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[Video below.] A ceremony was held this evening marking the return of an ancient stone from the Kosel to its original place.

The massive stone, weighing roughly five tons, was dislodged nearly two millennia ago by the Roman Tenth Legion during the churban of the Second Beis Hamikdash. In recent years, it had been exhibited at the Knesset and later placed on loan at Ben-Gurion Airport.

The decision to bring the stone back to its historic setting was reached following a meeting held ahead of Rosh Hashanah, in which Knesset Speaker Amir Ochana participated together with the rov of the Kosel, Rav Shmuel Rabinowitz.

Speaking at the ceremony, Ochana reflected on the stone’s long journey and meaning. “If stones could speak, this heavy stone, with thousands of years of history upon it, would tell of generations of Jews who came to pray at the Bais Hamikdosh. We wish to close this chapter of its wandering and place it in a permanent location, where it can tell the stories it has witnessed.”

Rav Rabinowitz emphasized the spiritual significance of the moment, describing the return as an act of restoration. “Returning this stone to the ruins here is a great rectification. It is a declaration that we do not forget the holy stones and we maintain their sanctity.”

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{Matzav.com}

CNN chief data analyst Harry Enten looks at public opinion regarding the economy and inflation.

A small aircraft crashed in San Pedro Totoltepec, near Toluca, Mexico, sparking a fire. Authorities say multiple people are feared dead after the crash. Reports indicate the plane was carrying around 10 people at the time of the incident.

Severe flash floods triggered by torrential rains have killed at least 37 people in the coastal city of Safi, Morocco. Heavy rain inundated about 70 homes and businesses, swept away vehicles and cut roads, authorities said. At least 14 people are hospitalized.

TRUMP: Today, we’re here to honor our military men and women for their central role in the protection of our border… In a few moments, we’ll officially recognize their service by awarding them the Mexican Border Defense Medal.

Trump: The drugs coming in by sea are down 94% … We’re going to start hitting them on land, which is a lot easier to do frankly.

In an interview with CBS, Sheina Gutnick said her father, Reuven Morrison HY״D, who was killed during the Hanukkah celebration terrorist attack at Sydney’s Bondi Beach, confronted one of the attackers in an effort to protect others. She said her father threw a brick at one of the terrorists and was killed while trying to […]

TRUMP: “I’m suing the BBC for putting words in my mouth, literally…I guess they used AI or something…they actually put terrible words in my mouth having to do with January 6th that I didn’t say.”

Trump: We had a very good conversation, one hour ago with European leaders, many of them, involving the war with Russia and Ukraine.

President Donald Trump addressed questions Monday about Israel’s recent strike in Gaza, telling reporters that Washington is “looking into” whether the operation complied with the ceasefire agreement. His remarks came after Israel carried out a targeted attack over the weekend that killed Ra’ad Sa’ad, a senior Hamas commander and the group’s second-in-command in Gaza.

According to Trump, the United States is reviewing the circumstances surrounding Sa’ad’s elimination and assessing whether the action crossed any agreed-upon lines under the current truce.

Despite reports suggesting strain between Washington and Jerusalem, the President pushed back strongly on claims of tension with Prime Minister Bibi Netanyahu. “My relationship with Bibi is very good. We took Iran out of the game, and because of that we can make peace. We have a good relationship with everyone in the Middle East,” Trump said.

The President’s comments followed an Axios report claiming that the White House delivered a sharp private message to Netanyahu after the strike. The report described the communication as a reflection of growing frustration within the Trump administration over Israel’s conduct and unresolved disputes regarding the next phase of the Gaza agreement, as well as Israel’s broader regional policies.

According to the report, senior figures in the administration — including Secretary of State Marco Rubio, White House envoy Steve Witkoff, and presidential adviser Jared Kushner — were said to be increasingly dissatisfied with Netanyahu’s approach.

Axios also cited a senior US official who said the White House warned Netanyahu that violating the agreement could harm both his own standing and President Trump’s reputation following the successful brokering of the ceasefire. An Israeli official, while acknowledging displeasure in Washington, characterized the message as more restrained and said it focused primarily on concerns over how certain Arab states perceived the strike.

{Matzav.com}

UPS stole tens of millions of dollars in pay from seasonal workers who help the shipping giant deliver packages during the busy holiday season, forcing some to clock in well after their shifts started and deducting pay for lunch breaks they never took, New York Attorney General Letitia James alleged in a lawsuit Monday. Filed […]

Newly released footage shows former President of Israel’s Supreme Court, Aharon Barak, stating unequivocally that yeshiva students whose full-time occupation is Torah study  – Torasam umnosom – should be granted a military exemption without limitation.

