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MIRACULOUS SURVIVAL: British Passenger Alive After Boeing 787 Crashes And Explodes In India

Yeshiva World News -

A British passenger miraculously emerged alive from the wreckage of a catastrophic Air India crash that killed more than 200 people on Thursday. The survivor, identified as 40-year-old Vishwash Kumar Ramesh, was seated in 11A aboard the Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner when it plummeted into a densely populated residential area in Ahmedabad, India, just moments after takeoff. Staggering away from the debris-littered street, Ramesh was spotted limping amid the carnage before being rushed to a hospital by bystanders. “When I got up, there were bodies all around me. I was scared. I stood up and ran,” he told reporters from his hospital bed. “Someone grabbed hold of me and put me in an ambulance.” The horror unfolded just after departure from Ahmedabad airport, when the aircraft began descending rapidly and struck a doctors’ hostel in the city of over 5 million residents. “There was a loud noise, and then the plane crashed. It all happened so quickly,” Ramesh recalled. Authorities had initially feared there were no survivors. Ahmedabad Police Commissioner G.S. Malik later confirmed to the BBC that 204 bodies had been recovered from the scene. There were 242 people on board at the time of the crash, and rescue operations are still ongoing. The cause of the crash remains under investigation. (YWN World Headquarters – NYC)

Smotrich Meets Huckabee: ‘Our Bond With The USA Is Stronger Than Any Storm’

Matzav -

Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich held a meeting today with U.S. Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee at the American Embassy in Yerushalayim.

After their discussion, Smotrich took to social media to reflect on the strength of U.S.-Israel ties. “The alliance between Israel and the United States is stronger than any storm,” Smotrich wrote.

In his remarks, he extended his appreciation to President Trump, praising his role on the world stage. Smotrich also made a point of asking Huckabee to personally deliver his gratitude to the president, calling his leadership “a beacon for the free world.”

“Thank you, Mr. Ambassador, for your true friendship, your support, and for today’s important meeting,” Smotrich said in his concluding comments.

The meeting between Huckabee and both Smotrich and Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir came shortly after several British Commonwealth nations issued sanctions against the two Israeli officials.

{Matzav.com Israel}

Weekly Unemployment Claims Remain Flat, Still at 8-Month High

Yeshiva World News -

U.S. filings for jobless benefits were unchanged last week, remaining at the higher end of recent ranges as uncertainty over the impact of trade wars lingers. New applications for jobless benefits numbered 248,000 for the week ending June 7, the Labor Department said Thursday. Analysts had forecast 244,000 new applications. A week ago, there were 248,000 jobless claim applications, which was the most since early October and a sign that layoffs could be trending higher. Weekly applications for jobless benefits are considered representative of U.S. layoffs and have mostly bounced around a historically healthy range between 200,000 and 250,000 since COVID-19 throttled the economy five years ago, wiping out millions of jobs. However, the past three weeks, layoffs have been at the higher end of that range, raising some concern from analysts. “There are early warning signs in the labor market,” said Navy Federal Credit Union’s chief economist, Heather Long. “If layoffs worsen this summer, it will heighten fears of a recession and consumer spending pullback.” In reporting their latest earnings, many companies have either trimmed their sales and profit expectations for 2025 or not issued guidance at all, often citing President Donald Trump’s dizzying rollout of tariff announcements. Though Trump has paused or dialed down many of his tariff threats, concerns remain that a tariff-induced global economic slowdown could sabotage what’s been a robust U.S. labor market. Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell has said the potential for both higher unemployment and inflation are elevated, an unusual combination that complicates the central bank’s dual mandate of controlling prices and keeping unemployment low. Powell said that tariffs have dampened consumer and business sentiment. In early May, the Federal Reserve held its benchmark lending rate at 4.3% for the third straight meeting after cutting it three times at the end of last year. Last week, the Labor Department reported that U.S. employers slowed their hiring in May, but still added a solid 139,000 jobs despite uncertainty over Trump’s trade wars. In a separate report last week, Labor reported that U.S. job openings rose unexpectedly in April, but other data suggested that Americans are less optimistic about the labor market. The report showed that the number of Americans quitting their jobs — a sign of confidence in their prospects — fell, while layoffs ticked higher. In another sign the job market has cooled from the hiring boom of 2021-2023, the government reported one job for every unemployed person. As recently as December 2022, there were two vacancies for every jobless American. The government has estimated that the U.S. economy shrank at a 0.2% annual pace in the first quarter of 2025, a slight upgrade from its first estimate. Growth was slowed by a surge in imports as companies in the U.S. tried to bring in foreign goods before Trump’s massive tariffs went into effect. Trump is attempting to reshape the global economy by dramatically increasing import taxes to rejuvenate the U.S. manufacturing sector. The president has also tried to drastically downsize the federal government workforce, but many of those cuts are being challenged in the courts and Congress. On Wednesday, Google confirmed that it had offered buyouts to another swath of its workforce in a fresh round of cost-cutting ahead of a court decision that could order a breakup of its internet empire. […]

Matzav Inbox: Would Satmar Hire a Litvishe Singer for Their Maamad?

