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American motorists faced the most expensive Labor Day gasoline prices on record Monday, with the nationwide average climbing above $4 per gallon amid persistently high crude oil prices and disruptions to global energy supplies.

The average price for a gallon of regular gasoline across the country reached $4.15, according to AAA, breaking the previous Labor Day record of $3.82 per gallon established in 2012.

It marked the first time the national gasoline average has ever exceeded $4 per gallon on Labor Day.

The situation was considerably worse in some parts of the country. At one gas station in Chicago, regular gasoline was priced at $5.59 per gallon Monday morning as millions of travelers made their way home at the conclusion of the holiday weekend.

Although gasoline has retreated from its 2026 high of $4.56 per gallon in May, drivers are still paying substantially more than they were at this point last year. The current national average is approximately 30% higher than the $3.20-per-gallon average recorded a year earlier.

“While gasoline demand typically declines after the summer driving season — often leading to lower prices — this year’s elevated crude oil costs have offset that seasonal trend,” AAA spokesperson Brittany Moye said.

Diesel fuel has experienced an even steeper increase, with the nationwide average reaching $5.90 per gallon Monday, compared with $3.71 at the same time last year.

The war with Iran has been a major factor driving crude oil prices higher, as the conflict has dramatically curtailed petroleum shipments through the Strait of Hormuz, one of the world’s most important energy transit corridors.

West Texas Intermediate crude was trading at approximately $92 per barrel Monday, compared with about $67 before the war began on Feb. 28. Brent crude, meanwhile, was trading near $97 per barrel, up from roughly $72 before the fighting started.

During the second quarter, an estimated 4.9 million barrels of crude oil and other petroleum liquids passed through the Strait of Hormuz each day, according to the U.S. Energy Information Administration. That represents a dramatic decline from the 21.6 million barrels per day that traveled through the strategic waterway during the final quarter of 2025.

Additional pressure on fuel supplies has come from damage sustained by refineries in both the Middle East and Russia. At the same time, U.S. gasoline inventories for the week ending Aug. 28 stood 6% below their typical levels.

Motorists could see some relief in the weeks ahead. The Environmental Protection Agency announced last month that less expensive winter-blend gasoline could begin being sold on Sept. 1, two weeks earlier than normally permitted, a move intended to expand available supplies and help bring down prices at gas stations.

Dear Matzav Inbox,

It seems to be on everyone’s mind: Achdus in Klal Yisroel.

For many of us, it is deeply painful to watch the growing discord between different groups of Yidden, particularly in Eretz Yisroel. The intensity of the disagreements has left many people feeling unsettled and heartbroken. And although much of the conflict is taking place in Israel, its effects have certainly crossed the ocean.

Over the past few months, I have heard from many people who are genuinely devastated by the rift. They are not necessarily debating politics or even taking a position on the issues themselves. They are simply asking: How did we get to a place where fellow Yidden can have so much anger and disdain for one another?

The opinions are strong. The differences are real. And the challenge is enormous.

There are those who believe that the only way to preserve our values is to create greater separation from people whose lifestyles and ideals are different from our own. They worry that being sensitive and accepting of others will cause our children to be more vulnerable to influences and weaken our commitment to Torah. They believe that strong boundaries, and sometimes even strong opposition, are necessary to protect what is sacred to us.

That concern cannot simply be dismissed.

At the same time, there is another concern that deserves our attention.

What happens when our commitment to Torah comes at the expense of our middos?

We all believe that Hashem expects us to be a mamleches kohanim v’goy kadosh—a holy nation and representatives of Hashem in this world. That means that our responsibility is in both Kedushah and menschlichkeit. One without the other won’t succeed.

We can maintain firm Torah convictions without humiliating another Jew. We can establish boundaries without hatred. We can reject ideas without rejecting people. We can disagree deeply while still remembering that the person standing across from us is a fellow Yid created b’tzelem Elokim.

This may be one of the greatest challenges of our generation: learning how to remain uncompromising in our Torah values while remaining deeply committed to the middos that Torah demands from us.

It is a lifelong journey and a difficult balance.

It has implications far beyond the current disagreements in Eretz Yisroel. It affects our schools, our communities, our workplaces, our families—and every interaction we have with another Jew. It affects our whole culture.

This year, the worldwide Kiddush Hashem Selichos presentation is exploring these questions through a collection of powerful stories and Torah-based insights about what it means to truly live as Mekadshei Hashem. See the full free video on https://livingkiddushhashem.org/

It raises a challenge worth thinking about during the days of Selichos:

Can we be uncompromising about Torah and kedushah—and at the same time be uncompromising about being a dignified reflection of Hashem’s middos tovos?

For us to succeed in our ultimate mission of Kiddush Hashem, I believe we need to figure out how to continue growing in both.

Rabbi Shraga Freedman

LivingKiddushHashem@gmail.com

https://livingkiddushhashem.org/

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A new internal battle is emerging within Agudas Yisroel as the party prepares to approve its Knesset candidates, with the Ger faction demanding that a seat previously allocated to Sanz be transferred to Biala.

The dispute is expected to come to a head at a tense meeting of Agudas Yisroel’s National Council, which is convening to formally approve the faction’s representatives ahead of the upcoming elections. Ger is seeking to give the fifth slot on the Agudas Yisroel list to Biala, after the position was held by a representative of Sanz during the previous Knesset term.

Under Agudas Yisroel’s internal arrangements, the fifth position is technically allocated to the Ger faction. In the past, that arrangement even resulted in Ger having two representatives in the Knesset simultaneously. Ahead of the most recent Knesset term, however, an agreement was reached under which Ger relinquished the slot and allowed Sanz to fill it.

Ger is now seeking to change that arrangement. According to the report, Ger officials contend that the Sanzer representative in the previous Knesset aligned himself politically with the positions of the Shlomei Emunim and Belz factions.

As a result, Ger wants the seat allocated this time to Biala, whose Rebbe is also a member of the Moetzes of Agudas Yisroel.

