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Families who lost loved ones in two crashes of Boeing 737 Max jetliners may get their last chance to demand the company face criminal prosecution Wednesday. That’s when a federal judge in Texas is set to hear arguments on a U.S. government motion to dismiss a felony charge against Boeing. U.S. prosecutors charged Boeing with conspiracy to commit fraud in connection with the crashes that killed 346 people off the coast of Indonesia and in Ethiopia. Federal prosecutors alleged Boeing deceived government regulators about a flight-control system that was later implicated in the fatal flights, which took place less than five months apart in 2018 and 2019. Boeing decided to plead guilty instead of going to trial, but U.S. District Chief Judge Reed O’Connor rejected the aircraft maker’s plea agreement in December. O’Connor, who also will consider whether to let prosecutors dismiss the conspiracy charge, objected to diversity, equity and inclusion policies potentially influencing the selection of an independent monitor to oversee the company’s promised reforms. Lawyers representing relatives of some of the passengers who died cheered O’Connor’s decision, hoping it would further their goal of seeing former Boeing executives prosecuted during a public trial and more severe financial punishment for the company. Instead, the delay worked to Boeing’s favor. The judge’s refusal to accept the agreement meant the company was free to challenge the Justice Department’s rationale for charging Boeing as a corporation. It also meant prosecutors would have to secure a new deal for a guilty plea. Resolving ‘a difficult and complex’ case The government and Boeing spent six months renegotiating their plea deal. During that time, President Donald Trump returned to office and ordered an end to the diversity initiatives that gave O’Connor pause. By the time the Justice Department’s criminal fraud section briefed the judge in late May, the charge and the plea were off the table. A non-prosecution agreement the two sides struck said the government would dismiss the charge in exchange for Boeing paying or investing another $1.1 billion in fines, compensation for the crash victims’ families, and internal safety and quality measures. The Justice Department said it offered Boeing those terms in light of “significant changes” Boeing made to its quality control and anti-fraud programs since entering into the July 2024 plea deal. The department also said it thought that persuading a jury to punish the company with a criminal conviction would be risky, while the revised agreement ensures “meaningful accountability, delivers substantial and immediate public benefits, and brings finality to a difficult and complex case whose outcome would otherwise be uncertain.” Judge O’Connor has invited some of the families to address the court on Wednesday. One of the people who plans to speak is Catherine Berthet, whose daughter, Camille Geoffrey, died at age 28 when a 737 Max crashed shortly after takeoff from Ethiopia’s Addis Ababa Bole International Airport. Berthet, who lives in France, is part of a group of about 30 families who want the judge to deny the government’s request and to appoint a special prosecutor to take over the case. “While it is no surprise that Boeing is trying to buy everyone off, the fact that the DOJ, which had a guilty plea in its hands last year, has now decided not to prosecute Boeing regardless of the judge’s decision is a denial of justice, a total disregard for the victims and, above all, a disregard for the judge,” she […]

