Matzav

Another Rosh Chodesh morning at the Kosel unfolded amid tension and frustration, as regular mispallelim reported preferential treatment for a Reform women’s group, while hundreds of people were delayed or blocked from entering the plaza.

According to on-site reports, the arrival of the group that identifies itself as Women of the Wall created a charged atmosphere from the early morning hours. Journalist Nati Kalish, reporting live from the scene, said many mispallelim were forced to wait extended periods before being allowed into the plaza.

Kalish described unusually long security checks. “A line of at least an hour, and even more, in the morning cold,” he said, explaining that guards allowed mispallelim through one at a time while carefully inspecting every item. He claimed the delays were intentional, aimed at keeping the plaza relatively empty during the group’s prayer.

Much of the anger, according to the report, stemmed from how the Reform group was brought into the compound. “They go in first, bypass the line and simply enter,” Kalish said, adding, “It’s infuriating to see people in their 60s and 70s standing in the cold and waiting, while they walk straight through as if the place belongs to them.”

Witnesses also reported pushing and confrontations during the prayer itself. Accounts from the Lev Center said the group positioned itself near the partition, used loudspeakers, and prayed loudly. “The goal is one thing—to disrupt and to harm the sanctity of the Kosel,” Kalish said, adding that there were also incidents of violence directed at ushers.

Kalish reported that the group remained at the site for roughly an hour and a half to two hours before leaving under escort. “They’re treated with respect here,” he said, noting that only after their departure did services for regular mispallelim return to normal. Among other things, the coffee stand in the plaza was reportedly shut down while the group was present. “On Rosh Chodesh they don’t serve coffee to mispallelim out of fear of ‘unusual incidents.’ Only after they left did everything reopen.”

He also described the reaction of regular mispallelim . Many, he said, stood davening with their hands over their ears. “Hundreds of people are literally blocking their ears just so they can concentrate on tefillah and not hear the shouting,” Kalish said. He noted that about 100 yeshiva bochurim from abroad arrived later in the morning, singing and davening loudly, which largely drowned out the voices of the radical, controversial group.

The broadcast ended with a public call to attend the Kosel in large numbers next Rosh Chodesh, for the month of Adar. “The more Jews who come to daven, the less chance they’ll be able to get in,” the hosts said, calling the situation “a scandal that repeats itself every month” and urging those responsible for managing the site to intervene and safeguard the sanctity of the holy place.

{Matzav.com}

The mother of Leah Goloventzitz a”h, who died in the tragic incident at a daycare in Romema, issued a public statement distancing her family from violent demonstrations linked to the debate over the proposed autopsy of her daughter’s body.

In a personal message addressed directly to the public, Brocha Goloventzitz wrote that the family is enduring an unbearable loss and, amid their grief, is also being forced to contend with rumors, interpretations, and misinformation circulating online and in public discourse.

She said that over the past 24 hours, the family’s tragedy has been tied to violent protests surrounding the intention to conduct an autopsy, stressing unequivocally that such actions do not reflect the family’s path or beliefs.

The mother emphasized that aside from those directly involved, no one truly knows the facts that led to Leah’s passing. She noted that the family has been exposed to headlines, images, and statements taken out of context, some of which are based on partial or incorrect information that does not represent the full reality.

Addressing the decision to oppose an autopsy, she wrote that the considerations and steps taken by the family after the incident are not known to the public. Those decisions, she said, were made only after thorough consultations and careful deliberation, including receiving information from police and medical professionals. She added that even the family itself does not yet know the complete picture, describing days without sleep or appetite as they struggle to understand what truly happened.

In closing, Leah’s mother appealed to the public to act with ahavas Yisroel, to halt the spread of unverified information, and to allow the family to mourn their devastating loss without the addition of unnecessary pain.

Earlier today, Israel’s High Court ruled that an autopsy would not be performed on the two toddlers who passed away.

{Matzav.com}

Drivers across New York City racked up an unprecedented number of summonses last year for blocking off parking spaces with traffic cones, a tactic that has drawn growing enforcement even as many residents say the chronic parking shortage helps explain why the practice persists, the NY Post reports.

According to a New York Post review of municipal records, the Sanitation Department issued 533 violations in 2025 for illegally obstructing streets or sidewalks with cones. That enforcement followed 7,208 separate complaints filed through the city’s 311 system, also the highest total on record.

The number of tickets climbed steadily over recent years. More than 530 summonses were written last year, mostly in Queens, marking an increase of nearly 6% over 2024, when 470 were issued. That figure was almost double the 287 tickets handed out in 2023 and roughly nine times higher than the 60 issued in 2022.

City data show that Queens accounted for more than 70% of all cone-related violations last year, with 380 tickets issued boroughwide. Since 2020, 1,376 summonses have been written citywide for the offense, and roughly 1,000 of them were issued in Queens alone.

Queens Councilwoman Joann Ariola has pointed to weak enforcement combined with shrinking parking availability — including the loss of spaces to bike lanes and restrictive parking regulations — as major factors behind the rise in illegal space-saving.

“It’s been happening for years,” said Alex, a 21-year-old Queens driver, referring to the practice of using cones to hold parking spots.

Despite that, he said he understands why people do it.

