Zohran Mamdani, a 33-year-old democratic socialist from Queens, has surged to the top of New York City’s Democratic mayoral primary, leading the field after the first round of ranked-choice voting and leaving former Governor Andrew Cuomo trailing in second place. The upset has sent immediate shockwaves through the city’s political and financial sectors, with many business leaders describing the result as both unexpected and deeply unsettling. Mamdani has not officially secured the Democratic nomination. New York City uses ranked-choice voting, in which voters rank candidates in order of preference. Because no candidate received more than 50% of the first-choice votes, the city will now begin eliminating the lowest-polling candidates and redistributing their votes based on second- and third-choice rankings. Still, Mamdani’s commanding first-round performance makes him the frontrunner in a race many had expected Cuomo to dominate. For the city’s business community, Mamdani’s rise is cause for concern. “This is what we’ve been afraid of,” said Kathryn Wylde, president and CEO of the Partnership for New York City, earlier this week. “People are terrified.” Investors and executives worry that a Mamdani administration could usher in sweeping changes to tax policy, business regulation, and public spending. His platform includes proposals to expand social programs, raise taxes on the wealthy, and roll back police funding — all positions that have drawn sharp criticism from Wall Street. Bradley Tusk, a tech investor and former campaign manager for Michael Bloomberg, warned of broader implications. “When a major financial center elects a high-profile socialist mayor, it doesn’t stay local,” he told Axios. “It affects investor confidence everywhere.” Mamdani’s performance comes amid a wave of left-leaning political victories in major U.S. cities. Chicago elected progressive Brandon Johnson last year, and Boston’s Michelle Wu continues to implement ambitious policy goals. But the results have been mixed: Johnson is currently facing historically low approval ratings, while Wu has retained support heading into her re-election campaign. Tusk cautioned that New York could face a similar fate. “Detroit and Baltimore were once economic powerhouses too,” he said. “And when the business base leaves, it’s hard to bring it back.” The result has also reignited discussion about the “Wall Street South” trend — the migration of finance firms from New York to Florida. Ken Griffin’s decision to move Citadel’s headquarters to Miami in 2022 symbolized the shift. Some warn Mamdani’s potential election could accelerate the exodus. This isn’t the first time New York’s business leaders have feared a progressive takeover. During the 2013 mayoral race, Bill de Blasio’s populist campaign raised concerns about a looming tax hike on top earners. But de Blasio ultimately built relationships with corporate leaders, including Goldman Sachs’ Lloyd Blankfein and media mogul Rupert Murdoch. Whether Mamdani will pursue a similar approach — or break from past precedent — remains to be seen. (YWN World Headquarters – NYC)
President Trump announced on Wednesday that American representatives are preparing to hold discussions with Iranian officials in the coming days, following the recent US bombing campaign which he claimed buried Iran’s enriched uranium deep beneath layers of rubble.
“We’re going to talk to them next week, with Iran. We may sign an agreement. I don’t know,” Trump stated during a press conference held after the NATO summit concluded in The Hague.
He did not disclose the location of the meeting or identify who would represent the United States in the talks. The announcement came on the heels of Trump brokering a cease-fire earlier in the week between Iran and Israel, putting an end to what he termed the “12-Day War.”
“I could get a statement that they’re not going to go nuclear. We’re probably going to ask for that, but they’re not going to be doing it anyway.”
Trump reiterated his stance: “We may sign an agreement, [but] I don’t care if I have an agreement or not.”
He went on to explain that he believes a significant amount of Iran’s enriched uranium — close to 900 pounds — is now buried beneath what he described as 300 feet of destruction at the Fordow nuclear facility, which had been targeted by a barrage of twelve massive “bunker buster” bombs, each weighing 30,000 pounds.
“We think everything nuclear is down there, they didn’t take it out,” he said.
“We think we hit them so hard and so fast, they didn’t get to move. And if you knew about that material, it’s very hard and very dangerous to move,” the president said.
“They call it dust, but it’s very heavy, it’s very, very hard to move. And they were way down. You know, they were 30 stories down. They’re literally 30-35 stories down underground. We think it’s covered with granite, concrete and steel.”