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Kraft Heinz is splitting into two a decade after a merger of the brands created one of the biggest food companies on the planet. One of the companies, currently called Global Taste Elevation Co., will include shelf stable meals and include brands such as Heinz, Philadelphia cream cheese and Kraft Mac & Cheese, Kraft Heinz said Tuesday. The other, currently called North American Grocery Co., will include brands such as Oscar Mayer, Kraft Singles and Lunchables. The official names of the two companies will be released later. Kraft Heinz said in May that it was conducting a strategic review of the company, signaling a potential split. The company in 2015 wanted to capitalize on its massive scale, but shifting tastes complicated those plans, with households seeking to introduce healthier options at the table. Kraft Heinz and other food producers have shifted offerings to follow that trend. “Kraft Heinz’s brands are iconic and beloved, but the complexity of our current structure makes it challenging to allocate capital effectively, prioritize initiatives and drive scale in our most promising areas,” Executive Chair Miguel Patricio said in a statement. The path to the merger of Kraft and Heinz began in 2013, when billionaire investor Warren Buffett teamed up with Brazilian investment firm 3G Capital to buy H.J. Heinz Co. At the time, the $23 billion deal was the most expensive ever in the food industry. 3G was also behind the formation of Restaurant Brands International — a merger of Burger King, Tim Hortons and Popeyes — and Anheuser-Busch InBev. It’s known for strict cost controls and so-called zero-based budgeting, which requires all expenses to be justified each quarter. The deal was intended to help Heinz, which was founded in 1869 in Pittsburgh, expand sales of its condiments and sauces on grocery store shelves. Heinz’s new owners also set about cutting costs, laying off hundreds of workers within months. At the same time Kraft, based in Chicago, sought for a partner after a 2011 split from its snack division, which became Mondelez International. In 2015, Buffett and 3G decided to merge Heinz with Kraft. The merger created the 5th largest food and beverage company in the world, with annual revenue of $28 billion. Buffett and 3G each contributed $5 billion for a special dividend for Kraft shareholders. But the combined company struggled, despite layoffs of thousands of employees and other cost-cutting measures. Even at the time of the merger, many consumers were shifting away from the kinds of highly processed packaged foods that Kraft sells, like Velveeta cheese and Kool-Aid. Kraft Heinz also had trouble distinguishing its products from cheaper store brands. At Walmart, a 14-ounce bottle of Heinz ketchup costs $2.98; the same size bottle of Walmart’s Great Value brand is 98 cents. In 2019, Kraft Heinz slashed the value of its Oscar Meyer and Kraft brands by $15.4 billion, citing operational costs and supply chain problems. But many investors blamed the company’s leadership, saying its zeal for cost-cutting was hurting brand innovation. In 2021, Kraft Heinz sold both its Planters nut business and its natural cheese business, vowing to reinvest the money into higher-growth brands like P3 protein snacks and Lunchables. But the company’s net revenue has fallen every year since 2020, when it saw a pandemic-related bump in sales. In April, Kraft […]

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Belgian Foreign Minister Maxim Prevot announced on Monday evening that Belgium will recognize a Palestinian state at the UN General Assembly in New York this month and impose sanctions on Israel. “In light of the humanitarian tragedy taking place in Palestine, and especially in the Gaza Strip, and in view of Israeli actions that are carried out in violation of international law, Belgium is forced to make decisive decisions in order to increase the pressure on the Israeli government and Hamas,” Prevot claimed. Prevot added that Belgium has imposed 12 new sanctions on Israel, including restrictions on importing goods from Israeli communities in Yehuda and Shomron, a review of public procurement policy involving Israeli companies, limiting consular services to Belgians residing in ‘illegal settlements,’ exploring flight restrictions, as well as declaring two ‘extremist’ Israeli ministers, several ‘violent settlers,’ and Hamas leaders as “persona non grata.” Prevot also confirmed that Belgium would support measures at the European Union level to suspend collaborations with Israel, including the suspension of the EU-Israel association agreement, research programs, and technical cooperation. Belgium will officially recognize “Palestine” as a state, in line with the joint initiative of France and Saudi Arabia, who have announced their intention to recognize “Palestine” at the UN General Assembly later this month. “This gesture is a clear condemnation of Israel’s expansionist policies, including its settlement programs and military occupations,” Prevot stated. He added that “out of awareness of the trauma created among the Israeli people due to the Hamas terror attacks on October 7, 2023, the formalization of this recognition will only take place when the last hostage is released and Hamas is no longer involved in the governance of ‘Palestine.'” Following his antisemitic announcement, rewarding terror by blaming and sanctioning Israel for the suffering of Gazans rather than Hamas, he also promised new Belgian initiatives to fight antisemitism, increased security services, and cooperation with representatives of Jewish communities. (YWN Israel Desk—Jerusalem)

By Berach Steinfeld

In Devarim (25:17), the Torah commands us to remember what Amalek did to Bnei Yisroel. This forms the basis of the mitzvah of Parshas Zachor, which must be read publicly so that everyone can hear it.

The Gemara in Brachos (47b) recounts an incident involving Reb Elazar, who once came to shul and found only nine people present. To complete the minyan, Reb Elazar freed his eved knani, Tevi. The Gemara questions how this was permissible, given that Reb Yehuda rules that freeing such a servant violates the mitzvah to retain an eved knani forever. The Gemara answers that since a minyan constitutes a mitzvah of the rabim, Reb Elazar was permitted to act in this way.

