Matzav

A missile fragment struck the roof of the Boyaner beis medrash on Rechov Malchei Yisrael in Yerushalayim on Monday, causing damage to the building but no injuries.

The incident occurred just two days before the scheduled wedding of the Boyaner Rebbe’s granddaughter.

Members of the chassidus said the event was a clear miracle, noting that the beis medrash was completely empty at the time the fragment struck.

When the air-raid siren sounded in Yerushalayim, everyone who had been inside the building quickly went down to the protected shelter beneath the beis medrash. Moments later, the fragment hit the roof. The impact damaged part of the newer section of the building, which is not made of reinforced concrete.

Officials from Israel’s Home Front Command arrived at the site to inspect the structure and ensure that the building remained safe.

Yossi Goldstein, CEO of Gavast, the company that built the structural framework of the beis medrash ceiling, commented on the damage: “Fortunately, the damage is minimal. The high-quality and durable construction of Gavast proves itself even in moments like these.”

Preparations had already been underway in the Boyaner chassidus for the wedding scheduled for this Wednesday, celebrating the marriage of the Rebbe’s granddaughter, the daughter of his eldest son, Rav Yosef Breyer.

Following the incident, organizers began considering moving the wedding to a different location. The celebration will likely be relocated either to the underground complex of Karlin chassidus in Givat Ze’ev or to the Agroisseh Shtib hall in Kiryat Belz.

The chosson mohl gathering that had been scheduled for Monday evening was moved to the tish hall of Rachmastrivka chassidus in the Gush 80 neighborhood.

Later in the evening, after Maariv, the Boyaner Rebbe came out to address the chassidim and spoke about the need to thank Hashem for the miracle.

“Let them give thanks to Hashem for His kindness and for His wonders to mankind. We must give thanks for what happened today, and from now on there should be a sweetening of the harsh decrees, as it says, ‘For He has satisfied the longing soul and filled the hungry soul with goodness’ — and we should pray that the wedding as well should take place at a good and successful time.”

{Matzav.com}

Iran’s new supreme leader, Mojtaba Khamenei, reportedly escaped death during the Israeli strike that killed his father, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, because he had stepped outside the compound for a brief walk shortly before the missiles struck, according to a newly surfaced report.

Details of the incident emerged from leaked audio of a private meeting discussing the February 28 attack on Khamenei’s compound. The recording indicates that Mojtba Khamenei had been with his father in Tehran but had stepped outside “to do something” just minutes before the strike occurred, The Telegraph reported.

The recording also described the devastating effects of the attack, including gruesome details about the destruction left behind. According to the audio, Iran’s military chief was killed so completely in the blast that the remains recovered amounted to only “a few kilos of flesh,” while Ayatollah Ali Khamenei’s son-in-law was discovered with his head split in two by the impact.

Moments after Mojtba left the building, Israel reportedly launched Blue Sparrow ballistic missiles that struck the compound. The attack killed Ayatollah Ali Khamenei along with dozens of senior military officials and members of his family, but Mojtba himself survived.

“God’s will was that Mojtba had to go out to the yard to do something and then return,” Mazaher Hosseini, head of protocol for Khamenei’s office, reportedly told Iranian leaders in a private meeting on March 12.

Hossein said Mojtba was outside the building and approaching the stairs when the strike occurred.

“He was outside and was heading upstairs when they struck the building with a missile. His wife, Ms Haddad, was martyred instantly,” Hosseini added.

According to Hosseini, Mojtba sustained only minor physical harm in the blast, reinforcing earlier claims about the extent of his injuries.

Hosseini maintained that Mojtba only suffered “a minor injury to his leg,” echoing recent reports about the new leader’s wounds.

The official also informed senior Iranian clerics and commanders of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps that multiple missiles were involved in the strike on the compound.

According to the leaked recording, at least three missiles hit the site. One reportedly struck the area where Ayatollah Ali Khamenei was located, while another hit Mojtba’s residence on an upper floor as well as the home of his brother-in-law, Misbah al-Huda Bagheri Kani.

“The missile was so powerful that it went downstairs where Mr Misbah was, it went to Mr Misbah’s room,” Hosseini said. “The missiles were struck in a way that cut his head in half.”

Hosseini also reported that Mostafa Khamenei, the late leader’s eldest son, survived the attack along with his wife and emerged from the scene without injuries.

Hosseini noted that Mostafa Khamenei, Khamenei’s eldest son, survived the attack with his wife, coming out of the destruction “unharmed.”

The recording also described the condition in which Iranian military chief Mohammad Shirazi was found after the strike.

“He was blown to pieces – they could find nothing from him, and at the end they found a few kilos of flesh and identified it as his body,” Hosseini said, according to the leaked audio.

The audio recording surfaced as speculation continues regarding Mojtba Khamenei’s health and whereabouts, as the new supreme leader has not appeared publicly since the conflict began.

Rumors have circulated that his injuries may be more severe than what Iranian authorities have publicly acknowledged. President Trump also addressed the uncertainty surrounding Mojtba’s condition.

“A lot of people are saying that he’s badly disfigured. They’re saying that he lost his leg, one leg, and he’s been hurt very badly. Other people are saying he’s dead,” Trump told reporters on Monday.