Matzav -

Dear Matzav Inbox,

Let me begin by stating the obvious: The Adirei HaTorah event this week was stunning. From the kavod haTorah to the emotional energy in the room, it was everything we hope for in a gathering that celebrates the crowns of Klal Yisroel.

But I have to ask a question for a friend — and I’m sure he’d not the only one thinking this:

Are the only singers we can find for a Litvishe yeshiva event Chassidish?

Yes, Naftali Kempeh was there — and it was a welcome breath of authenticity. But he was given one song. One. Why?

Can we take a moment and flip the script?

Would Satmar ever bring in a Litvishe singer for one of their events?

Would Bobov? Skver? Belz? Vizhnitz?

Would any of them feature Litvishe singers and let them run the musical show – in their havarah?

Of course not. And they’d be right.

(By the way: Nothing against Yanky Daskal, Zanvil Weinberger and Hershy Weinberger. They’re great. They should be genbentched. But that’s not the point here.)

Because part of the beauty of these events is that they reflect who we are. The songs, the style, the soul. It’s not just about musical notes. It’s about identity.

Can you imagine a Litvishe guy singing at a Chassidishe event in his havarah?

So why are Chassidishe guys singing at a Litvishe event in their havarah?

It’s bizarre. Sorry.

There are Litvishe singers with beautiful voices, geshmake ruach, and deep neshamah. Naftali Kempeh could have easily carried the evening, not be relegated to an afterthought.

I’ll just give one name. There’s Simcha Jacoby — a yungerman with a gorgeous voice and the heart to match. Why not showcase someone like him? Why is there never room?

There’s no shortage of talent. There’s just a shortage of vision.

Adirei HaTorah is a celebration of the yeshiva world. Let the sound of the yeshiva world fill the room.

Sincerely,
A Proud Member of the Olam HaTorah

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New Draft Law on IDF Conscription Introduces Sweeping Sanctions, Four-Year Expiry Clause

Matzav -

A newly finalized draft of Israel’s conscription law includes strict personal and institutional sanctions for yeshiva students who do not enlist, alongside a mechanism that could lead to the law’s automatic expiration within four years if recruitment targets are not met, Matzav.com has learned.

The proposal, formulated late Wednesday night, sets the draft age for chareidi yeshiva students at 18–26. The government has committed to existing enlistment targets: 4,800 in the first year, 5,700 in the second year, and 50% of the annual draft cohort within five years. The law is officially defined as a temporary measure for six years, but if the state fails to consistently meet annual targets within four years, the law will automatically expire. If benchmarks are met, the law would be extended by one year at a time.

Immediate Personal Sanctions

Starting in the first year of implementation, yeshiva students who do not enlist will face individual penalties, regardless of whether the state meets its draft quotas. These include:

  • Travel restrictions for unmarried men (exceptions via a special committee)

  • Ineligibility for a driver’s license

  • Loss of income tax credit points for employed students under 26

  • Ineligibility for subsidized academic studies

After six months, if the annual target is missed, benefits for the second half of the year—such as discounts for daycares and public transportation—will not be granted.

Should the state miss its targets for the first two years, additional sanctions will be imposed:

  • Termination of daycare subsidies

  • Ineligibility for discounted housing programs

  • Cancellation of National Insurance benefits

  • Removal of discounts on public transit

  • Elimination of subsidies for housing in Israel’s periphery

By the third year, if targets are still not met, first-home purchase tax subsidies and after-school program funding will also be revoked. If goals are missed by year four, the law will automatically expire.

Budget Penalties for Yeshivos

Simultaneously, financial penalties will be imposed on yeshivos. If a yeshiva reaches 95% of the target, no budget cuts will occur. Meeting between 75% and 95% of the quota will result in budget reductions of up to 50%, depending on how far off the mark they are. Institutions that meet less than 75% of their quota will lose all state funding.

Resetting Draft Status

Once the law goes into effect, all yeshiva students between the ages of 18 and 26 will be returned to the national draft registry and will need to reapply for exemption or deferment. Even those currently classified as deserters will receive temporary yeshiva student status for the purpose of the new system.

Oversight Committees and Review Mechanisms

If recruitment goals are missed for three consecutive years, a special public committee will be established to investigate the failures and propose reforms, which may include legislative changes.