On Tuesday, Rafael Grossi, director of the International Atomic Energy Agency, told Fox News that the UN agency was unaware of the uranium’s current location.
“We do not have information of the whereabouts of this material,” Grossi said, adding that the uranium had been enriched to 60% purity — still short of the 90-93% needed to manufacture nuclear arms.
Speaking to reporters before heading home from Europe, Trump, 79, lashed out at the media, accusing some journalists of downplaying the effects of the US strikes and likening the operation to America’s atomic bombings of Japan at the close of World War II.
“It was so bad that they ended the war,” he said of the bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki.
Addressing a leaked Defense Intelligence Agency report that suggested the Iranian nuclear effort might be restored within months, Trump dismissed the claim as mere speculation, saying, “they didn’t see it.”
On Wednesday, the Israel Atomic Energy Commission released its own evaluation, strongly supporting the impact of the strike on the Fordow site. The commission asserted that the bombs “destroyed the site’s critical infrastructure and rendered the enrichment facility inoperable.”
“We assess that the American strikes on Iran’s nuclear facilities, combined with Israeli strikes on other elements of Iran’s military nuclear program, has set back Iran’s ability to develop nuclear weapons by many years.”
One remaining question is how the US intends to handle sanctions enforcement against Iranian oil exports — an issue that Trump has toughened in recent months.
In a post on social media Tuesday, Trump remarked that “China can now continue to purchase Oil from Iran,” though he did not elaborate on the comment during Wednesday’s remarks, beyond noting: “they’re going to need money to put that country back in shape. We want to see that happen.”
{Matzav.com}
This evening in Israel, Magen David Adom teams transferred dozens of patients from Rambam back to Carmel Hospital in Haifa using MICU buses & ambulances. These patients were evacuated at the start of Operation Am K’Lavi – Rising Lion for protection in Rambam’s underground facility.
INSANE FOOTAGE: Hamas terrorists seen attacking a convoy of armored IDF carriers in Gaza – coming directly up to the APC’s in an attempt to kill the soldiers inside.
In a press conference at the NATO summit in The Netherlands, President Donald Trump, Secretary of State Marco Rubio, and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth discussed the United States’ military strike on Iran’s nuclear enrichment facilities, declaring the operation a resounding success and a key turning point in brokering a ceasefire between Israel and Iran. Trump: “Last weekend, the United States successfully carried out a massive precision strike on Iran’s nuclear enrichment facilities… this incredible exercise of American strength has paved the way for peace, with a historic ceasefire agreement.” While U.S. officials have yet to release full satellite imagery or damage assessments, Trump left little ambiguity about the strike’s effectiveness. “We’ve collected additional intelligence and we’ve also spoken to people who have seen the site — and the site is obliterated,” Trump confirmed. The president also claimed personal involvement in defusing tensions between Israel and Iran, revealing for the first time that he intervened to stop a massive Israeli airstrike. “I dealt with both, and they’re both tired, exhausted. They fought very, very hard and very viciously… and they were both satisfied to go home and get out… Israel had 52 planes going out that morning, I told them to turn back, and they did.” Despite his claims of successful diplomacy, Trump acknowledged the severity of recent attacks on Israel. “Israel got hit very hard, especially the last couple of days. Israel was hit really hard… Those ballistic missiles, boy, they took out a lot of buildings, and, they’ve been great… Bibi Netanyahu should be very proud, they’ve really been great… But their [Iran] not gonna be building bombs for a long time.” Looking ahead, Trump hinted at a possible diplomatic thaw with Tehran — though he insisted that Iran’s nuclear capabilities had been dealt a crippling blow. “The last thing they want to do is enrich anything right now. They want to recover… I think we’ll end up having somewhat of a relationship with Iran… the last thing they want to do is enrich.” President Trump: “The pilots did an unbelievable job like nobody’s ever seen. They hit paydirt.” He clarified that the strike was limited in scope, dismissing rumors of resource exploitation: “We’re not taking over the [Iranian] oil. We could have.” President Trump: “And I got a call that the pilots and the people on the plane were devastated because they were trying to