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Dear Matzav Inbox,

I’m writing this with a heavy feeling, because it’s something a lot of people see and nobody wants to say out loud.

Somewhere along the way, lines got blurry. Very blurry.

It used to be understood — not written, not announced, just understood — that young married couples had gedarim. Not chumros, not weird rules. Just basic normal boundaries.

Today, it’s becoming normal to see young couples hanging out together way too casually, eating meals together, sitting around together for long stretches of time, sometimes late at night, sometimes with nobody else around. And everyone pretends it’s no big deal.

It is a big deal.

This isn’t about being paranoid or accusing anyone of anything. It’s about common sense. It’s about knowing human nature. It’s about recognizing that when you remove boundaries, things don’t magically stay safe because everyone has good intentions.

We didn’t grow up with this. Our parents didn’t grow up with this. There was a natural sense of distance, of respect, of “this isn’t for us.” Today it’s brushed off as being friendly, normal, modern, or “we’re all frum anyway.” Since when did frumkeit mean pretending we’re immune to reality?

What’s most disturbing is how defensive people get when this is brought up. As if pointing out a problem makes you the problem. As if asking for basic tznius is old-fashioned or extreme. מאז ומעולם, boundaries protected people. They didn’t suffocate them.

And let’s not fool ourselves. This doesn’t just affect the couples involved. It affects shalom bayis. It affects trust. It affects the atmosphere young families are building. Kids grow up seeing what’s normal. When everything is casual and mixed and unguarded, that becomes the standard.

No one is saying people can’t be friendly. No one is saying couples should live in isolation. But there’s a huge difference between normal interactions and hanging out at Shabbos seudos or an oneg Shabbos or on vacation like it’s a social club with zero awareness of what we’re risking.

We love to talk about יורדת הדורות. Maybe instead of blaming phones or the outside world, we should look at the things we quietly allowed inside and decided weren’t worth pushing back on.

Some things don’t need long speeches. They just need honesty. And courage to say: This isn’t how it’s supposed to look.

Signed,
C. L.

Formerly of Coventry

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{Matzav.com}

Prime Minister Netanyahu met today in his office in Jerusalem with Nickolay Mladenov, who is slated to serve as Director General of the “Peace Council” in the Gaza Strip. During the meeting, the prime minister reiterated that Hamas must disarm and that the Gaza Strip must be demilitarized in accordance with Trump’s 20-point framework.

The Paratroopers Brigade has completed a five-month operational deployment in Judea and Samaria under the IDF’s regional division. During the operation, Paratroopers forces arrested more than 300 wanted suspects, eliminated 25 terrorists, and seized dozens of weapons used for terrorist activity. The brigade also conducted ongoing training drills throughout the deployment to maintain and improve […]

Minneapolis Police Chief Brian O’Hara: “I have no reason to think the professional law enforcement officers of both the FBI and the Minnesota BCA would do anything other than collecting the facts and the evidence, and allowing that to go to its logical conclusion.”

States have major decisions to make in 2026 about the social safety net and taxes in the aftermath of a sweeping law President Donald Trump signed last year. The federal government is shifting more responsibilities to states over the next few years, and states must prepare for greater costs in the Medicaid health care and SNAP food […]

The U.S. trade deficit in goods and services narrowed sharply to $29.4 billion in October, the lowest monthly level since 2009, according to new Commerce Department data. The decline came as imports fell 3.2% while exports rose 2.6%, a shift partly driven by tariffs imposed under Donald Trump. Despite the improvement, the overall trade deficit […]

Rep. Steny Hoyer (D-Md.) announces his retirement from Congress on the House floor.

A Yerushalayim District Court judge ruled Thursday morning that bus driver Fakhri Khatib, who killed 14-year-old Yosef Eisenthal z”l,  will be released from custody and placed under house arrest for three days, overturning a lower court decision that had kept him jailed.

The decision followed an appeal filed by Khatib’s attorneys after the Magistrate’s Court ordered that he remain in detention for an additional nine days.

That ruling came after Israel Police initially sought a 15-day extension of his arrest in connection with the deadly incident during Tuesday’s draft protest.

Earlier, police downgraded the charge against Khatib from aggravated murder to manslaughter. In extending the detention at that stage, the Magistrate’s Court judge remarked, “I believe the driver that this was a stressful situation. However, I do not believe that driving into a crowd is a reasonable option, and as we saw, its results were severe.”