Shlomei Emunim and Belz are expected to potentially oppose the proposed change, setting the stage for a further confrontation over the makeup of the party’s slate.

A separate dispute is also underway over the rotation arrangement involving the third and fourth positions on the Agudas Yisroel list. The issue could become particularly significant if Agudas Yisroel wins only three Knesset seats in the coming election.

Shlomei Emunim and Belz are demanding that Ger surrender its turn in the rotation this time, allowing another faction to benefit from the arrangement.

Ger, however, is rejecting that demand. Ger officials argue that the Central Faction, as Ger’s political faction is known, commands enough electoral strength on its own to account for a full Knesset mandate.

They also maintain that Ger has already made such a concession in recent years, pointing to the rotation under which Yaakov Tessler entered the Knesset in place of Yaakov Litzman. On that basis, Ger argues that it would be inappropriate to demand that the faction once again give up its place in the rotation.

Former Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Barak raised a proposal to shutter all social media platforms in the country for three days before the national election on Oct. 27.

The former Labor Party leader raised concerns over the potential spread of fabricated footage using AI tools, speaking in an interview with Israel’s Channel 12 broadcaster.

One option to solve this problem is “to appeal to these companies [social media firms] and demand on behalf of the State of Israel to close these channels in the three last days [before the election],” Barak said in Hebrew.

Barak was prime minister from 1999 to 2001, and minister of defense from 2007 to 2013, including in a Netanyahu government from 2009 to 2013.

Last year, he repeated his call for a civil insurrection to topple the Netanyahu government.

“We need to get to a civil insurrection,” Barak said on May 3, 2025, during an appearance on “Moriah & Berko,” a Channel 13 news show co-hosted by Moriah Ashraf and Eyal Berkovic.

Asked to explain what that meant, he said he meant hundreds of thousands taking to the streets guided by political, academic, high-tech and market leaders, among others.

When Ashraf asked what the limits of the insurrection should be, Barak said, “The limits are the shutdown of the country until the government falls.”

Speaking at an anti-government protest rally in Tel Aviv on July 27, 2024, Barak urged the thousands present to engage in “nonviolent civil noncompliance.”

Israeli prosecutors at the time mulled whether to prosecute Barak on charges of incitement and sedition. JNS

Jared Kushner, U.S. President Donald Trump’s son-in-law and peace envoy, said on Sunday that Washington was only beginning to understand what is required to demilitarize the Gaza Strip, calling it “beyond your comprehension.”

“Demilitarizing it is not going to be easy,” Kushner said at a press conference in Kyiv, where he appeared alongside U.S. Special Envoy Steve Witkoff and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.

The United States worked with Hamas for more than four months, he said, resulting in the terrorist group committing to lay down its weapons. “You can’t go in if there’s guns,” Kushner said. “You can’t send a government in to a place.”

“There’s a new government, a Palestinian technocratic government that’s neither the [Palestinian Authority] nor Hamas, that’s built a plan to go forward,” the envoy said.

The U.S. and Israel agree on the “end state” for Gaza, Kushner said, but continue to work through “some political issues” due to the upcoming Israeli election. “They just have a crazy election, and that makes them a little irrational in certain regards,” he added.

The Gaza Strip was “built by NGOs and terrorists, and it’s been a dystopian place for a long time,” Kushner said. “Gaza has not worked for a very, very long time.”

The Trump administration has flooded Gaza with aid since the October 2025 ceasefire and changed how it is distributed, and the war-torn enclave now has one of the lowest malnutrition rates in the world, Kushner continued.

The United Nations had previously been spending three times as much per person on aid in Gaza as it did in Syria, he noted, attributing the gap to “this whole industrial complex of aid” and terrorist groups stealing shipments.

The United States now has a plan to rebuild Gaza, drawn up by a team assembled under Trump and his Board of Peace, he said, adding that “these things take time.”

Kushner said on Aug. 17 that progress toward Gaza’s demilitarization could begin within 30 days, following a nearly four-hour meeting with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

Kushner told Fox News that Washington would not support rebuilding Gaza before demilitarization, adding that the administration had addressed Israeli concerns about the Board of Peace roadmap and clarified that Israel’s right to act against imminent threats would not be restricted.

“We could be seeing progress in as little 30 days, hopefully on starting to take some of the weapons out, and hopefully filling in some of the tunnels as well in the next 60 to 90 days,” Kushner said, adding that progress would require cooperation from both sides.

Meanwhile, Hamas continues to threaten Israeli forces positioned in the Strip. The Israel Defense Forces overnight Sunday struck Hamas terrorist infrastructure in the Gaza Strip after an explosive device targeted an IDF vehicle, the military said on Monday morning.

An IDF engineering vehicle set off the Hamas explosive on Sunday in the Yellow Line buffer area in the northern Gaza Strip.

No Israelis were injured in the blast, which the IDF said was a blatant violation of the ceasefire agreement.

The targeted Hamas sites had been used to prepare attacks on Israeli soldiers and civilians, the IDF added, noting that Southern Command forces remain deployed in the sector in accordance with the ceasefire and will continue operations to remove imminent threats.

Netanyahu visited an Israel Defense Forces outpost near the Yellow Line demarcation boundary on Sept. 2, according to the Prime Minister’s Office. He said Israel would maintain control of the area as it works to complete the disarmament of Hamas and the demilitarization of Gaza.

“We control the territory. We are not withdrawing. We are staying on this line,” Netanyahu said during the visit, alongside IDF Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Eyal Zamir and senior Southern Command officers.

“We control 60% of the Strip, and our reach extends further, because we are eliminating the terrorists who threaten us. We do so day in and day out,” Netanyahu said, adding, “Yesterday, we got Hamas’s Shin Bet chief. We will surely learn some things.” Shin Bet is a Hebrew acronym for the Israel Security Agency, Israel’s equivalent to the American FBI.

Netanyahu on Sept. 1 extended his congratulations to the country’s security forces on the capture of the head of Hamas’s internal security apparatus, Muein al-Arabid, earlier in the day.

