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New details have emerged about Sen. Lindsey Graham’s final moments, with a fellow Republican senator revealing that Graham called one of his staff members Saturday night to report severe chest pains and ask for help just before his sudden death.

Speaking to reporters Monday, Sen. Tommy Tuberville (R-Ala.) recounted what he learned from members of his own staff, shedding new light on Graham’s final hours after the South Carolina senator returned from a trip to Ukraine and prepared to resume work following Congress’ post-Independence Day recess despite not feeling well.

“My former scheduler was Lindsey’s scheduler, and one of my staff members was with that scheduler the night Lindsey called,” Tuberville said, explaining that the two aides had been watching a World Cup soccer match together at a restaurant in the Washington area.

According to Tuberville, Graham reached out seeking assistance after experiencing alarming symptoms. “Lindsey called [and] basically said, ‘Listen, I’m having chest pains. You know, I need to do something,’” the former college football coach recounted. “[She said,] ‘Did you call 911?’ And he goes, ‘No, that’s reason I called you.’ And so she called 911 … By the time she got there, 911 had knocked the door down, and they were working on him.”

Efforts to reach Graham’s scheduler for comment were unsuccessful.

Previously released emergency dispatch recordings indicate that paramedics were sent to Graham’s Capitol Hill townhouse at approximately 8:30 p.m. Saturday. Shortly before 9:00 p.m., first responders reported that CPR was underway and that a man inside the residence was suffering cardiac arrest.

A nearby resident later shared photographs showing an elderly man being wheeled from Graham’s home on a stretcher and loaded into an ambulance at approximately 9:30 p.m.

Graham’s office publicly announced his death shortly after 2:00 a.m. Sunday. A preliminary report issued by the District of Columbia medical examiner concluded that he died from an aortic dissection caused by arteriosclerotic cardiovascular disease.

Axios reported Monday that Graham had also told another individual on Saturday night that he was not feeling well but intended to see a physician after his scheduled Sunday morning appearance on NBC’s Meet the Press.

According to that report, Graham joked, “I can’t die now. I still need to do the Russia sanctions, get Iran sorted out and do Israeli-Saudi normalization.”

President Trump, who appeared on Meet the Press in Graham’s place, confirmed that he had spoken with the senator earlier that evening.

“He sounded a little tired, but perfect, but a little bit tired,” Trump said. “He had a right to be. Man, he was a worker. He was really a worker. But he sounded great actually. But he actually said he was tired.”

As senators returned to Capitol Hill on Monday still grappling with the news, Tuberville reflected on Graham’s relentless work ethic, saying the longtime lawmaker may have pushed himself too hard.

“Most of us have families,” the Alabama Republican said. “He didn’t have any family, and if we had a couple of days off, he went to that airport. He went somewhere to try to work out something for our country.”

{Matzav.com}

President Donald Trump said that understandings reached with Iran through Pakistan on June 17 were “sort of a test,” adding that Tehran “didn’t honor the test.”

“It was built to test. We didn’t know,” Trump said in a phone interview with the Salem News Channel.

“Look, memorandums of understanding when you’re dealing with sleazebags don’t mean much,” the president continued. “They don’t mean much when you’re dealing with honorable people too, because it’s a memorandum of understanding—it doesn’t mean much.”

“You know, it’s a standard tactic in the U.S. that you go to a memorandum of understanding and then you go to the deal,” said Trump. “I said, just go to the deal first. But you know what, it was sort of a test, and they weren’t there.”

Trump said Iran “never followed it.”

“These people are crazy,” he told the outlet.

To the Iranian regime, “deals are made to be broken,” Trump continued. He added, “They are extremely unreliable people—and, frankly, if they ever had a nuclear weapon they’d use it within one day.”

Trump ordered more strikes against Iranian regime sites on Monday in response to the Islamic Republic’s attacks on civilian-manned commercial ships in the Strait of Hormuz.

The president also told Fox News that the United States would be “taking over” the strategic shipping lane.

“We’re taking over the strait. They [the leaders of the Iranian regime] have nothing,” Trump said in a phone interview.

“Yesterday, they had an 11-hour meeting. Everything’s 11 hours with these guys,” the president continued. “Everything was agreed to yesterday. And they leave the room, and they call back, and they say, ‘We had to make a couple of changes.’ I said, ‘Changes? They’re going to make changes? We’re not going to make changes.’

“For 47 years, they’ve been tapping presidents along. Every president got tapped along, didn’t do anything, and they became more and more powerful. This should have been done 47 years ago. It shouldn’t have been allowed to start,” Trump said. JNS

{Matzav.com}

Gov. Kathy Hochul announced Tuesday that New York will halt the approval of environmental permits for new large-scale data centers for up to one year, temporarily blocking major projects while the state develops stricter regulations for the rapidly expanding industry.

Under an executive order Hochul said she will sign, state regulators will impose a temporary moratorium on issuing new air permits for so-called hyperscale data centers seeking to connect to New York’s electrical grid. The pause is expected to remain in effect for as long as one year.

Explaining the decision, Hochul said, “As data center development threatens to hike up utility bills, deplete our natural resources, and create uncertainty for New Yorkers, it’s my responsibility to take action and lead.”

She added, “New York will lead the way in creating the strongest standards in the nation for data center development, ensuring that when companies succeed because of New York, New Yorkers succeed too.”

Demand for massive data centers has surged in recent years, driven largely by the explosive growth of artificial intelligence and other computing-intensive technologies. Those facilities consume enormous amounts of electricity, raising concerns about their impact on power supplies and utility costs.

Public opinion appears to favor the temporary pause. A Siena University poll conducted last month found that approximately half of New York voters believe a one-year moratorium on large data centers would benefit the state. Twenty-one percent opposed the proposal, while another 17% said they were undecided.

The temporary freeze applies only to new permit applications and is expected to remain in place while state officials study the industry’s impact and develop a new regulatory framework governing future data center construction.

Hochul said the restrictions will not be permanent. “Once the State finalizes these standards, the moratorium will be lifted, allowing new data center projects to proceed as long as they follow state, zoning code and other local approvals.”

The governor’s executive action is less sweeping than legislation approved earlier this year by the New York State Legislature. That proposal would have imposed additional requirements on data center operators, including paying union-scale prevailing wages and obtaining a significant portion of their electricity from renewable energy sources.

Business organizations strongly opposed the legislative proposal, arguing that the additional mandates would discourage investment and economic development in New York.

