For the first time, gedolim of Eretz Yisroel traveled to Geneva this week as part of the Keren Olam HaTorah mission, a powerful initiative to strengthen Torah learning and support kollelim and yeshivos in the Holy Land.
The visit to Switzerland began Monday morning in Zurich, where the delegation of Gedolim davened Shacharis before departing by air for Geneva. Upon arrival, they embarked on a full day of gatherings, inspiration, and meetings aimed at bolstering support for Torah institutions.
Their first stop was Talmud Torah Sinai, where hundreds of excited children greeted them with singing and joy. The Gedolim addressed the students and faculty, offering heartfelt words of chizuk and encouragement, before meeting privately with numerous philanthropists who came seeking guidance and an opportunity to partner in this sacred cause. Many of the participants pledged substantial contributions to Keren Olam HaTorah.
At 6:00 p.m., a central dinner for Geneva’s benefactors took place at the InterContinental Hotel. The event featured stirring addresses from Rav Yosef Chevroni, rosh yeshiva of Yeshivas Chevron; Rav Mendel Pevzner, rov of Geneva; and Mr. Reuven Wolf, chairman of Keren Olam HaTorah. Each speaker emphasized the immense merit of supporting Torah scholars in Eretz Yisroel and the vital role of the fund in sustaining Torah learning worldwide.
Following the dinner, the Gedolim entered a neighboring hall filled to capacity with thousands of local residents and guests from surrounding French communities who had arrived by bus to attend the momentous gathering.
A special video message from Rav Dov Landau, rosh yeshiva of Slabodka, was screened, as he was unable to attend in person. Rav Yitzchok Toledano read a heartfelt letter from Rav Berel Povarsky, rosh yeshiva of Ponevezh, in which he described the serious challenges facing Torah institutions in Eretz Yisroel and praised the establishment of Keren Olam HaTorah by devoted Jews committed to increasing kavod Shamayim throughout the world.
The keynote address was delivered by Rav Avraham Salim, rosh yeshiva of Maor HaTorah, who spoke passionately about the responsibility to uphold Torah in these trying times. The evening concluded with inspiring words from Rav Shimon Galai, whose fiery message of spiritual upliftment left a deep impression on the audience.
After the gathering, the Gedolim departed for the airport, returning to Eretz Yisroel and concluding a remarkable journey of chizuk and hisorerus for Swiss Jewry, marking another milestone in the global work of Keren Olam HaTorah.
מסע קרן עולם התורה בז’נווהצילום: דניאל נפוסי ומאיר זלזניקמסע קרן עולם התורה בז’נווהצילום: דניאל נפוסי ומאיר זלזניק מסע קרן עולם התורה בז’נווהצילום: דניאל נפוסי ומאיר זלזניק מסע קרן עולם התורה בז’נווהצילום: דניאל נפוסי ומאיר זלזניק מסע קרן עולם התורה בז’נווהצילום: דניאל נפוסי ומאיר זלזניק מסע קרן עולם התורה בז’נווהצילום: דניאל נפוסי ומאיר זלזניק מסע קרן עולם התורה בז’נווהצילום: דניאל נפוסי ומאיר זלזניק מסע קרן עולם התורה בז’נווהצילום: דניאל נפוסי ומאיר זלזניק מסע קרן עולם התורה בז’נווהצילום: דניאל נפוסי ומאיר זלזניק מסע קרן עולם התורה בז’נווהצילום: דניאל נפוסי ומאיר זלזניק מסע קרן עולם התורה בז’נווהצילום: דניאל נפוסי ומאיר זלזניק מסע קרן עולם התורה בז’נווהצילום: דניאל נפוסי ומאיר זלזניק מסע קרן עולם התורה בז’נווהצילום: דניאל נפוסי ומאיר זלזניק מסע קרן עולם התורה בז’נווהצילום: דניאל נפוסי ומאיר זלזניק מסע קרן עולם התורה בז’נווהצילום: דניאל נפוסי ומאיר זלזניק מסע קרן עולם התורה בז’נווהצילום: דניאל נפוסי ומאיר זלזניק מסע קרן עולם התורה בז’נווהצילום: דניאל נפוסי ומאיר זלזניק מסע קרן עולם התורה בז’נווהצילום: דניאל נפוסי ומאיר זלזניק מסע קרן עולם התורה בז’נווהצילום: דניאל נפוסי ומאיר זלזניק מסע קרן עולם התורה בז’נווהצילום: דניאל נפוסי ומאיר זלזניק מסע קרן עולם התורה בז’נווהצילום: דניאל נפוסי ומאיר זלזניק מסע קרן עולם התורה בז’נווהצילום: דניאל נפוסי ומאיר זלזניק מסע קרן עולם התורה בז’נווהצילום: דניאל נפוסי ומאיר זלזניק מסע קרן עולם התורה בז’נווהצילום: דניאל נפוסי ומאיר זלזניק מסע קרן עולם התורה בז’נווהצילום: דניאל נפוסי ומאיר זלזניק מסע קרן עולם התורה בז’נווהצילום: דניאל נפוסי ומאיר זלזניק מסע קרן עולם התורה בז’נווהצילום: דניאל נפוסי ומאיר זלזניק מסע קרן עולם התורה בז’נווהצילום: דניאל נפוסי ומאיר זלזניק מסע קרן עולם התורה בז’נווהצילום: דניאל נפוסי ומאיר זלזניק מסע קרן עולם התורה בז’נווהצילום: דניאל נפוסי ומאיר זלזניק מסע קרן עולם התורה בז’נווהצילום: דניאל נפוסי ומאיר זלזניק מסע קרן עולם התורה בז’נווהצילום: דניאל נפוסי ומאיר זלזניק מסע קרן עולם התורה בז’נווהצילום: דניאל נפוסי ומאיר זלזניק ע
{Matzav.com}
A new storm may be brewing in the chareidi world after the son of a close aide to one of Yerushalayim’s leading Rebbes was arrested Monday night on charges of desertion from the IDF and transferred to a military prison.
