In a scathing editorial, The Chicago Tribune has urged President Joe Biden to withdraw from the presidential race, citing his struggling performance in the first debate. The editorial board described Biden as “a man now struggling to maintain a line of thought and keep track of complex facts, a man who gets flustered under deadline pressure, a man who has become vulnerable and yet, at the same time, far less self-aware.” The Tribune questioned the loyalty of Democrats who continue to support Biden despite his debate performance, asking why they would pretend he is the party’s best choice for four more years. “For a party that loves to accuse Republicans of mendacity, it’s pretty rich,” they wrote. The editorial suggested that perhaps the party’s plan was to test Biden’s abilities with enough time to make a change before the Democratic National Convention in August. “Democrats have a big problem to solve before they come to this city for a convention that they’ve been desperately trying to script as precisely as possible, but that is shaping up to be considerably more dramatic than anticipated,” the editorial stated. Meanwhile, California Democratic Gov. Gavin Newsom defended Biden’s performance, telling CBS News, “I will never turn my back on President Biden. I don’t know a Democrat in my party that would do so.” As the dust settles after the debate, polls across the nation are signaling a change in voter perspective. A Fox News poll revealed that 87% of young voters in America believe Biden is “too old to be effective” as president for a second term. Democratic strategist Al Mottur warned that if Biden decides not to stay in the race, it could lead to chaos at the DNC convention. (YWN World Headquarters – NYC)
Defense Minister Yoav Gallant declared on Sunday that Hamas is on the brink of collapse, unable to recover from the pressure of Israeli operations and cut off from its weapons supply. During a visit to southern Gaza’s Rafah, Gallant asserted that the Palestinian terror group is “a broken force running out of time.” The Israel Defense Forces have returned to areas where they previously operated to confront a re-emergence of Hamas forces, nine months into the war. According to Israeli officials, the army has defeated all but four Hamas battalions in the Gaza Strip, with two in Rafah and two in central Gaza. Gallant emphasized the significance of the Rafah offensive, stating, “The fighting here in Rafah signifies a very important thing. We are actually shutting off Hamas’s air – Rafah crossing, the tunnels… The result is that they have no way of arming themselves, they have no way to equip themselves, they have no way to bring in reinforcements, they have no way to take care of their casualties, and we see this very well.” He continued, “Their fighting spirit is broken, and time is not on their side; it is actually working against them… We are destroying the tunnels, we are destroying the weapons, and reaching places it never dreamed we would reach, at great depths below ground.” Gallant vowed that the IDF will “continue and push until we reach a situation where we choke [Hamas’s] windpipe, and do not allow it to rebuild its strength. This is the goal of this operation.” In Rafah, the army reported that several terror operatives had been killed, tunnels demolished, and a Hamas site with nine rocket launchers was discovered and destroyed. The IDF also uncovered a tunnel adjacent to a United Nations school, with shafts leading to the underground passages later demolished by the elite Yahalom combat engineering unit. (YWN World Headquarters – NYC)
Longtime Trump ally Steve Bannon was taken into custody Monday after surrendering at a federal prison to begin a four-month sentence on contempt charges for defying a subpoena in the congressional investigation into the U.S. Capitol attack. Bannon arrived at the Federal Correctional Institution in Danbury, Connecticut, around noon and was formally taken into federal custody, the Bureau of Prisons said. Speaking to reporters, Bannon called himself a “political prisoner,” said former President Donald Trump was “very supportive” of him and slammed Democrats, including Attorney General Merrick Garland. “I am proud of going to prison,” Bannon said, adding he was “standing up to the Garland corrupt DOJ.” Shortly before he arrived to surrender, a small group of supporters, including Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, a Republican from Georgia, gathered on the side of the road outside the prison. They cheered as Greene and Bannon spoke during a news conference, holding up flags and signs supporting Bannon as a small group of protesters shouted, “Lock him up!” and “traitor!” The crowd was rowdy, often breaking into chants of, “USA!” A Biden supporter taunted Bannon by yelling “traitor” while Trump supporters tried to shout her down. Police had to stop traffic to allow the black SUV that Bannon was riding in