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Hundreds of thousands gathered in Yerushalayim on Thursday for a massive atzeres tefillah in support of the Olam HaTorah. The event, filled with heartfelt tefillah and unity, ended in unspeakable grief when news spread that a 17-year-old bochur had fallen to his death from the framework of a high-rise building near the entrance to the city during the gathering.

According to messages circulating online attributed to the boy’s classmates, the teenager may have suffered from emotional distress, possibly linked to mistreatment or feelings of rejection from his peers. “We have to take responsibility,” they wrote in a note of anguish, urging others to recite Tehillim for his neshamah and to seek his forgiveness at his kever.

The heartbreaking incident, along with similar recent events, has sparked urgent discussion about how to recognize warning signs in struggling youth. Parents, educators, and friends are all asking the same question: How can we notice emotional pain early enough to prevent disaster?

To explore this vital issue, Kikar HaShabbat spoke with Chaim Luria, a psychologist specializing in clinical work and a lecturer at the Open University’s Department of Psychology. Matzav.com presents portions of the interview, which was conducted in Hebrew.

The Adolescent’s Vulnerable Years

“Human beings are social creatures,” Luria began. “Our environment — the people around us — plays a critical role in our mental well-being. Friendship and social connection aren’t luxuries; they’re basic human needs.”

He explained that during adolescence, a young person’s emotional world shifts dramatically: “The center of gravity moves from parents and family to peers and the outside world. This transition is natural — it’s meant to help the child grow into an independent adult. But it’s also a fragile stage because it happens gradually. The teen begins loosening the strong bonds of dependence on family before new social supports are fully in place. That’s when they’re most emotionally exposed.”

Teachers and educators, Luria said, play an essential bridging role: “They represent adult authority, but in a setting that’s part of the teen’s social world. They must be alert, observant, and sensitive to changes among students. Even small signs of alienation or humiliation shouldn’t be ignored. And chavrei ha’eshiva also bear responsibility — though they may not realize how deeply their behavior can affect a peer.”

Offering Support, Not Sarcasm

When asked what to do upon noticing signs of distress, Luria emphasized empathy and simplicity: “Complex cases need professional help, but everyone in a teen’s life can make a difference. Sensitivity is key. Avoid sarcasm — what sounds like harmless teasing may cut deeply. Show genuine interest, ask how they’re doing, and listen. Sometimes a friendly, sincere conversation can make all the difference — it can literally save a life.”

After a Tragedy: What Not to Do

As communities search for meaning and accountability after such an event, Luria cautioned against blame: “It’s wrong and harmful to point fingers at teachers, friends, or anyone close to the victim. These situations are always complex. Assigning guilt won’t bring healing; it will only deepen the pain. Our goal must be to learn, to grow, and to create environments where no teen feels unseen or unheard.”

The tragedy that shadowed a day of kedushah and unity in Jerusalem has left an entire community shaken and has reignited an urgent call to look closer, listen harder, and never ignore the quiet signals of a heart in pain.

{Matzav.com}

An account on X associated with the Mossad published a blunt message in Persian on Thursday aimed directly at Iran’s Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, accusing senior Iranian military officials of deceiving him and acting without his knowledge. The post, which tagged Khamenei’s official X account, claimed that senior commanders of Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard […]

Investigative materials from the criminal probe into the leak of the Sde Teiman video that has rocked the country clearly indicate that Military Advocate General [MAG] Mag.-Gen. Yifat Tomer-Yerushalmi personally ordered the leak of investigative materials related to the affair and was informed many hours in advance of the intention to leak the video itself, […]

House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) sparred with CNN anchor Dana Bash in a tense exchange Thursday, defending his party’s refusal to consider partial government funding as the 30-day federal shutdown continues to deepen, threatening food assistance for tens of millions of Americans. Johnson insisted that Republicans would not agree to any stopgap spending measure unless […]

The tragic end to Thursday’s massive atzeres tefillah in Yerushalayim has left a nation reeling and asking painful questions.

The event—marked by unity and heartfelt tefillah on behalf of the Olam HaTorah—ended in heartbreak when 17-year-old Menachem Mendel Litzman fell to his death from a high-rise under construction in the Migdal Marom complex near the rally site.