“We haven’t seen” him “at all,” Trump said, adding that US officials don’t know “if he’s dead or not. Nobody’s seen him, which is unusual.”

{Matzav.com}

A federal judge in Boston on Monday issued a temporary order preventing federal health authorities from reducing the list of vaccines recommended for children nationwide. In the same ruling, the judge said U.S. Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. likely failed to follow required federal procedures when he reorganized a key advisory panel that provides guidance on vaccination policy.

The ruling suspends a directive Kennedy announced in January that would have eliminated the universal recommendation that children receive several routine vaccines, including those protecting against influenza, rotavirus, hepatitis A, hepatitis B, certain meningitis strains, and RSV.

Major medical organizations quickly raised concerns about the policy shift. The American Academy of Pediatrics and several other groups revised a lawsuit they had originally filed in July, urging the court to intervene and block the government from reducing the standard childhood immunization schedule used across the country.

In addition, the judge determined that Kennedy’s restructuring of the federal vaccine advisory committee likely did not comply with federal law. As a result, the court ordered that the new appointments to the panel — along with any decisions made by the reorganized group — be paused until further legal review.

{Matzav.com}

Israel’s ambassador to the United Nations, Danny Danon, said Monday that Israel’s recent military moves against Hezbollah were required after diplomatic efforts failed to prevent the terror group from launching rockets from southern Lebanon in violation of international agreements.

Speaking at a press briefing, Danon said Israel had taken steps overnight to broaden its defensive posture along the northern border in response to ongoing attacks.

“Overnight, Israel expanded the forward defense area in southern Lebanon. This step was taken to remove immediate terrorist threats near our border and create an additional layer of security for the residents of northern Israel,” Danon said at a press briefing this morning (Monday).

Danon stressed that Israel had not sought the confrontation, blaming Hezbollah for initiating the escalation through repeated rocket launches targeting Israeli communities.

He emphasized: “Israel did not choose this situation. Hezbollah did. For weeks, Hezbollah has been launching rockets at Israeli communities from southern Lebanon. It has been doing so from areas where it is not supposed to be present at all.”

He also questioned the continued reliance on diplomacy by the United Nations when Hezbollah has repeatedly ignored existing agreements meant to prevent its presence in southern Lebanon.

Danon referenced remarks made during a recent visit to Lebanon by UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres and challenged the notion that dialogue alone could resolve the situation.

Danon questioned the UN’s continued focus on diplomacy when Hezbollah has failed to abide by any diplomatic agreements until now. “On Friday, last week, during his visit to Lebanon, UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres said, and I quote, ‘There is no military solution, only diplomacy and dialogue.’ Israel supports diplomacy, but diplomacy only works when agreements are enforced. Under UN Security Council Resolution 1701, Hezbollah is not supposed to operate south of the Litani River. That area was meant to be free of Hezbollah weapons. Yet Hezbollah is operating there. Hezbollah is firing from there. And the Lebanese government has not taken sufficient action to stop it.”

According to Danon, commitments made through diplomatic channels only months ago have gone unenforced, leaving Israel with little choice but to respond to continued rocket fire.

“Diplomatic commitments were made only last November. They were not enforced. When rockets continue to be fired from areas that were supposed to be free of weapons, Israel cannot sit back and pretend that diplomacy is working,” he said.

Danon further accused Hezbollah of deliberately targeting Israeli civilians while operating from populated areas in Lebanon.

Danon accused Hezbollah of “indiscriminate fire” in its rocket attacks, while using civilians as human shields. “That is their method: Launch rockets at Israeli communities, hide behind civilians, and then blame Israel.”

During the briefing, Danon urged the Lebanese government to take responsibility for restraining Hezbollah and preventing further escalation.

He called on the Lebanese government to “step up” and fulfill its obligations to confront Hezbollah and stop the terrorist organization from repeatedly dragging Lebanon into conflicts with Israel. “Lebanon must restrain Hezbollah now, or we will.”

To illustrate the scale of the attacks, Danon presented a map documenting the volume of rocket fire directed at Israel in a short period of time.

During the briefing, Danon presented a map showing that 213 rockets were launched by Hezbollah at Israel in just 16 hours, all from southern Lebanon south of the Litani River, in blatant violation of Security Council Resolution 1701.

The map that was presented highlights the scope of the firing and Hezbollah’s systematic violation of UN resolutions. At the same time, Israel is working to expand its buffer defense area following ongoing threats on the northern border.

Danon concluded by pointing to the figures as evidence that Hezbollah continues to operate freely in areas where it is prohibited under international agreements.

Danon said: “213 rockets in 16 hours prove that Hezbollah continues to fire freely from south of the Litani in clear violation of UN resolutions. Israel is working to remove the threat of terrorism from its border and expand its defense area to protect its citizens.”

{Matzav.com}

Below is the latest information regarding outbound travel from Israel for American citizens. Read on to learn about several important clarifications from Chaim V’Chessed.

State Department Flights Suspended; El Al Evacuation Flights

The U.S. State Department has suspended its special evacuation flights following its arrangement with El Al. In response, El Al has increased its planned flights to the United States from six to eight.