The Rosh (Siman 20) explains that a mitzvah of the rabim carries greater weight than an individual mitzvah, as derived from the verse “Venikdashti” among Klal Yisroel, the source for the concept of a minyan. This principle applies even to a mitzvah deRabbanan such as hearing kedusha or borchu. Such a mitzvah of the tzibbur can override a mitzvah deOraysa incumbent upon a private individual, such as the prohibition against freeing a slave. The Rosh concludes that the Gemara cannot have been referring to a case of Parshas Zachor, which is min haTorah. Therefore, it must be teaching that the strength of the tzibbur applies even when fulfilling only a mitzvah deRabbanan.

Based on this Rosh, the Trumas HaDeshen (Siman 108) writes that the mitzvah of Parshas Zachor must be heard with a minyan. Thus, if a person must choose between hearing Parshas Zachor with a minyan or hearing Krias HaMegillah with a minyan, preference should be given to Zachor, since it is min haTorah. The Shulchan Aruch (Orach Chaim 146:2) rules accordingly.

The Pri Chodosh (s.k. 2), however, questions the Rosh: from where does he derive that Parshas Zachor requires a minyan? Furthermore, why do we not find that the other mitzvos of zechiros—such as remembering Yetzias Mitzrayim or the episode of Maaseh Miriam—must also be fulfilled with a tzibbur?

The Hagahos Peulas Sachir on Maaseh Rav (regarding the Gra) offers an explanation. He suggests that the obligation of tzibbur in the case of Amalek stems from the view of the Yereim (Siman 435), who maintains that the mitzvah to eradicate Amalek is not incumbent on each individual, but rather is a mitzvah of the tzibbur under the authority of a king. According to this, it is logical that Parshas Zachor must be read betzibbur, reminding us that the mitzvah to destroy Amalek is a communal obligation.

Although many poskim disagree and hold that a minyan is not required, the reasoning of the Rosh provides clarity as to why one might indeed be necessary.

May we merit the day when the tzibbur of Klal Yisroel, under the leadership of Melech HaMoshiach, will fulfill the mitzvah of wiping out Amalek once and for all.

{Matzav.com}

A furor arose in Belgium after a Belgian radiologist who treated a nine-year-old girl in the emergency room wrote in her medical report that she’s “Jewish-Israeli” in the medical issues section. The grave antisemitic incident took place at the AZ Zeno Campus Hospital in Knokke-Heist, Belgium, on Friday. A censored copy of the child’s medical record circulated on social media in Belgium on Sunday, creating an uproar and demands to fire the doctor. A Belgian organization for combatting antisemitism carried out an investigation, which revealed that the doctor, identified as Dr. Qassim Arkawazy, a native of Iraq, had posted multiple viciously antisemitic posts on his social media accounts in the past, including an AI-generated image of Chassidish “vampires” preparing to suck the blood of a sleeping baby. The organization filed complaints with the police and the Belgian Medical Council. “This is a blatant violation of medical ethics,” a statement from the organization said. “The fact that a doctor, whose duty is to treat every patient with dignity and without bias, would insert such a statement into a medical record constitutes a disgrace to the Belgian healthcare system.” “Antisemitism must never become the norm, especially not in an official medical document concerning a child. We call on the competent authorities to respond firmly and show that antisemitism in any form will never be tolerated. The case raises difficult questions about the culture of the medical profession and the need for additional training and education to prevent expressions of hatred in essential public institutions like hospitals.” (YWN Israel Desk—Jerusalem)

Zakein HaPoskim, HaGaon HaRav Avigdor Nebenzahl, who has refrained for decades from intervening in public matters, published a letter paskening that even Chareidi bochurim who aren’t learning should not enlist in the IDF. HaRav Nebenzahl began his letter with words of chizzuk to the bochurim who were arrested in recent weeks for the “sin” of learning Torah and failing to report to the draft offices: “I wish to be mechazeik the precious Bnei Torah who were thrown into prison because they fulfilled their true obligation to learn Torah and did not enlist in the army,” the Rav wrote. HaRav Nebenzahl then issued an unequivocal p’sak: “In addition, I wish to state my opinion clearly, that even a Chareidi bochur who, unfortunately, isn’t learning Torah, must not be tempted to enlist in the army, not even into the frameworks established there for Chareidim, as the Gedolei Yisrael have instructed.” According to B’Chadrei Chareidim, HaRav Nebenzahl’s p’sak is unprecedented, as he is known for refusing to publicly express his opinion on current issues, despite his tremendous influence across all communities and circles—even among those far from the Torah world. Until now, when asked about the enlistment of Chareidi bochurim who aren’t learning, HaRav Nebenzahl would refuse to answer, saying, “A Chareidi bochur must sit and learn! How can it be that a Chareidi bochur isn’t learning?!” On another occasion, HaRav Nebenzahl added, “Either way—if the bochur asks for Daas Torah, we must instruct him to sit and learn. And if he does not listen to Daas Torah, what use is there in forbidding him to go to the army?” (YWN Israel Desk—Jerusalem)

