Iran has joined forces with Russia for a new round of naval exercises in the strategically vital Strait of Hormuz and the Gulf of Oman, even as the Trump administration has urged Tehran that it would be “very wise” to reach an agreement with Washington.
The joint maneuvers, which have been conducted annually since 2019, come at a particularly tense moment. This year’s drills coincide with an expanding US military presence in the region and growing speculation that American strikes could be under consideration.
According to RadioFreeEurope, Iranian navy Rear Adm. Hassan Maqsudlu said the exercises are meant to “prevent any unilateral action in the region.”
The maritime show of force follows warnings from the White House that military action remains on the table. Officials have indicated that “there are many reasons one could make for a strike against Iran.”
White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt reiterated that diplomacy remains Washington’s preferred path but stressed that Tehran should take the opportunity seriously. “The president has been very clear with respect to Iran or any country around the world, diplomacy is always his first option,” she told reporters Wednesday.
“Iran would be very wise to make a deal with President Trump and with this administration.”
Earlier in the week, Iran temporarily shut portions of the Strait of Hormuz — a narrow waterway through which roughly 20 percent of global seaborne oil shipments pass each year — as part of its military activity in the area.
Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei has also issued pointed remarks directed at Washington, suggesting that Iran possesses the capability to destroy US naval vessels operating nearby. “Of course, a warship is a dangerous piece of military hardware. However, more dangerous than that warship is the weapon that can send that warship to the bottom of the sea,” Khamenei posted on X.
In response to the escalating tensions, the United States has deployed the USS Gerald R. Ford — the largest aircraft carrier in the world — to the Middle East. It will operate alongside the USS Abraham Lincoln and other naval assets already stationed in the region.
President Trump has publicly floated the prospect of regime change in Iran. When asked whether the United States might once again target Iranian nuclear facilities, he responded, “If we do it, that would be the least of the mission.”
According to CNN, US military plans for a potential strike on Iran could be executed as soon as this weekend. It remains uncertain whether Trump has made a final decision, with a source close to him saying he “is spending a lot of time thinking about this.”
Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-SC), a close ally of the president, suggested that the visible military buildup signals seriousness. “The decision hadn’t been made, but all these ships are not coming here because it’s nice this time of year,” he told Sky News Arabia.
Meanwhile, diplomatic channels remain open. American and Iranian representatives met Tuesday in Geneva for a second round of negotiations. Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi described the discussions as showing “good progress,” and US officials also expressed cautious optimism.
Even so, Leavitt acknowledged that the two sides are still “very far apart on some issues” as talks continue over Iran’s nuclear activities.
Senior Iranian officials have indicated publicly that Tehran may be willing to consider adjustments to its nuclear program. However, the Trump administration has signaled that any agreement would also need to address Iran’s ballistic missile capabilities and its backing of armed proxy groups across the Middle East.
Iranian naval officer Mohammad Parsi characterized Russia’s role in the recent exercises as limited. He described Moscow’s participation as “small” and “symbolic,” according to RadioFreeEurope.
“I cannot imagine Russia offering real support in a direct confrontation between Iran and the United States,” Parsi said, suggesting that the Kremlin is using Tehran as “leverage” in its broader dealings with Western nations.
In recent years, Russia has faced mounting challenges, particularly as it remains deeply engaged in its war in Ukraine. Observers have noted Moscow’s limited response when allied governments came under pressure, including during last year’s 12-day conflict between Iran and Israel, the detention of Venezuelan leader Nicolas Maduro, and the collapse of Bashar al-Assad’s regime in Syria.
Ukraine, despite lacking a conventional navy, has claimed responsibility for crippling at least one-third of Russia’s Black Sea fleet, underscoring the strains on Moscow’s military capacity as it navigates multiple geopolitical flashpoints.
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In the aftermath of the October 7 massacre, during which more than 250 Israelis were abducted, Israel’s security agencies launched a series of operations aimed at obtaining actionable intelligence on the hostages and working toward their rescue, Mako reports.
One former captive who has since been freed recounted to Mako an unusual incident that took place while he was being held underground in Gaza. He said that on one occasion, as he sat inside a tunnel, his captor stepped away to relieve himself. At that moment, a camera suddenly lowered from the ceiling of the tunnel and began recording him.
