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The Breslover community is mourning the passing of Rav Yisroel Yitzchok Besançon, the renowned mashpia, author and leader of the Shir Chadash community in Tel Aviv, who devoted decades to spreading the teachings of Rav Nachman of Breslov and bringing countless Jews closer to Torah. He was 81.

Rav Besançon was born on 27 Kislev 5705 in France, during the final months of World War II. As a young man, he displayed remarkable artistic ability and appeared destined for a career as a painter and artist. At the age of 15, however, he experienced a profound spiritual awakening, became a baal teshuvah, and went on to study in yeshivos in Lucerne, Switzerland, and Antwerp, Belgium.

During his years in Antwerp, Rav Besançon became close to the Pshevorsker Rebbe, Rav Itzikel Leiser, who embraced the young man warmly and helped guide his first steps into the world of Chassidus. Rav Besançon subsequently became deeply attached to Breslov and developed into a close talmid of the legendary Breslover mashpia Rav Levi Yitzchok Bender.

In 1976, with the blessing of Rav Levi Yitzchok Bender, Rav Besançon established a bais medrash and center for the dissemination of Chassidus in Aix-les-Bains, France. A substantial community of French Jewish baalei teshuvah eventually developed around the center, with many drawn to Torah through Rav Besançon’s warmth, personality and shiurim.

Tragedy struck in 1981 when his wife, Bracha Basha, passed away suddenly, leaving him to raise five young orphans. Out of the profound pain of that period, Rav Besançon began writing his celebrated book “Courage,” which explores how to confront hardship through the teachings of Rav Nachman of Breslov. The book achieved worldwide popularity, was translated into seven languages and reportedly reached nearly one million copies.

Rav Besançon later married his second wife, Devorah, who passed away approximately three years ago.

In 1995, Rav Besançon moved to Eretz Yisroel. In his later years, he also became close to Rav Yisroel Ber Odesser. He eventually established his home and the center of his activities on Har Zion Boulevard in southern Tel Aviv.

It was there, in the heart of Tel Aviv, that Rav Besançon built the Shir Chadash community, developing an extensive network of Torah and chessed. The community grew to include a bais medrash, the Netzach Yisrael yeshiva for younger students, a Talmud Torah, chessed organizations, food distribution programs for needy families and a publishing institute.

Rav Besançon was also a prolific author, producing dozens of books and booklets that became widely used in the worlds of kiruv and Chassidus. His works included “Courage,” “Hisbodedus,” “Mesilas Hakesharim,” “Marpeh Lashon,” “Azamra,” “Lechem Abirim,” and “Pe’er HaLikutim,” among many others.

His artistic talents remained an important part of his life as well. Rav Besançon composed stirring melodies that were released on the “Kulmus” albums, while continuing to produce Judaica paintings that reflected the spiritual world of Chassidus that had become the focus of his life.

Among the prominent figures who emerged from his bais medrash are Rav Avraham Yifrach, founder of Mishkan Uman; Rav Michi Yosefi, founder of Yishuv Hadaas; Rav Doron Yitzchok Stern, director of the publishing house and rosh yeshiva of Netzach Yisrael; Rav Aryeh Lippo; Rav Dan Levinson; and Rav Yishai Friedman.

Rav Besançon became weak in recent days and was hospitalized. His many talmidim and admirers davened for his recovery, but he passed away on Sunday.

His levayah is to take place Monday in the holy city of Tzefas, where he will be laid to rest in the ancient bais hachaim.

Yehi zichro baruch.

{Matzav.com}

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To my dear community, and to fellow parents everywhere,

A few months ago, our precious 4-year-old daughter, Adina, was taken from us in a tragedy that no parent should ever even be able to comprehend.

My daughter was vibrant, full of life, and loved with every fiber of our being. She was truly the light of our lives. Adina was being driven to school in her routine carpool since August of last year. The driver mistakenly left her inside the vehicle on a hot day. The alarm bells went off when I went to pick her up at the end of the day and her teacher said she was absent. By the time anyone realized, it was already too late and my Adina was gone.

Since that dark day, our world has been shattered and the silence in our home is unbearable. What was once filled with giggles and simcha is now filled with an eerie silence. But as the new school year approaches, my family and I will not remain silent while other precious children remain at risk.

Over this past summer alone, Klal Yisrael has wept for precious neshamos lost in Los Angeles, Baltimore, and Eretz Yisrael. These horrific incidents happen because human memory is fragile and our days are filled with distractions.

That is why I am writing directly to you today. I am pleading with every parent, school administrator, and community leader to take immediate action and implement the life saving initiatives led by Team Protect – an organization devoted to keeping children safe.

Team Protect is imploring schools and daycares to operate a multi layered defense to do our part to make sure no other family ever experiences this excruciating pain and grief BEH:

In Our Vehicles: The Clever Elly Device

The Clever Elly is a small safety device that plugs directly into a car’s 12V auxiliary port. Every single time the car engine is turned off, it plays a clear, safety reminder: Check the backseat.

It doesn’t rely on Bluetooth, apps, or complex setups. It just works—every single time. I urge every shul, preschool, and daycare to organize community distribution drives so that every parent, grandparent, and carpool driver has this device in their car.

In Our Schools: Mandatory Automated Attendance Systems

Every elementary school, preschool, and daycare must implement automated attendance tracking protocols that immediately alert parents via text, phone call, or app if a child is marked absent without prior notice. As our precious children are returning to school within the next few weeks, it is incumbent on the administration of every school to ensure these systems are in place prior to the start of the new school year.

Recently in Miami, one of these systems saved a child’s life after their mother was alerted that her child hadn’t arrived at school. The child was found in the back of a carpool van just in time. Every minute counts. If a child doesn’t show up, parents must know immediately. Please, do not wait to update your attendance systems.