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An impressive copy of the first and exceedingly rare edition. Even the Chida, who was well-acquainted with rare sefarim, writes about it in Shem HaGedolim that “it is not to be found at all.” Likewise, the Sho’el U’Meishiv, in his approbation to the Lemberg edition of 1858, writes that it is “extraordinarily rare.”

An impressive copy of the first and exceedingly rare edition. Even the Chida, who was well-acquainted with rare sefarim, writes about it in Shem HaGedolim that “it is not to be found at all.” Likewise, the Sho’el U’Meishiv, in his approbation to the Lemberg edition of 1858, writes that it is “extraordinarily rare.”

A wave of relief swept through the Gerrer community in Israel and across the globe with the news that the Gerrer Rebbe was released from Hadassah Har HaTzofim Hospital in Yerushalayim, where he had been admitted due to pneumonia.

The Rebbe remained under close observation throughout last night, prompting great concern among his followers and the broader public, who gathered in tefillah for his recovery.

Reports indicate that the Rebbe had been feeling unwell over the past week, experiencing breathing difficulties since last Friday. This downturn followed a fall several weeks ago in Moshav Ora, which had already weakened his health.

His release to his residence in Yerushalayim was met with deep joy among his chassidim.

The public is urged to continue davening for the complete recovery of Rav Yaakov Aryeh ben Yuta Henna.

{Matzav.com}

In a dramatic development, Rav Dov Landau has instructed that the start of the school year for ninth-grade classes in Yerushalayim high schools be postponed. The decision follows growing outrage over the situation of many girls from across different backgrounds and communities who were denied acceptance to local high schools.

According to an announcement from Rav Landau’s home, “After extensive discussions held in his residence, Rav Landau ruled that the school year will not begin until all the girls are properly placed in suitable high schools.”

The crisis erupted after the Yerushalayim municipality placed several Sephardic students into Ashkenazi high schools. The school administrators protested, claiming these placements were inappropriate, leading to a standoff between school heads and local authorities.

A letter released by the Yerushalayim Rabbinical Committee, signed by Rav Landau, stated: “With the full support and guidance of our Gedolei Yisroel, since dozens of outstanding girls from exceptional homes are still without proper placement, the ninth-grade school year in high schools will not open on Monday until all the girls are accommodated in appropriate institutions.”

The letter also instructed school administrators to expand class sizes to fifty students per class as a temporary solution to help resolve the shortage.

Education Minister Yoav Kisch responded sharply to the ongoing dispute, declaring: “There will be no discrimination in the education system based on ethnicity or origin! After intensive efforts by the Ministry of Education, the overwhelming majority of girls were successfully placed in high schools by the end of June — an unprecedented achievement.”

Kisch added that a small number of high schools in Yerushalayim and Beit Shemesh are refusing to comply with state guidelines: “This shameful and racist discrimination will end — either through disciplinary hearings, cutting off government funding, and legal measures to close the institutions, or by their immediate compliance in accepting students according to Ministry of Education procedures.”

A similar standoff is unfolding in Beit Shemesh, where, under the direction of the city’s Mara D’asra, Rav Mordechai Goldstein, the start of the school year for incoming high school students has also been delayed due to unresolved placement disputes.

During a ceremony inaugurating the Beis Yaakov Derech Emunah school in the Ramat Beit Shemesh Gimmel neighborhood, MK Moshe Gafni, chairman of Degel HaTorah, addressed the ongoing controversy. However, rather than criticizing Rav Landau’s directive or Rav Goldstein’s local ruling, Gafni turned his criticism toward the Shas party, saying: “I know there are significant problems with the city’s high schools, and therefore I call from this distinguished platform to the leaders of Shas — open new educational institutions, as is appropriate for a quality community.”

