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Federal incentives for home energy improvements are running out at the end of the year, so it’s decision time for anyone who has been thinking about a heat pump. The right decision can depend on where you live, how much you have to spend and how deeply you want to cut emissions. But the payoff can be significant. Bill Gerosa was spending about $6,700 annually to heat and cool his house about 30 miles (48 kilometers) north of New York City. He was eager to bring down his costs, and shelled out $13,000 for a ground-source heat pump that was made more affordable by significant state and utility incentives. “I had to prove to myself and to my wife that I wasn’t doing something monumentally stupid,” he said. Gerosa’s monthly energy use plunged by two-thirds. He installed solar panels at the same time to offset the rest, and his heating and cooling bills fell to virtually nothing. Last month — about seven years after installing the system — he’s recovered what it cost to install the system. Heat pumps 101 The simplest way to understand a heat pump is that it uses electricity to gather heat from one place and move it to another. Heat exchangers, compressors and refrigerants are part of the system. That’s how it can work not just for heating but for cooling — in summer, a heat pump can pull warm air from a house and push it outside. That’s also the secret to how heat pumps can be more efficient than conventional heating technologies, which have to generate heat before they can distribute it. It takes a lot less energy to simply transfer heat, according to the International Energy Agency. A decade ago, heat pumps could struggle when it got really hot or really cold outside. But advances in technology mean today’s heat pumps can keep homes cool even in triple-digit temperatures and warm even when it’s well below zero. There are two main types of heat pumps: air source and ground source. Air-source heat pumps work with the air around the heat pump. Ground-source heat pumps — also known as geothermal — use pipes that circulate liquid underground to either gather or discharge heat. Air-source pumps cost less to install and require less space since there’s no need to run underground pipes. But operating costs are higher than ground-source pumps. They’re most effective in more moderate climates. Ground-source pumps cost more up front and installing hundreds of feet of underground piping can be disruptive to lawns and gardens. But they’re more efficient and cost-effective in the long run because underground temperatures are far more constant than air temperatures. “They’re seeing the ground temperature of about 50 degrees, not the outside air temp. So that’s where they really dominate on efficiency, payback, energy bills, peak demand on the grid, all of those things,” said Ted Tiffany, senior technical lead for the Building Decarbonization Coalition, a nonprofit that advocates for green energy use in buildings instead of fossil fuels. Panama Bartholomy, the coalition’s executive director, noted that a heat pump costs more than a gas furnace or central air conditioner, but can do the work of both. Drilling for the underground piping that a ground-source pump requires can add around $10,000 to the project. The U.S. Department of Energy estimates that the added installation […]

Seven months after the devastating terror attack near the Samarian village of Al-Funduq, in which three Israelis were murdered, including police investigator Elad Winkelstein, his widow Tal has given birth to a son. The child, born on Tu B’Av, has been named Gilad Menachem in memory of his father.

The shooting attack, which occurred about half a year ago, claimed the lives of Rachel Cohen, Aliza Raiz, and Elad Winkelstein, who was gunned down in front of his 10-year-old son sitting beside him in the car. At the time of the tragedy, Tal was in the early stages of pregnancy. Now, she has welcomed the baby boy into the world, offering her family a ray of hope and comfort in the shadow of immense loss.

Tal shared that the day of the attack coincided with her entering the tenth week of pregnancy. “I was sure the pregnancy wouldn’t survive because of the difficulty of going through such a long period alone,” she recalled. “But with time, I understood that this was a mission placed before me. I know it will be hard, and there will be challenges and complications, but this child will bring light and joy into our home. That’s what children give us.”

For the grieving family, the birth has become a profound symbol of consolation and continuity. “I called him Gilad Menachem. He was born on Tu B’Av, in the month of Menachem Av. I gave him that name because ‘Gilad’ recalls the name Elad, and also serves as a memorial. And ‘Menachem’ because there is comfort in this month,” Tal explained.