“It’s so hard to park around here,” he said, “I understand people using cones to save parking spots.”

Sanitation Department officials told The Post that traffic cones placed on public streets or sidewalks are considered illegal obstructions and can result in administrative summonses, with repeat violations carrying fines of up to $200.

Yet enforcement remains limited. More than 25,000 complaints related to cones have been logged with 311 since 2020, but summonses were issued in just over 5% of those cases, according to the Post’s analysis.

“In order for us to issue a summons for this, the owner of the cones has to acknowledge that the cones are theirs,” a Sanitation Department representative said.

“We do investigate complaints for this by visiting the home and speaking with the homeowner. If they claim ownership of the cones, we will issue a summons for street obstruction. … If they do not claim the cones as their own, we will simply take them away.”

{Matzav.com}

European governments are weighing an aggressive trade response to President Donald Trump’s warnings of sweeping tariffs if an agreement is not reached to transfer Greenland to the United States, but Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent cautioned Tuesday that such a move would be a serious mistake. Speaking in Davos, Bessent said it would be “unwise” for Europe to answer Washington with retaliatory measures.

According to a report by CNBC, France urged the European Union during an emergency meeting in Brussels on Sunday to consider activating the bloc’s so-called Anti-Coercion Instrument, a powerful mechanism described by officials as a trade “bazooka” intended to deter economic pressure from abroad.

The Anti-Coercion Instrument was created to counter what the EU defines as economic coercion—actions designed to force policy changes that could disrupt trade or investment flows.

Possible countermeasures under the instrument could extend beyond tariffs to include steps involving “trade-related aspects of intellectual property rights” and restrictions on public procurement, in addition to actions in financial and trade markets—an array of options European officials have characterized as a nuclear option.

Bessent, attending the World Economic Forum, warned that deploying such tools in response to Trump’s tariff threats would be “very unwise,” adding that “everybody should take the president at his word.”

Rather than retaliating immediately, Bessent said governments and businesses should “let things play out” following Trump’s tariff warnings, according to remarks reported Tuesday by The Guardian.

He pointed to last year’s trade clash between the United States and China, noting that Trump’s “liberation day” tariff announcement initially sent shockwaves through global markets before several companies ultimately reached trade agreements.

By late 2025, markets had rebounded to record levels, a recovery driven in part by rapid growth in artificial intelligence.

“The worst thing countries can do is escalate against the United States,” Bessent said.

Within Europe, there is no unified stance on using the Anti-Coercion Instrument. Germany, whose economy relies heavily on exports, is among the countries opposed to triggering it, according to Carsten Nickel, deputy director of research at Teneo, who spoke to CNBC.

Industries seen as most vulnerable to Trump’s proposed tariffs include automakers such as BMW in Germany and Stellantis in Milan, along with major pharmaceutical companies including Novo Nordisk and Roche in Switzerland.

Despite internal divisions, Germany and France on Monday urged the EU to deliver a “clear” response to Trump’s threats, The Financial Times reported.

“We will not be blackmailed,” German Finance Minister Lars Klingbeil said.

Three EU officials familiar with the discussions said European Commission staff have drafted retaliation scenarios but are refraining from deploying the Anti-Coercion Instrument for now, hoping diplomacy during this week’s meetings with Trump in Davos will yield progress.

“Our number one priority now is to really engage and cooperate and have a good dialogue with U.S. counterparts,” European Commission Vice President Henna Virkkunen told the Financial Times.

“At the same time, we have also tools at our disposal here. We have prepared also for that,” Virkkunen said.

Virkkunen added that the Anti-Coercion Instrument could also be used to restrict American technology companies’ access to the EU’s internal market, emphasizing that Europe represents the largest market for several major tech firms.

European leaders are also seeking to convince Trump that they are prepared to shoulder more responsibility for Arctic security, pointing to proposals by Denmark and Greenland for a NATO mission on the island similar to existing efforts to protect critical infrastructure in the Baltic Sea from Russian and Chinese threats.

U.K. Prime Minister Keir Starmer said he would deploy the “full strength of government at home and abroad” to uphold international law, describing Trump’s tariff threats as “completely wrong.”

Financial markets have reacted sharply to the escalating rhetoric. Futures linked to the Dow Jones Industrial Average were expected to open Tuesday down 378 points.

European equities fell broadly on Monday, while investors sought safety in gold and silver, which climbed to new highs just days after surpassing previous records.

The exchange of threats has unfolded alongside heightened security activity in the Arctic. Denmark confirmed Monday that it had dispatched additional troops to Greenland, as Trump again declined to rule out the use of military force to assert control over the island.

Danish officials said a “substantial contribution” of soldiers, along with the head of the country’s army, had been sent to Greenland, including deployments to the capital, Nuuk, and to Kangerlussuaq.

{Matzav.com}

President Donald Trump said he chose to make private messages public from French President Emmanuel Macron and NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte because they underscored his argument, while also disclosing that he spent Monday intervening to stop a prison break in Syria involving European terrorists.

The messages, which Trump shared on Truth Social, included warm praise from Macron and Rutte for actions Trump took in Syria, along with appeals for engagement over his push to bring Greenland under U.S. control. The posts appeared just hours before global leaders convene for the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland.