Additionally, a professional committee will be formed to evaluate alternative chareidi service tracks. This body will determine whether these tracks meet IDF criteria and may recommend easing certain sanctions in cases where minimal requirements are not met.

Chareidi political leaders expressed cautious optimism. “This is not an easy law for the chareidi public,” one senior official said, “but it’s better than the current situation.” They estimate that within 10 to 14 days, if agreements remain intact, the Knesset’s Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee will resume deliberations and begin voting on the bill.

{Matzav.com Israel}

After Nearly a Century, Yerushalayim’s Iconic Angel Bakery To Become High-Rise Housing

Matzav -

After nearly a century of continuous operation on the same grounds, one of Israel’s most iconic bakeries is set to be replaced by a major residential development. The Yerushalayim District Planning and Building Committee has approved a proposal to transform the former Angel Bakery complex in Givat Shaul into a high-rise housing project.

The approved plan envisions the construction of 960 residential units in towers reaching up to 35 stories, built atop five levels of commercial and office space. The project will also include a school, green public areas, and a diverse range of apartment types — with 20% of units designated as smaller residences. Moshe Tzur Architects designed the project, which is being advanced by Kanfei Ruach Building Jerusalem Ltd., and it will be located at the western edge of Givat Shaul’s business zone, directly on the city’s light rail green line.

The 18-dunam (approximately 4.5-acre) parcel served as the home of Angel Bakery since the 1920s. The Angel family sold the property to developers in 2021, and the bakery closed its doors there in 2022, opening the door for redevelopment.

This new venture adds to a broader wave of urban renewal in the district, including the adjacent “City of the World” development on the grounds of a former flour mill. That project features 360 apartments, substantial commercial areas, and civic infrastructure.

The redevelopment aligns with an updated master plan for Givat Shaul, adopted in 2022, which reclassified zones formerly limited to industrial, commercial, and hospitality purposes to allow residential construction.

Elsewhere in Yerushalayim, the committee gave the green light to plans for revamping the historic President Hotel. Built in the 1950s and sitting empty since the late 1980s, the structure will be preserved for public use, while 300 new residential units will be added across four buildings. Two floors of rental housing will also be constructed atop the preserved hotel, with additional space allotted for street-level retail.

In Holon, near Tel Aviv, the committee approved a sweeping renewal plan for Yoseftal Boulevard, one of the city’s main entry points. The 70-dunam (17-acre) initiative includes 1,620 housing units, 160,000 square meters of retail and employment areas, and 100,000 square meters of space for public use, including a government complex. Its proximity to rail and light rail stations positions it as a future transportation hub. A segment of the residential units will be set aside as smaller apartments.

Ramat Hasharon’s Reines neighborhood will also see transformation, with approval granted for a project that replaces 104 outdated apartments with 270 new units housed in mid- and high-rise buildings. Of these, 10% will be categorized as very small units, and 30% as small. The plan incorporates ground-floor retail and a public-use facility.

In southern Israel, a separate initiative will make 2,500 land parcels available to military reservists, though about 1,000 of these are in areas where demand is currently low. Meanwhile, in Bat Yam, a previously stalled development due to insolvency issues has been revived, with authorities approving a 200-unit housing project.

{Matzav.com Israel}

Minister Yitzchok Goldknopf Resigns from Government

Matzav -

Housing and Construction Minister Yitzchok Goldknopf of United Torah Judaism stepped down from his ministerial role on Thursday, citing continued frustration over the coalition’s failure to uphold commitments regarding the draft law and protections for yeshiva students.

In a resignation letter addressed to Prime Minister Netanyahu, Goldknopf wrote: “Despite my repeated warnings during Cabinet meetings, coalition leadership forums, and personal discussions, no agreement has been reached on the regulation of Torah students’ status. Therefore, I can no longer remain a member of this government.”

He reminded Netanyahu of prior assurances to pass legislation addressing the issue either before the approval of the 2023 state budget or within a ten-day timeframe—assurances he said were not kept. He also criticized more recent negotiations, saying they fall short of the coalition agreement’s original language.

Goldknopf pointed out that while officials only recently began engaging seriously on the matter, the bill that would allow for dissolving the Knesset failed to pass the previous evening. Reports indicate that the revised arrangements do not correspond to the original terms laid out in the coalition pact.

He announced his intention to return to the Knesset under the provisions of the Knesset Law. This move would mean that MK Eliyahu Broch of Degel HaTorah, who had entered the Knesset under the Norwegian Law, will conclude his service. Additionally, a deputy minister from Shas is expected to step down, making room for MK Moshe Roth of Agudas Yisrael.

