Feed aggregator

Degel HaTorah is heading toward a sweeping generational change following the decision that veteran MKs Moshe Gafni and Uri Maklev will not return to the party’s Knesset slate, with several new names now emerging as likely candidates to replace them.

Political commentator Avi Ravina said the dramatic development has reverberated well beyond the Chareidi political world, largely because of the stature and lengthy careers of the two outgoing lawmakers.

“At the end of the day, we are talking about two MKs who are not merely veterans,” Ravina said, noting that Gafni has for decades been closely identified with Degel HaTorah’s leadership, while Maklev has earned a reputation as one of the party’s most active public servants.

According to Ravina, efforts continued until the last moment to reverse the decision, but those attempts were unsuccessful.

“But this decision is final; it is the decision of the Gedolei Yisroel,” he said.

Ravina also outlined what he said is the emerging composition of Degel HaTorah’s new slate, while cautioning that the lineup has not yet been finalized.

MK Yaakov Asher is expected to take the top position in Degel HaTorah, followed by MK Yitzchok Pindrus in the second slot. Rav Moshe Rosenthal, director of the Bnei Brak Municipality’s Education Department and a close associate of the home of Rav Dov Landau, is currently being mentioned for the third position.

The fourth slot remains less certain. Ravina said the leading name currently under consideration is Rav Yehuda Weissfish, chairman of Ichud Bnei HaYeshivos and a close associate of Rav Moshe Hillel Hirsch.

Another possibility considered for that position was Rav Gedalia Silman, deputy mayor of Bnei Brak. Ravina said, however, that Silman currently prefers to remain involved in municipal government rather than move to the national political arena.

For the fifth position, Ravina said David Zaltz, deputy mayor of Beitar Illit and a former chief of staff to Yaakov Asher, could be selected.

“That is what is currently being said in the circles of the rabbonim and Gedolei Yisroel ahead of the official approval and submission of the lists,” Ravina said.

He stressed that the lineup remains tentative and could still change. According to Ravina, the final slate could be approved and formally submitted within the coming day, ahead of the deadline for filing Knesset candidate lists.

A significant portion of Ravina’s analysis focused on the manner in which Gafni and Maklev were informed that their decades-long tenure on the slate was coming to an end.

While the eventual outcome may have become increasingly foreseeable, Ravina argued that the transition could have been handled in a more gradual and dignified fashion.

“It should have been gradual and with much greater discretion,” he said.

Ravina said considerable pressure had been exerted in recent weeks by those surrounding Gafni and Maklev in an effort to prevent their replacement. Now that the decision has been made, however, he said the focus should shift toward allowing both men to conclude their lengthy service with the respect they deserve.

“What has been done cannot be undone, but it is still possible to continue showing respect and to try to repair things,” Ravina said.

He described Gafni and Maklev as “two significant figures in Israeli politics in general, and certainly within Degel HaTorah.”

Ravina said their departure is unlikely to be absorbed overnight, predicting an extended period in which the party and its constituency come to terms with the end of their lengthy political careers.

“We still have long days of farewell ahead of us with these two,” he said.

He pointed to the extensive experience both accumulated over decades and their contributions to Chareidi political representation. Their departure, he said, places Degel HaTorah in the midst of a generational transition, as veteran representatives give way to figures who may be well known in local Chareidi public life but have little or no significant parliamentary experience.

Toward the end of the discussion, Ravina addressed developments in other Israeli parties, including the alliance between Yoaz Hendel and Yaron Zelekha, as well as the fortunes of parties and politicians that have made the issue of drafting bnei yeshivos a central part of their political campaigns.

Ravina sharply criticized those who, in his view, built their political identities largely around opposition to the Chareidi position on the draft, arguing that some ultimately paid an electoral price for doing so.

“These are parties that were less capable of saying what they were for; they only knew how to say what they were against and whom they opposed,” it was said during the discussion.

Ravina added that, from the perspective of the Chareidi parties, the priority heading into the coming election should now be strengthening their own representation rather than continuing to battle political rivals whose strength has already diminished.

{Matzav.com}

Hundreds of Breslover Chassidim traveling to Uman for Rosh Hashanah have been left without their luggage, clothing, medications and other essential supplies after suitcases belonging to passengers on HiSky flights from Ben Gurion Airport to Chisinau, Moldova, were left behind in Israel.

