Feed aggregator

The upcoming New York City mayoral election will shape our yeshivos, shuls, and community life for decades. Every vote counts, including those of our sons and daughters studying in Israel. Thanks to an initiative spearheaded by Agudath Israel and the Igud Yeshivos Bnei Chul, students in Israel who are registered to vote in NYC will be able to receive absentee ballots at their parents’ NYC homes and return them securely for submission to the Board of Elections.

Here’s how it works:

1. 1. Registering – Make sure voter registration is complete. You can check voter registration by clicking here.
   2. Apply for an Absentee Ballot – The application for an absentee ballot can be found online by clicking here.
   3. Ballots Sent to Your NYC Home Address – Once the application has been submitted, the absentee ballots will be mailed to the voter’s home address in New York City. Parents can expect to receive them within a few days.
   4. Required Information – Each ballot must have a completed form (click here), which includes the following details:
      1. Student’s full name
      2. Yeshiva or seminary name
      3. Contact phone number in Israel
      4. Contact email (Israel or U.S.)
      5. Home address in New York City
   5. Drop-Off Locations – Parents will then bring the ballots, along with the completed form, to one of several designated drop-off sites throughout New York City. A full list of locations will be provided.
   6. Delivery to Israel – The collected ballots will be securely sent to the Igud Yeshivos office in Israel.
   7. Distribution to Students – Igud staff will personally deliver the ballots to each student in their yeshiva or seminary, where they can complete them.
   8. Return for Processing – Once filled out, the ballots will then be returned for submission to the NYC Board of Elections.

   This initiative ensures that the voices of our children, learning and growing in Eretz Yisroel, will still be counted in shaping the future of New York City. With your partnership and participation, together we can make a difference.

   Drop Off Locations

   Kew Gardens Hills: 73-20 136th Street Flushing, NY 11367 (Leave it in the mailbox)

   Far Rockaway: 792 Caffrey Ave Far Rockaway, NY 11691 (Leave it in the mailbox)

   Flatbush: TBA

   Marine Park: JCCMP Office- 3415 Quentin Rd, Brooklyn, NY 11234 (Leave in the mailbox)

   Boro Park: BPJCC HQ- 1310 46th Street, Brooklyn, NY 11219 (During regular business hours).

   If you would like to arrange a drop-off location in your community of if you have any questions, please reach out to egurell@agudah.org or call (212) 797-9000 extension 320.

{Matzav.com}

A suspect on trial for trying to assassinate President Donald Trump while he played golf in South Florida last year forfeited his right to continue making an opening statement on Thursday when he veered off topic and talked about Adolf Hitler and the wars in Ukraine and Gaza. Ryan Routh, who is representing himself, was warned by U.S. District Judge Aileen Cannon to stay on topic. The judge twice asked jurors to leave the courtroom so she could deal with the unconventional turn Routh’s opening statement took. Both Routh and prosecutors had been given 40 minutes each to make opening statements, but Routh’s initial argument, read from a written statement, lasted about 10 minutes before the judge said he had forfeited the right to continue because he was addressing unrelated matters. “I gave you one more chance and you continued to read what has no relevance for this case,” Cannon said. During the prosecution’s opening statement, Assistant U.S. Attorney John Shipley told jurors that Routh wanted to make sure that Trump wasn’t re-elected to the White House. “This plot was carefully crafted and deadly serious,” Shipley said. Routh has pleaded not guilty to charges of attempting to assassinate a major presidential candidate, assaulting a federal officer and several firearm violations. Until this week, Routh has appeared at hearings shackled at the wrists and ankles and dressed in a tan jail jumpsuit. But with jurors present, Routh has been unrestrained and dressed in a sport coat and tie. Cannon has said that Routh will be allowed to address jurors and witnesses from a podium, but he will not have free rein of the courtroom. A panel of 12 jurors and four alternates was sworn in Wednesday, at the federal courthouse in Fort Pierce, Florida. There are four white men, one Black man, six white women, and one Black woman on the jury, and the alternates are two white men and two white women. The panel was selected from a pool of 180 potential jurors. The trial begins nearly a year after prosecutors say a Secret Service agent thwarted his attempt to shoot the Republican presidential nominee. It’s expected to run two or three weeks. The trial’s start comes as police search for the gunman who killed conservative influencer Charlie Kirk at a campus in Utah on Wednesday in what political leaders are calling an assassination. Prosecutors have said Routh, 59, methodically plotted to kill Trump for weeks before aiming a rifle through the shrubbery as Trump played golf on Sept. 15, 2024, at his West Palm Beach country club. A Secret Service agent spotted Routh before Trump came into view. Officials said Routh aimed his rifle at the agent, who opened fire, causing Routh to drop his weapon and flee without firing a shot. Just nine weeks earlier, Trump had survived another attempt on his life while campaigning in Pennsylvania. That gunman had fired eight shots, with one bullet grazing Trump’s ear, before being shot by a Secret Service counter sniper. Cannon is a Trump-appointed judge who drew scrutiny for her handling of a criminal case accusing Trump of illegally storing classified documents at his Mar-a-Lago estate in Palm Beach. The case became mired in delays as motions piled up over months, and was ultimately dismissed by Cannon last year after […]