Goldknopf also stated that if United Torah Judaism appoints a replacement from among its ranks to the Housing Ministry, Israel Eichler is the likely candidate. In that case, Broch would retain his seat in the Knesset.

{Matzav.com Israel}

Revealed: From the United States, Rav Moshe Hillel Hirsch Ordered Delay of Knesset Dissolution Vote

Matzav -

A dramatic development late Wednesday night temporarily halted the growing momentum toward dissolving the Knesset. Matzav.com learned that Rav Moshe Hillel Hirsch, rosh yeshiva of Slabdoka who is currently in the United States on behalf of the Olam HaTorah Fund, instructed that the vote on the proposed dissolution not be brought to the floor this week, giving his instruction via telephone from the U.S.

The directive followed a lengthy phone conversation between MK Moshe Gafni, head of Degel HaTorah, and Rav Hirsch. Gafni reported “significant progress” in discussions between chareidi representatives, Prime Minister Bibi Netanyahu, and Knesset Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee Chairman MK Yuli Edelstein.

Following that call, Deputy Minister Uri Maklev and MK Yaakov Asher also spoke with Rav Hirsch to update him on the developing understandings and the apparent willingness to reach a broad agreement. Based on these updates, Rav Hirsch ruled that the push to dissolve the Knesset should be put on hold for now.

Earlier in the evening, as Matzav.com reported, representatives of the chareidi parties met at length with MK Edelstein. According to sources present, the meeting was conducted in a serious, constructive atmosphere, with both sides aiming to avoid a coalition crisis by advancing a mutually acceptable draft law framework.

The sides reviewed key points of contention with hopes of achieving at least partial agreement. Though some political observers expressed skepticism about reaching a final breakthrough before a potential vote, chareidi MKs were seen stepping out intermittently during the meeting to consult with leading rabbanim.

Rav Hirsch’s guidance appears to have created a critical window of opportunity for renewed dialogue, postponing immediate threats of early elections.

Following the meetings, MK Edelstein stated: “I am pleased to announce that after extensive discussions, we reached agreements on the principles that will serve as the foundation for the draft law. As I’ve said from the start — only a real, effective proposal that expands the IDF’s recruitment base will advance from my committee. I have stood firm on that without compromise.”

“This is a historic milestone,” he continued, “and we are on the path to real societal reform and strengthening Israel’s national security. Soon, the committee will begin preparing the bill for its second and third readings. We are making history.”

In a joint statement, Degel HaTorah and Shas confirmed: “Following extended talks between our representatives and MK Yuli Edelstein, understandings have been reached regarding the core principles of the law to preserve the status of yeshiva students.”

“Since a few more days are needed to finalize the language of the bill, and following the guidance of the Moetzes Gedolei HaTorah of Degel HaTorah and the Moetzet Chachmei HaTorah of Shas, it has been decided to postpone the Knesset dissolution vote until next week. The coming days will be used to complete the draft text.”

“Accordingly, we call on the opposition to delay its proposal to dissolve the Knesset. If it is not delayed — we will vote against dissolution.”

Meanwhile, Agudas Yisroel issued a separate statement suggesting a split within the United Torah Judaism bloc. “As of now, no official draft has been submitted, nor has a written proposal regulating the status of yeshiva students been presented. We therefore continue to follow the clear directives of the Moetzes Gedolei HaTorah, and we support the proposal to dissolve the Knesset, should it come to a vote.”

In the Knesset plenum, opposition leader Yair Lapid sharply criticized the delay: “Once again, you’ve spat in the faces of IDF soldiers. Once again, you’ve sold out our fighters — for what? Two more weeks? Three?”

He added, “The chareidim had two choices tonight — either lose the draft-dodging law or lose the government. The government helped them choose draft-dodging.”

“The government helped them ignore the reservists. Helped them rig mass exemptions for tens of thousands of healthy young men. It won’t work. When coalitions begin to unravel, they unravel. It’s begun — and you know it’s begun. This is what a dying government looks like.”

{Matzav.com Israel}

Waters: Trump Started L.A. Riots, ‘He Should Not Continue to Support Violence’

Matzav -

During a Wednesday appearance on CNN’s “News Central,” Representative Maxine Waters of California directed sharp criticism at President Donald Trump, asserting that he bears responsibility for the recent unrest in Los Angeles related to immigration enforcement.

Waters stated, “The backup plan is the President of the United States should do what he didn’t do when we were invaded in the Capitol. When they had the insurrection that he led, he should get on the phone and talk to the local police, he should talk to the people that he’s had deployed there. And he has a responsibility in all of this. He started this. There should be no violence. He should not continue to support violence.”

