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Mayor Zohran Mamdani’s administration has built a network of nearly 200 social media influencers who receive City Hall talking points, updates and content through a private Signal group, according to a new Columbia Journalism Review investigation that is raising questions about government transparency, record-retention requirements and the use of taxpayer money.

The influencers have been granted special access to the administration and encouraged to amplify its messaging across social media, according to the report. The arrangement grew out of Mamdani’s highly successful online operation during his 2025 mayoral campaign.

The CJR investigation found that City Hall communicates with the group through an encrypted Signal chat called “NYC Creators Announcements.” Because Signal can be configured to make messages disappear, government watchdogs have questioned whether the arrangement complies with laws requiring official city communications to be preserved.

The report also found that some members of the broader influencer network have received taxpayer money “for work on particular messaging campaigns,” although CJR said they were not paid specifically for their coverage of Mamdani.

The combination of private government communications and financial relationships between city agencies and some influencers prompted calls for greater disclosure.

“City leaders must be deliberate about how they communicate,” said Citizens Union Executive Director Grace Rauh “Any discussion of official government business must occur in a manner that ensures records are preserved and accessible under the Freedom of Information Law. The rules exist to protect the public.”

Rauh said there is nothing inherently improper about municipal officials working with online content creators, but argued that the lack of public visibility surrounding the relationships is problematic.

While “there’s nothing inherently wrong with working with influencers,” Rauh said “the problem is that the city has been doing this privately.”

“We don’t know who is getting paid and who isn’t, and the public has no way to tell a paid supporter from an organic voice. There needs to be disclosure, and we need clear rules of the road.”

According to CJR, the current City Hall influencer operation grew out of Creators4Zohran, a collection of social media personalities organized during Mamdani’s 2025 mayoral campaign to promote his candidacy and online messaging.

After Mamdani became mayor, the network was reorganized into an operation through which influencers could receive material directly from his administration, including suggested messaging and content that could be incorporated into their own posts.

“The group is run by the Director of New Media and Cultural Communications at the NYC Office of the Mayor, Emilia Rowland, and her staff, and members of the group receive daily updates, talking points and clips that they can use in their posts,” the study states.

Rowland earns an annual city salary of $175,000. Her supervisor, city communications director Anna Bhar, is paid $260,000 annually.

Exactly how many of the influencers have received government money, and how much they may have been paid, remains unclear.

A City Hall spokesperson denied that the mayor’s office itself had paid influencers to create favorable content.

The mayor’s office “never paid a content creator for a collaboration or for content production.”

City Hall did not answer when asked whether other municipal agencies had paid members of the influencer network.

CJR said its research indicated that influencers were not being paid to post about Mamdani or his policies. Many apparently promoted the mayor voluntarily because they supported him politically, valued the access provided by City Hall or viewed their participation as a form of civic engagement.

Some of the influencers, however, have received money for advertisements produced for city agencies, according to the investigation.

The practice of municipal agencies hiring outside marketing companies to arrange influencer campaigns predates Mamdani and dates back at least to the COVID-19 pandemic. Such campaigns have generally paid between $5,000 and $20,000, according to CJR.

A review of active contracts by the New York Post found that Mamdani’s Department of Social Services has spent more than $100,000 this year on an unidentified social media campaign. The three-year contract involved was signed in 2025, during Mayor Eric Adams’ administration.

The group of pro-Mamdani online personalities also reaches beyond New York City.

One influencer from Columbus, Ohio, who uses the Instagram handle @bananadotgov, has published several highly favorable videos about Mamdani.

“Strange things are happening, because I have literally not felt this way about a politician since Bernie Sanders,” she said, responding to the mayor saying he wouldn’t take a pay raise in July.

It remained unclear Wednesday whether the Ohio-based influencer belongs to the City Hall Signal chat, though she frequently appeared on the Creators4Zohran page during the campaign.

The administration’s decision to use Signal has revived concerns that surfaced during Mayor Bill de Blasio’s tenure, when aides were found to have used the encrypted messaging application, which includes an option allowing messages to automatically disappear.

New York City officials are legally required to preserve records relating to government business, including relevant electronic messages, so that members of the public and government watchdogs can obtain information about official decisions and policymaking.

“Government records do not stop being government records because an official uses Signal, a personal phone, or another non-government platform,” said Axel Ebermann of the New York Coalition for Open Government.

“The City’s own records policy is clear as well. Instant messages about City decisions, actions, or policies must be preserved, including those sent on personal devices or third-party platforms,” Ebermann said. “If messages about public business are disappearing because officials chose an app that allows them to disappear, that’s a serious open-government problem.

“Government officials should not be able to make public records disappear simply by choosing the right app.”

Nile Berry, a New York City influencer who participates in the Signal group, said posting privileges are restricted to six members of the Mamdani administration and described most of the material they distribute as “pretty run-of-the-mill announcements.” He nevertheless acknowledged that using Signal could create questions about transparency.

“I don’t know why exactly Signal was chosen,” he said.

“I know it has a sketchy cachet as what’s used to keep messages private. I don’t know why they’re choosing to use that. This could as easily be a WhatsApp group or a text thread.”

Asked about concerns that the Signal arrangement could violate municipal record-retention requirements, Mamdani initially defended the administration’s outreach to influencers as comparable to communicating with traditional outlets such as television and radio.

The mayor subsequently said his administration intends to comply with the laws governing city records.

“My administration will always strive to fully provide all legal requirements, including those that relate to the presentation of city records,” he said Wednesday.

“If there are any departures from what is legally required, my administration will look into it immediately and take corrective action.”

City Hall initially referred questions from the Post to Mamdani’s remarks and declined to provide specific responses.

The administration later released a statement from Ramzi Kassem, chief counsel to the mayor, who said the use of Signal itself is permissible as long as officials comply with applicable record-retention requirements.

“There is no City policy against using Signal,” he said. “By default, the application is not downloaded on City employees’ devices, but like TikTok, WhatsApp, and other applications, it can be authorized for employees’ specific uses subject to compliance with applicable City record retention policies and the New York State Freedom of Information Law. Authorized use of Signal on City devices allows records to be retained consistent with record retention policies and laws.”

It was not known whether messages in the “NYC Creators Announcements” chat had been configured to disappear automatically.

The revelations come amid broader criticism that the Mamdani administration has blurred the boundary between ordinary government communications and political promotion.

Critics have previously targeted Mamdani’s $54 million Office of Mass Engagement, accusing the operation of functioning as a taxpayer-funded propaganda apparatus. His administration has also faced criticism for producing a publicly funded documentary about tenants organizing against their landlord.

“This new effort with influencers is a great example of why we have transparency rules,” Rachel Fauss, of good government group Reinvent Albany, said Wednesday. “Disclosure is the right thing to do here. It’s tax dollars so there’s a public interest.”

NYC Common Sense, an organization headed by former mayoral candidate Jim Walden, responded to the report by asking the city Department of Investigation to examine the administration’s use of the Signal group.

“New Yorkers should not have to wonder whether the friendly video in their feed is independent commentary, undisclosed advertising, or government-funded political messaging,” he said in a letter Wednesday.

“A transparent investigation would protect legitimate public-service communications while ensuring that City Hall does not use public money and private channels to manufacture favorable coverage for the Mayor.”

New York City is sharply restricting the use of generative artificial intelligence in its public schools, barring nearly 600,000 younger students from using the technology during the 2026-27 academic year while placing significant limits on its use among high school students.