{Matzav.com}

What happened at the Jewish Agency Board of Governors — and why it matters for every Torah Jew in the Diaspora

By Rabbi Pesach Lerner • Chairman, Eretz HaKodesh

I walked into the meeting room of the Jewish Agency’s Unity of the Jewish People Committee — a committee on which I sit — and was handed an official statement, already written, already finalized, ready to be voted on. I had never seen it. I was never asked for input. There had been no discussion, no draft circulated, no deliberation of any kind. A committee whose very name invokes the unity of the Jewish people had prepared a statement on that unity while excluding a member of the committee who represents a different voice.

That statement committed the Jewish Agency for Israel to actively work in support of pluralism, to enhance the egalitarian platform at the Kotel, to oppose any change in the Law of Return, and to oppose anything “that undermines Jewish pluralism and weakens the Jewish People.”

The Jewish Agency for Israel is the largest Jewish non-profit organization in the world, serving as the primary link between the State of Israel and Jewish communities globally. It is responsible for facilitating Aliyah, managing global shlichut programs, and strengthening Jewish identity. The organization is funded by global philanthropic efforts, including the Jewish Federations of North America, KKL/JNF, Keren HaYesod, and the Israeli government.

This took place at the Jewish Agency for Israel’s Board of Governors meetings in Tel Aviv, June 28–30, 2026. I have attended many such gatherings as a representative of Eretz HaKodesh, the slate in the World Zionist Congress that speaks for Torah Jewry. I have learned to expect disagreement. What I do not accept — what no one should accept — is a process designed to manufacture the appearance of consensus.

A fait accompli is not deliberation

When the statement was distributed, I raised my hand. I deliberately did not argue content. I argued process. Who wrote this? When did the committee see it? What is the purpose of a committee if its members are handed conclusions? I asked that the item be tabled until the full committee could review it and provide input — the way responsible institutions conduct business. To his credit, World Zionist Organization Chairman Yaakov Hagoel supported the request to table. The chair declined, offering instead to “coordinate further discussion” after the vote. A discussion after the vote is not a discussion; it is a courtesy call.

The vote proceeded: seven in favor, two against. Even Natan Sharansky, the former Jewish Agency chairman and a longtime advocate for the egalitarian section at the Kotel, was overheard acknowledging that if the committee had never discussed the statement and had not seen it before the meeting, then the objection was correct, and it was wrong to vote on it.

Hours later, at the closing plenary of the entire Board of Governors, the same statement was brought to the full body. The attendees had not seen it. It was not on the board portal. No copies were distributed. It was not even loaded on the screen when the chair began reading it aloud. I rose again, repeated my concerns, and moved to table the statement until the next meeting so that the governing body of the Jewish Agency could actually govern. The chair called the vote anyway. Perhaps 30-40 hands out of some 200 Board and committee members and invited guests went up in favor — the others likely had no idea what the vote was even about — and the chair was prepared to end the matter there, without even calling for opposing votes, until I insisted the voting process be completed. Votes against came from myself, from Gael Grunewald of the WZO, a member of the Mizrachi faction, who told me plainly that if the committee had only seen the text that afternoon he would vote against on process alone; and from Charles Kaufman of B’nai B’rith, for the same procedural reasons.

Afterward, numerous board and committee members approached me — including people who disagree with everything Eretz HaKodesh stands for. Their message was consistent: I disagree with you, but you were respectful, and the process failed. Thank you for being here. It is time someone challenged the system. Some had even been told I had received the statement weeks earlier; when they learned that was untrue, their response was immediate — then it was wrong to call for a vote.

Who speaks for Diaspora Jewry?

The episode is not an isolated procedural lapse. It reflects a deeper assumption that runs through the National Institutions: that “Diaspora Jewry” holds one set of views, and that the institutions may speak in its name accordingly.

Earlier in the same conference, at the Government Relations Committee, senior staff — who throughout the year review Knesset legislation — presented bills addressing conversion according to halacha and the status quo at the Kotel, and announced, as a matter of course, that the Jewish Agency would work to challenge them. (I later learned that the only Knesset bills that seem to interest them are those addressing halachic conversion and the protection of Kedushas HaKotel. No other Knesset bill, regardless of topic, draws their attention.) I raised my hand there too, and placed on the record a simple fact: there are members of this Board of Governors, and hundreds of thousands of Jews across the Diaspora — if not far more — who want conversion according to halacha and who want the status quo at the Kotel preserved. The Jewish Agency does not speak for all of Diaspora Jewry when it speaks against them.

No one else in the room said it. Someone had to.

What engagement achieves

There will be those who ask: why sit in these rooms at all? First, there are many important things that the Jewish Agency does. Second, the voice of the Torah community must be heard. And the same Board of Governors meeting provided another answer.

For the past year, I and others have pressed the National Institutions on a painful and neglected problem: Lone Soldiers who complete their IDF service and return to their countries of origin receive no assistance — none — from the State of Israel, the IDF, the Jewish Agency, the WZO, or KKL. After the recent war, which is still ongoing, nearly every soldier carries wounds, physical or emotional; so many soldiers require medical or mental health attention. Gedolei Yisrael on both sides of the Atlantic have said clearly that a wounded Jewish soldier must be helped as if he were our own child. Working with NEVUT, an American organization founded by Lone Soldiers and their parents, we brought this issue to the attention of the President of Israel, Israel’s Ambassador to the United States, senior IDF officers, the Minister of Aliyah and Klita, and the chairmen of the Jewish Agency, WZO, and KKL.

At this Board of Governors meeting, the Jewish Agency announced the creation of a new department: Lone Soldiers of the Diaspora, with its own director, staff, and budget. That is what a seat at the table accomplishes.

It is the same reason my counsel to the Global Jewish Connection Committee — which is mapping every Jewish community of 2,000 or more worldwide for emergency preparedness — was welcomed. I told them: work with Chabad, who are present nearly everywhere and are too often the target of attacks; and do not overlook the Torah communities, who are also often targeted, and whose Hatzalah, Shomrim, gemachs, and crisis-response networks are frequently the best-prepared resources any community has.

On notice

Unity is not achieved by drafting statements behind closed doors and calling snap votes before the room has read the text. Unity is achieved the way Jews have always achieved it — by sitting together, arguing honestly, and respecting the process. A “Unity of the Jewish People Committee” that bypasses its own members is neither unity nor a committee.

Eretz HaKodesh will keep showing up. We will keep raising our hands. We were, at times, a lone voice — but the institutions are now on notice that Torah Jewry is present, can be helpful, and is part of the Jewish people. And they now realize that we are watching, and that we will not be spoken for by others. Judging by how many people sought me out afterward, we are not nearly as alone as the vote count suggests.

Rabbi Pesach Lerner is Chairman of Eretz HaKodesh, a slate representing Torah Jewry in the World Zionist Congress, and serves on the Board of Governors of the Jewish Agency for Israel

{Matzav.com}

An Israeli citizen was arrested after allegedly attempting to smuggle 216 kilograms of khat into Italy, where the plant is classified as an illegal narcotic, authorities announced following the seizure at Rome’s Fiumicino Airport.

