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At a searing UN hearing in Geneva on Wednesday, Keith and Aviva Siegel — Israeli civilians who survived Hamas captivity — detailed the physical torment, humiliation, and psychological agony inflicted on them and fellow hostages during their imprisonment in Gaza. Their testimony before the UN Committee Against Torture painted a vivid and painful picture of systematic cruelty.

Keith Siegel began by addressing the committee with a plea that cut through the silence of the room: “I am not asking for your sympathy. I am asking that you ensure the horrors the terrorists committed against me and others in captivity will never happen again.” He described the months that followed his wife’s release — a blur of terror and solitude. “Altogether, I spent about six months completely alone – a 66-year-old man, cut off from the world, terrified, not knowing the fate of my loved ones,” he said.

He then described the twisted cruelty of his captors. “Just for ‘fun,’ the guards compared parts of our bodies, threatened us with knives, humiliated us, and prevented us from going to the bathroom until we could no longer hold it. Every basic human right was taken away. I was starved and denied water. More than once, I was forced to strip naked in front of them while they shaved my body.”

The emotional toll extended far beyond the physical. Siegel shared that he had clung to the thought of seeing his mother again — a reunion that would never come. “Throughout my captivity in Gaza, I imagined the moment I would come home and visit my elderly mother. The first thing I asked my wife when I returned by helicopter on the way to the hospital was how my mother was doing. She had died two months before my release. She never knew I came back. I never got to say goodbye.”

Aviva Siegel’s account echoed the same anguish. She spoke of blood, fear, and despair in the tunnels beneath Gaza. “When we were taken underground in Gaza, there was a boy from my community. Hamas terrorists tied his hands with plastic cuffs. He was covered in blood, we were covered in blood. Later, when one of the terrorists came to cut off the cuffs with a cutter, he cut the boy’s hand. I just wanted to scream, and I saw the terrorist smiling as he did it.”

Her 51 days of captivity were marked by hunger and hopelessness. “For 51 days I was certain I would die. They threatened me, starved me, didn’t give me enough water. I lost ten kilograms in 51 days. I hid food for Keith. I saw him losing weight. We were starving while the terrorists gained weight. They ate and chewed in front of us while refusing to give us anything.”

Aviva also spoke of the young female hostages who suffered unimaginable violations. “One day, a young girl came out of the shower trembling. I wasn’t allowed to hug her, but I did anyway. Later she told us that one of the terrorists had touched her.”

Her voice trembled as she recalled her helplessness. “The most terrible thing for me was watching how they tortured my husband Keith and what they did to the girls. I wasn’t allowed to hug, help, or even cry. I tried all that time to hold on to my humanity.”

The captors’ sadistic control left no space for dignity or rest. “They forced us to lie down from 5 p.m. until 9 a.m. the next morning. We weren’t allowed to move. My body ached. I wanted to stretch, to sit, to scream, ‘Just let me sit for five minutes.’ They didn’t allow it. They threatened to kill me. One night, I took my foot out from under the blanket – a Hamas terrorist came and screamed at me that I wasn’t allowed to do that. It sounds small, but that was the level of control they had over us. Most of my time in Gaza I suffered from stomach pain and diarrhea because they made us drink contaminated water. I’m 62 years old, and I had to ask permission just to go to the bathroom.”

{Matzav.com}

In a candid address, Rav Eliyahu Diskin, rosh yeshiva of Netiv HaDaas and Imrei Moshe in Yerushalayim, offered sharp insight into the current situation in Israel, declaring that the Israeli army never had any real desire to recruit yeshiva students, drawing a striking comparison to the Russian army under Vladimir Putin.

Rav Diskin’s remarks were delivered as part of the Vaad Darchei HaChizuk gatherings, which take place weekly at Yeshivas Maseches Chochmah and are led by the talmidim of the late rosh yeshiva, Rav Gershon Edelstein zt”l.