Mayor Zohran Mamdani and Schools Chancellor Kamar Samuels announced the one-year moratorium Wednesday, days before students are scheduled to return to school. The policy covers children from 2-K through eighth grade, representing roughly two-thirds of the student population in the nation’s largest public school district.

“The tech industry wants us to believe that A.I.-powered early education is not only inevitable, but necessary,” Mamdani said in a statement. “We do not see it that way.”

Students in high school will still be allowed to use artificial intelligence, though only under restricted educational circumstances. Each high school student will receive two 45-minute lessons on AI literacy during the school year, addressing subjects including technological bias, ethics, potential effects on careers and the limitations of artificial intelligence.

The city will also launch a limited trial involving five AI programs that have been reviewed and approved for classroom use. The pilot will be conducted in a small group of high schools and will involve no more than 50,000 students, representing approximately 5% of the city school system’s total enrollment.

One category of artificial intelligence will be banned across the board: companion chatbots that simulate friendship or are marketed as offering emotional support or mental health guidance will not be permitted for students in any grade.

Educators, meanwhile, will retain access to certain approved AI applications. Teachers will be permitted to use the technology to prepare lessons, translate educational material and compose communications, but they will be barred from relying on AI to grade students’ work or make sensitive student-related determinations.

The new rules include several exemptions. AI may continue to be used in instructional programs that have received central approval, for testing purposes and as assistive technology for students with disabilities. Exceptions will also apply to multilingual students and to certain career-preparation programs, including computer science courses.

“We’re putting guardrails in place to protect the critical human connection, curiosity and creativity that help children grow,” said Samuels, who added that the school system would not “conflate innovation with more tech.”

The Mamdani administration is also moving beyond AI to reduce students’ overall exposure to screens in school. Individual screen use will be restricted for children in second grade and younger, while the city is recommending a maximum of 30 minutes per day for third- through fifth-graders and 45 minutes daily for students in grades six through eight.

The tougher approach comes after months of debate over the rapidly expanding role of artificial intelligence in education. In March, the city school system issued preliminary guidelines that permitted responsible AI use while stressing academic honesty, student privacy and the continued importance of human judgment. The city had also blocked ChatGPT from school networks and devices in early 2023, only to lift that restriction later in the year.

“This is certainly a step forward,” said City Council Member Eric Dinowitz, chairman of the council’s Education Committee. “I still have a lot of questions.”

Some parent advocates are similarly questioning how comprehensive the restrictions will prove to be, particularly because AI capabilities are increasingly being incorporated directly into educational software that schools already use.

“What does that mean in a world where all software at this point is now using generative A.I. as part of their core features,” said Naveed Hasan, a member of the city’s education oversight panel. “It remains to be seen.”

President Donald Trump suggested Wednesday that the Strait of Hormuz be renamed the “Trump Strait,” pointing to what he described as American control of the strategic waterway as renewed fighting between the United States and Iran intensifies across the region.

“Now that we have it under U.S.A. control, should we change the name Hormuz Strait to Trump Strait? Like America itself, it would be ‘hotter’ than ever before!” the President said Wednesday.

Trump raised the possibility one day after US Central Command launched another series of strikes against Iranian military targets.

According to the US military, the operation hit sites connected to Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, including air-defense positions, radar installations, maritime assets and facilities, mine-laying capabilities and communications sites.

Iran’s Foreign Ministry responded Wednesday by accusing the United States of striking civilian locations and service infrastructure in Khuzestan, Sistan and Baluchestan, Hormozgan and Kerman provinces. Tehran also claimed that a wedding in Kuhestak, in Sirik County, was struck, causing deaths and injuries.

CENTCOM disputed Iran’s characterization of the strikes. Navy Captain Tim Hawkins, a CENTCOM spokesman, told TIME: “We are aware of reports, which originated from Iranian state media. The U.S. military never targets civilians, unlike the IRGC.”

The IRGC, meanwhile, said it carried out retaliatory attacks overnight Tuesday against US bases in Jordan, Kuwait and Bahrain, as well as another American facility in Iraq.

The latest exchange follows roughly a month in which active fighting between Washington and Tehran had largely subsided. On Sunday, the US military struck two Iranian launchers on Larak Island that it said were being prepared to fire rockets carrying naval mines into the Strait of Hormuz.

Trump’s proposed name change comes as control of the Strait has emerged as a major point of confrontation between the United States and Iran. Before the war, roughly one-fifth of the world’s oil supply passed through the narrow waterway.

The president has recently ordered other prominent geographic name changes. Most recently, amid an escalating trade dispute between Washington and Ottawa, Trump directed that Lake Ontario be designated “Lake America” in the United States.

Trump has asserted that the United States now exercises near-total control over the Strait of Hormuz. However, the struggle surrounding the waterway has continued after Washington and Tehran adopted competing interpretations of a Memorandum of Understanding reached between the two sides.

With no apparent diplomatic resolution in sight, the Trump administration has continued threatening what it calls an “economic D-Day” against Tehran, tightening sanctions while simultaneously applying military pressure.

Commercial shipping through the Strait has again fallen sharply as instability in the area increases.

Data provided to TIME by commodities data and analytics company Kpler showed that just six vessels crossed the Strait on Tuesday, compared with 19 ships the previous Friday.

The decline is particularly dramatic compared with traffic before the Iran war began on Feb. 28, when approximately 138 vessels typically traveled through the crucial shipping route during a 24-hour period.

The danger to commercial shipping was underscored Wednesday when UK Maritime Trade Operations reported an attack against a tanker traveling through the Strait, saying the incident resulted in two casualties.

Saudi Arabia’s Foreign Ministry said Iran had targeted a Saudi tanker in the waterway. UKMTO subsequently reported that two members of the vessel’s crew were killed.

Iran’s retaliatory attacks also drew condemnation from its Gulf neighbors, with the Gulf Cooperation Council describing the strikes on US bases in the region as a “heinous” act.

GCC Secretary General Jasem Mohamed AlBudaiwi said “these Iranian attacks represent a blatant violation of state sovereignty and a direct threat to their security and stability.”

AlBudaiwi said the GCC stands “firmly alongside” the affected countries “in all measures and actions taken to preserve their sovereignty, protect their security and stability, and ensure the safety of their peoples and residents.”

The GCC consists of six countries on the Arabian Peninsula: Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates.

The UAE, which suspended trade with Iran in August amid missile attacks, separately condemned Tehran’s latest strikes throughout the Gulf region.

“These hostile attacks constitute a flagrant violation of the sovereignty of the brotherly nations and a threat to their security and stability,” said the UAE’S Ministry of Foreign Affairs on Wednesday.

{Matzav.com}

Israel Police have begun examining allegations against Haaretz journalist Uri Misgav after Yair Netanyahu accused him of publishing sensitive information about his Miami residence, security arrangements and movements, according to a report Wednesday evening by Channel 13 News journalist Aviad Glickman.

The police are currently collecting material related to Misgav, but Glickman emphasized that the process has not yet reached the stage of a formal criminal investigation. Authorities have also not sought permission from the Attorney General to investigate Misgav over conduct connected to his journalistic work.

The police examination comes several days after Netanyahu’s attorney, Uriel Nizri, submitted a complaint to the Israel Police Commissioner and sent copies to the head of the Shin Bet and the Attorney General. Nizri alleged that Misgav used social media posts to reveal information about where Netanyahu was living in Miami, how he was being protected and details concerning his movements and travel.