minimize the attack. Real scum come out and write reports that are as negative as they could possibly be. It should be the opposite. You should make them heroes.” Pressed on whether Iran was able to salvage any nuclear material, Trump dismissed the possibility. “No, just the opposite. We think we hit them so hard and so fast. They didn’t get to move. And if you knew about that material, it’s very hard and very dangerous to move… many people they call it dust, but it’s very, very heavy. It’s very, very hard to move.” While Trump downplayed any interest in renewed talks with Iran, he left the door open — albeit grudgingly — for a potential agreement. “They fought, the war is done. I just asked him the question as we were walking on the stage. Do you want to draw up a little agreement for them to sign? Because I think […]
Hackers backing Tehran have targeted U.S. banks, defense contractors and oil industry companies following American strikes on Iranian nuclear facilities — but so far have not caused widespread disruptions to critical infrastructure or the economy. But that could change if the ceasefire between Iran and Israel collapses or if independent hacking groups supporting Iran make good on promises to wage their own digital conflict against the U.S., analysts and cyber experts say. The U.S. strikes could even prompt Iran, Russia, China and North Korea to double down on investments in cyberwarfare, according to Arnie Bellini, a tech entrepreneur and investor. Bellini noted that hacking operations are much cheaper than bullets, planes or nuclear arms — what defense analysts call kinetic warfare. America may be militarily dominant, he said, but its reliance on digital technology poses a vulnerability. “We just showed the world: You don’t want to mess with us kinetically,” said Bellini, CEO of Bellini Capital. “But we are wide open digitally. We are like Swiss cheese.” Hackers have hit banks and defense contractors Two pro-Palestinian hacking groups claimed they targeted more than a dozen aviation firms, banks and oil companies following the U.S. strikes over the weekend. The hackers detailed their work in a post on the Telegram messaging service and urged other hackers to follow their lead, according to researchers at the SITE Intelligence Group, which tracks the groups’ activity. The attacks were denial-of-service attacks, in which a hacker tries to disrupt a website or online network. “We increase attacks from today,” one of the hacker groups, known as Mysterious Team, posted Monday. Federal authorities say they are on guard for additional attempts by hackers to penetrate U.S. networks. The Department of Homeland Security issued a public bulletin Sunday warning of increased Iranian cyber threats. The Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency issued a statement Tuesday urging organizations that operate critical infrastructure like water systems, pipelines or power plants to stay vigilant. While it lacks the technical abilities of China or Russia, Iran has long been known as a “chaos agent” when it comes to using cyberattacks to steal secrets, score political points or frighten opponents. Cyberattacks mounted by Iran’s government may end if the ceasefire holds and Tehran looks to avoid another confrontation with the U.S. But hacker groups could still retaliate on Iran’s behalf. In some cases, these groups have ties to military or intelligence agencies. In other cases, they act entirely independently. More than 60 such groups have been identified by researchers at the security firm Trustwave. These hackers can inflict significant economic and psychological blows. Following Hamas’ Oct. 7, 2023, attack on Israel, for instance, hackers penetrated an emergency alert app used by some Israelis and directed it to inform users that a nuclear missile was incoming. “It causes an immediate psychological impact,” said Ziv Mador, vice president of security research at Trustwave’s SpiderLabs, which tracks cyberthreats. Economic disruption, confusion and fear are all the goals of such operations, said Mador, who is based in Israel. “We saw the same thing in Russia-Ukraine.” Collecting intelligence is another aim for hackers While Iran lacks the cyberwarfare capabilities of China or Russia, it has repeatedly tried to use its more modest operations to try to spy on foreign leaders — something national security experts predict Tehran is […]
IDF Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Eyal Zamir in a video statement says that “after twelve days of unprecedented fighting, the IDF operated at its best and fully achieved the aims and objectives of the operation… “According to the assessment of senior officials in the IDF Intelligence Directorate, the damage to the nuclear program is not a localized blow, but a systemic one,” he says.
