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The Melbourne Chabad community is mourning the passing of Rabbi Nosson Dovid Greenwald z”l, who left this world early this morning, Rosh Chodesh, at the age of 74.

Born in Detroit, Michigan, on May 9, 1951 (3 Iyar 5711), to Avraham (Arthur) and Lasha (Lillian) Greenwald, Nosson grew up in a home infused with strong Yiddishkeit. His maternal grandfather, Yehuda Hochman—affectionately known to all as “Tatte”—lived with the family and played a central role in shaping Nosson’s lifelong connection to emunah and mitzvos.

Nosson’s early years in Oak Park, Michigan, were marked by steady spiritual growth. He gradually increased his observance and became an active participant in the local Chabad community.

In 1979, he married his eishes chayil, Bela. Four years later, the couple and their children moved across the globe to Australia, where they built their home and became integral members of the Melbourne Chabad community.

Though professionally trained as a mathematician and educator, Nosson’s career path was as diverse as it was fascinating. He taught university students, worked in the scrap metal industry, and even served as an air traffic controller in Detroit earlier in life.

But it wasn’t his résumé that defined him. It was his heart. Friends and neighbors remember Nosson for his warmth, humility, and genuine love for every Jew. His home was a haven of hospitality, with open invitations for Shabbos and Yom Tov meals extended to anyone he met, whether an acquaintance, a stranger, or even a traffic warden he encountered on the street. One friend summed it up perfectly: “Nosson pursued mitzvahs like most people pursued money.”

Life brought its share of challenges, including the heartbreaking loss of two of his children. Yet even amid personal pain, he radiated simcha and gratitude. Known for his ever-present expression, “Baruch Hashem,” he shared this spirit of faith with everyone around him—so much so that the non-Jewish nurses at his aged care facility learned not only its meaning but began saying it themselves.

Those privileged to know R’ Nosson speak of him as a beacon of sincerity, generosity, and unwavering optimism—a man who inspired others simply by the way he lived.

He is survived by his devoted wife, Bela, and their children Rochel Leah, Chaim, Chana, Shalom Ber, Brocha, and Miriam, along with numerous grandchildren who carry forward his legacy. He is also survived by his sisters, Rivkah Nachlas and Chaya Wiener of Detroit, and by nieces and nephews. He was predeceased by his children Yehuda Leib a”h and Hadassa a”h.

Yehi zichro boruch.

{Matzav.com}

At the conclusion of the Bein HaZmanim, hundreds of Roshei Yeshiva and heads of Yeshivos gathered for a highly impressive event. The gathering provided an opportunity for them to hear words of encouragement and guidance from the Gedolei HaDor, Hagaon HaRav Dov Landau and Hagaon HaRav Moshe Hillel Hirsch. This event was marked by inspiring Drashos and a deep sense of unity among the attendees, as issues of great importance were discussed.

The United Nations chief delivered a strong defense of science and meteorology on Wednesday, praising the U.N. weather agency for helping save lives by keeping watch for climate disasters around the world. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres spoke to the World Meteorological Organization as science faces an assault in the United States: President Donald Trump’s administration has led an anti-science push, and Trump has called climate change “ a con job.” A longtime advocate for the fight against global warming, Guterres spoke at a special WMO meeting aimed to promote early-warning systems that help countries rich and poor brace for floods, storms, forest fires and heat waves. “Without your long-term monitoring, we wouldn’t benefit from the warnings and guidance that protect communities and save millions of lives and billions of dollars each year,” he said, alluding to “the dangerous and existential threat of climate change.” Last week, the weather agency reported that heat-trapping carbon dioxide levels in the atmosphere jumped by the highest amount on record last year, soaring to a level not seen in human civilization and causing more extreme weather. Guterres called WMO staffers the “quiet force that illuminates all the rational climate decisions that we take.” “Scientists and researchers should never be afraid to tell the truth,” he added. The Trump administration has carried out deep cuts to the National Weather Service and fired hundreds of weather forecasters and other employees at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. (AP)

A man who violently attacked a Chabad bochur in Crown Heights last year while yelling “Free Palestine” has been sentenced to five years in prison.

According to the Brooklyn District Attorney’s Office, Vincent Sumpter, who admitted to attempted murder, received his sentence on October 8 following a plea deal.

