Israel’s most prestigious cultural distinction will be conferred this year on internationally acclaimed artist Yaacov Agam, recognizing a body of work that has profoundly influenced Israeli culture, Jewish public life, and the global visual arts landscape.
The 2026 Israel Prize in Visual Arts—Painting, Sculpture, and Photography—is scheduled to be presented after Israel marks its 78th Independence Day.
The decision was announced by Education Minister Yoav Kisch, who pointed to Agam’s trailblazing role in kinetic and op art and to a career spanning decades that reshaped how audiences engage with visual expression in Israel and beyond.
In explaining its choice, the prize committee—headed by Dr. Chaim Perluk, alongside Prof. Gilad Dovshani and Dr. Nurit Sirkis-Bank—highlighted Agam’s ability to challenge conventional artistic frameworks. The panel lauded him for “breaking the boundaries of traditional visual art” through creations centered on motion, change, and the viewer’s active involvement.
According to the committee, Agam’s work embodies a philosophical outlook in which reality is never static but constantly evolving, a theme that runs consistently through his artistic output.
For Jewish communities around the world, Agam’s influence is felt most powerfully through a single monumental project: the enormous menorah erected annually at Manhattan’s Grand Army Plaza, which has been publicly lit every Chanukah since 1986.
That landmark menorah traces its origins back to the late 1970s, when activists from the Lubavitch Youth Organization (Tzach) first raised a large menorah in Manhattan. While its presence was striking, artistic design was not yet a central consideration.
The concept took a decisive turn after Atara Ciechanover proposed enlisting a leading artist to elevate the project. She suggested her close friend Yaacov Agam, already a figure of international renown and then living in Paris. According to an account on Chabad.org, the endeavor unfolded over many months, during which Agam contributed his talents without charge and worked closely with Tzach’s Executive Director, Rabbi Shmuel Butman, supervising every aspect of the design and construction.
When concerns were raised about deviations from the menorah’s traditional form as described by the Rambam, the Lubavitcher Rebbe clarified that while diagonal branches were a requirement, an artist of Agam’s caliber needed space for genuine creative expression. After a scaled model remained on the Rebbe’s desk for several days, final approval was granted.
The menorah’s inaugural lighting on December 26, 1986.
“I didn’t only want to create something beautiful,” Agam once explained. “The Romans could also create something beautiful. I wanted something beautiful and Jewish—modern, yet true to its roots.”
Over the years, that vision has resonated with millions of passersby, Jewish and non-Jewish alike, turning the menorah into one of the most recognizable Jewish symbols in a public urban setting.
At 97, Agam remains among Israel’s most revered artists, with works exhibited at the Guggenheim Museum in New York, institutions throughout Europe, and prominent public spaces across Israel. Still, for many Jews, his most lasting legacy is the menorah that rises each Chanukah in the heart of New York City, serving as a visible declaration of Jewish faith, identity, and endurance.
{Matzav.com}It is with great sadness that Matzav.com reports the passing of Rabbi Menachem Manish Kirshenbaum z”l, the legendary longtime manager of Gutnick Halls and a devoted Meron figure for decades. He was 80.
The levayah took place this morning, departing from the Shamgar Funeral Home in Yerushalayim and proceeding to Har HaMenuchos for kevurah.
Rabbi Kirshenbaum was born on 21 Adar 5705, the youngest child of Rabbi Avraham Moshe Kirshenbaum and Mrs. Bas Sheva, a descendant of the family of the Tzemach Tzedek.
As a teenager, he grew close to Chabad-Lubavitch through Yerushalayim’s evening yeshiva network, founded by noted educators Rav Tuvia Blau and Rav Naftali HaKohen Roth. After his marriage to his wife, Mrs. Nechama, daughter of Rav Yechezkel Shraga Margolies, he settled in the Mattersdorf neighborhood, where he became a fixture at the local Chabad shul.
Gifted with a clear and pleasant voice, Rabbi Kirshenbaum honored many Chabad gatherings with his singing in his younger years and was a member of the famed choir conducted by Rabbi Yosef Yehuda Marton.