to pull out of a church parking lot where Bannon’s supporters had gathered. A judge had allowed Bannon to stay free for nearly two years while he appealed but ordered him to report to prison Monday after an appeals court panel upheld his contempt of Congress convictions. The Supreme Court on Friday rejected his last-minute appeal to stave off his sentence. A jury found Bannon guilty of two counts of contempt of Congress: one for refusing to sit for a deposition with the Jan. 6 House Committee and a second for refusing to provide documents related to his involvement in the Republican ex-president’s efforts to overturn his 2020 election loss to Democrat Joe Biden. Defense attorneys have argued the case raises issues that should be examined by the Supreme Court, including Bannon’s previous lawyer’s belief that the subpoena was invalid because Trump had asserted executive privilege. Prosecutors, though, say Bannon had left the White House years before and Trump had never invoked executive privilege in front of the committee. Bannon’s appeal will continue to play out, and Republican House leaders have put their support behind stepping in to assert the Jan. 6 committee was improperly created, effectively trying to deem the subpoena Bannon received as illegitimate. Another Trump aide, trade adviser Peter Navarro, has also been convicted of contempt of Congress. He reported to prison in March to serve his four-month sentence after the Supreme Court refused his bid to delay the sentence. Bannon is also facing criminal charges in New York state court alleging he duped donors who gave money to build a wall along the U.S.-Mexico border. Bannon has pleaded not guilty to money laundering, conspiracy, fraud and other charges, and that trial has been postponed until at least the end of September. (AP)
A heart-wrenching phone call between a mother and her son ended in tragedy last week when Sgt. Eyal Shynes, 19, was shot and killed while serving in the southern Gaza Strip. His mother, Meirav Shynes, was on the phone with him when he was hit by a sniper, leaving her helpless as she listened to his cries for help before succumbing to his wounds. Meirav recalled the conversation, saying, “We spoke for a few minutes… And then suddenly I hear that they are shooting him, and that’s how the conversation ended. But we still heard everything, and it was terrible.” She immediately understood that her son was wounded but didn’t think he had been killed. As she and her husband drove to the Tel Aviv area, they began to suspect the worst when they didn’t receive any updates from the army. Meirav said, “And then they asked if we were at home; then I really understood.” Sgt. Eyal Shynes was posthumously promoted from corporal and buried near his hometown kibbutz of Afik in the southern Golan Heights. His death brought the toll of slain troops in the ground offensive against Hamas to 316. Hamas’s al-Qassam Brigades claimed responsibility for the attack, releasing footage showing a sniper hitting Shynes. The IDF believes the area was relatively safe, which may explain why Shynes wasn’t wearing a helmet at the time of the shooting. (YWN World Headquarters – NYC)
Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer on Monday insisted that President Joe Biden can still win her state, a key battleground in the 2024 election, even as many national Democrats question whether Biden should move forward after his shaky debate performance. Whitmer’s statement comes as many in her party question whether she could step in for Biden and run against Republican Donald Trump this fall. Whitmer and several other top national Democrats have publicly backed Biden since Thursday’s debate. “I am proud to support Joe Biden as our nominee and I am behind him 100 percent in the fight to defeat Donald Trump,” she said in her statement. “Not only do I believe Joe can win Michigan, I know he can because he’s got the receipts: he’s lowered health care costs, brought back manufacturing jobs, and is committed to restoring the reproductive freedom women lost under Donald Trump.” The statement comes after Politico Magazine reported on Monday that Whitmer called Biden campaign manager Jen O’Malley Dillon on Friday. It cites “someone close to a potential 2028 Whitmer rival for the Democratic presidential nomination” who said Michigan’s governor “had phoned O’Malley Dillon with more of an unambiguous SOS: to relay that Michigan, in the wake of the debate, was no longer winnable for Biden.” An aide to Whitmer, Helen Hare, said that the reported comment was false. (AP)