The case stems from the anti-draft demonstration that took place Tuesday in Yerushalayim. A Line 64 bus became encircled by demonstrators. According to investigators, Khatib contacted police requesting assistance and, shortly afterward, accelerated the bus into the crowd. The impact killed Yosef Eisenthal and left three others wounded.

{Matzav.com}

An unusual incident occurred on Wednesday when a bochur from Ponevezh Yeshivah was detained by police forces and transferred to military police. Initial reports claimed that he was arrested on the way to Meron following a dispute with his driver, but the Ezram U’Meginam spokesperson clarified that the arrest actually took place inside a recruitment […]

[COMMUNICATED]

The latest Mark Feld Real Estate course is starting this coming Wednesday in Lakewood.

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This is a short, highly practical course that focuses on real-world fundamentals: how to find and analyze deals, understand transactions, secure financing, operate properties, and exit through a refinance or sale. The emphasis is on clarity, not hype — giving you the full picture, including both the opportunities and the pitfalls to watch for.

The course is designed and taught by Mark Feld, a real estate professional with over 15 years of hands-on experience. Mark has worked on thousands of deals and is an active investor in real estate holdings across the country. His teaching style is known for being clear, grounded, and honest — helping students understand not just what to do, but how to think about real estate investing.

Foundations of Real Estate Investing begins January 14 and will be held in Lakewood, with a live Zoom option available. Both men and women take this course, and all sessions are recorded, so if you miss a class you can watch the replay at your convenience and follow along step by step.

The best way to see if the course is right for you is to try the free preview, where you can experience the structure of the classes and Mark’s teaching approach firsthand.

⏳ The course starts January 14 — just days away.

If you’re serious about building a strong foundation in real estate, check out the free preview of the course right now.

MORE DETAILS

Gov. Kathy Hochul is preparing to roll out a proposal aimed at giving New Yorkers “a way to get recourse” when they believe they’ve been harmed by the actions of ICE agents, a plan she says will be part of her 2026 State of the State agenda to be unveiled next week.

She previewed the idea during a Thursday appearance on MS NOW’s “Morning Joe,” tying it to a broader conversation about immigration enforcement following the deadly shooting in Minnesota.

During the interview, Hochul acknowledged that she personally confronted a federal immigration officer last year outside 26 Federal Plaza in Lower Manhattan, accusing the agent of intimidating the public.

“Why do you think you are more than anybody else? Come on, you’re just trying to terrorize people,” the governor said she told the officer during the encounter.

Hochul did not provide additional details about the exchange or explain what prompted the confrontation.

Her comments and the forthcoming proposal represent a notable shift in tone from the position Hochul has often taken since President Trump’s election, when she repeatedly suggested that New York would find ways to cooperate with federal authorities as part of a broader immigration crackdown.

While she has generally avoided drawing firm lines publicly, Hochul has previously said she supports coordination with federal agencies in cases involving migrants accused of committing crimes.

Early last year, amid criticism that New York’s sanctuary policies were shielding criminals in the country illegally, Hochul said she was compiling a detailed list of offenses that would lead the state to turn migrants over to ICE.

“We’ll be announcing this probably before the end of the year or early next year,” Hochul said at the time.

“I think the public has a right to know. Law enforcement needs to know where I’m coming from,” she continued.

“Washington needs to know where we’re going to be helpful, what we’re going to do, and I’ll be very clear on this so everyone has no doubt in their mind what the situation will look like in the state of New York.”

When ICE began carrying out its first high-profile operations in New York City under President Trump’s enforcement push last year, Hochul signaled then that she supported federal efforts focused on migrants who had committed crimes.

{Matzav.com}

U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio said he plans to meet with Danish officials next week after the Trump administration doubled down on its intention to take over Greenland, the strategic Arctic island that is a self-governing territory of Denmark. Since the capture of former Venezuelan leader Nicolás Maduro, President Donald Trump has revived his argument that the […]

President Donald Trump announced Wednesday that the United States will exit the international climate agreement that has anchored global efforts to curb climate change for more than three decades.

The agreement, in place for 34 years, includes every other country in the world, making it one of the most widely adopted international frameworks still governing global policy cooperation.

In a social media statement, the White House said Trump signed a memorandum directing the United States to withdraw from 66 international organizations and treaties that “no longer serve American interests.”

While the administration did not immediately publish a complete list of the organizations and agreements covered by the order, White House officials identified the climate accord as a central element of the withdrawal directive.

Trump and senior advisers described the move as part of a broader strategy to reassert U.S. control over domestic energy production and economic decision-making, arguing that international agreements have imposed external limits on American industry.