A defining chapter of his life began with the establishment of Gutnick Halls in Yerushalayim’s Givat Shaul neighborhood by philanthropist Yosef Isaac Gutnick, with the goal of easing the financial burden of weddings for families. Appointed by Kollel Chabad to manage the hall, Rabbi Kirshenbaum filled the role with extraordinary dedication for more than three decades, becoming synonymous with the venue itself.
Equally central to his identity was his lifelong bond with Meron. For nearly seventy years, he was known as an “Ish Meron,” traveling constantly to the resting place of Rav Shimon bar Yochai. He became widely known for documenting the Lag BaOmer hilula over many years and is remembered as the first person to film the Meron celebrations with a video camera.
Rabbi Kirshenbaum is survived by his wife, Nechama, and their children, Reb Avraham Moshe; Reb Yechezkel Shraga Shimon; Mrs. Chaya Miriam Berger, Mrs. Chassia Essner, Mrs. Esther Malka Singer, Mrs. Rivka Chaifetz (wife of Reb Natan Chaifetz of Lev L’Achim), Mrs. Sarah Levy, Mrs. Rachel Srulovitz, and Mrs. Chana Tzvobner.
Yehi zichro boruch.
{Matzav.com}
Criticism has intensified after Megyn Kelly made remarks seen as complimentary toward white nationalist Nick Fuentes, comments that many said minimized his history of extremist rhetoric.
The controversy stems from an interview Kelly conducted with Tucker Carlson, during which she spoke about Fuentes in flattering terms. Kelly described him as “very smart,” while telling listeners to “excuse his thoughts on race, and Jews, and the Holocaust, and all that,” a formulation that immediately drew condemnation from across the political spectrum.
Fuentes has long been associated with Holocaust denial, praise for Nazi leader Adolf Hitler, and repeated racist and antisemitic statements, a record that critics said made Kelly’s comments especially alarming.
Reaction from media figures was swift and scathing. John Podhoretz, editor of Commentary Magazine, wrote on X: “Megyn Kelly has rotted to the core.”
Ben Domenech of The Spectator piled on, saying, “If you think Nick Fuentes is brilliant, I’m honestly impressed that you have enough brain function to remember to breathe.”
Dave Rubin, host of The Rubin Report, coined a derisive nickname for Kelly, posting: “Great move for Grandma Groyper to attach herself to Fuentes and Candace. Is there anything she won’t do for a click? Find out tomorrow!”
Billionaire investor Cliff Asness added a barbed remark of his own: “Did she praise him for making the trains run on time?”
Kelly also found herself in a public fight with Ian Miles Cheong after he circulated a clip from the Carlson interview. Responding directly, Kelly lashed out: “You’re a pathetic misinformation …. I was explaining why young white men are listening to Fuentes & made clear that while I believe he makes interesting points about the govt etc I was not speaking about his thoughts on Jews, women, blacks etc. [Curse] you & your lies,” she said.
Addressing the broader uproar, Kelly framed the dispute as part of an ongoing pattern of criticism she faces for engaging with controversial voices on the right. She referenced past demands that she distance herself from Carlson after his interview with Fuentes last year. “And then came the, ‘Tucker’s interviewed Nick and you must disavow him. Now you really need to break up with Tucker,’” she said. “As if my entire career rises or falls based on who my friends are, and whose interview I decide to weigh in on. Well, it’s ridiculous.”
Kelly later elaborated on her assessment of Fuentes, reiterating her view that, despite his record, some of his commentary was worth hearing. “He’s obviously got some very extreme views, but he’s very interesting, and he’s very smart, and on a lot of things, there is value to be derived from that guy’s messaging,” she said. She added, “There are a lot of things he talks about that you’re like, ‘Huh, this is not a bad point about our country.’ Excuse his thoughts on race, and Jews, and the Holocaust, and all that.”
The episode comes after months in which Kelly has repeatedly drawn backlash. Kelly defended Candace Owens and dismissed criticism over questions raised about the death of Charlie Kirk. “And then came Candace Owens, and that…she really drives people crazy. She drives them crazy!” Kelly said.