Gafni further emphasized: “We need to ensure that your daughters have proper places to study comfortably, without being forced into overcrowded classrooms within our institutions, which are already expanding beyond their capacity.”

The Shas party quickly issued a response, defending its record and objectives: “Shas’ lifelong mission is to establish outstanding educational institutions for the Sephardic community, and for decades we have been doing so successfully throughout the country.”

The statement concluded by thanking Gafni for underscoring Shas’ critical role: “We appreciate Moshe Gafni’s acknowledgment of the importance of a strong and independent Shas, and we agree that the Sephardic community cannot rely on any other party to safeguard its educational needs.”

{Matzav.com Israel}

Opposition leader Yair Lapid declared Sunday night that another electoral victory for Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s coalition would spell “the end of Zionism.” Speaking before activists at a Yesh Atid party gathering in Tel Aviv, Lapid said the coming election as Israel’s decisive moment. “If we don’t save the country now, in two years there will be nothing left to save. The window of opportunity will close,” he said. Lapid described Israelis as facing two starkly opposed futures: “a successful, sophisticated, world-renowned first-world country, with liberal values and love for Jewish tradition — or a violent and backward third-world country, which turns Judaism into racism and wants to eliminate our democracy.” The opposition leader called for sweeping reforms, including passing a constitution, strengthening the education system, and safeguarding the independence of the police and courts. He also sought to distinguish his leadership from rivals, noting that while figures from Gadi Eisenkot to Naftali Bennett were positioning themselves for top posts, “somebody also needs to know how to take all these forces and build a government from them.” With elections mandated by October 2026, Lapid insisted only Yesh Atid has the strength and organizational capacity to lead the opposition to victory. “If you really want us to win the elections and form a government, Yesh Atid must be big, must be strong, must lead the camp,” he told supporters. (YWN World Headquarters – NYC)

A yeshiva bochur from Or Yehuda, who has recently been targeted by the military police, came urgently to the room of Rav Moshe Shternbuch in his yeshiva in Beit Shemesh. The young man had been arrested late at night for dedicating his time to Torah study instead of serving in the IDF.

The bochur had been held in custody at Tel HaShomer, and during a court hearing several days later, he declared his intent to enlist, which led to his temporary release. However, in recent days, military authorities have once again launched an active pursuit to detain him.

Because of the mounting pressure, the bochur was brought to Rav Shternbuch’s private room to seek encouragement and hear the daas Torah regarding his obligation in this situation.

Rav Shternbuch offered him strong words of support, saying: “Ashrecha! This requires real mesirus nefesh. They corrupt people there immediately.”

Rav Shternbuch continued, issuing a sharp warning about IDF recruitment efforts: “They promise that everything is good and that they supposedly accommodate chareidi boys, but it’s all lies and deception. They are wicked liars, accursed resha’im. Hold yourself strong, and Hashem will hold you strong.”

One of the attendees asked Rav Shternbuch if the bochur should be afraid, explaining that the army had summoned him urgently and was threatening severe consequences if he failed to appear.

Rav Shternbuch responded firmly: “Nothing at all.” He added: “Tell them to speak to Rav Shternbuch, who forbade you from going to the army.”

Before the meeting concluded, Rav Shternbuch blessed the bochur warmly: “May you have the strength to stand against them, much bracha and hatzlacha, and above all, may you remain full of simcha.”

Another young man who had narrowly escaped capture by the military police also arrived. Rav Shternbuch praised him and gave him a bracha as well: “He is already holding a bracha and will receive another. Fortunate is he and his portion. He has stood in the nisayon and will continue to stand in the nisayon.”

Finally, Rav Shternbuch urged the bochurim to remain steadfast and unafraid, concluding: “Be strong. Don’t think that only you fear them — they are also afraid of you.”

{Matzav.com Israel}

In an unprecedented move within the Belzer Chassidus, the Belzer Rebbe has issued special instructions to hold Rosh Hashanah davening in Belzer batei medrash across the country due to severe overcrowding in the main Beis Medrash in Yerushalayim.

The directive, conveyed in a letter sent to all Belzer kehillos, marks a historic change in the chassidus’ long-standing Rosh Hashanah traditions.

