The Satmar community is preparing for one of its largest annual philanthropic distributions, as the Keren Hatzalah fund will allocate five million dollars in the coming week to educational institutions in Israel that receive no government funding.
The distribution, founded by the Satmar Rebbe Rav Yooel zt”l, will take place at the headquarters of the Badatz of the Eidah HaChareidis in Kikar Zupnik, Yerushalayim.
Four million dollars of the total sum were donated by prominent Satmar philanthropists from Rav Aharon Teitelbaum’s Satmar faction. The donors include:
Rav Chaim Pesach Goldstein, a veteran member of the fund’s leadership
Rav Berel Weiss of Los Angeles
Rav Yechezkel Schwimmer of Williamsburg
Rav Yoeli Landau of Williamsburg
Rav Mordechai Kahn of Montreal
Rav Avrohom Jeremias of Kiryas Yoel
An additional one million dollars—delivered Sunday via check from the Satmar Rebbe to Badatz member Rav Avraham Yitzchok Ullman at an event marking hafrashas terumos u’maasros in Or Haganuz—was donated by Satmar philanthropists Rav Menachem Gershon Leibowitz, Rav Yechezkel Berkowitz, and Rav Shalom Yaakobovitz of Williamsburg.
Keren Hatzalah was founded by the Satmar Rebbe zt”l as a dedicated philanthropic engine to support al taharas ha’kodesh educational institutions across Israel, mosdos that deliberately remain outside the funding framework of the Israeli Ministry of Education. The fund is jointly supported by the two Satmar courts and continues to serve as a lifeline for hundreds of Torah institutions throughout the country.
{Matzav.com}
A special pidyon haben celebration took place for the grandson of the Spinka Rebbe of Beit Shemesh, the son of his son-in-law, Rav Rabinowitz, and great-grandson of the Biala-Peshischa Rebbe.
The event was held in the Royal Hall in Bnei Brak.
In an uncommon display, nine kohanim of verified lineage – kohanim meyuchasim – from various kehillos and backgrounds were honored with performing the pidyon, with the Spinka Rebbe of Bnei Brak serving at the forefront of the distinguished group.
A photo gallery of the event was captured by photographer Shuki Lerer:
פדיון הבן בספינקא בית שמשצילום: שוקי לרר פדיון הבן בספינקא בית שמשצילום: שוקי לרר פדיון הבן בספינקא בית שמשצילום: שוקי לרר פדיון הבן בספינקא בית שמשצילום: שוקי לרר פדיון הבן בספינקא בית שמשצילום: שוקי לרר פדיון הבן בספינקא בית שמשצילום: שוקי לרר פדיון הבן בספינקא בית שמשצילום: שוקי לרר פדיון הבן בספינקא בית שמשצילום: שוקי לרר פדיון הבן בספינקא בית שמשצילום: שוקי לרר פדיון הבן בספינקא בית שמשצילום: שוקי לרר פדיון הבן בספינקא בית שמשצילום: שוקי לרר פדיון הבן בספינקא בית שמשצילום: שוקי לרר
פדיון הבן בספינקא בית שמשצילום: שוקי לרר
פדיון הבן בספינקא בית שמשצילום: שוקי לרר
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פדיון הבן בספינקא בית שמשצילום: שוקי לרר פדיון הבן בספינקא בית שמשצילום: שוקי לרר
פדיון הבן בספינקא בית שמשצילום: שוקי לרר פדיון הבן בספינקא בית שמשצילום: שוקי לרר פדיון הבן בספינקא בית שמשצילום: שוקי לרר פדיון הבן בספינקא בית שמשצילום: שוקי לרר פדיון הבן בספינקא בית שמשצילום: שוקי לרר פדיון הבן בספינקא בית שמשצילום: שוקי לרר פדיון הבן בספינקא בית שמשצילום: שוקי לרר פדיון הבן בספינקא בית שמשצילום: שוקי לרר פדיון הבן בספינקא בית שמשצילום: שוקי לרר פדיון הבן בספינקא בית שמשצילום: שוקי לרר פדיון הבן בספינקא בית שמשצילום: שוקי לרר פדיון הבן בספינקא בית שמשצילום: שוקי לרר
פדיון הבן בספינקא בית שמשצילום: שוקי לרר פדיון הבן בספינקא בית שמשצילום: שוקי לרר
פדיון הבן בספינקא בית שמשצילום: שוקי לרר
פדיון הבן בספינקא בית שמשצילום: שוקי לרר
It is with great sadness that Matzav.comreports the passing of Rav Ehud Rakovsky (Avitzedek) zt”l, Rosh Kollel of Shvus Ami and noted author of the acclaimed sefarim Daas Tefillah, Daas Shabbos, Daas Moed, and Daas Emunah. He was 72.