She went further, pushing back on claims that she should have condemned Owens for remarks involving Israel. “They were very angry that I didn’t call her out for what she said about Israel possibly being involved with Charlie Kirk. Well, I didn’t call her out because I was totally fine with those questions being raised and still am!” Kelly said.
Kelly concluded with an unapologetic defense of her stance: “I’m sorry, but I am! I’m sick of this [garbage]. I am allowed to have questions about what, if anyone, aligned with Israel or from Israel might have had to do with Charlie’s death.”
{Matzav.com}
As demonstrations intensified across Iran, President Donald Trump delivered a renewed warning Thursday night, saying the United States would respond forcefully if Iranian authorities move to kill protesters.
Speaking during an interview with Sean Hannity on Fox News, Trump accused the Iranian regime of brutal tactics against civilians in past unrest. “What they’ve done in the past, they’ve started shooting the hell out of people. And all of a sudden, people without any weapons whatsoever standing there and get machine guns, gunning them down, or they grab, take them to prisons and then hang them and kill them. So they played rough. And I said, if they do that, we’re going to hit them very hard. We’re going to hit them hard.”
.@POTUS on Iran: What they've done is, in the past, they started shooting the hell out of [protesters]… and I said if they do that, we're going to hit them very hard… So far, for the most part, they haven't… The enthusiasm to overturn that regime is incredible. pic.twitter.com/i7SBH349Ke
— Rapid Response 47 (@RapidResponse47) January 9, 2026
Trump said preparations are already in place should Iran escalate its response. “We’re ready to do it. If they do that, we’re going to hit them hard. And so far, for the most part, there’s been some of it, but for the most part, they haven’t. There have been people killed. Some of them, the crowds are so big that some of them have had, were stomped on. Literally. It was terrible.”
He emphasized that Tehran has been explicitly warned as the scale of unrest grows. “We’ll see what happens. There’s so many people protesting. Nobody’s ever seen anything like what’s happening right now. But I have put Iran on notice that if they start shooting at them..if they do anything bad to these people, we’re going to hit them very hard.”
Earlier in the day, Trump echoed similar remarks during an interview with radio host Hugh Hewitt, reiterating his support for demonstrators and cautioning Iran against violent crackdowns. “I have let them know that if they start killing people, which they tend to do during their riots… we’re going to hit them very hard,” he said.
When Hewitt pointed out reports that dozens had already died, Trump responded that not all fatalities could be attributed directly to security forces. “I’m not sure I can necessarily hold somebody responsible for that, but … they’ve been told very strongly – even more strongly than I’m speaking to you right now – that if they do that, they’re going to have to pay hell,” the President stated.
As protests mounted, Reza Pahlavi, the Crown Prince of Iran, issued a statement condemning the regime’s actions to suppress communication while expressing appreciation for Trump’s warnings. “Millions of Iranians demanded their freedom tonight. In response, the regime in Iran has cut all lines of communication. It has shut down the Internet. It has cut landlines. It may even attempt to jam satellite signals,” Pahlavi wrote on social media.
Pahlavi urged international leaders to take action alongside the United States. “I want to thank the leader of the free world, President Trump, for reiterating his promise to hold the regime to account. It is time for others, including European leaders, to follow his lead, break their silence, and act more decisively in support of the people of Iran,” he added.
He concluded with a call for immediate intervention to restore connectivity. “I call on them to use all technical, financial, and diplomatic resources available to restore communication to the Iranian people so that their voice and their will can be heard and seen. Do not let the voices of my courageous compatriots be silenced,” concluded Pahlavi.
The statements came amid what observers describe as the largest wave of protests in nearly two weeks, with demonstrators expanding their challenge to Iran’s leadership across multiple regions.
Iran International reported that tens of thousands of people were participating in rallies in major cities, including Tehran, as the unrest continued to spread.
According to the Norway-based group Iran Human Rights, at least 45 protesters have been killed since the demonstrations began, among them eight minors, allegedly at the hands of security forces.
