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[Video below.] Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian used a wartime address to the United Nations General Assembly on Wednesday to portray Iran as a victim of American and Israeli aggression, while insisting that Tehran remains willing to pursue diplomacy with the United States without yielding to what he described as coercion.

During his address, Pezeshkian displayed large photographs of the late Iranian Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei and more than 150 Iranian schoolchildren who were killed during the opening days of the war.

“We have only defended ourselves. We are not terrorists,” Pezeshkian said at the General Assembly. “Our innocent people have been the targets of cowardly attacks and aggressions imposed upon our country. And we defended ourselves with utmost strength. America and Israel attacked us.”

Turning specifically to the United States, Pezeshkian declared: “Yes they did hit us, but we did not bend the knee.”

Pezeshkian later addressed President Donald Trump directly, saying Tehran remains prepared for negotiations but will not accept demands delivered through threats.

“It must be understood by Mr. Trump and those who seek to bully us that we are ready for dialogue and diplomacy and negotiations without accepting the language of force,” he said.

Pezeshkian also asserted: “We did not hit civilian populations.” That claim conflicts with documented civilian deaths resulting from Iranian attacks during the war, including mariners and migrant workers killed in the region.

The Iranian president arrived in New York amid extensive security and scrutiny, one day after President Trump addressed the same gathering and warned that Iran could face devastating consequences if an agreement is not reached to end the nearly seven-month conflict.

Hours after Trump’s UN address, U.S. envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner communicated with Iranian representatives through mediators on the sidelines of the General Assembly. The discussions lasted roughly three hours, according to reports.

Trump subsequently offered an upbeat but limited assessment of the contact.

“It was a very good meeting,” Trump said.

He later noted that the Iranian representatives involved were “not the highest level, but it’s something.” Secretary of State Marco Rubio also said Tuesday that President Trump was open to meeting Pezeshkian while the Iranian leader was in New York, although no such meeting had been scheduled at that point.

Iranian officials, however, sought to play down the significance of the exchange, which marked the first indirect contact between American and Iranian officials since the collapse of a ceasefire in July.

Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmail Baghaei maintained Tehran’s negotiating demands, including calls for Washington to end restrictions affecting Iranian ports and release frozen Iranian assets.

Baghaei characterized the discussions, which were conducted indirectly with Qatari mediation, as “not anything new.”

Pezeshkian’s UN appearance provided a broader indication of Tehran’s position after more than a year of intermittent negotiations between the United States and Iran failed to produce a lasting agreement. His speech also came as attacks continued intermittently around the Strait of Hormuz and commercial shipping remained disrupted by the conflict.

The Iranian leader’s appearance at last year’s General Assembly came only months after the 12-day Israel-Iran war, during which numerous senior Iranian military and political figures were killed and negotiations between Tehran and Washington again broke down.

“Ladies and gentlemen, you all bore witness that this past June, my country was subjected to a savage aggression and flagrant contravention of the most elementary principles of international law,” Pezeshkian said at the time.

WATCH:

{Matzav.com}

Israeli Defense Minister Yisroel Katz issued a sharp response Wednesday to Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa after the Syrian leader used his address at the United Nations General Assembly to assert Syria’s claim to the Golan Heights.

During his UN speech, al-Sharaa declared that “the Golan will remain Syrian territory.” Katz responded by rejecting the Syrian president’s assertion and reiterating Israel’s position regarding the Golan.

“My clear answer to the Syrian President who made loud declarations in the UN: the Golan Heights is under Israeli sovereignty; it is an integral part of the State of Israel forever,” Katz declared.

The defense minister also addressed Israel’s military presence on Mount Hermon and inside the security zone in Syria, saying Israel would not return to the arrangements that existed before the fall of the Assad regime.

“We will not withdraw from Mount Hermon and the security zones that were conquered in 1973 and given over in the Disengagement Agreement in 1974 under conditions which were violated when Syria became an Iranian base and threat on our borders.”

Katz said the IDF’s move into the Syrian side of Mount Hermon and the security zone following the collapse of the Assad government was intended to prevent threats from developing along Israel’s border. He said Israeli forces would remain there as long as Israel believes such threats persist.

“With the fall of Assad, the IDF entered the summit of Mount Hermon and the security zone in Syria to prevent your and your supporters’ Jihadist threats against the State of Israel. The IDF will remain there as long as there is a Jihadist threat on the border and the Israeli communities, be it from your security forces or other Jihadist groups and organizations in Syria.”

Katz concluded with a warning to Damascus that Israel would respond if Israeli forces or Israeli territory came under attack from Syria, and said territory captured during such a response would not subsequently be relinquished.

“If they attack our forces or the territory of the State of Israel within Syria, we will have to act and respond, and any territory we take this time will remain ours forever, in accordance with the laws of war. We will not allow Syria to become a threat to the State of Israel, and we will act to prevent this when necessary.”

[COMMUNICATED]

by Rabbi Eliezer Sandler

The concept of the Yissachar-Zevulun Torah Learning Pact goes back well over 3,500 years, to the time of Yaakov Avinu and his sons. It is named for the Torah pact between two of his sons – Yissachar the scholar and Zevulun the merchant. Not only was it an equal pact but, Chazal explained, the deed of Zevulun/the Sponsor is considered even greater than that of Yissachar, because without the support of Zevulun, Yissachar would not have had the wherewithal to study Torah undisturbed.”

It is well-known that when it comes to learning Torah, people who sponsor the learning, often do so, not just as a donation. By financially supporting specific Torah scholars, they enter into a binding, written, signed and sealed learning partnership pact whereby the Sponsor (the Zevulun) is deemed by Halacha as if he personally studied the Torah completed by the Scholar (the Yissachar). (See below.) 

Thus, those who support the Talmidei Chachomim at Shas Yiden via a Yissachar-Zevulun Pact merit a portion in every daf of the entire Talmud Bavli and associated texts that they study, and complete the entire cycle in the space of ONE year. Some of the Sponsors opt to continue sponsoring repeat cycles of Shas which accrue to them.

Sar Hatorah, Maran Hagaon Harav Chaim Kanievsky, zt”l, Nasi Shas Yiden, emphasized: The most mehudar Yissachar-Zevulun pact to support in our times is that offered by Shas Yiden – it comprises the entire Shas, Rashi and Tosfos – all in just one year!

Rav Chaim explained why this pact with Shas Yiden is the most mehudar. Chazal say that the highest level of learning is when one understands what he is learning b’iyun u’ve’amkus. However, even higher than that is when one remembers b’al peh all what he has learned. I have farhered the Shas Yiden avreichim geonim many times and can attest ZEI KENNEN SHAS (they know Shas)!

YES! YOU CAN MAKE
your OWN SIYUM on the ENTIRE
Shas, Rashi & Tosfos
IN JUST ONE YEAR!

The Yissachar-Zevulun Pact in Halacha

The Shulchan Aruch in Yoreh De’ah Chapter 246 regarding the efficacy of the Yissachar-Zevulun Sponsorship Pact for the Zevulun (the Sponsor) states clearly:  It is deemed as if he (the one sponsoring the learning) himself learned all the Torah studied under the pact. 

All the learning under the Shas Yiden Yissachar-Zevulun Pact is yours בעוה”ז ובעוה”ב (in both This World and the World to Come)! Concerning this, the Netziv of Volozhin comments that in Olam Habah, the Zevulun sponsor will sit together with the Gedolei Torah of the past and merit to participate in their discussions and pilpulim on all the Torah learned.

Achieve Almost 7 million Mitzvos in One Year

The Vilna Gaon in Shnos Eliyahu Pe’ah 41 states that one should hold precious every word of Torah that he learns because each word is considered a mitzvah of its own. 