The Supreme Court opened the door Monday to new, broad challenges to regulations long after they take effect, the third blow in a week to federal agencies. The justices ruled 6-3 in favor of a truck stop in North Dakota that wants to sue over a regulation on debit card swipe fees that the federal appeals court in Washington upheld 10 years ago. Federal law sets a six-year deadline for broad challenges to regulations. In this case, the regulation from the Federal Reserve governing the fees merchants must pay banks whenever customers use a debit card took effect in 2011. The deadline for lawsuits over the regulation was in 2017. Corner Post, a truck stop in Watford City in western North Dakota, didn’t open its doors until 2018. Still, a federal appeals court dismissed the challenge as too late. The company appealed to the Supreme Court. The Biden administration had urged the court to uphold the dismissal because otherwise, governmental agencies would be subject to endless challenges. The decision could take on new significance in the wake of last week’s ruling that overturned the 1984 Chevron decision that made it easier to uphold regulations across a wide swath of American life. The court also stripped the Securities and Exchange Commission of a major tool to fight securities fraud. Chief Justice John Roberts captured the dilemma facing the court when the Corner Post case was argued in February. Agencies could face repeated challenges “10 years later, 20 years later” and “sort of have to create the universe, you know, repeatedly.” On the other hand, Roberts said, “You have an individual or an entity that is harmed by something the government is doing, and you’re saying, well, that’s just too bad, you can’t do anything about it because other people had six years to do something about it.” The legal principle that everybody is entitled to their day in court, Roberts said, “doesn’t say unless somebody else had a day in court.” (AP)
Following the widespread condemnation of the Shin Bet for the release of the director of Shifa Hospital on Monday, the Shin Bet released a statement trying to place the blame for the release on National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir. “Recently,” the Shin Bet wrote, “a decision was made to change the designation of the ‘Sdeh Teiman’ facility so that detainees will be held there for short periods only. Accordingly, the Shin Bet and the IDF, following the discussions held under the chairmanship of the National Security Council, were required to act to release dozens of prisoners in order to free up prison cells. For about a year now, the Shin Bet has been warning in every possible forum, in writing and orally, about the prison crisis and the need to increase the number of prison cells in light of the need to arrest terrorists in Israel and the Gaza Strip. The prison crisis leads to the daily cancellation of arrests of terror suspects and causes direct harm to state security. Arrests were even canceled last night, including the arrest of wanted suspects planning terror activity against Israeli citizens.” “Unfortunately, these requests, written and verbal, which were forwarded to all the relevant parties, first and foremost the national security minister, who is in charge of this, were not addressed, and in practice, the number of prison cells did not increase as needed.” “Following this, the Shin Bet objected to the release of Palestinian detainees from Yehudah and Shomron, from whom there is an immediate danger, and Nukhbah terrorists involved in fighting and harming Israeli civilians. Therefore, in light of the state’s need, as determined by the National Security Council, it was decided to release a certain number of prisoners from the Strip, who pose a lesser danger, and this after examining the danger posed by all the prisoners.” “Despite the fact that the director of the Shifa hospital meets all the requirements regarding the level of danger he poses compared to other prisoners – the incident will be investigated. Without a choice, without an immediate solution to the prison crisis, arrests will continue to be canceled and detainees will continue to be released,” the Shin Bet warned. The Israel Prison Services (IPS) then hit back, releasing a statement that the release of the Shifa Hospital director was approved by the IDF and Shin Bet and was not due to the “prison crisis.” The statement read: “Unfortunately, due to false publications, we are forced to reveal the release order of the director of Shifa Hospital. Contrary to the false claims that have been published in recent hours, those who made the decision to release the Shifa Hospital director were the IDF and the Shin Bet – and not IPS. IPS does not make decisions on its own to release prisoners of any kind but is only entrusted with incarcerating prisoners. In addition, the director of the hospital was not released due to the ‘prison crisis;’ he was released from his cell at Nafha prison.” In turn, Ben-Gvir then accused the Shin Bet of wanting to improve the conditions of terrorists’ prison sentences. In a video statement, Ben-Gvir said: “My dispute with the Shin Bet is not whether there is room in the prison or there is no room in prison. The Shin […]