Describing him as “one of the most senior Hamas leaders,” the prime minister said al-Arabid had been “responsible for hiding and transporting our abductees [and] hiding senior Hamas officials,” referring to those taken captive by the terrorist group during its Oct. 7, 2023, invasion of southern Israel.

More recently, al-Arabid was involved in efforts to restore Hamas’s control in Gaza and to carry out attacks against Israeli soldiers and civilians, Netanyahu said. “My directive is clear: The State of Israel will continue to persecute all Hamas leaders and all those who took part in the Oct. 7 massacre,” he added. JNS

A terrorist stabbed a young Israeli man on Monday morning at the Maoz Yehuda Farm, near the Palestinian town of Osarin in central Samaria.

The victim was seriously wounded, according to the Hatzalah Judea and Samaria (Rescuers Without Borders) volunteer emergency service. He sustained multiple stab wounds to his hand and upper body “until the knife broke,” the service said, adding that the terrorist fled in a vehicle.

The victim was evacuated to Rabin Medical Center in Petach Tikvah.

After IDF soldiers set up roadblocks throughout the area and following a brief manhunt, soldiers killed the terrorist an hour after the attack, the army said.

Soldiers located the terrorist near his vehicle outside the Palestinian town of Qabalan, according to the military. The terrorist tried to stab them, and an IDF commander “responded with fire and eliminated him,” the statement read.

“No terrorist has anywhere to hide. I commend our heroic troops who closed in on and eliminated the terrorist who carried out the attack in Samaria,” Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Monday.

The premier wished the wounded farm owner a full and speedy recovery, adding that Israel will continue “eliminating terrorists, pursuing those who send them and destroying terrorist infrastructure in Judea and Samaria.”

Defense Minister Israel Katz said that the IDF “will pursue and capture the terrorist.”

“Our policy in Judea and Samaria is clear: to vigorously pursue Palestinian terrorism, develop and strengthen Jewish settlement, and maintain security stability,” Katz added.

Terrorism in Judea and Samaria is “at its lowest level in decades,” he said, adding that Jerusalem would take “all necessary measures to prevent terrorism from once again raising its head.”

Katz said he and Netanyahu had ordered the IDF to prepare for an “all-out campaign” against the Palestinian Authority and other terrorist infrastructure in Judea and Samaria if Ramallah turns its weapons against Israel.

“We will not allow a return to the reality of a prolonged intifada lasting for years, as occurred in the past,” he continued.

The proposed campaign would include targeted killings of senior figures, the evacuation of residents from areas used for terrorist activity and the IDF remaining in the evacuated territory, “exactly as we did in the security zones in Gaza and Lebanon, and as we also operated in the refugee camps in Jenin and northern Samaria,” he said.

“We will not allow a return to the reality of Oct. 7, and we will ensure the security of Israel’s residents and communities everywhere,” Katz added, referencing the Hamas-led cross-border massacre almost three years ago.

Yossi Dagan, head of the Samaria Regional Council, said, “I stand with IDF soldiers and commanders and pray for the wounded man’s recovery.”

He continued, “I expect the area to be placed under a full cordon and for the IDF to launch a broad military operation, go from house to house and collect the weapons, and dismantle the infrastructure of those who support terrorism. I demand that all roads in the area be closed immediately, that the terrorist be captured, and that everyone who assisted him be held accountable.”

The people of Israel will not surrender to terrorism, and they will continue to build Samaria, Dagan said.

Counterterrorism ops in Samaria

Israeli security personnel apprehended a Hamas cell and dismantled a rocket during a counterterrorism raid in the Aqraba area, southeast of Nablus (Shechem) in central Samaria, the IDF and the Israeli Security Agency (Shin Bet) said on Sunday.

The operation, which included members of the Border Police’s Yamam National Counter-Terrorism Unit alongside the IDF and Shin Bet, was completed on Sunday morning, according to the joint statement.

The 10-member terrorist cell had been working to advance attacks on Israeli civilians, according to the statement. The rocket was found without a launcher and dismantled on the spot.

On Friday, IDF soldiers completed a counterterrorism operation in the Qabatiya area in northern Samaria, apprehending five terrorists who were part of a cell planning an attack on civilians and security forces, the military said.

Earlier on Friday, the IDF said that more than 10 wanted suspects had been arrested during a 48-hour brigade-level counterterrorism operation in the Nablus area.

During the operation, troops searched hundreds of sites and questioned dozens of suspects. JNS

The Breslover community is mourning the passing of Rav Yisroel Yitzchok Besançon, the renowned mashpia, author and leader of the Shir Chadash community in Tel Aviv, who devoted decades to spreading the teachings of Rav Nachman of Breslov and bringing countless Jews closer to Torah. He was 81.

Rav Besançon was born on 27 Kislev 5705 in France, during the final months of World War II. As a young man, he displayed remarkable artistic ability and appeared destined for a career as a painter and artist. At the age of 15, however, he experienced a profound spiritual awakening, became a baal teshuvah, and went on to study in yeshivos in Lucerne, Switzerland, and Antwerp, Belgium.

During his years in Antwerp, Rav Besançon became close to the Pshevorsker Rebbe, Rav Itzikel Leiser, who embraced the young man warmly and helped guide his first steps into the world of Chassidus. Rav Besançon subsequently became deeply attached to Breslov and developed into a close talmid of the legendary Breslover mashpia Rav Levi Yitzchok Bender.

In 1976, with the blessing of Rav Levi Yitzchok Bender, Rav Besançon established a bais medrash and center for the dissemination of Chassidus in Aix-les-Bains, France. A substantial community of French Jewish baalei teshuvah eventually developed around the center, with many drawn to Torah through Rav Besançon’s warmth, personality and shiurim.

Tragedy struck in 1981 when his wife, Bracha Basha, passed away suddenly, leaving him to raise five young orphans. Out of the profound pain of that period, Rav Besançon began writing his celebrated book “Courage,” which explores how to confront hardship through the teachings of Rav Nachman of Breslov. The book achieved worldwide popularity, was translated into seven languages and reportedly reached nearly one million copies.