“It just made my point. They’re saying, ‘Oh gee, let’s have dinner, let’s do this, let’s do that.’ It just made my point,” Trump told The NY Post, referring to the private outreach that followed his warning of 10% tariffs, set to take effect February 1, against eight European countries opposing his Greenland initiative.

Trump said the compliments from Macron and Rutte stemmed from efforts he took behind the scenes in Syria. “I did a great job. You know what I did? I stopped a prison break,” he said.

“Oh, we did a good job with Syria. They had a prison break. European prisoners were breaking and I got it stopped. That was yesterday,” Trump added.

“European terrorists were in prison. They had a prison break. And working with the government of Syria and the new leader of Syria, they captured all the prisoners, put them back to jail, and these were the worst terrorists in the world, all from Europe.”

The attempted breakout took place at Al-Shaddadi prison in Syria’s northeastern Hasakah province amid clashes as forces loyal to Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa moved against the Syrian Democratic Forces, a Kurdish-led group that had long been backed by the U.S. and had guarded the detained extremists for years.

The confrontation concluded Sunday with the Kurdish faction agreeing to give up its regional autonomy and cede control of detention sites holding roughly 8,000 Islamic State fighters. Syria’s Interior Ministry said Monday that 81 of the 120 ISIS prisoners who escaped had been recaptured, according to Al Jazeera.

Trump’s decision to publicize the messages offered a rare glimpse into private diplomatic channels as he ramped up pressure on European allies to compel Denmark to relinquish control of Greenland, the world’s largest island.

In his message, Emmanuel Macron wrote: “My friend, We are totally in line on Syria[.] We can do great things on Iran[.] I do not understand what you are doing on Greenland[.] Let us try to build great things: 1) i [sic] can set up a g7 meeting after Davos in Paris on thursday afternoon. I can invite the ukrainians, the danish, the syrians and the russians in the margins 2) let us have a dinner together in Paris together on thursday before you go back to the us.”

Mark Rutte wrote: “Mr. President, dear Donald — what you accomplished in Syria today is incredible. I will use my media engagements in Davos to highlight your work there, in Gaza, and in Ukraine. I am committed to finding a way forward on Greenland. Can’t wait to see you.”

{Matzav.com}

President Trump escalated his public pressure campaign over Greenland on Tuesday, posting AI-generated images that depict the territory as part of the United States while also releasing screenshots of flattering private messages he says he received from European leaders ahead of this week’s World Economic Forum in Davos.

One of the images, posted early Tuesday on Truth Social, shows Trump placing a U.S. flag on Greenland, with Vice President JD Vance and Secretary of State Marco Rubio standing behind him. A sign in the image labels Greenland as a “US territory est. 2026.”

In another AI-created image shared by the president, several European leaders — including British Prime Minister Keir Starmer, French President Emmanuel Macron, NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte, and Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni — are shown gathered in the Oval Office around a map depicting Greenland, Canada, and Venezuela as incorporated into the United States.

The posts came as Trump intensified his rhetoric about Greenland, stating Tuesday that there was “no going back” on his objective and declining to rule out the use of force to take control of the strategically located Arctic island.

Trump, who is scheduled to attend the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, later this week, also published screenshots of text messages from Macron and Rutte that he said praised his recent foreign policy actions, including developments related to Syria.

“My friend, we are totally in line on Syria. We can do great things on Iran,” Macron tells Trump, according to one of the screenshots shared by the president.

In the same exchange, Macron voices reservations about Trump’s interest in annexing Greenland but also discusses plans for a G7 meeting in Paris on Thursday involving Ukraine, Denmark, Syria, and Russia, and proposes a dinner with Trump in Paris before the president returns to the United States.

“Mr President, dear Donald — what you accomplished in Syria today is incredible,” Rutte writes in another message, according to a screenshot posted by Trump.

“I will use my media engagements in Davos to highlight your work there, in Gaza, and in Ukraine. I am committed to finding a way forward on Greenland. Can’t wait to see you. Yours, Mark,” the message continues.

The burst of provocative posts followed Trump’s warning that additional tariffs could be imposed on European countries if they attempt to block his efforts to acquire Greenland from Denmark.

A day earlier, Trump also cautioned France that it could face a 200% tariff on wine and champagne if Macron refuses to participate in his proposed “Board of Peace” initiative aimed at rebuilding Gaza.

{Matzav.com}

Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz was questioned about possible ties to China during the vetting process for vice president, according to a report published by CNN, which examined how the Democratic campaign screened potential running mates.

The report follows disclosures by Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro, who wrote in his forthcoming memoir, Where We Keep the Light, that the campaign team of then–Vice President Kamala Harris asked whether he had ever acted as an agent for Israel.

According to four people familiar with the process who spoke to CNN, Harris’ aides closely reviewed Walz’s history of frequent travel to China prior to his entry into public office as part of that vetting.

In his book, Shapiro wrote that he was offended by the question posed by the campaign’s top lawyer and believed it was raised solely because he is Jewish.

Shapiro added that the exchange “said a lot about some of the people around the VP.”

He also disclosed that he was asked directly by attorney Dana Remus, “Have you ever communicated with an undercover agent of Israel?”