Addressing the motives behind mass rallies and protests, Rav Diskin cautioned against viewing the upcoming atzeres as a battle of “us versus them.”

“Why do people go to a protest?” he asked. “Because ‘they’ are against ‘us.’ The chilonim are against the chareidim, and now ‘we’ will show them our strength. That’s the same yetzer hara that fuels nationalism — dying for the country, dying for the party, dying for the team. Boruch Hashem, our people are yirei Shamayim, but this cannot be our mindset.”

He emphasized that participation must come from a higher purpose. “We must remember — everything depends on the machshavah. We’re not fighting for honor; we’re fighting for kavod Shamayim.”

Rav Diskin continued by explaining that the protest itself would not directly impact government policy. “One of the reasons the army has never drafted bnei yeshivos until now is not because they valued Torah learning,” he said. “The army — anyone thinking realistically — doesn’t want yeshiva bochurim. It’s simple logic. When Putin went to war with Ukraine four years ago, everyone thought it would be over in a day or two. What’s Ukraine compared to Russia? But what happened in the end?”

He elaborated: “The reason is simple. Ukrainian soldiers were patriots. The Russian soldiers didn’t love Russia the way Ukrainians loved their country. An army built on coercion is worthless! You can’t build an army out of people forced to serve. It destroys the entire army. That’s why, until now, neither the army nor the state ever wanted the bnei yeshivos to enlist.”

Turning to the judiciary, Rav Diskin sharply criticized Israel’s High Court and the Attorney General’s Office. “We are now in the exile of that great klipah called the Bagatz and the yo’etz mishpati. They don’t care about the army or the country. Let everything burn down — all they care about is having a secular state, ‘al Hashem v’al Meshicho.’ That’s why protests don’t interest them at all.”

Citing Rav Gershon Edelstein zt”l, he explained the true purpose of attending the atzeres. “Rav Gershon said that what we need are zechuyos — merits. That’s the point. When we gather, we’re not demonstrating politically; we’re gathering to create zechuyos for Klal Yisroel.”

Rav Diskin referenced the nevuah in Malachi: “‘You have said it is futile to serve Hashem… and now we call the arrogant happy.’ This describes a situation where people lose sight of the value of avodas Hashem. Many have been inspired since Simchas Torah, but those few leading the current government — that’s another story.”

He pointed out that despite the demographic balance in Israel, a small secular elite dominates the centers of power. “Today, a third of the country is religious or chareidi, a third traditional, and a third secular — and within that secular third, only a tiny fraction truly hates religion. But they control everything — the courts, the media, the Bagatz. Nowhere else in the world does such a minority hold such power.”

Quoting the Gra on the Zohar, Rav Diskin explained that this phenomenon was foretold. “The Zohar says that in the end of days, the Erev Rav — the ‘maidservants’ — will come first, followed by the masses, and only then the bnei Torah. The Gra writes that the Erev Rav — the nefilim, gibborim, amalekim, rephaim — will rule. So even if elections take place every few years, it won’t change anything. The ruling class doesn’t represent the people. This is a gezeirah — the klipah will rule at the end of days.”

He concluded with a call to introspection and tefillah. “There’s no one to talk to — they’re deaf to reason. The protest itself may not be worth a klipas ha-shum, but what it is worth — as Rav Gershon said — is zechuyos, zechuyos, zechuyos. That’s what we need. The essence is not the demonstration itself, but the collective tefillah and the declaration: ‘Az nedabru yirei Hashem ish el re’eihu’.”

{Matzav.com}

In an address delivered Tuesday night at Yeshivas Daas Aharon in Yerushalayim, the rosh yeshiva, Rav Dov Landau, spoke sharply about the growing governmental pressure and legal uncertainty surrounding the draft law and the official status of yeshiva students.

Speaking before hundreds of talmidim and local residents, Rav Landau lamented what he described as targeted harassment against bnei yeshivos and avreichim.

