It is with great sadness that Matzav.com reports the petirah of Rabbi Nochum Frankel zt”l.
Rabbi Frankel was a longtime resident of Monsey, NY, a beloved member of the College Road neighborhood. In Monsey, he was mechanech generations of Yiddishe kinder, teaching in various mosdos for decades.
His passion for chinuch was matched only by the deep care he had for each and every student. He did not merely teach. He inspired. With his ever-present warmth, gentle demeanor, and heartfelt sincerity, Rabbi Frankel instilled in his students a love for Torah, yiras Shomayim, and middos tovos that stayed with them long after they left his classroom.
What stood out most about Rabbi Frankel was not just his dedication to his teaching, but the kindness and humanity that radiated from him in all areas of life. Whether offering a listening ear, a word of encouragement, or a gut vort, he had a way of making others feel seen and valued. His quiet humility and unwavering integrity left an indelible mark on everyone who had the privilege of knowing him.
During recent years, even after relocating with his wife to The Enclave in Lakewood, the Frankels would spend the week in Monsey, where Rabbi Frankel continued to teach, including at Bais Yaakov, where he taught for many years.
He is survived by his wife, Mrs. Henny Frankel, and a wonderful family of prominent bnei and bnos Torah making their mark on their respective communities.
The levayah will be held on Sunday at 11:30 a.m. at the Congregation Sons of Israel Holocaust Memorial Chapel, located at 613 Ramsey Avenue, off of East 7th Street, in Lakewood, NJ.
Yehi zichro boruch.
{Matzav.com}
London Mayor Sadiq Khan is being accused by Israel’s ambassador and embassy in the UK of spreading “Hamas propaganda” in his message for Ramadan, according to a statement released Thursday.
In a video posted this week, Khan said that “more than 50,000 Palestinians have been killed in Gaza as a result of Israel’s ongoing military campaign, including more than 15,000 children.” His figures appear to come from casualty reports issued by the Gaza health ministry, which is under Hamas control and whose numbers have been questioned.
Earlier this week, Hamas itself revealed updated information that contradicts earlier reports. According to the nonprofit Honest Reporting, which shared its analysis with The Telegraph, roughly 60% of those killed in the conflict have been adult males of combat age. Hamas’s official statistics do not separate fighters from civilians.
“These betrayals of humanity should weigh heavily on our collective conscience. But I’m proud that, while the international community has chosen to avert its gaze, Londoners have not,” the mayor said in his message.
The Israeli ambassador to the UK, Tzipi Hotovely, responded harshly to the remarks on social media platform X, formerly known as Twitter, saying: “I was extremely disturbed listening to @SadiqKhan’s remarks in a video he released at the start of Eid celebrations. His comments on the casualties from the ongoing war in Israel as ‘betrayals of humanity’ seem a shocking misrepresentation.
“His further comments that ‘the international community has chosen to avert its gaze’ were also absurd. If that were the case, then perhaps it should look towards Hamas and the atrocities they have committed.”
In a statement to The Times, the Israeli embassy reinforced that the war was triggered by Hamas’s violent assault on Israel on October 7, 2023. “The war is a result of the brutal and horrific attack by Hamas, a proscribed terror organization in the UK, which was imposed on Israel on October 7, 2023,” the embassy said.
The statement also expressed concern over Khan’s failure to mention the terror group or its actions. “It is alarming that throughout the message, there is no mention of Hamas or any condemnation of terrorism and a call for the release of 59 hostages that are being held in horrific and inhumane conditions.”
The embassy further criticized Khan for overlooking Hamas’s violent treatment of Palestinians and pointed out that the group murdered people of multiple faiths on October 7. “Hamas terrorists murdered people of all faiths and none, with impunity,” the embassy said, adding that over 20 Muslim Israelis were killed and six others kidnapped during the attack.
“The values that Mr Khan speaks of must not be applied selectively,” an embassy spokesman added.
Responding to the controversy, a spokesperson for the mayor said, “The mayor has repeatedly conveyed his outrage at attacks by Hamas on Israel and has strongly condemned these acts of terrorism. He is deeply saddened by the loss of all lives and continues to support calls for a permanent ceasefire.”