Netanyahu’s complaint contends that the disclosures were especially dangerous because of an alleged Iranian plot to assassinate him. The letter claims that individuals acting for Iranian intelligence made their way to the entrance of Netanyahu’s Miami residence, forcing the Shin Bet agents protecting him to confront “an Iranian terrorist cell at the doorstep.”

According to the complaint, Misgav disclosed highly specific information about Netanyahu’s residence, allegedly including the building’s name, the floor and apartment number. The letter also accuses the journalist of revealing information about Netanyahu’s protective detail, including the number of guards assigned to him and how their shifts were arranged, along with his travel patterns and information about flights and departure times.

Nizri maintained that the disclosures did not amount to an isolated incident, describing Misgav’s conduct as “systematic, consistent and ongoing” activity. According to the attorney, the published information effectively offered hostile elements a “road map” to Netanyahu’s security setup and its possible weak points, placing both Netanyahu and the personnel assigned to protect him in danger.

Netanyahu consequently called on authorities to open a criminal and security investigation into Misgav and place him under arrest. His attorney alleged that Misgav’s actions could constitute a number of serious offenses, including assisting an enemy during wartime, supplying information to an enemy with the intention of damaging state security, intentionally placing lives at risk and compromising the safety of individuals under official protection.

Glickman pointed out, however, that an investigation of a journalist over actions undertaken as part of his professional work requires approval from the Attorney General. Police have not requested that authorization thus far. He also raised questions about why Netanyahu’s attorney’s letter was enough to trigger the preliminary police examination when, according to Glickman, Yair Netanyahu himself had not appeared at a police station to formally submit a complaint.

{Matzav.com}

A federal judge on Wednesday temporarily blocked the Trump administration from enforcing President Donald Trump’s latest executive order restricting birthright citizenship, dealing another legal setback to the White House after the Supreme Court struck down Trump’s earlier attempt to narrow automatic citizenship for children born in the United States.

U.S. District Judge Deborah Boardman in Greenbelt, Maryland, granted a preliminary injunction sought by immigrant-rights advocates. The same groups had previously persuaded Boardman to block enforcement of Trump’s original 2025 executive order limiting birthright citizenship.

The Supreme Court rejected that earlier order on June 30, ruling that the administration’s attempt to deny citizenship to U.S.-born children whose parents were neither American citizens nor lawful permanent residents violated the citizenship clause of the 14th Amendment.

The constitutional provision grants citizenship to people born in the United States who are “subject to the jurisdiction thereof.”

In response to the Supreme Court ruling, Trump signed a revised executive order on Aug. 6 that was more narrowly tailored and specifically targeted “birth tourism,” the practice of women traveling to the United States to give birth so their children automatically receive American citizenship.

Under the new directive, citizenship would also be withheld from certain U.S.-born children if one of their parents works for a foreign government in the United States, participated in fraud or a commercial transaction for the purpose of securing citizenship, or is designated an “alien enemy.”

Following Trump’s signing of the revised order, attorneys pursuing a class-action lawsuit on behalf of infants who would have been denied citizenship under the 2025 directive returned to Boardman. They asked her to prevent the administration from implementing the new order and to ensure that the citizenship of their clients continued to be recognized.

Among the plaintiffs are the immigrant-rights organizations CASA and the Asylum Seeker Advocacy Project. Those groups were also involved in the earlier challenge that led Boardman to become one of four lower-court judges who blocked Trump’s first birthright citizenship order before the Supreme Court ultimately ruled on the matter.

Boardman, who was appointed to the federal bench by President Joe Biden, declined during a hearing Friday to immediately halt Trump’s revised directive. She nevertheless voiced doubts about its legality and permitted the plaintiffs to amend their lawsuit so she could consider whether to block what she described as an “unprecedented” order.

Attorneys for the Justice Department argued that issuing a restraining order was unwarranted because Trump’s new directive was significantly narrower than the broader executive order that prompted the plaintiffs’ original lawsuit.

The administration also argued that the latest challenge had been filed prematurely. Federal agencies have not yet released the public guidance necessary to explain precisely how Trump’s new directive will be carried out, Justice Department lawyers said, with that guidance expected by Friday. The administration maintained that any court challenge should wait until those implementation details are issued.

A new Chareidi political party made up of men who have evaded military service is reportedly being organized ahead of Israel’s upcoming Knesset elections, in a move that could siphon tens of thousands of votes away from the established Chareidi parties.

According to a report by Israel’s Channel 13, efforts are underway to establish the new list with the involvement of the more extreme Yerushalmi faction, along with a number of rabbonim associated with the mainstream Chareidi community.

The party is being promoted as a political home for Chareidi draft evaders, with its central platform calling for exemptions from military service for Chareidi men who are currently considered draft evaders.

Those behind the initiative are reportedly seeking to capitalize on growing frustration among some Chareidi voters who believe that United Torah Judaism and Shas have failed to resolve the ongoing draft crisis.

The proposed party had sought to use a name or campaign theme meaning “Black Color,” but the Central Elections Committee reportedly asked organizers to avoid the phrase because of concerns that it could be considered socially offensive.

Political observers reportedly believe the new party has little chance of crossing the electoral threshold required to enter the Knesset. However, even without winning seats, the party could have a significant impact by drawing votes away from United Torah Judaism and Shas.

The organizers are expected to seek support from the Yerushalmi faction and other hardline groups that traditionally have not participated fully in national elections. Combined with Chareidi draft evaders and other voters dissatisfied with the handling of the draft issue by veteran Chareidi political leaders, those constituencies could potentially amount to tens of thousands of votes.

According to the report, highly conservative and hardline elements within the Chareidi community are behind the initiative. The effort is also said to have substantial financial backing, including millions in support from Chareidi donors in Israel and wealthy supporters abroad.

The development comes as enforcement against Chareidi draft evaders continues to intensify. Six Chareidi men who allegedly attempted to leave Israel were arrested Wednesday morning at Ben Gurion Airport. Two were apprehended in Terminal 1 and another four in Terminal 3.

The men were transferred to the Population and Immigration Authority, where authorities determined that military draft orders and civil orders preventing them from leaving the country had been issued against them.

The reported initiative is separate from another new Chareidi political movement known as “The Chareidi Public,” which has taken a markedly different position on the draft issue and supports both core-curriculum studies and military service.

Channel 13 reported last week that representatives of that party have been holding discussions with former IDF Maj. Gen. Ofer Winter about the possibility of running together. Such an arrangement would reportedly depend on polling showing that the new Chareidi movement could bring tens of thousands of additional votes to a joint slate.

Former Shas chairman Eli Yishai is reportedly being considered as a potential leader of that party, although he, too, is said to be waiting to see polling data before making a decision.

“The Chareidi Public” has also reportedly been holding discussions with Benny Gantz’s Blue and White and Gilad Erdan’s Unity Party as it explores possible alliances ahead of the election.

{Matzav.com}

Dear Matzav Inbox,

With the Yomim Noraim approaching, this is a difficult topic to raise. However, after discussing the matter with a number of bnei Torah who strongly felt that it needs to be brought to the community’s attention, I am writing regarding an important issue of public safety.

As mikvaos experience the tremendous pre-Yom Tov rush, with exceptionally large crowds using them each day in the period leading up to Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur, a serious question needs to be asked: Are the filtration and sanitation systems in our mikvaos equipped to handle such a dramatic increase in usage, and are adequate measures being taken to minimize potential health risks?