Shapiro said he replied sarcastically, “If they were undercover, I responded, ‘How the hell would I know?’”

Four individuals involved in the vetting process told CNN that questions about serving as a foreign agent are routinely included on standard forms completed by politicians being considered for senior roles, including government appointments.

“The crux of vetting is asking uncomfortable and even farfetched questions, especially ones that could be raised by your opponents,” a person close to Remus told CNN.

“Have you ever had an affair? Have you ever embezzled state funds? Have you ever been an agent for another country?” the person added.

“The point isn’t that you believe any of it to be true,” the same source said. “It’s that the subject needs to be on record with definitive answers.”

Another aide involved in the process told CNN that, “Pulling punches would have been a disservice to both the nominee and her potential running mate.”

Harris aides also told CNN that Walz was informed in advance about the nature of the questioning in order to fully explain how the vetting process operated.

According to aides cited in the report, both Shapiro and Walz denied being foreign agents when the questions were put to them.

{Matzav.com}

As the deadly daycare incident in Yerushalayim’s Romema neighborhood continues to send shockwaves through the medical community, Dr. Yechiel Schlesinger offered new insight into the puzzling disparity in outcomes among the infants who were exposed.

Speaking Monday evening with journalist Avi Mimran on Kol Chai’s main news program, Dr. Schlesinger, director of the Wilf Children’s Hospital at Shaare Zedek Medical Center, described the critical moments when two infants were rushed to the hospital in extremely grave condition, undergoing advanced resuscitation efforts upon arrival. Despite prolonged attempts, doctors were unable to save one of the infants, while the second remains in critical condition as medical teams fight to stabilize him in intensive care.

Sharing details from inside the emergency room, Dr. Schlesinger said, “Two infants arrived to us while undergoing resuscitation. One infant, sadly, our efforts were unsuccessful and we were forced to pronounce his death quite quickly.” He added that there was a brief glimmer of hope in the second case, after doctors were able to restore a heartbeat. “He is currently hospitalized in our pediatric intensive care unit, in critical condition and receiving intensive treatment,” Schlesinger said, stressing that the child remains in “very real, immediate life-threatening danger.”

The cause of the sudden system collapse among the infants remains unknown. Dr. Schlesinger explained that in such an unusual and severe incident, doctors’ first suspicion is environmental poisoning, including exposure to toxic gases or pesticides. However, early laboratory findings surprised the medical teams. “We checked carbon monoxide levels and they were normal. That rules out poisoning of that type,” he said, adding that tests for pesticide exposure have also not yielded definitive findings. Physicians are now examining other possibilities, including contamination through food or bottles, though Schlesinger cautioned that “it is still far too early to determine” the cause.

While the battle continues to save the critically ill infant, Shaare Zedek also treated approximately 15 additional children who had been present in the same building in Romema. Dr. Schlesinger sought to reassure the public, saying all of those children are considered to be in mild condition. Some showed very slight respiratory symptoms, while others were brought in mainly for evaluation and monitoring. “At this stage, it does not appear that any of them are in danger,” he said, though he emphasized that doctors are proceeding cautiously. “We will keep them under observation overnight to be one hundred percent certain.”

The stark contrast between the two infants who collapsed suddenly and the rest of the children who were only lightly affected has raised troubling questions among medical staff. Dr. Schlesinger said it is not yet clear whether all of the children were exposed to the same trigger, but he outlined several possible explanations for the dramatic difference in severity. “In the infants who were critically ill, there was a sudden and complete collapse. In the others, it was much milder,” he said, suggesting that the most severely affected infants may have been closer to the source of danger, or that their younger age made them significantly more vulnerable and sensitive to whatever caused the incident.

{Matzav.com}

Israel’s High Court of Justice ruled Tuesday afternoon that no autopsies will be performed on the bodies of the two toddlers who died in the Romema daycare tragedy, accepting the appeal filed by ZAKA and the bereaved families. Following the decision, demonstrations that erupted across the country are expected to wind down.

In a unanimous decision by a three-justice panel, the court overturned an earlier ruling by a lower court and instructed the state not to proceed with autopsies on the bodies of Aharon Katz a”h and Leah Tzipora Goloventzitz a”h. The judges determined that, under the circumstances, alternative investigative measures were sufficient and that the bodies should be released for burial.

The High Court hearing took place amid heightened tensions. Outside the courthouse and at multiple locations nationwide, clashes were reported as protesters demanded the cancellation of the autopsies. Attorney Dror Shosheim, representing the families on behalf of ZAKA, presented the parents’ position, emphasizing the severe religious and emotional harm that would be caused by postmortem examinations. After hearing the state’s arguments, the judges concluded that non-invasive alternatives could meet investigative needs.

Following the ruling, Attorney Shosheim said, “This is an important decision that reflects human sensitivity and respect for the deceased. We thank the judges for recognizing the gravity of the moment and the families’ pain.”

With the decision made public, crowds that had gathered in chareidi population centers began dispersing. Highway 4, which had been closed for hours near Bnei Brak, gradually reopened to traffic, as did major intersections in Yerushalayim and Beit Shemesh. Police are now coordinating the orderly release of the bodies for the levayos, expected to take place later today.