According to the hostage, once the terrorist returned, the device retracted back into the ceiling, leaving the captor unaware that any surveillance had taken place. Throughout his time in captivity, the hostage did not mention the episode to his captors. Only after he was back in Israel did he learn that the camera had been part of an IDF operation.
Mako reported that this was not an isolated occurrence. Over the course of the war, there were multiple instances in which Israel’s security establishment managed to document hostages being held inside tunnel networks.
Earlier in the week, Mako also revealed that the IDF employed a specialized and classified capability—details of which cannot be disclosed—that enabled Israeli forces to compel terrorists to emerge from a tunnel in Gaza as part of efforts to secure the return of hostages.
Senior security officials observed the mission in real time from Israel, closely tracking its progress. When it became clear that the operation had not succeeded, those involved experienced significant disappointment.
The original strategy had envisioned extracting the hostages and relocating them to a confidential site within Israel for several days, with the goal of potentially repeating a similar maneuver afterward. Following the failed attempt, however, the approach was scrapped and has not been deployed again.
The Yerushalayim Municipality is intensifying its readiness for a range of potential emergency situations, reinforcing long-term security planning with practical measures aimed at protecting residents across the city.
Approximately six weeks ago, as part of a structured, multi-year municipal security framework, city officials carried out an extensive emergency exercise throughout Yerushalayim. The drill was conducted in coordination with the Home Front Command, along with all relevant security and rescue bodies. During the exercise, municipal emergency teams were deployed, systems designed to assist residents were activated, and essential services were tested under simulated crisis conditions.
In continuation of these preparations, the municipality announced that a detailed emergency information booklet will soon be delivered to homes across the city and made available through various digital platforms. The guide provides critical life-saving safety directives, a comprehensive listing of shelters and protected spaces throughout Yerushalayim, guidance on preparing households for emergencies, and additional practical information for residents.
Yerushalayim Mayor Moshe Lion said, “Early preparation, personal responsibility, and adherence to the security authorities’ instructions are key to safeguarding lives and the resilience of the city of Jerusalem. The municipality is constantly working to strengthen municipal readiness and is committed to providing a professional, swift, and responsible response to any scenario. I urge residents to review the booklet upon receiving it, keep it in an accessible place, and follow the instructions when needed.”
The mayor further emphasized that municipal services will remain operational during emergency situations. Residents will continue to have access to assistance and information through all official communication channels, including the 106 municipal hotline, the city’s website, social media platforms, and other authorized messaging systems.
Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov cautioned that any additional American military action against Iran would trigger serious repercussions, urging all sides to exercise restraint and pursue a diplomatic outcome that would allow Tehran to maintain what he described as a peaceful nuclear program.
Lavrov made the remarks in an interview with Saudi broadcaster Al-Arabiya that was released Wednesday. The comments came one day after U.S. and Iranian representatives engaged in indirect negotiations in Geneva aimed at preventing a further escalation between Washington and Tehran.
“The consequences are not good. There have already been strikes on Iran on nuclear sites under the control of the International Atomic Energy Agency. From what we can judge there were real risks of a nuclear incident,” Lavrov said in the interview, which was posted on his ministry’s website.
“I am carefully watching reactions in the region from Arab countries, Gulf monarchies. No one wants an increase in tension. Everyone understands this is playing with fire.”
Lavrov argued that heightened hostilities could jeopardize diplomatic progress achieved in recent years, including improved ties between Iran and neighboring states, particularly Saudi Arabia.
Meanwhile, a senior U.S. official told Reuters on Wednesday that Iran is anticipated to present a written plan outlining how it intends to resolve the ongoing dispute with the United States following the Geneva discussions.
According to the same official, U.S. national security advisers convened at the White House on Wednesday and were informed that all American military assets assigned to the region are expected to be fully positioned by mid-March.
Washington has been pressing Iran to dismantle its nuclear program. Tehran has firmly rejected those demands and insists it is not seeking to build a nuclear weapon.
Lavrov said governments across the Arab world have been communicating with Washington, “clearly calling for restraint and a search for an agreement that will not infringe on Iran’s lawful rights and … guarantee that Iran has a purely peaceful nuclear enrichment program.”
