After more than thirty years of tension and division at Ponovezh Yeshiva in Bnei Brak, a final ruling has been issued that will dramatically reshape the future of the yeshiva. Retired judge David Cheshin, who has served as the official arbitrator between the two sides for the past four years, released his long-awaited ruling this afternoon, establishing that the camp led by Rav Shmuel Markowitz must vacate the yeshiva’s hill in Av 5786.
The decision brings to a close one of the most prolonged and painful internal conflicts in the Torah world, dating back to the early 1990s, when tension erupted between the brothers-in-law, Ponovezh nosi Rav Eliezer Kahaneman and Rav Shmuel Markowitz.
For decades, the split cast a shadow not only over Ponovezh but across the broader chareidi community. On the yeshiva campus itself, the two groups have functioned as effectively separate institutions for close to twenty years, the Rav Markowitz camp in the beis medrash with the famed golden aron, and the Rav Kahaneman camp in the adjacent Ohel Kedoshim building.
Four years ago, both sides formally agreed to appoint Judge Cheshin as arbitrator. Over that period he heard thousands of hours of testimony and reviewed extensive documentation. His final ruling, spanning more than 160 pages, was emailed to both sides today.
The ruling states clearly that the Rav Markowitz camp—including Rav Markowitz himself, the mosad Masores HaTorah, staff, and talmidim—must fully vacate the Ponovezh hill, including dormitories and batei midrash, by July 30, 2026. This timetable was chosen to avoid disruption to talmidim in the middle of a zman. Judge Cheshin concluded that Rav Markowitz had violated the original “Psak 2000,” acted independently of the yeshiva’s hierarchy, and effectively established a competing institution on the grounds of the yeshiva.
The ruling also prohibits Rav Markowitz and his mosdos from using the Ponovezh name or logo, and bars him from presenting himself as a rosh yeshiva of Ponovezh. The ruling affirms that the name Ponovezh constitutes a recognized trademark belonging to the entities controlled by Rav Kahaneman.
In addition, the arbitrator ordered Rav Markowitz’s side to pay Rav Kahaneman’s entities a total of 10 million shekel plus VAT—7.5 million to the Ponovezh company and 2.5 million to the associated amutah. This amount represents “fair usage fees” for properties over many years, as well as a share in maintenance costs. The award is significantly lower than the original claim of approximately 45 million shekel due to the arbitrator’s authority to apply “compromise close to judgment.” Counter-claims filed by the Rav Markowitz side were dismissed.
Judge Cheshin noted that the attempt at forced coexistence since the year 2000 had failed completely, leading to repeated conflict and tension. His conclusion: full separation. Under the ruling, Rav Kahaneman remains the sole owner and administrator of the original Ponovezh Yeshiva and its properties, while Rav Markowitz and his group must relocate, cease using the Ponovezh name, and compensate the yeshiva financially.
A separate decision regarding the kever of the late rosh yeshiva, Rav Asher Deutsch zt”l, is expected later today.
{Matzav.com}
New York City’s incoming mayor Zohran Mamdani will begin his administration without shaking up the leadership of the nation’s largest police force. Instead, he is choosing continuity by retaining Jessica S. Tisch as commissioner of the NYPD.
His transition office revealed the decision on Wednesday, noting that “Today, Mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani announced the appointment of Commissioner Jessica S. Tisch to serve as the New York City Police Commissioner in his incoming administration,” and emphasizing that the two intend to “advance a coordinated approach to public safety built on partnership and shared purpose.”
The announcement outlined the administration’s broader vision, explaining that “That includes ensuring police officers remain focused on serious and violent crime, while strengthening the city’s response to issues like homelessness and mental health. A new Department of Community Safety will support this work while collaborating closely with the NYPD.”
Mamdani’s team highlighted Tisch’s record, pointing to sweeping changes she enacted from within. “As the 48th Commissioner of New York City Police Department, Commissioner Tisch has rooted out corruption in the upper echelons of the NYPD and led a department-wide focus on accountability and transparency, while delivering historic reductions in violent crime,” the statement said.
In his personal remarks, Mamdani praised her forceful leadership. “I look forward to working with Commissioner Jessica Tisch to deliver genuine public safety in New York City,” he said. He added his appreciation for her past work: “I have admired her work cracking down on corruption in the upper echelons of the police department, driving down crime in New York City, and standing up for New Yorkers in the face of authoritarianism. Together, we will deliver a city where rank-and-file police officers and the communities they serve alike are safe, represented, and proud to call New York their home.”
Tisch responded with her own commitment to the partnership, pointing to the success of current anti-crime strategies. “Thanks to the men and women of the NYPD, the strategies we deployed this year have delivered historic reductions in crime,” she said. She noted that the two have already spoken several times and added, “I’ve spoken to Mayor-elect Mamdani several times, and I’m ready to serve with honor as his Police Commissioner. That’s because he and I share many of the same public safety goals for New York City: lowering crime, making communities safer, rooting out corruption, and giving our officers the tools, support, and resources they need to carry out their noble work.”
Her elevation to commissioner took place in November 2024, when Mayor Eric Adams administered her oath, marking the start of her tenure atop the NYPD.
Mamdani’s office underscored the measurable impact of her first year in charge, citing major drops in violence and gun seizures. Murders, they reported, are down “nearly 20 percent citywide year-to-date,” and officials had taken “More than 4,800 illegal guns…removed from the city’s streets in 2025.”
{Matzav.com}
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The White House dinner held in honor of Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman became the backdrop for President Donald Trump’s announcement that the newly formed Board of Peace—tasked with directing Gaza’s administration through 2027—will be populated by an unusually high-profile roster of world leaders.
In welcoming the Crown Prince, Trump expressed his desire for Saudi participation. “I hope your highness will be on the board,” Trump said, adding that “everybody wants to be on the board, and it’ll end up being quite a large board because it’ll be the heads of every major country.”
The Board of Peace had been formally empowered only a day earlier, after the UN Security Council approved a resolution authorizing the US-led body to supervise Gaza for the next two years as a central component of Trump’s 20-point plan for stabilizing the region.
During the dinner, Trump acknowledged the Crown Prince’s involvement in helping secure last month’s ceasefire. He refrained from detailing the negotiations but voiced optimism about the ongoing efforts. “While it looks a little bit messy… [Gaza] is getting very close to being perfected,” Trump claimed.
He also highlighted the return of hostages since the end of the conflict, though his remarks misstated that Hamas still possesses two bodies of hostages rather than the confirmed total of three. Still, he emphasized the significance of the concessions achieved so far, saying, “A lot of work has been done by Hamas, and a lot of a lot of people said they wouldn’t be doing that.”
Earlier, Trump and the Crown Prince held a separate working meeting at the White House. According to the administration, the session concluded with both sides locking in a broad package of new accords intended to substantially expand and reinforce the strategic relationship between Washington and Riyadh.
{Matzav.com}