Italian customs officials discovered the shipment hidden inside seven suitcases checked by the passenger, who had arrived on a flight from Israel. In total, authorities confiscated 216 kilograms of khat concealed among the traveler’s luggage.

According to Italian authorities, the passenger was selected for a targeted inspection after giving vague and contradictory answers regarding the purpose of his trip and the details of his planned stay in Italy.

Following a thorough search of the luggage, customs officers uncovered the large quantity of khat, leading to the passenger’s arrest.

Italy’s Customs and Monopolies Agency (ADM) said the traveler, who was listed as the sole owner of the luggage containing the leaves, “was reported to the Public Prosecutor’s Office for violating drug laws. The operation is part of ongoing efforts by police and the Customs and Monopolies Agency to combat transnational illegal trafficking at Italy’s airports and ports.”

The case is the latest in a series of similar incidents involving Israelis attempting to transport khat into European countries, where the substance is prohibited.

In June 2026, customs officials in Warsaw and Krakow arrested two young women after allegedly attempting to smuggle approximately 100 kilograms of khat into Poland through Krakow Airport.

A similar case occurred in December 2025, when two young chareidi women from central Israel, both in their twenties, were arrested at Prague’s international airport after authorities allegedly discovered 96 kilograms of khat in their luggage—48 kilograms packed into each suitcase.

Although khat is widely sold and consumed in countries such as Ethiopia, Somalia, and Yemen, it is subject to strict restrictions throughout the European Union, where its importation, sale, and possession are prohibited under drug laws.

{Matzav.com}

Utah taxpayers may ultimately be forced to spend well over $10 million to fund the legal defense of Tyler Robinson, the man accused of assassinating conservative activist Charlie Kirk, as experts warn that the lengthy and complex death penalty case could stretch on for years.

Legal analysts say the enormous potential cost stems from the unique demands of a capital murder prosecution, where defendants face the possibility of execution and virtually every stage of the proceedings—including years of appeals following any conviction—requires extensive legal work.

Neama Rahmani, a former federal prosecutor who is not involved in the case, told The Post that Robinson’s attorneys appear to be pursuing an aggressive strategy aimed at avoiding a death sentence. “are litigating anything and everything to try to bring the prosecution to the table to offer a life-without-the-possibility-of-parole deal,” Rahmani said.

He acknowledged that the legal tactics are expensive but unsurprising. “So yeah, it it is costing taxpayers,” he said of the drawn-out process, which most recently involved Robinson’s preliminary hearings.

Rahmani added, “But what do you expect the defense to do? They’re playing the hand that they’re dealt, right? And it’s not a good hand.”

Robinson, 23, is accused of fatally shooting Charlie Kirk, the 31-year-old married father of two and co-founder of Turning Point USA, while Kirk was addressing a crowd of thousands at Utah Valley University in Orem in September.

To cover the costs of the prosecution and defense, the Utah County Commission approved an initial $1 million last year to pay both Robinson’s defense attorneys and the prosecutors handling the case, according to Fox News.

By February, however, county officials were already warning that another $1 million in state funding would be required for Robinson’s legal team alone, bringing the anticipated defense costs to at least $2 million. At that point, the county had already paid approximately $349,000 to his attorneys, according to KUTV.

One major reason for the mounting expense is that Robinson has been declared indigent and therefore qualifies under Utah law for court-appointed attorneys with specialized experience in death penalty litigation and appellate practice.

Because those lawyers possess highly specialized expertise, their services come at a premium, with taxpayers responsible for the costs as the case continues to move slowly through the courts while the defense attempts to eliminate the possibility of capital punishment.

Nearly 10 months after the Sept. 10 shooting, Robinson has yet to receive a trial date.

According to Rahmani, Robinson’s attorneys have repeatedly delayed the proceedings by filing numerous motions on a wide range of issues, including repeated efforts to block cameras from the courtroom and attempts to disqualify prosecutors or seek sanctions against them. He believes the objective is to pressure prosecutors into negotiating a plea agreement.

Rahmani compared the strategy to the approach taken in Bryan Kohberger’s quadruple homicide case.

“They’re trying to put pressure on the prosecution to offer a life deal. Like they did in Kohberger,” Rahmani said of his lawyers.

He argued that a plea agreement would dramatically reduce the financial burden on taxpayers. “If the state offered a plea deal and a life sentence, the taxpayers would save millions and millions of dollars,” the expert said, noting it’s usually cheaper to put someone behind bars for life than to sentence them to death because of the cost of the appeals process.

Rahmani also said the pace of the case reflects the deliberate approach of Judge Tony Graf, who is presiding over the proceedings.

“I think all the attention on the case, he doesn’t want to make a mistake or be overturned on appeal,” he said of the judge. “He’s very slow, he’s very thorough, and very deliberate.”

Utah defense attorney Nathan Evershed likewise told The Post that delaying proceedings is a common defense strategy in death penalty cases because additional time can increase the likelihood of reaching a negotiated resolution.

“Usually what happens is that the longer a case can get delayed, the more of a chance there can be an off-ramp or a plea deal,” Evershed said.

He added, “And an off-ramp is harder to find when it’s raw and very, very fraught with emotions. Whereas it’s easier to find when it’s less raw and you’re able to come to the table.”

Evershed agreed that Robinson’s case is likely to become exceptionally expensive due to the anticipated length of the trial, the specialized capital defense team, and the expert witnesses expected to testify during both the guilt and sentencing phases.

“It’s going to cost quite a bit of money to get to that point,” Evershed said. “And the only people that will be paying for that are the taxpayers.”

Last week, Judge Graf presided over several days of preliminary hearings and must now determine whether prosecutors have established probable cause for the case to proceed to trial. In Utah, preliminary hearings serve as an alternative to grand jury indictments.

Those hearings themselves were postponed for two months from their originally scheduled May date. Graf also announced that he will not issue his ruling until after additional arguments are heard in September.

If the judge ultimately finds probable cause, Robinson will then be arraigned before a trial date is scheduled. He remains in custody pending further proceedings.

Charlie Kirk’s widow, Erika Kirk, along with his parents and several family friends, attended the preliminary hearings. During the proceedings, the court viewed graphic video footage of the public shooting. Erika Kirk left the courtroom before the disturbing recordings were played.

{Matzav.com}

The Eidah HaChareidis of yerushalayim is preparing for what organizers expect to be a massive demonstration on Wednesday, Rosh Chodesh Menachem Av, following a public call by the members of the Badatz urging the chareidi public to protest outside the military draft office at Tel HaShomer.