If your school currently has an attendance system, please consider sharing your name on the website. If your administration is open to looking into this, consider signing a pledge – it’s quick, free and creates momentum to encourage others to do the same. Team Protect also offers a comparative analysis of different attendance systems to look over.

Team Protect can help make sure that every parent has a Clever Elly in their car and guide all early childhood administrators to implement an attendance alert system that works for them.

Check out Team Protect’s campaign, which details their mission and the importance of their cause.

Please, in honor of my sweet Adina, take action today so that no mother ever has to write a letter like this again.

May the memory of Adina Liba bas Zev Chaim A”H be a blessing, and may Hashem protect all of our children as we begin this new school year BEH.

To learn more about hosting a Clever Elly drive or implementing automated attendance protocols in your school, visit Team Protect or contact amanda@teamprotect.org.

Israel’s High Court of Justice sharply criticized the state and security forces Sunday over their response to a series of violent incidents in the Palestinian village of Jalud in the Shomron, ordering authorities to arrange within 14 days for three Palestinians to return to homes they say they were forced to abandon.

Supreme Court President Yitzhak Amit, together with Justices Alex Stein and Yechiel Kasher, issued the order following a petition alleging that the three residents had been driven from their homes by violent intrusions and harassment.

According to the court’s decision, the petitioners described a series of incidents dating back to April that included trespassing, threats, road blockages, stone-throwing, and damage to property and infrastructure. They alleged that a water line was disconnected, trees were uprooted, a vehicle was set on fire, and large rocks were used to block the road leading to their homes.

The court noted that the state did not dispute most of the sequence of events described in the petition. The decision further stated that after the petitioners left their homes, Israelis whom the judges described as “rioters” periodically occupied the residences.

The judges also addressed footage showing IDF soldiers playing soccer with Israelis at the site. A brigade operations officer told the court that the soldiers were reinforcement troops who were unfamiliar with the relevant procedures and instructions. The soldiers involved were subsequently removed from combat duty over the incident.

The High Court delivered particularly sharp criticism of the answers provided by the state, writing: “The picture that emerges is very bleak. There are plenty of questions; adequate answers – fewer.”

Considering the number of incidents, the length of time over which they occurred and the authorities’ response, the judges added that “the conduct of the respondents in the present proceedings raises serious difficulties.”

The court further determined that overall responsibility for protecting the local Palestinian population rests with the IDF because the military commander exercises governing authority in the area.

The judges ordered the state to coordinate the petitioners’ return to their homes within 14 days, provide security for their return, and allow them to bring in equipment and supplies needed to repair their homes and restore water and electrical infrastructure.

The High Court also issued a conditional order requiring the state to explain why it should not take steps to return the petitioners and their families to their homes and remove roadblocks and other obstacles preventing access to the properties.

In addition, the state was directed to provide the court with information about enforcement and investigative measures taken against the Israelis allegedly involved in the incidents. That includes information concerning possible prosecutions and whether vehicles allegedly used during the incidents could be confiscated.

The parties were ordered to update the High Court on the petitioners’ return to their homes by Sept. 22.

{Matzav.com}

Jared Kushner, President Donald Trump’s special envoy and son-in-law, said during a visit to Ukraine that the United States and Israel agree on the ultimate outcome sought for Gaza, while criticizing some Israeli decision-making amid the country’s election season.

Kushner made the comments while discussing Israeli military operations in Gaza and efforts to advance President Trump’s peace plan for the territory.

“I think we agree with the Israelis on the end state for Gaza,” Kushner said. “They have crazy elections, and it makes them a little irrational in certain respects.”

The remarks came as Kushner was in Ukraine as part of the White House’s efforts to bring the war there to an end. The American envoy met with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy one day after holding a three-hour meeting in Moscow with Russian President Vladimir Putin.

Kushner’s comments regarding Israel come amid continuing tensions between the Trump administration and the Israeli government over implementation of the Gaza peace plan. According to reports, the White House has been pressing Israel to move forward with the disarmament of Hamas and the rebuilding of infrastructure in Gaza.

Last month, Kushner met with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu for four hours as part of efforts to advance the peace initiative. The meeting resulted in an understanding that reconstruction in Gaza would not proceed until Hamas had been completely disarmed, beginning with the surrender of all weapons for destruction under international supervision.

The Prime Minister’s Office subsequently announced the establishment of two working groups, one tasked with Hamas’s disarmament and the demilitarization of Gaza and the other focused on rehabilitating sanitation infrastructure. The statement stressed that “disarmament and demilitarization will be completed before the start of any reconstruction process in the Gaza Strip.”

Alongside the diplomatic efforts, the IDF has continued military operations in Gaza. Last week, special forces from the Shin Bet and IDF captured Muin al-Arabid, a senior official in Hamas’s security apparatus, during an operation that included 18 simultaneous airstrikes. The mission had been planned for months and was approved by Netanyahu and the defense minister.

Kushner, who serves as Trump’s special envoy to the Middle East, also held an unusual meeting with senior Hamas officials in Egypt approximately three weeks ago. During the meeting, he reportedly placed heavy pressure on the Hamas representatives and demanded that they immediately begin fulfilling their commitment to disarm.

Senior international officials also participated in that meeting, including Peace Council Director-General Nikolay Mladenov and former British Prime Minister Tony Blair.

Ted Cruz unloads on Tucker Carlson, calling him America’s most dangerous demagogue and accusing his movement of turning young conservatives against Israel, Trump and the country. Cruz now urges the FBI to follow the money and investigate whether prominent influencers are secretly funded from abroad.

WATCH:

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National Sukkah Outlet has been building sukkahs for the community for 36 years. It started with R’ Ezriel Munk making wooden panels in his garage in Passaic, and over time it became one of those places people just tell each other about. A neighbor mentions it, and that’s how you end up there.