Passengers who began arriving in Chisinau on Thursday night told Matzav.com that they discovered upon landing that their luggage had never made it onto their flights. According to the passengers, they were subsequently informed by the airline that the missing suitcases would not be sent on later flights and would instead be returned to them only after they come back to Israel following Rosh Hashanah.

The situation has left hundreds of travelers — including elderly passengers, people with medical conditions and children — facing an extended stay in Uman without changes of clothing, tashmishei kedushah, basic hygiene products and essential medications.

Some passengers had also packed meat and other food for Yom Tov worth thousands of shekels. They now fear that the food will spoil completely while the luggage remains stranded at Ben Gurion Airport.

Among those affected is the elderly Rav Yosef Kadish Shapiro, who arrived without his suitcases and personal belongings.

A disabled bochur, Chaim Shalom ben Esther Malka, whose luggage also remained in Israel, issued an emotional plea describing the predicament he now faces in Uman.

“I have nothing to wear and no way to manage over Yom Tov in Uman,” he said.

Family members in Israel have attempted to retrieve the stranded luggage from Ben Gurion Airport so that it could be handed to other passengers who have not yet departed and brought to Moldova. According to the report, those requests were rejected by personnel at the airport.

The affected passengers are now demanding that the airline immediately transport the luggage to Moldova on a dedicated flight or, alternatively, allow relatives in Israel to collect the suitcases from Ben Gurion Airport and arrange for them to be transported independently.

A Chabad shliach in Moldova reported that dozens of stranded passengers had arrived at the Chabad House in Chisinau with virtually none of their belongings.

Many initially believed their suitcases would arrive aboard subsequent flights and remained in Chisinau awaiting their luggage. Some were forced to rent hotel rooms in the Moldovan capital at considerable expense while waiting, only to discover that their belongings were not arriving.

An aviation expert who spoke with Matzav.com said several possible factors could explain how such a large quantity of luggage was left in Israel. One possibility is a malfunction involving Ben Gurion Airport’s computerized baggage handling and routing system.

Another possibility, the expert said, is that the airline sold excessive cargo or baggage capacity, resulting in the aircraft being overloaded.

The expert also raised the possibility that aircraft departing Israel were carrying larger quantities of fuel because fuel prices in Israel are relatively inexpensive compared with Europe. The additional fuel would increase an aircraft’s overall weight and could consequently reduce the amount of baggage it could carry in its cargo hold.

Matzav.com contacted HiSky’s representatives in Israel seeking a response to the widespread baggage problems. The local representatives said the matter does not fall under their responsibility.

{Matzav.com}

The dramatic decision to replace veteran Degel HaTorah MKs Moshe Gafni and Uri Maklev is continuing to reverberate throughout the Chareidi political world, as new details emerge about the process that preceded the decision, the individuals serving as conduits to the Gedolei Yisroel, and the names being considered to fill the newly opened slots.

Speaking on the inaugural broadcast of Kol Chai’s “Tzohorayim Magazine,” hosted by Ariel Berman, commentator Manny Gira Schwartz provided a glimpse into the discussions that have taken place behind the scenes.

According to Schwartz, the possibility of refreshing Degel HaTorah’s Knesset representation did not suddenly emerge in recent days. The idea had already surfaced during previous Knesset terms and gained momentum following the dissolution of the most recent Knesset, amid disappointment within portions of the Chareidi community over the accomplishments of the outgoing term.

Schwartz stressed, however, that while various individuals may present information and potential candidates, the ultimate decisions rest exclusively with the Gedolei Yisroel.

Asked who currently serves as a link between developments on the ground and the homes of the Gedolei Torah, Schwartz identified three individuals as particularly significant: Rav Dovi Shapiro, a grandson of Maran Rav Aharon Leib Shteinman zt”l; Rav Tuvia Landau, a grandson of Maran Rav Dov Landau; and Rav Aharon Hirsch, a son of Maran Rav Moshe Hillel Hirsch.

Schwartz described them as the group that brings potential names before the Gedolei Torah — “and the Gedolei Hador are the ones who decide.”

Schwartz said there had also been discussions recently between those involved in the process and Gafni and Maklev. According to him, the possibility that the two longtime MKs could be replaced was known to them and therefore did not come entirely without warning.