The footage, published Monday evening by Channel 13 reporter Yoeli Brim, captures Barak expressing support for exempting bnei yeshiva who are fully committed to learning.

In the recording, Barak says: “Yeshiva students whose Torah study is their full occupation, and who want to learn Torah, should be given an exemption, without limits, whatever the number may be.” He made the remarks during a Chanukah candle-lighting ceremony that he held together with Rabbi Ido Weber.

Barak added that, in his view, the appropriate framework is a differentiated system: “The solution should be that those whose Torah is their life’s work are released, and everyone else will go to the army like the rest of the people of Israel.”

The comments come amid intense national debate over the future of Israel’s draft law and the status of yeshiva students.

{Matzav.com}

[Video below.] At the mesibas Chanukah in Slabodka Yeshiva, where hundreds gathered in Bnei Brak under the leadership of the Roshei Yeshiva Maran Hagaon Rav Dov Landau and Maran Hagaon Rav Moshe Hillel Hirsch, Rav Landau instructed that the lyrics of a long-established song be changed, specifically to express opposition to Israel’s Attorney General, Gali Baharav-Miara, whom he described as an adversary of the olam haTorah.

According to the custom in Slabodka, the yeshiva sings the pasuk-based song, “Zedim helitzuni ad me’od, miTorasecha lo natisi” at the Chanukah mesibah each year. Hundreds once again broke into the song on the first night of Chanukah, but this time the moment took an unexpected turn.

In the middle of the singing, Rav Landau instructed his close aides to alter the wording. Addressing the students, he explained that in today’s climate, the term “zedim” (“the arrogant ones” or “the wicked”) refers to the Attorney General, whom he said has been persistently and aggressively targeting the Torah world.

Rav Landau then directed the talmidim to change the word “זדים” to “זדות,” reshaping the song so that its intention would be explicitly directed at Baharav-Miara, expressing a hope that her efforts against Torah institutions would fail, while reaffirming the commitment contained in the verse: “From Your Torah I have not strayed.”

The talmidim immediately adopted the new wording, and the energized singing continued for several minutes.

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Noam Party chairman MK Avi Maoz presented three recent cases that demonstrate the IDF’s dismissive attitude toward soldiers who are makpid on halacha in a recent article published on Artuz Sheva. Maoz wrote, “At a time when the main focus of the conscription issue is on the Chareidi public—whom people want to draft and need […]

A man convicted of trying to assassinate President Donald Trump on a Florida golf course last year has decided to use an attorney during the sentencing phase instead of representing himself as he did for most of the trial. The sentencing hearing for Ryan Routh in Fort Pierce, Florida, was pushed back from this week […]

[COMMUNICATED]

Donate to the general fund to support all the victims and their families.

A SHATTERING ACT OF HATE has ripped through our community!

On Sunday December 14, 2025, a day of joy and light was brutally transformed into a scene of unimaginable horror at Bondi Beach. The annual Chanukah by the Sea celebration, a beacon of unity for the Jewish community, was mercilessly targeted in a DEADLY TERRORIST ATTACK!

THIS IS NOT JUST NEWS—THIS IS A CATASTROPHE!

At least two armed fanatics opened fire on innocent men, women, and children gathered to light the menorah, turning a celebration of faith into a massacre. Multiple lives were extinguished in a blaze of hate, and dozens more are fighting for their lives with critical injuries.

THIS WAS A STRIKE AGAINST US ALL!

This cold-blooded rampage is a vile act of antisemitic terror that has been condemned by every decent voice across Australia and the globe. But condemnation is not enough!

WE MUST ACT NOW!

 * Families are shattered!

 * Friends are grieving in shock!

 * Survivors need immediate, sustained support!

THE NEED IS CRITICAL. THE TIME FOR SOLIDARITY IS OVERDUE! We must rally immediately to support the victims, their families, and the wounded community. DO NOT let this act of hatred triumph!