He added that Moscow continues to maintain consistent and close dialogue with Iranian leadership, saying Russia remains confident that Tehran is committed to resolving the dispute within the framework of international agreements.
Russia, he said, remained in close, regular contact with Iran’s leaders “and we have no reason to doubt that Iran sincerely wants to resolve this problem on the basis of observing the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty.”
WATCH:
Prince Andrew, the Duke of York, was taken into custody Thursday in the United Kingdom on suspicion of misconduct in public office, following allegations that he passed confidential trade materials to convicted offender Jeffrey Epstein.
Authorities moved in on Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor at the Sandringham Estate in eastern England early in the morning, coinciding with his 66th birthday. Law enforcement sources said multiple unmarked vehicles and plainclothes officers were involved in the operation.
Investigators are examining claims that, while serving as a British trade envoy, Andrew allegedly forwarded sensitive government trade documents to Epstein. If found guilty of misconduct in public office, he could face a sentence of up to life imprisonment.
King Charles III issued a statement expressing “full and wholehearted support” for the ongoing investigation into his brother. The monarch stressed that “the law must take its course,” signaling that the royal household would not interfere with the legal process.
Hours before the arrest, Prime Minister Keir Starmer stressed the principle of equal accountability under the law. In a BBC interview, he said that “nobody is above the law.”
The arrest marks an unprecedented development in modern British history. Andrew is the first senior member of the royal family in contemporary times to be detained by police. The last reigning monarch to be arrested was King Charles I during the English Civil War in 1647; he was later tried and executed in 1649.
Despite having relinquished his royal duties and military titles amid earlier controversies linked to Epstein, Andrew remains eighth in the line of succession to the British throne. Removing him from that position would require legislation passed by Parliament and the consent of Commonwealth realms where King Charles serves as head of state.
The arrest reignited scrutiny of the broader Epstein scandal and its political ramifications. Nile Gardiner, a former adviser to Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher, suggested the fallout could destabilize the current government. “This entire scale is pretty big enough to bring down the British government,” Gardiner said during an appearance on “Fox & Friends.” He added that “there are growing calls for [Prime Minister] Keir Starmer to resign over his handling [of the Epstein case].”
Gardiner further claimed, “You’re seeing the Prime Minister’s top aides going one by one. They’re all stepping down, resigning. It’s only a matter of time before I think Keir Starmer himself is forced to resign over this.” He concluded, “I expect you’re going to see the collapse, actually, of Keir Starmer’s government over this entire scandal. It’s a huge can of worms.”
{Matzav.com}
New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani has positioned himself to advance his campaign pledge to freeze rent for stabilized tenants after installing a majority of his own selections on the city’s Rent Guidelines Board.
The mayor has named five new members to the nine-person panel and renewed the term of an existing member, ensuring that most of the board now consists of his appointees.
“I trust they will consider all the factors facing our city’s rent stabilized tenants and come to an appropriate decision,” Mamdani said while announcing the move outside a Harlem affordable housing complex.
Several of the newly appointed members closely align with Mamdani’s political outlook.
Among the three newly named public members are Brandon Mancilla, a labor union leader who describes himself as “disruptive” and is known for his outspoken anti-Israel activism; Lauren Melodia, an economist affiliated with nonprofit advocacy groups who has published research opposing interest rate hikes; and Chantella Mitchell, who will serve as the board’s new chair. Mitchell previously worked in city housing roles and has an extensive background with affordable housing nonprofits.
The mayor also selected Maksim Wynn to serve as one of the two landlord representatives. Wynn currently works for the city’s Department of Homeless Services and later oversaw affordable housing operations for a private developer.
In addition, Mamdani reappointed tenant representative Adán Soltren, a housing attorney and academic who has consistently voiced opposition to rent increases.
The Rent Guidelines Board is composed entirely of mayoral appointees: five public members, two representatives for tenants, and two representing landlords. The board is tasked with reviewing economic data affecting both property owners and renters and making annual determinations on rent adjustments for roughly one million stabilized apartments across the city. Although described as independent, the panel’s decisions are crucial to the mayor’s ability to implement his housing agenda.