Videos circulating online from Tehran showed crowds chanting slogans including “death to the dictator” and “death to Khamenei”.
Additional footage from Wednesday night captured protesters in the western city of Ilam shouting “death to Khamenei.”
Separate videos shared on social media showed demonstrators in Fars Province tearing down and destroying a statue of Qassem Soleimani, the former head of the Quds Force of the Iranian Revolutionary Guards Corps.
{Matzav.com}
President Donald Trump discusses Maduro’s capture, securing the southern border and plans for Venezuela on ‘Hannity.’
WATCH:
Spain’s government is weighing the possibility of deploying peacekeeping forces to “Palestine,” with Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez saying the move would be considered once conditions allow for progress toward stability, according to a report by Agence France-Presse.
Addressing a gathering of Spanish ambassadors in Madrid, Sanchez said he intends to seek parliamentary approval for such a mission. “I will propose to parliament, when the opportunity presents itself, that we send peacekeeping troops to Palestine, once we can see how to advance this task of pacification,” he said.
Sanchez stressed that Madrid continues to focus closely on developments in Gaza and beyond. “Of course, we have not forgotten Palestine and the Gaza Strip… Spain must actively participate in rebuilding hope in Palestine. The situation there remains intolerable.”
Spain has taken a prominent position within Europe on the conflict, formally recognizing the “State of Palestine” in 2024 and repeatedly criticizing Israel’s military campaign in Gaza, which began after the Hamas assault on southern Israel on October 7, 2023.
Tensions between Madrid and Israel escalated in November 2023, when Spain’s ambassador to Israel was summoned by the Foreign Ministry following Sanchez’s remarks that “Israel is violating international law and is carrying out indiscriminate killings in Gaza.”
Sanchez reiterated his concerns several months later. In April, he condemned what he described as Israel’s “disproportionate response” to the war, warning that it could “destabilizing the Middle East, and as a consequence, the entire world”.
Spain’s criticism did not stop there. In May, Foreign Minister José Manuel Albares publicly pushed for international sanctions against Israel, citing the continued fighting with Hamas in Gaza and the toll of the ongoing conflict.
{Matzav.com}
WATCH:
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Doctors and researchers are cautioning that many people using injectable weight-loss medications could need to remain on them indefinitely, after evidence showed the pounds often come back swiftly once treatment ends.
In a large new review led by Oxford researchers, weight regain was found to be common and rapid after people stopped using the drugs, even among those who had lost substantial amounts. The analysis drew on 37 studies covering more than 9,300 participants and compared outcomes across all licensed weight-loss medications and behavioural programmes.
On average, people who discontinued the injections put weight back on at a rate of about a pound a month. Based on the data, many were expected to regain most or all of the lost weight within roughly 17 to 20 months, regardless of how much they had initially shed.
Professor Susan Jebb, who co-authored the review and advises ministers and the NHS on obesity, said the findings suggest a need to rethink how these drugs are viewed and prescribed. She said: “Obesity is a chronic relapsing condition, and I think one would expect that these treatments need to be continued for life, just in the same way as blood pressure medication.”
“We should see this as a chronic treatment for a chronic condition,” she added.
The injections — including widely used brands such as Mounjaro and Wegovy — belong to a class of medicines known as GLP-1 drugs. They mimic hormones released after eating, helping to suppress appetite and regulate blood sugar. Their arrival has been widely seen as a turning point in obesity care, offering levels of weight loss rarely achieved through diet and exercise alone.
However, the Oxford team warned in The British Medical Journal that the benefits can be short-lived once the drugs are withdrawn. Not only did weight return quickly, but key cardiometabolic improvements also faded. Gains in blood sugar control, blood pressure and cholesterol typically disappeared within 18 months of stopping treatment.
Weight regain occurred around four times faster than among people who lost weight through diet and exercise alone. While those on lifestyle programmes generally lost less — about 5kg over a year — they tended to regain weight far more slowly, at around a fifth of a pound a month. In that group, heart-health benefits often persisted for up to five years after the programme ended.