Elad left behind two other sons: Omer, a toddler, and Neveh, age 10, from a previous marriage. It was Neveh who tragically witnessed his father’s murder during the attack.

Tal described the difficulties of raising children without a father’s presence. “There’s a fear in raising children alone — on the practical level, you need to depend on others and ask for help. And of course, emotionally, for a child growing up without a father — and a father like Elad — that absence is strongly felt. He was a unique father. Elad knew the most important thing was the home, and even when he was offered promotions in the police, he always thought about family life and raising the children. When he was with them, he wasn’t just supervising; he was building memories with them.”

Despite the grief and hardship, Tal emphasized her inner strength and faith. “I would say my personal story connects to this entire period, and that we were chosen, because we are part of something bigger. I hope and believe this brings us closer to the days of complete redemption. I hope I can raise my children in the healthiest way possible.”

{Matzav.com Israel}

President Donald Trump released a sharp statement about the hostages still in Gaza, stressing that their freedom depends on defeating Hamas.

“We will only see the return of the remaining hostages when Hamas is confronted and destroyed!!!” President Trump declared on social media. “The sooner this takes place, the better the chances of success will be.”

He reminded his audience that he has dealt with this issue before, both in America and Israel.

“Remember, I was the one who negotiated and got hundreds of hostages freed and released into Israel (and America!),” he said.

Trump also pointed to his broader foreign policy track record.

“I was the one who ended 6 wars, in just 6 months. I was the one who obliterated Iran’s Nuclear facilities,” he wrote.

He closed his remarks with a blunt message.

“Play to win, or don’t play at all!”

Trump’s comments came shortly after reports that Hamas had been presented with a new truce arrangement for Gaza and was expected to issue a reply soon.

According to Al-Hadath, the plan includes the return of ten Israeli hostages alive, along with 18 bodies, the transfer of humanitarian supplies through international groups such as the Red Crescent and the United Nations, and a pause in fighting for 60 days. Negotiations to secure an end to the war would begin at the start of that pause.

Asharq News added that sources close to Hamas suggested the group may accept the terms, though Arab news outlets did not mention whether the deal involved any Israeli troop pullback.

{Matzav.com}

US Ambassador to NATO: “President Trump is a peacemaker and he is mediating a brutal, meat-grinder war to a truce… both sides are going to have to give… there is nobody that is better positioned, and can bring the parties to the table, than Donald Trump.”

Television’s MSNBC news network is changing its name to My Source News Opinion World, or MS NOW for short, as part of its corporate divorce from NBC. The network, which appeals to liberal audiences with a stable of personalities including Rachel Maddow, Ari Melber and Nicole Wallace, has been building its own separate news division from NBC News. It will also remove NBC’s peacock symbol from its logo as part of the change, which will take effect later this year. The name change was ordered by NBC Universal, which last November spun off cable networks USA, CNBC, MSNBC, E! Entertainment, Oxygen and the Golf Channel into its own company, called Versant. None of the other networks are changing their name. MSNBC got its name upon its formation in 1996, as a partnership then between Microsoft and NBC. Name changes always carry an inherent risk, and MSNBC President Rebecca Kutler said that for employees, it is hard to imagine the network under a different name. “This was not a decision that was made quickly or without significant debate,” she said in a memo to staff. “During this time of transition, NBC Universal decided that our brand requires a new, separate identity,” she said. “This decision now allows us to set our own course and assert our indepedence as we continue to build our own modern newsgathering organization.” Still, it’s noteworthy that the business channel CNBC is leaving “NBC” in its name. MSNBC argues that CNBC has always maintained a greater separation and, with its business focus, is less likely to cover many of the same topics. Still, the affiliation between a news division that tries to play it safe and one that doesn’t hide its liberal bent has long caused tension. President Donald Trump refers to the cable network as “MSDNC,” for Democratic National Committee. Even before the corporate change, NBC News has been reducing the use of its personalities on MSNBC. Some NBC News personalities, like Jacob Soboroff, Vaughn Hillyard, Brandy Zadrozny and Antonia Hylton, have joined MSNBC. The network has also hired Carol Leoning, Catherine Rampell and Jackie Alemany from the Washington Post, and Eugene Daniels from Politico. Maddow, in a recent episode of Pivot, noted that MSNBC will no longer have to compete with NBC News programs for reporting product from out in the field — meaning it will no longer get the “leftovers.” “In this case, we can apply our own instincts, our own queries, our own priorities, to getting stuff that we need from reporters and correspondents,” Maddow said. “And so it’s gonna be better.” (AP)

Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem has had to move out of her private residence for the time being because of heightened threats against her and targeted “vicious doxxing,” according to a statement from her department provided to Fox News Digital.

Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin explained, “Following the media’s publishing of the location of Secretary Noem’s Washington D.C. apartment, she has faced vicious doxxing on the dark web and a surge in death threats, including from the terrorist organizations, cartels, and criminal gangs that DHS targets. Due to threats and security concerns, she has been forced to temporarily stay in secure military housing. Secretary Noem continues to pay rent for her Navy Yard residence.

“It’s a shame that the media chooses sensationalism over the safety of people enforcing America’s laws to keep Americans safe,” McLaughlin added.

Just last week, Noem pointed out that U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officers are being attacked at record levels. She said that ICE agents “are now facing a 1000% increase in assaults against them as they risk their lives to arrest the worst of the worst criminal illegal aliens.”

In a post shared on X, she also declared, “We will not and have not let this violence stop us or slow us down. Everyday our law enforcement continues to enforce the law and arrest the most depraved criminals including pedophiles, terrorists, murderers, gang members, and … predators.”

Earlier reporting in July revealed that ICE saw an 830% rise in physical assaults between January 21, 2025, and July 14, 2025, when compared with the same period in the previous year. That surge coincided with the period beginning the day after President Donald Trump resumed office.

{Matzav.com}

At the conclusion of a moving and uplifting Rischa D’Oraisa event held in Bnei Brak, the Rosh Yeshiva of Slabodka, HaGaon HaRav Dov Landau Shlita, delivered powerful words of chizuk in the face of the harsh decrees looming over the Torah world and the Chareidi public. “We all know that due to our sins we have been in galus for many years, and now we tangibly feel the weight of that galus pressing down upon us. There is a decree upon us—the lomdei Torah—a harsh and bitter decree. Jews are persecuting fellow Jews because of limud haTorah. This is a dreadful decree, and in our sins we find ourselves in the midst of it, rachmana litzlan.” “The difficult situation we find ourselves in is the decree of galus, but the true test is how we confront this decree—the nisayon that Hakadosh Baruch Hu is placing upon us. Our duty, as one united people, is to withstand this test from Hashem Elokeinu and to stand as firm as rock, never yielding to the decree of the authorities to, chas v’shalom, draft lomdei Torah. One who is arrested by them has an obligation not to give in and not to be enticed in any way to go to the army, rachmana litzlan.” “Those who study Hashem’s Torah and follow its path are the true representatives of Judaism, and we proclaim before the entire world: It is inconceivable that a Jew should be imprisoned for his devotion to Hashem’s Torah. The Torah is the protector of the Jewish people, and only the Torah and its study grant Jews the right to exist in Eretz Yisrael. Without Torah, there is no merit for Jews to remain in Eretz Yisrael, and one who fights against the Torah and its learners is, in fact, fighting against the safety of the Jewish people in Eretz Yisrael.” He concluded his remarks with a forceful declaration: “We will not rest and we will not remain silent until the authorities remove their hands from the lomdei Torah and allow us to continue our learning, just as it has been since the beginning of Jewish settlement under this government in Eretz Yisrael.” (YWN World Headquarters – NYC)

