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it is with great sadness that Matzav.comreports the passing of Rav Yaakov Zvi (Jay) ben Rav Yosef Yechezkel Marcus zt”l, founder and Nasi of Yeshivat Reishit Yerushalayim and Rabbi Emeritus of the Young Israel of Staten Island.

Rav Jay, as he was affectionately known, leaves behind an extraordinary legacy of leadership, warmth, and devotion that transformed the lives of thousands across the globe.

In 1982, together with Rav Ahron Silver and Rav Dovid Gottlieb, Rav Jay founded Reishit Yerushalayim in Beit Shemesh, one of the earliest English-speaking yeshivos in the hesder style. What began as a bold vision soon became a landmark institution that reshaped the landscape of Torah education for young men from North America and beyond. His ability to connect, inspire, and uplift made Reishit a home for serious learning, personal growth, chessed, and unwavering commitment to Eretz Yisroel and Klal Yisroel.

Before establishing Reishit, Rav Jay served as the beloved Rav of the Young Israel of Staten Island for more than 30 years. There, too, he was a force of leadership and compassion, guiding a community with clarity, humility, and heart. Upon making aliyah, he poured his energy into building Reishit into a powerhouse of Torah, producing generations of rabbis, educators, and community leaders who continue to carry his teachings into communities around the world. Each year, Reishit attracted large groups of students drawn by Rav Jay’s warmth, vision, and authenticity.

Rav Marcus was a man of rare determination, combining deep love for his talmidim with the courage to build something entirely new. His relentless dedication turned a small, uncertain yeshiva into a thriving center of Torah and idealism.

Rav Jay is survived by his wife, Rebbetzin Barbara; his sister, Michal; his children, Rav Ari and Mindy, Rav Elie and Dvora, Rav Doni and Deedee, Rav Chaim and Leah, and Rav Judah and Ora Mischel; and grandchildren.

The levaya is scheduled for tomorrow at the Eretz HaChaim cemetery, with shiva to be held at Yeshivat Reishit at 21 Rashi Street in Beit Shemesh.

Yehi zichro boruch.

{Matzav.com}

Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar exposed the truth behind the Palestinian Authority’s claims of its “reform” of their “pay to slay” payments. “The Palestinian Authority hasn’t stopped its payments of salaries to terrorists and their families,” Sa’ar stated on Wednesday. “In fact, it is nearly doubling them.” “In 2024, it paid $44 million (€124M). In 2025, […]

Today, 17 freed hostages will meet President Trump at the White House, including brothers Gali and Ziv Berman. The brothers will present him with the mezuzah salvaged from their burned home in Kibbutz Kfar Aza, the house from which they were kidnapped on October 7.  

Israel made clear that it anticipated no change to its ability to secure top-tier American weaponry, even as Washington moved ahead with plans to provide F-35 fighter jets to Saudi Arabia.

Officials in Jerusalem emphasized that Israel remained the sole nation in the region flying the F-35, a status backed by longstanding US commitments ensuring what Washington terms a “qualitative military edge” for Israel.

Addressing reporters, Israeli government spokesperson Shosh Bedrosian underscored the durability of that principle. “The United States and Israel have a long-standing understanding, which is that Israel maintains the qualitative edge when it comes to its defense,” she said.

She added that this understanding was fully expected to endure across time: “That has been true yesterday, that has been true today, and the prime minister believes that will be true tomorrow and in the future.”

Her comments marked Israel’s first formal response to news that President Donald Trump had approved the proposed Saudi acquisition earlier in the week.

{Matzav.com}

President Donald Trump on Thursday accused six Democratic lawmakers of “SEDITIOUS BEHAVIOR, punishable by DEATH!” after they released a video reminding U.S. military and intelligence personnel that they must refuse unlawful orders. The lawmakers — Sen. Elissa Slotkin (D-MI), Sen. Mark Kelly (D-AZ), and Reps. Jason Crow (D-CO), Chris Deluzio (D-PA), Chrissy Houlahan (D-PA), and […]

In response to Hamas’ violation of the ceasefire, the IDF and Shin Bet eliminated two Hamas terrorists, including one involved in holding Israeli hostages Nimrod Cohen, David Kunio, and others. Those killed were Abdallah Abu Shmala, head of Hamas’ naval array who took part in the 2014 Zikim infiltration and helped plan the October 7 […]

The U.S. House is back in session after a multi-week hiatus, but its agenda has been quickly overtaken by a sudden flurry of censures, reprimands and the investigation of members, leaving little bandwidth for legislating. With few bills to consider — and no quick fix for the problem of skyrocketing health insurance premiums — the House has […]

[COMMUNICATED]

Adel is only four, but has already been through so much pain, that her eyes express sadness that no child ought to feel. 