Initially, Sumpter faced eight felony counts, including assault as a hate crime, as outlined in the original arrest documents.

The violent episode occurred on a Friday night in August 2024, when Sumpter—then 22 years old—stabbed Yechiel Dabrowskin, a Chabad bochur studying at the 770 Yeshiva. The attack took place within a short distance of the iconic Chabad Headquarters at 770 Eastern Parkway.

Investigators say the encounter began when Sumpter emerged from the subway and started walking up Kingston Avenue toward Union Street. As he passed a group of bochurim, he began shouting “Free Palestine!” and other anti-Semitic remarks in an effort to provoke them.

Though the students chose to ignore his taunts, witnesses said Sumpter lingered nearby, apparently waiting for another opportunity to lash out.

Moments later, he reportedly turned his aggression on other pedestrians, threatening a group while shouting, “Do you want to die?” In the ensuing confrontation, Sumpter pulled out a knife, stabbing one bochur and attempting to strike another before fleeing the scene.

{Matzav.com}

Chaim Simcha Grossman had a pure heart and always wanted to do the right thing. Whenever he learned he got very involved and wanted to get to the truth. He invested so much in his learning and was always striving to understand and clarify the depth of the sugya. His rebbeim always enjoyed his questions and his involvement in the shiur. He was a talmid in the true sense of the word. He was always close to his rebbeim and as a true talmid, he followed their guidance and advice. Chaim Simcha was a בעל אחריות to the fullest extent. Well beyond his years, he went above and beyond to fulfill his responsibilities. Chaim Simcha, we are now all your תלמידים. Please Donate Here He truly personified his name and was full of life and שמחה. He was taken at such a young age yet he left such a powerful impact on all who knew him. With the twinkle in his eyes, his lovable personality and heart of gold, he uplifted all who knew him. In his humble way, he did so much for so many! His whole being was enveloped in מדת האמת. His honesty in all his dealings was unparalleled. In every area of his life, he was driven by the truth to do the ‘רצון ה! His last words were, “TYH – WE OUT“ not knowing this would be his last trip… to ישיבה של מעלה.  We, his family have undertaken the writing of a ספר תורה to memorialize his love for תורה! Join us in this great zechus of writing a ספר תורה to honor his שמחת התורה and שמחת החיים. Please Donate Here לעילוי נשמת הב’ חיים שמחה בן גרשון ישעיה

Yesterday, President Trump ordered a U.S. strike on a vessel operated by a designated terrorist group involved in narcotics trafficking in the Eastern Pacific, killing two terrorists in international waters with no U.S. casualties.

A deadly plane crash in San Cristobal, Venezuela kills 2 after takeoff failure, reportedly from mechanical issues.

WATCH: At an anti-ICE protest, a school teacher tells federal agents, “You’re not the only ones with guns.”

As the government funding lapse stretched into its 22nd day on Wednesday, the impasse officially entered the record books as the second-longest shutdown in American history, overtaking the 1995–1996 stalemate. With neither side showing signs of compromise, hundreds of thousands of federal workers remain furloughed, and essential agencies are operating in crisis mode.

Since October 1, Senate Democrats have rejected Republican-led efforts to reopen federal operations eleven times, with nearly the entire caucus opposing a House-approved bill to maintain funding through November 21. Another round of votes was scheduled for Wednesday morning, though few expected a breakthrough.

At the center of the deadlock, Democratic leaders continued to insist on a direct meeting with President Trump before agreeing to any temporary funding measure. “Hakeem and I reached out to the president today and urged him to sit down and negotiate with us to resolve the health care crisis, address it and end the Trump shutdown,” said Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer. “We urged him to meet with us, and we said we’ll set up an appointment with him any time, any place before he leaves.”

However, House Speaker Mike Johnson made clear that such a meeting would not happen until Democrats first vote to reopen the government. “Leader Thune and I visited with President Trump this afternoon and he confirmed he is ready and willing for the three of us to meet with Leader Jeffries and Senator Schumer as soon as Schumer reopens the government,” Johnson posted on X.

Standing beside Trump at the White House Rose Garden, Senate Majority Leader John Thune echoed that stance, dismissing calls for talks until government operations resume. “I don’t know what there is to negotiate,” he told reporters. “Open up the government first.”