Continuing her remarks, Waters argued that Trump’s actions have fueled the current situation rather than calmed it. “They should not be egged on and, you know, provoked in any way. And that’s what the President of the United States is doing to exert his power and to show that he’s in charge, and to show that he’s going to get the numbers that he promised to get to get people deported. And so, you know him, everybody knows him. And so it is not on just the police in L.A., it’s not just on anybody. You know, leadership should be from the President of the United States, who decided that he was going to send the armed guards in when there was no violence. There were no protesters at that time. Yes, I understand that there was some violence on Sunday night, and the police must be concerned, but they must be in contact with the governor and with the mayor and with the President of the United States, and have a plan collectively about how to handle this situation.”

{Matzav.com}

Israel Poised For Iran Strike As US Orders Evacuations, Eyes Talks

Matzav -

According to a report from CBS News, Israel is reportedly ready to initiate a full-scale military campaign against Iran, based on information from multiple sources familiar with the situation.

American officials have been made aware of Israel’s readiness and are preparing for potential Iranian responses, particularly those that might target American personnel or facilities in Iraq. In light of the possible threat, the U.S. State Department has directed embassies situated near Iranian proxies to activate their Emergency Action Committees (EACs). Additionally, all non-essential American government staff in Iraq have been instructed to leave, and the Pentagon has authorized voluntary departure for military families stationed throughout the Middle East.

Despite the tension, White House Middle East envoy Steve Witkoff still plans to move ahead with a sixth round of indirect negotiations with Iran concerning its nuclear ambitions in the coming days.

Neither Israeli nor U.S. administration representatives would offer public comments to CBS on the matter.

Speaking at the United Hatzalah gala in New York on Wednesday night, Witkoff addressed the sensitive nuclear talks. He firmly stated, “Uranium enrichment or nuclear weapons development by Iran would not be tolerated,” and warned that “a nuclear-armed Iran [is] an existential threat to both Israel and the United States.” He added that unwavering and collective action is necessary to block such a development, “regardless of the cost.”

During his remarks, Witkoff also praised President Donald Trump, referring to him as “a true friend of the Jewish people.” With a humorous touch, he quipped that Trump could “simultaneously serve as President of the United States and Prime Minister of Israel.”

{Matzav.com}

Inflation Stays Cool as Producer Prices Inch Up 0.1%

Yeshiva World News -

U.S. wholesale prices rose modestly last month from a year earlier, another sign that inflationary pressures remain mild. The Labor Department reported Thursday that its producer price index — which measures inflation before it its consumers — rose 2.6% in May 2024. Producer prices rose 0.1% from April to May after dropping 0.2% the month before. Excluding volatile food and energy prices, wholesale costs were up 0.1% from April and 3% from May 2024. The readings were slightly lower than economists had forecast. Wholesale energy prices were unchanged, although gasoline prices rose 1.6% from April after falling the month before. Food prices at the wholesale level ticked up 0.1% after dropping 0.9% in April. Egg prices, volatile because of the bird flu, rose 1.4% following 39.3% drop in April; they are up 125% from May 2024. The report came out a day after the Labor Department said that consumer prices rose a modest 0.1% last month from April and 2.4% from a year earlier. Since returning to the office, Trump has rolled out 10% tariffs on nearly every country in the world as well as specific levies on steel, aluminum and autos. Importers in the United States pay the taxes and pass them along to consumers via higher prices when they can. For that reason, economists expect inflation to pick up later this year. So far, his tariffs don’t seem to have had much of an impact on prices overall. Still, Stephen Brown of Capital Economics noted that Wholesale prices can offer an early look at where consumer inflation might be headed. Economists also watch it because some of its components, notably health care and financial services, flow into the Federal Reserve’s preferred inflation gauge — the personal consumption expenditures, or PCE, index. Inflation began to flare up for the first time in decades in 2021, as the economy roared back with unexpected strength from COVID-19 lockdowns. That prompted the Fed to raise its benchmark interest rate 11 times in 2022 and 2023. The higher borrowing costs helped bring inflation down from the peaks it reached in 2022, and last year the Fed felt comfortable enough with the progress to cut rates three times. But it has turned cautious this year while it waits to see the inflationary impact of Trump’s trade policies. The central bank is expected to leave rates unchanged at its meeting next Tuesday and Wednesday. “There is no incentive for the (Fed) to debate hiking rates in today’s figures,” Carl Weinberg, chief economist at High Frequency Economics, wrote. “In fact, if the Fed did not know that tariff increases were in the pipeline, it might even contemplate cutting rates.” (AP)

Echoes of Holiness

Matzav -

By Rabbi Pinchos Lipschutz

Once again, I was granted the zechus to spend Shavuos in Eretz Yisroel, a land where holiness is not remembered but felt, where the air itself hums with ancient echoes.