He also noted that Gafni and Maklev had not visited the homes of the Gedolei Yisroel during the past several weeks, despite having had open access to them throughout the years.

Media personality Dudi Zilbershlag later joined the discussion, praising Gafni and Maklev for their decades of public service and the enormous political experience they accumulated during their years representing Degel HaTorah.

At the same time, Zilbershlag raised broader questions about the structure of power within Chareidi politics. He argued that even if the individuals serving as representatives are now being replaced, that does not necessarily mean the underlying political system itself will change.

Attention has meanwhile turned to who could take the newly available positions on Degel HaTorah’s Knesset slate.

Schwartz said one of the most prominent names under consideration is Moshe Rosenthal of Bnei Brak. Rav Yehuda Weissfish is another name being discussed as a possible new representative.

However, Schwartz cautioned against treating any of the prospective candidates as final before the deadline for submitting the electoral lists on Tuesday evening.

“All the names can change,” he said.

Schwartz also pushed back against descriptions of Gafni and Maklev’s departure as an “ouster,” arguing that such terminology fails to properly characterize the decision.

“We need to stop calling it by that word,” he said.

Schwartz pointed to the decades Gafni and Maklev spent carrying out their public missions and emphasized that the current development should instead be understood as a decision by the Gedolei Yisroel to replace the movement’s representatives.

{Matzav.com}

Agudas Yisroel chairman MK Yitzchok Goldknopf said that protecting the status of bnei yeshivos will stand at the center of his party’s agenda in the upcoming election, while revealing key provisions of a new agreement with Degel HaTorah and arguing that a unified Chareidi withdrawal from the government earlier in the term could have dramatically changed the political situation.

Speaking at an Agudas Yisroel party council meeting ahead of approval of its slate for the 26th Knesset, Goldknopf discussed the draft law, Agudas Yisroel’s departure from the government, the renewed arrangement with Degel HaTorah, and the approaching election campaign.

Goldknopf opened with a call for unity, quoting the posuk, “Atem nitzavim hayom kulchem lifnei Hashem Elokeichem,” and saying that Agudas Yisroel derives its strength from the bond between the Gedolei Torah, elected representatives, communities and activists.

“Today we are gathering to approve the Agudas Yisroel slate for the 26th Knesset. I thank you for the trust and support in having me lead the slate. I accept this mission with humility, reverence and complete commitment to the Moetzes Gedolei HaTorah and the entire Chareidi public,” he said.

A substantial portion of Goldknopf’s address focused on Agudas Yisroel’s battle over the draft issue during the outgoing Knesset. He said the movement has carried “the banner of faithful Judaism for generations,” defending kedushas Shabbos, the Olam HaTorah, Chareidi education and the right of Chareidim to maintain their way of life.

Goldknopf said the past term subjected the Chareidi community to “a wild campaign of incitement against the Chareidi public,” accompanied by sanctions and decrees directed at those learning Torah. He pointed to the arrests of bnei yeshivos, cuts affecting yeshivos and Chareidi education, and the financial consequences imposed on Chareidi families.

“We stood tall on the front lines of the struggle, made our voice heard clearly and acted with every tool at our disposal. We were the Nachshons and withdrew from the government out of loyalty to the mission we received from the Gedolei Torah and out of an absolute commitment to safeguarding the Olam HaTorah,” he declared.

Goldknopf then criticized other Chareidi representatives for not leaving the government together with Agudas Yisroel at the same point, saying that a coordinated move by all the Chareidi parties could have produced a very different result.

“I still believe with all my heart that if all the representatives of the Chareidi public had withdrawn together with us at the same time, with a united position and shared determination, the reality today would be different,” he said.

Goldknopf said the party must now take on a broader mission of explaining to Israelis the importance of Torah learning and the contributions made by Chareidi society. He cited its institutions of Torah and tefillah, extensive chessed operations, lifesaving organizations, volunteer efforts and assistance provided to families.

“This truth is what we need to bring everywhere and to every home in Israel,” he said.

Goldknopf devoted another major portion of his remarks to the agreement reached between Agudas Yisroel and Degel HaTorah ahead of the election. He said the arrangement differs in several respects from previous agreements and contains a joint commitment making the draft issue a central condition of the factions’ political cooperation.