Rav Besançon later married his second wife, Devorah, who passed away approximately three years ago.

In 1995, Rav Besançon moved to Eretz Yisroel. In his later years, he also became close to Rav Yisroel Ber Odesser. He eventually established his home and the center of his activities on Har Zion Boulevard in southern Tel Aviv.

It was there, in the heart of Tel Aviv, that Rav Besançon built the Shir Chadash community, developing an extensive network of Torah and chessed. The community grew to include a bais medrash, the Netzach Yisrael yeshiva for younger students, a Talmud Torah, chessed organizations, food distribution programs for needy families and a publishing institute.

Rav Besançon was also a prolific author, producing dozens of books and booklets that became widely used in the worlds of kiruv and Chassidus. His works included “Courage,” “Hisbodedus,” “Mesilas Hakesharim,” “Marpeh Lashon,” “Azamra,” “Lechem Abirim,” and “Pe’er HaLikutim,” among many others.

His artistic talents remained an important part of his life as well. Rav Besançon composed stirring melodies that were released on the “Kulmus” albums, while continuing to produce Judaica paintings that reflected the spiritual world of Chassidus that had become the focus of his life.

Among the prominent figures who emerged from his bais medrash are Rav Avraham Yifrach, founder of Mishkan Uman; Rav Michi Yosefi, founder of Yishuv Hadaas; Rav Doron Yitzchok Stern, director of the publishing house and rosh yeshiva of Netzach Yisrael; Rav Aryeh Lippo; Rav Dan Levinson; and Rav Yishai Friedman.

Rav Besançon became weak in recent days and was hospitalized. His many talmidim and admirers davened for his recovery, but he passed away on Sunday.

His levayah is to take place Monday in the holy city of Tzefas, where he will be laid to rest in the ancient bais hachaim.

Yehi zichro baruch.

{Matzav.com}

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To my dear community, and to fellow parents everywhere,

A few months ago, our precious 4-year-old daughter, Adina, was taken from us in a tragedy that no parent should ever even be able to comprehend.

My daughter was vibrant, full of life, and loved with every fiber of our being. She was truly the light of our lives. Adina was being driven to school in her routine carpool since August of last year. The driver mistakenly left her inside the vehicle on a hot day. The alarm bells went off when I went to pick her up at the end of the day and her teacher said she was absent. By the time anyone realized, it was already too late and my Adina was gone.

Since that dark day, our world has been shattered and the silence in our home is unbearable. What was once filled with giggles and simcha is now filled with an eerie silence. But as the new school year approaches, my family and I will not remain silent while other precious children remain at risk.

Over this past summer alone, Klal Yisrael has wept for precious neshamos lost in Los Angeles, Baltimore, and Eretz Yisrael. These horrific incidents happen because human memory is fragile and our days are filled with distractions.

That is why I am writing directly to you today. I am pleading with every parent, school administrator, and community leader to take immediate action and implement the life saving initiatives led by Team Protect – an organization devoted to keeping children safe.

Team Protect is imploring schools and daycares to operate a multi layered defense to do our part to make sure no other family ever experiences this excruciating pain and grief BEH:

In Our Vehicles: The Clever Elly Device

The Clever Elly is a small safety device that plugs directly into a car’s 12V auxiliary port. Every single time the car engine is turned off, it plays a clear, safety reminder: Check the backseat.

It doesn’t rely on Bluetooth, apps, or complex setups. It just works—every single time. I urge every shul, preschool, and daycare to organize community distribution drives so that every parent, grandparent, and carpool driver has this device in their car.

In Our Schools: Mandatory Automated Attendance Systems

Every elementary school, preschool, and daycare must implement automated attendance tracking protocols that immediately alert parents via text, phone call, or app if a child is marked absent without prior notice. As our precious children are returning to school within the next few weeks, it is incumbent on the administration of every school to ensure these systems are in place prior to the start of the new school year.

Recently in Miami, one of these systems saved a child’s life after their mother was alerted that her child hadn’t arrived at school. The child was found in the back of a carpool van just in time. Every minute counts. If a child doesn’t show up, parents must know immediately. Please, do not wait to update your attendance systems.

If your school currently has an attendance system, please consider sharing your name on the website. If your administration is open to looking into this, consider signing a pledge – it’s quick, free and creates momentum to encourage others to do the same. Team Protect also offers a comparative analysis of different attendance systems to look over.

Team Protect can help make sure that every parent has a Clever Elly in their car and guide all early childhood administrators to implement an attendance alert system that works for them.

Check out Team Protect’s campaign, which details their mission and the importance of their cause.

Please, in honor of my sweet Adina, take action today so that no mother ever has to write a letter like this again.

May the memory of Adina Liba bas Zev Chaim A”H be a blessing, and may Hashem protect all of our children as we begin this new school year BEH.

To learn more about hosting a Clever Elly drive or implementing automated attendance protocols in your school, visit Team Protect or contact amanda@teamprotect.org.

Israel’s High Court of Justice sharply criticized the state and security forces Sunday over their response to a series of violent incidents in the Palestinian village of Jalud in the Shomron, ordering authorities to arrange within 14 days for three Palestinians to return to homes they say they were forced to abandon.

Supreme Court President Yitzhak Amit, together with Justices Alex Stein and Yechiel Kasher, issued the order following a petition alleging that the three residents had been driven from their homes by violent intrusions and harassment.

According to the court’s decision, the petitioners described a series of incidents dating back to April that included trespassing, threats, road blockages, stone-throwing, and damage to property and infrastructure. They alleged that a water line was disconnected, trees were uprooted, a vehicle was set on fire, and large rocks were used to block the road leading to their homes.

The court noted that the state did not dispute most of the sequence of events described in the petition. The decision further stated that after the petitioners left their homes, Israelis whom the judges described as “rioters” periodically occupied the residences.

