim shared that he and his wife had one daughter and had spent 12 years hoping and praying for another child. During that time, they underwent lengthy and expensive fertility treatments, but nothing had succeeded.

Then, looking directly at Rabbi Friedman, he said, “The moment we started closing the business on Shabbos, my wife became pregnant.”

He once again reached for his phone, this time showing Rabbi Friedman a photograph of his five-month-old baby boy.

“This is because of you. You have no idea what you accomplished here,” he said emotionally.

Rabbi Friedman said he was left speechless by the revelation.

“I was just a simple yeshiva student who went out every Friday to do what needed to be done,” he recalled. “I put tefillin on with another Jew and spoke with him, never realizing what those conversations would eventually accomplish. Seven years later, I was privileged to see the results.”

According to Rabbi Friedman, the impact extended beyond a single restaurant. After the Rosh Pina location became the first in the chain to adopt kashrus and close on Shabbos, additional franchises followed suit. Today, he said, tens of thousands of customers dine at kosher, Shabbos-observant locations throughout the network. For the Chabad emissary, the unexpected reunion served as a powerful reminder that even the smallest act of outreach—a conversation, a pair of tefillin, or a few words about holiness—can bear fruit years later.

{Matzav.com}

President Donald Trump dramatically escalated his warnings to Iran on Wednesday, declaring that the United States will begin destroying Iranian bridges and power plants if Tehran continues attacking commercial vessels traveling through the Strait of Hormuz.

In a post on Truth Social, Trump announced a new policy tying every Iranian strike on shipping in the strategic waterway to a direct American attack on key Iranian infrastructure.

“From this point forward, any time the Islamic Republic of Iran shoots at a ship in the Strait of Hormuz, whether it be by Missile, Rocket, Drone, or any other device or weapon, the United States will bomb and destroy ONE BRIDGE OR POWER PLANT, including those located next to, or in, the Capital City of Tehran. Thank you for your attention to this matter! President DONALD J. TRUMP.”

Earlier Wednesday, Iran’s Tasnim News Agency reported a powerful explosion on Larak Island in the Strait of Hormuz, saying it occurred after the launch of a U.S. missile.

The latest warning came after U.S. Central Command announced that American forces had completed an eleventh consecutive night of military strikes against Iranian targets.

According to CENTCOM, the operation targeted military command centers, naval assets, aircraft hangars, drone storage sites, and logistical infrastructure in an effort to further weaken Iran’s ability to threaten international shipping passing through the Strait of Hormuz.

“Over the past three months, Iran has attacked more than 30 commercial vessels transiting the international waterway, which is vital to regional and global trade. These unjustified attacks have endangered hundreds of innocent sailors and violated freedom of navigation,” the Central Command said.

CENTCOM added that commercial traffic continues to move through the strategic waterway despite the conflict.

“Despite Iranian aggression, the Strait of Hormuz remains open to the passage of commercial vessels. Since the beginning of May, CENTCOM forces have helped secure the passage of approximately 900 commercial vessels and 450 million barrels of crude oil.”

Iranian media reported that the latest American strikes struck numerous locations across the country, including Bahman, Mahshahr, Bandar Abbas, Chabahar, Bushehr, and Parchin. Reports also indicated that Iranian air defense systems were activated in the Sohank neighborhood of northeastern Tehran, west of Tabriz, and in the city of Sirik.

The United States and Iran have now been engaged in open military conflict for nearly two weeks, following Iran’s refusal to honor its agreement to reopen the Strait of Hormuz to international shipping and its continued attacks on vessels using the vital trade route. During the conflict, Iran has launched missiles and drones at targets across the region, including Bahrain, Kuwait, and Jordan, striking desalination facilities, energy infrastructure, and American military bases. Iranian attacks have also claimed the lives of three U.S. servicemen in Jordan.

{Matzav.com}

A growing internal disagreement has surfaced within the Gerer chassidus over how aggressively to respond to the arrest of yeshiva students in the ongoing draft controversy, with reports indicating a widening divide between the movement’s political leadership and a group of activists pushing for more confrontational protests.