Thus, since in Talmud Bavli, Rashi and Tosfos there are 6,608,891 words, that translates into almost 7 million mitzvos accruing through Yissachar-Zevulun at Shas Yiden. 

Official Shtar from Shas Yiden

Each Yissachar-Zevulun pact is confirmed by an official contract (shtar) from Shas Yiden specifying the learning of the entire Shas, and is witnessed by talmidei chachomim.

All who wish to enter into a Yissachar-Zevulun Pact for the entire Shas during ONE year should contact Shas Yiden to make arrangements: 718-702-1528.

The opportunity to complete the entire Shas has been a cherished way to honor family members and others as a prized achievement. It has also proven to be a source of comfort for mourners to obtain such a zechus for their dear ones during the year of mourning – a siyum of the entire Shas can be completed on the yahrzeit!

Yissachar-Zevulun Pact – Beyond the Grave

The legendary visionary and “Father of Yeshivos”, Reb Chaim of Volozhin, was the founder of the famous yeshiva in the town of Volozhin and the beloved talmid of the Vilna Gaon. 

Reb Chaim had an ongoing Yissachar-Zevulun pact with a local shoemaker – a man who was not learned but who dearly valued Torah learning. They had a ‘deal’ whereby the shoemaker would pay the monthly financial support needed for Reb Chaim and his family. For this financial support, the shoemaker would have an equal share in all Reb Chaim’s daily Torah study – both in the mitzvah of Torah study בעוה”ז and that the knowledge of the Torah learned would continue to be his בעוה”ב (in the World to Come).

One day the shoemaker passed away suddenly. During the shiva period, Reb Chaim was facing a perplexing halachic question and researched high and low for a solution. That night the shoemaker appeared to him in a dream and gave him the full solution that he sought. Reb Chaim was amazed and commented, “Azoi gich, Azoi Gich – So quickly, so quickly has he acquired the zchus and knowledge of the Torah that I have studied!”

In the words of Gedolei Torah:

Maran Hagaon Harav Chaim Kanievsky, zt”l, Nasi Shas Yiden:

“In just ONE year, through Yissachar-Zevulun at Shas Yiden, you can be zoche to the entire Shas forever – בעוה”ז ובעוה”ב (in olam hazeh and olam habah).

“Moreover, whoever supports Shas Yiden is zocheh to fulfill both Yissachar-Zevulun and support of aniyei (the poor of) Eretz Yisroel in the fullest sense of the word.

“Those who support Shas Yiden will be saved from chevlei (the travails of) Moshiach – spiritually and materially, and will be zoche to have ehrlicher bonim u’vanos yir’eishomayim ”

Maran Hagaon Harav Dov Lando, shlit”a, Rosh Yeshiva, Slabodka:

“Who compares to the Shas Yiden? Incredible talmidei chachomim geonim who raised the bar in limud Hashas b’iyun u’v’amkus. Blessed are those who enter a Yissachar-Zevulun pact with them.”

Hamashpia Hagadol Reb Meilech Biederman, shlit”a:

 “Yissachar-Zevulun at Shas Yiden – best possible deal, and in just 1 year! 100% partnership! 100% Shas x 5 times! 100% Shisha Sidrei Mishna – בעוה”ז ובעוה”ב”

Sanzer Rebbe, shlit”a:

“A first in 2000 years of Jewish history! Until Shas Yiden, never a Torah institution where ALL the avreichim metzuyonim v’geonim know the entire Shas by heart”

Maran Hagaon Harav Yaakov Hillel, shlit”a:

“Therefore, the great mitzvah to support the efforts [of the Talmidei Chachomim] with generous donations in order that they should continue diligently with their studies to enhance the greatness of the Torah and its glory. 

ShasYiden.com

Israeli Prime Minister Bibi Netanyahu is expected to spend only seven hours on American soil during his trip to New York for the United Nations General Assembly, following recommendations from senior security officials that he keep the visit as brief as possible due to specific security warnings.

According to a Channel 13 report, senior security officials met with Netanyahu ahead of the trip and strongly advised him to sharply curtail the amount of time he spends in the United States because of concrete warnings connected to the visit.

Under the current itinerary, Netanyahu’s plane is expected to land in New Jersey. He will then travel directly to United Nations headquarters in Manhattan to deliver his address before returning to the airport and departing for Israel shortly afterward.

The unusually brief trip comes amid heightened security surrounding this year’s UN General Assembly, with thousands of NYPD officers deployed across New York City as world leaders gather for the annual session.

Netanyahu’s arrival also comes amid a public dispute with New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani over the International Criminal Court’s arrest warrant for the Israeli prime minister. Mamdani had previously spoken about having Netanyahu arrested if he came to New York, but acknowledged in July that New York City does not have the independent legal authority to enforce the warrant.

During an interview with CNN this week, Mamdani was asked whether he regretted his earlier comments about arresting Netanyahu. He responded: “When it comes to Benjamin Netanyahu, I have described him as I believe him to be a war criminal and an architect of a horrific genocide of the Palestinian people.” Mamdani also reiterated that New York City lacks the legal authority to carry out the ICC warrant.

Netanyahu responded publicly to Mamdani’s criticism.

“Shame on you for supporting the Hamas terrorist monsters who butchered our people. Shame on you for inciting riots against New York Jews.”

Netanyahu also said he intended to use his appearance before the UN General Assembly to respond to criticism of Israel and its military.

“I’m coming to the UN. I’m going to tell the truth about our heroic soldiers, and I’m going to tell the truth about you.”

Israeli Ambassador to the United States Yechiel Leiter was on his way to a media interview in New York on Wednesday when he received the devastating news that his son, Neria, had been critically wounded in a terrorist attack, according to Israeli Embassy spokesperson Tal Naim, who was with him at the time.

Naim, the spokesperson for the Israeli Embassy in Washington, described the episode as one of the most difficult moments she has experienced during her three years serving in the position.

The two were in New York for a series of media appearances connected to the United Nations General Assembly when word reached Leiter about his son.

“Being the spokesperson for the Israeli Embassy in Washington over the past three years has been one of the most challenging and demanding experiences of my life,” Naim wrote. “It has meant navigating crisis after crisis, and facing moments I never could have imagined.”

“One of the hardest came this morning.”

According to Naim, she and the ambassador were traveling to another interview about the UN General Assembly when Leiter learned what had happened.

“I was with Ambassador Yechiel Leiter in New York, on our way to an interview about the UNGA, when he received the devastating news that his son, Neria, had been injured in a terror attack,” she wrote.

“Just moments earlier, we had been preparing for a full day of interviews.”

Naim pointed to the painful timing of remarks Leiter had made during his final interview before learning of his son’s condition. During that appearance, he had discussed the losses endured by Israeli families during the war.

Speaking with Newsmax, Leiter explained that Israel had chosen to deploy soldiers on the ground rather than depend solely on widespread aerial bombardment, a decision that he said had resulted in Israeli families losing their children.

“We sent in our troops on the ground to prevent mass bombings, we lost our children because of this, and still get accused of committing a genocide,” Leiter said.

Naim said those words were spoken at approximately the same time that the terrorist attack in which Neria was wounded was occurring.

The attack marked another devastating ordeal for a family that has already suffered the loss of a son during the war. Leiter’s eldest son, Maj. (res.) Moshe Yedidya Leiter, was killed in combat in the northern Gaza Strip nearly three years ago.

“The Ambassador has already endured the unimaginable loss of his eldest son, Moshe, who was killed in Gaza almost three years ago,” she wrote.