Witnesses say Litzman fell from roughly the 11th floor of what is slated to become the tallest tower in the city—around 40 stories high. Police are investigating the circumstances of his death, including the possibility of suicide.

Moments after the fall, clashes broke out between police officers and protesters who tried to prevent security forces from clearing the area. Some people threw stones and bottles, and one officer was filmed drawing his weapon into the air after a colleague was struck by an object.

Throughout the rally, numerous participants were seen climbing on unfinished building frames, cranes, rooftops, and billboards to get a better view of the massive crowd. Videos shared online showed young men dangerously scaling construction sites and heavy machinery.

Following Litzman’s death, organizers immediately dispersed the gathering. Magen David Adom paramedics confirmed the young man’s death at the scene. Police later announced the opening of a formal investigation.

Eyewitness Accounts Point Fingers at Police

In the hours after the tragedy, questions mounted over who bears responsibility for preventing the fatal incident. Witnesses accused police of ignoring multiple warnings and clear footage circulating online that showed hundreds of participants perched on scaffolding, cranes, and rooftops. Despite the obvious danger, critics say, the police neither instructed organizers to clear those areas nor used the loudspeaker system to issue safety warnings—until after the fatal fall.

According to Ynet, the police had expected between 200,000 and 300,000 participants but deployed only about 2,000 officers. Operational approval for the event was handled solely by the Yerushalayim District command, not by national police leadership, despite the clear safety risks.

One witness told Ynet: “Construction workers shouted at the boys to stay away and not climb, but once the crowds arrived, they couldn’t stop them.” Another added, “No policeman tried to stop us from going up the building.” A third said: “There was a construction lift that went up to the 20th floor. The police saw it and let people go into the site.”

Police Reject Accusations

Police sources, speaking to N12, presented a very different account. They claim they had advance intelligence that some demonstrators planned to break into the construction site and climb to high floors. Despite multiple layers of security—including fencing, an electronic access code system, and guards—the protesters reportedly breached the perimeter and entered the site.

An hour before the tragedy, police had already received reports of “a life-threatening situation” at the site and multiple emergency calls warning that people had climbed onto the tower. Yet despite numerous attempts to intervene, police said they were “unable to prevent” the break-in and ascent.

Authorities say hundreds of young protesters were involved in the security breach, even disabling the site’s electronic entry system.

The catastrophe has ignited fierce debate over the adequacy of crowd control measures, the conduct of law enforcement, and the safety oversight of mass demonstrations. As the investigation continues, both grief and anger hang heavy over a tragedy that many believe could—and should—have been prevented.

{Matzav.com}

Rep. Claudia Tenney (R-N.Y.) introduced a House resolution on Tuesday affirming Israel’s full sovereignty over the Temple Mount—Har HaBayis—and demanding true religious equality for Jews, Christians, and Muslims at the holiest site in Judaism. The measure, which underscores that Jerusalem is the “undivided capital of Israel”, pushes back against what Tenney called “repeated international efforts […]

Democrat Abigail Spanberger is more eager to talk about struggling soybean farmers than President Donald Trump’s attack on American institutions. She plays down the historic nature of her campaign for Virginia governor and avoids making big, bold promises about what she will accomplish if elected. Yet some believe the moderate approach — others call it boring — that the former congresswoman […]

Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer is keeping quiet about whether he’ll cast his ballot for socialist Zohran Mamdani in next week’s New York City mayoral race — a question he’s pointedly avoided despite mounting pressure from reporters.

When asked directly if he would support Mamdani in the November 4 election, Schumer sidestepped. “The bottom line is very simple,” he said. “I have a good relationship with him, and we’re continuing to talk.” His vague response did little to clarify where he stands as tensions grow inside his party.

The senator’s evasive answer came shortly after House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries made waves by publicly throwing his support behind Mamdani. Jeffries told The New York Times that while he and the socialist candidate have “areas of principled disagreement,” unity within the Democratic Party must take precedence at a time when President Donald Trump poses what he called an “existential” threat.

Jeffries praised Mamdani as someone who has “relentlessly focused on addressing the affordability crisis and explicitly committed to being a mayor for all New Yorkers, including those who do not support his candidacy.” He concluded, “In that spirit, I support him and the entire citywide Democratic ticket in the general election.”