With this heavy traffic come legitimate hygiene concerns, particularly the risk of preventable skin and bacterial infections, including folliculitis and cellulitis, which can be associated with inadequately sanitized water. I personally contracted an infection after using a local mikvah, and I have since spoken with several others who experienced similar problems. This has led me to believe that relying exclusively on internal monitoring may not be sufficient. For vulnerable individuals, including the elderly and those with compromised immune systems, certain infections can become serious and may even require hospitalization.

Our community places enormous importance on independent standards and reliable hashgachah when it comes to food establishments. Perhaps a similar model should be considered for this vital area of communal infrastructure. A dedicated vaad could independently oversee water safety in mikvaos, working with qualified professionals to conduct appropriate testing and ensure that sanitation and filtration systems are functioning properly, particularly during periods of exceptionally heavy use.

Such oversight would protect the health of the community while fully respecting all halachic requirements. Concerns about chemical maintenance, filtration and the absence of transparent, independent testing should be addressed before they result in preventable illness. In fact, I am already aware of individuals who are sufficiently concerned about the health risks associated with heavily used mikvaos that they choose to go to the ocean instead.

My intention is certainly not to disparage our mikvaos or those who work hard to maintain them. On the contrary, precisely because mikvaos are such an essential part of Jewish life, their safety should be treated with the seriousness it deserves. Sakanta chamira me’isura, and this is an issue that warrants attention.

Thank you for bringing attention to this important matter of communal safety.

E. G.

New Jersey

To submit a letter to appear on Matzav.com, email MatzavInbox@gmail.com

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New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani visited Boro Park on Wednesday ahead of Rosh Hashanah, touring a prominent Judaica store and meeting with local community figures in one of the world’s largest Orthodox Jewish neighborhoods, even as his appearance drew a heated confrontation from a Jewish woman who accused the mayor of fueling antisemitism through his rhetoric and positions on Israel.

The visit, apparently Mamdani’s first to Boro Park as mayor, took place at Eichler’s Judaica, the longstanding Jewish bookstore and religious-goods retailer that has operated in the neighborhood for nearly four decades. Boro Park residents voted overwhelmingly against Mamdani in the mayoral election.

Video released by the mayor’s office showed Mamdani speaking with local leaders inside the store about issues including garbage collection and the curriculum in yeshivos. The mayor was also presented with a jar of honey in honor of the approaching Rosh Hashanah holiday.

Uri Fraenkel, director of special projects in the mayor’s office, demonstrated the blowing of a shofar for Mamdani and explained various elements of traditional Chassidic clothing.

Speaking briefly to members of the press who were invited to cover the visit, Mamdani offered New Year wishes to the Jewish community.

“It is so lovely to be here, especially before the High Holidays, and to wish everyone a shanah tovah, and I really just appreciate the welcome and the conversations,” Mamdani said.

WATCH: @NYCMayor shares a special message with @BoroPark24 followers during his visit to Boro Park today ahead of the upcoming month of Tishrei. pic.twitter.com/bLadzc5tVo

— Boro Park 24 News (@BoroPark24) September 2, 2026

The cordial scenes inside the store were interrupted when pro-Israel blogger Stephanie Ben Shimol confronted Mamdani and sharply criticized him over his record on Israel and antisemitism.

“Shame on you, you’re causing all the antisemitism,” she told the mayor.

Ben Shimol continued confronting Mamdani as she invoked her own family’s history, telling him that her grandmother had arrived in Boro Park after surviving the Holocaust.

“This is all because of you that we have so much antisemitism,” she shouted. “You cause antisemitism, you are not the ambassador of America. How dare you come to Boro Park, the place where my grandmother came after the Holocaust? You have such nerve coming here.”

Members of Mamdani’s entourage and security personnel attempted to move Ben Shimol away from the mayor, prompting her to insist that she had every right to remain inside the store.

“Don’t push me, I’m shopping here, I’m a customer. I’m not violent and I don’t have a weapon,” she said.

Ben Shimol then pleaded with Mamdani to use his position to combat antisemitism, while accusing him of harming Jews through his intense focus on Israel.

“Stop the antisemitism! You have all the power to stop antisemitism, I beg you as a granddaughter of Holocaust survivors. All you do is focus on Israel and bring harm to the Jewish people,” she said.

She also stressed the deep connection to Israel felt by many members of Boro Park’s Orthodox community.

“Everyone here, their heart is Israel. It is ours from the Torah, the nation of Israel lives and exists forever,” she said.

Ben Shimol also challenged Orthodox figures accompanying or hosting Mamdani, questioning why they had welcomed a mayor whose positions on Israel have generated deep opposition within large segments of the Jewish community.

“Do you support him? If you support Israel, then why is he here? All he wants is to arrest Bibi Netanyahu,” she said.

After Mamdani left the store, Ben Shimol continued criticizing those who had hosted him. Pointing toward a nearby building, she described her family’s connection to the neighborhood and said her grandmother had operated a wig store there after the Holocaust.

“You see that building up there? That’s where my grandmother had her wig store after the Holocaust in Boro Park, my grandmother Shaindel, right there, and this antisemite came in from there,” she said.

She concluded by denouncing the decision to welcome Mamdani into the store.

“Shame on you for allowing him to come into the heart of the Jewish neighborhood of Boro Park,” she said.

The confrontation came against the backdrop of a strained relationship between Mamdani and significant portions of New York’s Jewish community. Jewish communal and religious leaders have repeatedly criticized his rhetoric and positions regarding Israel, while Mamdani has also sought during his first year in office to develop relationships with various segments of the city’s Chassidic population.

Those efforts have included contacts with Satmar leaders in Williamsburg as well as a visit to the Jewish Children’s Museum in Crown Heights.

Mamdani has encountered protests from Jewish New Yorkers on other occasions as well. At a previous NYPD event, he was greeted with loud boos while attempting to address the gathering and ended his remarks in less than a minute.

Wednesday’s Boro Park visit nevertheless proceeded with meetings with local leaders and the symbolic pre-Rosh Hashanah presentation of honey. Before departing, Mamdani again expressed appreciation for his reception in the neighborhood.

“It’s so great to be here before the holidays to wish everyone a happy new year, and I appreciate the welcome and the dialogue.”

Multiple NYPD officers fired Tasers at the knife-wielding woman behind Monday’s deadly Times Square stabbing rampage, but a combination of body fat, constant movement and a purse blocking one of the probes may have prevented the devices from incapacitating her, according to a former NYPD Taser expert.

Pamela Cisneros, 49, fatally stabbed 32-year-old Erin Piacenti and wounded a 68-year-old man before confronting police while armed with two knives. Artur Sadowski, a retired NYPD detective and Taser expert, said officers apparently struggled to establish the contact necessary for the devices to stop Cisneros as she continued moving toward them.

“The thicker the padding in front of the muscles, the more difficult it is for the taser to get to the muscles and be effective,” Sadowski said Tuesday of the body-fat factor.

Sadowski, who authored the Taser training guidelines used by the NYPD, explained that both probes fired from the device must make sufficient contact for it to achieve its intended effect. The distance separating the officers from Cisneros, combined with her erratic movements during the confrontation, made that considerably more difficult.

Complicating matters further, at least one of the probes apparently struck the purse Cisneros was wearing across her body. That prevented the electrical circuit from properly connecting and producing neuromuscular incapacitation, which temporarily causes a person to lose control of affected muscles.

Video footage of the chaotic confrontation shows NYPD officers encountering Cisneros near West 41st Street and Seventh Avenue shortly after she allegedly attacked the two victims. Cisneros, who reportedly had a lengthy history of mental health struggles, can be seen holding a knife in each hand.