According to Hebrew media reports, the Gerer political leadership worked behind the scenes to prevent Monday night’s demonstration outside the Tel Aviv home of Attorney General Gali Baharav-Miara. The protest came one day after thousands of Gerer chassidim gathered outside Military Prison 10 to demonstrate against the detention of a Gerer yeshiva student classified by the military as a draft evader.

While senior Gerer political figure Motty Babchik reportedly sought to calm tensions, the protest outside the attorney general’s residence was organized by an independent group of avreichim.

Channel 13 correspondent Yoeli Brim reported that the Gerer Rebbe himself instructed followers to intensify the demonstrations with the goal of “wearing down the police.”

The latest protest is said to reflect a broader internal struggle within the chassidus. According to the report, the Gerer political leadership has increasingly found itself at odds with large groups of avreichim who favor a far more forceful campaign and reject any discussion of compromise on the issue of the military draft for bnei yeshivos.

In a separate report, Kan News correspondent Daniel Groveis said the demonstration outside Baharav-Miara’s home took place despite the wishes of Gerer’s official leadership. According to the report, the protest was spearheaded by what was described as a “militant opposition” faction within the chassidus that is said to have ties to the Peleg Yerushalmi.

A Salvadoran illegal immigrant who entered the United States during the Biden administration and was later released into the country is now accused of gunning down a 71-year-old military veteran in what investigators believe was a random attack. Federal officials are also pointing to California’s sanctuary policies, arguing they prevented Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) from taking the suspect into custody before the deadly shooting.

ICE placed a detainer on Axel Eduardo Chavez-Marroquin, an illegal immigrant from El Salvador who crossed the southern border into California in 2021 and was released into the United States by the Biden administration.

“This illegal alien should’ve never been allowed on our streets, and James Witten should still be alive today,” Department of Homeland Security spokeswoman Lauren Bis said. “ICE is now asking officials in Utah to commit to not releasing this criminal from jail and to work with ICE so that we can remove him from our country. Reckless sanctuary policies in states like California are putting American lives at risk.”

Authorities in West Point, Utah, say the fatal shooting took place on May 30 as Randy Witten was decorating the porch of his home with his back turned toward the street. Investigators allege that Chavez-Marroquin drove up, exited his vehicle, and fired 10 shots at the unsuspecting veteran before fleeing the scene.

Police say Witten died from the gunfire. Investigators allege the suspect immediately drove to Las Vegas, Nevada, where he was ultimately arrested on June 16 and charged in connection with the killing.

Detectives say the entire shooting was captured by Witten’s doorbell camera. Despite the video evidence, investigators have not yet determined a motive and remain uncertain whether the victim was deliberately targeted.

Witten is survived by his wife, Maria, along with their children. According to his obituary, he devoted two decades to military service in the U.S. Air Force and served during the Vietnam War, Operation Desert Storm, and the invasion of Grenada.

“His Military decorations include; Meritorious Service Medal; AF Commendation Medal with one device; AF outstanding Unit Award with two devices; AF Organizational Excellence Award with one device; AF Good Conduct Medal with five devices; National Defense Service Medal with one device; NCO Professional Military Education Graduate Ribbon with two devices; Small Arms Expert Marksmanship Ribbon with one device; and AF Training Ribbon,” Witten’s obituary reads.

Chavez-Marroquin has been charged with murder with a dangerous weapon, discharge of a firearm causing serious injury, dangerous weapon conduct by a restricted person, and obstruction of justice. He remains jailed in Davis County, Utah, awaiting further legal proceedings.

Federal officials contend the suspect could have been deported before the killing if California authorities had cooperated with ICE. Chavez-Marroquin had previously been arrested in Santa Ana in 2024 on domestic violence allegations and again in Laguna Niguel in 2025 on another domestic violence charge.

Because of California’s sanctuary state policies, ICE says it was never notified after either of those arrests, preventing agents from taking him into immigration custody.

“This monster is charged with murdering a 71-year-old Army and Air Force veteran in Utah. California sanctuary politicians released this criminal from jail twice after arrests for domestic violence,” Bis said. “Following his release, he went on to commit this heinous murder.”

{Matzav.com}

[COMMUNICATED]

More than 70 speakers, 35 live programs, and multiple specialized channels will unite Jews around the world on July 22–23, 2026.