Dr Adam Collins, an associate professor of nutrition who was not involved in the research, said the mechanism behind the drugs helps explain the rebound effect. “As soon as the drug is stopped, appetite is no longer kept in check,” he said.
“If people haven’t built sustainable habits alongside treatment, going cold turkey can be extremely difficult – and some may regain even more weight than they lost.”
The review found that people using injections typically lost close to two-and-a-half stone (14.7kg) within nine to 12 months. But once treatment ended, most were projected to return to their starting weight within two years.
The findings are likely to intensify debate over NHS policy. Under current rules, Wegovy is offered for a limited period of up to two years. Most users, however, obtain the drugs privately, often paying as much as £300 a month — raising concerns about affordability if long-term or lifelong use is required.
Professor Jebb said real-world use also presents challenges. “What we’ve shown is that weight regain after treatment is common and rapid – suggesting the jabs should not be seen as a short-term solution,” she said.
“In the real world we know that adherence is surprisingly poor, with around half of people discontinuing these medications within a year.”
An estimated 2.5 million people in the UK are currently using newer GLP-1 weight-loss drugs. At the same time, around two in three adults are classed as overweight or obese. NHS data show adults now weigh roughly a stone more than they did three decades ago, a trend estimated to cost the economy £100 billion annually.
Eligibility for NHS-funded treatment is already restricted. Only patients with a BMI over 35 and a weight-related health condition, or those with a BMI between 30 and 34.9 referred to specialist services, qualify. More than half of local health commissioners in England are expected to further tighten access due to cost pressures.
Obesity is linked to at least 13 types of cancer and is the second biggest cause of the disease in the UK, according to Cancer Research UK. It has also driven a 39 per cent increase in type 2 diabetes among under-40s, with about 168,000 young people now living with the condition.
While concerns have been raised about side effects — including nausea, vomiting and diarrhoea, and rare cases of pancreatitis — many specialists say the overall benefits outweigh the risks for most patients.
Professor John Wilding, an honorary consultant physician in cardiovascular and metabolic medicine at the University of Liverpool, said the results were to be expected. “We don’t expect treatments for diabetes, high blood pressure or high cholesterol to continue working once medication is withdrawn – and there’s no scientific reason obesity should be different,” he said.
“These drugs should be considered long-term treatments, not a quick fix.”
{Matzav.com}
President Donald Trump plans to build his controversial ballroom as tall as the White House’s main mansion itself, the project’s chief architect told a federal review committee Thursday – a significant change of plans that breaks with long-standing architectural norms requiring additions to be shorter than the main building.
Architect Shalom Baranes told the National Capital Planning Commission that the president’s plans call for the building to be about 60 feet high on its north side and 70 feet high on its south side. That differs from representations made as recently as August, when a National Park Service official said the building would be 55 feet tall, according to an environmental assessment.
“The heights will match exactly,” Baranes told the panel.
Baranes also disclosed that the project’s footprint would be about 45,000 square feet, roughly half the size that the administration has described since announcing the project in July. Of that, the ballroom itself would total about 22,000 square feet and would be designed to accommodate roughly 1,000 guests. White House officials have repeatedly said the building would span 90,000 square feet of White House grounds, which Baranes said includes a second floor – a clarification introduced as federal oversight bodies begin an accelerated review of a project for which core specifications continue to evolve.
D.C. Council Chairman Phil Mendelson, who has a seat on the panel, pressed Baranes on whether the ballroom’s height could be lowered, saying he was “concerned” by the possibility that the planned addition could overwhelm the White House mansion. Baranes said it was “possible, not impossible” to lower the ballroom’s height.
The presentation comes as the White House begins an unusually compressed push to win approvals from two committees charged by Congress with reviewing federal construction. White House officials have said they intend to complete the process in just over two months, a timeline far shorter than comparable projects, former commissioners have said, placing added pressure on oversight bodies that the administration moved to stock with Trump allies.