Sparks of a Nation began as a WhatsApp Status—sharing powerful stories, uplifting messages, and sparks of Yiddishkeit. *Now, we’re bringing that same inspiration to your Shabbos with Sparks of a Nation: Shabbos Edition—a beautifully curated, bi-weekly print magazine.* Each issue is designed to uplift and enrich your Shabbos, featuring heartwarming stories, Torah insights, stunning visuals, and meaningful content the whole family can enjoy—all in a format you can hold, savor, and share. Read more: https://sparksofanation.com/sparks/introducing-sparks-of-a-nation-shabbos-edition-now-at-your-doorstep/
Federal traffic safety regulators are looking into suspected problems with Elon Musk’s test run of self-driving “robotaxis” in Texas after videos surfaced showing them braking suddenly or going straight through an intersection from a turning lane and driving down the wrong side of the road. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration said Tuesday that it has asked Tesla for information about the apparent errors. Though many other videos show robotaxis driving perfectly, if regulators find any major issues, that would likely raise questions about Musk’s repeated statements that the robotaxis are safe and his claim that Tesla will dominate a future in which nearly all cars on road will have no one behind the wheel — or even need a steering wheel at all. “NHTSA is aware of the referenced incidents and is in contact with the manufacturer to gather additional information,” the agency said in a statement. Passengers in Tesla robotaxis on the road in Austin, Texas, have generally been impressed, and the stock rose 8% Monday. Investors grew more cautious Tuesday after news of NHTSA’s inquiry, and the stock fell more than 2%. Tesla did not immediately respond to a request for comment. A bullish Tesla financial analyst who was driven around in a robotaxi on Sunday when the test runs began said his ride was perfect and suggested the videos on X and YouTube showing errors were no big deal. “Any issues they encounter will be fixed,” said Wedbush Securities’ Dan Ives, calling the test a “huge success” in the past three days “despite the skeptics.” One of those skeptics, a Telemetry Insight expert in car technology, said the videos were alarming enough that the tests as currently run should be halted. “The system has always had highly erratic performance, working really well a lot of the time but frequently making random and inconsistent but dangerous errors,” said Sam Abuelsamid in a text, referring to Tesla’s self-driving software. “This is not a system that should be carrying members of the public or being tested on public roads without trained test drivers behind the wheel.” In one video, a Tesla moves into a lane with a big yellow arrow indicating it is for left turns only but then goes straight through the intersection instead, entering an opposing lane on the other side. The car seems to realize it made some mistake and begins to swerve several times, with the steering wheel jerking back and forth, before eventually settling down. But the Tesla proceeds in the opposing lane for 10 seconds. At the time, there was no oncoming traffic. The passenger in the car who posted the video, money manager Rob Maurer, shrugged off the incident. “There are no vehicles anywhere in sight, so this wasn’t a safety issue,” Maurer said in commentary accompanying his video. “I didn’t feel uncomfortable in the situation.” Another video shows a Tesla stopping twice suddenly in the middle of the road, possibly responding to the flashing lights of police cars. But the police are obviously not interested in the Tesla or traffic in front or behind it because they have parked on side roads not near it, apparently responding to an unrelated event. Federal regulators opened an investigation last year into how Teslas with what Musk calls Full Self-Driving have responded in low-visibility […]
Democrat Nominee for NYC Mayor Zohran Mamdani vows to obstruct ICE Arrests: “It’s where the mayor will use their power to reject Donald Trump’s fascism, to stop masked ICE agents from deporting our neighbors.”
President Trump boards Air Force One for his return to D.C. following a highly successful NATO Summit in The Hague, Netherlands.
FLATBUSH: Last night at an event to benefit Yedid of Misaskim with music by Pumpadesa.
Just hours after a powerful tefillah gathering in the Ramat Elchanan neighborhood of Bnei Brak, news broke of a ceasefire between Israel and Iran. The timing did not go unnoticed by Rav Yitzchok Zilberstein, who led the atzeres tefillah, nd whose moving reaction captured the emotion felt by many.
“This is a day of transformation,” Rav Zilberstein said on Tuesday, following the bris of his great-grandson, a grandson of his son-in-law Rav Yosef Tzikinovsky. “Such miracles that HaKadosh Baruch Hu is performing with us—it’s beyond words. All the nations are against us, and Am Yisroel rises like a lion. We ask no questions, we march forward like a lion—undaunted and unafraid.”
The previous night, the central shul in Ramat Elchanan had been packed with hundreds of residents pouring out heartfelt tefillos. The kehillah gathered under the leadership of Rav Zilberstein to cry out to Hashem during an anxious and dangerous time.