The demonstration comes in response to ongoing efforts to draft bnei yeshivah into the IDF. The Badatz called on the public to gather in order to voice strong opposition to what it described as attempts to undermine lomdei Torah and compel yeshiva students to leave the batei medrash for military service.

According to organizers, thousands of participants—from young bochurim to elderly supporters—are expected to travel from Yerushalayim and other chareidi communities to the Tel HaShomer induction center. The protest is expected to be led by the distinguished members of the Badatz themselves, who are slated to address the gathering and deliver forceful messages of protest.

Individuals involved in planning the demonstration say it is expected to differ markedly from the recent protest held by Chassidei Gur outside Prison 10. During that demonstration, participants maintained strict discipline, concluding the event peacefully after Minchah, the recitation of Tehillim, and remarks by one of the chassidus’ rabbanim.

Israel’s security establishment and police are preparing in force. Large numbers of uniformed and undercover officers, Border Police companies, and specialized units are expected to be deployed around the Tel HaShomer draft office and along the roads leading to the site in an effort to prevent violent confrontations between demonstrators and security forces.

The demonstration is expected to be one of the largest anti-draft protests organized by the Eidah HaChareidis in recent months, coming amid heightened tensions over the government’s efforts to address the status of bnei yeshivah and ongoing disputes surrounding proposed draft legislation.

{Matzav.com}

The Gerer Rebbe paid an unusually lengthy nichum aveilim visit to the family of the legendary baal koreh of the Gerer beis medrash, Rav Yehudah Aryeh Taub, zt”l, who passed away suddenly last Thursday while in the Beis Medrash of the chassidus.

Upon entering the home, the Rebbe sat down and immediately inquired whether the niftar had been ill before his passing. Family members responded that Rav Taub had passed away suddenly and had not suffered from any known illness beforehand.

During the visit, one of the sons began recounting his father’s extraordinary devotion to serving as the baal koreh in the Beis Medrash of Ger. He related that despite the many additional aliyos customary in Ger, his father never prepared in advance where to pause the Torah reading. Instead, the Rebbe’s longtime ne’eman bayis, Reb Yossel Schiff, would quietly signal him during the kriah itself where to stop, and despite the challenge, the niftar never once complained.

As the son continued speaking about his father’s lifelong dedication, one of the Rebbe’s close attendants, Reb Leiby Paznichevsky, motioned that perhaps the Rebbe wished to respond, subtly indicating that the son should conclude his remarks. The Rebbe immediately signaled with his hand that he should continue speaking, allowing him to share additional memories and stories.

Afterward, the Rebbe offered words of consolation, connecting the family’s loss to the verse, “Zos HaTorah adam ki yamus b’ohel.” He then cited the Gemara in Brachos, in the chapter Haroeh, which teaches that the gentlest form of passing is “k’binisa mei’chalba“—like drawing a hair from milk—a description of misas neshikah. Turning to the mourners, the Rebbe comforted them by saying, “He merited it. He did not suffer when he passed away.”

Meanwhile, the Gerer Rebbetzin personally telephoned the family Monday evening to offer words of comfort and shared a remarkable episode that had taken place on the day of Rav Taub’s passing.

According to the Rebbetzin, the Rebbe unexpectedly announced that he would not attend Minchah in the beis medrash that day. Surprised by the unusual decision, she entered the Rebbe’s room to ask him directly why he would not be participating in the tefillah.

The Rebbe explained, “The baal koreh just passed away, and the tzibbur is deeply saddened.”

He then opened a Gemara to the same passage in Brachos, showing the Rebbetzin the teaching that misas neshikah is compared to drawing a hair from milk. The Rebbe asked that she convey one final message of consolation to the family: “Now it is good for him there.”

Israel’s Strategic Affairs Minister and Security Cabinet member Ze’ev Elkin launched a sharp attack Monday against Israel’s center-left parties, accusing them of turning opposition to the chareidi community into a central political ideology and questioning whether they could ever form a coalition with the chareidi parties.

In an interview, Elkin argued that hostility toward the Torah world has become deeply ingrained within the center-left camp.

“When you look at the center-left camp, you see the level of hatred they have for the Torah world,” Elkin said. “They have taken the chareidi issue and turned it into an ideology of hatred. Even beyond the debate over military service, they have convinced the public that the reason to oppose Netanyahu and the right is because the chareidim are there.”

Elkin also addressed recent speculation about possible political cooperation between the chareidi parties and Yisrael! chairman Gadi Eisenkot, who recently discussed the subject in an interview.

“You see who Eisenkot’s partners are in his political bloc, and you also know where he himself stands,” Elkin said. “When you strip everything away, do you really think there is any version of a draft law that would be acceptable to the chareidim, Lieberman, and Lapid?”

Elkin’s remarks came amid the ongoing political storm surrounding the Basic Law: Torah Study, which received final Knesset approval Monday, and as fierce debate continues over legislation governing the status of bnei yeshivah.

Earlier this week, Yisrael Beiteinu chairman Avigdor Lieberman reiterated that his party would not join any coalition that includes Shas and insisted on what he described as “a draft law for everyone.”

Returning to the issue of the opposition’s attitude toward the chareidi community, Elkin again argued that anti-chareidi sentiment has become one of the defining themes of the center-left’s political message.

“I think that when you look at the center-left camp, you see the hatred they have for the Torah world at the most basic level,” Elkin said. “They have turned it into a central issue in their campaign.”

{Matzav.com}

Following intense tensions within the coalition and firm pressure from the chareidi parties, coalition leaders decided late Monday night that the arrest freeze bill championed by Shas chairman Aryeh Deri will be the next piece of legislation brought before the Knesset plenum.

The decision came after members of the Religious Zionism party sought to give priority to other coalition bills. However, the chareidi factions stood their ground, insisting that the arrest freeze bill be brought to a vote first and pressing coalition leaders to make an immediate decision.

Senior officials in the chareidi parties made their position unmistakably clear.

“The arrest freeze bill must be the next bill brought before the Knesset plenum,” senior officials in the chareidi factions said. “Smotrich is playing with fire and jeopardizing Struk’s bill and the judicial advisory bill that Rothman has worked on for many months. Without the arrest freeze bill, the other bills will not pass.”

The message from Shas and United Torah Judaism was unequivocal: Unless the arrest freeze bill was brought up first, the chareidi parties would not support the coalition’s other major legislative initiatives. The standoff reached its peak when Religious Zionism attempted to move other bills to the top of the agenda but encountered unwavering opposition from the chareidi factions.

Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee Chairman MK Boaz Bismuth presented the legislation before the Knesset, explaining its purpose.