The judges also addressed footage showing IDF soldiers playing soccer with Israelis at the site. A brigade operations officer told the court that the soldiers were reinforcement troops who were unfamiliar with the relevant procedures and instructions. The soldiers involved were subsequently removed from combat duty over the incident.

The High Court delivered particularly sharp criticism of the answers provided by the state, writing: “The picture that emerges is very bleak. There are plenty of questions; adequate answers – fewer.”

Considering the number of incidents, the length of time over which they occurred and the authorities’ response, the judges added that “the conduct of the respondents in the present proceedings raises serious difficulties.”

The court further determined that overall responsibility for protecting the local Palestinian population rests with the IDF because the military commander exercises governing authority in the area.

The judges ordered the state to coordinate the petitioners’ return to their homes within 14 days, provide security for their return, and allow them to bring in equipment and supplies needed to repair their homes and restore water and electrical infrastructure.

The High Court also issued a conditional order requiring the state to explain why it should not take steps to return the petitioners and their families to their homes and remove roadblocks and other obstacles preventing access to the properties.

In addition, the state was directed to provide the court with information about enforcement and investigative measures taken against the Israelis allegedly involved in the incidents. That includes information concerning possible prosecutions and whether vehicles allegedly used during the incidents could be confiscated.

The parties were ordered to update the High Court on the petitioners’ return to their homes by Sept. 22.

{Matzav.com}

Jared Kushner, President Donald Trump’s special envoy and son-in-law, said during a visit to Ukraine that the United States and Israel agree on the ultimate outcome sought for Gaza, while criticizing some Israeli decision-making amid the country’s election season.

Kushner made the comments while discussing Israeli military operations in Gaza and efforts to advance President Trump’s peace plan for the territory.

“I think we agree with the Israelis on the end state for Gaza,” Kushner said. “They have crazy elections, and it makes them a little irrational in certain respects.”

The remarks came as Kushner was in Ukraine as part of the White House’s efforts to bring the war there to an end. The American envoy met with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy one day after holding a three-hour meeting in Moscow with Russian President Vladimir Putin.

Kushner’s comments regarding Israel come amid continuing tensions between the Trump administration and the Israeli government over implementation of the Gaza peace plan. According to reports, the White House has been pressing Israel to move forward with the disarmament of Hamas and the rebuilding of infrastructure in Gaza.

Last month, Kushner met with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu for four hours as part of efforts to advance the peace initiative. The meeting resulted in an understanding that reconstruction in Gaza would not proceed until Hamas had been completely disarmed, beginning with the surrender of all weapons for destruction under international supervision.

The Prime Minister’s Office subsequently announced the establishment of two working groups, one tasked with Hamas’s disarmament and the demilitarization of Gaza and the other focused on rehabilitating sanitation infrastructure. The statement stressed that “disarmament and demilitarization will be completed before the start of any reconstruction process in the Gaza Strip.”

Alongside the diplomatic efforts, the IDF has continued military operations in Gaza. Last week, special forces from the Shin Bet and IDF captured Muin al-Arabid, a senior official in Hamas’s security apparatus, during an operation that included 18 simultaneous airstrikes. The mission had been planned for months and was approved by Netanyahu and the defense minister.

Kushner, who serves as Trump’s special envoy to the Middle East, also held an unusual meeting with senior Hamas officials in Egypt approximately three weeks ago. During the meeting, he reportedly placed heavy pressure on the Hamas representatives and demanded that they immediately begin fulfilling their commitment to disarm.

Senior international officials also participated in that meeting, including Peace Council Director-General Nikolay Mladenov and former British Prime Minister Tony Blair.

Ted Cruz unloads on Tucker Carlson, calling him America’s most dangerous demagogue and accusing his movement of turning young conservatives against Israel, Trump and the country. Cruz now urges the FBI to follow the money and investigate whether prominent influencers are secretly funded from abroad.

WATCH:

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National Sukkah Outlet has been building sukkahs for the community for 36 years. It started with R’ Ezriel Munk making wooden panels in his garage in Passaic, and over time it became one of those places people just tell each other about. A neighbor mentions it, and that’s how you end up there.

They’ve got a lot to choose from. Wood panels, fiberglass, the newer lucite that actually holds up and doesn’t scratch, a see-through option if you want something different, fabric ones, travel ones, and bamboo and schach under Badatz with two mehadrin options. Whatever you’re after, it’s probably there.

And the modular pre-sized sukkahs are a genuinely good deal right now:

6×8 — $1,899
8×12 — $2,395
10×16 — $2,999

Plus a range of color options.

But the thing people really talk about isn’t the sukkahs. It’s that when you call, someone picks up,  someone who knows what they’re talking about and actually helps you figure out what you need. In a busy season, with Yom Tov coming fast, that’s worth more than anything.

The good sizes and colors do go early, though. So if this is the year you’re getting a new one, it’s worth calling sooner rather than later.

Reach them at 1-800-778-5624, take a look at sukkahoutlet.com, or WhatsApp them at wa.me/8483827990. Tell them what you’re working with and they’ll take it from there.

Hadassah Carlebach, a Holocaust survivor who as a young girl worked alongside her father to rescue and care for hundreds of Jewish children in Nazi-occupied France, passed away Sunday in New York at the age of 99.

Mrs. Carlebach lived through Soviet persecution, survived the horrors of Nazi-occupied Europe and later devoted much of her life to preserving the memory of the Holocaust and transmitting a legacy of Jewish faith and courage to future generations. She was also a relative of the Lubavitcher Rebbe, whose second cousin was her father, Rav Schneur Zalman Schneerson. Through her husband, she was the sister-in-law of Rav Shlomo Carlebach.

Mrs. Carlebach was born Hadassah Schneerson in 1927 in Leningrad, now St. Petersburg, in the Soviet Union. Her family, committed Chassidim who refused to submit to the Communist regime’s religious restrictions, lacked legal status in the country. Her mother, Sarah, was unable to be admitted to a hospital to give birth because she did not possess the necessary identification papers. A private doctor ultimately arranged for her to enter secretly through a rear entrance, allowing Hadassah to be born there. For approximately the first year of her life, Hadassah had no official documentation.