For kids, summer can revolve around playgrounds, pools, bikes and just being outside. For parents, it can mean a litany of ouchies to take care of — including scrapes, sunburns and dehydration, pediatricians say. “Kids should play and have every opportunity to use their imagination, but we need to take precautions to keep them as safe as possible,” Dr. Danielle Mercurio, a pediatrician at Johns Hopkins All Children’s Hospital. Here are the top things pediatricians say you should keep an eye on. What to do when your child is overheated It’s important to take precautions in warmer weather, especially with younger kids, who are more susceptible to heat illness, Mercurio said. That means keeping a water bottle with them when they’re outside, wearing sun-protective clothing and mineral sunscreen and not staying in the sun too long. Parents also should monitor kids for signs of fatigue and pay attention to the warmth and color of their skin — if it’s red and hot, they probably need to take a break inside or under a shaded area. You should also know what the three different types of heat illness are, Mercurio said, each more severe than the next. The first is heat cramps, and the only remedy is giving kids fluids that contain electrolytes — like coconut water or sports drinks — to replenish salts that the body lost from sweating. The next level is heat exhaustion, which causes nausea, vomiting and feeling weak or anxious. It’s typically accompanied by a fever. You can try taking the child into a cooler area, giving them fluids, spraying them with water or putting them in front of a fan to cool them off. If your child has all of those all of those symptoms and is also acting confused or responding strangely, that’s a heat stroke, which warrants a trip to the hospital. Are fireworks safe for kids? Fireworks are fun and bright, but they’re not for kids. The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends keeping children away from all fireworks. Even sparklers can be dangerously hot, said Dr. Poj Lysouvakon, the University of Chicago’s Pediatric Injury Prevention Program director. He also says to avoid fireworks shows unless they’re sponsored by a government agency and put on by professionals in a controlled setting. How to play in water safely Pools, lakes and other bodies of water are common sites for summertime injuries, Lysouvakon said. One must-have, he said: A designated adult whose only job is monitoring the pool while kids are in it. If you have an above-ground pool, make sure it’s fenced in with 4-foot walls to keep kids out when there aren’t adults around. Any type of water can be a source of drowning — even an inch can be dangerous for little ones, said Dr. Christina Kratlian at Boston Children’s Hospital. She suggests draining, flipping and deflating inflatable pools after every use. And if a child is rescued from the water and has experienced choking or difficulty breathing or lethargy, that might mean there is water in their lungs, and that requires medical attention, according to Dr. Danielle Grant from Texas Children’s Hospital. Soothing scrapes and bruises Kids fall off bikes and fall down on trampolines, and they might come back in with scrapes and bruises. If your kid is on a bike, they should be wearing […]
First Lady Jill Biden is featured on the cover of Vogue’s latest issue, in a profile in which she vows to “continue to fight” and insists that “we will not let those 90 minutes define the four years he’s been president.” The First Lady’s defiance comes amidst widespread criticism and calls from Democrats for the President to step aside, following his disastrous debate performance against former President Donald Trump. Jill Biden has faced accusations of “elder abuse” for not forcing her 81-year-old husband to give up his re-election campaign. In the Vogue interview, Jill Biden discussed her significant influence on the President’s political career, stating, “I tell him what I’m seeing, what I’m hearing — and he gets it.” She also defended the President’s record, highlighting his accomplishments such as the recovery act, infrastructure, and CHIPS. The profile, Jill Biden’s second Vogue cover since entering the White House, showcases her pivotal role as the President’s closest confidant and adviser. White House correspondent Katie Rogers noted, “People don’t mention her when they talk about Biden’s key advisers, but she’s his gut check and his closest confidant.” “There are things they’ve got left on the agenda. And she’s told me she’ll travel twice as much, and fight twice as hard, because of the threats she sees — especially to women,” she said. NY TIMES: President Biden’s family has urged him to “stay in the race and keep fighting.” pic.twitter.com/i8v2DnsOjL — Breaking911 (@Breaking911) June 30, 2024 (YWN World Headquarters – NYC)