This is not the first time Khan has faced backlash over his public comments about the Gaza conflict. He previously apologized to UK Chief Rabbi Sir Ephraim Mirvis after suggesting that the rabbi’s criticism of calls for a ceasefire was Islamophobic.
{Matzav.com}
A federal judge in Maryland has ordered the Trump administration to take immediate action to bring back a man who was wrongfully deported to a maximum-security prison in El Salvador, intensifying ongoing legal tensions between the judiciary and the White House.
“This was an illegal act,” U.S. Federal District Judge Paula Xinis told lawyers from the Justice Department during a hearing in Greenbelt, Maryland. The case involves Kilmar Abrego Garcia, a Maryland resident with legal status and a valid work permit, who was detained and sent to El Salvador last month—even though he was granted protection from deportation by an immigration judge back in 2019.
Judge Xinis instructed the federal government to ensure that Abrego Garcia is returned to the United States no later than 11:59 p.m. on Monday, April 7, emphasizing that his continued presence in El Salvador amounts to serious and irreversible harm.
“From the moment he was seized, it was unconstitutional,” Judge Xinis said from the bench. “If there isn’t a document, a warrant, a statement of probable cause, then there is no basis to have seized him in the first place. That’s how I’m looking at it,” the judge said.
The Department of Justice acknowledged that an administrative blunder led to Abrego Garcia’s removal. Still, government attorneys claimed in legal filings that he is affiliated with MS-13 and argued that the judge no longer has the power to order his return since he is not currently on U.S. soil.
Attorneys for Abrego Garcia strongly disputed that reasoning, insisting that Homeland Security must act without delay to bring him back from El Salvador.
“They’re coming before this court and saying we’ve tried nothing, and we’re all out of options,” said Simon Sandoval-Moshenberg, one of Abrego Garcia’s lawyers.
Erez Reuveni, representing the Justice Department, urged the judge to give the Trump administration more time to work out the issue internally.
“I would ask the court to give us the defendants one more chance to do this” without an order from the court, Reuveni asked at the end of the hearing. Judge Xinis rejected that request.
When pressed by the judge about why Abrego Garcia had been apprehended last month, Reuveni admitted he could not provide an answer.
At the time of his arrest, Abrego Garcia had been living in Maryland with his wife and children, all of whom are American citizens.
“In a blink of an eye, our three children lost their father, and I lost the love of my life, his mother lost his son, his siblings lost their brother,” said Jennifer Vasquez, Abrego Garcia’s wife, during a press conference held earlier Friday in Maryland.
“Our entire family is broken” by ICE’s “error,” she said, calling her husband a devoted father and exceptional spouse who “pushes everyone around to find their happiness, even in tough times.”
Despite the family’s description of Abrego Garcia as a loving and peaceful man, the White House painted a very different picture.
“You would think this individual was Father of the Year, living in Maryland, living a peaceful life, when that couldn’t be further from the truth,” White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt told reporters earlier this week.
However, Abrego Garcia’s legal team insists that the government has not presented any credible proof linking him to MS-13. They argue the accusation stems solely from a 2019 tip by a confidential informant who claimed he was in the gang while living in New York—a state where Garcia has never resided—and the fact that he wore a Chicago Bulls hat and hoodie. His lawyers maintain that he has no criminal history in the U.S. or anywhere else.
During Friday’s proceedings, Judge Xinis expressed doubt over the government’s allegations.
“That’s just chatter in my view. I haven’t been given any evidence,” Xinis said. “In a court of law when someone is accused of membership in such a violent and predatory organization, it comes in the form of an indictment, a complaint, a criminal proceeding that then has robust process, so we can assess facts.”
Abrego Garcia’s lawyers explained that he had been taken into custody by police in Prince George’s County, Maryland in 2019, while waiting for day labor work outside a Home Depot. They said he was never again interrogated about MS-13 or formally accused of gang involvement after that incident.
An immigration judge later granted Abrego Garcia a legal protection known as “withholding of removal,” concluding that he was more likely than not to face danger if sent back to El Salvador. Both his lawyers and government attorneys agree that this status should have prevented his deportation.
Nevertheless, on March 15th, Abrego Garcia was placed on a plane with hundreds of others alleged to be gang members and flown to El Salvador, where he remains confined in a high-security facility.