These flights are intended for passengers with existing El Al tickets, as well as those with no tickets or tickets on other airlines. At this time, however, only El Al ticket holders have been placed on these flights. Non–El Al passengers have not yet been successfully ticketed, though El Al has reportedly committed to the U.S. State Department.to accommodate all U.S. citizens.
All passengers seeking to travel are strongly encouraged to register as soon as possible using this link.

Important Clarifications

Ticket Eligibility
Primarily, passengers holding a one-way ticket to the United States, or those on the final leg of an itinerary returning to the United States, are being placed on these flights. Often, passengers with round-trip tickets originating in Tel Aviv, traveling to the U.S., and returning to Israel are not being accommodated. The chief purpose of these flights is to return American citizens who are currently stranded in Israel – not to provide round-trip travel. Passengers in this situation who have purchased tickets from travel agencies should reach out to their travel agent for assistance.

Family Members of U.S. Citizens
El Al has stated that only passengers holding U.S. passports may fly on the so-called “rescue flights.” There remains some uncertainty regarding spouses and family members of U.S. citizens who are not themselves American citizens. Based on current information, those who can demonstrate legal residence in the United States with their American family members will likely be permitted to travel. Individuals without clear proof of U.S. residency may not be allowed to board.

Additional Flight Options
Arkia, Israir and Air Haifa continue to operate flights to various destinations. In some cases, experienced travel agents may be able to secure seats for passengers, though availability is severely limited and fares are often high.

The Igud/Eretz HaKodesh flights from Taba began operating today, with two additional flights scheduled later this week. These flights are already fully or nearly fully booked. Separately, Lalechet continues to operate flights from Sharm al Sheikh.

{Matzav.com}

A man was moderately wounded Monday evening after being struck by shrapnel at Kabri Junction in the Western Galilee, as emergency forces across the region responded to several impact locations following launches from Lebanon.

The injured man was treated at the scene before being transported to the hospital in Nahariya for additional medical care.

דיווח על פגיעה ישירה בנהריה, תיעוד: רגע הנפילה בעירhttps://t.co/0imLHwZUoA | @OrRavid pic.twitter.com/dETGhyzxnL

— החדשות – N12 (@N12News) March 16, 2026

At the same time, police units from the Coastal District, along with Israel Border Police officers and police bomb disposal teams, were dispatched to several sites in Nahariya where projectiles had landed.

Authorities reported that at one of the locations, a residential home sustained a direct strike that ignited a fire. Emergency responders managed to rescue members of the family inside the building and evacuated six individuals to the hospital due to smoke inhalation. Those hospitalized included two children and four adults.

The Israel Defense Forces is investigating whether an interceptor missile malfunctioned during an attempted interception and subsequently struck the house in Nahariya. Officials said the circumstances surrounding the incident remain under review.

Tal Volovitz, spokesperson for the Israel Fire and Rescue Services, told Kan Reshet Bet that emergency crews are having difficulty reaching some of the sites due to ongoing waves of sirens.

A wave of dangerous winter weather combined with staffing problems tied to a TSA pay freeze caused widespread travel disruptions across the United States on Monday, forcing more than 2,000 flight cancellations and bringing operations at several major airports to a standstill.

Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy said that major hubs were heavily affected as ground stops were issued early Monday morning. Flights were halted at Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport and Charlotte Douglas International Airport, while George Bush Intercontinental Airport in Houston experienced significant ground delays.

Beyond the thousands of canceled flights, the disruptions spread nationwide, with more than 9,500 additional flights delayed, Duffy said.

The aviation turmoil coincided with a powerful round of late-winter storms striking large portions of the country Monday and Tuesday.

In the Midwest, communities were contending with blizzard conditions, while states across the eastern United States faced severe thunderstorms expected to produce powerful winds and possible flooding, according to AccuWeather.

Meteorologists warned that the storm system could impact roughly 200 million people.

Air travelers were already struggling with airport delays before the storms intensified, as a pay freeze affecting airport security officers created staffing shortages. Because security personnel were working without pay during the partial government shutdown, roughly 300 TSA workers resigned.

The funding lapse occurred on Feb. 13 after Congress failed to reach an agreement on immigration enforcement changes sought by Democrats.

Scenes from Austin-Bergstrom International Airport showed long lines of passengers waiting outside the terminal early Monday morning as travelers attempted to pass through security checkpoints.

Airport officials advised passengers at the time to arrive at least two and a half hours before domestic departures. By late morning, however, security lines had returned to normal levels, according to a post from Austin-Bergstrom’s X account.

The Trump administration has laid the blame on the TSA hiccups on Democrats for the partial funding stop.

{Matzav.com}

President Donald Trump issued a pair of lengthy social media messages late Sunday sharply criticizing the Supreme Court and a federal district judge, accusing members of the judiciary of political bias and condemning a recent ruling that struck down tariffs he imposed under emergency economic authority.

Trump’s comments followed a Supreme Court decision issued last month that invalidated key tariffs he enacted using national emergency powers. The justices ruled by a 6–3 margin that the tariffs went beyond the authority granted to the president under a 1977 emergency economic law, determining that the Constitution assigns Congress—not the president—the authority to impose import duties.

In his first post on Truth Social, Trump expressed frustration with the court and took aim at justices who, in his view, fail to support the presidents who appointed them.