Before the event began, Rav Mordechai Blau, a respected mechanech, informed Rav Zilberstein that Iran had launched missiles at a U.S. military base. Rav Zilberstein calmly responded, “Only good will come from this.” Indeed, just hours later, the ceasefire was officially announced.
In his remarks on Tuesday, Rav Zilberstein reflected on the shift from fear to confidence. “This is a great day. Everything has turned around. We are returning to our yeshivos, returning to avodas hakodesh, returning to full trust in Hashem. Boruch Hashem, we are victorious. The resha’im were wiped out. It’s open miracles—one after the next. The nations have decided the war is over.”
He added, with visible joy, “With Hashem’s help we will see wonders. We’re going straight to kollel now. No pause. It’s been too long since we saw our kollel—now we’re going back.”
During the previous night’s gathering, Rav Zilberstein had delivered words of strength and encouragement: “We are part of a community that learns Torah day and night, boruch Hashem. But the world is shaking—talks of a world war. The world is in turmoil. And yet, here we sit, immersed in the Torah of Hashem, unafraid. But we must strengthen ourselves.”
He then shared a moving story about a man who had discovered he was a mamzer. When he turned to Rav Elyashiv zt”l, he was told to go to the Kosel and cry out to Hashem. There, a stranger approached him, learned of his plight, and gave him money to travel to his parents overseas. It was there that he discovered he had been adopted—and was not a mamzer after all. “Whoever did not witness his joy at that moment,” Rav Zilberstein said, “has never seen true joy in his life.”
He turned to the crowd and declared, “To anyone in distress—remember the words of my father-in-law: Cry out loud to Hashem! There is incredible power in such cries, especially at the Kosel. That’s what we must do now—cry out loud!”
He continued with another story about a single older woman who gave all her savings to her younger sister so she could marry. In the end, the older sister was zocheh to marry first—to a wealthy, prominent chassan.
Rav Zilberstein concluded with stirring words: “Let us all now grasp onto rachamim and chesed. We will call out in the Name of Hashem and be saved. We need abundant mercy today… oh, how much mercy we need… but Hashem is with us, I am certain.”
“Here sit talmidei chachamim learning day and night without interruption. Our kollel is not learning in Cholon; we are here, and those who walk through these halls know—no idle chatter, just pure Torah. I am confident we will be saved. Kol Hashem bakoach, kol Hashem behadar, kol Hashem shover arazim—the voice of Torah breaks the strongest barriers. We fear no one.
“In the Name of Hashem, we will ascend and succeed. And with His help, we will all rejoice in the yeshuah. We will witness salvation in the blink of an eye. We will learn Torah, and Hashem will guard us. With His help, we will merit only good, forever.”
{Matzav.com}
Two Florida men have been indicted in what prosecutors describe as a scheme to steal more than $100 million from a nonprofit that managed funds for people with disabilities and special needs. Federal authorities this week unsealed an indictment charging Leo J. Govoni, 67, of Clearwater, and John Witeck, 60, of Tampa, with multiple counts including mail fraud, wire fraud and conspiracy to commit money laundering. If convicted on all counts, they face decades in prison. The case involves one of the nation’s largest administrators of special needs trusts, which are designed to manage funds for people with special needs. The Center for Special Needs Trust Administration in Clearwater, which Govoni cofounded 25 years ago, managed more than 2,000 accounts containing about $200 million for people in Florida and around the nation. Clients were promised that the nonprofit would protect and invest their money, prosecutors say. But Govoni and Witeck, an accountant who worked with Govoni, used the nonprofit as a “slush fund” to enrich themselves, court papers state. Govoni is accused of using money from the nonprofit to travel on private jets, pay living expenses for his friends and family and live a lavish lifestyle “complete with luxury boxes at Tampa Bay Buccaneers games and the Kentucky Derby,” prosecutors said in court records. No lawyers for Govoni or Witeck are listed in court files of the current case. Paul Sisco, a Tampa lawyer who has represented Govoni in the past, said “there is a presumption of innocence which none of us should ever lose sight of here.” “In nearly two decades of knowing Mr. Govoni, I have never sensed any inkling of guile,” Sisco said. Sisco is handling some issues regarding Govoni’s bond and detention. He declined to discuss details of that ahead of a Thursday hearing, when those issues are expected to be addressed in court. Prosecutors accuse the men of concealing the fraud through complex financial transactions, and sending fraudulent account statements with false balances to people with special needs and their families. The nonprofit filed for bankruptcy in 2024 and “disclosed that more than $100 million in client-beneficiary funds was missing from its trust accounts,” federal prosecutors said in a statement announcing the indictment. “The fraud alleged in this nationwide scheme is unfathomable,” U.S. Attorney Gregory Kehoe said in the statement. The case was investigated by numerous federal agencies, including the FBI, the IRS and the Social Security Administration. “Not only were the organization’s resources drained, but the accused subjects betrayed the trust of the community and ultimately bankrupted a lifeline for vulnerable families,” said Jose Perez, assistant director of the FBI’s Criminal Investigative Division. (AP)
Fox News contributor Newt Gingrich analyzes what the U.S. must watch out for in Iran after ceasefire.