“The bill seeks to halt the terrible trend of arresting Torah scholars during the election period and shortly thereafter, in the hope that the next government will succeed in passing a draft law,” Bismuth said.

The legislation, which was approved by the Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee by a narrow 8-7 vote, would suspend arrest proceedings for 90 days. The chareidi parties view the measure as a critical step toward preventing the arrest of bnei yeshivah in the coming months until a new government is formed and comprehensive legislation regulating the status of lomdei Torah can be enacted.

The coalition’s decision to prioritize the arrest freeze bill follows another major victory for the chareidi parties just hours earlier, when the Knesset approved the Basic Law: Torah Study in its second and third readings.

The landmark legislation passed by a vote of 63-52. Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu was absent from the vote.

Following its passage, Degel HaTorah chairman MK Moshe Gafni declared, “Today, a historic step was taken in the State of Israel. From this point on, the State of Israel has also established, in a Basic Law, that Torah study is a foundational value in the heritage of the Jewish people and in the State of Israel.”

Shas chairman Aryeh Deri also celebrated the achievement, saying, “This is a victory for the Torah world and a clear response to the dismissed attorney general and to everyone who tried to persecute and humiliate the yeshiva students. You will not succeed in breaking the Jewish spirit! The holy Torah will prevail!”

Leaders of the chareidi parties believe that together, the Basic Law: Torah Study and the arrest freeze bill will provide vital protection for bnei Torah over the coming months until a new government is established.

The coalition’s legislative marathon began Monday and is expected to continue uninterrupted through Friday morning as lawmakers race to pass a series of major bills before the Knesset adjourns.

{Matzav.com}

Legislation that would allow states to keep Daylight Saving Time in effect all year moved one step closer to becoming law Monday after clearing a major procedural hurdle in the House, setting up a vote before the full chamber.

The House Rules Committee voted 6-4 to advance the Sunshine Protection Act, paving the way for a floor vote. If enacted, the measure would permit states to adopt permanent Daylight Saving Time while also allowing them to opt out if they choose.

The proposal has attracted bipartisan backing, particularly from lawmakers representing coastal states, and has also received strong support from President Donald Trump, who has repeatedly called for an end to the twice-yearly clock changes observed throughout the country. Currently, every state except Hawaii and most of Arizona participates in Daylight Saving Time.

Supporters of the legislation argue that changing clocks twice a year disrupts people’s health and sleep patterns, while keeping Daylight Saving Time year-round would encourage outdoor recreation, stimulate tourism, and provide a boost to economic activity.

Under current law, Americans move their clocks ahead by one hour each spring to extend evening daylight before turning them back one hour in the fall.

“Americans are overwhelmingly supportive of this policy and want to end the practice of ‘springing forward’ and ‘falling back.’ Locking the clock all year long would have positive impacts on sleep schedules, energy conservation, motor vehicle safety, and our economy,” Chairman Brett Guthrie, R-Ky., said in an opening statement Monday.

“In practice, this change would mean more time for people to exercise outside, visit family, attend concerts and sporting events, attract customers to their retail businesses, and more.”

Rep. Vern Buchanan, R-Fla., who introduced the bill, has likewise argued that ending the seasonal clock changes would benefit millions of Americans.

“Floridians and Americans across the country are tired of the biannual time change, and the evidence is clear that permanent daylight saving time can improve public health, reduce traffic accidents, lower crime and encourage more outdoor activity,” Rep. Vern Buchanan, R-Fla., who authored the measure, previously said in a May news release.

“Ending the clock change is a commonsense reform that will improve everyday life for millions of Americans,” he added.

Momentum for the legislation has continued to build since the House Energy and Commerce Committee overwhelmingly approved it by a 48-1 vote in May.

Following that committee vote, Trump applauded the legislation and urged Congress to send it to his desk.

“It’s time that people can stop worrying about the ‘Clock,’ not to mention all of the work and money that is spent on this ridiculous, twice-yearly production,” Trump wrote following the Sunshine Protection Act’s advancement out of committee. “It will also be a very nice WIN for the Republican Party. Take it! We are going with the far more popular alternative, Saving Daylight, which gives you a longer, brighter Day — And who can be against that — This is an easy one!”

Approximately 20 states have already approved laws that would switch to permanent Daylight Saving Time if Congress grants authorization. Those states include Alabama, South Carolina, Oregon, Maine, and Florida.

Not everyone supports the proposal, however. Several medical organizations contend that making Standard Time permanent would better match the body’s natural circadian rhythms by providing more morning sunlight.

During committee consideration, Rep. Mary Gay Scanlon, D-Pa., offered an amendment incorporating language from her Sunshine for Our Kids Act, which would instead establish permanent Standard Time nationwide. The amendment was rejected.

Scanlon argued that permanent Daylight Saving Time would create unnecessary health and safety concerns by forcing more Americans—especially schoolchildren—to begin their days before sunrise. She also pointed to the nation’s short-lived experiment with year-round Daylight Saving Time in 1974, which Congress ultimately abandoned after widespread public opposition.

Rep. Nanette Barragán, D-Calif., cast the lone vote against the legislation during the Energy and Commerce Committee’s May markup, citing concerns that permanent Daylight Saving Time could disrupt children’s sleep schedules and negatively affect their health.

Some conservative Republicans have also questioned whether the bill should be a legislative priority, arguing that Congress should instead focus on measures such as codifying Trump’s border security executive orders and advancing the stalled SAVE America Act.

“Republicans are majoring in the minors — fiddling with the clocks while the country burns,” Rep. Keith Self, R-Texas, a member of the conservative House Freedom Caucus, wrote Monday.

Although the House has approved multiple versions of the SAVE America Act, the legislation has repeatedly stalled in the Senate because of the chamber’s filibuster rules.

The Senate unanimously approved its own version of the Sunshine Protection Act in 2022, but the bill never became law after it stalled in the House amid concerns from some lawmakers that permanent Daylight Saving Time would result in darker winter mornings across much of the country.

{Matzav.com}

President Donald Trump is expected to deliver a nationally televised address Thursday night announcing that newly declassified intelligence documents reveal plans by a foreign government to interfere in the 2020 presidential election, according to a CNBC report citing MS NOW and two unnamed White House officials.

The report states that Trump will be joined during the address by CIA Director John Ratcliffe, Acting Director of National Intelligence Bill Pulte, FBI Director Kash Patel, and Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin.

Earlier Monday, Trump revealed on Truth Social that he would deliver a prime-time address but did not disclose the topic.

“I will be making a Speech to the Nation on Thursday evening, at 9 P.M. Eastern,” Trump wrote.

The announcement followed another report from MS NOW, which cited two U.S. officials familiar with the matter as saying that a White House task force reviewing thousands of pages of classified intelligence and law enforcement records related to U.S. elections is preparing to begin releasing documents within the coming weeks.