As the Rebbe of Belz continues to recover b’chasdei Shamayim from surgery performed on Sunday, the chassidus is in full preparation mode for the Yamim Noraim. Each year, tens of thousands of chassidim from across Eretz Yisroel and around the world traditionally gather at the central Beis Medrash in the Belzer Kiryah in Yerushalayim to daven with the Rebbe on Rosh Hashanah.

However, due to the extraordinary growth of the Belzer community, the massive complex — including all its galleries and side halls — has become too small to safely accommodate the crowds.

According to sources, months of extensive discussions were held among community leaders, askanim, and members of the Vaad Mishmeres HaChinuch, led by the Rebbe’s son, Rav Aharon Mordechai Rokeach. The meetings focused on possible solutions to alleviate the dangerous levels of congestion, which some described as bordering on pikuach nefesh.

The Rebbe’s son, together with Rav Yirmiyahu Yechezkel Damen, CEO of the central Beis Medrash, met personally with the Rebbe to review the challenges and explore alternatives.

Following these consultations, the Rebbe sent out a special letter last week addressed to gabbaim, rabbonim, and mashpi’im across all Belzer communities. In the letter, the Rebbe instructed that, due to overcrowding, organized Rosh Hashanah davening should be held in every Belz beis medrash that also has an ezras nashim.

The Rebbe wrote: “In light of the blessed growth of the community and the pressing need, it is necessary to organize and hold minyanim for Rosh Hashanah in every city and in every Belzer beis medrash that includes an ezras nashim.”

He concluded the letter with a heartfelt bracha: “May the Almighty grant that the tefillos and tekiyos be accepted with mercy and favor among all of Klal Yisroel, and may we all merit to be inscribed and sealed for a good and blessed year, filled with abundant spiritual and material blessings, long life, healthy children, and generous sustenance. Amen.”

Despite this new arrangement, Yerushalayim’s central BelzER Beis Medrash remains a focal point. To better accommodate the crowds, one women’s gallery has been converted into additional seating for men, primarily for younger avreichim and yeshiva bochurim.

This year, seats will not be sold to women without permanent reservations or to seminary students, a significant departure from previous years.

Additionally, a large auxiliary minyan will take place in the “Groyseh Shtib,” intended for chassidim who cannot enter the main Beis Medrash. An ezras nashim there will also be open. Meanwhile, children will daven in the large sukkah rather than in the heichal hatishim to further ease congestion.

{Matzav.com Israel}

At least 53 people were shot — seven fatally — across Chicago over Labor Day weekend, police confirmed, as President Donald Trump escalated threats to send federal agents and National Guard troops into the city over the objections of state and local leaders. The bloodshed unfolded in at least 31 separate shootings between late Friday and early Monday, including a mass shooting in Bronzeville that left seven people wounded in a drive-by attack just hours after Trump blasted Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker on social media. “He better straighten it out, FAST, or we’re coming!” Trump warned in his Truth Social post. The weekend’s first fatal shooting came Friday night in South Shore, where a 25-year-old woman was killed and another injured inside an apartment complex. Other deadly incidents spanned neighborhoods from East Garfield Park to Pullman, including a 43-year-old woman gunned down in Altgeld Gardens and a 33-year-old man shot in the head in West Inglewood. In Pilsen, a 46-year-old man was killed and two others wounded in a triple shooting. The violence capped with a Monday morning eruption in Oakland, where five people — including a 17-year-old boy left in critical condition — were shot during a street disturbance. In total, Chicago police said seven people were killed and dozens injured in one of the deadliest holiday weekends this year. No suspects were in custody in several of the shootings. The carnage fueled Trump’s push to expand his federal crackdown on crime beyond Washington, D.C., where he recently placed the police under federal control. But both Pritzker and Mayor Brandon Johnson have vowed to fight what they call a dangerous overreach. Pritzker branded Trump’s plan “illegal, unconstitutional, and un-American,” while Johnson signed an executive order on Saturday launching the “Protecting Chicago Initiative” to prepare for what he described as “credible reports” of imminent federal militarized action. “We must take immediate, drastic action to protect our people from federal overreach,” Johnson said. Despite the grim weekend, official city data shows shootings in Chicago down 37% and homicides down 32% compared to the first half of last year. But Trump insists Chicago will be his next target. “Do not come to Chicago, you are neither wanted here nor needed here,” Pritzker warned in return. (YWN World Headquarters – NYC)