Under the position Goldknopf outlined for future coalition negotiations, a ben yeshiva whose Toraso umnaso would be exempt from military service “without any sanctions whatsoever.”

He further announced that until the Knesset passes legislation formally regulating the status of those learning Torah, the faction will not support legislation sponsored by coalition parties, with the exception of measures specifically designated by the Gedolei Yisroel as exceptions.

Goldknopf also disclosed another significant restriction contained in the agreement: Until legislation securing the status of bnei yeshivos whose Toraso umnaso is enacted, the faction’s representatives will not serve as government ministers, deputy ministers or chairmen of Knesset committees.

The provision, according to Goldknopf’s presentation of the agreement, is intended to prevent a situation in which United Torah Judaism representatives accept senior government or parliamentary positions while the draft issue remains unresolved. He said the agreement also contains understandings regarding the Norwegian Law, rotations between representatives, and cooperation between Agudas Yisroel and Degel HaTorah.

Goldknopf additionally addressed the allocation of positions on the joint United Torah Judaism slate. He said that among slots 11 through 20, six positions will be allocated to Degel HaTorah and five to Agudas Yisroel.

Beyond the numerical division of the slate, Goldknopf said the two factions had reached understandings on issues he characterized as “fundamental and basic.” He indicated that the parties intend to work together following the election, presenting the agreement as a framework for continuing the longstanding political partnership despite the disputes and tensions that have emerged between the two factions in recent months.

Concluding his address, Goldknopf turned his attention to the election campaign and urged Agudas Yisroel activists to mobilize.

“We, with Hashem’s help, need your strength, we need your determination,” he said, calling on activists to reach “every community and every home.”

Goldknopf said current polling shows United Torah Judaism receiving approximately eight Knesset seats, but contended that polling organizations do not adequately sample several Chareidi population centers and that the party’s eventual showing could therefore be stronger. He ended by emphasizing internal unity and calling on Agudas Yisroel activists to enter the campaign united and determined.

{Matzav.com}

A London resident is searching for a young Chassidic man whose cigarettes he agreed to carry during a trip to Israel, after an unexpected mix-up at Ben Gurion Airport prevented the two from reconnecting and left him worried that the stranger believes he simply disappeared with the merchandise.

The unusual hashavas aveidah story was shared by Chazi Banish during Menachem Toker’s “Zman Avir” radio program. Banish said that while making a connecting flight on his way to Israel, he encountered a young Chassidic man who had purchased more cigarettes than he was permitted to carry.

The young man asked Banish whether he could take two cartons on his behalf, and Banish agreed. They arranged to meet after passing through customs at Ben Gurion Airport, where Banish would return the cigarettes to him.

But after the flight landed, their simple arrangement went awry.

Banish said the airport’s usual exit was closed because of construction, forcing him to find another way out of the terminal. He spent approximately an hour waiting and searching for the young man, but the two never managed to find one another.

Complicating matters further, neither had thought to exchange phone numbers. Banish therefore found himself holding two cartons of someone else’s cigarettes with no name, number or other way of contacting their owner.

Speaking with Toker, Banish said his biggest concern is that the young man probably believes he deliberately took the cigarettes and vanished. He stressed that he wants to return the cartons and is even prepared to reimburse their owner for their value if necessary.

“I’m sure he thinks I cheated him,” Banish said.

For the time being, Banish said, he has given the cigarettes to his nephew in Israel for safekeeping in the hope that their owner can be located.

Toker, intrigued by the unusual predicament, enlisted listeners of “Zman Avir” to help track down the mystery traveler. During the broadcast, he and Banish attempted to reconstruct as many details of their encounter as possible.

Banish described the owner as a young Chassidic bochur whom he met while traveling to Israel. He recalled that the young man apparently had more than 20 packs of cigarettes with him and said the two cartons entrusted to him were most likely Parliament Lights.

Coming just before Rosh Hashanah, Toker said Banish’s determination to find a complete stranger simply to return his property was a case of “classic hashavas aveidah.”

Toker urged listeners to circulate the story and its identifying details in the hope that someone would recognize the young man or know how to reach him.

Banish said he hopes the publicity generated by the broadcast will finally reunite him with the owner, allowing him to return the cigarettes and resolve the misunderstanding that began with a chance encounter between two strangers at an airport.