Rav Rakovsky passed away earlier today, and his levayah was held this afternoon from his home in the Beit Vegan neighborhood of Yerushalayim.
The niftar was born on 26 Iyar 5713 to his father, Reb Eliyahu z”l, and his mother, Mrs. Tzila a”h. Upon reaching marriageable age, he married his wife, the daughter of Reb Moshe Blau z”l.
Throughout his life, Rav Rakovsky was known for his unwavering dedication to Torah, his refined middos, and his deep yiras Shamayim. He spent his days immersed in learning with diligence and devotion, raised many talmidim, and endured difficult suffering with humility, love, and complete faith.
A close talmid of the renowned gaon Rav Moshe Shapiro zt”l, Rav Rakovsky authored several well-regarded sefarim that became foundational works for many seeking depth and clarity in avodas Hashem.
The levayah took place today departing from his home at 23 Rav Frank Street in Beit Vegan and proceeding to the Derech HaChaim Cemetery in Beit Shemesh, where he was laid to rest.
The family is sitting shivah at his home, 23 Rav Frank Street, Beit Vegan, Yerushalayim.
Yehi zichro boruch.
{Matzav.com}
Amid a string of troubling revelations involving Palestinian Authority police officers linked to terror attacks, MK Tzvi Sukkot has called for an urgent session of the Knesset Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee to reassess Israel’s security coordination with the PA.
In a formal request submitted today (Tuesday) to Committee Chairman MK Boaz Bismuth, Sukkot urged an immediate review of the longstanding cooperation framework, arguing that recent events point to deep failures within the PA’s security apparatus.
Sukkot noted that in recent days, Israeli security forces uncovered a terror cell operating in the Shomron in which all four members were active PA police officers. In addition, three more PA police officers were arrested on suspicion of involvement in terror activity, adding to the growing concern.
He also pointed to the case of the terrorist eliminated yesterday in Shechem, who was responsible for the murders of two IDF soldiers. After the attack, the gunman surrendered himself to the PA—only to be released back into the field. Sukkot wrote that “these incidents raise grave concern regarding the reliability of the PA’s security forces and their ability to serve as a restraining factor.”
According to Sukkot, instability inside the PA is rapidly increasing, particularly as questions mount over the post–Mahmoud Abbas era. This volatility, he warned, creates a realistic fear that the PA’s mechanisms could unravel, generating further escalation directed at Israel.
Concluding his appeal, Sukkot demanded that the committee convene without delay. “We must reexamine the nature and depth of our cooperation with the PA in light of these recent facts,” he wrote.
{Matzav.com}Canadian federal authorities revealed today that they arrested a teenage suspect earlier this month north of Toronto on allegations that he was preparing to carry out a terror attack in the name of ISIS.
According to the announcement, officers from the RCMP’s Greater Toronto Area Integrated National Security Enforcement Team (GTA-INSET) detained the youth on November 4. Investigators believe the teen was actively involved in online ISIS propaganda efforts, allegedly editing and distributing videos on behalf of the terror organization. Police say he also attempted to obtain weapons and equipment in preparation for an attack, including soliciting another individual to supply arms “intended to advance terrorist activity.”