The family subsequently moved to Moscow, where her father helped transfer charitable funds from the United States to impoverished Jews. Their small apartment became a clandestine refuge for Jews attempting to escape the Soviet authorities. His activities came at a steep price: Rav Schneur Zalman was arrested by the Soviet secret police no fewer than 16 times. The family lived with the constant possibility that police could burst into their home, learning escape routes and hiding places by heart. The fear remained with Mrs. Carlebach for decades; she later recalled that whenever she entered an unfamiliar building, she instinctively looked for possible exits.

In 1935, as Soviet investigations of Jewish activists intensified, the family managed to leave the Soviet Union with the assistance of Jewish activist Dr. Yosef Rosen. Soviet authorities would not permit them to immigrate to the United States or Europe, but allowed them to travel to Eretz Yisroel. After a 12-day sea voyage, the family arrived in Jaffa. For the young Hadassah, life in Eretz Yisroel brought her the first real sense of security and calm she had experienced.

A year later, however, her father decided to relocate the family to Paris after finding it difficult to adjust to the socialist atmosphere prevalent at the time in the Tel Aviv area. In the French capital, he established the Kehillas Hachareidim organization, through which he founded a kosher soup kitchen, a shul and a Talmud Torah. Those institutions provided both physical and spiritual support for the growing stream of Jewish refugees arriving from across Europe.

After World War II began in 1939, the family’s rescue efforts expanded dramatically. Rav Schneur Zalman was appointed by the OSE Jewish humanitarian organization to operate a kosher children’s home at Château de Morelles. When the Nazis occupied France and deportations of Jews increased, the children’s home was moved south to Marseille.

Despite the desperate conditions and constant danger, Hadassah’s father refused to compromise on religious observance. The food remained strictly kosher, the children continued learning Torah and observing Shabbos and Yom Tov, and programs were even established to teach radio technology and fashion cutting so that the youngsters could acquire practical skills for their future.

Hadassah, still only a teenager herself, became deeply involved in caring for the children, serving as both a cook and teacher amid severe food shortages. She later recalled stretches during which they survived for weeks on little more than bread and green peppers, with each child allotted just one egg per month. Even under those conditions, the family maintained strict standards of kashrus. When margarine became available, her father sent a sample for chemical laboratory testing before allowing it into the kitchen.

On one Purim during the war, French officials secretly warned the family that the Gestapo planned to raid the children’s home the following day. Rav Schneur Zalman decided not to tell the children what was coming because he did not want to destroy their Purim celebration. While the festivities continued normally, preparations for an escape were being made behind the scenes. As soon as the celebration ended, the children were loaded onto trucks and spirited away to another hiding place.

Throughout the war, the children’s home moved repeatedly as the danger shifted, relocating from one site to another across France. During one episode, Hadassah’s mother was captured by the Nazis and subjected to severe torture before ultimately being released.

Most of the children under the family’s care were eventually smuggled across the border into neutral Switzerland and survived. The rescuers, however, could not save everyone. One group of 16 children was betrayed and deported to the Auschwitz death camp. Only one of them survived.

Hadassah herself narrowly escaped death on numerous occasions. During one incident, after a hiding place had been exposed, she was leading a group of children through snow-covered forests when she heard dogs barking and drawing closer. Paralyzed with fear, she found encouragement from an unlikely source: a little girl of about seven whispered to her that she should continue trusting in Hashem and keep moving. Hadassah found the strength to continue, and the group escaped.

Following the liberation of France in 1945, the family returned to Paris and began the painful process of trying to locate the children’s relatives. Thousands of letters were sent to municipalities throughout France. Some children were eventually reunited with their parents; others learned that they had been left entirely alone in the world.

The family immigrated to the United States in 1947. Two years later, Hadassah married Rav Eliyahu Chaim Carlebach, who later served as a rabbi at a Jewish center in New Jersey and became one of the leaders of the Carlebach Shul in Manhattan.

Throughout the decades that followed, Mrs. Carlebach continued sharing her testimony and working to preserve the memory of the Holocaust. In recounting what she had witnessed and endured, she repeatedly emphasized the importance of maintaining Jewish identity and pride even during the darkest periods of persecution.

Mrs. Carlebach leaves behind five daughters: Sterna Citron of Los Angeles, Sheina Berkowitz of Huntington Beach, Yocheved Dayan of Brooklyn, Frieda Laufer of Crown Heights and Esther Kugel of Crown Heights, as well as numerous grandchildren and descendants who continue in the path of Torah and Chassidus.

The levayah will take place Monday in New York and will pass in front of 770 Eastern Parkway in Crown Heights before proceeding to the bais hachaim.

{Matzav.com}

Degel HaTorah’s official newspaper, Yated Ne’eman, addressed for the first time Monday the dramatic decision to remove longtime Knesset members Moshe Gafni and Uri Maklev from the United Torah Judaism slate for the next election, insisting that the move should not be interpreted as a loss of confidence in the veteran lawmakers.

The newspaper stressed that Gafni and Maklev had acted throughout their years in public office in accordance with the instructions of the leading rabbonim and had done everything within their power to resolve the status of yeshiva students and kollel members amid the ongoing military draft crisis.

The report comes as the proposed changes to Degel HaTorah’s Knesset delegation still await approval by the party’s Council of Torah Sages.

Yated Ne’eman opened its report by stating: “The Council of Torah Sages of Degel HaTorah is currently approving the composition of the Knesset slate following a refreshing of its ranks with new representatives.”

The newspaper then directly rejected reports suggesting that the decision reflected dissatisfaction with the performance of the current Degel HaTorah representatives.

“It should be emphasized that, contrary to the false reports, the decision to refresh the ranks is not an expression of no confidence in the Degel HaTorah representatives, who carried out their activities throughout the entire term in accordance with the guidance of the leading Torah sages and consulted with them at every step. They acted in the same manner throughout all their years of public service, in accordance with the guidance of the leading Torah sages of blessed memory.”