WATCH:
ELIMINATED: IRGC General Ali Shadmani, commander of Khatam al-Anbiya HQ, has died from injuries sustained in last week’s Israeli strike.
A former top aide to President Joe Biden testified under oath Tuesday that she was authorized to direct the use of an autopen to sign critical presidential documents — but claimed she had no knowledge of who in Biden’s inner circle was giving final clearance for the signatures. Neera Tanden, the former White House Domestic Policy Council director and one of Biden’s most senior advisors during the early years of his presidency, appeared for a closed-door, five-hour interview before the House Oversight Committee. The panel is investigating concerns over Biden’s mental fitness and the extent to which he personally executed the duties of his office. According to sources familiar with the testimony, Tanden told lawmakers that while she directed autopen signatures for official documents — including pardons and memos — she was largely in the dark about who ultimately approved their use. She testified that the approval system was inherited from previous administrations but acknowledged she did not know who made the final decisions to affix the president’s signature in his absence. “She described a shadowy process,” one source told Fox News. “Memos were sent up the chain, approvals came back — but she didn’t know who was pulling the trigger.” Tanden, who served as both senior advisor and staff secretary between 2021 and 2023, admitted to having limited interaction with Biden himself and said she never personally discussed his mental or physical health with anyone — even in the wake of his heavily criticized debate performance last summer. Pressed by lawmakers to name any officials she may have discussed Biden’s capacity with, Tanden responded “no” to each, including when presented with a list of top aides and confidants, according to a source in the room. Tanden declined to answer questions from reporters upon arriving at the Capitol but made a brief statement after her interview concluded. “I answered every question, was pleased to discuss my public service, and it was a thorough process,” she said. “I’m glad I answered everyone’s questions.” When asked if there had been any coordinated effort to conceal Biden’s condition from the public, Tanden said firmly, “Absolutely not.” Her testimony comes as the Oversight Committee prepares to interview several additional key figures from Biden’s inner circle, including former White House physician Dr. Kevin O’Connor, who has been subpoenaed. Also expected to appear: Anthony Bernal, senior advisor to former First Lady Jill Biden; Annie Tomasini, Biden’s former deputy chief of staff; and Ashley Williams, former deputy director of Oval Office operations. Republicans on the committee are also pushing to question former White House Chief of Staff Ron Klain and longtime communications advisor Anita Dunn. The inquiry centers on growing concerns — from both lawmakers and the public — about whether President Biden had full control over his office or if a network of aides has assumed de facto authority in critical matters. With the investigation intensifying, GOP leaders say the testimony so far points to a troubling lack of transparency inside the Biden White House. “This isn’t just about the autopen,” one senior Oversight member said. “It’s about whether the President of the United States is actually the one calling the shots.” (YWN World Headquarters – NYC)
“They came as orphans. They left as Bnei Torah-with a stage, a siyum, and a future.” A New Chapter for 56 Young Men: Zeh Lazeh’s Bar Mitzvah Gala Transforms Mourning into Momentum Fifty-six boys. Missing a father or mother, to guide them. One night to tell them: You are not broken. You are not forgotten. You are kings. That was the unspoken message echoing through the halls of Binyanei Ha’uma last Thursday, as Zeh Lazeh hosted its annual Bar Mitzvah Gala for boys in its Bnei Melachim program. But this wasn’t a display of pity. Rather, it was a declaration of strength. A Program That Restores Dignity Under the leadership of Rebbetzin Rothenberg—wife of Harav Naftali Hersh Rothenberg and daughter of the Toldos Aharon Rebbe zy”a, Zeh Lazeh has become a national lifeline for widows and orphans across