Despite the families’ legal victory on the autopsy issue, the criminal investigation continues. Authorities will now seek to establish the circumstances of death based on evidence from the scene, caregiver testimony, and external CT scans already performed, without the pathological findings of a full autopsy.

The daycare owner and a caregiver remain in custody on suspicion of negligent homicide and child neglect at an unlicensed facility.

{Matzav.com}

Dear Matzav Inbox,

I’ve been watching, with growing discomfort, how our askanim and elected representatives—both here in the United States and in Eretz Yisroel—are treated when they cast a vote or make a decision that the public doesn’t immediately understand.

They are ripped apart. Publicly eviscerated. Branded as traitors, sellouts, or worse, often within hours, sometimes minutes, of a decision being reported. And not always fairly.

These are not fools. These are serious, intelligent people who sit in rooms we are not in, hear information we do not have access to, and weigh consequences most of us will never fully see. They have cheshbonos. They make decisions for reasons, not on a whim.

And yet, the reflexive response is outrage: loud, unfiltered, and unforgiving.

So I ask: Do they owe us a public explanation every single time they vote a certain way or make a strategic decision? Must every move be accompanied by a press release, a thread, or a justification tailored to appease every faction?

Or does representation mean something else entirely?

Once we elect people, or empower askanim to act on behalf of the tzibbur, doesn’t that imply a degree of trust? That we believe they are acting with yiras Shamayim, responsibility, and concern for the broader picture, even when we don’t immediately like or understand the outcome?

Accountability is critical. Transparency matters. But so does restraint. So does humility. And so does recognizing that leadership cannot function when every decision is second-guessed in real time by people working with partial information and full confidence.

Perhaps the more uncomfortable question isn’t why they don’t explain themselves, but why we assume they must.

Just wondering.

A Yid

NY/NJ

To submit a letter to appear on Matzav.com, email MatzavInbox@gmail.com

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Knesset Education Committee chairman Tzvi Sukkot said he will move quickly to address what he described as an unacceptable daycare registration crisis, promising to convene an urgent committee discussion to prevent children from being shut out of supervised frameworks.

Speaking in a radio interview with journalist Yisroel Meir on the program Osim Seder, Sukkot addressed mounting complaints from parents who say bureaucratic cutoffs are leaving infants without placement for the coming school year. Meir described the reality facing many families: parents of babies born in late winter or spring are told registration is closed, leaving them with no options. “The child was born after February or March—registration is closed, and there’s nothing I can do,” Meir said, noting that many families are then pushed toward unregulated solutions, an issue that has taken on added urgency following Monday’s tragedy in Yerushalayim.

Sukkot, who assumed the committee chairmanship about a month ago, acknowledged that the issue is relatively new to him but said he has already received numerous appeals from parents. He pledged to take up the matter immediately. “I will definitely study this and I will convene a discussion to see what can be done, because there is no chance we should legitimize a reality in which children are not registered simply because they were born after an initial cutoff,” he said, adding, “This is something that makes no sense.”

Turning to practical solutions, Sukkot rejected the current rigid model and argued for a more flexible system that can expand during the year to reflect natural population growth. In his view, the system must adapt to children—not the other way around. “Anyone born in May or June should be able to enter, and new groups need to be opened,” he said, stressing that the issue requires in-depth work and a determined response because it addresses a basic need of young families.

Sukkot concluded by linking the registration failures to the broader need for oversight and regulation of daycare centers, especially in light of the recent disaster in the capital. “We are under harsh and painful scrutiny because of this terrible tragedy in Yerushalayim,” he said. Outlining his goals for the committee, he added: “We want supervised daycare centers, we want orderly frameworks, and we want parents to be able to send their child to a place where the child receives proper conditions. We are going to fight for that.”

{Matzav.com}

As authorities continue investigating the deadly incident at a daycare center in Yerushalayim’s Romema neighborhood, the director of Hadassah Ein Kerem Hospital says that early medical findings have ruled out poisoning and point instead to extreme environmental conditions as the likely cause of the tragedy.

In an interview on Kol Chai radio’s main evening program, Dr. Yaniv Scherrer, director of Hadassah Ein Kerem Medical Center, shared initial insights from hospital treatment rooms and laboratories hours after two toddlers died and dozens of others were rushed for medical care. Despite extensive testing using advanced equipment, Scherrer said doctors have not identified “any toxin or substance that we can say caused the incident involving dozens of infants,” leaving investigators still searching for definitive answers.

Scherrer explained that once the first emergency report was received from Magen David Adom, Hadassah’s hospitals immediately prepared for an unusually complex scenario. While the medical teams are experienced in mass-casualty events, he said this case raised particular alarm. “This is not a routine incident. We are talking about very young children, infants in a daycare, with three in life-threatening condition,” he said. Because of the initial concern that the children may have been exposed to a toxic substance, staff prepared the emergency rooms with separate clean and potentially contaminated zones to protect both patients and medical personnel.