Trump has consistently maintained that the 2020 presidential election, which he officially lost to Joe Biden, was marred by widespread fraud. He has repeatedly argued that the contest, along with other elections, was “rigged.”

Those claims have been a driving force behind Trump’s support for the SAVE America Act, legislation that would require prospective voters to provide proof of U.S. citizenship when registering, present photo identification before casting a ballot, and impose additional limits on mail-in voting.

A U.S. intelligence assessment released in 2021 concluded that there was no evidence any foreign government attempted to alter “any technical aspect” of the 2020 election, including voter registration systems, ballots, vote tabulation, or the certified election results.

That assessment found that Russian President Vladimir Putin authorized elements of the Russian government to carry out influence operations intended to help Trump’s candidacy while also seeking to weaken public confidence in the American electoral system.

According to the same report, China considered launching influence activities aimed at affecting the outcome of the election but ultimately decided against doing so. It also concluded that Iran conducted a “multi-pronged” covert influence campaign intended to damage Trump’s reelection bid.

The intelligence assessment was produced by the National Intelligence Council in coordination with the CIA, FBI, Department of Homeland Security, National Security Agency, and the State Department’s Bureau of Intelligence and Research.

{Matzav.com}

President Donald Trump’s proposal to levy a 20% fee on commercial cargo moving through the Strait of Hormuz could generate as much as $194 billion annually for the United States, according to a New York Post analysis based on global shipping traffic before the outbreak of the Iran war.

Citing data provided by Exiger CEO Brandon Daniels, the Post reported that between $880 billion and $970 billion in international trade passed through the strategic waterway each year before the conflict with Iran. Based on those figures, a 20% transit charge could yield between $176 billion and $194 billion in yearly revenue.

Trump unveiled the proposal Monday while announcing that the United States would assume the role of “Guardian of the Hormuz Strait” and restore the U.S. blockade on Iranian ports.

“The U.S.A. will be … known as ‘THE GUARDIAN OF THE HORMUZ STRAIT,'” Trump wrote, adding that the U.S. should be “reimbursed, at the rate of 20% on all cargo shipped,” for providing security in the vital shipping lane.

According to the Post’s analysis, revenue from such a program would be sufficient to cover the salaries of approximately one million federal civilian employees. However, administration officials have yet to explain how the proposed toll would be assessed, collected, or enforced.

Daniels told the newspaper that numerous legal and practical questions would have to be resolved before such a system could be implemented, including whether international maritime law would permit the United States to impose the fee and which government agency would be responsible for collecting it.

The proposal has already prompted criticism from abroad.

A group of independent experts appointed by the United Nations Human Rights Council argued that requiring commercial ships to pay for passage through an international strait would violate international law and could erode the longstanding principle guaranteeing freedom of navigation.

The plan also marks a sharp departure from the U.S. position in previous years regarding transit fees in the Strait of Hormuz.

When Iran previously suggested imposing its own tolls on vessels using the strategic passage, Washington rejected the idea, maintaining that the Strait of Hormuz is an international waterway through which ships are entitled to pass freely under international law.

Tehran likewise dismissed Trump’s proposal. Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi argued that Iran—not the United States—has historically served as the guardian of the strait and criticized the proposed 20% fee as excessive.

The Strait of Hormuz is widely regarded as one of the world’s most strategically important maritime chokepoints, with hundreds of billions of dollars in crude oil, liquefied natural gas, and other goods passing through it each year. Any disruption to shipping through the narrow corridor has the potential to send shockwaves through global energy markets and international trade.

{Matzav.com}

A Colombian national was fatally shot Monday morning after authorities say he attempted to drive his vehicle into Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers during an enforcement operation in Biddeford, Maine. Dramatic video circulating online shows the wounded driver being pulled from his vehicle before collapsing onto the pavement, where agents handcuffed him as emergency responders were summoned.

The incident unfolded shortly after 7 a.m. as ICE agents were conducting surveillance at the last known residence of an illegal immigrant who was subject to a deportation order, according to the Department of Homeland Security.

During the operation, DHS said an illegal immigrant fled the residence in a vehicle, prompting federal agents to pursue him and attempt a traffic stop.

According to authorities, the driver refused to stop and instead accelerated in an apparent effort to escape, leading an ICE officer to open fire.

“The vehicle attempted to flee the scene and, fearing for public safety, an officer discharged his weapon,” DHS said in a statement.

“The driver of the vehicle was struck, and emergency services were immediately contacted. He passed away from his injuries.”

Neighbors identified the deceased as 26-year-old Colombian national Joan Sebastian Guerrero, who reportedly lived nearby with his wife and infant daughter, the Portland Press Herald reported.

Federal officials had not officially confirmed the driver’s identity as of Monday evening.

Sen. Angus King (I-Maine) initially said Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin had informed him that the man was the subject of an arrest warrant, according to CNN.

King later clarified that Mullin corrected the information, telling him there had been no warrant issued for the driver, the network reported.

Graphic video posted to social media reportedly showed the wounded man lying beside his vehicle after the shooting, with what appeared to be a bullet hole visible through the driver’s side of the windshield, according to the Portland Press Herald.

Lucas Scott, an 18-year-old witness, said ICE agents wearing green tactical vests surrounded the vehicle with their weapons drawn as the driver appeared to steer directly toward them.

“The car was put into drive and was trying to hit the ICE officer,” Scott said, adding that an agent fired roughly four shots in response.

“I just heard the popping, but I did see him draw his gun,” Scott said.

A Ring doorbell camera at a nearby home reportedly captured the sound of five or six gunshots during the confrontation.

Another resident, Daniel Boucher, said he saw the driver emerge from the vehicle bleeding heavily from the head.

“He said, ‘I tried to stop,’ ” nearby resident Daniel Boucher said.

According to Presente! Maine, an immigrant advocacy organization based in Portland, the driver had authorization to work in the United States and had been issued a Social Security number.

“He was a member of our community, a neighbor, and a human being whose life was cut tragically short,” the organization said in a joint statement with the Maine Immigrants’ Rights Coalition. “We extend our deepest condolences to his family, loved ones, and everyone now grieving this unimaginable loss.”

Residents told the Portland Press Herald they had noticed a sharp increase in ICE enforcement activity in Biddeford over the past several weeks.

“They chased down a bunch of guys working on a roof down the street a week or two ago. They all ran. I saw one guy jump off the roof to get away. They left all their equipment on top of the roof,” Biddeford resident Larry Humiston told the Portland Press Herald.

The Biddeford Police Department confirmed that ICE personnel were involved in the shooting and said local officers responded to secure the area but were not otherwise participating in the federal operation.