Officers repeatedly ordered Cisneros to drop the weapons, but she refused and began wildly swinging the knives. Police deployed Tasers in an effort to subdue her, but when she continued advancing and charged toward the officers, they opened fire, fatally shooting her, according to the footage.

Sadowski said at least one of the Taser probes appeared to strike Cisneros around the center of her abdomen.

But “even when probes hit, a narrow spread, thick clothing, or body fat can limit the electrical effect,” the former Axon master instructor said, adding that areas such as the back and rear of the legs generally have less fat and can allow a Taser to work more effectively.

“She may have felt pain or muscle cramping in her abdomen but not enough to stop her from advancing.”

According to Sadowski, officers appeared to fire at least three Tasers within roughly one second, with a possible fourth deployment occurring at approximately the same time police fired their guns.

Cisneros was transported to Bellevue Hospital, where she died from the gunshot wounds, authorities said.

The woman killed in the attack, Erin Piacenti, was a University of Pennsylvania and Fordham Law School graduate who worked as an executive at Bank of America, according to reports. Sources said she succumbed to the injuries she suffered in the stabbing.

Piacenti had recently marked her second wedding anniversary in August, according to posts on social media.

The second victim, a 68-year-old man, suffered a stab wound to his abdomen.

A Haitian national now facing murder and other serious charges in Florida entered the United States illegally in 2024 and was subsequently released into the country by the Biden administration, the Department of Homeland Security said Wednesday.

DHS officials identified the suspect as 28-year-old Whycliff Longin, who allegedly entered the U.S. illegally through Florida two years ago. Despite his unlawful entry, federal authorities under the Biden administration permitted him to remain in the U.S. interior, according to DHS.

“This dangerous illegal alien should have never been allowed into our country in the first place,” DHS Secretary Markwayne Mullin said in a statement. “If it weren’t for the Biden administration’s reckless open-border policies, Amadette Longin would still be alive. ICE has lodged a detainer and will work with our partners in Florida to make sure this killer is never released onto our streets ever again.”

Longin was arrested by the Lee County Sheriff’s Office after authorities say he murdered his aunt, Amadette Longin, and attempted to strangle his cousin.

According to investigators, Longin’s cousin told police that she awoke to find him strangling her. She was ultimately able to escape his grip and take refuge in a bathroom inside the residence.

Responding officers later located Longin at a neighboring duplex and took him into custody.

Police searching the residence subsequently discovered Amadette Longin dead inside. Relatives told investigators that Amadette had allowed Whycliff Longin to stay at her home.

Longin is now charged with murder, attempted murder, battery and burglary involving battery. He remains jailed in Lee County, while ICE has placed a detainer on him to prevent his release into the community.

{Matzav.com}

German Chancellor Friedrich Merz said that without Germany’s arms shipments to Israel, the Jewish state would “no longer exist.”

Merz said this during a Q&A discussion on the ARD broadcaster, while explaining why arms shipments to Israel would continue.

“There are no unconditional deliveries to Israel,” he said. “But for as long as I bear political responsibility, we will always support the State of Israel’s right to exist, including militarily—because otherwise, that state would no longer exist today.”

A spokesperson from Merz’s office declined to reply to JNS’s query on which shipments, specifically, he believes ensure Israel’s survival.

Consecutive Israeli prime ministers, including Binyomin Netanyahu, have insisted that Israel’s survival and existence are owed to its own sacrifices, resources and ingenuity of its people.

Netanyahu in 2024 responded to a partial arms embargo briefly imposed on Israel by then-U.S. President Joe Biden by saying: “if we have to stand alone, we will stand alone. If we need to, we will fight with our fingernails. But we have much more than fingernails.”

Israel’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs did not reply by press time to a request by JNS for comment on Merz’s assertion.

In the ARD interview, Merz, who is generally considered to be pro-Israel, noted that in 2025, Germany also briefly halted the supply of some weapons to Jerusalem.

“I acknowledge that last August I made a decision that was heavily criticized: At a time when the Israeli military was acting forcefully against the civilian population in the Gaza Strip, I decided to stop supplying ammunition to the part of the military involved,” he said.

Israel, he added, “is the only democracy in the entire Middle East. It is a country whose very existence is threatened by a whole series of neighboring states—not least Iran and the terrorist groups it finances. That is why, ever since the Federal Republic of Germany was founded, we have supported Israel in its struggle for survival.”

He also said: “The existence of the State of Israel is non-negotiable for us.”

U.S. President Donald Trump has similarly attributed Israel’s existence to American actions under his presidency.

“Without the U.S., there would be no Israel. Without me, there would be no Israel because no other president was willing to do what I did,” Trump said on June 16. Israel “would have been blown up a long time ago” without his intervention, he added, while speaking alongside the president of the United Arab Emirates at the G7 summit.

Former German Chancellor Angela Merkel said in a 2008 Knesset speech that Israel’s security was part of Germany’s “Staatsräson,” or “reason of state”: A fundamental German national interest, rooted in Germany’s historic responsibility for the Holocaust.

Israel and West Germany established diplomatic relations in 1952. In the 1950s, Germany paid billions in reparations to Israel and Holocaust survivors, facilitating the Jewish state’s ability to absorb hundreds of thousands of Jewish refugees from Europe and the Middle East.

Historian Rafael Medoff, the founding director of the David S. Wyman Institute for Holocaust Studies in Washington, D.C., disputed Merz’s comment about assuring Israel’s existence.

“Germany only began selling significant quantities of weapons to Israel in 1962,” Medoff told JNS. “Israel existed for many years before it could buy German weapons, and it would continue to exist even if Germany were to re-impose the recent arms embargo.”

Israelis, Medoff added, “appreciate the willingness of the current German government to sell them weapons, but the idea that Israel’s existence depends on buying weapons from Germany is groundless and insulting.”

Maya Sion-Tzidkiyahu, a lecturer at the European Forum of the Hebrew University and director of the Israel-Europe Relations Program at Mitvim-The Israeli Institute for Regional Foreign Policies, told JNS that “There is truth to what he [Merz] said, but his statement takes it to an extreme, likely out of a political desire to tie defense transactions to Israel’s survival and away from the use of German weapons in Gaza or Lebanon.”

She said that public opinion on Israel has soured in Germany since the outbreak of a regional war following Hamas’s Oct. 7, 2023, massacre, “and Merz knows this. He’s been balancing his ideological commitment to Israel’s security with the growing opposition to it.”

Sion-Tzidkiyahu also said that Merz has preserved “continuity” on Israel from the policies of his predecessor, Olaf Scholz, of the center-left Social Democratic Party. Merz belongs to the center-right Christian-Democratic Union.

“Merz has largely continued Scholz’s policy of examining every export permit individually after Oct. 7. But at the E.U. level, Merz defends Israel more strongly than Scholz did,” she said.

Germany supplied 31% of Israel’s defense imports in 2025, according to the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute, with the U.S. providing another 68%.

Germany supplies Israel with tank engines and also its entire submarine fleet, comprising six Dolphin units that are operational and another three under construction that have yet to be delivered.

Israel also sells major defense systems to Germany, such as the Arrow 3, which it provided through a deal signed in 2023. The deal was expanded in December 2025, totaling $6.5 billion. This has been Israel’s largest-ever military export contract. JNS

Israeli authorities have stepped up enforcement at the country’s exit points, stopping dozens of Chareidi men — including Breslover Chassidim traveling to Uman for Rosh Hashanah — from leaving Israel because of outstanding military draft orders.