Maj. Gen. Tomer Bar, the commander of the Israeli Air Force, disclosed on Wednesday that F-16 Barak fighter jets from the Barak Squadron carried out bombing runs in Iran during Operation Rising Lion without requiring midair refueling.

The achievement is striking given the age of the aircraft, which are three to four decades old and were originally designed for use in nearby arenas such as Lebanon and Gaza.

Bar shared these details at a ceremony where Colonel A. officially assumed command of the Ramat David Airbase. In his remarks, Bar highlighted that the older planes successfully traveled distances of 1,500 to 2,200 kilometers from Israel and completed their assignment.

Addressing the personnel, Bar said: “We can’t describe Operation Rising Lion as it was executed without your significant contribution to the Air Force’s capabilities… You were the X-factor, you were the decisive variable.”

He went on to note that the prevailing belief in the Air Force was that these older aircraft were not fit for a third wave of operations. However, the initiative and resolve of the unit’s leadership and pilots proved that assumption wrong.

According to Bar, “You sat, you thought, you calculated, and you called me for a visit, which proved the opposite: ‘We can get to Iran without refueling, we can do it at a high rate, non-stop,’ that’s what you told me. It was possible with the maturity, professionalism, and experience of the airmen here.” He added that the creativity and precision displayed by the squadron caught him by surprise and ultimately made the mission a success.

{Matzav.com}

In preparation for the upcoming Jewish High Holidays, community leaders, representatives of Hatzolah, Chaverim, and several local shuls met with law enforcement officials to discuss safety and security measures. Among the community leaders and elected officials in attendance were NJ State Assemblyman Gary Schaer, Passaic City Councilman Daniel Mayer, Passaic County Sheriff Thomas Adamo, Undersheriff George Rosenthal, Passaic County Sheriff Chaplain Rabbi Abe Friedman, Passaic Police Department Deputy Chief Jonathan Schaer, and Clifton Police Department Captain Chris Stabile.

In preparation for the upcoming Jewish High Holidays, community leaders, representatives of Hatzolah, Chaverim, and several local shuls met with law enforcement officials to discuss safety and security measures. The meeting brought together the Passaic County Prosecutor, Sheriff, and area police chiefs, who pledged heightened security at critical sites throughout the holiday season. Officials emphasized their commitment to ensuring that residents can observe the Yomim Tovim with peace of mind. Among the community leaders and elected officials in attendance were NJ State Assemblyman Gary Schaer, Passaic City Councilman Daniel Mayer, Passaic County Sheriff Thomas Adamo, Undersheriff George Rosenthal, Passaic County Sheriff Chaplain Rabbi Abe Friedman, Passaic Police Department Deputy Chief Jonathan Schaer, and Clifton Police Department Captain Chris Stabile. (YWN World Headquarters – NYC)