“Rent stabilized tenants deserve a rent freeze,” Mamdani said Wednesday. “And of course, I also understand that the RGB is an independent board, and they will consider all of the evidence we are working to lower costs for property owners across the city.”
Mamdani’s ability to secure a majority on the board nearly fell through. Former Mayor Eric Adams had attempted to fill two vacancies before leaving office, but both appointees ultimately withdrew. On Tuesday, board member Alex Armlovich stepped down, clearing the way for Mamdani’s selections to form a majority, according to Gothamist.
Under Adams, the board approved rent increases totaling 12% for stabilized units. By contrast, during the administration of Mayor Bill de Blasio, rent freezes were enacted three separate times.
Freezing rent during his first term was a central plank of Mamdani’s campaign and a key factor in his electoral success. The newly reshaped board will soon determine whether that promise becomes reality when it votes on rent guidelines, expected around June.
Questions remain, however, about how independent the board will function, given that many of its members have extensive backgrounds in affordable housing advocacy and other progressive initiatives aligned with the mayor’s platform.
Mitchell, the new chair, has built a career centered on anti-poverty and affordable housing efforts. She holds a master’s degree in social work from Columbia University and currently oversees grantmaking at the New York Community Trust.
Mancilla previously organized a five-day hunger strike demanding a ceasefire in Gaza and once likened anti-Israel protests to “opposing fascism in WWII” in a post on X. His professional experience has largely involved organizing and activism rather than housing market analysis.
Soltren supported a rent increase in 2023, though he indicated strong reservations at the time. He has since remained a vocal critic of rent hikes, arguing that tenants cannot absorb additional costs. He voted against increases in both 2024 and 2025, stating that such measures would be “devastating for low-income and moderate-income New Yorkers, as well as predominantly black and brown New Yorkers.”
Melodia, for her part, co-authored a 2021 policy brief for the Roosevelt Institute opposing interest rate hikes and advocating instead for worker-centered economic policies. Her background includes roughly a decade of work on progressive causes, including criminal justice reform and anti-prison advocacy.
At the same time, Mamdani has warned that he may seek a significant 9.5% property tax increase if Gov. Kathy Hochul declines to support a proposed 2.2% tax on millionaires. He has described the property tax hike as a “last resort” to close budget gaps.
Opponents argue that raising property taxes could indirectly burden renters, even those in stabilized units, effectively functioning as what one critic called a “de facto rent increase on renters.”
“For rent stabilized tenants who may not get the costs passed directly onto them, this is the city raiding their rent money that’s going to show up in more distress, more disrepaired housing,” Kenny Burgos, CEO of the rent-stabilized landlord group New York Apartment Association, previously told The Post.
“Increased property taxes = a rent increase,” Burgos also wrote on X.
A sweeping buildup of American military forces across the Middle East has positioned the United States to carry out what could become a prolonged bombing campaign against Iran within weeks — or even days — if Tehran continues to reject President Donald Trump’s demands in ongoing negotiations.
With a second aircraft carrier heading toward the region and hundreds of strike aircraft, support planes, refueling tankers and command platforms already in place, the scope of the deployment is striking. Former Pentagon official and Atlantic Council fellow Alex Plitsas told The Post that the concentration of assets now assembled is unlike anything seen in the region in decades.
“What we have amassed is an unprecedented size combination of land-based attack aircraft, command and control and sea-based platforms,” he said. “We haven’t seen a buildup like this in this region in decades.”
Although last year’s Operation Midnight Hammer lasted just 25 minutes and targeted Iran’s nuclear facilities, officials indicated that any new operation would likely be far more extensive. U.S. officials told The Post that a future campaign could stretch on for days or even weeks.
The current deployment — which includes carrier strike groups, land-based combat aircraft, refueling tankers and command-and-control systems — provides Trump with the ability to initiate what Plitsas described as a sustained air and naval offensive without deploying American ground forces.
“The military footprint tells us that that option is quite large,” he said. “This is sufficient firepower for a sustained and very large air and naval strike campaign.”
Such a level of force would give the administration a broad range of military choices, from limited strikes aimed at weapons facilities and mid-level officials to sweeping decapitation operations targeting Iran’s ruling leadership, including the radical Islamist regime of Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei.