Dear Matzav Inbox, As the summer winds down and the crisp air of Elul fills our hearts with anticipation, a new school year begins. The halls of our yeshivos and Bais Yaakovs will once again echo with the sweet sounds of Torah and tefillah, as children of all ages embark on another journey of growth, learning, and connection to Hashem. But before we dive into the rhythm of carpools, homework, and lunchboxes, let us pause for a moment to recognize and express our deepest hakaras hatov to the unsung heroes of our communities: the rabbeim and morahs. These tireless mechanchim and mechanchos are not merely educators—they are builders. Builders of neshamahs, shapers of futures, and catalysts for greatness. They dedicate their days, nights, and hearts to ignite within our children a passion for Yiddishkeit, a love for Torah, and a commitment to middos tovos. And their dedication begins long before the first bell rings. While others enjoy the slower pace of summer, our rabbeim and morahs are hard at work behind the scenes, preparing for the year ahead. They spend countless hours planning engaging lessons, organizing classrooms, designing activities, and thinking deeply about every child they will teach. Each bulletin board, seating chart, and curriculum choice is created with care, ensuring that their talmidim and talmidos will feel inspired, supported, and ready to grow. Every parsha they teach, every gemara they clarify, every aleph they patiently review is infused with a sense of mission—to ensure that the mesorah of Klal Yisroel burns brightly in the next generation. And it is not only the Torah they teach but the warmth and care they pour into each child. Who among us hasn’t seen the glow in a child’s eyes as they recount a story from class, or the pride as they master a new concept? Rabbeim, morahs, you are the pillars of our communities. You are the ones who plant seeds of Torah in tender hearts, who nurture them with love and dedication, and who guide young neshamahs to grow into true bnei and bnos Torah. Whether it’s a warm smile in the morning, a gentle word of encouragement, or the wisdom to see the unique potential in every child, your avodah is nothing short of holy. As parents, as grandparents, as members of Klal Yisroel, we owe you so much. Your effort during the summer months, your tireless planning, and your commitment to excellence do not go unnoticed. As the school year begins, let us daven for your continued success, strength, and siyata dishmaya. Let us support you in every way we can, recognizing that the precious children you teach today are the builders of tomorrow. May this year be one of brachah and hatzlachah for all our rabbeim, morahs, and the precious talmidim and talmidos they inspire. May the Torah learned in their classrooms bring nachas to the Ribono Shel Olam and bring us closer to the geulah sheleimah, bimheirah beyameinu. L’kavod rabbeim, morahs, and the future of Klal Yisroel—thank you. Thank you for everything. Binyomin Waldman

 

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{Matzav.com}

The IDF discovered and demolished another tunnel, this time in the Al-Mu’azi camp in central Gaza.

With just days before the start of Elul, the Israeli Ministry of Transportation convened a meeting on Sunday to prepare for the tens of thousands of Israelis planning to travel to Uman for Rosh Hashanah.

The session, chaired by Transportation Minister Miri Regev, included the ministry’s director general Moshe Ben Zaken, Foreign Ministry director general Eden Bar Tal, Deputy Knesset Speaker MK Eliyahu Revivo, representatives of the Breslover community, travel agents, and other professional officials. The discussions focused primarily on ensuring smooth passage through Moldova, which serves as a central gateway for pilgrims traveling to Uman.

Minister Regev emphasized her ministry’s commitment to coordinate with all relevant authorities to secure proper arrangements with Moldovan officials and other international partners.

MK Revivo, who himself travels annually to Uman, voiced strong concern: “One of the main weak points is the Kishinev crossing. As long as there is no clear and prior agreement with the Moldovan authorities, we may face a serious problem. It is crucial that we show the travelers that the State of Israel is standing behind them and ensuring their journey is safe and dignified.”

In recent weeks, Breslover communities have grown increasingly anxious after reports that Moldova has not yet granted landing approvals for Israeli charter flights to Kishinev Airport, the main route for the thousands of chassidim seeking to reach Uman.