Neria, an IDF reservist who returned to military service even after his brother was killed, was critically wounded in Wednesday’s ramming attack in Binyamin. He was rushed to Shaare Zedek Medical Center in Yerushalayim, where medical teams are working to save his life.

After receiving the news, Ambassador Leiter canceled the remainder of his planned appearances in New York and began traveling back to Israel to be with his son and family.

Naim ended her account by asking the public to join in prayer for Neria and the Leiter family.

“Please keep Neria, and the entire Leiter family, in your thoughts and prayers.”

The Board of Peace on Wednesday presented an ambitious six-month recovery initiative for Gaza that calls for 66 separate projects totaling an estimated $2.45 billion, covering everything from housing, hospitals and utilities to security, employment and digital infrastructure.

The proposal was unveiled on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly and is designed to move forward once sufficient funding is secured and access conditions permit. The projects are divided among six areas: infrastructure development, human development, economic acceleration, digital transformation, legal recovery, and peace and security.

Nickolay E. Mladenov said the new proposal represents a significant transition from developing a framework for Gaza to putting concrete projects into operation.

“A year ago we had no framework, no roadmap, and no Palestinian-led National Committee for the Administration of Gaza (NCAG) ready to assume responsibility in Gaza. Today we have all three,” he said.

According to Mladenov, the projects are no longer merely conceptual and have already been priced and prepared for implementation.

“66 costed programmes, around US$2.45bn, ready to begin the moment funding and access allow,” he said, pointing to plans involving housing, water supplies, medical facilities, schools, electricity, roads and employment, with Gazan engineers and contractors expected to carry out much of the work.

“Not a wish list, a plan,” he added.

Infrastructure Development represents the largest portion of the proposal, with 24 programs carrying an estimated combined price tag of $1.205 billion. Approximately $400 million would go toward humanitarian shelters, including assistance provided in kind, while roughly $275 million is designated for debris removal and the handling of unexploded ordnance.

Another approximately $100 million would support public transportation, while an estimated $78 million is earmarked for repairing partially damaged homes. The rehabilitation of five additional hospitals is expected to cost approximately $67 million.

Other projects in the infrastructure category include additional hospital repairs, diesel generators and fuel supplies, reconstruction of road networks, establishment of a warehouse and logistics area, restoration of water and sanitation services, solar energy installations, desalination facilities, garbage removal, municipal services, border-crossing infrastructure, repairs to electricity transmission systems, and rehabilitation of Gaza’s fishing and port fleets.

The Human Development portion of the plan consists of 17 programs valued at approximately $303 million. Among the largest expenditures are approximately $80 million for winterization efforts, including in-kind assistance, and about $50 million for an immediate healthcare response.

The plan also allocates approximately $45 million toward the release of higher-education certificates, while a household purchasing-assistance pilot program and a back-to-school initiative are each budgeted at approximately $40 million.

Other initiatives in this category would provide for medical evacuations and treatment outside Gaza, assistance for schools serving children with special needs, mobile and prefabricated healthcare facilities, educational opportunities abroad, compensation for lost years of education, restoration of basic religious services, recovery of Waqf property, work involving the Omari Mosque and Porphyrius Church, scholarships, packages of essential goods and prepared meals.

Seven projects comprise the Economic Acceleration section, with an estimated overall cost of approximately $35 million. They include efforts to restore supply chains, a food-security pilot program, grants for small and medium-sized businesses, a lease-to-own initiative for heavy construction machinery, creation of a Gaza technology park and regional production park, and establishment of a Gaza Peace and Investment Fund.

Another six projects, costing an estimated $17 million, fall under Digital Transformation. Those plans include introduction of digital identification, 4G cellular connectivity, pilot programs for online education and healthcare, data-center and cloud-storage infrastructure, and a digital-payment system.

The Legal cluster is considerably smaller financially and centers on an integrated program for restoring Gaza’s justice system, at a projected cost of less than $10 million.

Peace and Security accounts for another major portion of the proposed spending, with 11 programs expected to cost at least approximately $885 million. An Interior Commission facility and a mission-support site in Rafah are each projected to cost approximately $275 million.

The proposal additionally allocates roughly $140 million for mobilizing an International Stabilization Force and approximately $120 million for police mobilization. Other components include logistical assistance, a weapons decommissioning program, transferring management of crossings, police facilities, local trust and reconciliation committees, a community radio outlet, and transitional payments for civil servants. Some of those initiatives have not yet received final cost estimates.

The document cautions that the financial figures are preliminary. The amounts are described as rough estimates for a phased six-month activation period and are intended for discussion rather than representing a finalized budget.

Addressing what would be required for implementation, Mladenov said the next steps “must be careful and verifiable,” while calling for commitments reached at Sharm el-Sheikh to be honored and for improved humanitarian access, particularly as winter approaches.

Mladenov also said an International Stabilization Force and vetted police officers would have to deploy, weapons would need to be decommissioned, and reconstruction efforts would have to proceed on a large scale.

He characterized the National Committee for the Administration of Gaza as “a bridge, not a permanent administration,” while urging international partners to support the committee’s plans and use their influence with the various parties involved.

“None of this is easy,” Mladenov said. “Nobody has ever attempted what we are doing in Gaza. Not in this conflict and not anywhere else. There will be setbacks and weeks when progress is slow. But a year ago this was an idea on paper. Today it is a plan, with people ready to carry it out.”

Shareholders of The New York Times Company have gone to court seeking access to internal corporate documents concerning the newspaper’s reporting on Israel and the war against Hamas, as well as records showing how the Times applied and enforced its own editorial standards.

The case was filed in New York State Supreme Court in New York County by the State Board of Administration of Florida, which oversees assets that include Florida’s public pension funds, together with the National Center for Public Policy Research. Both plaintiffs own shares in The New York Times Company.

The Free Press reported that the shareholders are asking a judge to require the Times’ board of directors to produce a collection of internal documents, a significant portion of which concern the newspaper’s coverage of Israel and the ongoing war with Hamas.

According to the plaintiffs, the requested material is intended to help them determine whether the Times followed its established journalistic policies, particularly its rules governing factual accuracy and the correction of mistakes.

The lawsuit states that the shareholders have been trying to obtain the documents for roughly four months, but The New York Times Company has thus far declined to turn them over.

Among the matters referenced in the court filing are allegations made by a former Jewish Times employee who spent nearly a decade working on the newspaper’s video desk.

According to the lawsuit, the former employee complained on at least 15 occasions between 2019 and her departure from the Times in March 2026 about what she believed was antisemitism and anti-Israel bias within the organization.

The filing says those concerns were brought to several levels within the company, including managers, officials responsible for editorial standards and the Times’ human resources department.

The allegations contained in the shareholders’ lawsuit have not been adjudicated by the court.

At this point, the plaintiffs are not seeking monetary damages based on the Times’ reporting about Israel or its coverage of the war against Hamas. Their lawsuit instead seeks access to company records that they contend are necessary to investigate the newspaper’s conduct, its editorial oversight and whether it complied with its stated standards.

The shareholders are asking the court to order The New York Times Company to provide the requested internal records.

“Mommy, if I beat cancer once, why did it come back?”

Chaim Rubin is only 7 years old.

A year ago, after more than a year of difficult treatments, his parents finally heard the words they had been praying for: Chaim had beaten cancer.

He went back to school, back to his friends, and back to simply being a child.

But at the beginning of Av, everything changed again.  

The seizures returned, and then came the devastating news:

The medulloblastoma was back.

Chaim has already started treatment to help control the disease, but to give him the chance he desperately needs, his family must now get him to the United States for advanced treatment.

The hospital requires a significant deposit upfront, and after already using their savings and everything they had available, the family simply cannot do this alone.