They’ve got a lot to choose from. Wood panels, fiberglass, the newer lucite that actually holds up and doesn’t scratch, a see-through option if you want something different, fabric ones, travel ones, and bamboo and schach under Badatz with two mehadrin options. Whatever you’re after, it’s probably there.

And the modular pre-sized sukkahs are a genuinely good deal right now:

6×8 — $1,899
8×12 — $2,395
10×16 — $2,999

Plus a range of color options.

But the thing people really talk about isn’t the sukkahs. It’s that when you call, someone picks up,  someone who knows what they’re talking about and actually helps you figure out what you need. In a busy season, with Yom Tov coming fast, that’s worth more than anything.

The good sizes and colors do go early, though. So if this is the year you’re getting a new one, it’s worth calling sooner rather than later.

Reach them at 1-800-778-5624, take a look at sukkahoutlet.com, or WhatsApp them at wa.me/8483827990. Tell them what you’re working with and they’ll take it from there.

Hadassah Carlebach, a Holocaust survivor who as a young girl worked alongside her father to rescue and care for hundreds of Jewish children in Nazi-occupied France, passed away Sunday in New York at the age of 99.

Mrs. Carlebach lived through Soviet persecution, survived the horrors of Nazi-occupied Europe and later devoted much of her life to preserving the memory of the Holocaust and transmitting a legacy of Jewish faith and courage to future generations. She was also a relative of the Lubavitcher Rebbe, whose second cousin was her father, Rav Schneur Zalman Schneerson. Through her husband, she was the sister-in-law of Rav Shlomo Carlebach.

Mrs. Carlebach was born Hadassah Schneerson in 1927 in Leningrad, now St. Petersburg, in the Soviet Union. Her family, committed Chassidim who refused to submit to the Communist regime’s religious restrictions, lacked legal status in the country. Her mother, Sarah, was unable to be admitted to a hospital to give birth because she did not possess the necessary identification papers. A private doctor ultimately arranged for her to enter secretly through a rear entrance, allowing Hadassah to be born there. For approximately the first year of her life, Hadassah had no official documentation.

The family subsequently moved to Moscow, where her father helped transfer charitable funds from the United States to impoverished Jews. Their small apartment became a clandestine refuge for Jews attempting to escape the Soviet authorities. His activities came at a steep price: Rav Schneur Zalman was arrested by the Soviet secret police no fewer than 16 times. The family lived with the constant possibility that police could burst into their home, learning escape routes and hiding places by heart. The fear remained with Mrs. Carlebach for decades; she later recalled that whenever she entered an unfamiliar building, she instinctively looked for possible exits.

In 1935, as Soviet investigations of Jewish activists intensified, the family managed to leave the Soviet Union with the assistance of Jewish activist Dr. Yosef Rosen. Soviet authorities would not permit them to immigrate to the United States or Europe, but allowed them to travel to Eretz Yisroel. After a 12-day sea voyage, the family arrived in Jaffa. For the young Hadassah, life in Eretz Yisroel brought her the first real sense of security and calm she had experienced.

A year later, however, her father decided to relocate the family to Paris after finding it difficult to adjust to the socialist atmosphere prevalent at the time in the Tel Aviv area. In the French capital, he established the Kehillas Hachareidim organization, through which he founded a kosher soup kitchen, a shul and a Talmud Torah. Those institutions provided both physical and spiritual support for the growing stream of Jewish refugees arriving from across Europe.

After World War II began in 1939, the family’s rescue efforts expanded dramatically. Rav Schneur Zalman was appointed by the OSE Jewish humanitarian organization to operate a kosher children’s home at Château de Morelles. When the Nazis occupied France and deportations of Jews increased, the children’s home was moved south to Marseille.

Despite the desperate conditions and constant danger, Hadassah’s father refused to compromise on religious observance. The food remained strictly kosher, the children continued learning Torah and observing Shabbos and Yom Tov, and programs were even established to teach radio technology and fashion cutting so that the youngsters could acquire practical skills for their future.

Hadassah, still only a teenager herself, became deeply involved in caring for the children, serving as both a cook and teacher amid severe food shortages. She later recalled stretches during which they survived for weeks on little more than bread and green peppers, with each child allotted just one egg per month. Even under those conditions, the family maintained strict standards of kashrus. When margarine became available, her father sent a sample for chemical laboratory testing before allowing it into the kitchen.

On one Purim during the war, French officials secretly warned the family that the Gestapo planned to raid the children’s home the following day. Rav Schneur Zalman decided not to tell the children what was coming because he did not want to destroy their Purim celebration. While the festivities continued normally, preparations for an escape were being made behind the scenes. As soon as the celebration ended, the children were loaded onto trucks and spirited away to another hiding place.

Throughout the war, the children’s home moved repeatedly as the danger shifted, relocating from one site to another across France. During one episode, Hadassah’s mother was captured by the Nazis and subjected to severe torture before ultimately being released.

Most of the children under the family’s care were eventually smuggled across the border into neutral Switzerland and survived. The rescuers, however, could not save everyone. One group of 16 children was betrayed and deported to the Auschwitz death camp. Only one of them survived.

Hadassah herself narrowly escaped death on numerous occasions. During one incident, after a hiding place had been exposed, she was leading a group of children through snow-covered forests when she heard dogs barking and drawing closer. Paralyzed with fear, she found encouragement from an unlikely source: a little girl of about seven whispered to her that she should continue trusting in Hashem and keep moving. Hadassah found the strength to continue, and the group escaped.

Following the liberation of France in 1945, the family returned to Paris and began the painful process of trying to locate the children’s relatives. Thousands of letters were sent to municipalities throughout France. Some children were eventually reunited with their parents; others learned that they had been left entirely alone in the world.