{Matzav.com}

Israel’s Transportation Ministry is preparing a broad expansion of public transportation services for the upcoming Tishrei season, with additional trains and buses, extended late-night service in Yerushalayim, and special arrangements at Ben Gurion Airport as tens of thousands of travelers head to Uman for Rosh Hashanah.

At the direction of Transportation and Road Safety Minister Miri Regev, ministry director-general Moshe Ben Zaken conducted a readiness assessment involving senior ministry officials, infrastructure companies, the National Public Transport Authority, aviation and maritime authorities, and other agencies.

Officials were instructed to expand transportation services, deploy additional personnel in the field and maintain the ability to rapidly shift from routine operations to an emergency footing if circumstances require it.

Ben Gurion Airport is expected to be one of the most heavily congested transportation hubs, in large part because of the tens of thousands of passengers traveling to Uman. The Israel Airports Authority and airlines are preparing by increasing staffing, expanding passenger services, making arrangements for unusual baggage requirements and strengthening coordination among the various agencies operating at the airport.

Israel’s maritime transportation system is also preparing for the holiday period. The Shipping and Ports Authority, port companies and operators at the country’s seaports are planning to maintain passenger and cargo traffic throughout the Yom Tov period, with operational teams and situation rooms remaining on standby.

Israel Railways will modify its operations to accommodate changing passenger demand during the Tishrei season. Train schedules will be adjusted for the holiday period, with particular attention given to the expected increase in passengers traveling to Yerushalayim for Selichos and during the Aseres Yemei Teshuvah.

Further railway adjustments are planned for Chol Hamoed, when service will be tailored to areas experiencing especially heavy passenger traffic.

At the same time, the National Public Transport Authority is preparing to increase both urban and intercity bus service. Additional buses and more frequent service are planned for Erev Yom Tov, immediately following Yom Tov and throughout Chol Hamoed.

Yerushalayim will receive special attention because of the tens of thousands of visitors and mispallelim expected to travel to the Old City and the Kosel during the coming weeks.

Under a new pilot program, the city’s light rail and bus services will continue operating until later at night, providing additional transportation options for those attending Selichos and other gatherings.

Separate preparations are underway for the large Hataras Nedarim gathering on Erev Rosh Hashanah. Transportation arrangements for the event are being coordinated between the Transportation Ministry, Israel Police and the Yerushalayim Municipality.

On Israel’s highways, infrastructure companies have been instructed to focus on keeping major routes open, quickly addressing hazards and minimizing disruptions to traffic.

Netivei Israel’s situation room will remain on alert, while response teams will be stationed at locations around the country with the goal of reaching incidents within approximately 20 minutes.

Authorities also plan increased cleaning operations along major transportation routes. Teams will remain prepared for weather-related incidents and other unexpected developments that could interfere with traffic during the busy holiday period.

“Under Minister Regev’s instructions, all the ministry’s companies and agencies are entering the holiday period at a high level of readiness. We will monitor operations in real time, adjust our responses to congestion and maintain continuity of service across all branches of transportation. The public will encounter more teams in the field, reinforced service and a focused response at areas of high demand,” Ben Zaken said.

{Matzav.com}

LISTEN:

​​For more info, email bitachon4life@gmail.com.

LISTEN:

A deepening internal crisis within the Chassidishe Agudas Yisroel faction of the Yahadut Hatorah party is threatening to reshape the party ahead of the upcoming Knesset election, with senior figures now openly raising the possibility of running together with Degel HaTorah without Ger — or potentially forming a separate electoral bloc.

The turmoil erupted over a Ger demand to remove former MK Moshe Shimon Roth, the representative of Sanz, from the fifth position on the Agudas Yisroel slate.

A senior Agudas Yisroel official told Matzav.com Monday evening that amid the escalating confrontation with Ger, the possibility of joining Degel HaTorah without Ger is no longer being ruled out. Another possibility being considered is for the other factions to run as a separate bloc.

“Ger does not represent us,” the senior official said.

The comments came after a meeting of the Agudas Yisroel Moetzes broke down Monday evening over Ger’s demand that Roth not be approved for the fifth slot on the party’s electoral list.

Roth, who represents Sanz, was himself present at the meeting and was reportedly stunned to discover during the discussion that Ger was seeking to have him removed from the position.