During comprehensive examinations of the 45 children treated at Hadassah Ein Kerem and Hadassah Mount Scopus, several key possibilities were ruled out. Doctors searched for signs of carbon monoxide poisoning, a dangerous gas sometimes emitted by heating devices in enclosed spaces, but blood tests did not show elevated levels. Exposure to pesticides was also excluded. “Very quickly we saw that this was not an external substance, but rather some kind of irritation that was likely respiratory,” Scherrer said, adding that rarer possibilities such as contaminated food or bottles are still being examined, though the cause may ultimately prove to be environmental.

With toxic exposure largely ruled out, medical assessments are increasingly focusing on the physical conditions inside the daycare. Scherrer addressed this cautiously, saying, “It’s possible that in the end this is a story of crowding and heat and suffocation that were there—we don’t know.” As part of preparations for worst-case scenarios, the hospital even readied its hyperbaric chambers in case of severe poisoning, but they were ultimately not needed. Most of the children required only mild respiratory support, and their conditions stabilized quickly after receiving oxygen and initial treatment.

Concluding the interview, Scherrer sought to reassure families and the wider public about the condition of the surviving children. “The infants who are still hospitalized with us—at the moment they are not in danger, and we expect they will be discharged tomorrow,” he said. He also expressed appreciation for the medical teams at both Hadassah hospitals, noting that they mobilized within minutes to provide life-saving care to dozens of infants who arrived at emergency rooms simultaneously amid great uncertainty.

{Matzav.com}

A pre-dawn operation by the military police in the yishuv of Adam ended without an arrest early Tuesday morning after residents and yeshiva students rushed to the scene and physically blocked officers from taking a yeshiva bochur into custody.

According to reports, heavily reinforced military police units entered Adam at around 3:00 a.m. with the aim of arresting a talmid from the Noam HaTalmud Yeshiva who is considered a draft evader. The quiet community was jolted awake as the forces moved toward the bochur‘s home.

Once it became clear that military police were operating inside the community, activists triggered the so-called “Black Alert” system, a rapid-response warning used by opponents of the draft. Within minutes, dozens—and then hundreds—of residents and yeshiva students converged on the location, surrounding the police vehicle and forming a human barrier around the bochur.

After a prolonged standoff marked by tension and confrontations, the officers withdrew from the area without making the arrest. The retreat was met with loud cheers from those gathered at the scene.

The nighttime incident has once again fueled anger and unrest in the chareidi public, particularly among the Sephardic community. Individuals familiar with the details voiced sharp criticism, claiming a troubling pattern. “Time and again we see these initiated arrests—nighttime raids that reach right into people’s homes—focused on young men from the Sephardic community,” one source said. “Is this coincidence, or a deliberate policy? The public is no longer buying claims that it’s random.”

Following the withdrawal of the forces, the atmosphere quickly shifted. The home in Adam turned into a scene of celebration, with footage showing dozens of yeshiva students dancing energetically alongside the student and his family, expressing gratitude for what they described as a late-night miracle.

“They came to take him to prison, and in the end he stayed in the study hall,” one participant said during the dancing. “It feels like the spirit won over brute force.”

{Matzav.com}

Newly released data following a court petition has revealed how public funds totaling hundreds of thousands of shekels were used in 2024 to cover personal and household expenses connected to the private residences of Israeli Prime Minister Bibi Netanyahu in Caesarea and Yerushalayim.

The information was disclosed after a legal petition filed by the Movement for Freedom of Information, leading to the publication of expenditure records from the Prime Minister’s Office that had previously been partially redacted. The newly released documents provide a clearer and more detailed picture of daily and personal spending, including food purchases and maintenance of private facilities such as a swimming pool.

According to the records, more than NIS 27,000 was spent on maintaining the swimming pool at Netanyahu’s private home in Caesarea. An additional roughly NIS 50,000 was used for food, groceries, and gas refills for both the Caesarea residence and the private home in Yerushalayim.

The documents further show that thousands of shekels were paid during the year for maintenance and renovation work at the Caesarea property. These included approximately NIS 5,000 for waterproofing consultation, around NIS 6,550 for sealing and insulation work following water damage, and about NIS 1,500 for pest control. In parallel, roughly NIS 6,000 was allocated for communications infrastructure work at the private residence on Gaza Street in Yerushalayim.

Other listed expenses included about NIS 1,400 for laundry services and approximately NIS 12,500 categorized as “maintenance and miscellaneous” costs. Additional payments to individual professionals were also detailed, including roughly NIS 1,650 to replace a kitchen faucet, around NIS 7,300 to repair bursts in the main water line, and NIS 650 to fix a clothes dryer.

Visits by other technicians—covering refrigerator repairs, electrical work, and plumbing—amounted to an additional roughly NIS 16,000, bringing the total spent on professional services alone to about NIS 18,000.

Public funds were also used for exterior maintenance at the Caesarea residence. Nearly NIS 1,400 was spent on torch fuel, approximately NIS 4,680 on replacing window screens, and close to NIS 7,000 on root-cutting work. These items had originally been redacted from public disclosure on security grounds, with the redactions now partially lifted.

Despite the expanded transparency, some information remains withheld. About NIS 46,000 in expenses is still classified due to security considerations, while another roughly NIS 20,000 was not itemized for privacy reasons. In total, around NIS 250,000 in public spending had until now not been fully disclosed.