The family immigrated to the United States in 1947. Two years later, Hadassah married Rav Eliyahu Chaim Carlebach, who later served as a rabbi at a Jewish center in New Jersey and became one of the leaders of the Carlebach Shul in Manhattan.

Throughout the decades that followed, Mrs. Carlebach continued sharing her testimony and working to preserve the memory of the Holocaust. In recounting what she had witnessed and endured, she repeatedly emphasized the importance of maintaining Jewish identity and pride even during the darkest periods of persecution.

Mrs. Carlebach leaves behind five daughters: Sterna Citron of Los Angeles, Sheina Berkowitz of Huntington Beach, Yocheved Dayan of Brooklyn, Frieda Laufer of Crown Heights and Esther Kugel of Crown Heights, as well as numerous grandchildren and descendants who continue in the path of Torah and Chassidus.

The levayah will take place Monday in New York and will pass in front of 770 Eastern Parkway in Crown Heights before proceeding to the bais hachaim.

{Matzav.com}

Degel HaTorah’s official newspaper, Yated Ne’eman, addressed for the first time Monday the dramatic decision to remove longtime Knesset members Moshe Gafni and Uri Maklev from the United Torah Judaism slate for the next election, insisting that the move should not be interpreted as a loss of confidence in the veteran lawmakers.

The newspaper stressed that Gafni and Maklev had acted throughout their years in public office in accordance with the instructions of the leading rabbonim and had done everything within their power to resolve the status of yeshiva students and kollel members amid the ongoing military draft crisis.

The report comes as the proposed changes to Degel HaTorah’s Knesset delegation still await approval by the party’s Council of Torah Sages.

Yated Ne’eman opened its report by stating: “The Council of Torah Sages of Degel HaTorah is currently approving the composition of the Knesset slate following a refreshing of its ranks with new representatives.”

The newspaper then directly rejected reports suggesting that the decision reflected dissatisfaction with the performance of the current Degel HaTorah representatives.

“It should be emphasized that, contrary to the false reports, the decision to refresh the ranks is not an expression of no confidence in the Degel HaTorah representatives, who carried out their activities throughout the entire term in accordance with the guidance of the leading Torah sages and consulted with them at every step. They acted in the same manner throughout all their years of public service, in accordance with the guidance of the leading Torah sages of blessed memory.”

Yated Ne’eman also addressed the failed efforts to pass legislation regulating the status of yeshiva students, arguing that the outcome should not be blamed on the party’s Knesset members.

“After the ‘draft law’ was thwarted and failed to advance, contrary to all the coalition promises that were repeatedly broken, the leading Torah sages noted in their letter (published in Yated Ne’eman) that the Knesset members did everything within their power to bring about a resolution of the status of yeshiva students and kollel members. The need to refresh the ranks therefore does not constitute an expression of no confidence, as various parties have attempted to claim.”

Notably, Yated Ne’eman did not mention either Gafni or Maklev by name in its report. It did, however, state that the Council of Torah Sages is currently reviewing and approving Degel HaTorah’s slate for the next Knesset.

The clarification follows reports by Matzav.com that several members of the Council of Torah Sages have voiced strong opposition in recent days to removing Gafni and Maklev, with some reportedly arguing that “outside considerations” had influenced the decision.

On Motzoei Shabbos, an official statement was issued from the home of Rav Dov Landau saying that he had sent personal letters to both lawmakers thanking them for their years of service. At the same time, Rav Landau informed them that, because of the decision to bring new representatives into the party’s ranks, they would be leaving the Knesset.

Rav Moshe Hillel Hirsch, who had initially been expected to join the letter, ultimately decided not to become involved in the move. According to the report, he told those close to him that he opposed removing Gafni and Maklev.

Senior figures close to Gafni, meanwhile, said that the effort to carry out the shake-up had been conducted “in the shadows,” while claiming that members of Rav Landau’s household had repeatedly denied that such a move was underway.

{Matzav.com}

Hunter Biden is leaving open the possibility of running for president in 2028, saying during a radio interview that he has not decided whether to seek the White House and joking that an endorsement from host John Catsimatidis might persuade him to enter the race.

During an episode of “The Cats Roundtable” released Sunday, Catsimatidis asked Biden whether he intended to run for president. Biden responded, “If I get your endorsement, I may have to.”

When the subject came up earlier in the interview, Biden gave a less committal answer, saying, “I haven’t made up my mind.”

“The truth of the matter is that I think we have an incredible bench,” Biden said, pointing to Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear and Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker before adding: “I love Gavin Newsom, personally.”

Newsom, California’s Democratic governor, has publicly acknowledged considering a presidential campaign. In an interview with CBS News last October, he said he would be “lying” if he claimed he was not thinking about a possible White House bid following the 2026 midterm elections.

Other Democrats whose names have been discussed in connection with the 2028 race include Sen. Jon Ossoff of Georgia, Kamala Harris, Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez of New York and Pete Buttigieg.

Biden said that regardless of who ultimately runs, he wants “the next president to commit to one thing: to commit to adhering to the rule of law. To commit to the idea that we believe in this constitutional republic and the aspirations of normal Americans.”

“I truly, truly want whoever is our president to succeed. But particularly succeed in keeping this country safe. That’s their primary responsibility,” he said.

An August Emerson College/The Hill survey tested hypothetical 2028 general-election matchups involving several possible Democratic and Republican candidates.

In those hypothetical contests, Newsom held narrow advantages over Vice President JD Vance and Secretary of State Marco Rubio, while Ocasio-Cortez trailed both Republicans. The results represented voter preferences at the time of the survey rather than predictions of the 2028 outcome.

Biden also said his immediate concern “is the 50 million Americans that are still suffering, sick … with their addictions.”

Biden, who has spoken publicly about his past struggles with substance abuse, said during the interview that he recently marked seven and a half years of sobriety. His latest comments about a possible presidential campaign come shortly after he dismissed the idea during an August appearance on HBO’s “Real Time with Bill Maher,” where he joked that someone should check whether he had relapsed if he ever announced a run for president.