Baranes told the panel that the White House had abandoned plans to make the ballroom larger. But he said that officials are now considering a one-story addition to the West Wing’s colonnade in an effort to create symmetry with the planned two-story colonnade that would lead from the White House to the ballroom. He also laid out other planned features of the project, such as an office suite for the First Lady, and reconstructed White House movie theater.
It was only last week that the White House laid out a timeline for approvals, laying out a step-by-step path through the two review bodies. After their appearance at the planning commission, Baranes and administration officials intend to give a nearly identical informational presentation to the Commission of Fine Arts at its Jan. 15 meeting. They plan to come back on Feb. 19 to get the fine arts commission’s approval for the project, followed by a planning commission vote on March 5.
Trump administration officials have said they could start aboveground construction as soon as April.
The president will have to appoint at least four members to the fine arts commission for the body to reach a quorum at its meeting next week. Trump in October fired the panel’s six holdover members appointed by President Joe Biden, and White House officials are currently seeking potential appointees aligned with Trump’s architectural desires.
The Trump administration met with staff members from the planning and fine arts commissions only after a Dec. 17 court order from U.S. District Judge Richard J. Leon, holding separate meetings on Dec. 19 and formally submitting applications to review the ballroom project three days later.
The National Trust for Historic Preservation argued in court filings last week that the Trump administration had failed to take “meaningful steps” toward public review or commission approval.
“They have, repeatedly, broken the rules first and asked for permission later,” wrote lawyers for the National Trust, which sued the Trump administration in an effort to halt construction until required reviews occur.
The White House said meeting with committee staffers and submitting conceptual renderings – rather than detailed blueprints – satisfied the judge’s instruction to start engaging with both commissions by the end of the year.
The National Capital Planning Commission is led by Will Scharf, the White House staff secretary and Trump’s former personal lawyer, whom the president appointed in July. The commission’s membership now tilts heavily toward Trump, including two other White House officials and nine Cabinet members.
The review process for the ballroom building differs markedly from past practice. Large projects have previously undergone lengthy, multistage reviews that begin well before any demolition or site work. Agencies typically engage planning commission staff months or even years in advance, with commissioners and staff evaluating design, siting and environmental impacts at each stage.
The Trump White House has compressed or bypassed some of those steps. Officials plan to complete in months a process that took nearly two years for a White House security fence that was significantly smaller than the ballroom. That project involved five public meetings, during which the commission assessed compliance with federal environmental laws and “the historic and symbolic importance of the White House and the surrounding grounds,” according to planning commission documents.
By contrast, Trump has overseen a three-month transformation of a large chunk of the White House grounds with no planning commission oversight. In mid-September, crews started clearing foliage and cutting down trees. In late October, the president shocked the public by ordering the demolition of the East Wing. And by early December, cranes and pile drivers were operating daily, as crews worked to create the underground infrastructure necessary to support the building, the White House said.
Scharf has asserted that the planning commission review process covers only “vertical” construction – not demolition or site preparation. Critics have disputed that assertion, arguing that demolition, site work and construction are inseparable and that the commission’s mandate includes preserving existing historic structures.
Planning commission records show that commissioners have previously approved site development plans for projects, including the perimeter fence and a tennis pavilion built during Trump’s first term. In both cases, site work began after agencies received approvals.
The commission nevertheless adopted Scharf’s argument in the document it published in December outlining its review process, saying the law doesn’t give it authority over “the demolition of buildings or general site preparation.”
Lawmakers and watchdog groups have repeatedly called for more transparency on the estimated $400 million project being funded by private donors – many without disclosing their contributions. Many of the donors the White House has identified – including Amazon, Lockheed Martin and Palantir – have business before the administration, such as seeking future federal contracts or eyeing potential acquisitions. (Amazon founder Jeff Bezos owns The Washington Post.)
Sen. Richard Blumenthal (Connecticut), the top Democrat on the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations, sent letters last month demanding more information from several attendees of a White House dinner in October to honor ballroom donors.
“The American people are entitled to all the relevant facts about who is funding the most substantial construction project at the White House in recent history,” Blumenthal wrote.
(c) 2026, The Washington Post · Jonathan Edwards, Dan Diamond