When coming to Yerushalayim, you are coming to a place beyond space, to a rhythm beyond time.

Yerushalayim on any Yom Tov is a jewel alight with kedusha, but on Shavuos, it shimmers with something deeper. As the night unfolds, thousands flow like rivers through her narrow streets, drawn to the botei medrash by an inner fire, eyes wide, hearts yearning, feet quick with purpose.

By dawn, those same throngs converge upon the Kosel, seeking the moment of vosikin, as the first rays of sun bathe the wall from where the Shechinah never departed. At the moment the sun rises over Yerushalayim, the tens of thousands of people davening in dozens of minyonim of various dialects and nuschaos suddenly fall silent. There is a hush, a collective breath, as everyone begins to recite the silent Shemoneh Esrei at the same moment. And then the songs of chazoras hashatz return, followed by gorgeous renditions of Hallel, Rus, Akdadmos and Musaf. As minyonim finish, their mispalelim begin streaming home to celebrate the rest of Yom Tov.

To watch it and be part of it is like participating in a celestial symphony.

Another deep zechus was to daven at Kever Rochel, the resting place of Rochel Imeinu, the mother who still cries for her children. The Vilna Gaon writes that the Shechinah resides there, and as you stand at the kever, you feel it—not as a thought, but as a presence. A gentle weight. A listening stillness.

Although Chazal say that when we sit to learn Torah the Shechinah joins us, and there are definitely many other occasions and times when the Shechinah is present, in golus the Shechinah can feel distant, like a beloved voice heard through static. But in Eretz Yisroel, that voice grows clear, close and insistent.

At the Kosel, tefillah becomes something else entirely. You slow down. You breathe the words. You don’t just say them, you live them. With each syllable, your heart whispers, “Hashem is listening. I am seen.

Even in the simplest shuls, modest buildings tucked into quiet alleyways, you see it: People davening with focus, dignity, and an inner calm. No one rushing in with coffee in hand. No tallis slung casually over the shoulder. Davening isn’t an obligation. It’s an encounter. A sacred audience.

Life there is different. Simpler. Not easier, but purer in a way. The apartments are small, the budgets tight. But the simcha, the sense of purpose, fills the space like sunlight through narrow windows. Bnei Torah live with less, but they live with more.

And in that spirit of simplicity and greatness intertwined, one of the most moving moments of my journey was visiting the soon-to-open museum in the humble home of the Chazon Ish.

To call it fascinating would be an understatement. Using modern tools, the museum gently draws you into the past. The screen flickers to life, and suddenly you’re in the shtetel of Kosovo. You hear the cluck of chickens, the creak of old wood, the voices in the bais medrash where the young Chazon Ish once learned. And then, as if aboard a dream, you find yourself seated in a train rattling through the Lithuanian countryside, heading toward history.

The life and experiences of the Chazon Ish comes alive vividly before you. You are then led into the Chazon Ish’s one-room apartment where he learned and lived in Bnei Brak. There is a period bed, the same size as the one used by the great gaon. There is a nearby table where he studied until he had no more strength, where he wrote the chiddushei Torah that are studied today by lomdim around the world, where he wrote teshuvos that changed behaviors, and where he wrote letters of chizuk and hadrocha that inspire and guide until today.

There is no comparable experience in our world. To be able to stand in a room of such historical significance, to be able to look around and see exactly what it looked like when the tzaddik lived, and to be able to stand there and contemplate what transpired in that room and the amount of Torah and kedusha that was generated there is an overwhelming experience. At least it was for me.

After being given the opportunity to stand there and let your mind wander, you are brought into the adjoining room where the Chazon Ish davened along with his minyan. You can stand in the very spot where the Chazon Ish stood and offered his tefillos to Hakadosh Boruch Hu. I said a few kappitlach of Tehillim, hoping that my words might follow the same path, riding on the tefillos paved by that great talmid chochom and tzaddik.

Adjacent to the shul is the small mikvah the Chazon Ish used, which is available for use for those who wish.

Bnei Brak today is a city of Torah in full bloom, a bustling metropolis of avodah and purpose. Yet, at its core, it remains rooted in that one-room apartment at Rechov Chazon Ish 37. From those walls, waves of Torah and kedusha spread outward, generation upon generation. What a sacred undertaking it is to preserve that beginning, to recreate the space where light once entered the world.

I was privileged to be guided through that space by Rav Reuven Korlansky, who graciously hosted me and brought me to meet his mechutan, the great gaon and rosh yeshiva Rav Isamar Garbuz. His brilliance shimmered through his words, as did his warmth.