Attorney Yaara Winkler-Shalit, who represents the Movement for Freedom of Information, sharply criticized the Prime Minister’s Office, saying that despite clear rulings by the Supreme Court and district courts, the public is repeatedly forced to turn to the legal system to understand how its money is being used. She said the matter involves basic information about personal expenses funded by the state budget.

{Matzav.com}

Prominent figures who served in the Biden administration are sharply criticizing the vetting process used by Vice President Kamala Harris’s campaign, after Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro disclosed that he was asked whether he was “an Israeli agent” while being considered as a potential running mate.

Deborah Lipstadt, who served as the U.S. special envoy to monitor and combat antisemitism, said the reported question reflected deeply troubling bias. “This report is extremely distressing. When vetted by the White House for my position as Special Envoy, I was not asked anything akin to this. Had I been, I would have responded that the question is an example of why an Envoy is necessary. It is classic antisemitism,” Lipstadt wrote on social media.

In a follow-up post, Lipstadt said her concerns only intensified as more details emerged. “The more I read about Josh Shapiro’s treatment in the vetting process, the more disturbed I become. The questions to him, I repeat, are why they needed a Special Envoy on antisemitism. These questions were classic antisemitism,” she added.

Similar criticism came from Aaron Keyak, who previously served as Lipstadt’s deputy, in a statement addressing the episode. “The minimum demand of Jews in the United States and our allies – even those in public service – is to simply be treated like any other American, regardless of religion, ethnicity, or race. That Governor Josh Shapiro wrote that he was asked if he was a double agent of the world’s only Jewish state is an antisemitic inquiry,” Keyak said.

Keyak questioned why Shapiro, in particular, was subjected to such scrutiny. “While we can safely assume that asking all potential Vice Presidential picks if they are an Israeli double agent is not included on the standard list, the obvious question is why it was Governor Shapiro who was targeted by the staff of the presumptive Democratic Presidential Nominee, Kamala Harris, in particular. The truth is, we almost certainly know why,” he added.

He went on to argue that such treatment reflects a broader pattern. “Unfortunately, this is not the first time the US government or a presidential campaign has applied a double standard to American Jews during the vetting process for a wide range of officials. I have heard from too many being asked similar questions over many years and I can speak from personal experience. During my vetting process I faced questions in a classified setting that my fellow non-Jewish political appointees did not. These sort of antisemitic questions are anti-American and do not represent the best that the Democratic Party offers. Now and especially during the next Presidential campaign we must demand better,” Keyak concluded.

The remarks followed reporting by The New York Times, which published excerpts from Shapiro’s forthcoming memoir, Where We Keep the Light, scheduled for release on January 27.

In the book, Josh Shapiro describes what he characterized as an unusually tense and intrusive vetting process, particularly surrounding Israel. “Had I been a double agent for Israel?” Shapiro wrote, recounting a last-minute question posed by the vetting team. He said he pushed back, calling the inquiry offensive, and was told in response, “Well, we have to ask.”

Shapiro wrote that while he believed the staffer was “just doing her job,” the exchange nevertheless “said a lot about some of the people around the VP.”

A spokesperson for Kamala Harris did not respond to a request for comment.

Shapiro was among the finalists under consideration to join Harris on the Democratic ticket, though she ultimately selected Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz as her running mate.

President Donald Trump, who defeated Harris in the 2024 election, has repeatedly argued since then that Harris passed over Shapiro, whom he described as a stronger option than Walz, because Shapiro is Jewish.

Shapiro has rejected the claim that antisemitism determined the outcome, and has dismissed Trump as the “least credible person” to lecture others about opposing hatred and bigotry.

At the same time, Shapiro acknowledged broader concerns, saying, “Antisemitism played absolutely no role in my dialogue with the vice president. Absolutely none. It is also true that antisemitism is present in our commonwealth, in our country and in some areas within our party, and we have to stand up and speak out against that.”

{Matzav.com}

Israel’s military chief has alerted the country’s top political leadership to a growing crisis in combat manpower, cautioning that the Israel Defense Forces could face serious operational limitations if the issue is not addressed swiftly.

In a letter disclosed by Channel 12 News, Eyal Zamir, the IDF Chief of Staff, warned that “the shortage of fighters is already acute” and could begin “to undermine the military’s readiness within the next year.”

Zamir wrote that the security pressures of the past two years have placed extraordinary strain on the IDF, disrupting personnel systems and creating challenges without precedent. He pointed out that legislative efforts tied to the Draft Law and to extending compulsory service are moving too slowly, a lag he said threatens the army’s capacity to carry out its responsibilities.

According to the Chief of Staff, only an immediate, urgent, and even retroactive extension of mandatory service for men to 36 months can prevent serious harm to the IDF’s force-building plans. He cautioned that without such a step, both readiness and the standard of combat training would deteriorate, with effects becoming noticeable as soon as next year and intensifying from January 2027.

The warning comes as the IDF reports shortfalls of thousands of soldiers in combat units and raises concern that, beyond the current gaps, the Knesset is advancing legislation that would broaden draft exemptions, potentially worsening the manpower crisis.