“We are now living in a time,” he said, “when those who have never tasted the sweetness of Torah persecute yeshiva students and lomdei kollelim, tightening their steps through various decrees and forms of harassment.”

The rosh yeshiva expressed hope that those driving these measures would soon reconsider. “We hope, with siyaata diShmaya, that they will retract and cease these actions,” he said.

At the same time, Rav Landau called on yeshiva students not to be disheartened but to continue their mission with renewed strength. “Our role as bnei yeshiva,” he emphasized, “is to continue with full energy in fulfilling our sacred purpose — to ensure that Torah flourishes more and more here in Eretz Yisroel. And through that, we will merit the coming of Moshiach Tzidkeinu, speedily in our days.”

{Matzav.com}

With Congress on track to end the ongoing government shutdown, the mass flight delays and cancellations Americans have experienced could soon abate, Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy said Tuesday. But aviation groups said it will take time to resolve the issues even after the government reopens. “Airlines’ reduced flight schedules cannot immediately bounce back to full […]

A deeply emotional and tear-filled event took place this week at Yeshivas Nesiv HaDaas in Yerushalayim, celebrating the release of a new sefer authored by the Rosh Yeshiva, Rav Yisroel Bunim Schreiber, titled Nesiv Binah on Perek Eilu Tereifos, written during the course of his difficult illness and ongoing treatments.

The Torah world continues to daven fervently for Rav Yisroel Bunim ben Chaya Ruiza’s refuah sheleimah. Since the discovery of his illness late last Iyar, the Rosh Yeshiva’s condition has fluctuated, and he is currently undergoing several intensive treatments. Yet even amid great suffering, talmidim have witnessed the fulfillment of the words, “Lulei Torascha sha’ashu’ai az ovadeti be’onyi—Were not Your Torah my delight, I would have perished in my affliction.”

Due to his weakened state, this week marked the first time Rav Schreiber delivered his shiur klali while seated. Nevertheless, his legendary diligence and devotion remain undiminished. Despite severe weakness, he continues to give his daily shiurim in depth—both in the yeshiva and in the nearby beis medrash Ohel Yosef—and has often been seen arriving straight from the hospital, IV still attached, to teach Torah with strength and clarity born of inner fire.

The newly released volume is remarkable not only for its scholarship but for the circumstances of its creation. Rav Schreiber began writing Nesiv Binah after the onset of his illness. The sefer delves into a lengthy and complex perek in Maseches Chullin, one rarely explored in such analytical depth. Leading marbitzei Torah who reviewed the manuscript expressed amazement that such a profound work could have been written by someone enduring such suffering. The Rosh Yeshiva himself remarked that this sefer differs from all his previous ones, carrying within it the special quality of Torah shenilmadah be’af—Torah learned through hardship—which, he said, “is what has sustained me.”

At the l’chaim held in honor of the sefer’s release, the atmosphere was one of mingled joy and tears. The talmidim were overcome by emotion, awed by the sight of Torah’s power to transcend the limits of human frailty. The Rosh Yeshiva spoke movingly about the exalted nature of Torah studied through pain, and as the event drew to a close, the crowd spontaneously broke into heartfelt tefillah for his complete recovery—that he should soon return to full health, free of pain and suffering.

{Matzav.com}

Assistant Chief Mark A. Vazquez, who was appointed in September as the new Assistant Chief of Patrol Borough Brooklyn North, visited the new Williamsburg Shomrim headquarters to meet with the organization’s coordinators and leadership team. Chief Vazquez, who previously served as Commanding Officer of the 90th Precinct in Williamsburg and later led the 75th and […]

A fresh wave of polling data suggests that the political tides in New York may be turning faster than Democrats expected — and Rep. Elise Stefanik is at the center of it. Once considered untouchable in her deep-blue stronghold, Gov. Kathy Hochul now appears vulnerable heading into the 2026 election, with Stefanik emerging as the clear Republican frontrunner.