At the heart of the confrontation is Ger’s demand that whoever occupies the fifth slot be committed to voting in accordance with the decisions of the Central Faction, which represents Ger within Agudas Yisroel.

Sanz has refused to make such a commitment. During the previous Knesset, Roth voted on some issues in accordance with instructions from the Sanzer Rebbe, rather than automatically following the position of Ger’s Central Faction.

The dispute is now having repercussions beyond the fight over the fifth slot.

Shlomei Emunim and Machzikei HaDas have informed Degel HaTorah’s negotiating teams that, for the time being, the signing of the agreement for a joint Degel HaTorah-Agudas Yisroel run should be delayed because of what transpired at the Moetzes meeting.

Figures in both Shlomei Emunim and Belz have also expressed support for Meir Porush’s position that the fifth spot should remain with Sanz rather than be transferred to Ger.

The upheaval comes as Degel HaTorah and Agudas Yisroel have been working to finalize a new agreement governing their joint electoral framework.

Under the emerging agreement, if the Knesset is dissolved during the first year and a half of its term, the agreement would remain in effect for the subsequent Knesset election as well.

The agreement is also expected to establish a unified position on the draft issue, with the parties supporting legislation providing exemptions for bnei yeshivos without sanctions. The faction would refuse to support other legislation until the status of full-time Torah learners is formally resolved, and its representatives would not accept government positions before the law is enacted.

The latest confrontation, however, has now cast uncertainty over whether all of Agudas Yisroel’s constituent factions will remain together for the election.

What began as a dispute over Sanz’s fifth-place position has thus escalated into a potentially far-reaching battle over Ger’s role and influence within Agudas Yisroel — and could ultimately affect the structure of the broader chareidi slate for the 26th Knesset.

{Matzav.com}

Benny Begin, son of Likud founder and Prime Minister Menachem Begin, issued a blistering attack on Israeli Prime Minister Binyomin Netanyahu, accusing him of bearing ultimate responsibility for the failures surrounding the October 7 massacre and urging Israelis to express their judgment in the upcoming election.

Begin, who permanently left Likud about five years ago, published the remarks after Netanyahu said that senior security officials did not wake him during the night preceding the October 7 attack.

“You kept quiet and you lied too?!” Begin wrote.

Turning to the question of responsibility for the failures that preceded the massacre, Begin noted that both the IDF and Shin Bet operate under the authority of the government.

“It is self-evident that all members of the government bear responsibility for the terrible failure, special responsibility rests with the members of the Ministerial Committee on National Security, and the ultimate responsibility rests with the prime minister, Benjamin Netanyahu. What is unclear here?” he wrote.

Begin then reflected on his decades-long political history, noting that he cast his first Knesset ballot 65 years ago, long before Likud itself was established.

“I voted for the Knesset for the first time 65 years ago. I placed the letter Chet in the ballot box for the Herut movement (Likud had not yet been established). Since then I have grown old and have seen quite a bit, but such ugliness as this government injects into our public life, such wretchedness in the leadership of the country, have never existed,” Begin wrote.

He concluded by pointing directly to the upcoming election, scheduled for Tuesday, October 27.

“The conclusion will come on the upcoming civic day, Tuesday, 16 Cheshvan, October 27. ‘Come out in droves,’” Begin wrote.

{Matzav.com}

Degel HaTorah has adopted a significantly tougher position on the yeshiva draft issue, joining Agudas Yisroel in demanding that all bnei yeshivos receive exemptions from IDF service without any sanctions, according to the new agreement governing the parties’ joint United Torah Judaism slate.

The agreement explicitly establishes that United Torah Judaism’s position in future coalition negotiations will be that any ben yeshiva should be exempt from military service, with no personal or other sanctions imposed as a condition of that exemption.

The provision represents a significant shift for Degel HaTorah. Until now, the party had participated in negotiations over proposed draft legislation that included personal sanctions, as part of efforts to formulate a law that could withstand judicial scrutiny.

Under the new agreement, United Torah Judaism will also refuse to support legislation in the Knesset until a law is enacted formally regulating the status of full-time Torah learners whose Torah is their occupation. Exceptions will be permitted only when authorized by the Gedolei Yisroel.

The agreement goes further by tying senior government and Knesset positions to passage of the legislation. Until the status of bnei yeshivos is resolved in law, United Torah Judaism representatives will not serve as ministers, deputy ministers or chairmen of Knesset committees.