Thune said Republicans will persist in holding votes on a stopgap bill despite repeated Democratic blockades. “We are going to keep voting to open up the government, and eventually the Democrats, hopefully sooner or later, are going to come around,” he added.

From his end, Trump blasted Senate Democrats for what he called an act of coercion, accusing them of holding the nation hostage for political gain. “We will not be extorted on this crazy plot of theirs,” he declared. “Chuck Schumer and the Senate Democrats need to vote for the clean bipartisan [continuing resolution] and reopen our government — it’s got to be reopened right now.”

Schumer, meanwhile, has demanded that any short-term funding measure include an extension of pandemic-era health insurance subsidies that benefit about 22 million Americans who buy coverage through the Affordable Care Act exchanges. The White House countered that those benefits remain active until the end of December, giving Congress time to negotiate once federal operations resume.

The current shutdown, which began on October 1, has already surpassed the 21-day closure from the mid-1990s triggered by President Bill Clinton’s veto of a Republican spending bill. That earlier standoff shuttered parts of the government from December 16, 1995, to January 6, 1996.

About 750,000 federal employees have been furloughed this time around, and the Trump administration has initiated steps to permanently eliminate several thousand positions. If the gridlock continues, workers will miss their first full paychecks this Friday, with members of the military potentially going unpaid next week.

The nation’s longest government shutdown remains the 35-day stretch from late 2018 into early 2019 — another political battle fought during Trump’s first term — but the current one shows every sign of rivaling it.

{Matzav.com}

A Colorado man accused of driving the wrong way on the New Jersey Turnpike and causing a head-on collision that killed four yeshiva bochurim early Sunday has been charged with multiple counts of manslaughter. Christopher Neff, 41, of Westminster, Colorado, was charged Tuesday with four counts of first-degree manslaughter and three counts of second-degree reckless death by auto. State Police say Neff was driving north in the southbound lanes of the Turnpike near Carneys Point around 12:40 a.m. when his white Dodge Ram pickup slammed head-on into a black Mazda CX-5 carrying four teenage boys. Moments later, an oncoming tractor-trailer struck the wrecked SUV, compounding the devastation. The impact tragically killed all four occupants of the Mazda: Yaakov Kilberg z”l, 19, who was driving, Aharon Nosson Lebovits z”l, 18, and Shlomo Abba Cohen z”l, 18 — all from Lakewood — and Chaim Simcha Grossman z”l, 18, of Fallsburg, New York. Neff sustained serious injuries and was airlifted to a nearby hospital, where he remains under treatment. The tractor-trailer driver was not injured. Investigators have not disclosed whether drugs, alcohol, or excessive speed played a role in the crash. State Police and the Salem County Prosecutor’s Office are continuing to probe the circumstances surrounding Neff’s wrong-way driving. The crash occurred near milepost 1.3, close to the Delaware Memorial Bridge — a section of highway that sees heavy overnight truck traffic. Authorities temporarily closed the southbound lanes for several hours as first responders, including Misaskim volunteers, worked to recover the victims and coordinate with families to ensure kavod hameis. If convicted, Neff faces decades in prison. He is expected to make his first court appearance later this week in Salem County Superior Court. (YWN World Headquarters – NYC)

An inspiring event took place Monday night in Bnei Brak, as the Moetzes Gedolei HaTorah of Degel HaTorah in Eretz Yisroel and some members of the Moetzes Gedolei HaTorah of America convened together with Rav Moshe Hillel Hirsch, rosh yeshiva of Slabodka, and Rav Meir Tzvi Bergman, rosh yeshiva of Yeshivas Rashbi.

The joint gathering, rare in scope and spirit, focused on major issues facing the chareidi public in Eretz Yisroel and abroad.

The historic session was held at the home of Rav Moshe Hillel Hirsch in Givat HaYeshiva and was organized by Lev L’Achim, which coordinated the extensive logistical arrangements to bring gedolim from the United States to participate in the discussions. Members of the American delegation also joined a group of baalei batim who came to witness firsthand Lev L’Achim’s far-reaching kiruv initiatives.

