The KCL of Lakewood, NJ has issued a public kashrus alert cautioning the community about the growing use of Instacart for purchases from kosher supermarkets.
In a notice obtained by Matzav.com, the KCL says it is calling attention to concerns that have arisen due to the increasing reliance on the Instacart service for grocery shopping at kosher establishments. According to the alert, orders placed through Instacart are fulfilled by third-party shoppers who may not have sufficient knowledge or training in matters of kashrus. In many cases, the kosher supermarket itself may not even be aware that the order is being processed through Instacart.
The KCL explained that this situation creates a particular concern when orders include fresh meat, fresh fish, deli items, or prepared foods. In such cases, there is no reliable assurance that the required chosamos (halachic seals) will be properly affixed by the kosher establishment. As a result, these items could potentially be delivered without the necessary halachic safeguards in place.
The KCL emphasized that it is currently exploring ways to address the issue. However, in the interim, it is strongly recommending that food items requiring chosamos not be purchased through Instacart. Instead, the Vaad advises that such items be ordered directly from the kosher supermarket, which is aware of the relevant halachic requirements and can ensure that appropriate seals are affixed prior to delivery.
{Matzav.com}
MK Yulia Malinovsky of Yisrael Beiteinu delivered an uncompromising message during an interview in the Kikar HaShabbat studio, making clear she was not seeking compromise over the proposed draft law but instead presenting what she described as an ultimatum. In the wide-ranging interview, she sharply criticized Chareidi leadership, argued that Torah study alone was not sufficient in the face of security threats, and signaled that state funding for the Chareidi sector would be her next target. “We’ve reached the limit — there will no longer be an option of only receiving,” she declared.
Malinovsky, known for her confrontational style, did not soften her tone. Addressing her relationship with the Chareidi community, she said, “My personal relationships with people are excellent, but I know how to distinguish between what is essential and what is secondary.”
Responding to claims that her stance on the draft law is driven by cheap populism, Malinovsky outlined what she called a simple principle — “the family equation.” In her view, the state functions like an extended household in which rights and responsibilities go hand in hand. “In a family there are rights and duties. Like a mother tells her children: ‘Sweetie, if you don’t do A, B, C — you don’t get this.’ You can’t just be on the receiving end. This is all of our home, and everyone has to defend it. There is no other option anymore.”
One of the most contentious points in the conversation centered on the tension between Torah study and military necessity. Malinovsky said she recognizes the historical value of Torah learning but rejects the notion that it conflicts with army service. “On October 7 everyone prayed, including secular people, but in the end what helped was an M16 rifle in someone’s hand,” she said.
She continued, “The Torah says that in wartime ‘a groom leaves his wedding canopy.’ Great rabbis throughout history both worked and served. The mitzvah is to provide for your family, and the concept of ‘Toraso Umnaso’ has become a political tool that keeps the public poor and weak.”
Malinovsky dismissed arguments that the IDF is not prepared to integrate Chareidim or that a gradual process is required. “The stories about ‘gradually’ are over,” she stated. “The IDF needs 13,000 soldiers now. When I see the young men in Bnei Brak — strong and healthy — they’re material for Sayeret Matkal. If they don’t defend the home, then who will?”
At one point, she invoked the historical example of the “Cantonists” under Czarist Russia, when Jewish children were forcibly conscripted. This time, however, she directed her criticism inward. “In 1818 the elite and the wealthy would hide their own children and send the children of the poor and widows to the army. I see that happening today as well. The Chareidi leadership wants to preserve its power and keep the public in yeshivot, while the weaker layers pay the price. I call on the young people: don’t be the Cantonists of the political operatives.”
Her criticism expanded beyond the draft issue to governance and public spending. She linked what she described as weak enforcement in the Negev to broader government conduct. “It’s all a matter of money and enforcement,” she argued. “We have a government of likes on Twitter, but there is no ‘governance’ on the ground. When you distribute 36 billion shekels in ‘extras’ to the sector without conditions — that’s economic suicide. Money leaves a trail, and we will follow it to bring order.”
Malinovsky concluded on a personal note, recalling her own journey as a new immigrant who arrived in Israel with just $200 and worked cleaning jobs before entering politics. She said her experience proves that there are no handouts in life. “No one received anything for free,” she said. “The sky is the limit for those who want to contribute, but the responsibility to defend our home belongs to all of us together. Without that — it’s either partnership or collapse.”
{Matzav.com}
National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir launched a forceful attack on Attorney General Gali Baharav-Miara, accusing her of obstructing efforts to combat violent crime in the Arab sector and asserting that her actions have cost lives.
Ben Gvir argued that initiatives he proposed years ago to address organized crime were rejected by the attorney general. “The blood of those murdered in the Arab sector is on the hands of Gali Baharav-Miara. Because when I came to her three years ago and said, ‘Take a list, these are a hundred families, let’s arrest them administratively,’ she told me no,” Ben Gvir claimed.
He said that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has since come around to his position regarding the attorney general’s removal. “Two and a half years ago, I went to the Prime Minister and told him, ‘Let’s fire her, let’s send her home.’ He said to me, ‘You’re a young minister, you don’t understand, it doesn’t work like that.’ Today, he admits that I was right. She needs to be sent home, and we need a legal reform.”
The national security minister also addressed his broader role within the coalition, saying he and his allies have shaped key policy decisions. “We have influenced many things. There were those who didn’t want to engage in maneuvering, but we were there in the government, and we influenced the maneuver and ensured that we would go in and do a good job.”
Turning to legislation that would impose the death penalty on terrorists, Ben Gvir said he anticipates progress on the measure. “I have a promise from Prime Minister Netanyahu that he will push it forward.”
{Matzav.com}
A total of 25,274 children have been officially classified as victims of terrorist attacks since October 7, according to figures released Tuesday by the National Insurance Institute. The overwhelming majority—more than 97 percent—received that recognition during the initial months of the war, between October and December 2023.
The data paints a devastating picture of the toll on Israel’s youngest citizens. Sixty-three children have been killed since the outbreak of the war. Thirty-five children were left without either parent, and 316 minors lost brothers or sisters in the violence.
Beyond those fatalities and family losses, 5,659 children have been acknowledged by the National Insurance Institute as suffering from physical injuries or psychological trauma connected to the attacks.
A closer look at the age distribution shows that the largest number of affected children falls within the 5 to 9 age group, totaling 8,123. The next largest group is toddlers and preschoolers between ages 0 and 4, with 7,356 children recognized.
Among older children, 6,532 between the ages of 10 and 14 were listed as victims, along with 3,263 teenagers aged 15 to 17.
In its statement, the National Insurance Institute emphasized that it is focused on safeguarding the rights and long-term welfare of these children. Assistance includes monthly financial benefits, social services, and access to emotional and therapeutic care.
“The National Insurance Institute views the rehabilitation of the future generation impacted by terrorism as a paramount national and moral mission, and it will continue to provide the necessary support to every child, as much as it can, from now and throughout their lives.”
{Matzav.com}