Bnei Brak is close to me. Three generations of my relatives lay buried there: my grandfather, Rav Leizer Levin; his son-in-law, Rav Chaim Dov Keller; his son, Rav Avrohom Chaim Levin; and his grandson, Rav Shmuel Yehudah Levin.

At their kevorim, I davened with the weight of gratitude and longing, asking for brocha and hatzlocha in their merit. I felt their presence, quiet and strong, their voices and memories bright and sharp in my heart.

As I walk the streets there memories come back to me from the days I would go there to see Maran Rav Shach, the Steipler, and the city’s other gedolim throughout the years.

During our stay, I also visited my rabbeim, Rav Avrohom Yehoshua Soloveitchik and Rav Dovid Cohen, who provided chizuk and direction for our troubling and trying times. They were effusive and warm as they encouraged me to maintain emunah and bitachon, as we recognize that everything that is happening is being arranged by Hakadosh Boruch Hu. There is no better way to maintain equilibrium in a time when nothing that is happening seems to make any sense.

During our stay, we traveled from one end of the country to the other, from Naharia in the north, where the anteroom of Rav Dovid Abuchatzeira was filled with people waiting for a brocha and for clarity, to the Gaza border in the south, which was thankfully very quiet.

It was nice to be in places I had never previously visited, such as the supposed kever of Yehudah in Yahud, Castel, Moshav Chemed, and other off-the-beaten-track locales. I wandered through towns I’d never known, their silence steeped in stories. But no matter how far we traveled, no place stirred my soul like Yerushalayim.

Yerushalayim doesn’t just contain kedusha. It breathes it. Each stone tells a story, each alley whispering tefillos of centuries. She takes my breath away each time I visit all over again.

From being at the Kosel, to visiting and speaking with some of the iconic residents and characters, to walking the streets of Geulah where we stayed, there is a definite chein, a holiness wrapped in beauty.

When you meet the city’s rabbonim, tzaddikim, nistorim, storekeepers, tradesmen, people on the street and even the shleppers and the taxi drivers, there’s a sparkle in their eye, a touch of knowing. When you speak with them, you hear it: chochmah dipped in bitachon, humor laced with humility.

I love standing anonymously in the street, blending into the stones of the walls, and studying people as they scurry about doing their pre-Yom Tov errands. A purposeful rush takes over them, but they maintain their dignity and sense of kedusha as they engage in preparations for the various mitzvos hayom. Carrying bags of different sizes and colors, they patiently look for the best of everything with which to celebrate Shabbos and Yom Tov, as they traverse Rechov Malchei Yisroel and its little offshoots, patronizing the various shops.

Here, we hop into and out of our cars, storing our bags and stuff in the trunk, as we dart in and out of megastores filling our wagons. And there is nothing wrong with that. But it doesn’t come close to the beauty and color of carrying those bags of Shabbos and Yom Tov goodies along the holy streets and bumping into legions of holy, interesting and colorful people engaging in the very same activity.

The scene is a living painting, rich in color, alive with heart.

The Kosel is a place where you can study people’s faces as they encounter kedusha, some more serious about it than others. Faces are turned heavenward, eyes closed in pleading or thanksgiving. Some daven slowly, tears tracing silent paths. Others stand quietly, fingers grazing the stones, unsure of what to say, but knowing that something holy is happening.

There were the regulars, ehrliche Yidden who speak to Hashem with deep familiarity, and the visitors, with temporary yarmulkas and curious eyes, drawn by something they can’t identify.

Many came with children, holding little hands, whispering words of awe. You could see it on their faces: This was not just tourism. It was an encounter.

You hoped it would linger with them.

There were special personal moments as well, such as when my dear friend, Rav Natan Feldman of Tzuf Seforim Publications, presented me with the latest sefer authored by my son, Rav Yitzchok Elchonon, hot off the press. Celebrating my mother-in-law’s 90th birthday was a great highlight, as was visiting my 90-year-old uncle, Rav Berel Wein, and being presented with his latest book on anti-Semitism, which came out this week. Visiting incognito the Shuvu school in Petach Tikva where the Bais Medrash is named for my father and seeing the learning going on there and the children’s angelic faces, was a special nachas.

My special friend, the tzaddik of Rechovot, Rav Zvi Shvartz, honored us with a visit on the second day of Yom Tov, along with some members of his family. He regaled us with divrei Torah and stories of how he began his kiruv revolution in that city, starting with a small shiur that he established while in kollel there, an effort that has led to thousands of baalei teshuvah over the decades. He is indomitable, exhibiting no signs of slowing down in his holy work of teaching and spreading Torah. His fire burns bright.

There were other visitors too. One came bearing flowers, but they weren’t for us.