Officials in the Trump administration maintain that the deported individuals were connected to MS-13 or Tren de Aragua, two gangs classified by the U.S. as Foreign Terrorist Organizations. Yet, many of the deportees reportedly have no criminal backgrounds, and advocates say they were expelled without the opportunity to challenge the accusations.
Attorneys and family members for a growing number of those deported insist that they were mistakenly targeted, largely based on their tattoos rather than any evidence of criminal behavior.
At Friday’s rally in Maryland, Vasquez voiced support for others affected by similar actions under the Trump administration.
“The only thing we have at the end of the day is our faith and our strength to fight back,” Vasquez said. “We must fight for our husbands, our children, our neighbors, our loved ones — fight for Kilmar and fight for all the immigrant families lighting a candle for the loved ones that disappeared.”
{Matzav.com}
The American stock market has plunged sharply following President Donald Trump’s recent announcement of sweeping tariffs, and a video shared by Trump himself on social media today suggests that the downturn is part of his deliberate strategy.
On Friday morning, Trump shared a link via his Truth Social account to a one-minute video that begins with the claim: “Trump is crashing the stock market…this month, but he’s doing it on purpose.”
WATCH:
The brief clip attempts to explain Trump’s reasoning behind the newly announced tariffs. These tariffs have been widely criticized by economists and Wall Street analysts alike, triggering a severe market collapse. On Thursday, the S&P 500 plummeted by 4.8%—its steepest drop in almost five years—and the index continued its descent THIS morning, falling an additional 4.2%.
The video, which originated from a March 15 TikTok post with under 18,000 followers, argues that Trump is executing a “wild chess move” and engaging in a “secret game” designed to “force” the Federal Reserve to slash interest rates. According to the theory, this would allow the federal government to refinance a substantial portion of its $36 trillion debt “very inexpensively.”
While that idea may seem far-fetched, there has been a notable decline in U.S. Treasury yields this week. The 10-year Treasury note, often used as a benchmark for various types of loans, dropped more than 10 basis points to a six-month low of 3.9%. Lower yields could theoretically make borrowing cheaper. However, if these changes come at the cost of triggering a recession, marked by rising inflation, reduced consumer spending, and lower corporate profits due to tariffs, it’s a pyrrhic victory at best.
There are also less destructive ways to bring yields down, such as boosting investor trust through responsible government spending. This was a theme during the early part of Trump’s second term, when Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency helped bolster belief in efforts to curb the growing national debt.
It’s also worth noting that the current 10-year yield is not historically low. As recently as last September, it was below 3.6%, and from 2012 to 2021, it stayed under 3.5% for long stretches.
Trump took to social media again today to publicly urge the Federal Reserve to lower rates, writing: “This would be a PERFECT time for Fed Chairman Jerome Powell to cut Interest Rates.” Trump has a history of pressuring the Fed—an independent body—to follow his preferences on monetary policy, dating back to his initial term. Powell appeared unmoved by the calls in his prepared statement Friday, where he said: “While uncertainty remains elevated, it is now becoming clear that the tariff increases will be significantly larger than expected. The same is likely to be true of the economic effects, which will include higher inflation and slower growth.”
The video Trump shared also declared that he’s “taking from the rich short-term and handing it to the middle class through lower prices,” noting that “94% of all stocks are owned only by 8% of Americans.”
Most economists agree the tariffs will raise, not lower, prices for consumers. The stock ownership statistic seems to reference a 2023 Federal Reserve report indicating that 93% of market value is held by the top 10% of earners. But that doesn’t mean market downturns don’t affect the broader public. Gallup reports that roughly 61% of Americans own stocks, and Census data shows most Americans hold retirement accounts like IRAs or 401(k)s.
The video also attributes praise to billionaire investor Warren Buffett, claiming he believes Trump is making the “best economic moves” in fifty years. However, Buffett never said that. His company, Berkshire Hathaway, denied the statement in a release Friday, stating the “comments allegedly made by Warren E. Buffett…false.” In fact, Buffett recently criticized tariffs in a CBS News interview, referring to them as “an act of war” and calling them “a tax on goods” ultimately borne by consumers.