The Israel Airports Authority said Wednesday that security personnel at Ben Gurion Airport stopped six Chareidi men who were listed as being obligated to report for military service and were attempting to leave the country.

The six were intercepted in separate parts of the airport. Two were stopped at Terminal 1, while another four were prevented from departing through Terminal 3.

Following their detention, the six were turned over to officials from the Population and Immigration Authority. Checks conducted by authorities determined that all six were subject to active military orders barring them from leaving Eretz Yisroel.

The enforcement comes as growing numbers of Breslover Chassidim are making their annual journey to Uman, Ukraine, to spend Rosh Hashanah at the tziyun of Rav Nachman of Breslov.

Dozens of Breslover Chassidim have been stopped at Ben Gurion Airport after authorities discovered that they were subject to exit orders stemming from their failure to report to IDF draft offices.

Attempts to reach Uman through alternative routes have also encountered difficulties. An additional group of Breslover Chassidim was stopped at the Taba border crossing while attempting to enter Egypt, from where they reportedly planned to fly to European destinations before continuing onward to Uman for Rosh Hashanah.

{Matzav.com}

Israel’s Chief Rabbi, Rav Kalman Meir Ber, has called on IDF Chief of Staff Eyal Zamir and Defense Minister Israel Katz to cancel disciplinary proceedings against Givati Brigade soldiers who refused to enter a Namer armored personnel carrier in which a female paramedic was present, arguing that the religious rights and halachic concerns of observant soldiers must be respected.

In a sharply worded letter, Rav Ber criticized the handling of the incident involving soldiers from the Givati Brigade’s Rotem Battalion, saying the decision failed to give sufficient consideration to the religious way of life of the soldiers and the Torah principle of the sanctity of a Jewish military camp.

Rav Ber urged the IDF chief and defense minister to consider the episode through a broader perspective than military regulations alone, saying basic common sense must also play a role in determining how such sensitive situations are handled. “We have a principle known as the ‘fifth section of the Shulchan Aruch’ – matters that do not appear in the law books but are dictated by common sense,” he wrote.

The Chief Rabbi devoted a substantial portion of his letter to the regulations governing service in the IDF. He argued that while some military codes were formulated by academics and intellectuals, the Torah itself establishes principles governing the conduct of a Jewish army, with the requirement of “Your camp shall be holy” among the most fundamental.

Rav Ber noted that since the establishment of the IDF, accommodations have been made to enable shomrei Torah u’mitzvos to serve while observing kashrus and Shabbos. He questioned why similar sensitivity should not be extended to concerns surrounding mixed-gender service.

“Why, when it comes to mixed-gender service, does a religious, Torah-observant soldier have no right to a say, when matters of the ‘sanctity of the camp’ are fundamental to his very way of life?” he asked.

Rav Ber called for the IDF regulations governing such situations to be revised in a manner that properly accommodates the religious lifestyle and halachic requirements of observant soldiers.

Addressing hesder yeshiva students and other religious soldiers who volunteer for combat units, Rav Ber wrote that his “heart aches” over the controversy. He strongly criticized those responsible for establishing military codes that he said were rooted in a culture far removed from the Torah, maintaining that it was under those standards that the Givati soldiers had been “judged harshly.”

Rav Ber warned that proceeding against the soldiers could have consequences extending far beyond the immediate controversy, particularly as Israel seeks to bring additional sectors of the population into military service.

“Such an action – putting soldiers on trial when their sole concern is preserving the sanctity of the camp – could bring disaster upon the need to integrate everyone into this national effort,” he wrote.

Concluding his letter, Rav Ber made a personal appeal to Zamir and Katz to reconsider the disciplinary action and overturn the decision.

“I write these words with a heavy heart and out of a sense of responsibility for the people of Israel and the unity of the nation. I implore you to change the decision and to keep these words of mine before you,” he wrote.

{Matzav.com}

Slabodka rosh yeshiva Hagaon Rav Dov Landau has delivered a pointed message about Degel HaTorah’s political future, declaring that the Torah world is beholden to no prime minister or political figure amid what he described as intensifying persecution of bnei Torah by the Israeli authorities.

Speaking in Tiveria, Rav Landau addressed the increasingly difficult situation facing the olam haTorah and appeared to signal that Degel HaTorah should not be viewed as automatically committed to Prime Minister Binyomin Netanyahu or his political bloc.

“Torah study and dealing in Torah are the most sublime things in the world; ‘The study of Torah is equal to all the commandments.’ We all know that the Torah world is in a very serious condition, and the persecution by the authorities weighs on Torah world day by day, and every single Torah student feels the yoke of the decrees.

“We do not depend on so-and-so, or this or that prime minister, only on the Creator of the Universe, and we all expect and hope that he will have mercy on his nation, particularly on the Torah world,” Rav Landau stated.

His remarks come as Degel HaTorah itself could be headed for major changes ahead of next week’s deadline for submitting candidate lists. Discussions between the offices of Rav Landau and Rav Moshe Hillel Hirsch have reportedly included the possibility of replacing several of the party’s longtime representatives in the Knesset, including Moshe Gafni and Uri Maklev.

Should those changes ultimately be implemented, MK Yaakov Asher, who is regarded as close to Rav Landau’s circle, is expected to assume the leading position in Degel HaTorah.

The IDF acknowledged Wednesday that commanders in the Givati Brigade’s Rotem Battalion improperly conducted a training exercise on Shabbos despite there being no operational necessity for doing so, conceding that the decision infringed upon the religious way of life of the soldiers involved, Arutz Sheva reports.

The admission follows complaints raised by soldiers over the past week. The soldiers said the Shabbos incident occurred before the more recent controversy surrounding the presence of a female paramedic and contributed to a growing breakdown in trust between members of the company and their commanders.

That controversy erupted after 15 soldiers from the Rotem Battalion were sentenced to ten days in military detention for refusing to enter a Namer armored personnel carrier while a female paramedic was inside.

Other soldiers in the battalion maintained that the refusal was the culmination of an extended period of friction between members of the hesder platoon and their commanders over issues involving halacha and the IDF’s Joint Service Order.

According to the soldiers, approximately a week and a half before the Namer episode, their company commander ordered a training exercise to take place on Shabbos. The drill included practicing the evacuation of casualties and inserting an intravenous line. The soldiers maintained that there was no pressing security or operational consideration requiring the training to be conducted on Shabbos and asked that it instead be scheduled for another time.

Speaking to Arutz Sheva, the soldiers described the concerns they raised at the time. “We asked why an exercise like this had to be conducted on Shabbat when there was no professional or operational necessity for it.” Following Shabbos, they brought the matter to the brigade rov, who reviewed what had occurred and concluded that there had been no justification for conducting the exercise on Shabbos in the absence of an operational need.

The IDF has now confirmed that the exercise indeed took place and acknowledged that no operational necessity required it to be held on Shabbos. “As part of the Rotem Battalion’s routine operations in the Gaza Strip area on Saturday, August 8, 2026, a company-level training exercise was held in the Gaza Strip,” the IDF stated.

Military officials said the soldiers’ complaints prompted an examination of what had occurred. “Following the exercise, and in light of claims raised by some of the soldiers in the battalion, it was determined that there was no operational reason to conduct the training exercise on Shabbat and that the brigade rabbi had not been informed of the exercise,” the IDF stated.