They need our help now.

Every donation can bring Chaim one step closer to the treatment he needs and another chance to fight.

Please open your heart for Chaim ben Yael.

Donate now

Neria Leiter, an IDF reservist and the son of Israel’s Ambassador to the United States, Dr. Yechiel Leiter, was critically wounded Wednesday in a terrorist ramming attack near Route 443, prompting his family to ask Jews around the world to daven for his recovery.

The family is asking the public to daven for Neria Dov ben Chana.

Ambassador Leiter, who was in New York when the attack occurred, began making his way back to Israel following news of his son’s condition.

While traveling back to Israel, Leiter expressed gratitude to those treating his son and appealed for continued tefillos.

“I am grateful to the IDF, to the medical team at Shaare Zedek who are now fighting to save the life of Neria Dov ben Chana, and for the prayers of the people of Israel. I believe in the power of prayer, and I believe that when the people of Israel unite, miracles happen. Neria needs a miracle,” the Ambassador stated.

The ambassador noted that his son had continued serving in the IDF reserves despite the devastating loss of his older brother during the war in Gaza.

“Neria continued to serve in the reserves after losing his older brother, Moshe Yedidya Leiter, of blessed memory. Since October 7th, he has served hundreds of days in the reserves on multiple fronts.”

“Palestinian terrorism seeks to uproot the people of Israel from their land. They choose death – we choose life.”

Neria’s brother, Maj. (res.) Moshe Yedidya Leiter, 39, of Ein Tzurim, served as a company commander in the IDF’s Shaldag Unit. He was killed in combat in the northern Gaza Strip nearly three years ago.

Defense Minister Israel Katz joined those calling for Neria’s recovery, issuing a message of support to Ambassador Leiter and his family.

“I pray for the speedy recovery of Neria Leiter, an IDF reservist who was seriously wounded in the terrorist attack at the Maccabim checkpoint, and the son of Israel’s Ambassador to the United States, Yechiel Leiter. Yechiel, I strengthen you and your family and pray together with the entire people of Israel for your son’s recovery.”

National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir likewise called on the public to daven for Neria.

“I wish from the bottom of my heart a complete recovery and pray for the recovery of the son of Israel’s Ambassador to the US, Yechiel Leiter, who was wounded in the terrorist attack this afternoon. Great strength to his family and friends at this time. Please, everyone, pray now for the recovery of Neria Dov ben Chana.”

Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich described Neria as a hero and sent his support to the Leiter family, which has already suffered the loss of one son in the war.

“Together with the entire people of Israel, I pray for the recovery of a hero of Israel, Neria Dov ben Chana, the heroic soldier who was wounded today in the terrorist attack at the checkpoint. I send a huge embrace to Neria’s father, Israel’s Ambassador to the US, dear Yechiel, to his mother Chana, and to the entire Leiter family, who have paid a terrible price in blood in this war.

“Dear Leiter family, the people of Israel are with you and behind you. We are all praying for good news, with God’s help.”

Several months before Wednesday’s attack, Neria himself wrote publicly about the difficult decision to return to reserve duty after the death of his brother. In a Facebook post, he described wrestling with what his own responsibility should be while fellow reservists continued returning to combat.

“Amid all the noise, I came to understand again that the real question isn’t what everyone needs to do – but what I need to do. What is within my control. Whether I am part of it or not. Whether I get on the train or watch it go by.”

Neria acknowledged that returning to the IDF after losing Moshe was an emotionally painful decision, but said he could not remain home while his friends repeatedly reported for additional rounds of reserve service.

“As a bereaved brother, after my brother Moshe, may God avenge his blood, was killed in the war, the decision to go back to reserve duty was not simple at all. Something in the heart truly tears. But I couldn’t stand on the sidelines while my friends did another round and then another round. Internally, I didn’t really have the option of staying home.

“And the truth? Despite all the difficulty, I feel an enormous privilege. The privilege of being part of these historic moments. The privilege of being with people who give of themselves without calculating too much. The privilege of being part of a group of people who are so different from one another in ordinary life – but when they’re needed, everyone simply shows up.”

Reflecting on the transformation of ordinary civilians into soldiers when they are called to duty, Neria wrote:

“It amazes me every time how a group of civilians can, in a single moment, turn into soldiers. Without complaints, without keeping score, in the best atmosphere possible, with jokes that only we understand.

“In the end, despite all the difficulty, exhaustion and the price – it is an enormous privilege to be part of the generation that is living through this period and not merely reading about it afterward. A privilege to be part of a legendary group of good people. A privilege to be in this company and on this team. A privilege to defend our home.”

In a significant development, Salbdoak rosh yeshiva Rav Moshe Hillel Hirsch has issued a rare and strongly worded letter of support for Rav Eliyahu Meir Feivelson, condemning what he described as “violent persecution” carried out under the guise of “false zealotry.”

The letter came after Rav Feivelson wrote directly to Rav Hirsch addressing controversial excerpts that had been circulated from one of his past shiurim concerning the relationship between the Written Torah and the Oral Torah.

Rav Hirsch’s decision to issue the letter followed considerable thought and discussion before he ultimately decided to make his position clear.

In his response, Rav Hirsch sharply protested the campaign against Rav Feivelson, declaring that such conduct is contrary to the Torah and causes a desecration of Hashem’s name. He also offered Rav Feivelson encouragement to continue teaching Torah to his talmidim and bringing them closer to Hashem.

In the letter that preceded Rav Hirsch’s response, Rav Feivelson explained the context of the shiur from which the disputed excerpts had been taken. He maintained that the quotations had been deliberately distorted and emphasized that the shiur had originally been delivered to baalei teshuvah struggling with questions of faith in Chazal and the Oral Torah.

Rav Feivelson wrote: “To the esteemed Maran shlita: Regarding the quotations that were collected from a shiur of mine concerning the relationship between the Written Torah and the Oral Torah, aside from the responses that I have already written before the esteemed Rav, which demonstrate that the quotations were taken maliciously and with the intention of distorting them, I have an additional point to add. The aforementioned shiur was delivered before baalei teshuvah in order to establish firmly in their hearts belief in Chazal and the Oral Torah. Today, when our bais medrash consists primarily of those who were raised from childhood with emunah and observance of mitzvos, I do not deal with these subjects, and I also removed those shiurim from Kol Halashon years ago.”

Rav Hirsch subsequently responded to Rav Feivelson with a letter of his own: “Greetings. I heard with pain about the violent persecution against the esteemed Rav under the guise of false zealotry. Aside from the fact that this is not the way of Torah, it also causes a chillul Hashem, rachmana litzlan. May it be Hashem’s will that you be able to immerse yourself in Torah and avodah in peace and tranquility, and continue teaching Torah and wisdom to your talmidim, bringing them closer to their Father in Heaven.”

The letter represents an unusually direct public intervention by Rav Hirsch in the controversy surrounding Rav Feivelson and the criticism directed against his teachings.

The exchange also comes shortly after Rav Feivelson suffered a devastating personal tragedy with the sudden passing of his daughter. During the shivah, Rav Hirsch sent his son, Rav Aharon Hirsch, to be menachem avel, and Rav Hirsch also personally offered nechamah to Rav Feivelson by telephone.

{Matzav.com}

The Trump administration is defending its decision to revoke White House access for CNN, MS NOW and Politico, telling a federal court that the three news organizations published sensitive or classified information that threatened national security and failed to meet professional journalistic standards. The outlets have sued to regain their credentials, arguing that they were punished because of reporting President Donald Trump disliked.

The administration laid out its arguments in a court filing Tuesday responding to the lawsuit filed by the three organizations and individual reporters who lost their White House access. The case raises First and Fifth Amendment questions over the government’s authority to restrict journalists from White House grounds.