Following the shooting, demonstrators gathered near the scene carrying signs critical of ICE.

Several Democratic officials sharply criticized federal immigration authorities in the aftermath of the incident. Maine Secretary of State Shenna Bellows vowed she would “remain tough” on ICE as questions surrounding the shooting continued.

“This man was their neighbor, and their kids play on that street and in the park where we gathered,” Bellows told CNN’s Jake Tapper.

“I think everyone who let ICE and Trump deploy these men on the streets needs to be held accountable.”

Maine Gov. Janet Mills also condemned what she described as a deeply troubling encounter.

“[I]t underscores the reckless and haphazard manner in which immigration enforcement operations are being conducted in Maine and across the country,” Mills said in a post to her X account. “This has to end.”

New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani likewise denounced the agency in a social media post.

“ICE is killing our neighbors. ICE cannot be reformed. Abolish ICE,” Hizzoner said in an X post.

The Department of Homeland Security said its Office of Inspector General will conduct an investigation into the fatal shooting.

{Matzav.com}

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United Torah Judaism MK Meir Porush delivered an emotional and highly unusual address in the Knesset on Monday during debate over the Basic Law on Torah Study, speaking directly to the tens of thousands of yeshiva students and kollel yungeleit across Israel. Opening his remarks in a deeply personal tone, he said, “Dear yeshiva student, dear kollel scholar, the next few minutes are dedicated to you.”

Addressing those immersed in full-time Torah study, Porush declared, “I am speaking to you, the yeshiva student who begins his day at six-thirty in the morning, and after prayer and breakfast bends over the Talmud and lectern almost continuously until eleven at night. To you, who ignores the background noise, casts aside the vanities of this world, and plunges into the sea of the Talmud. Your melody, the sound of Torah echoing through the halls of the yeshivas—they are the heartbeat of the Jewish people.”

He then turned to the thousands of kollel scholars who devote themselves to Torah despite financial hardship. “I am speaking to you, the kollel scholar who survives on just a few shekels, living far below the poverty line. To you and your family—to your devoted wife, who carries the burden of the home and earning a livelihood so that you can continue occupying your place in the study hall. You who sacrifice yourselves to learn Torah despite deprivation, living on bread with salt and measured amounts of water, seeking neither fame nor applause nor honor from anyone—except the honor of the Torah.”

Reflecting on the challenges facing Torah scholars, Porush said they have endured years of relentless attacks. “For the past three years you have been trampled. They have turned you into a punching bag. Cruel campaigns of incitement, hostility, and hatred have been directed at you, as though you, God forbid, are the problem facing the country rather than the secret to its existence.” He continued, “They are trying to break your spirit. They pursue you and arrest you in the streets, impose economic decrees upon you, and label those who uphold the world as ‘draft dodgers.’”

Porush stressed, however, that the value of Torah study does not depend on government recognition. “The truth is that you do not need the recognition of the Knesset. The holy Torah survived empires, kingdoms, and decrees long before this building was established, and it will endure forever. It is not the Knesset that gives validity to the Torah. Rather, it is the Torah that grants this nation its right to exist and its right to the Land of Israel.”

Nevertheless, he described the legislation as an important public declaration. “Still, something unusual is happening today. A majority of Knesset members are standing up and declaring clearly that Torah study is a foundational value of the heritage of the Jewish people,” he said. “Today the Knesset is doing itself a favor by acknowledging that it is the Torah that has safeguarded the Jewish nation throughout the generations.”

Porush explained that while the importance of Torah should be self-evident, today’s political climate has made such legislation necessary. “Unfortunately, even what should be obvious sometimes requires reinforcement. In a generation of confusion, when there are those trying to disconnect a person from the source of his spiritual life, this law tells every kollel scholar and every yeshiva student: You, who sit and learn, are performing the greatest and most important act for the eternity of the Jewish people.”

In the closing moments of his address, Porush sharply rebuked opposition lawmakers preparing to vote against the bill. “Shame on you. Hatred has blinded your eyes. Even the military’s professional Shakedi Committee, which was established after the horrific October 7 massacre, acknowledges the obvious.”

Quoting from the committee’s findings, he said, “Protecting the core values of the haredi world means protecting Torah scholars whose full-time occupation is Torah study (those who study three daily sessions).”

He concluded with a forceful condemnation of the opposition: “What the army understands out of genuine and existential necessity, you refuse to understand because of cheap populism. Today you are not voting against the coalition—you are voting against the holy Torah. Shame on you.”

Monday marked the opening of a five-day legislative marathon in the Knesset, with the Basic Law on Torah Study becoming the first major bill to come before the full chamber. At the same time, the coalition is advancing legislation that would freeze the arrest orders issued against yeshiva students.

{Matzav.com}

Shas MK Yoav Ben Tzur delivered an emotional address in the Knesset on Monday during debate over the Basic Law on Torah Study, calling on lawmakers from across the political spectrum to recognize the central role of Torah in the life and survival of the Jewish people.

Opening his remarks, Ben Tzur said, “I stand before you today not only as a public official, but as a son of the Jewish people, whose greatest day in history was at Har Sinai, when the Torah was given. This is not a political or sectoral law, nor is it a matter of coalition versus opposition. This is the foundational law of the Jewish nation’s soul.”

Ben Tzur emphasized that Torah study has been the force that sustained the Jewish people throughout centuries of exile and persecution. “Throughout two thousand years of exile, in the face of persecution, pogroms, and attempts at annihilation, we had neither military might nor political power. The Book protected us—the eternal Book of Books.”

He continued by pointing to the endurance of the Jewish people despite the collapse of mighty civilizations. “Nations and empires disappeared, yet we remained steadfast and strong,” he said. “The holy Torah is our identity, our moral compass, and the eternal flame that warms the heart of every Jew.”

Explaining the purpose of the legislation, Ben Tzur said the bill simply enshrines an obvious truth: “That Torah study is a supreme foundational value in the State of Israel. Torah scholars—those kollel scholars and yeshiva students—are not a burden. They are the spiritual defensive wall protecting us all. They are the ones who continue the unbroken chain of generations, from Moses receiving the Torah at Mount Sinai until our own day.”

Ben Tzur also appealed for unity, urging lawmakers to rise above the country’s political divisions. “I appeal from here to every member of this House, from every part of the political spectrum. In recent years we have experienced many storms, divisions, and disputes that have torn us apart. Precisely at moments like these, we must return to the roots we all share.”

He stressed that the Torah belongs to every Jew, not to any single political party. “The Torah does not belong to the haredi parties—it belongs to the entire Jewish people,” Ben Tzur declared. “As I have said from this podium time and again, as a reserve captain in the Nahal Brigade and as someone who recognizes the value of Torah study, our unity is our strength, and the Torah is the deepest common denominator that unites us all as one people—haredim and secular Jews alike, from every segment of society.”