This Tisha B’Av, Jews across the globe will have an extraordinary opportunity to experience a full day of meaningful Torah, kinnos, inspiration, and reflection through TorahAnytime’s annual Tisha B’Av Live Streaming Event.

Taking place on July 22–23, 2026, the completely free program will feature 25 hours of continuous content, with more than 70 renowned rabbanim, speakers, and educators participating in over 35 live events and specialized programs.

The event is designed to help every participant connect with the meaning of Tisha B’Av in a way that speaks personally to them.

Viewers and listeners will be able to select from a wide variety of simultaneous programming, including TorahAnytime’s main broadcast, JewishAnytime, TorahAnytime Español, Daily Dose, StoryAnytime, Chazak, Torah Connections, dedicated women’s programming, children’s programming, kinnos, and much more.

Something Meaningful for Everyone

Tisha B’Av can be a long and emotionally challenging day. TorahAnytime’s goal is to transform those hours into an opportunity for deeper understanding, spiritual growth, and connection to Klal Yisrael.

The diverse lineup enables participants to choose the speakers, styles, languages, and topics that resonate most with them.

The program includes leading rabbanim and speakers from across the Jewish world, representing a broad range of communities and audiences.

Among the many featured speakers are Rabbi YY Jacobson, Rabbi Paysach Krohn, Rabbi Yisroel Reisman, Rabbi Zev Leff, Rabbi Moshe Meiselman, Rabbi Yitzchak Breitowitz, Rabbi Daniel Glatstein, Rabbi Fischel Schachter, Rabbi David Ashear, Rabbi Ephraim Eliyahu Shapiro, Rabbi Joey Haber, Rabbi Benzion Klatzko, Mr. Charlie Harary, Rabbi Warren Goldstein, Rabbi Mordechai Becher, Rabbi Shlomo Farhi, Rabbi Chanan Gordon, Rabbi Yaakov Rahimi, Rabbi Pinchas Landis, Rabbi Don Jarashow, and many others.

A special live program featuring Rabbi Joey Haber is also scheduled for 1:00 p.m. Eastern Time.

Live Kinnos From Communities Around the World

In addition to inspirational lectures and presentations, TorahAnytime will offer access to live kinnos programs from prominent rabbanim, shuls, and communities.

Participants will be able to join kinnos led by speakers including Rabbi Daniel Glatstein, Rabbi Dovid Goldwasser, Rabbi Ephraim Eliyahu Shapiro, Rabbi Moshe Tuvia Lieff, Rabbi Yisroel Reisman, Rabbi Aharon Lopiansky, Rabbi Yosef Ginsberg, Rabbi Eliezer Abish, and others.

Programs will also connect listeners with communities in locations including Har Nof, Manchester, and additional Jewish communities around the world.

No Internet or Smartphone Required

One of the most important features of the event is its accessibility.

Those with internet access can watch or listen through:
TorahAnytime.com/TishaBav

Anyone without internet access or a smartphone can participate by calling the TorahAnytime Tisha B’Av hotline: 605-605-2220

Dedicated international dial-in numbers are also available for Israel, Canada, the United Kingdom, and Australia.

Callers can select the extension for the program they would like to hear, allowing families and individuals to participate even without a computer or smart device.

A Worldwide Tisha B’Av Experience

TorahAnytime’s Tisha B’Av programming has grown into a major global event, reaching participants in more than 130 cities and attracting more than 750,000 viewers and listeners.

Despite the many different programs, communities, and speakers, the event carries one central message:

On Tisha B’Av, Jews everywhere can come together to mourn, learn, reflect, and strengthen their connection to Hashem and to one another.

Whether someone is looking for an in-depth Torah lecture, a moving personal story, a family-friendly program, a presentation in Spanish, a women’s program, a children’s program, or live kinnos, TorahAnytime is creating an accessible entry point for every Jew.

Join From Anywhere — Completely Free

The entire 25-hour event is being offered 100% free of charge.

Speakers and program times may be updated as the event approaches.

The latest schedule, streaming links, and dial-in information will be available at:
TorahAnytime.com/TishaBav

On July 22–23, Jews around the world are invited to choose a program, invite family and friends, and become part of one of the largest shared Tisha B’Av learning experiences in the world.