According to a survey conducted by J.L. Partners, Stefanik would cruise through a GOP primary and go toe-to-toe with Hochul in a general election matchup. Among 400 likely Republican primary voters, Stefanik commands 74% support, while Nassau County Executive Bruce Blakeman trails far behind at just 5%. The remainder of respondents remain undecided.

The poll, which was carried out November 9–10 and adjusted to reflect gender, age, ethnicity, and region, has a margin of error of 4.9%. The results highlight one major difference: name recognition. More than three-quarters of Republican voters hold a favorable view of Stefanik, while over 75% of respondents said they either didn’t know Blakeman or had no opinion of him.

As J.L. Partners co-founder James Johnson told the New York Post, “Stefanik seems to dominate the Republican vote. It’s a done deal.”

The real challenge, however, will come in the general election — and even there, Hochul’s position appears shaky. In a head-to-head matchup, Hochul edges out Stefanik 46% to 43%, a virtual tie within the poll’s 4.4% margin of error. Against Blakeman, Hochul leads 47% to 36%, suggesting Stefanik gives Republicans their strongest shot at reclaiming the governor’s mansion.

That same survey of 500 likely voters, taken during the same period, found that just 37% said they would vote to reelect Hochul or even consider it, while a striking 55% said it’s “time for someone new.” The numbers expose deep dissatisfaction over high costs, ongoing population loss, and controversial criminal-justice policies — particularly cashless bail and parole reforms — that critics say have made New York feel less safe.

Those frustrations have helped catapult Stefanik into the spotlight. Now serving her sixth term in Congress and a member of House Republican leadership, she has centered her message around affordability and law and order, echoing President Donald Trump’s call to roll back “cashless bail” and restore safety to New York communities.

Momentum is building quickly behind her campaign. As she officially launched her bid for governor, 12 GOP state senators — led by Senate Republican Leader Rob Ortt — immediately endorsed her candidacy, describing her as “the fighter New York needs” to counter the “radical progressive agenda coming out of Albany.”

She’s also earned the backing of nine county executives from across the state, who blame Hochul’s “failed progressive policies” for driving families and businesses out of New York.

Still, Johnson cautioned that a heavy Democratic turnout could keep Hochul afloat. Yet, he noted that a spike in Republican voter registration and rising frustration among independents — fueled by the election of democratic socialist Zohran Mamdani as New York City’s incoming mayor — may signal a deeper political shift.

J.L. Partners, which accurately forecasted Trump’s 2024 victory over then–Vice President Kamala Harris, now rates the 2026 governor’s race as a toss-up. And for the first time in decades, Republicans see a genuine opportunity to take back the Empire State.

{Matzav.com}

Apple launches Digital ID in the U.S., letting users add IDs like a passport to Apple Wallet and use them at TSA checkpoints in 250+ airports for domestic travel.

President Donald Trump’s first-ever meeting with Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa at the White House took an unexpectedly informal turn when the U.S. leader sprayed cologne on his guest and joked about the Syrian president having multiple wives. During a private bilateral meeting Monday in the Oval Office, Trump was seen spraying cologne on al-Sharaa and […]

PHOTOS: Children from Chaim Berlin take a tour of the Chesed of Flatbush headquarters on Ave I and Coney Island Avenue on Wednesday, seeing first hand the incredible Chesed that the more than 150 volunteers do each day to help sick people.

After eleven agonizing years, the remains of IDF soldier Hadar Goldin, taken captive by the Hamas terror organization during Operation Protective Edge, were returned to Israel this week. Against the backdrop of this emotional national moment, the rosh yeshiva of Kisei Rachamim, Rav Tzemach Mazuz, devoted part of his weekly shiur to explain why the Jewish people are so deeply committed to bringing every fallen soldier to a proper Jewish burial.