Because of his age, the suspect’s identity is protected under Canada’s Youth Criminal Justice Act (YCJA). He is now facing multiple terror-related charges, including participation in terrorist group activities and requesting that another person provide property or resources for a terrorist purpose.
This incident follows a series of recent terrorism arrests involving minors in Canada. In August, a teenager in Montreal was taken into custody for planning an ISIS-motivated attack. In late 2023 and early 2024, two 15-year-olds in Ottawa were arrested for allegedly plotting a mass-casualty attack targeting the local Jewish community.
Security agencies reported that since 2022, authorities have foiled 24 attempts to carry out acts of violent extremism nationwide, including a thwarted attack planned by a father and son against a Jewish community in the Toronto area.
{Matzav.com}Republican support for President Donald Trump remains extraordinarily strong, with new CNN numbers showing that 87 percent of GOP voters back him — exactly the same level of approval he held half a year ago.
The data places Trump at the top of the list of modern presidents when it comes to retaining second-term support within their own parties. Both George W. Bush and Barack Obama trailed far behind at this stage of their presidencies, each sitting at 78 percent among their respective bases.
CNN’s chief data analyst Harry Enten said the consistency of Trump’s standing is remarkable, calling it “like a rock” and even citing Bob Seger as he explained the steadiness of the president’s support. Enten stressed that Trump “has not lost any Republican support over the past six months,” underscoring how insulated the GOP base remains from political turbulence elsewhere.
Enten also pointed to Trump’s unmatched clout in Republican primary contests. His record of endorsements has been staggering: candidates he backed won 98 percent of GOP congressional and gubernatorial primaries in 2020, followed by a 95 percent win rate in 2022 and 96 percent in 2024. As Enten put it, “When you go up against Donald Trump, you’re going up against a buzzsaw.”
Those figures cast a new light on the departure of Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene of Georgia, who announced her intention to resign in January. Prediction markets give her a 31 percent chance of leaving the Republican Party by 2027, and though she blamed her exit on broad dissatisfaction with both parties, Enten noted that “more times than not, when you go up against Donald Trump in a Republican primary, you lose almost all the time,” hinting that the political reality may have played a role.
Over the summer, Trump’s GOP approval even ticked higher — hitting 88 percent in CNN polling and 90 percent in Quinnipiac surveys — during a period when social-media discourse was consumed by renewed conversation about the Epstein case. Yet only a single Republican respondent cited the issue as a top national concern. At the same time, an AP poll found Trump’s overall job approval reaching 45 percent, the highest of his presidency, following his deployment of the National Guard to crack down on violent crime in Washington, DC.
{Matzav.com}
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A report from Channel 12 describes a private White House meeting between President Donald Trump and Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman that allegedly ended with the president feeling “disappointed and angry,” according to two senior American officials and another source who was briefed on the discussion.
The account claims that Trump personally brought up the question of normalization with Israel, pushing the crown prince to advance the process without delay. Bin Salman, the report says, countered that although he does not reject the idea outright, public sentiment across Saudi Arabia has sharply hardened against Israel since the war in Gaza, making such a move politically impossible right now.
Despite the respectful tone in the room, one senior U.S. official told the network that Trump left the meeting frustrated over the crown prince’s stance. That same official emphasized that “bin Salman did not say ‘never’ in the meeting regarding normalization with Israel. He left the door open to doing it in the future — but the issue of a two-state solution is a major problem” — a condition the Saudi leader articulated during his public remarks at the White House.
Channel 12 noted that the Saudi embassy in Washington declined to comment on the report. The White House, for its part, offered only a brief statement saying that “President Trump calls on all Middle Eastern countries to join the Abraham Accords.”
{Matzav.com}
President Donald Trump announced that he is sending his special envoy, Steve Witkoff, to Moscow to meet with Russian President Vladimir Putin as part of an intensified effort to finalize a comprehensive agreement to end the war in Ukraine.
Trump revealed the move in a lengthy post on his Truth Social platform, saying that negotiations have reached a critical point, with “only a few remaining points of disagreement” separating the sides from a deal.