Among the American gedolim attending were Rav Aryeh Malkiel Kotler, rosh yeshiva of Beth Medrash Govoha in Lakewood; Rav Elya Brudny, rosh yeshiva of Mirrer Yeshiva in Flatbush; the Novominsker Rebbe; Rav Yehuda Svei, rosh yeshiva of Philadelphia Yeshiva; and Rav Chaim Yehoshua Hoberman, rosh yeshiva of Mesivta of Long Beach.

They were joined by leading roshei yeshiva from Eretz Yisroel, including Rav Dovid Cohen, rosh yeshiva of Chevron; Rav Tzvi Drebkin; Rav Shraga Shteinman; and the hosts of the evening, Rav Hirsch and Rav Bergman.

The atmosphere in the room was filled with deep reverence when Rav Bergman entered, having made the special effort to attend despite his advanced age. Rav Moshe Hillel Hirsch rose to his feet and remained standing until Rav Bergman was seated beside him.

Opening the gathering, Rav Hirsch shared words of inspiration and expressed admiration for the tireless work of Lev L’Achim, whose leaders “toil day and night to bring Jews closer to Torah.” Rav Bergman followed, speaking about the urgent spiritual challenges facing the Torah world, stressing “the great obligation of the hour.”

A particularly moving moment occurred when Rav Brudny was invited to speak. He declined, explaining humbly, “Ha’osek b’mitzvah patur min hamitzvah. I am now involved in the mitzvah of v’hayu einecha ro’os es morecha — to behold the face of the leader of the generation, Maran Rav Moshe Hillel shlit”a.” Later, at the conclusion of the gathering, Rav Brudny approached Rav Bergman and said, “It was worth all the effort of the trip just to merit seeing the rosh yeshiva’s holy face.”

At the end of the meeting, a political discussion unfolded, as Rav Hirsch was heard responding to questions from several rabbanim about Israel’s current political situation. He indicated that Degel HaTorah might consider supporting certain judicial reform-related legislation due to “the justice system’s ongoing campaign against lomdei Torah and shomrei mesorah.”

Following the joint session, Rav Dovid Cohen, rosh yeshiva of Chevron, met privately with Rav Hirsch for about thirty minutes. He then proceeded to the residence of Rav Kotler where the two held an in-depth discussion lasting over an hour and a half, focusing on the draft law and other pressing matters affecting the Olam HaTorah.

{Matzav.com}

UPDATE: HaGaon HaRav Moshe Hillel Hirsch, who is on his way to deliver a shiur to hundreds of bochurim at Prison 10, was delayed in massive traffic jams on the roads leaving Bnei Brak due to the ongoing protests. Demonstrators from all factions made way for the Rosh Yeshiva’s vehicle, and police are now assisting as well. Gabbaim suggested returning home because of the heavy traffic, but the Rosh Yeshiva insisted: “It’s essential to get there and show support for the detainees.”

A major protest is taking place outside Prison No. 10 in Israel following the arrest of yeshiva bochur Ariel Shamai, a talmid of Yeshiva Ateres Shlomo in Rishon LeTzion.

In a powerful show of solidarity, Maran Rav Moshe Hillel Hirsch will arrive at the prison gates to deliver a shiur klali, marking the opening of the winter zeman amid what is being described as a storm of outrage throughout the Torah world.

The arrest of the young ben Torah—for learning Torah instead of serving in the IDF—has sparked widespread protests and calls for his immediate release. Ateres Shlomo has launched a campaign, printing posters drawing a comparison between the hostages in Gaza – recently freed, baruch Hashem – and what the yeshiva is calling “the hostages of the Torah world.”

Rav Shalom Ber Sorotzkin, rosh yeshiva of Ateres Shlomo, who had flown to the United States just yesterday, is now en route back to Israel to personally lead efforts to secure his talmid‘s release.

Rav Moshe Hillel Hirsch, rosh yeshiva of Slabodka, has been closely following developments since early morning. Activists who visited his home were informed that he supports the idea of a large public gathering in protest of the arrest.

At the same time, bochurim and avreichim of Ateres Shlomo are organizing study vigils and protests outside the prison until Ariel Shamai is freed.

This evening, Rav Hirsch will personally deliver the opening shiur of the winter zeman on Chezkas HaBatim in Maseches Bava Basra. Rav Hirsch will give the shiur outside the prison walls, both to inaugurate the zeman and to mechazeik the bochur who, as many are saying, has been “thrown into jail for the crime of learning Torah.”

