As Jewish communities confront a wave of violent antisemitic attacks, a little-known telegram sent nearly seven decades ago by the Lubavitcher Rebbe has reemerged, drawing fresh attention for its urgent tone and striking relevance.
The document, written by Rav Menachem Mendel Schneerson to US President Dwight D. Eisenhower, dates to April 16, 1956, just days after Arab terrorists attacked a Chabad school in Kfar Chabad during Maariv, murdering five students and their teacher. Though preserved in archives, the message had not previously circulated widely.
In the telegram, the Rebbe sharply condemned the attack, describing it as a “cold-blooded massacre of Jewish children at prayer,” and pressed Eisenhower to act. Rather than offering condolences alone, the Rebbe appealed for American influence to be used to prevent further bloodshed and to safeguard Jewish religious and educational institutions in Israel. Writing in the name of the worldwide Chabad movement, he framed the massacre as a moral test that “must arouse every decent human being,” urging immediate and effective steps.
The resurfacing of the telegram comes at a moment of acute concern for Jewish security after 15 people were killed in an Islamist terror attack targeting a Chanukah gathering at Sydney’s Bondi Beach.
{Matzav.com}
Dear Matzav Inbox,
There is a quiet, creeping issue that has taken root in our simchos and it needs to be called out plainly.
People show up. They take time off work. They battle traffic. They arrange carpools, babysitters, flights, and so on. They get dressed, (put on makeup, for the women), and come—often exhausted, often stretched thin—simply to share in another Yid’s joy and offer a heartfelt mazel tov. And far too often, what do they receive in return? A nod without eye contact. A rushed half-smile. Or worse, nothing at all.
When did basic hakaras hatov become optional?
A baal simcha who barely looks up as someone approaches, who offers a limp handshake while scanning the room for someone “more important,” sends a clear message: Your presence doesn’t really matter. And that message stings. It stings deeply.
And then there’s the kabbolas ponim circus.
How many times does one walk into a wedding hall, make their way to the designated table, and find… empty chairs? The baalei simcha are nowhere to be found. Instead of sitting and receiving people, they’re sprinting across the room looking for eidim, whispering frantically with photographers, managing crises that shouldn’t be their problem.
Sit down. Stay put. Let people wish you mazel tov. That is the entire point of a kabbolas ponim.
Is it really so unbearable to pause the logistics for a moment and be present?
This isn’t about entitlement. No one is asking for fanfare or flowery speeches. We’re talking about eye contact. A sincere smile. Two seconds of acknowledgment that says, “Thank you for coming. It means something to me.” That small human moment can carry someone for days. Its absence can sour an entire evening.
We speak endlessly about mentchlichkeit. Mentchlichkeit is how you treat the person standing in front of you.
A baal simcha who cannot be bothered to properly acknowledge the people who came to share their joy should stop and ask: What exactly is this simcha for?
Sit down. Look people in the eye. Say thank you. Mean it.
It shouldn’t be radical. It should be obvious.
B. T.
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As smart televisions have become a fixture in American living rooms, concerns about how much information they gather have grown sharper. While consumer advocates have offered tips on limiting data collection, Texas officials are now taking the issue to court, arguing that the problem goes far beyond complicated settings menus.
This week, Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton initiated legal action against five major television manufacturers—Sony, Samsung, LG, Hisense, and TCL—accusing them of unlawfully monitoring what residents watch inside their homes. The lawsuits claim the companies are “spying on Texans by secretly recording what consumers watch in their own homes.”
At the center of the complaints is Automated Content Recognition, or ACR, a technology embedded in many smart TVs. According to the filings, ACR allows televisions to capture images of what appears on the screen and transmit that information back to the manufacturer, enabling what the state describes as “real time” tracking of viewing habits without clear user awareness or permission.
Texas argues that this data collection feeds directly into the modern TV business model, where operating systems and advertising platforms generate significant revenue. Targeted ads rely on detailed viewer profiles, and ACR is sometimes activated by default. Consumer advocates have noted that disabling it can be difficult, with options hidden deep within complicated menu systems that vary by manufacturer.