Connecting the discussion to Parshas Chayei Sarah, Rav Mazuz opened with a question: why does the Torah spend twenty full verses describing the burial of Sarah Imeinu, while the deaths of other great figures such as Avrohom and Yitzchok are related in just a few? “Why,” he asked, “does the Torah elaborate so much on Avrohom’s negotiations with Ephron, the price, and the entire exchange? What does that matter to us?”

Citing classical commentaries, Rav Mazuz explained that this lengthy section teaches the holiness of the human body and the eternal nature of the soul. “A person is not like an animal,” he said. “When an animal dies, that’s the end. But a human being is made of two elements—the body, which is physical, and the neshamah, a breath of life from Hashem Himself. As Chazal say, ‘Man d’nofach midilei nofach’—when someone breathes into another, he gives of his own breath. The neshamah is literally a part of Hashem above.”

The rosh yeshiva offered a vivid parable: “People say, ‘I only believe in what I can see.’ But that’s foolish. Imagine a great machine in a factory running perfectly, and suddenly the power goes out—it stops. You don’t see the electricity, but without it, the machine is lifeless. So too the human body—it’s the garment of the soul. The essence of man is his neshamah. Since the body once contained that Divine spark, it is holy. It’s like the mantle of a Sefer Torah—when the Torah scroll is removed, the mantle itself remains sacred and must be treated with honor. You can’t just throw it away; it requires genizah. Likewise, the human body, which once housed a neshamah, possesses sanctity. That’s why autopsies are forbidden—the body is kadosh.”

Rav Mazuz continued, “This is why the Torah dedicates twenty verses to Sarah Imeinu’s burial—to instill in us faith in techiyas hameisim and the eternal life of the soul.”

Turning to current events, the rosh yeshiva referenced the long public struggle to retrieve the remains of soldiers held by Hamas. “Now, after a long battle, we’ve witnessed the return of our captured soldiers’ bodies. Even Jews who are distant from Torah and mitzvos feel deep pain about this matter. I ask: if they don’t believe in the afterlife, why should it matter to them where the bodies are buried? But it does matter—because deep inside, every Jew believes in olam haba, believes the neshamah lives on, and that the body that once held it is holy. That is why we fight to bring them home.”

Concluding his remarks, Rav Mazuz offered a heartfelt tefillah: “May we all merit to do teshuvah sheleimah, to believe fully in olam haba, to guard ourselves from sin, and to strive in the performance of mitzvos—so that we will have what to eat in the World to Come. Chizku ve’imtzu!”

{Matzav.com}

[COMMUNICATED]

Attention community members!

Come and explore the latest in rehabilitation and disability resources at the BX25NJ Rehabilitation & Disability Expo in Toms River, NJ. This free admission event, hosted by BINA Stroke & Brain Injury Assistance, offers a unique opportunity to connect with a wide range of vendors and specialists in the field.

BX25NJ will feature vendors from various sectors, including:

• Acute and Sub-Acute Rehab

• Outpatient Therapy

• Home Care

• Law

• Insurance and Legal Services

• Equipment and Devices

• Technology

• Pediatric and Adult

• Research

• Agencies

• Organizations

• And More!

Take advantage of this rare opportunity to meet leading specialists and learn about cutting-edge rehabilitation innovations.

Event Details:

• Date: Sunday, November 16, 2025

• Time: 12:00 PM – 5:00 PM

• Location: Beru Grand, 2373 US-9, Toms River, NJ

• Admission: FREE!

Registration is required at the door, but you can save time by registering in advance at binausa.org/bx25.

Vendors: There is still time to register for an exhibit. Limited space remaining!

Sign Up / See the Full List of Exhibitors at binausa.org/bx25.

For more information, email expo@binausa.org.

Clarity. Connection. Community.

END OF AN ERA: US Mint in Philadelphia to press final penny as the 1-cent coin gets canceled.

Democratic strategist David Axelrod warned on Tuesday that Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer is “in bigger trouble now” with his party’s left flank and predicted that his time as the top Democrat in the Senate will likely end before 2027.