“In the hopes of finalizing this Peace Plan, I have directed my Special Envoy Steve Witkoff to meet with President Putin in Moscow,” Trump wrote, adding that the peace framework — an expanded version of the original 28-Point Plan drafted by the United States — has been “fine-tuned, with additional input from both sides.”
According to Trump, parallel talks will take place with Ukrainian officials, with US Secretary of the Army Dan Driscoll set to meet them as discussions continue “on all progress made.” Trump noted that senior members of his administration, including Vice President JD Vance, Secretary of State Marco Rubio, and White House Chief of Staff Susie Wiles, will be fully briefed as the talks advance.
The president emphasized that he intends to personally meet with both Putin and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy “soon,” but added a clear condition: such a summit will take place “ONLY when the deal to end this War is FINAL or, in its final stages.”
Trump highlighted recent momentum, claiming that “over the past week,” his team has made “tremendous progress” toward ending the conflict. He also asserted — as he has repeatedly — that the war “would have NEVER started if I were President!!”
“As soon as that is accomplished,” Trump concluded, “let’s all hope that PEACE can be accomplished AS SOON AS POSSIBLE!”
{Matzav.com}
Israeli Prime Minister Bibi Netanyahu is attempting to rein in a rapidly escalating confrontation between Defense Minister Yisroel Katz and IDF Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Eyal Zamir, amid reports that the premier is weighing a dramatic shake-up at the top of the defense establishment.
Following an Israel Hayom report that Netanyahu is considering replacing Katz with Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar, the Prime Minister’s Office issued a brief statement urging the public to ignore politically motivated leaks.
“It is best not to listen to briefings to journalists by interested parties,” Netanyahu’s office said. “The prime minister is determined to solve the issues, and will solve them in the best way possible.”
The feud between Katz and Zamir has spilled into the open in recent days. The defense minister has ordered a re-examination of the military’s review of its internal investigations into the failures surrounding the October 7, 2023, Hamas-led massacre — a move Zamir strongly opposes.
On Monday, Zamir published a pointed statement accusing Katz of harming the army’s readiness by imposing a 30-day freeze on senior promotions the chief of staff had already authorized.
The public exchange infuriated Netanyahu. According to the Kan public broadcaster, the prime minister instructed both men to halt the verbal attacks immediately. He was said to be especially displeased with Zamir’s lengthy press release targeting Katz.
The clash comes at a sensitive moment for the government, and Netanyahu is now working to defuse the confrontation before it destabilizes the coalition or undermines military cohesion.
{Matzav.com}
In a notable shift announced during Tuesday’s session of the Knesset’s Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee, a Defense Ministry representative revealed that the ministry is advancing a military directive to nullify the longstanding prohibition on Jews buying land in Judea and Samaria. This directive, they noted, is being pushed in tandem with the parliamentary process and may take effect even before the bill completes its passage through the Knesset.
The announcement came as MK Boaz Bismuth presided over a meeting in which the committee voted to send legislation to its first reading. The measure seeks to do away with the 1953 “Jordanian Law,” a regulation that has, until now, barred Jews from directly obtaining land rights in Judea and Samaria.
Lawmakers explained that the new legislation is crafted to permit any Israeli citizen, as well as any individual eligible under the Law of Return, to acquire property in these areas without needing to rely on complicated loopholes or alternative frameworks.
For many years, those wishing to purchase land had to maneuver through an indirect structure — often establishing a locally registered company — solely to circumvent the prohibition. The process was notoriously cumbersome and slowed or prevented many transactions.
Following the committee’s debate, the leaders of the Land of Israel Lobby welcomed the developments, saying: “Today we took a significant step towards correcting a historical and racist injustice. It is unacceptable that in the Land of Israel there should be a restriction on Jews acquiring land simply because of their Jewish identity. We expect the law to pass as soon as possible in the plenary so that we can move forward with the second and third readings and end the racist discrimination against Jews.”
{Matzav.com}