The attorney general’s office has also highlighted the global implications of the practice. In a press release announcing the lawsuits, Paxton pointed out that Hisense and TCL are headquartered in China, asserting that “these Chinese ties pose serious concerns about consumer data.” The release adds that China’s National Security Law “gives its government the capability to get its hands on U.S. consumer data.”
Those warnings echo earlier debates in Washington. Similar fears about American user data being accessible to Beijing underpinned legislation passed in 2024 aimed at forcing ByteDance, TikTok’s China-based parent company, to divest or face a nationwide ban.
In their court filings, Texas officials draw comparisons to earlier eras of audience measurement. Decades ago, Nielsen compensated participants who allowed their listening or viewing habits to be tracked. The lawsuits argue that today’s consumers receive no such compensation, even as their data is harvested quietly and continuously—aside from the benefit of increasingly inexpensive large-screen televisions.
The complaints also trace the evolution of media monitoring back to the 1930s and 1940s, when Nielsen researchers physically collected tapes from devices attached to radios that recorded dial changes. Texas argues that modern ACR systems are far more invasive than those early tools.
Although opting out of ACR is technically possible, the state says it is unrealistic for most users. In its case against Hisense, Texas alleges that “opt-out rights are scattered across four or more separate menus which requires over 200 clicks to read through in full on the TV,” and that key license terms are presented only during the initial setup process.
The lawsuits include diagrams illustrating how ACR systems gather and transmit data. Texas maintains that the stakes extend beyond consumer privacy into national security. In the Hisense filing, the state notes that company terms allow data transfers to the People’s Republic of China, then advances a broader argument about potential misuse.
From the lawsuit:
The CCP may use the ACR data it collects from its Smart TVs to influence or compromise public figures in Texas, including judges, elected officials, and law enforcement, and for corporate espionage by surveilling those employed in critical infrastructure, as part of the CCP’s long-term plan to destabilize and undermine American democracy.
The focus on possible blackmail of public officials has raised eyebrows, particularly given Paxton’s own political history. While the attorney general faced impeachment proceedings in 2023 and allegations of an extramarital affair surfaced during that period, he was ultimately acquitted. Coverage by Austin’s KUT News reported that those personal allegations featured prominently during the trial.
Despite that backdrop, Paxton framed the lawsuits as a clear-cut defense of privacy. “Companies, especially those connected to the Chinese Communist Party, have no business illegally recording Americans’ devices inside their own homes,” Paxton said in a statement posted online announcing the new lawsuits.
“This conduct is invasive, deceptive, and unlawful. The fundamental right to privacy will be protected in Texas because owning a television does not mean surrendering your personal information to Big Tech or foreign adversaries.”
{Matzav.com}
Speculation about President Donald Trump and a potential third term has resurfaced following a recent meeting in the Oval Office with constitutional scholar Alan Dershowitz, who revealed that he presented Trump with a draft of an upcoming book addressing the issue.
According to Dershowitz, the manuscript—titled “Could President Trump Constitutionally Serve a Third Term?” and scheduled for release next year—lays out a range of constitutional theories that could be tested despite the 22nd Amendment’s two-term limit on presidents. Trump, Dershowitz said, expressed interest in reviewing the book and asked about its conclusions.
“I said ‘it’s not clear if a president can become a third term president and it’s not clear if it’s permissible,’” said Dershowitz, who represented Trump during his first impeachment trial.
Dershowitz recounted that after hearing the explanation, Trump reacted calmly and moved the conversation along. “He found it interesting as an intellectual issue,” Dershowitz said. “Do I think he’s going to run for a third term? No, I don’t think he will run for a third term.”
The Wall Street Journal reported that Dershowitz told the paper he had informed Trump that “the Constitution wasn’t clear on the issue.” He added that the book explores unusual but theoretically possible pathways, including a scenario in which a future election is thrown to Congress. In that case, Dershowitz suggested, the Electoral College could decline to vote, compelling lawmakers to decide the outcome. “They then select, and not elect, the president,” he explained.