Axelrod’s comments came during a CNN segment analyzing the political fallout after eight Senate Democrats joined Republicans in supporting a deal to reopen the government — a move that exposed deep internal divisions within the party. The House is expected to take up the bipartisan funding measure on Wednesday.

“I think he’s been in trouble. I think he is in bigger trouble now,” Axelrod said when asked if Schumer’s position was at risk with progressives. “Sen. Schumer has been there since 1982. My guess is that he won’t be leader of the party in 2027, after this election, unless something really surprising happens.”

Republicans, meanwhile, have been eager to capitalize on the chaos. They’ve labeled the budget impasse the “Schumer shutdown,” blaming the Senate leader for bowing to the far-left members of his caucus rather than working toward a compromise sooner.

Even though Schumer himself opposed the continuing resolution that passed, Axelrod said the optics still leave him politically weakened. “We’re talking about the internal strife within the Democratic Party,” he noted, emphasizing that the clash reflects growing frustration among progressives who view Schumer as out of step with their agenda.

The National Republican Senatorial Committee has seized on the turmoil, framing it as a “Schumer vs. Bernie Sanders proxy war” that will shape the 2026 Senate races. “The Chuck Schumer vs. Bernie Sanders proxy war is raging across the 2026 Senate map, and calls for an end to Schumer’s reign are the radical left’s new battle cry,” said NRSC Communications Director Joanna Rodriguez. She added that Schumer’s biggest challenge may be “electing enough Democrats that will let him stay in power.”

Despite that, the senator at the center of the alleged “proxy war” is not joining the rebellion. “You can argue, and I can make the case, that Chuck Schumer has done a lot of bad things,” said Bernie Sanders in a recent interview. “But I think getting rid of him — who’s going to replace him?”

{Matzav.com}

Hatzalah South Florida participates in funeral Miami Beach police sergeant David Cajuso who died last month while riding his department-issued motorcycle.

Speaker Johnson: “We believe the long national nightmare will be over tonight. It was completely and utterly foolish and pointless in the end.”

India’s cabinet has officially declared the Delhi Red Fort explosion a “terror incident.”

The Mega Millions jackpot has surged to a staggering $965 million for Friday’s drawing, lottery officials confirmed, after no player managed to match all six winning numbers in Tuesday’s game.

Tuesday’s lucky numbers were 10, 13, 40, 42, and 46, along with the gold Mega Ball number 1. Despite numerous smaller prize winners, the top prize remained unclaimed, pushing the jackpot to its highest level in months.

Friday’s drawing will mark the 40th consecutive game without a jackpot winner, setting a new record for the Mega Millions streak since the last big win on June 27. Earlier this year, four jackpots were claimed, but none since summer.

While the current pot doesn’t break into the top 10 biggest jackpots in U.S. lottery history, it still ranks as the eighth-largest Mega Millions prize since the game’s debut in 2002. For comparison, September saw Powerball players in Missouri and Texas share nearly $1.8 billion — one of the most massive jackpots ever recorded.

Players can purchase tickets for $5 each in 45 states, plus Washington, D.C., and the U.S. Virgin Islands. The odds of taking home the grand prize stand at 1 in 290,472,336, while the chances of winning any prize are significantly better at 1 in 23.

{Matzav.com}

The Mega Millions jackpot is nearing $1 billion for only the eighth time in the game’s history after no ticket matched all six numbers on Tuesday night. The next drawing, on Friday, Nov. 14, has an estimated jackpot of $965 million.

Standing before rows of white headstones in Arlington National Cemetery, President Donald Trump on Tuesday announced that Veterans Day will now also be known as “Victory Day for World War I,” invoking America’s role in forcing Germany’s surrender on Nov. 11, 1918. “Today is not only Veterans Day,” Trump declared at the windswept ceremony, “but […]