The incident was subsequently investigated, and a command-level discussion was held within the battalion, with the IDF saying that lessons had been drawn from what occurred. The military also explicitly acknowledged that approving the unnecessary Shabbos exercise had harmed the religious soldiers involved, stating, “The approval of the training exercise infringed upon the soldiers’ way of life.”

Following the investigation, battalion commanders confronted the company commander and informed him that his decision had been mistaken. According to the IDF, the procedures that must be followed in similar situations going forward were clarified to him, and he was summoned for a review with the commander of the Givati Brigade.

{Matzav.com}

The IDF says it will investigate and discipline a reservist who was documented davening at the kever of Elazar ben Aharon HaKohen near Itamar, after dozens of Jews entered the site during the Selichos period to daven at the holy site.

The kever, located in the village of Awarta in Area B, has long been visited by Jews seeking to daven at the burial place of Elazar ben Aharon HaKohen. The latest visit drew attention after footage showed the IDF reservist participating in the tefillos.

According to a report by Galai Tzahal (IDF Radio), the soldier is expected to be questioned by the brigade commander and subsequently face disciplinary action. The IDF acknowledged that since the beginning of the Selichos period, dozens of Jews have been entering kevarim of figures from Tanach situated in Area B.

The IDF said it has thus far refrained from taking action to prevent the visits because forces in the area are occupied with missions considered more pressing. However, the decision to take disciplinary action against the reservist prompted strong criticism from Jewish activists in the hilltop communities.

Activist Ariel Danino said Jewish residents of the region have routinely traveled through and entered Area B for decades, arguing that the incident involving the soldier was hardly unusual.

“For more than 20 years, residents have been entering Area B every day without coordination. It happens every day. Members of Knesset and government ministers drive home through Area B,” he wrote.

Danino pointed specifically to the Gilad Route, a major roadway in the Shomron that runs through Area B, as evidence that Jews regularly travel through territory under that designation.

“Stop selling people the illusion that Area B is beyond the mountains of darkness and that Jews are forbidden from entering it,” he wrote.

Danino added that requiring prior IDF coordination every time a Jewish resident enters Area B would create an enormous logistical burden because of how frequently residents travel through such areas.

“If the IDF wants every entry into Area B coordinated with it, great. They’ll start getting 800 phone calls a day from civilians who want to drive from Har Bracha to Kedumim,” he added.

Elisha Yered similarly condemned the reaction to the incident, objecting in particular to descriptions portraying the reservist as having simply entered a Palestinian village rather than visiting a longstanding Jewish holy site.

“This was not ‘in a Palestinian village,’ but at the tomb of Eleazar son of Aaron the Priest near Itamar – a holy site where Jews have been praying for many years.”

Yered maintained that merely entering Area B is not prohibited by law and said Jews have every right to visit and daven at the kevarim of tzaddikim located there.

“What kind of disgrace is this, and why is this even newsworthy?!” he wrote.

[COMMUNICATED]

Three kedoshei elyon had one common concept when it came to learning Torah – they were the Ohr Hachaim Hakadosh (Rabbi Chaim ibn Attar 1696-1743) when he came to Eretz Yisroel; the Ramchal (Rabbi Moshe Chaim Luzzatto 1707-1746) when he lived in Padua, Italy;  and Hagaon, Harav Chaim Volozhiner, (1749-1821) the famous talmid of the Gaon of Vilna.

They each had a yeshiva with ‘around-the-clock’ Torah learning, 24-hours a day, so that there would be no minute when the sound of Torah learning would not be heard in this world. The 24-hour period would be divided into shifts, and as one ended the next would begin.

Torah-24

A “Torah-24” Center has been opened in Yerushalayim and the Nasi is Maran Sar Hatorah, Harav Chaim Kanievsky, zt”l.

• The first “Torah-24” center is in Yerushalayim

• 11 Kollelim with 163 avreichim will be learning at “Torah-24” every day

• Nigleh, Nistar, Chumash and Halacha – All under ONE ROOF

• Talmud Bavli / Yerushalmi – Kabbalah & Zohar – Rambam, Shulchan Aruch & Poskim, Zeraim – Taharos 

• The following SIX kollelim – Kollel Hashkomas Haboker, Kollel Yerushalmi, Kollel Bavli, Kollel Choshen Mishpat/Even Haezer, Kollel Erev Shabbos, Kollel Kabbalah B’Chatzos (Tikun Chatzot, Etz Chaim, Zohar, Tehillim) – are fully operational

• 24 hour תורה learning cycle – 6:00 am to 6:00 am – is divided into different shifts

• Each kollel shift has its own program, Rosh Kollel and avreichim

• Detailed monthly and annual tests – written and oral – for all avreichim 

• Already there are 77 avreichim metzuyonim, and a large number of candidates are vying for the remaining slots in the kollelim. All the avreichim are required to take rigorous monthly tests.

In the words of Gedolei Torah:

“Torah-24 תורה” – where the voice of Torah is not absent from within the walls of the kollelim, not even for a minute…

“The idea … of day and night shifts of non-stop kollelim… the full range of subjects of the Torah… the derech of the Ramchal, the Ohr Hachaim Hakodosh and Hagaon Reb Chaim of Volozhin.”

– Nasi Maran Sar Hatorah, Hagaon Harav Chaim Kanievsky, zt”l

“All who donate to and support “Torah-24 תורה” will merit all the brochos of the Torah, including those for refuos, yeshuos, parnossa tova and nachas from all their descendants, Amen”

– Maran Rosh Yeshivas Ponevez, Hagaon Harav Gershon Edelstein, zt”l

At “Torah-24 תורה”, exceptional avreichim do not pause for a moment while studying all the areas of the holy Torah, with a shift of remarkable scholars studying the holy Zohar and the recitation of Tikun Chatzos at midnight. 

All who donate and support this holy endeavor of “Torah-24 תורה” should see brocha and success … children and grandchildren immersed in Torah and mitzvos… fulfillment of all the hopes of their hearts for good and with brocha. 

– Maran Hagaon Harav Moishe Sternbuch, shlit”a 

I join the esteemed Rabbanim and Gaonim, shlit”a, in endorsing the illustrious “Kollel Kabbalah b’Chatzos” designated for outstanding talmidei chachomim, masters of Torah and yiras Shomayim, who spend their nights in Beis Hashem, engaging deeply in the concealed dimensions of Torah during this auspicious time of Divine Favor…

I hereby call upon my generous brethren to support this endeavor with significant sums, for through this they will attain the great merit of the hidden Torah studied at night. May you all be blessed by Hashem with many blessings in accordance with the greatness of the endeavor that you are supporting!

– Maran Hagaon Hamekubal, Harav Yaakov Meir Shechter, shlit”a

“Support ‘Torah-24 תורה’ where the sound of Torah – nigleh and nistar – all hours of the day and night; and be blessed from shamayim that the Torah should never cease from your mouth; children bnei Torah; abundant parnassa and good health”

– Maran Hagaon Harav Shimon Badani, zt”l
Rosh Kollel Torah V’Chaim, Member Moetzet Chachmei Hatorah

“Torah-24 תורה” – groups of talmidei chachomim geonim in different shifts, delve in the subjects of Torah learning without interruption – Bavli, Yerushalmi, Dalet Chelkei Shulchan Aruch, Rambam, Kabbala, Midrash, Tana”ch and more.  “Torah-24 תורה” is in actuality a wonderful continuation of the heichalei hakodesh and battei midrash of our holy Rabbonim – the Ramchal, the Ohr Hachaim Hakadosh and the Nefesh Hachaim, zy”o. Who would not want to be part of this historical and amazing project “Torah-24 תורה”, and the greatness of its holy impact in both the supernal and lower realms?  “My brocha to all who support “Torah-24 תורה” – You should merit great abundance in both the spiritual and the material – supernal light, peace of mind, tranquility of the soul and bodily health. Only goodness and kindness should pursue you all the days of your lives, and you should dwell securely for your length of days.