{Matzav.com}

Less than a day after gold soared to another record high, prices for the precious metal plunged — marking the biggest sell-off in years. Gold futures in New York closed at a record $4,374 per troy ounce on Monday, before falling more than $250 (or 5.74%) Tuesday. That’s the largest, single-day percentage drop seen since September 2011, according to data in FactSet. And despite some brief rebounds, losses continued to pile up Wednesday — with gold futures trading at about $4,036 as of 11 a.m. ET. Prices are still up since the start of 2025. Gold sales often rise sharply amid wider economic uncertainty, as anxious investors seek a “safe haven” for their money. More have turned to gold amid President Donald Trump’s barrage of tariffs on imports from around the world, rising concerns about inflation and the now weekslong U.S. government shutdown. And even before that, geopolitical tensions and strong demand from central banks bolstered gold’s gains over recent years. But precious metals can be volatile — so it’s not uncommon for gold to see day-to-day fluctuations in value. Some analysts say this week’s pullback was triggered by hopes of cooling trade tensions between the U.S. and China, for example. Meanwhile, criticism had already been growing that gold’s price had gone too far, too fast. Others speculate there could be broader correction. Here’s what we know. What’s the price of gold today? What about silver? Again, gold futures were trading at $4,036 per troy ounce — the standard for measuring precious metals — as of as of 11 a.m. ET. Wednesday. Spot prices had previously closed Tuesday at just over $4,125, down from a record more than $4,355 on Monday. Silver also saw some losses this week. Silver futures in New York fell more than 7% on Tuesday, before seeing slight rebounds Wednesday morning. Prices were trading at $47.60 per troy ounce as of 11 a.m. ET, down from a record $53.44 hit last week. Why have prices tumbled from record highs? No investment’s price consistently goes up forever, and some fluctuation isn’t surprising after such meteoric rises. “Why precious metals sold off yesterday — and whether this is the beginning of a broader correction — remains to be seen,” Ipek Ozkardeskaya, a senior analyst at Swissquote wrote in a Wednesday note. Ozkardeskaya said Tuesday’s losses were “triggered by hopes of easing trade tensions between the U.S. and China and a rebound in the U.S. dollar.” Still, she noted that the future is far from guaranteed, and many of the same factors that drew buyers to gold this year remain. “What probably better explained yesterday’s precious metals sell-off was mainly the fact that the metals are now trading in deeply overbought market conditions with heightened volatility,” she added, noting that further price pullback is possible. Again, despite this week’s losses, gold futures are still up 50% overall since the start of 2025. And silver has climbed even higher, up 60% year to date. Is gold worth the investment? Advocates of investing in gold call it a safe haven — arguing that the commodity can serve to diversify and balance your investment portfolio, as well as mitigate possible risks down the road as a hedge against rising inflation. Some also take comfort in buying something tangible that has the potential to increase in value over time. Still, experts caution against putting all your […]

British Airways and Iberia plan to resume flights to Israel on Sunday, becoming the latest carriers to restore service to Tel Aviv following Israel’s 12-day war with Iran in June and this month’s ceasefire with Hamas.

The move highlights both the resurgence of the Israeli aviation sector and the reemergence of Tel Aviv as an international travel hub.

The British flag carrier will offer daily service from London’s Heathrow Airport to Tel Aviv’s Ben-Gurion International Airport, while Iberia will renew service from Madrid, following in the footsteps of its Spanish rival Air Europa.

Scandinavian Airlines is also returning to Israel next week after nearly a decade, with thrice weekly service from Copenhagen to Tel Aviv, while the German low-cost carrier Eurowings will restart flights to Tel Aviv next week as well.

United is expanding its service to Israel next month, adding flights from its hubs in Chicago and Washington, D.C., in addition to its twice daily Newark flights, cementing its position as the U.S. carrier with the most flights to Israel.

Italy’s ITA Airlines and Air India are due to resume flights to Israel by the end of the year.

Some 60 foreign carriers are now flying to Tel Aviv compared to 80 two years ago, before the war, an Israel Airport Authority spokeswoman said on Wednesday.

The return of foreign airlines to Israel is finally bringing down airfares, which have remained stubbornly high over the last two years.