Rav Yaakov Jan, chief rabbi of Uman, sent an official letter to Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu, Minister Regev, and Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar, urging immediate intervention with the Moldovan government. He warned that the delays are creating immense logistical difficulties and could endanger the ability of travelers to reach the tziyun of Rav Nachman of Breslov, especially given the ongoing security situation in Ukraine and the lack of convenient alternative flight routes.

At the same time, Breslover rabbonim in Israel and abroad have declared special days of tefillah for the success of the diplomatic efforts. These gatherings will include recitations of Tehillim, Tikkun Haklali, and public tefillos in the chassidus’s central batei knesses, with the hope that a resolution will be reached soon to allow tens of thousands of travelers to arrive safely and without difficulty.

{Matzav.com Israel}

In New Square, the massive Sukkah is already being put up. (It takes a few weeks).

  Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar announced the revocation of visas for Australian representatives to the Palestinian Authority after Australia barred MK Simcha Rothman from entry and signaled plans to recognize a Palestinian state, adding that Israel’s embassy in Canberra will closely review future Australian visa applications.

US Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee on Sunday ridiculed the BBC for once again publishing a false and distorted story about Gaza in order to portray Israel as a villain rather than Hamas.

Israeli security forces have arrested a 24-year-old Palestinian woman on suspicion of spying for Iran, amid an intensifying campaign by Tehran to infiltrate Israeli institutions and recruit operatives on the ground. The arrest, carried out on August 6 by the IDF and police from the Etzion station, was confirmed Monday by Channel 12 News. A military court has since extended her detention by eight days as the investigation continues. The woman, a resident of Beit Ummar—a town located northwest of Chevron—was in communication with an Iranian handler and admitted during interrogation to carrying out tasks on their behalf. While she initially confessed only to parts of the allegations, she later acknowledged the full extent of her involvement, including developing a direct relationship with a “hostile entity.” The investigation is being led by the Shin Bet, with assistance from IDF intelligence branches. Authorities are now working to substantiate the suspect’s admissions through technological analysis and intelligence-gathering efforts, while the military prosecution prepares to bring formal charges. The case is the latest in a series of Iranian-linked espionage attempts that have alarmed Israeli officials in recent years. Nearly two years ago, Israeli intelligence foiled a scheme in which three Palestinians and two Israeli-Arabs were recruited by an Iranian intelligence officer living in Jordan. The group, reportedly tasked with spying on senior Israeli figures—including National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir—was arrested before executing their plans. More recently, in July 2025, Israel’s State Attorney’s Office indicted a Jewish Israeli citizen of Iranian origin on charges of espionage. According to the indictment, the man and his partner, who was based in Iran, met with Iranian officials in Turkey in 2024. Prosecutors say that following these meetings, the man provided sensitive information to Iranian agents using encrypted messaging apps such as Telegram, both upon request and of his own initiative. Israeli officials say the growing pattern of such cases reflects a broader strategy by Iran to wage asymmetric warfare inside Israeli territory, beyond the battlefield and into the private lives of its citizens. Authorities have declined to release further details about the woman’s alleged missions or what intelligence may have been compromised. (YWN World Headquarters – NYC)

This past Shabbos, Rav Berel Povarsky, rosh yeshiva of Ponovezh, spoke about the atzeres tefillah that was held Thursday night outside Israel’s Prison’s 10, where he joined with other roshei yeshiva from across the spectrum to daven for the plight of yeshiva students under threat of arrest.

During seudas shlishis at his home, the rosh yeshiva reflected on his participation in the gathering. “We were there on Thursday night, davening outside the military prison,” he said. “Do you think it will affect anyone? The judges? The ministers? Most likely they didn’t even hear about it, and even if they did, it certainly wouldn’t make any impression on them.

“So why did I go?” Rav Povarsky continued. “The answer is simple: to show Hakadosh Baruch Hu that I care about the situation, where the government in Eretz Yisroel is arresting bochurim who want to learn Torah.”