“The only thing that any of this tells us for sure is the range of options on the table and what’s in and what’s out,” Plitsas said.
Trump could ultimately decide not to authorize military action, but officials suggested the window for a diplomatic resolution may be narrowing.
“Diplomacy is always his first option, and Iran would be very wise to make a deal with President Trump and with this administration,” White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said Wednesday.
The military surge follows comments Tuesday from Vice President JD Vance, who said Iran has yet to satisfy several of Trump’s negotiating “red lines,” despite what he described as some progress during talks in Geneva.
“It was very clear that the president has set some red lines that the Iranians are not yet willing to actually acknowledge and work through,” Vance told Fox News host Martha MacCallum.
According to a source familiar with White House deliberations, the firm public messaging combined with the scale of the buildup demonstrates Trump’s determination to secure the terms he has outlined.
“The message to the Iranians is crystal clear: Come to the table, meet the red lines and get a deal done — or else,” the person said.
Still, Leavitt acknowledged that major gaps remain between Washington and Tehran.
“But Leavitt said the US and Iran are “still very far apart on some issues.”
“I believe the Iranians are expected to come back to us with some more detail in the next couple of weeks, and so the President will continue to watch us,” she said.
Military analysts have noted that roughly two weeks is also the estimated time it will take for the USS Gerald R. Ford to reach the region.
Trump previously issued Tehran a two-week deadline to advance nuclear negotiations in June 2025, but ultimately ordered strikes on Iranian nuclear sites before that period expired.
A source close to the White House said the current timeline, when viewed alongside the force posture and Vance’s remarks, indicates that military action could be ordered at any moment.
“If you look at the timeline for them to respond the Vice President’s comments and the military buildup, what it tells us is that we are already at the potential for a massive campaign at any point if the president choose to order it,” the source familiar with White House discussions told The Post.
Leavitt said Trump is consulting extensively before making any decision.
“Leavitt said Trump is consulting “many people” to determine how to proceed — “his national security team first and foremost.”
“This is something obviously the President takes seriously,” she said. “He’s always thinking about what’s in the best interest of the United States of America, of our military, of the American people, and that’s how he makes decisions with respect to military action.”
Should strikes be authorized, defense experts say the initial phase would likely focus on neutralizing Iran’s capacity to retaliate.
“What you need to do initially is take out the missiles, the launchers and the drones and drone factors, if you can, right away to prevent retaliatory strikes against US forces and the Israelis in the region,” Plitsas said.
From there, the U.S. would face a spectrum of options — from targeting officials involved in January’s crackdown on protesters to potentially eliminating top leaders in Tehran.
“With so many options on the table, there are more questions than answers.”
“If it happens, it’s going to be weeks of sustained campaigns,” the source familiar with discussions told The Post. “Questions are who survives the opening strikes? If that happens, who’s in charge? You know, when do we stop?”
“Is just a [Venezuelan dictator Nicolas] Maduro-type thing where we do a quick, fast decapitation, take out the missiles, everything else, and negotiate with what’s left?” the person added.
Plitsas cautioned that regional dynamics further complicate the picture. While Washington’s principal concern remains Iran’s nuclear program and its stockpile of highly enriched uranium, Israel is focused more urgently on Tehran’s expanding ballistic missile arsenal.
“At some point, you go from having sufficient missiles to serve as a deterrent to building a stockpile that’s sufficient for war,” he said. “When they cross that threshold … it’s going to invite an Israeli strike.”
Plitsas estimated that Iran’s missile inventory is growing by roughly 300 missiles per month and could eventually overwhelm defensive systems.
Regional allies are also preoccupied with Iranian-backed proxy forces, creating multiple pressure points that a nuclear-only agreement would not resolve.
“Even if the US strikes a great nuclear deal, if that does not extend into a deal over the ballistic missiles as well, that doesn’t mean the Israelis are going to be satisfied,” the US source familiar told The Post. “If it doesn’t include the proxy groups, other regional partners may not be satisfied either.”
The source warned that limiting negotiations strictly to nuclear matters could heighten tensions, particularly if Iran continues accelerating missile production.
“Their continued production of ballistic missiles is effectively serving as a countdown clock toward a potential strike,” the person said. “The smartest thing that they could do at this point is freeze ballistic missile production.”