ALL DONATIONS ARE TAX-DEDUCTIBLE IN BOTH THE USA AND AUSTRALIA

All fund distribution will be overseen by the campaign committee and The Jewish House, NSW

Rabbi Aycee Abrahams

Rabbi Menachem Aron

Rabbi Mendel Kastel

Rabbi Sender Kavka

Rabbi Aron Moss

Rabbi Mendy Schapiro

Rabbi Levi Wolff

Rabbi Mendy Kotlarsky

Endorsed by Merkos – Chabad World Headquarters and Chabad NSW

Donate to the general fund to support all the victims and their families.

Israel’s Knesset on Monday advanced legislation aimed at accommodating Chareidim who use “kosher phones.” Lawmakers voted unanimously, 72–0, to approve the first reading of a bill that would require public bodies — including the National Insurance Institute and the Israel Tax Authority — to deliver official notifications via recorded voice messages to citizens whose phones […]

Chanukah’s glow reached the United States Capitol, where a candle-lighting gathering brought together Yesha Council Chairman and Binyamin Governor Yisrael Ganz with House Speaker Mike Johnson. In the midst of the ceremony, Johnson turned directly to the residents of Judea and Samaria with a resonant message, calling them “the Maccabees of our time.”

The lighting took place during a period marked by escalating anti-Jewish hostility across the globe, a reality highlighted by the horrific terror attack in Australia just hours later. Johnson—who only recently toured the Binyamin region, visited ancient Shiloh, and offered a heartfelt prayer there with his wife—spoke about the repeated attempts throughout history to harm Jews, and how the Jewish people, generation after generation, have persisted and prevailed despite overwhelming odds.

“Everyone is free to celebrate and pray in whatever way they choose,” Johnson said during the event. He pointed out that even during eras of persecution and threats of expulsion, Jewish communities continued to grow and thrive. “Even during years under attack and in danger of expulsion, the Jewish people prospered and flourished. This is the essence of what we are celebrating today – the light of love and heroism will always lead us to better days.”

After the candles were kindled, Ganz expressed gratitude for the Speaker’s encouragement, noting that their shared lighting inside Congress served as a symbolic reply to those trying to extinguish Jewish life—whether terror in Australia, rising antisemitism around the world, or violence in Eretz Yisroel itself. “The light we lit in Congress together with the US House Speaker is a clear answer to the darkness that seeks to extinguish us—whether through the terror attack in Australia, the waves of antisemitism globally, or the terrorism here in our land. The people of Israel are an eternal nation, and our enemies will never defeat us. Like the Maccabees, in our generation too, we will continue to shine, build, and grow stronger in the light of faith and heroism.”

{Matzav.com}

A senior University of Arkansas professor has been stripped of her leadership role after allegations surfaced that she used official university letterhead to support an Iranian regime war criminal, praised Iran’s supreme leader, and repeatedly attacked Israel. Shirin Saeidi, an assistant professor of political science and until recently the head of the university’s Middle East […]

The International Criminal Court’s Appeals Chamber in The Hague on Monday evening narrowly rejected Israel’s challenge seeking to halt the ICC’s involvement in alleged war-crimes investigations related to the Gaza conflict. As a result, the arrest warrants issued for Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and former Defense Minister Yoav Gallant will remain active.

The 3–2 decision dismissed Israel’s argument rooted in the principle of complementarity — the claim that Israel should first be allowed to investigate the allegations on its own before the ICC steps in. The ruling significantly reduces Israel’s options for overturning the international warrants.

Israel’s core appeal asserted that the ICC prosecutor was obligated to provide formal advance notification before opening an investigation into senior Israeli officials. The judges rejected this claim, stating that the prosecutor relied on what he considered a prior warning allegedly conveyed to Israel even before the October 7 attacks.

Israel’s Foreign Ministry criticized the ruling as fundamentally political, saying the court’s majority disregarded the rights of a democratic state with an independent judiciary. The ministry stated: “Israel rejects the narrow-majority ruling that denies Israel its right to receive advance notice, as required under the principle of complementarity, especially with regard to a democratic nation with a strong and independent legal system. This is what politics looks like when disguised as ‘international law.’”

Because the appeal was dismissed, the ICC arrest warrants for Netanyahu and Gallant on suspicion of war crimes committed during the Gaza war remain in effect, posing ongoing diplomatic and legal challenges for Israel and its leadership.

According to a report cited by Channel 12 News, a source familiar with the decision blasted the court’s conduct, saying: “They keep proving, again and again, that they have no respect whatsoever for the sovereignty of states — including those that are not members and never agreed to the court’s framework. In the end, this will leave the international community no choice but to overhaul this institution from the ground up.”

{Matzav.com}