Eretz Yisrael. Its signature Bnei Melachim program pairs these yesomim with hand-picked yungerleit who learn with them, mentor them, and often become their closest role models. These aren’t just chavrusas. They’re anchors. They turn loss into resilience, confusion into growth, and on this night, they stood proudly at the side of their talmidim, celebrating a milestone that every boy deserves. The Hall Was Not Just Full—It Was Full of Purpose This year’s Bar Mitzvah was intentionally public. Families and organizers agreed: these boys deserve a night not of survival, but of celebration. They wore their finest. They stood tall. And they were met with overflowing kavod. Hundreds filled the room. Family, mentors, community supporters, joined by many gedolim from across Eretz Yisrael, Sephardi and Ashkenazi, Litvish and Chassidish, came to honor the occasion, including the Biala, Nadvorna, Dorog, and Pittsburgher Rebbes, and Harav Dovid Cohen of Yeshivas Chevron. There was a full orchestra, the Neshama Choir, and heartfelt niggunim led by R’ Yaakov Yehuda Daskal. It wasn’t just a simcha. It was a statement. More Than Speeches; Moments That Mattered There were powerful divrei chizuk, but the night’s most moving moments weren’t scripted. Musical genius R’ Meir Adler, himself having lost his own father at a young age, offered a hauntingly personal musical presentation that truly captured the emotions of these young men. A Bnei Melachim alumnus who is today a respected yungerman, spoke quietly about what it meant to feel seen again after his father’s passing. Their words weren’t about loss. They were about what came after: growth, healing, connection. Then came the siyum. Each boy completed a Mesechta. As the Kaddish rose, all in unison and in a beautiful achdus of varied accents and voices, there was no feeling of absence. Only presence. The presence of Torah. Of continuity. Of Klal Yisrael refusing to let go. Dancing into the Future And then the music exploded. The boys were lifted onto shoulders as simcha shel mitzvah filled the room. The Pittsburgher Rebbe led a spirited niggun; Harav Shimon Galai shlit”a danced with the boys with a lively and inspirational dance that was extremely lebedig and spirited. For a full hour, the distinction between child and adult, mentor and mentee, was replaced by something higher: Jewish joy. They weren’t being comforted. They were being celebrated. More Than a Gift Each boy went home that night with a silver kiddush becher, which came with a special bracha from Hagaon Harav Moshe Sternbuch shlit”a. […]
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At the most recent farheren, the reaction of the Gedolei Torah conducting the testing to the prowess of the Shas Yiden was simply one of amazement at the breadth and detailed knowledge and all-encompassing mastery of Shas – remarking: “They know it like others know Ashrei Yoshvei!” The joy of the avreichim geonim and their clear love of Torah electrifies each farher. (To see the different farheren in action, please click on our website: www.shasyiden.com.) It is no wonder that the overall reaction to the Shas Yiden Network is that in its 15 years it has certainly revolutionized and raised the bar in the learning and mastery of Shas.
Caring for the Avreichim Families
Despite the difficulties of these last few years, Covid etc., Shas Yiden has made sure to keep our commitment to each of the Shas Yiden families to ensure their menuchas hanefesh to be free to focus on Shas. Each month their salaries have been paid on time. Further, in Tishrei and, now again, for Nissan, they are all paid full extra salary checks to help them meet the extra Yom Tov expenses.
That we are able to do so, a big ‘thank you‘ is due to you all. You have an eternal stake in the incredible learning of Shas Yiden. Your on-going interest and support in this unique ‘Entire-Shas’ Torah-learning venture is most sincerely appreciated. Collectively and individually, you are singular partners in changing the way the Torah world views the ability to both learn and master the entire Shas. Whatever you can do to help in defraying their extra Yom Tov expenses will be a great chesed to these Bnei Torah who are true bnei aliyah.
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