When her friends started kindergarten she started Chemo sessions – Adel was diagnosed with cancer – Angio Sarcoma, a violent growth that is most lethal to children. 

Her parents, shocked and afraid, started the battle for Adel’s life.

Hadassa and Shlomo Tehuda, Adel’s parents, are determined to win the grim odds and cure their little girl. They searched over the entire world for a treatment effective enough to heal Adel. 

They found it. There is a hospital in the USA that has developed an innovative protocol that can beat the aggressive Sarcoma, but it costs way more than they can afford. They will need to live in the USA for a while, fly with a very sick child, and pay for this cutting-edge treatment as it is not yet covered by any insurance.

Adel’s parents will not give up. They only ask for our help in financing this attempt, so Adel can live and recover.

They need you. 

They need us all.

Click here for Adel>>>

This coming 17 Kislev/December 7, will NOT be “A Day of Infamy.” Unlike December 7, 1941, which was described by President Roosevelt after the Japanese attack on an American base in Pearl Harbor as “A Day of Infamy.” This year, December 7 th , will be a day that will live on in fame! It is the day when […]

YOU CAN’T MAKE THIS UP! Zohran Mamdani makes a complete 180° just a day before meeting with President Trump.

By Rabbi Zvi Gluck

When I saw that a group of respected rabbonim had sent a letter to Governor Kathy Hochul asking for clemency for a convicted child abuser who has never shown one ounce of remorse, something inside me broke. It was not only disappointment or frustration. It was heartbreak, anger, disbelief, and a deep sadness that words barely touch.

For years, survivors have fought simply to be heard. Families have carried wounds that do not fade. I have sat with children who grew into adults still trembling as they describe what was done to them. So reading a letter filled with compassion for the man who caused such devastation, and absolutely none for the girl he abused, felt like a betrayal of every survivor who has ever found the courage to come forward.

Not one mention of her pain. Not one word about her suffering. Yet there is a plea for mercy for the man who stole her childhood.

The truth is simple. He rejected plea deals. He chose to go to trial. And in New York State, especially in cases involving minors, that choice forces a child to relive trauma in public for days. When a defendant rejects reasonable pleas and is convicted, the maximum sentence is not surprising. It is the consequence of choosing pride over accountability.

But the letter does not speak of her dignity. It speaks only of his. His age, his health, his comfort. What about her life? What about her future?

The irony is painful. Many who signed this letter come from communities torn apart by infighting for years. Yet for this, for a convicted abuser with no remorse, they unite fully. If only they showed this unity when it came to protecting children.

For eleven years, I have watched survivors walk into our office terrified, unsure if anyone will believe them. I have seen parents trying to hold their shattered families together. I have seen bravery that humbles me every day. And I have dedicated my life to making sure no one faces that darkness alone.

This letter does the opposite of healing. It tells victims that their pain matters less than the position of the person who hurt them. It is almost unbearable.

I realize that by speaking out, Amudim may lose donors, sponsors, and supporters. But I did not get into this work to stay quiet in moments like this. I did not build Amudim to protect the institution at the expense of truth. And I will never choose comfort, money, or convenience over the dignity of survivors.

Silence is not neutral. Silence is harmful. Silence tells survivors that their suffering is inconvenient and their voices unwelcome. I refuse to be silent.

And now I want to speak to the bystanders. The average person who reads these stories and shakes their head and then moves on. Your voice matters. Your choices matter. Every parent, every neighbor, every friend, every member of Klal Yisroel decides whether to believe victims or protect abusers. You do not need a title to do the right thing. You need courage, you need compassion, and you need to remember that one word of support can save a life, and one moment of silence can destroy one. Choose the victim. Stand with the vulnerable.

To every survivor watching this. You are not forgotten. You are not invisible. You are not alone. This moment hurts, but it does not erase the progress we have made, and it does not stop the movement that grows stronger every day.

With help from above, we will continue to stand with you. We will continue to build safer communities. We will continue to challenge systems that protect abusers. And we will keep fighting until no child ever has to fear being silenced again.

We will not stop. We will not turn away. And we will never abandon those who have already suffered far too much.

{Matzav.com}

NYC Mayor Eric Adams reacts to YWN post of radical pro-terror protesters heckling Jews and calling for intifada outside the Park East Synagogue on Wednesday night

Newly released NTSB images show the left engine of UPS Flight 2976 completely separating from the aircraft and striking the fuselage, triggering a fire.

United Torah Judaism chairman MK Yitzchak Goldknopf broke a long public silence on Wednesday night in an interview with Yankele Friedman on Kol Chai, warning that without a draft law passed before the next elections, no chareidi-backed coalition will be formed.