The agreement between Agudas Yisroel and Degel HaTorah also establishes a joint leadership body that will address major issues facing the faction in the Knesset, including the status of Torah learners, education, and matters involving religion and state.

The two parties will hold regular joint faction meetings, with decisions required to be reached by consensus rather than through a majority vote.

Ministers and deputy ministers representing the faction will be invited to all such meetings, as will candidates placed through the 12th position on the United Torah Judaism electoral slate.

If Agudas Yisroel and Degel HaTorah are unable to resolve a disagreement between themselves, the dispute will be referred to an arbitration panel for a final decision.

{Matzav.com}

With tens of thousands of Breslover chassidim and other Jews preparing to travel to Uman for Rosh Hashanah, extensive renovations and infrastructure improvements have been completed at the city’s central Breslover Kloiz in preparation for the massive annual gathering.

The Kloiz, the largest and primary Breslover shul in Uman, has undergone a significant overhaul aimed at allowing the thousands of visitors to daven and learn with greater comfort and yishuv hadaas throughout the days of the annual Rosh Hashanah kibbutz.

In the Ashkenazi Kloiz, the largest davening hall in Uman, construction of the gallery walls extending to the ceiling has been completed. The project also addressed a longstanding problem involving pigeons that would fly through the main hall during davening. Special screens have now been installed on all the windows, allowing them to remain open for ventilation without birds entering the building.

A new ceiling was also installed beneath the gallery on the western side of the main hall. At the same time, the lighting system underwent a major upgrade, with new fixtures installed throughout the Kloiz.

The Sephardic Kloiz has received an extensive renovation as well. A new ceiling was installed above the main hall, together with a modern lighting system and new chandeliers.

Three spacious new shtiblach were constructed on the eastern side of the Sephardic Kloiz. They will be used for Shacharis, Mincha and Maariv during the week and will serve as quiet learning areas during the remaining hours of the day. The new learning area has also been furnished with bookcases stocked with seforim.

To accommodate the enormous crowds expected during Rosh Hashanah, new high-powered air-conditioning units were installed in the Sephardic Kloiz to improve cooling throughout the facility.

A new coffee station has also been built near the shtiblach and will operate throughout the days of the Rosh Hashanah gathering.

The entrance plaza to the Kloiz has undergone its own transformation. New asphalt was laid across the area, while the entrance walls were covered with new stonework.

A prominent new sign at the front identifies the building as “The Great Synagogue of the Breslover Chassidim in Uman — The Kloiz.” The sign also pays tribute to Rav Yechiel Michel Dorfman, who founded and built the facility with extraordinary dedication.

The medical clinic located in the Kloiz courtyard has meanwhile been substantially renovated and expanded to provide additional treatment space and ensure that adequate medical care is available should it be necessary during the massive gathering.

Those involved in the project expressed the hope “that we will not need this place and that there will be as few people as possible to treat.”

Additional seating and learning areas have been established throughout the complex. A computer room offering filtered internet access, which has been operated by Ichud Breslov in Uman in recent years, will also continue to be available.

The improvements were carried out by Ichud Breslov in Uman as part of its preparations to accommodate the tens of thousands of visitors expected for Rosh Hashanah, with the goal of enabling them to focus on davening and learning without unnecessary distractions.

Rav Nosson Tzemach, gabbai of the tziyun of Rav Nachman of Breslov, welcomed the completion of the work.

“We are privileged to see the masses streaming to the tziyun of our holy Rebbe. The investment in the Kloiz, located close to the tziyun, is intended to provide an appropriate response for the tens of thousands of mispallelim, so that they can pour out their hearts and engage in Torah with yishuv hadaas and an expansive heart, as is proper and fitting for the days of the holy Rosh Hashanah kibbutz,” he said.

Rav Nosson Ben Nun, chairman of Ichud Breslov in Uman, said crews had spent months working around the clock to complete the preparations.

“The dedicated teams of Ichud Breslov worked day and night for many long months to complete all the preparations ahead of the kibbutz. The goal that stood before our eyes throughout the entire process was one thing — the honor of our holy Rebbe and the honor of the tens of thousands traveling to Uman, so that they can engage in Torah and tefillah in comfort and without any distractions,” he said.

{Matzav.com}