A high-profile politician in the far-right Alternative for Germany party was convicted for the second time Monday of knowingly using a Nazi slogan at a political event. Björn Höcke, who plans to run for governor in the eastern state of Thuringia in September, was fined for using the banned Nazi slogan “Everything for Germany.” The Halle Regional Court found the 52-year-old guilty of using signs of unconstitutional and terrorist organizations and sentenced him to a fine of 130 daily rates of 130 euros each — or 16,900 euros ($18,000) — German news agency dpa reported. An appeal against the ruling is possible. The conviction won’t block him from running in the election. The charge of using symbols of an unconstitutional organization can carry a fine or up to three years in prison. Höcke was already fined 13,000 euros in May, also for using symbols of an unconstitutional organization, a verdict that his lawyers are appealing. The earlier case centered on a speech in Merseburg in May 2021 in which Höcke used the phrase “Everything for Germany!” Judges last month agreed with prosecutors’ argument that the former history teacher was aware of its origin as a slogan of the Nazis’ SA stormtroopers. In the current case, prosecutors alleged that he repeated the offense at an Alternative for Germany, or AfD, event in Gera in December, “in certain knowledge” that using the slogan is a criminal offense. They alleged that Höcke said “Everything for …” and encouraged the audience to shout “Germany!” Höcke again insisted that he did nothing wrong, dpa reported. “I am also completely innocent in this case,” he said. “I know I will be convicted. But that doesn’t feel fair to me.” Höcke questioned whether using the phrase of such everyday words constitutes a criminal offense. In his ruling on Monday, Judge Jan Stengel said a video of the speech in Gera showed Höcke’s “mimic approval” — meaning he had wanted people in the audience to complete the banned slogan, dpa reported. Alternative for Germany has built a strong core of support, particularly in the formerly communist east — including Thuringia. The party’s strength in that region helped propel it to a second-place finish in the European Parliament election earlier this month, taking 15.9% of the vote despite recent scandals and setbacks. (AP)
Following the launch of 20 rockets at southern Israel from Khan Younis on Monday morning, the IDF on Monday evening ordered Gazans in eastern Khan Younis to evacuate the area. The IDF’s Arabic spokesperson published the announcement on social media, including a map of the zones that must be evacuated. The IDF already completed operations in Khan Younis, the second-largest city in Gaza, but based on the rocket barrage and the evacuation orders, Hamas has retaken control of the city. (YWN Israel Desk – Jerusalem)
An El Al plane flying from Warsaw to Israel on Sunday was forced to make an emergency landing at Antalya airport in Turkey due to a passenger’s medical crisis. Turkish authorities not only refused to allow passengers to exit the plane, with passengers forced to sit on the plane for several hours, but also refused to refuel the plane. Eventually, the plane flew to Rhodes, Greece to refuel before continuing to Israel. It is unclear what happened with the passenger who required medical treatment. Direct flights between Israel and Turkey were canceled after the war in Gaza began in the wake of the October 7th massacre. “If this doesn’t convince travelers not to fly with Turkish Airlines when they resume flights to Tel Aviv, I don’t what else will,” Mark Feldman, Jerusalem director of Diesenhaus Tours, told JNS. “I have nothing against the Turkish people but Turkish Airlines is owned by an antisemitic despot who should be shunned at all costs.” (YWN Israel Desk – Jerusalem)
The Supreme Court on Monday extended the delay in the Washington criminal case against Donald Trump on charges he plotted to overturn his 2020 presidential election loss, all but ending prospects the former president could be tried before the November election. In a historic 6-3 ruling, the justices said for the first time that former presidents have absolute immunity from prosecution for their official acts and no immunity for unofficial acts. But rather than do it themselves, the justices ordered lower courts to figure out precisely how to apply the decision to Trump’s case. The outcome means additional delay before Trump could face trial in the case brought by special counsel Jack Smith. The court’s decision in a second major Trump case this term, along with its ruling rejecting efforts to bar him from the ballot because of his actions following the 2020 election, underscores the direct and possibly uncomfortable role the justices are playing in the November election. The ruling was the last of the term and it came more than two months after the court heard arguments, far slower than in other epic high court cases involving the presidency, including the Watergate tapes case. The Republican former president has denied doing anything wrong and has said this prosecution and three others are