{Matzav.com}

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By Rabbi Berach Steinfeld In Shemos, Perek Yud Bais the Torah tells us that we have a mitzvah to bring a Korban Pesach on Erev Pesach. Was the bracha of shehecheyanu recited when they brought the Korban Pesach since it is a mitzvah that occurs infrequently? The Nesiv Chaim in siman taf lamed bais says that they did not say the bracha of shehecheyanu while shechting the Korban Pesach. They relied on the shehecheyanu that would be said on the night of Pesach during Kiddush. This is similar to the fact that we don’t make a bracha of shehechyanu while building the sukka, but rather we say the bracha of shehecheyanu during Kiddush when we also have the building of the sukka in mind. The Shailos Utshuvos Shevet Halevi in chelek gimmel, siman samech heh questions the above comparison. We don’t make a bracha of shehecheyanu on the building of the sukkah because that act is actually a hechsher mitzvah, a preparation for the mitzvah of eating in the sukka. We therefore rely on the shehecheyanu on the mitzvah of eating in the sukka itself, which includes the preparation for the building of the sukka as well. A similar scenario would be concerning saying shehechayanu while searching for chametz. We do not say shehecheyanu while we check for chametz since it is only a hechsher mitzvah; the actual mitzvah is not having chametz in your domain on Pesach, so we are yotze with the shehecheyanu we say as we usher in the Yom Tov during Kiddush. In contrast, when it comes to shechitas Pesach where the Rishonim count the shechita and the achilas Pesach as two separate mitzvos, we should be required to say shehecheyanu on the shechita and then at night when we eat the Pesach we could either rely on the original shehecheyanu on the shechita or rely on the shehecheyanu we say for the Yom Tov itself. The bottom line is that since the shechitas Pesach is a mitzvah on its own and comes infrequently; we need to say a shehecheyanu. The Shevet Halevi was asked a question in Chelek Tes, siman kuf yud yud gimmel based on what we pasken in Yoreh Deah, siman chof ches, seif koton gimel concerning a shochet who shechts for the first time. The shochet makes a bracha of shehecheyanu on the kisui hadam, (the covering of the blood) but not on the shechita because when one shechts, the animal is hurting so we don’t say shehecheyanu during the shechita. The question then is, how could we say a shehecheyanu when we shecht the Korban Pesach when we are causing pain to the animal? The Shevet Halevi answers that there is a difference between these two scenarios. When one shechts an animal because he wants to eat meat, then there is no place for him to say shehecheyanu since he is causing the animal pain in order to have his own pleasures fulfilled. On the other hand, when one brings the Korban Pesach, he is shechting the korban because Hashem told him to and not for his own personal pleasure. In such a case one could say shehecheyanu despite the fact that the animal is in pain since that is what Hashem commanded us to do. May we be zocheh soon to bring korbanos and be required to say shehecheyanu for shechita in our lifetime.

Denmark has moved to bolster its military presence in Greenland, sending additional troops to the Arctic territory as tensions escalate with President Donald Trump over the region’s strategic importance.

Danish broadcaster TV 2 reported that the Armed Forces confirmed the arrival of a fresh deployment late Monday at Greenland’s main international airport, describing the move as “a substantial contribution” to security efforts on the island.

According to Maj. Gen. Søren Andersen, who heads Denmark’s Arctic Command, roughly 100 Danish soldiers have already been stationed in Nuuk, Greenland’s capital, with further forces set to be positioned in Kangerlussuaq in western Greenland.

The decision follows recent remarks by Trump emphasizing Greenland’s military and geopolitical significance and accusing Denmark of failing to adequately protect the territory.

In a Jan. 18 post on Truth Social, Trump warned that Denmark had neglected its responsibilities in safeguarding Greenland from external threats.

“NATO has been telling Denmark, for 20 years, that ‘you have to get the Russian threat away from Greenland,’” Trump wrote.

“Unfortunately, Denmark has been unable to do anything about it. Now it is time, and it will be done!!!” he said.

On Monday, a statement released a text message exchange between Trump and Norwegian Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Støre that addressed Greenland and the Nobel Peace Prize.

“Denmark cannot protect that land from Russia or China, and why do they have a ‘right of ownership’ anyway?” Trump said before adding that there were “no written documents; it’s only that a boat landed there hundreds of years ago, but we had boats landing there, also,” he said in part of the exchange.

“I have done more for NATO than any other person since its founding, and now, NATO should do something for the United States. The world is not secure unless we have complete and total control of Greenland. Thank you! President DJT,” he added.

Prior to the release of the exchange, Andersen had said, according to Reuters, that Denmark’s troop movements were motivated by general security considerations rather than by Trump’s statements.

Danish Defense Minister Troels Lund Poulsen also said Denmark is expanding its military activity in and around Greenland in coordination with NATO allies as part of a broader effort to reinforce Arctic defenses, Reuters reported.

Existing Danish units in Greenland may remain in place for a year or longer, with further rotations planned in the years ahead.

Meanwhile, White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said Jan. 15 that the deployment of European forces would not influence Trump’s stance on Greenland.

“I don’t think troops from Europe impact the president’s decision-making process, nor does it impact his goal of the acquisition of Greenland at all,” she told reporters.

The latest Danish troop increase follows Trump’s announcement that the United States will impose a 10% import tax starting in February on goods from countries that have backed Denmark and Greenland, including Norway.

{Matzav.com}