– Maran Hamashpia Hagadol, ‘Reb Meilech’ Biderman, shlit”a

“Your kesher with ‘Torah-24 תורה’ will be a true ובהם נהגה יומם ולילה – and we will delve in them by day and by night”

– Maran Hagaon Harav Shraga Steinman, shlit”a – Orchos Torah

“Talmidei Chachomim of ‘Torah-24 תורה’ delve into all sectors of Torah – Bavli and Yerushalmi, Dalet Chelkei Shulchan Aruch, Rambam, Kabbalah – Nistar”

– Maran Hagaon Harav Shimon Gallai, shlit”a – Bnei Brak

Kollel Kabbalah b’Chatzos” is a precious link in the golden chain of the glorious Torah empire “Torah-24”… bringing tremendous delight to the Ribbono shel Olam. Fortunate are all those who take part in this great and holy endeavor.

– Maran HaMekubal Rav Abish Zehnwirth, shlit”a

For more “Torah-24” information click on: www.torah-24.com or call 718-766-5022

Israeli Prime Minister Binyomin Netanyahu declared Wednesday that Israeli forces will remain positioned along the Gaza Strip’s Yellow Line, saying Israel currently controls 60% of Gaza and intends to continue its operations until Hamas is fully disarmed and the territory can no longer threaten Israel.

Netanyahu made the remarks during a visit to an IDF installation near the Yellow Line, where he was joined by IDF Chief of Staff Eyal Zamir, Southern Command chief Maj. Gen. Yaniv Asor, and 99th “Bazak” Division commander Brig. Gen. Elad Tzuri.

While at the site, Netanyahu received detailed operational briefings from commanders stationed in the area. The discussions covered current IDF activity along the Yellow Line, continuing military missions, efforts to eliminate threats, and measures being taken to safeguard Israeli troops and nearby communities.

“We control the territory. You can see Ashkelon from here; you can see all of our communities in all directions: Sderot, Netivot, and the kibbutzes. We are not withdrawing. We are staying on this line,” the Prime Minister declared.

Netanyahu said Israel’s military presence in Gaza extends well beyond the Yellow Line and indicated that additional operations are planned as the IDF continues targeting terrorists.

“We control 60% of the Gaza Strip, and there is more to come, because we are eliminating the terrorists who threaten us. We are doing so day in and day out. Yesterday we took the head of Hamas’s general security service. We will certainly learn some things. But we are doing everything to reach our goal: disarming Hamas and demilitarizing the Gaza Strip. Gaza will never be a threat to Israel. This goal has effectively been reached, and there is still work to be done, and we will complete it.”

{Matzav.com}

President Donald Trump offered a direct message of reassurance to Israel on Wednesday evening as renewed fighting between the United States and Iran raised fears of a wider regional escalation.

Speaking briefly by phone with Israel’s Channel 12, Trump said Israel had no reason to be concerned as the confrontation with Tehran intensified.

“Israel should not worry. You know why? Because I’m the president, and I will take care of Israel.”

The president’s remarks followed a new wave of U.S. military strikes against targets belonging to Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, with attacks reported around Qeshm Island, Chabahar and Bandar Abbas, including locations near the strategically vital Strait of Hormuz.

U.S. Central Command said the military operation got underway at noon Eastern Time. According to CENTCOM, the strikes followed recent attempts by the IRGC to attack commercial vessels traveling through the Strait of Hormuz, as well as attempted attacks against American military personnel stationed in the region.

CENTCOM said American forces struck a range of Iranian military infrastructure, including air-defense positions, radar installations, maritime facilities and assets, mine-laying capabilities and communications sites.

Trump said in a post on Truth Social that the U.S. action came in retaliation for an Iranian attempt to deploy sea mines in the Strait of Hormuz and for an Iranian missile attack targeting a U.S. military base in Jordan.

The president warned Tehran against responding to the American operation, saying that any retaliation would prompt U.S. strikes “at a much harder and higher level,” and adding that an even more extensive attack was “waiting in the wings.”

Iran nevertheless responded by firing ballistic missiles toward American military installations in Jordan. Jordan’s military said 13 ballistic missiles were launched toward the country, with its defenses intercepting 10. The other three missiles exploded in locations away from populated areas.

Two U.S. officials told Reuters that there were no injuries among American personnel stationed in Jordan.

Reports in Iranian media later claimed that drones had been used to attack a U.S. military base in Bahrain, although the claim was not officially confirmed. Explosions were also reported in Kuwait, where the country’s military said its air-defense systems were responding to Iranian ballistic missiles and drones.

Before Iran’s retaliation, Iranian Army spokesman Mohammad Akraminia had pledged that Tehran would answer the American attacks, describing the coming response as “swift, crushing and widespread.”

Trump, meanwhile, pushed back against a report suggesting that the military campaign was designed to pressure Tehran into returning to negotiations with Washington.

“I’m not trying to force Iran to the bargaining table, as ABC Fake News reported. I couldn’t care less if they sign a worthless, to them, agreement,” Trump wrote on Truth Social.

“I like our position now much better, with almost total control of the Hormuz Strait, and their economy totally collapsing,” he added.

The latest outbreak of hostilities comes amid warnings from Israeli security officials that the possibility of another direct escalation between Israel and Iran has been growing.

Defense Minister Yisroel Katz said Wednesday that intensifying economic pressure on Tehran, coupled with increasing internal and regional tensions surrounding the Iranian regime, could ultimately prompt Iran to initiate an open military confrontation with Israel.

Katz said Israel is prepared for that scenario and is coordinating closely with Washington.

“We are prepared for both defense and offense, in coordination with the United States,” he said.

“If they attack because of Lebanon, because of Samaria, because of Gaza, or simply because they feel like it, our planes are ready to take off.”

{Matzav.com}

Rozana USA, an international NGO engaged in “health diplomacy,” announced on Monday that Rahm Emanuel and his brothers, Ezekiel and Ari, have donated $550,000 to fund the training of 11 pediatric doctors and 36 pediatric nurses from An-Najah National University Hospital in Nablus (biblical Shechem) at Tel Aviv Sourasky Medical Center (Ichilov).

The $550,000 contribution by Rahm, a potential U.S. presidential contender, and his brothers, will honor their parents, Benjamin and Marsha Emanuel. Their late father was a pediatrician and their mother was a radiology technician and therapist.

“This contribution will ultimately provide much needed, improved care for Palestinian children while leveraging the field of healthcare to build constructive, trusting relations between Israeli and Palestinian medical professionals, bridging the divide,” they said.

Otzma Yehudit Knesset Member Limor Son Har-Melech responded angrily, saying she would prevent the training of Palestinian doctors and nurses in Israel.

“As chair of the Knesset Health Committee, I was the first to bring to the agenda the outrageous phenomenon of training doctors from the P.A. [Palestinian Authority] in Israeli hospitals,” she posted to X on Monday.

“Israeli hospitals, residency beds, senior staff, and the professional expertise of the Israeli health system are not a training factory for the enemy.”

She said she would turn to the Israeli Health Minister and Ichilov hospital’s CEO demanding that they stop the program.

• JNS