Yated Ne’eman also addressed the failed efforts to pass legislation regulating the status of yeshiva students, arguing that the outcome should not be blamed on the party’s Knesset members.

“After the ‘draft law’ was thwarted and failed to advance, contrary to all the coalition promises that were repeatedly broken, the leading Torah sages noted in their letter (published in Yated Ne’eman) that the Knesset members did everything within their power to bring about a resolution of the status of yeshiva students and kollel members. The need to refresh the ranks therefore does not constitute an expression of no confidence, as various parties have attempted to claim.”

Notably, Yated Ne’eman did not mention either Gafni or Maklev by name in its report. It did, however, state that the Council of Torah Sages is currently reviewing and approving Degel HaTorah’s slate for the next Knesset.

The clarification follows reports by Matzav.com that several members of the Council of Torah Sages have voiced strong opposition in recent days to removing Gafni and Maklev, with some reportedly arguing that “outside considerations” had influenced the decision.

On Motzoei Shabbos, an official statement was issued from the home of Rav Dov Landau saying that he had sent personal letters to both lawmakers thanking them for their years of service. At the same time, Rav Landau informed them that, because of the decision to bring new representatives into the party’s ranks, they would be leaving the Knesset.

Rav Moshe Hillel Hirsch, who had initially been expected to join the letter, ultimately decided not to become involved in the move. According to the report, he told those close to him that he opposed removing Gafni and Maklev.

Senior figures close to Gafni, meanwhile, said that the effort to carry out the shake-up had been conducted “in the shadows,” while claiming that members of Rav Landau’s household had repeatedly denied that such a move was underway.

{Matzav.com}

Hunter Biden is leaving open the possibility of running for president in 2028, saying during a radio interview that he has not decided whether to seek the White House and joking that an endorsement from host John Catsimatidis might persuade him to enter the race.

During an episode of “The Cats Roundtable” released Sunday, Catsimatidis asked Biden whether he intended to run for president. Biden responded, “If I get your endorsement, I may have to.”

When the subject came up earlier in the interview, Biden gave a less committal answer, saying, “I haven’t made up my mind.”

“The truth of the matter is that I think we have an incredible bench,” Biden said, pointing to Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear and Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker before adding: “I love Gavin Newsom, personally.”

Newsom, California’s Democratic governor, has publicly acknowledged considering a presidential campaign. In an interview with CBS News last October, he said he would be “lying” if he claimed he was not thinking about a possible White House bid following the 2026 midterm elections.

Other Democrats whose names have been discussed in connection with the 2028 race include Sen. Jon Ossoff of Georgia, Kamala Harris, Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez of New York and Pete Buttigieg.

Biden said that regardless of who ultimately runs, he wants “the next president to commit to one thing: to commit to adhering to the rule of law. To commit to the idea that we believe in this constitutional republic and the aspirations of normal Americans.”

“I truly, truly want whoever is our president to succeed. But particularly succeed in keeping this country safe. That’s their primary responsibility,” he said.

An August Emerson College/The Hill survey tested hypothetical 2028 general-election matchups involving several possible Democratic and Republican candidates.

In those hypothetical contests, Newsom held narrow advantages over Vice President JD Vance and Secretary of State Marco Rubio, while Ocasio-Cortez trailed both Republicans. The results represented voter preferences at the time of the survey rather than predictions of the 2028 outcome.

Biden also said his immediate concern “is the 50 million Americans that are still suffering, sick … with their addictions.”

Biden, who has spoken publicly about his past struggles with substance abuse, said during the interview that he recently marked seven and a half years of sobriety. His latest comments about a possible presidential campaign come shortly after he dismissed the idea during an August appearance on HBO’s “Real Time with Bill Maher,” where he joked that someone should check whether he had relapsed if he ever announced a run for president.

{Matzav.com}

President Donald Trump will appear on both nights of the Republican National Committee’s inaugural midterm convention in Dallas, taking the stage twice as the GOP uses the two-day gathering to promote its candidates and agenda ahead of the November elections. The convention is scheduled for Sept. 9 and 10 at the American Airlines Center.

Trump is scheduled to deliver remarks on both nights of the convention, with the president giving the keynote address on the second night. Vice President JD Vance is slated to deliver the keynote on the opening night, according to the convention’s current official schedule.

The president had already indicated in August that he planned to attend the entire event, saying he would be there both nights “and rarin’ to go.”

The gathering, which RNC Chairman Joe Gruters has dubbed a “Trump-a-palooza,” features more than 100 scheduled items and speakers. The program includes appearances by candidates running in closely watched races as well as sessions focused on issues including congressional stock trading, immigration enforcement, taxes, health care, education and differences between the Republican and Democratic agendas.

A number of prominent administration officials and Republican leaders are also expected to participate, including Attorney General Todd Blanche, Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent and Karoline Leavitt. Texas Attorney General and Senate candidate Ken Paxton, House Speaker Mike Johnson of Louisiana and Senate Majority Whip John Barrasso of Wyoming are among other Republicans slated to take part.

Several other prominent Republicans are expected to skip the gathering. Senate Majority Leader John Thune of South Dakota and Sens. Tommy Tuberville of Alabama and Mike Rounds of South Dakota are among those not attending, with Tuberville and Rounds remaining on the campaign trail in their respective states, according to Newsweek.

Reports have also indicated that some House Republicans decided against attending because of an alleged RNC fundraising requirement of at least $25,000 for lawmakers, with the top level reportedly set at $100,000. Neither President Trump nor convention organizers have confirmed that lawmakers are required to pay or raise money in order to attend.

Democrats, meanwhile, are planning their own events in Texas while Republicans gather in Dallas. House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries of New York announced Friday that four Democratic House members would travel to the city to present their party’s competing message.