“The Democrats on the Court always ‘stick together,’ no matter how strong a case is put before them — There is rarely even a minor ‘waver,'” Trump wrote on Truth Social. “But Republicans do not do this.

“They openly disrespect the Presidents who nominate them to the highest position in the Land, a Justice of the United States Supreme Court, and go out of their way, with bad and wrongful rulings and intentions, to prove how ‘honest,’ ‘independent,’ and ‘legitimate’ they are.”

Trump emphasized that the ruling on tariffs was particularly significant to him, arguing that the decision could ultimately benefit foreign competitors that he says have exploited American markets for years.

“The decision that mattered most to me was TARIFFS!” Trump wrote. “The Court knew where I stood, how badly I wanted this Victory for our Country, and instead decided to, potentially, give away Trillions of Dollars to Countries and Companies who have been taking advantage of the United States for decades.”

Despite the ruling limiting the specific emergency powers he had relied upon, the decision noted that the president still has the ability to impose tariffs through other statutory avenues. Following the decision, administration officials began examining additional trade actions and potential investigations aimed at reinstating tariff protections and responding to foreign trade practices.

Trump also voiced appreciation for the three justices who dissented in the case—Samuel Alito, Clarence Thomas, and Brett Kavanaugh—praising what he described as their “Wisdom and Courage,” while accusing the court’s liberal members of voting in lockstep for political reasons.

“Our Supreme Court has made these Countries very happy,” Trump wrote, adding that he will “fight hard” to ensure American interests are protected.

In a separate Truth Social post, Trump shifted his focus to the federal court system and criticized a judge who recently blocked a Justice Department investigation related to Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell.

The case involved subpoenas connected to a probe into Powell’s congressional testimony about the Federal Reserve’s costly renovation of its Washington headquarters. On Friday, a federal judge ruled that prosecutors had failed to present sufficient evidence to justify the subpoenas, writing that investigators produced “essentially zero evidence” of wrongdoing.

Trump responded by condemning the ruling and directly attacking the judge who issued it, U.S. District Judge James Boasberg, accusing him of partisan hostility.

“I strongly criticized Jerome ‘Too Late’ for his horrible performance throughout his tenure, which is either gross incompetence, total dishonesty, or both,” Trump wrote, “and, in return for this well justified criticism, get viciously and wrongfully blamed by, as usual, a Wacky, Nasty, Crooked, and totally Out of Control Judge, named James Boasberg, a man who suffers from the highest level of Trump Derangement Syndrome (TDS), and has been ‘after’ my people, and me, for years.”

Trump argued that the renovation of the Federal Reserve’s headquarters had ballooned into an expensive and unnecessary project that deserved further scrutiny by investigators.

He concluded by accusing the judge of allowing politics to shape his decisions from the bench.

“What Boasberg has done on the ‘Too Late’ Powell case, and many others, has little to do with the Law, and everything to do with Politics,” Trump wrote.

{Matzav.com}

Agudath Israel of America is pleased to announce the opening of its Holocaust collection on the Agudah Archive website (https://agudaharchive.org/holocaust/351).

The thousands of documents in this collection paint a picture of the Holocaust’s impact on the history of European Orthodox Jewry and World Jewry’s valiant rescue efforts during and immediately following the horrors of the Holocaust. This aspect of Holocaust history has been neglected in most public archives and collections.

Until now, these documents have only been available in physical form, in the Orthodox Jewish Archives at Agudah headquarters. With assistance from the Conference on Jewish Material Claims Against Germany, supported by the German Federal Ministry of Finance, these documents are being digitized, organized and uploaded, in many themed collections.

The first three collections are now up on the website. The first, Holocaust interviews, contains over 70 audio interviews with Holocaust survivors. The second and third collections feature two periodicals, Jewish Opinion and Orthodox Tribune (originally Orthodox Youth or Agudah Youth), which were published by Zeirei Agudath Israel of America in the 40’s, 50’s and 60’s. These publications, over 50 issues with hundreds of pages of news and articles, give a window into the progression of the war and its aftermath. For example, the Adar 1942 issue includes a front page with the headline “On Nazi Atrocities,” news about rescue and about Agudah’s efforts to help with religious education for children that were sent to the land of Israel, and an op-ed by Jacob (Moreinu Yaakov) Rosenheim, ”The Right Answer to Hitler’s Challenge.”

These collections are the first of many that will be available to readers and scholars in the Holocaust section of the Agudah archives.

Agudath Israel’s executive vice president Rabbi Chaim Dovid Zwiebel welcomed the on-line publication of the three collections as “an important milestone in the area of Holocaust education.”

“Our Gedolei Yisroel have encouraged us to know for ourselves what transpired during the Holocaust, and to teach it to our children, so that we will never forget this dark era, and so that we will forever be inspired by the spiritual heroism displayed by so many holy Jews . With the on-line publication of these three archival collections – and b’ezras Hashem many more collections to come — Agudath Israel is making a treasure trove of primary source materials accessible to the broad Jewish public. This is a truly historic achievement.”