Hillel Neuer, the executive director of UN Watch, delivered a powerful speech at the UN following condemnations of Israel’s strike on Hamas leaders in Doha by the worst violators of human rights around the world. “Here at the United Nations in Geneva, after Iran, Libya, Algeria, Venezuela and others condemned Israel for bombing Hamas in Qatar, I just took the floor to deliver the following speech,” Neuer wrote. “Pakistan interrupted me in the middle.” “Mr. President, we have heard a lot about international law—from the world’s worst violators of international law,” Neuer began. “It’s time to challenge the perpetrators. And so, we ask Qatar: If you don’t want targeted bombings against terrorists in your capital, why do you harbor terrorists in your capital? Terrorists who are still holding hostages, torturing them, and rejecting peace deals?”   “Why did you host Ismail Haniyeh, Khaled Mashal, and Khalil al-Hayya in luxury hotels, from where they planned their terror? “Why did you back Hamas’s Gaza coup in 2007? Why have you funneled billions since then, fueling their terror machine and empowering their five wars against Israel? “Why did you blame Israel for October 7, absolving Hamas of massacring 1200 Israelis, Americans and others? “Why is your state-owned Al Jazeera serving as the terror group’s non-stop propaganda arm? Why do you act as a mediator by day and a terror sponsor by night? “Mr. President, the record shows: Qatar is a state sponsor of terror. The Gulf states said so in 2017, when they suspended ties with Qatar. “Yesterday, UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres and French President Emmanuel Macron condemned Israel. But when the U.S. killed Osama Bin Laden in Pakistan, the UN chief at the time celebrated that ‘justice has been done to such a mastermind of international terrorism.’ France called it a ‘victory for all democracies.’ “We ask both: how is this different? “When Israel captured the Nazi Adolf Eichmann, rescued the hostages at Entebbe, and destroyed Saddam’s nuclear reactor, the U.N. condemned Israel. “Each time, history vindicated Israel. And history shall remember the courage of those who acted and the disgrace of those who condemned.” (YWN Israel Desk—Jerusalem)

Senior Hamas figure Mohammad Nazzal, speaking from abroad, weighed in on recent reports about possible renewed efforts for a ceasefire and prisoner exchange deal between Israel and the group.

In an interview with Al Jazeera, Nazzal dismissed the notion, insisting the discussions are “not relevant” after Israel’s strike targeting Hamas leaders in Doha, Qatar.

Nazzal explained that the gathering in the office of senior Hamas leader Khalil al-Hayya was centered around “Palestinian resistance” and included talks about a fresh U.S. proposal. Yet he described the chatter about restarting negotiations as nothing more than “an entertaining discourse.”

“What would have happened if the attempted elimination had succeeded?” he challenged. “Which delegation does [Israeli Prime Minister] Netanyahu want to hold negotiations with?”

At this stage, Nazzal emphasized, it is “crucial” to coordinate with other Palestinian Arab factions, along with mediators such as Qatar and Egypt, and to address the ramifications of the attempted assassinations.

{Matzav.com Israel}

For more than three years, Ukraine has waged an almost nightly battle against Russian attack drones. NATO on Wednesday got a taste of that fight. Polish authorities said they detected 19 violations of their airspace, prompting a million-dollar response as fighter jets were scrambled and Patriot air defense systems placed on alert. Up to four drones were shot down with the help of NATO allies. The incursion, which lasted for several hours, showed NATO’s vulnerability to drone warfare. Russian authorities said they didn’t target Poland, and Belarus, a close ally, said some of the drones “lost their course” because they were jammed. Nonetheless, several European leaders and experts said Poland was deliberately targeted. If one or two drones crossed into Polish airspace, it could have been a “technical malfunction,” but it “defies imagination that it could have been accidental” when there were 19, said Poland’s Foreign Minister Radek Sikorski. While proving intent is difficult, “to have several to lose their way is starting to look rather deliberate,” agreed Thomas Withington, an expert in electronic warfare at the Royal United Services Institute in London. A goal, he suggested, could have been to test NATO’s reaction and ability to respond to drones. Confusion and suspicion Since January, Russia has fired at least 35,698 attack drones at Ukraine according to an Associated Press analysis of data from the Ukrainian air force. Polish airspace has been violated multiple times since the beginning of Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022. Fragments from Ukrainian missiles killed two people in Poland in 2023, while drones have strayed into Poland, Romana and Moldova as well as the Baltic states of Latvia, Lithuania and Estonia. But until Wednesday, no NATO country had sustained multiple incursions into its airspace. It was the first time NATO airpower was engaged against enemy targets inside a NATO country. Drone fragments were found about 554 kilometers (344 miles) into Polish territory — deeper than any previous incursion. Much remains unclear, and for now, NATO is cautious. “We do not yet know if this was an intentional act or an unintentional act,” U.S. Gen. Alexus Grynkewich, NATO’s supreme allied commander Europe, said Thursday. He went on: “I would not be able to tell you with any confidence today that it was 20 (drones) or that it was 10. We just have to get into the technical details to figure that out, to debrief the crews that were up, see what they saw, et cetera.” It’s difficult “without hard evidence,” to say if Moscow really intended to fly the drones into Poland, said Ash Alexander-Cooper, a former specialist military commander and vice president at Dedrone, which produces technology to detect and neutralize drone threats. But, based on what is known about Russian drones and how they respond to electronic warfare, the experts who spoke to AP said it was highly possible the incursions were deliberate. Electronic warfare There are two key ways to neutralize most drones: either shoot them down, or hit them with electronic signals interference. Jamming and spoofing are the main ways to do that. Jamming severs the connection the drone has with a satellite navigation system, whereas spoofing tricks the drone into thinking it is somewhere else. If the drone were jammed — either by Ukraine or Poland — it would […]