“Americans are being crushed by rising costs. Republicans don’t care—they’re in Dallas, celebrating an out of touch President whose tariffs and wars are making things worse. We’re going to hold them accountable,” Rep. Jason Crow (D-Colo.) said on the social platform X.

Crow is expected to be joined by Democratic Reps. Robert Garcia of California, Madeleine Dean of Pennsylvania and Sydney Kamlager-Dove of California. The lawmakers are planning to work with the Texas Democratic Party and local groups on events timed to coincide with the Republican convention.

NewsNation reported Sunday that Texas Democratic Senate candidate James Talarico, Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker and Texas Democratic Party Chair Kendall Scudder are also among the Democrats planning events in the state during the GOP gathering.

The convention comes as both parties focus heavily on Texas, where Republicans are seeking to retain a Senate seat in a race between Paxton and Talarico. The state also became the first to redraw its congressional districts in Republicans’ favor after President Trump called for new maps.

Democratic-led states have responded with redistricting efforts of their own, most prominently in California. In Maryland, the state Supreme Court ruled Thursday that a Democratic-backed redistricting referendum may appear on the November ballot, allowing voters to decide whether to approve the proposed congressional map.

{Matzav.com}

Families of those killed in the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks and other victims are asking the U.S. Supreme Court to give them access to roughly $3.5 billion in frozen Afghan central bank assets as they seek to collect judgments previously entered against the Taliban.

In a petition filed Aug. 31 in Havlish v. The Taliban, the plaintiffs asked the high court to review a decision by the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit that prevented them from seizing funds held at the Federal Reserve Bank of New York to satisfy those judgments.

The dispute centers on the Terrorism Risk Insurance Act of 2002, commonly known as TRIA.

Under that law, victims who have obtained terrorism-related judgments may pursue blocked assets belonging to a terrorist party, including property belonging to an agency or instrumentality of such a party.

The petitioners maintain that the Second Circuit wrongly imposed an additional condition, requiring that the connection between the terrorist group and the owner of the assets already have been in place at the time the property was initially frozen.

The claims stem from a series of lawsuits filed against the Taliban over the Sept. 11 attacks and other acts of terrorism.

In the Havlish case, relatives and estates of Americans murdered on Sept. 11 secured a default judgment establishing the Taliban’s liability in December 2011.

According to the petition submitted to the Supreme Court, approximately $2.09 billion in compensatory damages awarded to those plaintiffs remains unpaid.

Additional plaintiffs, including insurers and victims of subsequent terrorist attacks, have also obtained judgments against the Taliban.

The battle over the money took on new significance after the Taliban captured Kabul on Aug. 15, 2021, giving the group de facto control over Afghanistan’s central bank, Da Afghanistan Bank, known as DAB.

At the time, approximately $7 billion belonging to DAB was being held at the Federal Reserve Bank of New York. The Biden administration froze those funds and later arranged for half — $3.5 billion — to be placed in a separate fund established to benefit the Afghan population while preventing the Taliban from controlling the money.

The other approximately $3.5 billion has become the primary focus of efforts by the Sept. 11 victims and other judgment holders to collect what they are owed.

Those attempts were unsuccessful in the lower courts.

In August 2025, the Second Circuit upheld the decision preventing the plaintiffs from obtaining the assets, leading them to seek Supreme Court review.

The new petition argues that the appeals court’s interpretation is inconsistent with the language Congress used in TRIA as well as decisions from other appellate courts. The plaintiffs also contend that the ruling leaves terrorism victims with judgments worth billions of dollars but no ability to collect them.

The case against the Taliban represents one part of the extensive litigation that has followed the Sept. 11 attacks, including cases involving allegations against foreign governments and organizations.

Separately, Sept. 11 families have pursued litigation against Saudi Arabia under the Justice Against Sponsors of Terrorism Act, legislation enacted by Congress in 2016.

In August 2025, U.S. District Judge George B. Daniels denied another Saudi attempt to have those claims dismissed, finding that sufficient evidence existed for the litigation to move forward.

Saudi Arabia appealed that ruling, and proceedings involving the kingdom in the district court have been placed on hold while the appeal is considered.

The Second Circuit is scheduled to hear oral arguments in that appeal on Oct. 7, 2026.

The continuing Saudi litigation is expected to focus in part on newly uncovered material, including records concerning allegations that Saudi individuals provided assistance to some of the Sept. 11 hijackers.

Although the cases involving the Taliban and Saudi Arabia raise separate legal issues, the Sept. 11 families pursuing them share the broader goal of obtaining accountability through the American court system.

Whether the Supreme Court agrees to take up the Taliban case could have enormous financial consequences. If the justices decline to intervene or ultimately uphold the lower-court ruling, the approximately $3.5 billion in frozen Afghan assets would remain unavailable to the judgment holders; a ruling in the victims’ favor could open a path for the funds to be used to satisfy judgments against the Taliban.

{Matzav.com}

President Donald Trump on Sunday suggested giving New Mexico a new name — “New America” — sharing a map of the state in which “Mexico” was crossed out and replaced with “America.” The White House subsequently amplified the image, though no formal effort to rename the state has been announced.

The image appeared on Trump’s Truth Social account and showed the outline of the Southwestern state with a red mark through “Mexico” and “America” written in its place. The official White House account on X later reposted the image. Neither the original post nor the White House repost provided an explanation or indicated at the time that an official name change was underway.

The post came during a burst of social-media activity from Trump on Sunday. According to the New York Post, the president published 34 posts in less than an hour, including altered images portraying him as professional wrestling star Hulk Hogan and depicting Iran’s borders in the shape of Trump’s head.

Trump’s suggestion regarding New Mexico follows other efforts by his administration to give prominent geographic features America-themed names.

The president previously directed the federal government to use “Gulf of America” in place of the Gulf of Mexico. More recently, he ordered the federal government to refer to Lake Ontario as “Lake America.”

Renaming a state, however, is substantially different from changing the federal designation for a geographic feature. The president does not have the constitutional authority to unilaterally change a state’s legal name, and no formal process to rename New Mexico has been announced.

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