Plitsas also suggested Tehran may be underestimating Trump’s readiness to act.
“If there’s a question about his intentionality and somebody doesn’t think he’s going to do it, they are very sadly mistaken,” he said. “It will come down to whether the president believes that there is still room to negotiate. Or if at this point they’re wasting their time.”
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said Wednesday that he believes President Trump is capable of bringing Russia’s war against Ukraine to an end, while also acknowledging discomfort with what he described as Trump’s approach toward Russian President Vladimir Putin.
Speaking in an interview with “Piers Morgan Uncensored” posted on YouTube, Zelensky expressed confidence in Trump’s intentions to stop the conflict, even as he admitted uncertainty about Trump’s personal dealings with the Kremlin leader.
“I trust him [Trump] … he really wants to end this war, and I trust that he really can end this war,” the Ukrainian president said during the interview.
At the same time, Zelensky made clear he is unsure how to interpret Trump’s rapport with Putin.
“But I don’t know, to speak about his relationship with Putin,” Zelensky added.
Zelensky explained that he cannot “really estimate or understand” the nature of Trump’s ties with the Russian president, though he stressed that the issue is not simply about confidence.
“[T]hey have some relations, I’m sure and that’s why for me, sometimes it’s very, very painful that his attitude to Putin is sometimes, to put it, more good than Putin deserves,” Zelensky said.
Since returning to office, Trump has communicated directly with Putin in an effort to broker an end to the largest armed conflict in Europe since World War II.
The two leaders have spoken multiple times by phone and met in Alaska last October for negotiations that ultimately did not produce a peace agreement.
Their diplomatic efforts did lead to a brief, one-week cease-fire earlier this year. However, Zelensky’s government accused Russia of breaching the truce just days after it began, citing a brutal strike on a Ukrainian energy facility during freezing winter conditions.
Trump, for his part, maintained that Putin “kept his word” and did not violate the agreement.
As the four-year mark of Russia’s invasion approaches, Zelensky described a war-weary population eager for resolution but determined to preserve national honor.
“People are tired, yes, people want to finish with this tragedy… to end this war, as quickly as possible of course, but in the right way not to loose dignity in any way,” Zelensky said.
He also confirmed that the next round of three-way negotiations will once again be held in Switzerland, the same venue as the previous talks, a location he views as significant.
“If the war is in Europe … Europeans, they have to feel that this is aggression against us and Europe … this why peace negotiations have to be in Europe,” he said.
According to Zelensky, the parties are moving closer to consensus on mechanisms to supervise a potential cease-fire. However, sharp disagreements remain over the fate of territory in eastern Ukraine.
“We don’t have the same view even trilaterally – we have three different views – on the land question,” Zelensky said.
Addressing proposals that Ukrainian forces pull back from the Donbas region, he rejected the idea as unjust and dangerous to Ukraine’s future security.
“We can’t just withdraw … it’s not fair,” he said of removing troops from Ukraine’s Donbas region, framing it as part of his country’s security guarantee against a possible Russian invasion in the future.
Zelensky added that Moscow is pressing Kyiv to relinquish control of heavily fortified cities in the Donbas.
He also characterized Putin’s so-called “red lines” — including Ukraine’s potential NATO membership or the presence of NATO troops on Ukrainian soil — as rooted in the Russian leader’s broader expansionist aims.
“They’re thinking that they will come again,” he said of the Kremlin.
Despite enduring what he called a “difficult, terrible winter,” marked by sustained Russian attacks on Ukraine’s power grid that left civilians in freezing conditions without electricity, Zelensky insisted that Moscow failed to achieve meaningful battlefield progress.
“There were no successful steps on the battlefield,” Zelensky said of Russia’s winter military campaign, claiming that the aggressors lost up to 35,000 troops per month to death or injury.
When asked whether he would ever authorize Ukrainian forces to kill Putin if given the chance, Zelensky hesitated, indicating he likely would not approve such an action but stopping short of ruling it out entirely.
He suggested that even if Putin were replaced, the successor would be just “the same as Putin.”
This past Motzei Shabbos, dozens of families from across the Baltimore community attended a Naava Kodesh Melava Malka to hear and engage in a meaningful discussion about living in Eretz Yisrael.