politically motivated to try to keep him from returning to the White House. In May, Trump became the first former president to be convicted of a felony, in a New York court. He was found guilty of falsifying business records to cover up a hush money payment made during the 2016 presidential election to a porn actor who says she had sex with him, which he denies. He still faces three other indictments. Smith is leading the two federal probes of the former president, both of which have led to criminal charges. The Washington case focuses on Trump’s alleged efforts to overturn the 2020 election after he lost to Democrat Joe Biden. The case in Florida revolves around the mishandling of classified documents. The other case, in Georgia, also turns on Trump’s actions after his defeat in 2020. If Trump’s Washington trial does not take place before the 2024 election and he is not given another four years in the White House, he presumably would stand trial soon thereafter. But if he wins, he could appoint an attorney general who would seek the dismissal of this case and the other federal prosecution he faces. He could also attempt to pardon himself if he reclaims the White House. He could not pardon himself for the conviction in state court in New York. The Supreme Court that heard the case included three justices appointed by Trump — Amy Coney Barrett, Neil Gorsuch and Brett Kavanaugh — and two justices who opted not to step aside after questions were raised about their impartiality. Justice Clarence Thomas’ wife, Ginni, attended the rally near the White House where Trump spoke on Jan. 6, 2021, though she did not go the Capitol when a mob of Trump supporters attacked it soon after. Following the 2020 election, she called it a “heist” and exchanged messages with then-White House chief of staff Mark Meadows, urging him to stand firm with Trump as he falsely claimed that there was widespread election fraud. Justice Samuel Alito […]
The IDF on Monday announced the death of an IDF soldier who fell in battle in Rafah in the southern Gaza Strip. The soldier was identified as Sgt. Uri Yitzchak Hadad, H’yd, 21, from Be’er Sheva. He fought in the 931st Battalion of the Nachal Brigade. Another soldier from the Nachal Brigade was seriously injured in the same incident and eight soldiers were lightly injured. Hadad, z’tl, was a talmid of the Hesder Yeshivah in Itamar. It was reported earlier on Monday that nine soldiers from the Itamar yeshivah were wounded in Gaza today, one seriously, one moderately and seven lightly. The public is asked to daven for the refuah sheleimah of Shmuel ben Batsheva, Roi ben Ruit, Eitan ben Shelly, Adiel ben Michal, Dvir ben Yael, Yinon ben Chagit, Levi ben Naehama, Amir ben Michal, and Tomer ben Keren. (YWN Israel Desk – Jerusalem)
Put this straight into the Hall of Fame for things you can’t make up. Nancy Pelosi joined CNN on Sunday morning to declare her unwavering support for Joe Biden as he continues to be clobbered for his Thursday night debate performance. Sounding drunk, including slurring her words, Pelosi laughably insisted that it’s Joe Biden, not Donald Trump who has the stamina to be president, and also asserted that Trump has dementia. Drunks will say anything, won’t they?
About 20 rockets were launched from Gaza at Gaza border communities in southern Israel on Monday morning, the largest rocket barrage launched in months. Some of the rockets were intercepted by the Iron Dome and the rest fell in open areas. Baruch Hashem, no injuries were reported. The Palestinian Islamic Jihad terror organization took responsibility for the attack. The IDF issued a statement saying that at least 20 rockets were fired from the Khan Younis area of the southern Gaza Strip and forces are striking the launch sites. (YWN Israel Desk – Jerusalem)
There was widespread outrage among the Israeli public, including government ministers when Palestinian media reported on Monday morning that the director of Shifa Hospital, where hostages were held and even murdered, was released from Israeli prison, along with 54 other Gazan prisoners, and returned to Gaza. Shifa Director Muhammed Abu Salmiya was arrested in November for carrying out “extensive terror activities for Hamas in the hospital under his management.” The hospital served as a haven for terrorists, Israeli hostages were transferred there, and hostage Noa Marciano, H’yd, was murdered there. Upon his release on Monday, Abu Salmiya immediately began inciting against Israel, claiming that Israel is starving prisoners. “The enemy is committing crimes against medical staff. Hundreds of doctors, nurses and technicians are imprisoned,” he said. He also posted a video encouraging “resistance” and called for the release of all prisoners from Israeli prisons, calling on human rights organizations worldwide to visit the prisoners and see their “tragic” conditions. “Prisoners have lost weight, at least 25 kilograms. Everyone