Several major international carriers that have not resumed service to Tel Aviv yet, include American Airlines—the only U.S. legacy carrier not to resume flights to Israel—Emirates, which is coming back in the spring, and Cathay Pacific.

American Airlines, which is thought to be eyeing a return as it has been hiring Hebrew-speaking staff, did not return requests for comment.

The return to Israel of Europe’s biggest low-cost carrier, Ryanair, has been pushed off indefinitely due to a dispute with the Israel Airports Authority over regaining its past flight slots.

Meanwhile, in the wake of the Israel-Hamas ceasefire, Israel has asked Oman to allow commercial flights access to its airspace en route to the Far East.

Separately, El Al announced on Tuesday that it was resuming twice-daily domestic flights from Tel Aviv to Eilat after a break of more than a decade, during which the route was only serviced by Israel’s smaller carriers.

Some 68,000 passengers were traveling through Ben-Gurion Airport on Wednesday on over 400 international flights, according to the Israel Airport Authority. JNS

{Matzav.com}

In a stunning on-air meltdown Wednesday morning, Republican mayoral candidate Curtis Sliwa stormed out of his longtime home at 77 WABC Radio, publicly severing ties with the conservative station after its owner and top hosts urged him to end his uphill campaign for New York City mayor. “You will never see me in the studio of WABC ever again,” an enraged Sliwa declared live on air, moments before walking out mid-segment. The Guardian Angels founder, whose fiery personality helped make him one of New York’s most recognizable political provocateurs, accused the station’s management of betraying him to boost Andrew Cuomo, the scandal-plagued former governor mounting an independent run. The blowup came during a tense exchange with morning host Sid Rosenberg, who pressed Sliwa to bow out to clear a path for Cuomo to consolidate anti-socialist voters against Democratic nominee Zohran Mamdani, a progressive Assemblyman backed by the Democratic Socialists of America. Station owner John Catsimatidis, a billionaire Republican donor and supermarket mogul, has also publicly called for Sliwa to withdraw, arguing that a divided right-of-center vote would hand City Hall to Mamdani. “Curtis should do the right thing for New York,” Catsimatidis told the New York Post earlier this week. Sliwa fired back on air, accusing WABC of turning against him. “I feel personally offended by friends and colleagues at WABC,” he fumed. “They have become Always Broadcast Cuomo. They’ve been calling me selfish — are you out of your mind?” For years, The Curtis Sliwa Show has been a staple of WABC’s populist programming, known for its mix of streetwise humor and political bombast. But Sliwa has been off the air since launching his insurgent mayoral campaign earlier this year, returning occasionally for interviews and guest spots. His departure underscores a growing rift within New York’s fractured Republican circles, where loyalty to Trump-era populism increasingly collides with establishment pragmatism. Sliwa, a fiery anti-crime crusader who won the GOP nomination last month, has refused to yield to pressure from Catsimatidis and other Republican power brokers who see Cuomo — despite his Democratic past — as the only viable alternative to Mamdani. “I’m not quitting, I’m fighting,” Sliwa told reporters outside WABC’s Midtown studios after his walkout. “The people of New York deserve a choice — not a backroom deal between billionaires and washed-up politicians.” The standoff comes as polls show Mamdani leading with roughly 42% of the vote, followed by Cuomo at 31% and Sliwa trailing at 17%, according to a recent Emerson College survey. Cuomo’s allies have been lobbying conservative donors and media figures — including WABC’s roster of right-leaning hosts — to rally behind him in a last-ditch effort to stop the city’s first socialist mayoral victory. (YWN World Headquarters – NYC)

Republican mayoral candidate Curtis Sliwa quit his radio show on 77 WABC Wednesday after a heated on-air argument, declaring he would “never” return, following pressure from host Sid Rosenberg to drop out in favor of independent Andrew Cuomo’s chances against Democratic nominee Zohran Mamdani.

Massive protest underway on Yoel Street in Yerushalyim over the arrest of three more Yeshiva Bochrim, including one who is sitting Shiva for his father who died suddenly of a heart attack.

Yeshiva Bochrim from Yeshiva Ateres Shlomo are protesting outside Prison 10 — the first time since the start of the draft crisis that yeshiva bochurim not affiliated with the Peleg Yerushalmi have taken part in an organized public demonstration.