The young man, a ben Torah who was planning to travel with his family to the United States for his brother’s wedding, was detained when he arrived at the draft office to handle paperwork ahead of his trip abroad. During the visit, military police reportedly took him into custody and transferred him to a detention facility. Before being taken away, he managed to make a brief phone call to his wife, informing her of his arrest and that he would be held for the coming days.
Within the chassidus, efforts are underway to resolve the matter discreetly. Senior community figures and influential askanim have been mobilized to negotiate behind the scenes and prevent the situation from escalating publicly. For now, the leadership has imposed a media blackout, preferring to deal with the authorities quietly.
However, voices inside the group warned that the restraint might not last if the matter isn’t resolved swiftly. “If we don’t see a change within the next 24 hours, Eretz Yisroel will burn,” one source said. “What happened in Ateres Shlomo will look like child’s play compared to what’s coming.”
{Matzav.com}
A groundbreaking piece of legislation advanced in the Knesset Monday night could soon give Israelis the option to bring civil and monetary disputes before rabbinical courts — with legal recognition from the state.
The Arbitration Law Amendment, sponsored by MKs Moshe Gafni and Yisrael Eichler along with several other lawmakers, passed its first reading in the Knesset plenum with 63 votes in favor and 43 against.
The proposal seeks to formally enshrine in Israeli law the authority of rabbinical courts to act as arbitrators in civil matters — but only with the consent of both parties. This means that business or financial disputes could be adjudicated by a Beis Din under a din Torah, and the resulting ruling would carry the same binding legal force as any other arbitration award recognized by Israeli courts.
According to the bill’s explanatory notes, “The rabbinical courts have for many years adjudicated civil disputes with the consent of the parties. However, a previous Supreme Court ruling determined that in the absence of a legal basis, the rabbinical courts are not authorized to handle such disputes.”
The new proposal aims “to anchor in law the authority of the rabbinical courts to serve as arbitrators, with the consent of the parties, in civil matters that may be subject to an arbitration agreement between parties, thereby allowing those who wish to resolve their disputes according to Torah law to do so through the rabbinical courts.”
The timing of the vote followed a political arrangement between the chareidi parties and the coalition. The bill was brought to the floor immediately after the chareidi factions voted in support of Communications Minister Shlomo Karhi’s controversial media reform — in exchange for coalition backing of the arbitration bill.
If passed in its second and third readings, the law would mark a historic shift, granting state-backed recognition to rabbinical courts in handling civil financial cases, so long as both sides agree to the process.
The move has been met with enthusiasm among the chareidi parties, who see it as a long-overdue step toward strengthening the role of Torah-based jurisprudence within Israel’s legal framework.
{Matzav.com}
WATCH:
Following a year marked by numerous reports of chareidi and Israeli travelers being detained or questioned at Budapest Airport, Israel’s Foreign Ministry has issued a special advisory urging passengers to comply with Hungary’s strict customs regulations to avoid delays and fines.
According to the ministry, hundreds — and possibly thousands — of Israeli travelers, the majority from the chareidi community, have been stopped at the customs checkpoint upon entering Hungary. Many of them were unaware of the country’s strict limits on the import of cigarettes and alcohol, which allow no more than two cartons of cigarettes or a single bottle of liquor per person.
Customs officials reportedly began routinely inspecting ultra-Orthodox travelers, suspecting that many were carrying tobacco or alcohol in excess of the permitted amount. “Almost every chareidi traveler entering Hungary has been delayed,” one local source said, describing the pattern as both frustrating and avoidable with proper awareness.
The Foreign Ministry’s statement, released Monday evening, warned: “Travelers found in possession of alcoholic beverages, tobacco products, or cash exceeding the amounts permitted under Hungarian law may be detained at the airport, fined, and have the goods confiscated by the authorities.”
The ministry also drew attention to regulations concerning the importation of medications: “Prescription drugs may only be brought into Hungary together with a doctor’s prescription and proper documentation. Medicines containing controlled substances may require additional permits,” the statement said.
Officials advised Israeli citizens traveling to Hungary “to refrain from carrying prohibited products or quantities that exceed the legal limit and to ensure that each traveler carries only the permitted amount per person according to local law.”
The statement further noted that the Israeli Embassy in Budapest “has no authority to intervene or expedite procedures handled by local authorities.” Travelers were urged to verify updated information before departure “through the Hungarian Embassy in Israel or the Hungarian customs authorities.”
The advisory follows a growing number of complaints from travelers who reported lengthy interrogations, confiscations of goods, and in some cases, financial penalties. The Foreign Ministry’s notice aims to help prevent further incidents and ensure smoother entry for Israeli and chareidi travelers visiting Hungary.
{Matzav.com}