{Matzav.com}

President Donald Trump will appear on both nights of the Republican National Committee’s inaugural midterm convention in Dallas, taking the stage twice as the GOP uses the two-day gathering to promote its candidates and agenda ahead of the November elections. The convention is scheduled for Sept. 9 and 10 at the American Airlines Center.

Trump is scheduled to deliver remarks on both nights of the convention, with the president giving the keynote address on the second night. Vice President JD Vance is slated to deliver the keynote on the opening night, according to the convention’s current official schedule.

The president had already indicated in August that he planned to attend the entire event, saying he would be there both nights “and rarin’ to go.”

The gathering, which RNC Chairman Joe Gruters has dubbed a “Trump-a-palooza,” features more than 100 scheduled items and speakers. The program includes appearances by candidates running in closely watched races as well as sessions focused on issues including congressional stock trading, immigration enforcement, taxes, health care, education and differences between the Republican and Democratic agendas.

A number of prominent administration officials and Republican leaders are also expected to participate, including Attorney General Todd Blanche, Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent and Karoline Leavitt. Texas Attorney General and Senate candidate Ken Paxton, House Speaker Mike Johnson of Louisiana and Senate Majority Whip John Barrasso of Wyoming are among other Republicans slated to take part.

Several other prominent Republicans are expected to skip the gathering. Senate Majority Leader John Thune of South Dakota and Sens. Tommy Tuberville of Alabama and Mike Rounds of South Dakota are among those not attending, with Tuberville and Rounds remaining on the campaign trail in their respective states, according to Newsweek.

Reports have also indicated that some House Republicans decided against attending because of an alleged RNC fundraising requirement of at least $25,000 for lawmakers, with the top level reportedly set at $100,000. Neither President Trump nor convention organizers have confirmed that lawmakers are required to pay or raise money in order to attend.

Democrats, meanwhile, are planning their own events in Texas while Republicans gather in Dallas. House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries of New York announced Friday that four Democratic House members would travel to the city to present their party’s competing message.

“Americans are being crushed by rising costs. Republicans don’t care—they’re in Dallas, celebrating an out of touch President whose tariffs and wars are making things worse. We’re going to hold them accountable,” Rep. Jason Crow (D-Colo.) said on the social platform X.

Crow is expected to be joined by Democratic Reps. Robert Garcia of California, Madeleine Dean of Pennsylvania and Sydney Kamlager-Dove of California. The lawmakers are planning to work with the Texas Democratic Party and local groups on events timed to coincide with the Republican convention.

NewsNation reported Sunday that Texas Democratic Senate candidate James Talarico, Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker and Texas Democratic Party Chair Kendall Scudder are also among the Democrats planning events in the state during the GOP gathering.

The convention comes as both parties focus heavily on Texas, where Republicans are seeking to retain a Senate seat in a race between Paxton and Talarico. The state also became the first to redraw its congressional districts in Republicans’ favor after President Trump called for new maps.

Democratic-led states have responded with redistricting efforts of their own, most prominently in California. In Maryland, the state Supreme Court ruled Thursday that a Democratic-backed redistricting referendum may appear on the November ballot, allowing voters to decide whether to approve the proposed congressional map.

{Matzav.com}

Families of those killed in the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks and other victims are asking the U.S. Supreme Court to give them access to roughly $3.5 billion in frozen Afghan central bank assets as they seek to collect judgments previously entered against the Taliban.

In a petition filed Aug. 31 in Havlish v. The Taliban, the plaintiffs asked the high court to review a decision by the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit that prevented them from seizing funds held at the Federal Reserve Bank of New York to satisfy those judgments.

The dispute centers on the Terrorism Risk Insurance Act of 2002, commonly known as TRIA.

Under that law, victims who have obtained terrorism-related judgments may pursue blocked assets belonging to a terrorist party, including property belonging to an agency or instrumentality of such a party.

The petitioners maintain that the Second Circuit wrongly imposed an additional condition, requiring that the connection between the terrorist group and the owner of the assets already have been in place at the time the property was initially frozen.

The claims stem from a series of lawsuits filed against the Taliban over the Sept. 11 attacks and other acts of terrorism.

In the Havlish case, relatives and estates of Americans murdered on Sept. 11 secured a default judgment establishing the Taliban’s liability in December 2011.

According to the petition submitted to the Supreme Court, approximately $2.09 billion in compensatory damages awarded to those plaintiffs remains unpaid.

Additional plaintiffs, including insurers and victims of subsequent terrorist attacks, have also obtained judgments against the Taliban.

The battle over the money took on new significance after the Taliban captured Kabul on Aug. 15, 2021, giving the group de facto control over Afghanistan’s central bank, Da Afghanistan Bank, known as DAB.

At the time, approximately $7 billion belonging to DAB was being held at the Federal Reserve Bank of New York. The Biden administration froze those funds and later arranged for half — $3.5 billion — to be placed in a separate fund established to benefit the Afghan population while preventing the Taliban from controlling the money.

The other approximately $3.5 billion has become the primary focus of efforts by the Sept. 11 victims and other judgment holders to collect what they are owed.

Those attempts were unsuccessful in the lower courts.

In August 2025, the Second Circuit upheld the decision preventing the plaintiffs from obtaining the assets, leading them to seek Supreme Court review.

The new petition argues that the appeals court’s interpretation is inconsistent with the language Congress used in TRIA as well as decisions from other appellate courts. The plaintiffs also contend that the ruling leaves terrorism victims with judgments worth billions of dollars but no ability to collect them.

The case against the Taliban represents one part of the extensive litigation that has followed the Sept. 11 attacks, including cases involving allegations against foreign governments and organizations.