Manchester, NJ, is yet another neighborhood experiencing tension over the growth of its Jewish community. A mikvah is being built to serve 500 families, and it has drawn fierce opposition. Local bloggers and activists are rallying neighbors to fight against it, while Facebook has once again erupted with venomous attacks against the Jews of Lakewood and surrounding areas.

Some argue that nothing can be done. It’s antisemitism. Eisav sonei l’Yaakov. It’s inevitable. The cultures are too different, and peace will never be possible. All we can do is fight it out in court.

But Rav Mattisyahu Salomon zt”l taught a very different perspective. The Torah way of life is meant to attract. It naturally elevates and inspires. Its very purpose is Kiddush Sheim Shamayim. And if, instead, it generates hatred and opposition, then we must pause and ask: are we truly representing Torah fully with middos and derech eretz? The name of Hashem should become beloved through us.

“Eisav sonei l’Yaakov” is not a decree of inevitability. It depends on us. As the Netziv (Sefer Sheair Yisroel) explains, when we fail to represent Hashem properly, He sends hatred as a wake-up call. But when we do serve as true representatives, there can be love and admiration.

Shragie Bloch, who is spearheading the mikvah project, shared how one neighbor living right near the new mikvah has been surprisingly supportive and advocating for the mikvah. This man was a mechanic in Lakewood for 17 years, and had countless interactions with Jews—and all his experiences were positive!

Imagine if there were hundreds of such advocates in the growing neighborhoods, each with warm stories of respectful, positive encounters—on the street, at work, or even just on the road. The Kiddush Sheim Shamayim would be immeasurable.

So the question is: can each of us make a difference? Could we change the tide? Could our explosive growth be an explosive growth in Kiddush Hashem?

The Yamim Noraim are a time when we focus intensely on our ultimate mission of Kiddush Hashem, a theme woven throughout our tefillos. This is the time to look inward and ask: are my actions aligned with this mission? Is our community’s growth in Torah, leading to a parallel growth in Kiddush Hashem in the world?

To help inspire this reflection, the Living Kiddush Hashem Foundation has produced a powerful, free film with three remarkable stories—including the shocking story of the Manchester mikvah with many more astounding details.

Rabbi Uri Deutsch and Rabbi Joey Haber share fundamental yesodos on the mitzvah of Kiddush Hashem, alongside Avi Schnall, who offers perspective on the current friction in New Jersey.

This film is truly life-changing. It offers a whole new perspective on our glorious mission of Kiddush Hashem.

Watch it at LivingKiddushHashem.org beginning Motzei Shabbos Selichos, September 13.

{Matzav.com}

A Turkish hacking collective leaked the personal cell phone number of Israeli Defense Minister Yisroel Katz.

One member of the group even placed a video call to the minister. Katz answered, only to be met with a barrage of verbal abuse from the hacker. The exchange was recorded and quickly circulated online before Katz cut the call short.

Following the exposure of his number, Katz has been inundated with thousands of hostile messages, many of them generated by automated accounts. Among the deluge were direct death threats, including chilling warnings such as “We’ll kill you.”

Katz issued a statement in response: “Organized Islamist-Jihadist gangs from various countries around the world are calling my civilian, non-classified phone and leaving abusive messages and threats. They will continue to call and threaten, and I will continue to order the elimination of their fellow terrorist leaders.”