The event took place in Ohel Moshe’s new hall and was co-hosted by three local kehillos: Congregations Ohel Moshe, Shomrei Emunah, and BJSZ.
The evening was made possible through the generous sponsorship of The Dream Raffle, whose partnership enables Naava Kodesh to bring vital resources and open conversations to the Baltimore community about living in Eretz Yisrael.
The program offered both inspiration and a practical discussion focused on keeping Eretz Yisrael at the forefront of people’s minds and, ultimately, on meriting to one day live there.
Joining from Eretz Yisrael was renowned author and speaker Yonoson Rosenblum, who chaired the panel and spoke about the opportunity to effect positive change on Klal Yisrael by living in Eretz Yisrael. He spoke about the ability to build a meaningful life in Eretz Yisrael with chinuch and parnassah, emphasizing that while challenges exist, they are realistically manageable.
The chashuve panel was comprised of local rabbanim, including Rabbi Moshe Teichman of Ohel Moshe; and Rabbi Shmuel Kimche, Assistant Rabbi of Ohel Moshe. The panel discussed the importance of living in Eretz Yisrael and the ongoing aspiration to strive toward making that goal a reality.
The event highlighted a common drive and hope to live in Eretz Yisroel,’’It was encouraging to see how the pulsing of love for Eretz Yisroel flowed through the hearts of the large audience gathered at the Naava Kodesh event’’, Commented Rabbi Tzvi Teichman.
There was a palpable sense of a common drive and hope to make the dream of Aliyah a reality.
Naava Kodesh presented an honest picture of both the challenges and joys of life in Artzeinu HaKedosha.’’
Rabbi Daniel Rose, Rav of Bnei Jacob Shaarei Zion, shared divrei chizuk, highlighting the deep yearning and chashivos of Eretz Yisrael, ‘’we yearn for Eretz Yisrael not because we are missing something in Baltimore or anywhere else, we yearn for Eretz Yisrael because that’s the place we want to be’’.
Also sharing Divrei chizuk was, Rabbi Binyomin Marwick, Rav of Shomrei Emunah, who noted the strong connection and aspiration Klal Yisrael has for Eretz Yisrael. ‘’We all have a connection to the land, that is where we all belong, that’s where the future is, the destiny of the Jewish people.…Your attitude is, when the right time comes I am going to be on that plane.’’
Joining virtually from Eretz Yisrael was Rav Eli Levy, Menahal of Yeshivas Yesodei Yisrael in Ramat Beit Shemesh, who himself recently made Aliyah from Baltimore. Rav Levy shared insights into day-to-day life in Israel and spoke about the new realities on the ground that are making living in Eretz Yisrael increasingly attainable for frum families. Rav Levy highlighted that ‘’in the past, you had to fit in a specific “box”. Now, a s an American Oleh, you can grow close to Hashem in a way that is unique to Eretz Yisroel while maintaining your unique identity.’’
Dovid Paige, Director of the Naava Kodesh Baltimore Division, directed the evening, remarking:
“Gathering in a room of over 100 people focused on building their future in Eretz Yisroel was a powerful expression of the Baltimore community’s chashivus and deep yearning. We are already hearing thoughtful feedback from members of the kehila and Rabbanim, and I look forward to continuing to work together with community members, leaders, and Rabbanim to help translate the vision into practical, actionable steps.”
Founder and Executive Director of Naava Kodesh, Tzvi Arnstein shared,
“When respected rabbanim and entire kehillos lend their voices to the conversation, it tells you something fundamental is changing. Aliyah is reaching new heights within the frum community, and the excitement we witnessed in Baltimore reflects a growing sense that this is our moment. It’s profoundly moving to see Am Yisroel taking real steps toward coming home to Eretz Yisroel.”
About Naava KodeshNaava Kodesh is a nonprofit organization dedicated to helping English-speaking families build successful, lasting Torah lives in Eretz Yisrael. Through personalized guidance on community and school placement, fully coordinated pilot trips, and a vast network of volunteer mentors across the country, Naava Kodesh has helped countless families navigate their Aliyah journey with clarity and confidence.
Photo credits: B. Ansbacher Photography