Separately, Sept. 11 families have pursued litigation against Saudi Arabia under the Justice Against Sponsors of Terrorism Act, legislation enacted by Congress in 2016.

In August 2025, U.S. District Judge George B. Daniels denied another Saudi attempt to have those claims dismissed, finding that sufficient evidence existed for the litigation to move forward.

Saudi Arabia appealed that ruling, and proceedings involving the kingdom in the district court have been placed on hold while the appeal is considered.

The Second Circuit is scheduled to hear oral arguments in that appeal on Oct. 7, 2026.

The continuing Saudi litigation is expected to focus in part on newly uncovered material, including records concerning allegations that Saudi individuals provided assistance to some of the Sept. 11 hijackers.

Although the cases involving the Taliban and Saudi Arabia raise separate legal issues, the Sept. 11 families pursuing them share the broader goal of obtaining accountability through the American court system.

Whether the Supreme Court agrees to take up the Taliban case could have enormous financial consequences. If the justices decline to intervene or ultimately uphold the lower-court ruling, the approximately $3.5 billion in frozen Afghan assets would remain unavailable to the judgment holders; a ruling in the victims’ favor could open a path for the funds to be used to satisfy judgments against the Taliban.

{Matzav.com}

President Donald Trump on Sunday suggested giving New Mexico a new name — “New America” — sharing a map of the state in which “Mexico” was crossed out and replaced with “America.” The White House subsequently amplified the image, though no formal effort to rename the state has been announced.

The image appeared on Trump’s Truth Social account and showed the outline of the Southwestern state with a red mark through “Mexico” and “America” written in its place. The official White House account on X later reposted the image. Neither the original post nor the White House repost provided an explanation or indicated at the time that an official name change was underway.

The post came during a burst of social-media activity from Trump on Sunday. According to the New York Post, the president published 34 posts in less than an hour, including altered images portraying him as professional wrestling star Hulk Hogan and depicting Iran’s borders in the shape of Trump’s head.

Trump’s suggestion regarding New Mexico follows other efforts by his administration to give prominent geographic features America-themed names.

The president previously directed the federal government to use “Gulf of America” in place of the Gulf of Mexico. More recently, he ordered the federal government to refer to Lake Ontario as “Lake America.”

Renaming a state, however, is substantially different from changing the federal designation for a geographic feature. The president does not have the constitutional authority to unilaterally change a state’s legal name, and no formal process to rename New Mexico has been announced.

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The United States may ultimately prevent Iran from obtaining a nuclear weapon by destroying Tehran’s nuclear capabilities rather than reaching a negotiated agreement, Energy Secretary Chris Wright said Sunday, signaling that Washington is prepared to pursue its objectives even if diplomacy fails.

“There may not be a nuclear agreement. It may be simply destroying their capabilities to do it,” Wright said on ABC News’ “This Week.” “An agreement may await the next administration in Iran. We simply don’t know that.”

Wright’s remarks came as the U.S.-Iran conflict entered its seventh month and suggested that the Trump administration sees the destruction of Iran’s nuclear infrastructure as an alternative to securing an agreement with Tehran.

President Donald Trump has repeatedly said that preventing Iran from acquiring a nuclear weapon is a central objective of the U.S. campaign. At the same time, his administration has continued to leave open the possibility of reaching a diplomatic settlement with Tehran as the prolonged conflict has disrupted energy markets and driven up fuel prices.

Asked whether U.S. forces would continue striking Iran if Tehran attempts to rebuild its nuclear infrastructure, Wright replied, “You have to destroy their capabilities to do it.”

“We are degrading their capacity to develop nuclear weapons and ultimately to deliver them if they develop them,” he said. “It is a 47-year-long effort. This is not trivial, but the United States will get the job done and we will work in cooperation with our allies in the region.”

Wright returned to the subject later Sunday during an appearance on CBS’ “Face the Nation,” where he stressed that the administration has not abandoned diplomacy.

Wright said the president’s preference “is always to have a negotiated settlement and not use a military solution unless absolutely necessary.”

The energy secretary also said that a major focus of the U.S. military campaign is now choking off Iran’s ability to sell energy products abroad.

“The biggest role of our military in the region right now is to stop the export of any Iranian crude or crude-related products, natural gas, whatever,” he said. “We are strangling their economy to try to bring either a change in policy from the existing regime or a new regime.”

The comments come amid a broader escalation of Washington’s economic pressure on Tehran. The Treasury Department last week launched “Operation Economic Outcast,” an effort Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent has described as aimed at economically isolating Iran and depriving its government of revenue.

The economic campaign has been accompanied by renewed American military action. U.S. forces resumed strikes against Iranian targets over the past week, including attacks in the vicinity of Qeshm Island, Chabahar and Bandar Abbas near the Strait of Hormuz.

President Trump on Friday also raised the possibility of an American strike on Pickaxe Mountain, the heavily fortified Iranian underground facility associated with Tehran’s nuclear program.

Speaking in the Oval Office, Trump again said the United States would not permit Iran to acquire a nuclear weapon.

“Iran will not have a nuclear weapon,” he said, before adding, “We may hit Pickaxe very soon…if there was anything going on with Pickaxe.”

Trump has also said that he does not expect the latest round of fighting with Iran to continue much longer.

Asked how long the renewed escalation might last, Trump responded, “Not too long”. He then suggested that Tehran’s ability to withstand continued American military pressure may be limited.

“I don’t think it will be very much longer. I don’t know how much more they can take,” Trump said of Iran.

{Matzav.com}

Thousands of Belzer bochurim will daven in a special minyan in the “Groisse Shtub” on Rosh Hashanah due to overcrowding in the main bais medrash, while Belzer chassidim around the world continue to daven for the recovery of the Belzer Rebbe, who was hospitalized Sunday for medical tests.