{Matzav.com Israel}

The Netzach Yehuda battalion for Chareidi recruits was established in the IDF over 20 years ago in a cooperative effort between Rabbanim and IDF officials. The collaboration created a unique framework that preserved the Chareidi way of life for soldiers who wanted to serve in the army without disconnecting from their community. Over the years, the battalion grew to hundreds of soldiers in each cycle, while maintaining full Rabbinical guidance, strict gender separation, and Torah content. So what led to the situation today? An investigation by the Hakol HaYehudi website revealed that over the years, the IDF slowly but surely took over the reins of the unit’s policies from the Rabbanim, to the point that by 2022, new documents re-outlining Netzach Yehudah policy show that the Rabbanim were excluded from the decision-making process and stripped of their authority. Firm religious boundaries were transformed into “recommendations” or deemed optional. Gender segregation, formerly a strict requirement, was replaced by a general “recommended guideline” that allowed for exceptions. IDF ceremonies were no longer separated by gender. The goal of the unit, originally defined as “integration without change,” was altered to “the bridging of social gaps.” The result was an erosion of Chareidi trust and a sharp decline in the number of recruits. The transformation of Netzach Yehuda was far from the first time that senior IDF officials violated the trust of Rabbanim. Much has been discussed and written about the various tracks formulated for Chareidim—and the speed with which religious regulations were disregarded. The Kol Yehudi report confirms the facts: the IDF repeatedly violated agreements with Rabbanim, a phenomenon aptly illustrated by the details that emerge from the founding documents of Netzach Yehuda. Netzach Yehuda grew steadily from the time it was established in 1999 with only 32 soldiers. But the number of soldiers increased year after year until it became an operational battalion. The battalion initially operated in the Jordan Valley and later in the Jenin sector, the Negev, the Golan Heights, Gaza, and Lebanon, garnering awards for excellence along the way. In August 2014, the IDF’s Manpower Directorate established a new “Chareidi” track in Givati, the Tomer platoon, but without Rabbanim instituting its policies. Afterward, despite the opposition of the Rabbanim involved with Netzach Yehudah, the IDF continued to establish new tracks for Chareidi recruits: the Chetz track in the Paratroopers and the Negev platoon in the Air Force—also without the input of Rabbanim. The goal of the IDF and the Manpower Directorate was to build on Netzach Yehuda’s success but replicate it without the involvement of civilian Rabbanim. Moreover, the establishment of the new “Chareidi” units without Rabbinical supervision allowed the army to haggle with Netzach Yehuda on all sorts of religious issues, i.e., if other “Chareidi” soldiers are serving in unsupervised units, why are you insisting on all sorts of unnecessary religious stringencies? The number of recruits to the original Netzach Yehuda battalion gradually decreased until it reached a low of 70 recruits in November 2024. Chareidim interested in serving in the IDF understood that Netzach Yehuda and the new “Chareidi” tracks had long ceased to be supervised tracks, and as the years passed, the number of Chareidi soldiers decreased. One example from the Kol Yehudi investigation of the original Rabbinic policy for Netzach Yehuda and its altered version […]

Vice President JD Vance has decided not to participate in New York’s annual September 11 commemoration, opting instead to travel to Salt Lake City to comfort the family of conservative leader Charlie Kirk, who was shot and killed on Wednesday while speaking at Utah Valley University.

According to The Washington Post, the change in Vance’s plans was confirmed by a source familiar with his schedule who was not permitted to speak on the record.

Kirk, 31, the founder of Turning Point USA, had been addressing an audience as part of his “American Comeback Tour” when a gunman fired from an elevated spot nearby. Authorities said the fatal shot struck him while the suspect managed to escape and is still being sought.

The incident quickly drew widespread attention across the nation, with Utah Governor Spencer Cox labeling it a “political assassination.”

Vance, who had been slated to deliver remarks in New York, turned to X to share his sorrow. He described Kirk as more than a colleague, noting that his friendship and steadfastness left a deep impression on him. In his message, he added, “You ran a good race, my friend.”

Kirk had been instrumental in boosting Vance’s prominence in Republican circles, including throwing his weight behind Vance’s successful run for the vice-presidential nomination in 2024.

{Matzav.com}

New photos reveal the precise location of the sniper nest used in Charlie Kirk’s assassination.

Israel’s Knesset is illuminated to commemorate the anniversary of 9/11.

WATCH: PM Netanyahu speaks on the murder of Charlie Kirk on Fox News

Colorado shooter who opened fire at Evergreen High School, injuring 2 students yesterday, has been identified as 16-year-old Desmond Holly.

Trump’s Ukraine envoy, Kellogg, arrives in Ukraine and meets with President Zelensky.

Police have determined that the bomb threat at the Democratic National Committee headquarters was not credible.

All 15 members of the UN Security Council, including the U.S., released a joint statement condemning the Doha attack, but stopped short of naming Israel or noting that the strike targeted senior Hamas leaders in Qatar.