is suffering,” he said. According to reports, many detained terrorists have been quietly released and sent back to Gaza in recent months due to a lack of prison space in Israel. Government ministers responded with outrage. Yisrael Beiteinu chairman Avigdor Leiberman stated: “We discovered that the director of Shifa is not a doctor – he’s Dr. Mengele – and the decision to release him is a moral outrage and abandonment of security.” National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir said: “Releasing the director of Shifa Hospital in Gaza along with dozens of other terrorists is a security breach. It’s time for the Prime Minister to stop Gallant and the head of the Shin Bet from conducting an independent policy contrary to the position of the Cabinet and the government.” Ben-Gvir also wrote in the government ministers’ Whatsapp group: “It’s time to send the Shin Bet chief home. He and Gallant do whatever they want.” The Tikva Forum for Hostages’ Families stated: “While our loved ones are held captive by Hamas, Israel released a murderer and Hamas operative who directed Shifa Hospital – the one who hid Hamas terror nests, including weapons and bunkers, where Israeli hostages were murdered in front of his eyes. Instead of using him as a bargaining chip, Israel is releasing him together with dozens of other ‘uninvolved’ people. The decision is a moral outrage, a sign of the continuation of the ‘conceptiza’ before October 7th, and spits in the face of the hostages’ families.” Muhammed Abu Salmiya after his release. (YWN Israel Desk – Jerusalem)
Am I allowed to make egg and onion on Shabbos? How to choose a shirt from a pile of clothing and not transgress borer on Shabbos? Can you put food in the oven on Shabbos? Numerous Shabbos questions are impossible to answer without thorough knowledge of its laws. Shabbos comes once a week, so if a person is not well-versed in its intricacies, then it is inevitable that transgressions will take place. The many books of basic laws are wonderful, but to really understand the halachos and to apply them, it is essential to learn and remember hilchos Shabbos with the background discussion. What is the challenge we face? It takes several years for a full-time advanced Torah learner to cover the laws of Shabbos in depth. Kinyan Hilchos Shabbos for men offered a solution. World famous Rosh Yeshiva and Rosh Kollel, HaRav Hagaon Yitzchak Berkovits shlit’a used his vast knowledge to arrange all the Gemaras with the commentators on each area of hilchos Shabbos and presented it in the form of source sheets that cover material from the Gemara until practical halacha. This enables one to cover the main opinions in each topic and gain a deep understanding of the halacha without being overwhelmed with a lot of information. Rabbi Yehonasan Gefen, a close talmid of Rav Berkovits who spent eight years as a Rosh Chaburah in Rav Berkovits’s famous Jerusalem Kollel, with the Rav’s endorsement, took on the monumental task of adaptng the Hebrew sheets into English to make the program available for busy professionals. After successfully running the Hilchos Shabbos program for several years, Rabbi Gefen joined forces with Rabbi Dr. Yakov Pesah, also a musmach of Rabbi Berkovits, and together they co-founded ‘Kinyan Hilchos Shabbos’ program for men and launched it online. It became an instant success worldwide. During the launches of the Hilchos Shabbos course for men, it became crystal clear that a course especially tailored for Jewish women was necessary. The program received many emails asking for a women’s cohort of this important and highly relevant series. Women, just as much as men, require practical knowledge on how to keep the myriad halachos of Shabbos. Indeed, they may even be faced with more scenarios than men. Therefore, Rabbi Gefen, in consultation with Rabbi Berkovits has adapted the original curriculum to be uniquely tailored to Torah observant women, as an online program in Hilchos Shabbos (www.HilchosShabbosforWomen.com), accessible to motvated women worldwide. It empowers women to know the laws of Shabbos that are so relevant to their lives. Participants in each online chabura receive source sheets with explanations in English. In addition to the weekly online Zoom shiur with Rabbi Gefen, he is available for questions. There are tests in each section, and the option of a signed certificate of completion from Rav Berkovits. While this course for women is in Hilchos Shabbos, several months ago, Rabbi Gefen has also launched another online program for women in Hilchos Bein Adam L’Chaveiro. This program is based on a curriculum of Kollel Linas Hatzedek / Center for Jewish Values, a premier international Bein Adam L’Chaveiro resource, whom we thank for their permission. The Bein Adam L’Chaveiro online program for women taught by Rabbi Gefen became very successful already in its first launch. “As women, we are required to learn […]