Ben Tzur described passage of the bill as a historic affirmation of Israel’s Jewish identity. “Alongside our unwavering support for our soldiers—the finest of our sons—who are courageously fighting our enemies, the State of Israel is a Jewish state, and it recognizes the value of Torah study in protecting our nation and our soldiers. The State of Israel acknowledges that alongside military and economic strength, it is our spiritual strength that guarantees our existence forever.”

Concluding his speech, Ben Tzur urged lawmakers to support the legislation. “This is the time to rise above the considerations of the moment, to look toward the future while remembering our glorious past, and to support this important Basic Law. Together we will send a clear message to future generations that the flame of Torah in the Land of Israel did not go out during the darkest periods of history—and it will never be extinguished.”

The Knesset on Monday began a five-day legislative marathon, with the Basic Law on Torah Study becoming the first bill to come before the plenum. Later this week, lawmakers are also expected to vote on legislation approved by the Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee that would temporarily suspend the arrest of yeshiva students for the coming months.

{Matzav.com}

After a tense nine-hour meeting that stretched past midnight, the rabbinic leadership of Ponovezh Yeshiva finalized admissions for the coming academic year, accepting 477 bochurim into the yeshiva’s highly sought-after first-year shiur from a field of nearly 650 outstanding applicants.

The annual admissions meeting, known within the yeshiva simply as the zitzen, concluded shortly after 1:00 a.m. Tuesday at the home of yeshiva president Rav Eliezer Kahaneman. Throughout the evening, crowds gathered along Rechov Wasserman in Bnei Brak, anxiously awaiting the outcome of one of the most anticipated events in the yeshiva world.

Following hours of deliberation, the roshei yeshiva determined that exactly 477 bochurim would be admitted to the incoming shiur. No additional students were accepted.

The zitzen, a tradition that has continued for decades, is held each year on the eve of Rosh Chodesh Av after an intensive month of entrance examinations. During the meeting, the roshei yeshiva review the results candidate by candidate, weighing examination scores and evaluations before deciding which applicants will merit admission to Ponovezh, widely regarded as one of the premier yeshivos in the Torah world.

This year’s admissions process was considered one of the most competitive in the yeshiva’s history. Throughout the summer, hundreds of roshei yeshiva from across Eretz Yisroel visited the home of Rav Eliezer Kahaneman, who has overseen the yeshiva’s admissions process for nearly three decades, to discuss and advocate for their finest talmidim before they were invited to take the entrance examinations.

Unlike many other yeshivos, Ponovezh conducts its admissions process only after virtually every other yeshiva has completed its own enrollment. As a result, only exceptional bochurim who are confident in their ability to succeed in the rigorous examinations are willing to wait and take the risk of applying.

Every applicant undergoes no fewer than four oral examinations conducted by members of the yeshiva faculty: Rav Chaim Peretz Berman, Rav Dovid Levy, Rav Dovid Miller, Rav Yehuda Shmuel Meller, Rav Yosef Kahaneman, Rav Rafael Shmuelevitz, and Rav Yaakov Epstein. In addition, Rav Eliezer Kahaneman personally reviews every candidate, while the yeshiva’s mashgichim, Rav Eliyahu Eliezer Kellerman and Rav Ezra Rothschild, conduct separate interviews to assess each applicant’s overall suitability.

This year, nearly 650 elite bochurim from across the country sat for the examinations, with leading yeshivos in Bnei Brak, Yerushalayim, and Kiryat Sefer sending groups of their strongest students to compete for admission. Because of the unusually large number of applicants, Rav Kahaneman ordered that the testing begin at the start of the month of Tammuz. Throughout the month, long lines of bochurim could be seen making their way from one rosh yeshiva’s home to another across the Ponovezh campus, reviewing their learning until the final moments before each examination.

The testing concluded on Sunday, the 27th of Tammuz, the yahrtzeit of the yeshiva’s legendary first rosh yeshiva, Rav Shmuel Rozovsky, zt”l. On Monday afternoon, the roshei yeshiva assembled at Rav Kahaneman’s home for the decisive admissions meeting, which began at 4:00 p.m. and was led by Rosh Yeshiva Rav Berel Povarsky.

Addressing the gathering, Rav Povarsky spoke about the enormous responsibility resting upon the shoulders of the yeshiva’s leadership as they determined which young men would merit studying in Ponovezh during the coming year. He noted that despite the many decrees and pressures facing the Torah world, the sound of Torah continues to grow stronger, with hundreds of outstanding bochurim eager to dedicate themselves completely to intensive Torah study in the unique atmosphere for which Ponovezh is renowned.

As soon as the meeting concluded, Rav Kahaneman’s team of longtime assistants—Rav Menachem Aschayek, Rav Zelig Diskin, and Rav Yom Tov Zlotnik, all devoted talmidim of Rav Gershon Edelstein, zt”l—began contacting each yeshiva individually to relay the admission decisions for every applicant.

Even those who were not accepted rarely remain without a yeshiva for long. Known throughout the yeshiva world as the “nefilim,” these bochurim are quickly recruited by many of the country’s finest yeshivos, which recognize that anyone who reached the final stages of the Ponovezh admissions process is an exceptional talmid. As a result, once Ponovezh completes its admissions, the broader picture of first-year enrollment throughout the yeshiva world quickly falls into place.

The continuing growth of the Torah world is evident each year, both in the increasing number of students and in the opening of new yeshivos across Eretz Yisroel. In recent years, many newly established yeshivos have built their inaugural first-year classes around Ponovezh’s “nefilim,” helping establish additional centers of Torah learning throughout the country and carrying forward the vision of the Ponovezher Rav, zt”l, that the Torah of Europe’s great yeshivos would once again flourish in Eretz Yisroel after the devastation of the Holocaust.

With enrollment expected to approach 3,000 talmidim in the near future, there is growing expectation within the yeshiva that additional ramim will soon be appointed to the faculty. In keeping with Ponovezh tradition, however, no one outside the yeshiva’s leadership knows when those appointments will be announced or who will be chosen until the official announcement is made. The most recent appointment came at the beginning of the summer zman of 5784, when Rav Rafael Shmuelevitz, a distinguished member of the Mir family of Torah scholars, grandson of Rav Chaim Shmuelevitz, zt”l, and rosh yeshiva of Yeshivas Daas Aharon (Kaplan), joined the Ponovezh faculty as a ram and maggid shiur. Anticipation is now building over who will next join the ranks of the yeshiva’s esteemed roshei yeshiva and ramim.

{Matzav.com}