The endorsement was widely viewed as Jeffries caving to the party’s far-left faction, which has spent months defending Mamdani’s radical platform. The candidate has championed sweeping socialist initiatives such as a publicly run grocery network, asserted that “queer liberation means defunding the police,” and argued that “mental health experts” should replace law enforcement in handling certain crises.

Mamdani has also come under fire for refusing to back resolutions honoring Israel and condemning the Holocaust. Nor has he denounced the inflammatory chant “Globalize the Intifada,” a stance that has drawn heavy criticism from Jewish organizations and civic leaders alike.

President Donald Trump has not held back in his assessment of the socialist contender, branding him a “Communist Lunatic.” That characterization prompted an angry reply from Jeffries, who posted on X: “Stop lying about Assemblyman Mamdani. He is neither a communist nor a lunatic. And New York City doesn’t need to be saved by a wannabe King. Besides, you are too busy destroying America with your One Big Ugly Bill to do anything else.”

{Matzav.com}

The concept of the Yissachar-Zevulun Torah Learning Pact goes back well over 3,500 years, to the time of Yaakov Avinu and his sons. It is named for the Torah pact between two of his sons – Yissachar the scholar and Zevulun the merchant. Not only was it an equal pact but, Chazal explained, the deed of Zevulun/the […]

The Anti-Defamation League (ADL) has issued a warning about the growing risks posed by text-to-video artificial intelligence tools, saying that despite company safeguards, the technology is already producing antisemitic, extremist and violent content at alarming rates. The ADL found that nearly 40% of prompts tested between August and October on major AI video platforms—including Google’s […]

In a move that has left linguists scratching their heads and parents utterly baffled, Dictionary.com crowned “6-7” as its 2025 Word of the Year — even though, technically, it isn’t a word at all, the AP reports. The bizarre viral phrase has taken over classrooms, TikTok feeds, and text messages, leaving adults struggling to decode it while teenagers can’t seem to stop saying it.

The site’s annual pick is meant to reflect cultural shifts and trends through language, but even Dictionary.com admits it’s not entirely sure what “6-7” means. “Don’t worry, because we’re all still trying to figure out exactly what it means,” the site said when announcing the choice this week.

The origin of the cryptic term traces back to a 2024 song that began circulating on TikTok. Clips featuring basketball players, including the NBA’s LaMelo Ball — who happens to stand 6-foot-7 — helped propel the phrase into the digital mainstream. It reached full-blown meme status when a boy dubbed “The 6-7 Kid” yelled the phrase in a video while another child juggled his hands beside him. Within days, the sound and gesture were everywhere.

No one can quite agree on what “6-7” stands for. Some argue it means “so-so” or “maybe this, maybe that,” especially when paired with the accompanying hand motion. Others use it as a playful jab to annoy adults. Even its spelling — “6-7,” “6 7,” or “six seven” — is up for debate. Merriam-Webster has labeled it “a nonsensical expression used especially by teens and tweens.”

“It’s meaningless, ubiquitous, and nonsensical. In other words, it has all the hallmarks of brainrot,” Dictionary.com said. “Still, it remains meaningful to the people who use it because of the connection it fosters.”

The trend has taken on a life of its own, spilling out from social media into schools, homes, and even the NFL, where players have adopted it as a celebration gesture. Parents and teachers, desperate to understand the craze, have made their own videos dissecting its meaning. Some suggest ignoring it until it fades away; others have tried to reclaim it by turning it into Halloween costumes in hopes of making it “uncool.” Teachers in some schools have even banned students from saying it during class.

Dictionary.com says its choice reflects how language evolves online and captures what people are talking about — or in this case, endlessly repeating. The site reviewed social media chatter, news stories, and search engine data before deciding on “6-7,” noting that online searches for the term have multiplied sixfold since June.

“The Word of the Year isn’t just about popular usage; it reveals the stories we tell about ourselves and how we’ve changed over the year,” the site said.