Rav Shalom Rokeach, the eldest grandson of the Belzer Rebbe, announced the Rosh Hashanah arrangements after the recitation of the entire Tehillim in the main bais medrash, as is customary in Belz on the first day of Selichos. He addressed thousands of talmidim from the Belzer yeshivos who had gathered for the occasion.

According to sources, Rav Shalom informed the bochurim that because of the enormous crowds and lack of sufficient room in the main bais medrash, the Rebbe had approved plans for thousands of them to daven in a separate minyan in the Groisse Shtub during Rosh Hashanah.

Under the current plan, the Rebbe is expected to daven Shacharis with the bochurim in the Groisse Shtub on both days of Rosh Hashanah. He is then scheduled to join the main minyan in the large bais medrash for Mussaf.

The announcement came as Belzer chassidim across the world gathered Sunday to recite Tehillim for the Rebbe, Rav Yissachar Dov ben Miriam, who was admitted to the hospital for a series of tests. He is expected to remain hospitalized until Monday morning.

Earlier Sunday, the Rebbe was not feeling well and, for the first time since assuming leadership of Belz, did not lead the opening Selichos. His only son, Rav Aharon Mordechai Rokeach, led the Selichos in his place.

An update on the Rebbe’s condition was issued Sunday evening by Rav Moshe Ringel, secretary of the Belzer Rebbe’s household.

“After all the tests that were conducted, it was discovered that there was an infection which has been brought under control. In light of the doctors’ recommendation that treatment for the infection begin in the hospital, the Rebbe will therefore remain in the hospital for the next 24 hours, and all chassidim are asked to continue davening for the complete recovery of Rav Yissachar Dov ben Miriam.”

Belzer communities around the world continued to recite Tehillim and daven for the Rebbe’s complete recovery, b’soch she’ar cholei Yisroel.

{Matzav.com}

Drivers heading to the Kosel in Yerushalayim can find themselves paying as much as 150 shekels for just several hours of parking, even as another garage only a short distance away charges dramatically less, according to an investigation by Emess.

With parking scarce around the Old City and vehicle access to the Kosel restricted at various times, motorists arriving in private cars are left with relatively few choices. One common option is parking near Jaffa Gate and continuing to the Kosel either on foot or aboard Superbus minibuses serving the Old City. Yet two parking garages located near each other in that area can leave drivers with strikingly different bills.

One driver whose experience was reported to Emess parked in the Karta parking garage last Thursday at approximately 12:30 p.m. and left at around 5 p.m. He was charged 150 shekels.

A review of the operator’s published rates showed that the regular Thursday rate is 37 shekels per hour, with a daily maximum of 150 shekels. As a result, someone spending only several hours visiting the Old City can reach a three-digit parking bill.

The difference becomes particularly striking when compared with the nearby Mamilla parking garage. According to information obtained by Emess, another motorist who parked at Mamilla for approximately the same amount of time paid only about 50 shekels. Mamilla also has a daily maximum of approximately 70 shekels.

That means two people visiting the Kosel for roughly the same period of time could park within a short distance of one another and have one pay more than twice as much as the other.

Karta and Mamilla are situated close together along Yitzchak Kariv Street near Jaffa Gate. For a motorist coming from outside Yerushalayim who is unfamiliar with the local parking options, however, there may be little indication that choosing one entrance over the other could result in a difference of many dozens of shekels.

From the perspective of an unfamiliar visitor, the garages may appear to be two nearby parking facilities serving essentially the same heavily visited area. The difference may become apparent only when it is time to pay.

The situation is particularly noteworthy because the two neighboring garages have been at the center of a competition dispute stretching back more than a decade.

Karta, a company created by the Israeli government and the Yerushalayim municipality to develop the Mamilla area, was approximately 74% owned by the state and 26% by the municipality. After falling deeply into debt, the company entered a lengthy liquidation process beginning in 2006-2007, with its assets subsequently sold over the years.

It was only in 2025, nearly two decades after the liquidation process began, that a creditors’ arrangement was approved, bringing one of Israel’s longest and most complicated liquidation proceedings to an end.

The history of the Karta garage contains a notable irony. When the property was put up for sale, Alrov, controlled by Alfred Akirov, submitted the highest bid, offering 110 million shekels.

The Antitrust Authority, however, blocked Alrov from acquiring the garage because the company already controlled the nearby Mamilla and David Citadel parking facilities. Regulators were concerned that allowing a single entity to control all three garages could undermine competition in the Old City area.

Following that decision, Karta was sold to REIT 1, which had submitted the second-highest bid of 107 million shekels.

It did not take long for questions to arise about whether the regulatory decision had actually benefited consumers. In 2015, after Karta raised its parking rates, Akirov criticized the Antitrust Authority and argued that a decision intended to preserve competition had instead hurt motorists.

The current pricing disparity highlights that unusual outcome. Mamilla is connected to a commercial complex that naturally has an interest in attracting visitors and therefore maintains comparatively moderate parking rates. At Karta, meanwhile, a driver can reach the 150-shekel daily maximum within just a few hours.

Choosing the less expensive garage, however, is not always possible.

Mamilla operates during limited hours, meaning that motorists arriving when the garage is closed — particularly early in the morning — may have fewer available alternatives. Karta, by contrast, operates around the clock.

For observant Jews, there is an additional concern: the Karta garage also operates on Shabbos. Central Park, the company that operates the garage, states on its website that Karta is open “24 hours” on “Shabbat and holidays,” and even publishes a separate pricing schedule for Shabbos.

As a result, an observant Jew traveling to daven at the Kosel may discover that one of the limited available parking options carries particularly high rates while being operated by a business that openly remains in operation on Shabbos.

The larger question raised by the investigation is how motorists trying to reach the Kosel can end up paying 150 shekels for only several hours of parking when a considerably cheaper garage is located nearby but is not available at all hours.