Rabbi Zwiebel expressed Agudath Israel’s gratitude to the many people who were involved in this project, including Rabbi Moshe Kolodny, Agudah’s Archivist Emeritus, responsible for the founding and growth of the Orthodox Jewish Archives; Rabbi Yossi Aszkenazy, who has been funding and digitizing thousands of hours of historic Agudah recordings; the Levy and Cohen families, sponsors of the online archive; the Claims Conference and the German government, who are funding the Holocaust digitization project; Rabbi Labish Becker, Executive Director of Agudath Israel and Administrator of the Holocaust digitization project; and Ms. Judith Dinowitz, Project Lead.

Dear Matzav Inbox,

Before raising the concern that follows, it is important to make something very clear. The overwhelming majority of the Torah community conducts the shidduch process in a thoughtful, balanced, and healthy manner. Young men and women are introduced through shadchanim, they meet several times, they have the opportunity to speak and learn about one another, and when they become engaged they continue to communicate and prepare for marriage in appropriate and dignified ways. For most of our community, the system works remarkably well and has produced generations of strong Jewish homes.

The concern I am raising here does not refer to that mainstream shidduch system.

Rather, it refers to a much smaller number of insular communities that follow what is commonly referred to as the “bashow” model, where the process functions in a dramatically different way.

In those circles, a boy and girl may meet for an hour — sometimes even less. They sit together briefly, often with little privacy and under significant pressure. Shortly afterward, families and intermediaries push for an answer. Within a very short period of time, they become engaged. Then, astonishingly, the couple do not see one another again until the wedding day itself.

This is not the traditional shidduch system that most of Klal Yisroel recognizes. It is a highly compressed version of it, one that leaves two people making the most consequential decision of their lives with almost no meaningful opportunity to know each other.

Marriage is not a casual undertaking. It is the creation of a bayis ne’eman b’Yisroel, the foundation upon which an entire life will be built, emotionally, spiritually, and practically. It is difficult to understand how such a life-altering commitment can responsibly be made after a single short meeting. In many cases, it is a churban. I speak from experience.

Even more troubling is the expectation that once the engagement takes place, the couple must essentially remain strangers until the wedding. In many of these situations, they are discouraged or even prevented from seeing or meaningfully speaking with each other during the engagement period.

One must ask: What purpose does this serve?

The engagement period should be a time when a couple deepens their understanding of one another, discusses expectations, learns how the other thinks, and begins forming the communication that will sustain a lifetime together. Preventing that process does not strengthen a marriage. It risks weakening it before it even begins.

There is also reason to question whether such a structure truly reflects the spirit of halachah. The Gemara teaches that a person should not marry someone without seeing and knowing them in order to avoid later resentment. The Rambam emphasizes that marriage must be entered willingly and with clarity. The purpose of the shidduch process is not merely to arrange a match but to allow two individuals to determine that they can build a life together.

That requires some measure of real familiarity.

None of this is a criticism of the values these communities seek to protect. Modesty, dignity, and the involvement of family are all important elements of our mesorah. But good intentions alone cannot justify a system that places enormous life decisions on the shoulders of young people who barely know one another.

Too often, couples who went through such a process later admit privately that they entered marriage without truly understanding the person they were marrying. Some grow into compatibility over time, but others face enormous challenges that might have been avoided with a healthier and more thoughtful approach during the courtship period.

We must acknowledge when certain practices drift too far from both common sense and the values the system was meant to uphold.

The mainstream shidduch process, when conducted with care and wisdom, provides young people with guidance, structure, and the opportunity to build marriages grounded in understanding and respect.

But the “bashow” model — where a couple meets briefly, becomes engaged almost immediately, and then remains essentially separated until the wedding — deserves serious reflection.

Our community prides itself on building strong families and stable homes. If that is truly our goal, then we must ensure that the systems we create actually help young people build those homes, not force them into life-altering decisions with almost no opportunity to know the person they are about to marry. This leads to broken marriages, broken people, broken children – and broken pieces for others to pick up.

Respectfully,

Burech Yida F.

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Israel’s government is preparing for the possibility of a major escalation on its northern border, with officials considering a dramatic expansion of reserve forces as the military readies for intensified operations against Hezbollah in Lebanon.

According to a report broadcast Sunday evening by Kan 11 News, the government may soon be asked to authorize an increase in the ceiling for reserve mobilization, raising the maximum number of soldiers who can be called up to 450,000.

The proposal, submitted by the IDF together with the defense establishment, is intended to provide the military with greater operational flexibility as it prepares for the possibility of a ground incursion into Lebanon and the prospect of maintaining forces inside hostile territory for an extended period. If approved, the plan would raise the mobilization cap by approximately 190,000 troops beyond the level set in January.

The push to expand the reserve quota comes as the IDF has intensified its offensive activity in recent days, including the destruction of the key bridge spanning the Litani River.

Israeli officials in Yerushalayim are seeking to significantly widen the security buffer zone in southern Lebanon in order to move anti-tank missile threats and infiltration risks farther away from Israeli communities along the northern border. The matter is also currently under discussion with the US administration.

At the same time, Israel’s political leadership is sending a strong message to the Lebanese government. Prime Minister Bibi Netanyahu has directed the IDF to compile a list of infrastructure sites and civilian locations that Hezbollah uses for its operations, signaling that Beirut will be held accountable for terror activity launched from Lebanese territory.

{Matzav.com}

A graffiti message reading “Kill a Jew, go to heaven” was found over the weekend on a bike trail in New York City’s Riverside Park.