Asked about the meeting and Trump’s posture, White House spokeswoman Abigail Jackson offered a supportive response, saying, “The country would be lucky if he served a longer period of time.”
Trump himself has publicly addressed the issue. In October, he acknowledged that constitutional limits bar him from seeking another term, saying he is “not allowed” to do so. Those remarks came as some supporters openly speculated about a 2028 run.
Fueling that speculation were red hats emblazoned with “Trump 2028” that appeared on the president’s Oval Office desk. Some backers floated the idea of a future ticket featuring Vice President JD Vance, but Trump brushed that aside, saying it was “pretty clear” he couldn’t run again. “But we have a lot of great people,” he added.
More recently, Trump said it is too early to formally designate a successor for the 2028 race, though he noted that Vance is currently viewed as the leading figure to carry the Republican banner.
{Matzav.com}
Israeli aviation authorities have announced immediate changes to passenger screening procedures at Ben Gurion Airport following two serious security breaches in recent months in which individuals managed to board international flights without valid travel documents or tickets.
The decision comes after an internal review revealed weaknesses at different points along the passenger screening chain, which involves the Airports Authority, the Population and Immigration Authority, and the airlines themselves.
In the first incident, which occurred roughly two months ago, a 13-year-old boy succeeded in boarding an El Al flight to the United States without a passport or a boarding pass. In a second case earlier this week, an 18-year-old Israeli infiltrated an Austrian Airlines flight to Vienna without a valid ticket. Both incidents raised significant concerns regarding oversight and coordination among the various bodies responsible for airport security and passenger control.
Following a high-level meeting held with the participation of the director general of the Israel Airports Authority and senior officials, a series of steps were approved to strengthen the outbound passenger process at Ben Gurion Airport. Due to aviation security considerations, officials said not all of the decisions can be made public.
However, the Airports Authority confirmed that the central change involves stricter verification of boarding passes. Whereas until now there were several stages between terminal entry and aircraft boarding at which passengers were not required to present a ticket, the new policy will require travelers to show a boarding pass at additional checkpoints. The revised procedures will be introduced gradually.
Officials cautioned that during the initial implementation phase, passengers may experience longer waiting times and increased congestion at certain points within the terminal.
The Airports Authority emphasized that the move is part of a broader, multi-year program aimed at improving efficiency, supervision, and uniformity in the outbound passenger process. The rollout and adjustment period for the new procedures is expected to continue over the coming year and will be carried out in a controlled, step-by-step manner.
As part of the wider plan, additional measures will be introduced, including reinforcement of staffing at key locations, adjustments to work configurations, and the integration of advanced technological systems. These steps are intended to strengthen service continuity, enhance the passenger experience, and ensure consistent compliance with established procedures.
{Matzav.com}
Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar on Wednesday accused the Palestinian Authority of continuing to fund terrorists and their families, despite public claims that the practice has ended, saying the payments are now being routed through a disguised pension system tied to Palestinian security services.
In a post on X, Sa’ar said the PA, led by Mahmoud Abbas, is masking payments to terrorists by categorizing them as benefits for retirees from Palestinian security forces. “Do not believe the lies of Mahmoud Abbas,” Sa’ar wrote. “The Palestinian Authority continues to pay salaries to terrorists and their families.”
Sa’ar said the PA has decided to maintain its long-standing policy of compensating terrorists based on the severity of their attacks. According to him, the system includes payments to the families of those killed while carrying out attacks, wounded terrorists, imprisoned terrorists, and those who have been released from prison.
He added that, in some cases, payments to freed terrorists are being concealed as pension disbursements to former members of Palestinian security agencies. “This is distorted,” Sa’ar wrote, calling on the international community to act immediately to end what he described as the “Pay-for-Slay” policy.
The remarks come amid repeated claims by the Palestinian Authority that it has halted direct payments to terrorists, assertions Israeli officials have rejected, arguing that the underlying system remains intact under different administrative labels.
{Matzav.com}