Goldknopf said the failure to pass the draft law before the government was established created the current crisis. “If we do not succeed in passing a draft law before the elections – no government will be formed with chareidi support until such a law passes. In the meantime – we will not give the government any backing, including on the state budget, if the law doesn’t pass.”

Goldknopf also pushed back on reports that UTJ had already received a draft proposal for the new law. “We didn’t receive any draft. Should I go search online for what others published? That is not the way and that is not the city. There isn’t a day that I or my chief of staff, Bechik, don’t ask the coalition chairman, who is a loyal man, if he already has a draft of the law, and he still doesn’t.”

When asked about Religious Zionism’s objections to the law, he dismissed them sharply. “You mean the party that doesn’t pass the electoral threshold in the polls? Come on. Otzma Yehudit, which does support the law, passes easily and big.”

Reflecting on his short tenure as housing minister, Goldknopf defended his achievements. He said that during his time in office, he advanced two hundred thousand new apartments, including 80,000 designated for the chareidi community. He noted that a roof agreement recently signed in Lod was the product of repeated work visits during his term and said that if UTJ reenters the government, the party expects to return to the Housing Ministry. In the next government, he said, UTJ will only take a position that serves as a key to advancing the draft law.

Goldknopf also confirmed reports that he has not spoken with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu for an extended period. “I haven’t spoken with him for a long time, there is no conflict, but I am waiting for the moment he calls me to the party leaders’ meeting. We used to discuss things there, and suddenly everything stopped. Is he with us? That depends on him, how much he wants it.”

Addressing the new practice of docking ministers who arrive late to cabinet meetings, he noted, “In the past, we were many ministers and it wasn’t noticeable if someone was late. Today we’ve left the government and there aren’t many ministers anymore, so every delay stands out.”

{Matzav.com}

Israeli security forces carried out wide overnight operations across Judea and Samaria, arresting terrorists planning attacks against IDF forces and locating large quantities of weapons. In the Samaria area, troops searched around 70 locations and found a gun hidden in a microwave and a hunting rifle behind a curtain. In Beit Ummar, Etzion Brigade forces […]

VP JD VANCE: The American people don’t want stupid wars, and America’s jobs going overseas, and wide-open borders.

More than a month has passed since Bill and Hillary Clinton were supposed to sit for depositions before the House Oversight Committee, yet no new date has been set. Both were initially scheduled for October—Hillary on the 9th and Bill on the 14th—after Committee Chair Rep. James Comer announced a series of subpoenas in August connected to the Jeffrey Epstein investigation. Although the Committee indicated it was working around the Clintons’ calendars, the process has stalled with no updated timetable.

Comer is now publicly addressing the delay, and his latest comments suggest that patience is wearing thin. Speaking on the “Just The News, No Noise” television program, he emphasized that the two high-profile figures should not expect to avoid scrutiny. “We expect to hear from Bill and Hillary Clinton,” he said, noting that “Donald Trump answered questions for years about Jeffrey Epstein. Every day he gets asked questions about Epstein, and he answers them in front of the American people.” Comer added that lawmakers have issued subpoenas “to Republicans and Democrats,” asserting that the Clintons remain “the one group in this investigation that’s never had to answer questions in front of a credible reporter, and they’ve never certainly answered questions from attorneys or members of Congress.”

Comer ended with a pointed warning: “So we expect the Clintons to come in, or I expect the Clintons to be met with the same fate that Bannon and [Peter] Navarro were met with when the Democrats were in control.” Both Steve Bannon and Peter Navarro were criminally charged after failing to comply with congressional subpoenas—an outcome Comer now appears to be holding up as a possible precedent.

The substance awaiting the Clintons is extensive. Lawmakers have been seeking answers about Bill Clinton’s past connections to Epstein, including his flights on Epstein’s plane, allegations regarding visits to Epstein’s island, and Epstein’s multiple White House entries—17 in all.

Beyond the Clintons themselves, Comer has expanded the investigative net. He announced that J.P. Morgan and Deutsche Bank will be subpoenaed for Epstein-related financial records, and that U.S. Virgin Islands Attorney General Gordon Rhea will be asked to hand over any relevant documents. The financial data, in particular, could shed light on networks and transactions that have remained out of public view. Additionally, Epstein’s dealings in the Virgin Islands have long drawn scrutiny, raising questions about how local authorities interacted with him and why his operations continued with so little interference.

{Matzav.com}

VP JD VANCE: Today’s jobs report shows that the Trump economic plan is working 119,000 new jobs when economists thought we would only add 52,000.

Moshe Indig of Satmar, who was the only Orthodox Jew to vote for and publicly endorse Mamdani, is very excited that he will be keeping NYPD Commissioner Jessica Tisch.