“Access to the White House is a privilege, not a right,” the administration argued in the filing.

Government attorneys said the restrictions were lawful and maintained that the outlets had failed to satisfy appropriate journalistic standards by “trafficking in verifiable falsehoods” and disclosing sensitive or classified material that the administration says endangered national security.

As part of its filing, the administration submitted letters that the White House press office sent to the three organizations explaining its objections to specific reporting.

Among the coverage cited by the White House were stories concerning American munitions stockpiles, the war with Iran and construction at the White House. The administration specifically pointed to CNN reporting about a secure underground facility beneath the East Wing and a Politico report examining whether the Iran war had left the United States vulnerable.

Federal law generally does not prohibit news organizations from publishing classified information that journalists lawfully acquire, an issue that could factor into the legal dispute over the administration’s justification for the restrictions.

President Trump announced the ban last Friday, accusing the three organizations of publishing “fake news” and criticizing their coverage.

The following day, journalists representing CNN, MS NOW and Politico were prevented from entering White House grounds. Their credentials were either deactivated or taken from them.

The three organizations responded by jointly filing suit in federal court and requesting emergency intervention to restore their access while the case proceeds.

The defendants named in the lawsuit include Trump, White House Chief of Staff Susie Wiles, White House Communications Director Steven Cheung and Secret Service Director Sean Curran, each in their official capacities.

The plaintiffs also include three individual journalists: MS NOW’s Akayla Gardner, CNN’s Betsy Klein and Politico’s Cheyenne Haslett.

The lawsuit contends that the administration violated the First Amendment’s protections for freedom of speech and the press, as well as Fifth Amendment due-process protections. The administration disputes those claims and argues that it has the authority to establish standards governing White House access.

In a joint statement, the three organizations said their credentials were revoked “because it objected to our reporting,” adding that “left unchallenged, this threatens press freedom and the public’s right to independent journalism free from government interference.”

The controversy also prompted action from other news organizations. Major television networks temporarily suspended pooled video coverage of presidential events, while several other outlets withheld some photographic coverage in solidarity with the banned organizations.

Trump has defended the restrictions on Truth Social, rejecting accusations that the move constitutes an attack on press freedom and describing the media as “corrupt, purposeful, pervasive, fully coordinated, and totally out of control.”

The dispute is now before U.S. District Judge Timothy Kelly. At a hearing Wednesday, Kelly indicated that the White House’s actions may conflict with existing federal appellate precedent, but he did not immediately rule on the outlets’ request to have their access restored.

[Videos below.] Argentine President Javier Milei received an enthusiastic welcome at Yeshiva Darchei Torah in Far Rockaway on Tuesday, where the outspoken supporter of Israel and the Jewish people addressed talmidim, received the yeshiva’s Ohev Yisrael Award and joined bochurim in spirited dancing to “Am Yisrael Chai.”

The unusual presidential visit came as Milei was in New York for the 81st session of the United Nations General Assembly. It marked his first major engagement with the Jewish community during the trip and came one day after Yom Kippur.

Milei arrived at the Far Rockaway campus amid extensive security and was greeted by yeshiva officials and members of the school community. Yeshiva Darchei Torah had notified parents in advance that the Argentine president would be visiting and that security requirements would result in changes to dismissal procedures and schedules.

During the program, Milei was presented with the Ohev Yisrael Award in recognition of his public support for the Jewish people and Israel. The Argentine president’s office formally confirmed the presentation, saying that Milei delivered an address at Yeshiva Darchei Torah as part of his official New York visit.

Milei began his remarks by apologizing for arriving late and expressing appreciation for the honor.

“I don’t know if I deserve it,” Milei said, according to an English translation of his Spanish remarks. “First of all, I want to apologize for arriving late, but as you know, I am dealing with the obligations of my current job, and I apologize for being late.”

He then thanked the leadership of Darchei Torah, saying that receiving an award from “such a prestigious institution” filled him with pride.

Milei focused specifically on the meaning of the Ohev Yisrael Award, saying he viewed the honor as carrying an obligation rather than merely recognizing his past record.

“It is a great honor for me to receive this recognition because of what it means,” Milei said. He noted that the award recognized his support for the Jewish people during what he described as an especially difficult period, and said he regarded being an “Ohev Yisrael” as connected to pursuing truth and demonstrating love for the Jewish people.

“I am going to take this recognition not as praise, but as a commitment that I will not abandon until the last day of my life,” he said.

Much of Milei’s lengthy address went beyond Israel and antisemitism, as the libertarian president presented his own interpretation of the Torah’s teachings on freedom, work, private property and economic life.

Milei discussed Bereishis and the creation of Adam Harishon, arguing that work was part of mankind’s purpose even before Adam’s sin. He went on to connect the Aseres Hadibros with the principles underlying his free-market philosophy, particularly the prohibitions against murder, theft, false testimony and coveting another person’s possessions.

He cited the opening of the Aseres Hadibros — Hashem’s declaration that He had taken the Jewish people out of Mitzrayim — as what Milei described as a declaration of human freedom.

“The Ten Commandments begin with the declaration of freedom,” Milei said in the translated remarks. “God does not choose to begin with a prohibition, but rather begins with an act of liberation.”

Milei then linked “You shall not murder” to the protection of human life and “You shall not steal” to the protection of private property, using the Torah passages to elaborate on the economic and political philosophy that has become a hallmark of his presidency.

The president also repeatedly spoke about the Torah and Jewish religious teachings, at one point referring to the idea of bringing holiness into the physical world and citing pesukim from the Torah concerning the material blessings that follow observance of Hashem’s commandments. His address also drew connections between religious morality, economic freedom and prosperity.

The atmosphere took a decidedly more festive turn as Milei prepared to leave.

Video from the visit showed the Argentine president surrounded by singing and dancing bochurim, with Milei joining the celebration as “Am Yisrael Chai” rang through the room. Footage of the scene quickly circulated on social media and Jewish news outlets.

Milei has made his relationship with Israel and the Jewish community an unusually visible part of his presidency. Since taking office, he has repeatedly expressed support for Israel and has cultivated relationships with rabbonim and Jewish communal figures both in Argentina and abroad. His government has also emphasized strengthening Argentina’s relationship with Israel.

The Darchei Torah appearance was part of a packed New York itinerary for Milei surrounding the United Nations gathering. His schedule included a meeting with U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio, meetings with business and academic figures and an address to the U.N. General Assembly.

For Yeshiva Darchei Torah, the visit brought a sitting foreign head of state directly into the Far Rockaway yeshiva community — and ended with an image that quickly spread well beyond the school’s walls: the president of Argentina dancing alongside yeshiva bochurim to “Am Yisrael Chai.”

{Matzav.com}

Republican Bruce Blakeman has moved to within nine percentage points of Democratic Gov. Kathy Hochul in the race for New York governor, according to a new Siena University poll of likely voters released Wednesday, with six weeks remaining before the Nov. 3 election.

The survey puts Hochul at 50% and Blakeman at 41%, compared with a 49%-39% margin in Siena’s August poll. The results show a considerably smaller gap than Siena measured at roughly the same stage of the 2022 governor’s race.

“At this time four years ago, Hochul led Lee Zeldin by 17 points, 54%-37%, before going on to win by six points,” said Siena pollster Steven Greenberg.

Blakeman has gained one percentage point since last month’s Siena survey, while Hochul has also gained one point. The latest results leave the Republican with ground to make up as the campaign enters its final stretch.

Hochul’s personal and job-performance numbers remain closely divided. The Siena poll found that 48% of likely voters view her favorably, while 46% view her unfavorably. Her job approval rating stands at 48%, with 47% disapproving.