Trump’s apparent embrace of a stock market downturn marks a stark departure from his past reliance on market performance as a benchmark for presidential success. “If we lost this election, I think the market would go down the tubes,” he said in October. He also boasted that the “market has gone through the roof” and often touted gains during his presidency as an “amazing achievement.” Since the November election, however, the S&P has dropped by approximately 13%.
{Matzav.com}
Israel is prepared to bring the conflict in Gaza to a close immediately—on the condition that all hostages are freed and Hamas is no longer present in the territory, Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar said during a meeting with French Foreign Minister Jean-Noël Barrot in Paris.
“The way is very simple,” Sa’ar said, “hostages back, Hamas out.”
He noted that efforts are still underway to reach an agreement that would extend the current pause in fighting and secure the return of captives. “We are still giving a chance to negotiations to extend the ceasefire and release our hostages on the basis of [US special envoy Steve] Witkoff’s proposal, but it is not open-ended,” he warned, referencing a plan aimed at freeing five Israeli hostages.
Militant factions in Gaza are still holding 59 hostages, including 58 of the 251 taken during the October 7, 2023, Hamas-led invasion of Israel. Among those held are at least 35 individuals whose deaths have been verified by the IDF.
On March 18, Israel resumed heavy airstrikes in Gaza, followed by the launch of a fresh ground campaign, officially breaking the nearly two-month-long truce with Hamas.
The ceasefire brokered on January 19 was intended to lead to negotiations on a second phase after a few weeks. However, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu declined to proceed, reiterating his position that the war will not conclude until Hamas’s command structure and military strength are fully dismantled. Hamas, for its part, turned down several proposals to prolong the initial ceasefire while continuing the hostage release process.
France has called for a revival of the January agreement and a complete cessation of hostilities in Gaza.
In additional comments Thursday, Sa’ar said that both Israel and France share concerns about Lebanon, emphasizing a mutual interest in preserving the current calm and ending Iran’s influence in the country through Hezbollah. “We are interested in the stability of Lebanon, the continuation of the ceasefire, and the release of Lebanon from Iranian occupation,” he stated.
Sa’ar referred to France as a “friendly country,” and said he had extended an invitation to Barrot to visit Israel.
{Matzav.com}
The Israel Defense Forces and the Shin Bet security agency revealed on Friday that they successfully targeted and killed Mohammed Hassan Mohammed Awad earlier in the day. Awad was a top figure within the Military Intelligence structure in Gaza and maintained close ties with senior leaders of the Palestinian Mujahideen terror group.
According to the statement, Awad played a leading role in the October 7 attacks, infiltrating Nir Oz multiple times during the massacre. He is believed to have had direct involvement in the kidnapping and brutal murder of Shiri, Ariel, and Kfir Bibas. He was also implicated in the abduction and burial of Gad and Judi Lynn Weinstein, as well as the capture of several Thai nationals.
“As part of his role in the terrorist organization, Mohammad Awad was actively involved until his death in recruiting terror operatives in Judea and Samaria and within Israel, through whom he used to plan and carry out attacks against Israelis,” the statement said.
“During the war, the Palestinian Mujahideen terrorist organization and Mohammed Awad in particular were involved in the execution of terrorist attacks against the State of Israel and IDF troops operating in the Gaza Strip,” it continued.
“The IDF and ISA will continue to operate to locate and eliminate all of the terrorists from different terrorist organizations who took part in the murderous October 7th massacre,” the joint statement concluded.
The Bibas family—Yarden Bibas, his wife Shiri, and their young sons Ariel, 4, and Kfir, just 9 months old—were abducted from their home in Kibbutz Nir Oz on the morning of October 7, 2023.
Yarden was separated from his family after he reportedly left the safe room in a desperate effort to defend them. Videos shared online showed him, visibly wounded and bleeding, being taken away on a motorcycle. Other footage captured a terrified Shiri holding her two redheaded sons close as they were surrounded by armed militants.
After spending 484 days in captivity, Yarden was released on February 1 as part of a truce and hostage exchange with Hamas. Later that same month, the remains of Shiri, Ariel, and Kfir were returned to Israel. Following forensic analysis, Israeli authorities confirmed that the three had been murdered by their captors, contradicting Hamas’s claim that they died during an Israeli airstrike.
{Matzav.com}