The rosh yeshiva then continued. “Every day we say: ‘V’sein b’libeinu l’havin u’lehaskil, lishmoa, lilmod u’leilameid, lishmor v’la’asos u’lekayeim es kol divrei salmud Torasecha b’ahavah.’ I have a question: what does lishmor—to ‘guard’—mean? To understand and to comprehend, that makes sense. To learn and to teach, that too is understandable. But what does it mean to ‘guard’ the Torah? If it’s referring to observing the mitzvos, we already continue and say la’asos u’lekayeim. So what are we asking for when we daven that Hashem should give us understanding to ‘guard’ the Torah?

Explaining further, Rav Povarsky said: “When we received the Torah, we promised Hashem to guard it. But how do we guard the Torah itself? With sword and spear? No. Only with the power of tefillah, so that Torah and mitzvah observance will be preserved from generation to generation. That is our mission now. Every Jew is obligated to guard the Torah, and this shemirah obligates us to daven to Hashem that yeshiva bochurim in Eretz Yisroel will be able to continue learning Hashem’s Torah.”

{Matzav.com Israel}

Swiss watchmaker Swatch apologized Monday for an ad campaign that upset consumers in China and elsewhere and said it had “immediately removed all related materials worldwide.” In an image for the Swatch Essentials collection, an Asian male model is shown pulling the edges of his eyelids upward and backward with his fingers — a gesture seen as derogatory and racist, Swiss public broadcaster SRF reported. Swatch wrote on Instagram that “we sincerely apologize for any distress or misunderstanding this may have caused.” It said it would “treat this matter with the utmost importance.” SRF reported that the apology was also posted on the Chinese social network Weibo in Chinese and English. (AP)

All are asked to daven for the refuah sheleimah of Rav Yonason David, rosh yeshiva of Yeshiva Pachad Yitzchok in Har Nof, Yerushalayim, who has undergone a cardiac-related procedure.

Rav Yonason is  one of the senior roshei yeshiva in Eretz Yisroel and is renowned as one of the great baalei machshavah of our time.

His wife, Rebbetzin Bruria David a”h, was a daughter of Rav Yitzchok Hutner, the rosh yeshiva of Yeshivas Rabbeinu Chaim Berlin.

All are asked to daven for Yonason Dovid ben Devorah Rochel.

{Matzav.com Israel}

David Lubin, the father of Israeli Border Police Officer Sgt. Rose Lubin hy”d, who was murdered in a 2023 terror attack in Jerusalem, has become the target of antisemitic harassment near his home in Atlanta, Georgia. In a disturbing post on Facebook, Lubin shared details of an encounter with a neighbor – Mark and Anna Bouzyk – that turned hateful and aggressive. “This is what antisemitism looks like in real life,” he wrote. “Months ago, my neighbor put a sign in their yard with the slur ‘Kike’ written 21 times. Today, they still keep their pro-Palestine signs up… but rip down my Rose stickers whenever they see them.” The confrontation escalated when Lubin attempted to replace one of the stickers commemorating his daughter. A video posted by the watchdog group StopAntisemitism shows a woman screaming at Lubin on his own street. When Lubin asked, “Is it okay that my daughter was murdered?” the woman replied, “Your daughter was wearing an IDF uniform.” Lubin calmly corrected her, explaining that Rose was a police officer, not a soldier. “She was wearing a uniform—she went there to murder,” the woman continued, with a man by her side adding, “How many Palestinians are killed there every day?” Sgt. Rose Lubin was fatally stabbed in a November 2023 terrorist attack at Herod’s Gate in Jerusalem’s Old City. The attacker, a 16-year-old resident of the Isawiya neighborhood, targeted security personnel near the Shalem police station with a knife before being neutralized by forces on site. Lubin was critically wounded and died hours later. Law enforcement has not yet commented publicly on the incident. (YWN World Headquarters – NYC)