Blakeman continues to be less familiar to many voters. His favorability rating is 35%, while 34% view him unfavorably, leaving nearly one-third of likely voters without a favorable or unfavorable opinion of the Nassau County executive.

The survey also found substantial dissatisfaction with the direction of both New York and the country. Just 38% said New York is on the right track, compared with 49% who believe the state is headed in the wrong direction. Nationally, 28% said the United States is moving in the right direction, while 66% said it is headed the wrong way.

“With six weeks until election day, voters offer good news to both Hochul and Blakeman. She now has the support of 50% of voters and saw her favorability and job approval ratings edge into positive territory. He now trails by single digits — well, nine points — in a state where Democrats outnumber Republicans by more than two-to-one,” Greenberg said.

The poll found Hochul with modest advantages when voters were asked which candidate would better handle several major issues.

On affordability, 49% chose Hochul as better equipped to make prices more affordable, compared with 40% who selected Blakeman. On public safety, Hochul held a 49%-43% advantage, while voters preferred her by 47%-43% when asked about addressing undocumented immigrants living in New York.

The poll also examined how endorsements from President Trump and New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani are being received by likely voters.

“About half of likely voters think Trump endorsing Blakeman is a negative for Blakeman’s campaign, including 69% of Democrats, 49% of independents and 24% of Republicans,” Greenberg said. “On the other side, half of voters think Mamdani’s endorsement of Hochul will be a positive for her campaign, including 72% of Democrats, 40% of independents, a plurality, and 22% of Republicans.”

Overall, 51% said President Trump’s endorsement would have a negative effect on Blakeman’s campaign, while 30% viewed it positively. Mamdani’s endorsement of Hochul was viewed as positive by 50% and negative by 30%. Those figures reflect voters’ perceptions of the endorsements rather than a measurement of their actual effect on voting behavior.

The two campaigns have sought to capitalize on those political associations. Hochul has spent heavily on advertising linking Blakeman to President Trump, while Blakeman and Republicans have sought to connect Hochul with Mamdani.

The Siena survey also asked likely voters who they expect to prevail in November. While 50% currently support Hochul, 66% said they expect her to win, including 37% of Republicans. That finding measures voter expectations and is not a forecast of the election result.

Geographically, Hochul’s largest advantage comes from New York City, where she leads Blakeman 61%-27%. The race is much closer elsewhere in the state. Hochul has a 48%-46% edge in the downstate suburbs, while Blakeman leads 47%-44% among upstate voters.

Those numbers underscore the different regional coalitions behind the two candidates. Blakeman, who serves as Nassau County executive, is competitive in the suburban and upstate portions of the electorate, while Hochul’s New York City support accounts for a substantial portion of her statewide advantage.

Other polls released by Republican-aligned groups have reported smaller margins. A Blakeman campaign poll released earlier this month put Hochul ahead 50%-46%, while a survey conducted for the pro-Blakeman Strong and Safe Super PAC had Hochul leading 47%-43%. Another survey from co/efficient for the pro-Blakeman Coalition to Protect Nassau Taxpayers showed Hochul ahead 47%-41%. Those surveys were commissioned by organizations supporting Blakeman and therefore differ from the independently conducted Siena poll.

Siena conducted its latest survey from Sept. 11 through Sept. 17 among 1,144 likely New York voters, using live landline and cellphone interviews as well as text-to-web responses. The portion of the survey involving the core questions has an overall margin of error of plus or minus 3.9 percentage points.

An unusual scene unfolded at Yeshivas Ateres Shlomo on Motzoei Yom Kippur, as Rosh Yeshiva Rav Sholom Ber Sorotzkin led the yeshiva’s bochurim in spirited dancing to well-known Breslover songs, just days after returning from his first-ever Rosh Hashanah visit to Uman.

The sight of a prominent Litvishe Rosh Yeshiva enthusiastically singing melodies closely associated with Breslov and Uman drew considerable attention, particularly because traveling to Uman for Rosh Hashanah has traditionally been uncommon — and often strongly discouraged — within the mainstream Litvishe yeshiva world.

Rav Sorotzkin’s trip to Uman itself turned out differently from what had initially been expected. Before his departure, people close to the Rosh Yeshiva indicated that he intended to daven privately in his apartment with a small minyan. Once in Uman, however, Rav Sorotzkin became deeply involved in the atmosphere surrounding the Rosh Hashanah tefillos.

On the first night of Rosh Hashanah, Rav Sorotzkin davened with the large minyan in the main Breslover kloiz. During the day, he participated in the well-known minyan organized by philanthropist Louis Scheiner, which begins at 6 a.m.

Two major minyanim are held each year in Scheiner’s enormous tent in Uman. The first traditionally runs from approximately 6 a.m. until 10 a.m., while the second begins at around 10 a.m. and continues until approximately 4 p.m.

For years, the later minyan was considered the larger and more prominent of the two. In recent years, however, that dynamic has changed. Tzvika Berg, the longtime gabbai of the second minyan who helped lead it together with singers Beri Weber and Yoely Lebowitz, has moved to the earlier minyan. This year, the early minyan became the larger and more central gathering, while attendance at the later minyan was reportedly considerably smaller.

Rav Sorotzkin chose to participate in the first minyan, where the tefillos ultimately continued until 11:15 a.m., more than an hour beyond their usual conclusion.

A special VIP area had been established at the minyan to serve as a mizrach for prominent guests, complete with designated seating. Rav Sorotzkin, however, left the confines of that section and began energizing the crowd during “Atah Vechartanu” and “Uvechein Tzaddikim.” Hundreds of mispallelim joined in extended singing that continued for several minutes.

The enthusiasm Rav Sorotzkin displayed in Uman apparently followed him back to the yeshiva.

During the dancing at Ateres Shlomo on Motzoei Yom Kippur, the bochurim began singing the familiar Breslover song based on Rav Nachman of Breslov’s teaching, “Rabbeinu shouted in a loud voice: There is no despair in the world at all.”

The musicians then moved into “Mi Yitein Li Eiver Kayonah, Aufah Tzion Hakadosh Umanah,” a song that for years has been closely identified with those traveling to Uman for Rosh Hashanah.

Rav Sorotzkin did more than join the dancing. The Rosh Yeshiva took the microphone himself and sang the words, encouraging the bochurim as the dancing continued.

The scenes have attracted particular attention because of the longstanding attitude toward Uman within much of the Litvishe yeshiva world. In many yeshivos, a bochur choosing to travel to Uman for Rosh Hashanah has traditionally faced serious consequences and, in some cases, expulsion from the yeshiva.

Rav Sorotzkin’s decision to make the trip himself — followed days later by his public participation in Breslover songs together with his talmidim — is therefore being viewed as an unusual development.

WATCH:

{Matzav.com}

By Rabbi Shraga Freedman

Noam Gil grew up in Kfar Saba in a secular home with virtually no exposure to Torah. Shabbos, tefillin, shul, and even Krias Shema were simply not part of his world.

But Noam had always wanted to make a difference.

A competitive tennis player who represented Israel at international championships, he was also known for organizing community initiatives.

One of his projects brought Jews and Arabs together, based on a simple belief: stereotypes disappear when people sit down, talk, and get to know one another.

Then a friend asked him a question that would change everything.

“You have no problem bringing Jews and Arabs together,” Tzvika said. “Why not bring religious and secular Jews together too?”

Noam laughed.

“I don’t know any chareidim. I’ve never really met one. I wouldn’t even know where to find them.”

The irony was striking. Noam had spent time bringing Jews and Arabs together, yet the chareidi community was more foreign to him than the Arab community.