{Matzav.com}

Go ahead and roll your eyes. Shrug your shoulders. Or maybe just juggle your hands in the air. Dictionary.com’s word of the year isn’t even really a word. It’s the viral term “6-7” that kids and teenagers can’t stop repeating and laughing about and parents and teachers can’t make any sense of. The word — […]

A collective effort has been established to write four Sifrei Torah in memory of the four boys who were tragically niftar last Motzei Shabbos in the horrific accident — Aharon Nosson Lebovitz, Shloimy Cohen, Yaakov Kilburg, and Chaim Simcha Grossman. The heartbreaking loss has deeply shaken Klal Yisrael. In response, Yidden across the country are […]

As hundreds of thousands of bnei Torah – avreichim, bochurim, and machzikei Torah – gathered in Yerushalayim today for the historic “Atzeres HaMillion,” uniting in peaceful protest against efforts to force yeshivalei into the army, Opposition Leader Yair Lapid unleashed a scathing verbal assault on the participants — calling the massive atzeres “a disgraceful demonstration.” […]

In a stunning move that sent shockwaves through the region, an account on the platform X believed to be linked to Israel’s Mossad issued an unusually direct message to Iran’s leadership Thursday night—written entirely in Persian and tagging the Islamic Republic’s Supreme Leader, Ali Khamenei.

The post alleged that two of the most senior commanders in Iran’s Revolutionary Guards, Amir Ali Hajizadeh and Mohammad Pakpour, have been operating without Khamenei’s knowledge and intentionally keeping him in the dark.

“Our agents on the ground report that Mr. Hajizadeh and Mr. Pakpour are not updating the so-called ‘Leader’ on the details of what is happening, and they are making decisions independently. They understand there is no point in holding conversations with him and have therefore established an alternative leadership,” the message read.

The post went on to mock the internal dysfunction within Iran’s military command, claiming that the leaders of the Revolutionary Guards are deceiving Khamenei about the country’s readiness. “To the ‘Leader’ they say that everything is excellent – that the air defense is active, the launchers are ready, and the country is fully equipped with all capabilities. Meanwhile, Iran’s airspace is wide open and defenseless.”

The message concluded with a pointed jab clearly meant to humiliate Iran’s top ruler: “For the attention of the honorable ‘sleepy gentleman.'”

{Matzav.com}

Jewish voters have decisively lined up behind former Gov. Andrew Cuomo, marking a dramatic late-game realignment in one of the city’s most influential voting blocs, according to a new Quinnipiac University poll. The survey found 60% of Jewish respondents said they would vote for Cuomo if the election were held today — a commanding lead […]

The Department of Homeland Security under President Donald Trump has officially scrapped a controversial policy that allowed automatic extensions of work permits for millions of migrants living in the United States.

According to Wednesday’s announcement, the updated procedure will require migrants applying for renewals to go through a full “screening and vetting” process before any extension can be approved.

USCIS Director Joseph Edlow said that the previous administration’s approach had prioritized migrants’ ease over protecting American interests, something the current administration aims to correct. “USCIS is placing a renewed emphasis on robust alien screening and vetting, eliminating policies the former administration implemented that prioritized aliens’ convenience ahead of Americans’ safety and security,” Edlow said.

He explained that the change simply restores a common-sense safeguard to ensure proper review before a permit is extended. “It’s a commonsense measure to ensure appropriate vetting and screening has been completed before an alien’s employment authorization or documentation is extended. All aliens must remember that working in the United States is a privilege, not a right,” he emphasized.

The shift comes after years in which, under Joe Biden and DHS Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas, newly arrived migrants captured the majority of new jobs, even as millions of American citizens stayed unemployed or left the labor force altogether.

Now, under Trump’s leadership, that trend appears to be reversing. Most new jobs are once again being filled by native-born Americans, while roughly two million migrants have exited the workforce entirely.

{Matzav.com}

Many Orthodox Jewish families benefit from WIC (the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children), a federal program that provides “wholesome food […] for income eligible women […] infants and children up to five years old.” A challenge many frum families face is obtaining Cholov Yisroel milk through WIC, as each state has its own list of approved foods.

The Agudah has worked and continues to work with appropriate state agencies across the country to ensure that frum families can receive Cholov Yisroel and other Kosher items of foods that they are entitled to.

Recently, Missouri removed Cholov Yisroel milk from their list of approved items. Mrs. Botuck, director of government affairs for Agudath Israel of Missouri, engaged with state officials to ensure that the product was swiftly reinstated.

{Matzav.com}