President Donald Trump on Monday hailed Democratic D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser for cooperating with his deployment of National Guard troops to curb violent crime in the capital, while blasting Democratic governors in other states for refusing similar partnerships. “Wow! Mayor Muriel Bowser of D.C. has become very popular because she worked with me and my great people in bringing CRIME down to virtually NOTHING in D.C.,” Trump wrote in a Truth Social post. He contrasted Bowser with Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker, Maryland Gov. Wes Moore, and California Gov. Gavin Newsom — whom he mockingly labeled “Newscum” — accusing them of “spending all their time justifying violent crime” instead of cooperating with federal enforcement. Bowser, who had long sparred with Trump, struck a markedly different tone last week, acknowledging that the federal troop surge “enhance[d] what MPD has been able to do.” Since the partnership began on Aug. 11, carjackings have fallen by 87% and overall violent crime is down 45%, she reported. The White House claims Bowser’s popularity has surged 25 points since the crackdown, though it has not cited polling data to support the figure. A Washington Post–Schar School survey in May placed her approval at 53%. Attorney General Pam Bondi revealed Monday that 1,599 arrests have been made in Washington since the start of the campaign, with 165 illegal guns seized. National Guard forces have not carried out arrests but have patrolled alongside Metropolitan Police and federal partners including the FBI and U.S. Park Police. Trump pointed to the D.C. results as a model for cities like Chicago, New York, Los Angeles, and Baltimore. “Wouldn’t it be nice to say that about Chicago, Los Angeles, New York, and even the Crime Drenched City of Baltimore???” he wrote. “It can happen, and it can happen FAST! Work with us!!!” The president said he is ready to dispatch Guard troops elsewhere if state leaders request it. “I’d love to do it if she’d like,” Trump said of New York Gov. Kathy Hochul. “I want to make this, like, friendly.” The cooperation with Bowser comes months after Trump dismantled Black Lives Matter Plaza near the White House — a reminder of how sharply the political calculus on crime has shifted in the capital. (YWN World Headquarters – NYC)

Rav Avigdor Nebenzahl, Rav of the Old City of Yerushalayim, has released an unprecedented public letter forbidding chareidi bochurim from joining the Israeli army, including those who are currently not learning in yeshiva.

Rav Nebenzahl, revered across all sectors of Klal Yisroel and known for decades of deliberate avoidance of public involvement in political and societal debates, has until now refrained from issuing such directives. However, faced with what he describes as growing governmental pressure and targeted recruitment efforts against chareidim, he has chosen to speak out unequivocally.

Rav Nebenzahl opens his letter by expressing deep solidarity with the yeshiva students who were recently arrested for refusing to report to IDF draft offices: “I wish to strengthen the precious bnei Torah who were imprisoned because they fulfilled their true obligation — to learn Torah — and did not enlist in the army. Fortunate is the one who contemplates the blessing of ‘Baruch Asher Yakim Es Divrei HaTorah HaZos.’”

In a rare and emphatic ruling, Rav Nebenzahl went further than ever before, extending his prohibition not only to yeshiva students but even to those currently not engaged in learning: “Additionally, I wish to state my opinion clearly — even a chareidi bochur who, unfortunately, is not learning Torah, must not allow himself to be persuaded to enlist in the army, not even into the special frameworks established there for chareidim, as the Gedolei Yisroel have instructed.”

This sweeping directive highlights the Rav’s concern over what he sees as increasingly aggressive IDF recruitment strategies aimed specifically at young chareidim who are not enrolled in yeshivas.

Rav Nebenzahl’s decision to publish this letter is viewed as highly significant due to his long-established reluctance to issue public positions on contentious matters. In the past, when asked about bochurim not actively learning, he would respond firmly: “A chareidi bochur must sit and learn! How is it possible to have a chareidi bochur who does not learn?!”

At other times, he would explain: “If a bochur is sincerely seeking daas Torah, he must be told to sit and learn. But if he does not listen to daas Torah, what good would it do to prohibit him from going to the army?”

However, given the recent rise in government pressure, intensified targeting of non-learning chareidim, and the growing fear that some may be misled into enlisting, Rav Nebenzahl has now decided to speak out forcefully.

Rav Moshe Hillel Hirsch, Rosh Yeshivas Slabodka, has also previously said that no chareidi bochur — whether learning or not — should join the IDF.

{Matzav.com Israel}