Tzvika, who was involved with the Lev L’Achim Midrasha in Kfar Saba, knew exactly where to start.

He contacted Rabbi Kellerman and explained that Noam simply wanted to meet religious Jews and understand their world.

“Of course,” Rabbi Kellerman replied. “Bring him this Wednesday.”

No one could have imagined what would happen next.

Instead of leaving with plans for organizing dialogue between religious and secular Jews, he left with something entirely unexpected: a chavrusa.

One week became two. Two weeks became months.

Noam found himself drawn into Gemara, discovering a world he had never known existed.

His original project was put to the side. His encounter with Torah had become far more significant.

Eventually, Noam approached the rabbi learning with him.

“I want to learn halachah too,” he said. “If I’m studying Torah, I also want to know how to live it.”

And his journey accelerated.

Shabbos, once completely foreign to him, became a central part of his life.

Then came another milestone. Noam spent a substantial amount of his own money on a beautiful pair of mehudar tefillin.

Since then, he has put them on every day.

Even when he travels overseas to represent Israel at international tennis championships, his tefillin travel with him.

Noam thought he needed to build a bridge between religious and secular Jews.

But the real bridge was much simpler: a genuine exposure to Torah and its way of life.

No pressure. No arguments. No debates.

Just exposure.

(Shared by Lev L’achim)

As we prepare for Sukkos and purchase our daled minim, we are reminded of a powerful message about the honor of Hashem in the world: Kavod Shamayim is deeply connected to the unity of Klal Yisroel.

The Gemara in Menachos 27a teaches that of the four species of the lulav, two produce fruit and two do not produce fruit. Those that produce fruit need those that do not produce fruit, and those that do not produce fruit need those that produce fruit. A person does not fulfill his obligation with them until they are all bound together in one bundle.

So too, with Klal Yisroel: we are worthy of acceptance before Hashem only when we are all bound together as one. Rashi explains that this refers to the entire Jewish people coming together, the צדיקים ורשעים.

At a time when we are witnessing so much painful division within our own people, we have a special responsibility to strengthen the bonds between us through interactions of kiddush Hashem.

This is the message at the heart of the Living Kiddush Hashem Foundation’s latest film.

Through 3 powerful true stories the film challenges us to see Kiddush Hashem not as an abstract idea, but as a mission that plays out in every interaction and every setting.

May we be zocheh, through our efforts to increase Kavod Shamayim and strengthen the bonds of achdus among Klal Yisroel, to see the fulfillment of:

“וְהָיָה ה’ לְמֶלֶךְ עַל כָּל הָאָרֶץ.”

Watch the film now: https://livingkiddushhashem.org/

A priceless experience, at no cost.

The sicko is getting clicks.

Anti-Semitic YouTuber Tyler Oliveira has once again ignited controversy over his coverage of Orthodox Jews, releasing a nearly hour-long video targeting chareidi educational institutions in New York and alleging misuse of government funding, even as Oliveira himself acknowledges that the institutions and individuals featured in his video have not been charged with wrongdoing.

The sick video comes nearly four months after Oliveira was denied entry to Israel and sent back to the United States from Ben Gurion Airport, with Israeli authorities accusing him at the time of producing content that crossed the line from legitimate criticism into antisemitic incitement.

Oliveira, 26, released the 55-minute video on Sunday, just hours before Yom Kippur. He gave it the provocative title, “I Exposed a Jewish Fraud Network Stealing From Poor Kids.” Within less than two days, the video had accumulated approximately 6.3 million views on X and another 2.3 million on YouTube. Combined with its circulation on other platforms, its total audience is approaching 10 million views.

The video begins in New Square, the Skverer Chassidic village in Rockland County, New York, where a large crowd gathers around Oliveira as he films.

Oliveira tells viewers that approximately 200 people are behind him and suggests that they might attack him. As he walks through the crowd, he compares the scene to the splitting of the Red Sea, saying that “instead of a sea, there are Jews.”

No physical assault is shown in the footage. The video nevertheless presents the encounter as highly confrontational, showing local residents recording Oliveira, representatives of local institutions demanding that he leave and police eventually being called to the scene.

According to a report by Ynet, Oliveira’s central allegations concern the federal E-Rate program, which subsidizes internet and telecommunications services for eligible schools and libraries. His report draws upon previous criminal cases involving individuals associated with Orthodox institutions and examines 10 companies that provide services to Jewish schools.

Oliveira raises questions about the prices charged by those companies and instances in which contracts allegedly attracted only a single bidder, presenting those circumstances as evidence warranting further scrutiny.

However, Oliveira includes an important qualification in the description accompanying the video. Aside from several previous cases that resulted in criminal convictions, he acknowledges that none of the organizations or individuals featured in his current report have been prosecuted and that no government authority has determined that their activities are illegal.

Critics said the gap between those acknowledged facts and the video’s sweeping “fraud network” title helped fuel an outpouring of antisemitic responses online. Comments circulating alongside the video included references to a supposed Jewish “mafia” and conspiracy theories regarding Jewish institutions and government funding.

The timing of the release also drew criticism. Because Oliveira posted the video shortly before Yom Kippur, large numbers of Orthodox Jews were offline for the fast and unable to respond during many of the hours in which the video was spreading rapidly across social media.

Oliveira originally built his online following through challenge and entertainment videos before increasingly moving into provocative on-the-ground reports involving minority communities and other contentious subjects. His style has repeatedly generated controversy, and his Patreon account was previously suspended over content posted on the platform.

At the same time, Oliveira has received support from prominent right-wing figures, including Tucker Carlson, as well as far-right activist Nick Fuentes.

The controversy follows Oliveira’s attempt to enter Israel in May, when Israeli authorities prevented him from entering the country at Ben Gurion Airport and sent him back to the United States. Israel’s Ministry of Diaspora Affairs, headed by Minister Amichai Chikli, said at the time that Oliveira’s activity went beyond legitimate criticism and amounted to serious antisemitic incitement.

Israeli officials have reiterated that assessment in connection with his more recent activity.

Oliveira, meanwhile, is now calling on American authorities to halt remaining government payments to the institutions he discusses. His video has already reached millions of viewers, while the allegations — despite the certainty expressed by many commenters online — have not resulted in findings by authorities that the institutions and individuals featured in the report committed the wrongdoing alleged in the video.

{Matzav.com}

Degel HaTorah’s new political lineup gathered Tuesday for its first election strategy meeting without veteran MKs Moshe Gafni and Uri Maklev, with MK Yaakov Asher conspicuously seated at the head of the table as the party moves ahead with its new leadership ahead of the upcoming Knesset elections.

The gathering offered a striking visual of the dramatic changing of the guard within Degel HaTorah. Gafni and Maklev, who for decades were among the most prominent faces of the Litvishe political party, have been removed from the party’s Knesset slate. Asher is expected to replace Gafni as Degel HaTorah’s senior political representative and head the joint United Torah Judaism slate.

The meeting came one week after a broader gathering in which the incoming candidates sat together with Gafni and Maklev as the party sought to demonstrate unity following the upheaval surrounding the veteran lawmakers’ departure.

In an official statement released by Degel HaTorah, the party said: “Ahead of the opening of the election campaign, Degel HaTorah’s Knesset candidates convened this afternoon.”

The statement added: “The candidates gathered for a working and preparation meeting ahead of the launch of the election campaign, during which the central messages, working arrangements and planned activities for the coming weeks were discussed.”

Tuesday’s meeting included Asher and fellow incumbent MK Yitzchok Pindrus, along with incoming candidates Moshe Rosenthal, Yehuda Weissfish, Dudi Zaltz and Dovid Ochana. Former MK Eliyahu Baruchi was also present despite being placed in a position on the slate that is considered unlikely to result in a Knesset seat.