The sprayed sentence was discovered on a large stone along the trail between 97th Street and 105th Street, located on the Upper West Side of Manhattan, a major hub of the Jewish community.

The Combat Antisemitism Movement, a global coalition of pro-Jewish groups, tweeted that it was “a direct public call for violence against Jews.”

The nonprofit added, “Last month alone, 28 antisemitic incidents were reported in New York.”

U.S.-based organization StopAntisemitism also responded to the incident, lamenting “this level of open hatred” in a city that was once a “safe haven for Jewish life.”

The NYPD and the New York City Parks Department have opened an inquiry into the incident. No suspects were arrested. JNS

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As Iranian missile attacks continue to target Israel, emergency response organizations are warning that a direct strike on a residential building could create a mass-casualty scene within minutes r’’l.

When a missile hits a densely populated neighborhood, rescue teams may arrive to find collapsed apartments, trapped residents, fires, and dozens of injured civilians all at once.

ZAKA360 officials warn that the danger is not theoretical. A large-scale missile strike could overwhelm entire neighborhoods within moments, potentially leaving dozens — or even hundreds — of victims at a single scene. Click here to sponsor security gear for Israel’s first responders>>>

Because of this risk, ZAKA360 is working to replenish critical emergency supplies, including rescue and extraction tools, protective gear, lighting equipment for nighttime searches, and field response supplies used at disaster scenes. 

According to the organization, equipment is wearing out and supplies are being depleted as emergency teams remain on high alert amid escalating threats. Those who wish to assist ZAKA360 in preparing for future emergencies can do so here.

British police on Sunday said they’re “aware” of “Death to the IDF” chants in London at an annual anti-Israel rally that was originally established by the Iranian regime, but that indictments depend on prosecutors.

The Crown Prosecution Service declined to say whether it would act on the chants.

Pascal Robinson-Foster, a musician whose stage name is Bobby Vylan and is part of the Bob Vylan duo, led the chants at a rally in central London for al-Quds Day. Police arrested 12 people there for disruptive behavior or displaying symbols of a proscribed terrorist entity.

The event was launched by Iran and popularized internationally to express support for the Palestinians and oppose Zionism and Israel’s existence. Al-Quds is the Arabic name for Jerusalem. The event is held at the end of Ramadan.

Organizers in London sought a permit to march through the city but police allowed them to hold a static rally instead.

In a post on X, the Metropolitan Police wrote: “We are aware of chanting made by a speaker at the Al Quds protest and will be investigating.” A spokesperson added: “We recognise the concern footage and chanting like this causes, particularly with London’s Jewish communities.”

The spokesperson said: “When this language had been used previously we sought advice from the CPS [Crown Prosecution Service] who determined that there would be insufficient evidence to take a case forward.”

No criminal charges were brought against Robinson-Foster after he led “Death to the IDF” chants at the Glastonbury music festival in June 2025. The chants prompted several criminal complaints.

James Marlow, a political analyst and former head of the U.K. National Jewish Assembly, criticized prosecutors for failing to address the “Death the IDF” chant, which many British Jews interpret as a call to murder Israelis and Jews.

“It’s ONLY a call to violence and hate crime, but who cares as it’s just against the Jews,” Marlow wrote on X, telling the Crown Prosecution Service: “Do your job.”

Queried by JNS, a spokesperson for the CPS wrote in an email: “We carefully consider each case referred to us for charging decision or early advice to see whether it can be taken to court.”

Where the evidence is insufficient, the CPS works “with police to identify what more can be done,” the spokesperson said. “Hateful chanting or waving of offensive flags may constitute an offence and where behavior goes beyond lawful protest we will not hesitate to prosecute.” JNS

President Donald Trump publicly voiced support for conservative commentator Mark Levin on Sunday as Levin’s heated dispute with podcaster Megyn Kelly intensified online.

In a post on Truth Social late Sunday, Trump praised Levin and defended him against critics, describing the radio host as a “truly Great American Patriot” who was “somewhat under siege by other people with far less Intellect, Capability, and Love for our Country.”

Trump continued by emphasizing Levin’s intellect and character, writing that Levin is “far smarter than those who criticize him but, above all, he is a man of Great Wisdom and Common Sense who truly loves our Country.”

The public show of support came as Levin and Kelly exchanged sharp personal attacks over the weekend. Their argument unfolded against the backdrop of a wider dispute among several prominent conservative media personalities — including Tucker Carlson, Ben Shapiro, and Candace Owens — with disagreements touching in part on U.S. and Israeli military operations against Iran.

Trump suggested that Levin’s critics were driven by resentment, accusing them of attacking the talk show host out of envy. He wrote that those targeting Levin were “jealous and angry Human Beings, whose ‘sway’ is much less than the Public understands.”

“Those that speak ill of Mark will quickly fall by the wayside, as do the people whose ideas, policies, and footings are not sound,” he wrote.

Trump then linked his support for Levin to broader foreign policy concerns, particularly the threat posed by Iran.

“THEY ARE NOT MAGA, I AM, and MAGA includes not allowing Iran, a Sick, Demented, and Violent Terrorist Regime, to have a Nuclear Weapon to blow up the United States of America, the Middle East, and, ultimately, the rest of the World,” Trump railed.