A deliveryman arrived, flushed and sweating. The beautiful bouquet was meant for someone else, ordered from Brooklyn, but the address was wrong and the phone was off. He’d been searching door to door across buildings for over an hour. As Yom Tov approached, the flowers were wilting, and so was he.

We invited him in, gave him water, and offered him a seat.

He didn’t seem frum, at first glance. But when he began sharing divrei Torah, I noticed a small yarmulka resting at the back of his head. “Hashem sent me here,” he said, “so I’d have someone to share Torah with.”

There he stood, flowers in one hand, Torah on his lips, radiant with bitachon. He wasn’t worried about finding the correct recipient. Hashem would guide him to the right address. Repeating divrei Torah about the rapidly approaching Yom Tov of Shavuos was more important. Eventually, we found the intended recipient. He continued on, but the moment lingered.

Only in Yerushalayim.

Another encounter came in a taxi. Our driver had no yarmulka, but he possessed a mouth full of maamorei Chazal.

We asked him, gently, “If you know so much Torah, why no kippah?”

He answered, “I don’t want to be a chillul Hashem. If someone cuts me off and I yell…I’d rather that they think I’m a chiloni.”

And sure enough, when another driver—an Arab woman—tried to squeeze ahead, he leapt out of the car and began yelling. “Achshav atem meivinim?” he said, turning back to us. “Now you understand?”

I wanted to give him a shmuess about how a Yid is supposed to act in all situations, but I didn’t want to get into an argument with him.

He explained that he is religious, that his children are as well, and that his grandchildren—who all have names from Tanach—go to a mamlachti dati (religious public) school. His parents live in Nachlaot in Yerushalayim and are from Kurdistan. They follow the masoret of Yehudei Kurdistan and even speak Aramaic to each other and to their children. That’s right. They speak the language of the Gemara still today. Fascinating stuff.

There are more stories I could share, like my meeting with Uri Maklev of Degel HaTorah, a devoted servant of the klal and a shliach of the gedolim. But for now, I’ll close with what happened just as I left.

Sitting on the plane, the sadness of departure filling my chest, a man approached me.

“Are you Rabbi Lipschutz?” he asked in Hebrew.

I nodded. I didn’t ask how he knew.

He introduced himself as Avraham Elkaim. “I have a gift for you,” he said. His suitcase had been slightly overweight and airport security made him remove a book. It was a biography of his grandfather, Rav Nissim Toledano. He had  more copies in his other suitcase.

As an ehrliche Yid and baal bitachon, rather than complain and argue, he placed the book in his carry-on and said to himself, “Hashem wants this to end up with someone on the plane.”

He looked around, and when he saw me, he knew.

He handed me an autographed copy of this beautiful new sefer on his grandfather. The biography goes through his life, with each facet portrayed through another of the 48 kinyonim of Torah. I began leafing through it and found it to be a compelling work on a great man. Look for it in the bookstores. It should be there soon.

Receiving the book was emblematic of the way things happen in Eretz Yisroel, and since it happened on an El Al flight, legally we were still in the land where you see and feel the hand of Hashem all the time. As the posuk states, “Eretz asher…tomid einei Hashem Elokecha bah.”

And so, in that moment, I felt it again: the gentle nudge of Hashgocha, the quiet wink from Above.

Ashrei mi shezoche, fortunate are those who live in that land, who walk its streets and breathe its air. Fortunate are those who visit, who taste its sanctity. And fortunate are those who long for it, who whisper in their hearts: Ribono Shel Olam, bring us home.

May we all be reunited there soon b’vias goel tzedek bimeheirah b’yomeinu. Amein.

{Matzav.com}

White House Sidesteps Question On Two-State Solution

Matzav -

At Wednesday’s White House press briefing, Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt declined to directly address whether President Donald Trump continues to support a two-state solution to the conflict between Israel and the Palestinians.

When questioned about remarks made by U.S. Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee—who indicated in a Bloomberg interview that the administration may no longer be committed to the idea of a Palestinian Arab state within Israel’s historical borders and that such a state could potentially be established elsewhere—Leavitt chose not to confirm or deny any change in policy.

Instead, Leavitt directed her comments toward the ongoing war in Gaza. “Right now, the President views the situation in Israel and Gaza as deeply unfortunate and needing to end. And the President is realistic about the current state of affairs in this region of the world.”

She emphasized the administration’s immediate goal: “And that’s why the President has said the number one focus and priority of the administration is to release all of the hostages from Gaza and to end this conflict as soon as possible. The administration is still pushing very hard for the release of all the hostages.”

Leavitt also commented on Gaza’s future, saying, “And as for what happens next, clearly, Gaza is an uninhabitable place. It needs to be rebuilt with the help of our Arab partners, and the President wants to see that happen as well.”

{Matzav.com}

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