The decision is expected to prompt swift criticism from U.S. allies and climate advocates, who contend that the agreement plays a key role in coordinating emissions reductions and funding climate adaptation efforts worldwide.

Environmental groups warned that the U.S. withdrawal could undermine global momentum at a time when countries are facing escalating climate-related disasters, including extreme heat, flooding, and wildfires.

Supporters of the president’s action praised the move as a rejection of international bureaucracy, saying the agreement creates an unfair system that places disproportionate economic costs on the United States.

The withdrawal is also likely to raise diplomatic and legal questions, including how quickly the United States can formally exit and how prior commitments made under the agreement’s framework will be treated.

White House officials said additional actions related to U.S. participation in international organizations are expected in the future.

{Matzav.com}

Josh Shapiro is expected to announce today that he will seek a second term as Pennsylvania governor, following a first term that elevated his national profile and fueled talk of potential future presidential ambitions. Shapiro plans to make the formal announcement at events in Pittsburgh and Philadelphia.

Israel has proposed using Palestinian Authority clearance revenues it is withholding to fund rubble-clearing projects in Gaza, according to a PA official. Ramallah rejected the idea, calling the funds “stolen” and saying Israel has no right to use them for rebuilding damage caused during the war. The PA official added that Israel also suggested using […]

Surveillance footage shows three suspects rushing into a bodega in the Longwood section of the Bronx, where the clerk was held at gunpoint during an armed robbery.

Homeland Security Investigators are conducting door-to-door evidence collection and fraud investigations in Minneapolis and across the United States.

President Trump said Wednesday that Washington expects to maintain a governing role in Venezuela well beyond the immediate aftermath of the Jan. 3 operation that led to the arrest of Venezuelan leader Nicolás Maduro on U.S. drug and weapons charges.

In a wide-ranging interview, Trump outlined an economic vision centered on Venezuela’s energy sector. “We will rebuild it in a very profitable way,” he said. “We’re going to be using oil, and we’re going to be taking oil. We’re getting oil prices down, and we’re going to be giving money to Venezuela, which they desperately need.”

Pressed on how long the United States would retain influence over Venezuela’s internal affairs, the president initially demurred, saying “only time will tell.” When reporters floated timelines of up to a year, Trump responded candidly: “I would say much longer.”

The president offered no timetable for elections in Venezuela, even as he indicated support for Vice President Delcy Rodríguez to lead the Caracas government following Maduro’s arrest, rather than backing opposition figure María Corina Machado.

Secretary of State Marco Rubio has argued that elections should come only at the conclusion of a broader transition away from what he has described as a quarter-century of left-wing authoritarian rule that drained Venezuela’s economy and institutions.

Trump said Wednesday that he has not personally spoken with Rodríguez since the arrest, but emphasized that communication channels are open. “Marco speaks to her all the time,” he said. “I will tell you that we are in constant communication with her and the administration,” adding that the current leadership is “giving us everything that we feel is necessary.”

“They’re treating us with great respect,” Trump continued. “As you know, we’re getting along very well with the administration that is there right now.”

Earlier in the day, Energy Secretary Chris Wright said the United States would take open-ended control of Venezuelan crude oil sales. “Instead of the oil being blockaded, as it is right now, we’re gonna let the oil flow … to United States refineries and around the world to bring better oil supplies, but have those sales done by the US government,” Wright said.

The president had said the previous day that Venezuelan authorities would transfer between 30 million and 50 million barrels of sanctioned oil to the United States, and that he instructed Wright to oversee the process.

Trump said the oil would be shipped to the U.S., sold at prevailing market prices, and managed under American authority, with proceeds intended to serve what he described as the interests of both nations.

In a separate interview with NBC News earlier in the week, Trump suggested that restoring Venezuelan oil production could take up to 18 months, while expressing optimism it could be accomplished sooner. “I think we can do it in less time than that, but it’ll be a lot of money,” he said.

“A tremendous amount of money will have to be spent, and the oil companies will spend it, and then they’ll get reimbursed by us or through revenue,” the president added.

Trump is expected to sit down with executives from Chevron, Exxon Mobil, and ConocoPhillips to discuss possible investments, though industry analysts have warned that the cost and complexity of rebuilding Venezuela’s long-neglected oil infrastructure could make the administration’s plans difficult to execute.

{Matzav.com}

Dozens of youths set fire to Palestinian vehicles in the village of Dayr Sharaf, near Shechem. Two Palestinians were injured and taken to the hospital. IDF troops detained three suspects and transferred them to the Police for questioning.