With enormous demand, a severe shortage of parking and relatively few convenient alternatives surrounding the Old City, the significant difference between the two garages has prompted questions about the pricing structure and the practical level of competition available to motorists.

Central Park defended Karta’s pricing in a statement to Emess, saying customers who use its app receive substantial discounts and arguing that its dynamic pricing system helps ensure that spaces remain available to more visitors.

“Users of the Central Park app enjoy significant discounts compared to the regular price list. On the Thursday in question, the maximum daily rate on the app was NIS 120. The Karta parking lot operates on a dynamic pricing model, which is intended, among other things, to make parking available to a large number of visitors to the Old City and Western Wall area. Significantly lower pricing would result in a small number of vehicles occupying parking spaces for many hours without allowing turnover. It should be noted that only a small portion of customers actually reach the maximum daily rate, while most customers pay less, depending on the duration of parking and the rate in effect when they enter the parking lot.”

The Yerushalayim municipality and Israel Competition Authority did not provide responses to Emess.

{Matzav.com}

Iran says it will establish a new “prohibited zone” near the Strait of Hormuz, threatening to sanction vessels that enter the designated area as Tehran faces mounting American military and economic pressure and worsening economic conditions at home.

Mohsen Rezaei, Iran’s top security official, announced the planned maritime zone on Sunday, saying it would extend from what Tehran describes as the U.S. Navy’s blockade line into portions of the Persian Gulf.

“In the coming days, a prohibited zone will be announced outside the Strait of Hormuz. This zone will start from the US Navy’s blockade line and include areas of the Persian Gulf. Any ship entering this new zone will be placed on the sanctions list” of Iran, Rezaei told state television.

The announcement comes amid renewed tensions around the strategically critical Strait of Hormuz and escalating exchanges between American and Iranian forces. Shipping through the waterway has declined sharply, while oil prices have climbed amid concerns about continued disruptions to energy supplies.

At the same time, Tehran is moving to raise the price of gasoline for consumers who exceed the country’s lower fuel quotas, as the Iranian economy struggles under intensifying U.S. pressure.

Iran currently operates a three-tier gasoline pricing system. Consumers pay 1,500 tomans per liter for their first 60 liters each month and 3,000 tomans per liter for the following 50 liters. Consumption beyond those amounts has been priced at 5,000 tomans per liter. A toman, commonly used in Iran for everyday transactions, is equivalent to 10 Iranian rials.

Iranian government spokeswoman Fatemeh Mohajerani announced Sunday that the highest pricing tier will double to 10,000 tomans per liter, equivalent to approximately 4.5 U.S. cents, beginning Sept. 8.

“The rate will increase to 10,000 toman rials from the morning of September 8,” Mohajerani said in remarks carried by state media.

“Different numbers were mentioned in expert meetings but because the president had promised the people, the rate of 10,000 tomans was set,” she added.

Mohajerani subsequently stressed that the prices charged under the first two tiers of Iran’s gasoline system will not change.

The fuel increase comes as Iran’s currency continues to lose value. The rial was trading above 2.2 million to the U.S. dollar on the black market Sunday, compared with approximately 1.7 million rials to the dollar before the U.S.-Israel war against Iran began on Feb. 28. The currency had fallen to what was then a record low of approximately 1.8 million to the dollar in late April.

Iranian officials have acknowledged the severe economic problems facing the country while blaming U.S. sanctions and restrictions on oil exports for intensifying the pressure. Tehran has also established an “Economic War Headquarters” as it seeks to counter the impact of sanctions and other economic measures.

Washington, meanwhile, has stepped up its campaign against Tehran. The Treasury Department last week launched “Operation Economic Outcast,” an effort aimed at further isolating Iran economically and restricting revenues available to the Iranian regime.

The economic measures have unfolded alongside renewed American military operations against Iran. U.S. strikes resumed this past week, including attacks in areas around Qeshm Island, Chabahar and Bandar Abbas near the Strait of Hormuz.

The latest escalation has also spilled directly into maritime traffic. American and Iranian forces have targeted vessels in and around the strait, contributing to a sharp reduction in commercial shipping through one of the world’s most important energy corridors.

President Donald Trump further increased pressure on Tehran on Friday by warning that the United States could soon strike Pickaxe Mountain, a heavily fortified underground complex located near Iran’s damaged Natanz uranium enrichment facility.

Pickaxe Mountain contains two deeply buried tunnel complexes and has drawn increasing attention over concerns about Iran’s ability to rebuild portions of its nuclear infrastructure there. Iran maintains that its nuclear program is intended exclusively for peaceful purposes.

Trump reiterated from the Oval Office that the United States would not permit Tehran to acquire a nuclear weapon.

“Iran will not have a nuclear weapon,” he said, before adding, “We may hit Pickaxe very soon…if there was anything going on with Pickaxe.”

The threatened establishment of the new Iranian maritime zone adds another potential flashpoint around the Strait of Hormuz, where military confrontation, restrictions on commercial shipping and concerns over global oil supplies have already heightened tensions between Tehran and Washington.

{Matzav.com}

The Belzer Rebbe was taken to Hadassah Ein Kerem Hospital in Yerushalayim on Sunday for medical tests after feeling unwell, prompting thousands of chassidim to recite Tehillim for his recovery.

The Rebbe did not enter the Belzer bais medrash for the early-morning recitation of Selichos. In his place, his son, Rav Aharon Mordechai Rokeach, led the Selichos, which began later than usual.

Following davening, tens of thousands of Belzer chassidim recited perakim of Tehillim for the refuah of the Rebbe.

The public is being asked to daven and invoke rachamei Shomayim for the complete refuah of the Belzer Rebbe, Rav Yissachar Dov ben Miriam, b’soch she’ar cholei Yisroel.