Levin responded warmly to the president’s comments, saying he was deeply moved by the message.

“Your courage, strength, and moral clarity are truly unparalleled. And your leadership has made our country and the world much safer,” the pundit wrote on X. “Both you and what you are doing deserve our support. And I will not be intimidated and bow to threats.”

The clash between Levin and Kelly intensified after Kelly shared a post from Drop Site News co-founder Ryan Grim. The post claimed that the suspect in last week’s synagogue bombing in Michigan had lost relatives in a recent Israeli airstrike.

Levin, who has been a vocal defender of Israel and a harsh critic of commentators such as Carlson and Owens, reacted angrily to Kelly’s post, labeling her “evil” and “diabolical.”

Kelly has taken a critical stance toward the military campaign conducted by the United States and Israel against Iran and has resisted calls from some quarters to condemn Carlson and Owens, who hold similar views.

The online feud escalated further Sunday morning when Levin posted a string of personal attacks directed at Kelly.

“Poor Megyn Kelly. An emotionally unhinged, lewd, and petulant wreck,” Levin wrote Sunday morning. “She’s completely revealed and destroyed herself.

“She’s everything people say she is, but much worse. Never an intelligent, thoughtful, or substantive comment. Utterly toxic.”

Kelly quickly fired back with her own response on social media, mocking Levin and accusing him of repeatedly targeting her in crude posts.

“He tweets about me obsessively in the crudest, nastiest terms possible. Literally more than some stalkers I’ve had arrested. He doesn’t like it when women like me fight back.”

Levin currently hosts a program on Fox News. Kelly previously served as a primetime anchor at the network before later moving to NBC and eventually launching her own independent media platform.

{Matzav.com}

In this video, Caleb Snyder travelled to Lakewood NJ to show what Tyler Oliveira refused to show 3 weeks ago.

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[COMMUNICATED]

B”H

As Jewish families around the world prepare their homes for Pesach  cleaning, organizing, and getting ready for the Chag one family in Eretz Yisrael is facing a heartbreaking reality: they have no home to prepare.

Several months ago, the Shachar family’s life was shattered when an electric scooter battery suddenly exploded inside their home, igniting a massive blaze that consumed everything within minutes. The fire left the family with nothing but the clothes on their backs. Their home, their belongings, their memories all reduced to ashes.

But the physical destruction was only the beginning.

The Shachars’ young son suffered severe, life‑altering burns across his body. Since the tragedy, he has been undergoing long, painful rehabilitation, with doctors warning that the road to recovery will take years. His father, Reb Avraham Shachar, a respected sofer who supported his family with dignity, was forced to stop working entirely in order to care for his injured child and his other children, who are struggling with deep emotional trauma.

Click here to help>>

Today, as Erev Pesach approaches, the contrast is painful. While families across Klal Yisrael are preparing their homes for Yom Tov, the Shachar family is living in a small temporary apartment, fighting simply to get through each day. Instead of cleaning for Pesach, they are battling insurance companies, overwhelming expenses, and the crushing weight of rebuilding a life from nothing.

Community leaders who visited the family described the situation as “heartbreaking beyond words” and emphasized that the family cannot manage without the support of Klal Yisrael.

The financial burden is enormous: medical treatments, trauma therapy for the children, basic living expenses, and the massive cost of rebuilding a completely destroyed home. With Reb Avraham unable to work, the family’s situation has become urgent.

Click here to help>>

A special fund The Rescue Fund for the Shachar Family has been established to help them rebuild their home, continue the child’s treatments, and restore stability to a family that has endured unimaginable suffering.

As one neighbor put it: “No Jewish family should face Pesach like this. Not when we can help.”

Klal Yisrael is being asked to come together during these days of preparation and chesed to help the Shachar family rise from the ashes and rebuild their lives.

Click here to help>>

The so-called ‘MAGA War’ was red hot long before the Iran War began, but now it’s ramped up even more, with Tucker Carlson visiting President Trump in the Oval Office a couple of times to try and talk him out of it. That battle of ideas is going nowhere fast, which is why presidential hopeful Ted Cruz sensationally branded Tucker ‘the most dangerous demagogue’… Tucker joined Piers Morgan to further discuss his thoughts on the war, his meetings with Trump and his feelings about Cruz and more.

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Israel’s military campaign against Iran, conducted alongside the United States, is advancing according to plan and even more quickly than originally anticipated, senior defense officials said Sunday, Times of Israel reports. At the same time, the military is preparing to expand attacks on Iran’s defense manufacturing sector while continuing operations aimed at limiting missile launches toward Israel.

Although progress has been faster than projected, Israeli officials say the operation is expected to continue for at least several more weeks. The military still has thousands of targets to strike across Iran, including sites in Tehran and other areas of the country.

“We have thousands of targets ahead,” IDF Spokesman Brig. Gen. Effie Defrin told CNN on Sunday. “We are ready, in coordination with our US allies, with plans through at least the Jewish holiday of Passover, about three weeks from now. And we have deeper plans for even three weeks beyond that.”

The war began with a series of targeted Israeli strikes on February 28 that killed Iran’s supreme leader, Ali Khamenei, along with more than forty senior Iranian officials. Since then, the IDF has carried out sustained attacks against ballistic missile launch systems and air defense networks. Military officials say the focus of the campaign has now shifted toward dismantling Iran’s defense manufacturing infrastructure.

According to Israeli officials, the current war differs dramatically from the brief twelve-day conflict that took place in June 2025 and is far broader in scope.

During that earlier confrontation, Israel concentrated primarily on neutralizing what it viewed as an imminent danger: Iran’s progress toward acquiring nuclear weapons and its accelerated production of ballistic missiles. The current campaign, however, is intended to go much further by removing not only the immediate threat posed by Iran but also the broader long-term strategic danger to Israel.

As a result, the military is now working to systematically damage Iran’s entire military production network, targeting facilities connected to ballistic missiles, nuclear development, and other weapons systems.

Iran’s defense industry is extensive and includes multiple branches of the military along with private companies that develop components used in weapons systems. These organizations manufacture a wide range of capabilities, including missile technology, air defense systems, naval weapons, cyber warfare tools, and even reconnaissance satellites.

Israel has targeted elements of Iran’s weapons industry before. In October 2024, Israeli fighter jets struck facilities producing planetary mixers used in the manufacturing of solid fuel for long-range ballistic missiles. Similar attacks were carried out during the June 2025 conflict, when Israel targeted locations tied to missile and air defense production.

Officials say the current campaign is far more comprehensive. The IDF now intends to strike every facility connected to Iran’s weapons production process, covering the entire chain of development and manufacturing.

Since the start of the war, Israel has already attacked more than 1,700 sites tied to Iran’s military industry, and hundreds of additional targets remain on the list.

The targets include major defense companies linked to Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, which produce ballistic missiles and other advanced weaponry, as well as smaller firms that supply key components for those systems.

According to Israeli officials, these strikes have inflicted heavy damage on Iran’s missile manufacturing sector. As a result, they say Iran currently lacks the capability to produce new ballistic missiles.

Israel has also continued striking facilities connected to Iran’s nuclear program, targeting research centers and companies involved in developing components used in atomic weapons.

In addition to military industry targets, Israeli strikes have focused on what officials describe as the regime’s “centers of power.” These include command headquarters and facilities used by internal security forces and the Basij paramilitary organization responsible for suppressing protests.

Military officials estimate that between 4,000 and 5,000 Iranian soldiers have been killed during Israeli strikes, with tens of thousands more wounded. Many of those casualties, they say, come from the regime’s internal security apparatus and the Basij militia.

Officials also report signs of weakening morale among Iranian troops, including cases of soldiers refusing orders or abandoning their posts.

These developments appear to be most evident among personnel responsible for operating Iran’s ballistic missile systems. Israeli officials say attacks on command centers and replacement headquarters have sharply reduced the number of missiles fired at Israel in recent days.

At the same time, the Israeli Air Force continues actively searching for and destroying missile launch platforms. In recent days alone, dozens of launchers have reportedly been destroyed, including several that were prepared to fire toward Israel.

Overall, the military says it has eliminated or disabled roughly seventy percent of Iran’s estimated fleet of about 500 ballistic missile launchers. However, officials acknowledge that Iran has previously demonstrated the ability to build new launch systems relatively quickly, as it did following the 2025 war.

Israeli airstrikes have also focused heavily on Iran’s air defense network. Within the first day of the conflict, the IDF reported gaining aerial superiority in certain parts of the country, allowing Israeli aircraft to carry out large-scale strikes in Tehran and other regions with reduced risk.

Military officials say the Israeli Air Force now enjoys air dominance over most of Iran’s airspace after destroying more than one hundred air defense systems and roughly 120 detection installations.

At the same time, Israeli operations continue targeting the Quds Force, the IRGC’s overseas operations arm, both inside Iran and in Lebanon.

Israeli leaders say the joint campaign with the United States is intended to weaken the Iranian regime’s military capabilities, push threats farther away from Israel, and help create conditions that could eventually allow the Iranian population to challenge and potentially overthrow the ruling government.

{Matzav.com}

President Donald Trump dismissed reports suggesting a breakdown in relations between Washington and Yerushalayim during a phone interview with Israel’s Channel 14 on Sunday, strongly denying an Axios report that claimed disagreements had surfaced over the ongoing war against Iran.

Responding to the report, Trump flatly rejected the suggestion that tensions exist between the two governments.

“Wrong. Fake news. Third-grade fake news. The relationship has never been better,” Trump said, adding that the campaign against Iran is progressing at a wonderful pace.”

Trump also offered strong praise for Prime Minister Bibi Netanyahu, crediting him with playing a decisive role in Israel’s survival.

“You wouldn’t even have Israel right now if Bibi weren’t the prime minister. I’m all for Bibi.”

When asked whether the United States might take a direct military role in the fighting against Iran and its network of regional proxies, Trump declined to provide a clear answer.

Trump also urged Arab nations in the region to take part in efforts against Iran, particularly in ensuring that shipping through the Strait of Hormuz remains open.

“In keeping the Strait [of Hormuz] open – yes. They get all the oil, We don’t get anything from the Strait, so they should participate. The countries that get the oil, should keep the Strait open, not the US. We will help them a lot.”

{Matzav.com}