The gathering underscored just how quickly Degel HaTorah’s internal hierarchy has changed. Earlier this month, the party’s rabbinic leadership informed Gafni and Maklev that they would not be candidates in the October 27 election, bringing their lengthy Knesset careers to an end. Gafni has served in the Knesset for nearly four decades, while Maklev has been an MK since 2008.

Last week, only days after the shakeup, Degel HaTorah held an initial election preparation meeting in Bnei Brak bringing together the outgoing veteran representatives and the candidates who will replace them. The gathering was viewed as an effort to move beyond the turmoil surrounding the changes and begin preparing the party machinery for the election.

In the party’s announcement following that meeting, the incoming candidates were listed first: Asher, Pindrus, Rosenthal, Weissfish, Zaltz, Ochana and Baruchi.

The announcement then named Gafni and Maklev among the veteran party figures who participated, together with Yitzchok Reich, Degel HaTorah municipal department director Menachem Shapira and party director Moshe Schiffman.

Participants at last week’s meeting discussed preparations for the 26th Knesset election and strategies for mobilizing the chareidi electorate behind the joint United Torah Judaism slate, which brings together Degel HaTorah, Agudas Yisrael and the new faction associated with MK Meir Porush. The factions have also agreed to operate their principal election campaign through a unified headquarters rather than running largely separate campaigns.

A source who attended last week’s gathering said that the meeting lasted more than an hour and that Gafni and Maklev cooperated fully with the incoming representatives despite having been removed from the Knesset slate.

Tuesday’s gathering, however, presented the next stage of the transition: Gafni and Maklev were no longer at the table, and Asher was seated unmistakably at its head. For a party whose parliamentary leadership remained largely unchanged for decades, the photograph released from the meeting offered the clearest indication yet that Degel HaTorah has entered a new political era.

{Matzav.com}

Sen. Ted Cruz is pushing back against a growing strain of economic populism within the Republican Party, arguing that the GOP should focus on creating jobs and helping working Americans rather than competing with Democrats by promising government-funded giveaways.

“I consider myself very much a populist,” Cruz said Tuesday on Fox News’s “The Will Cain Show,” claiming “the base that has elected me every time has been blue-collar workers.”

Cruz said Republicans can embrace populist politics without adopting the type of government spending programs long associated with Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.).

“Here’s the difference: the way to be a populist is not get in the [Sen.] Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) game of giving away free stuff,” the Texas senator told host Will Cain. “The way to be a populist is fight for the jobs of working men and women, fight for small businesses.”

His comments come after President Trump proposed earlier this month that every American adult receive a $5,000 dividend if Republicans retain control of Congress in November. Several Republican lawmakers have criticized the proposal, pointing to its potential cost at a time when the national debt has climbed above $40 trillion.

Sen. Bernie Moreno (R-Ohio), however, has embraced Trump’s proposal and said he intends to prepare legislation authorizing the payments if Republicans maintain control of both the House and Senate. Providing $5,000 to roughly 270 million American adults would carry a total price tag exceeding $1 trillion.

Cruz’s remarks came as he also criticized the success of democratic socialist candidates in a number of Democratic primaries around the country, arguing that Republicans should not respond by moving toward similar economic policies.

“There are two answers to ‘right-wing socialism’: no, and … no,” Cruz wrote on social platform X, arguing that socialism “has been a train wreck” everywhere it has been implemented.

Cruz said he believes some voices within President Trump’s political movement are encouraging Republicans to adopt a less expansive version of policies traditionally associated with the political left.

“There are misguided voices in MAGA saying, ‘Let’s embrace socialism lite,’” the former presidential candidate told Cain. “You know what? If we campaign and say, ‘We’ll be just like the Democrats except not as a generous Santa Claus,’ that’s a path to losing.”

The Trump administration plans to cap refugee admissions at 17,500 for fiscal year 2027, maintaining a dramatically lower ceiling than the 125,000-person target established during the Biden administration and reserving most of the available slots for Afrikaners from South Africa. The new fiscal year begins in October.

The State Department disclosed the plan in a notice provided to Congress on Tuesday. According to the notice, admissions will “primarily be Afrikaners from South Africa,” referring to the predominantly white, Afrikaans-speaking population descended largely from Dutch and other European settlers.

The 125,000 ceiling had been established under President Joe Biden for fiscal 2025. By comparison, the lowest annual ceiling during President Trump’s first term was 15,000, set for fiscal 2021. The refugee ceiling is a maximum number authorized for admission rather than a guarantee that the full number will ultimately enter the country.

For fiscal 2026, the Trump administration initially established a ceiling of 7,500 before expanding the number of available admissions to 17,500 amid its effort to resettle Afrikaners. The newly disclosed plan would keep that overall level in place for fiscal 2027.

In its congressional notice, the administration laid out its justification for prioritizing Afrikaner applicants, alleging that they have faced discriminatory government policies, threats to property rights and racially charged rhetoric in South Africa.

“Afrikaners face the seizure of agricultural property without compensation; government policies designed to dismantle equal opportunity in employment, education, and business; and hateful rhetoric fueling disproportionate violence against racially disfavored minorities,” the State Department said in its notice to Congress.

The administration also said it expects Afrikaner refugees admitted through the program to integrate into American society without placing significant demands on taxpayer-funded services.

“The United States anticipates that Afrikaners from South Africa will fully assimilate into the United States in a manner that preserves taxpayer resources for U.S. citizens and does not anticipate other countries resettling Afrikaners,” the notice stated.

The federal government projects that the Afrikaner resettlement initiative will cost approximately $500 million.

Refugees admitted through the US Refugee Admissions Program undergo overseas processing before being resettled in American communities. Once admitted, refugees are legally authorized to live and work in the United States and can qualify for specified federal resettlement assistance and other benefits, depending on eligibility.

The Trump administration has sharply restricted refugee admissions from many other parts of the world while making Afrikaners a priority. CBS News reported that the administration has effectively suspended much of the broader refugee resettlement program while admitting thousands of Afrikaners during the past year and a half.

Refugee-resettlement organizations have criticized the policy. Naomi Steinberg of HIAS accused the administration of “diminishing and distorting” the refugee program’s four-decade history in pursuit of political priorities.

The administration, meanwhile, has expanded its pressure campaign against South Africa over what Washington says are discriminatory policies. The State Department recently imposed visa restrictions targeting South African officials, while South Africa’s government has rejected US allegations that Afrikaners are systematically persecuted.

South African Foreign Minister Ronald Lamola has argued that Washington’s approach reflects a distorted account promoted by fringe groups, while President Cyril Ramaphosa’s government maintains that its policies are intended to address the lasting effects of centuries of racial inequality.

US officials have indicated that additional measures could follow. Ambassador Brent Bozell has described the visa restrictions as an initial step rather than the conclusion of the administration’s response.

[COMMUNICATED]

Erev Rosh Hashanah 5787

As we stand on the cusp of a new year, we look back with profound gratitude to Hakadosh Baruch Hu—and to His emissaries, our partners and supporters— for another year of extraordinary growth, accomplishment, and kavod haTorah in the Kollelim Shas Yidden. 

134 Gaonim. One Shas.

This past year once again brought the remarkable sight that has become synonymous with Shas Yidden: 134 avreichim geonim gathering together for a public farher on Kol HaShas Kulo—the entire Shas.

The farher, held at Yeshiva Ohr Hachaim in Yerushalayim, took place alongside a siyum on Shas by each of the participating avreichim. Gedolei Torah “strolled” through Shas with question after question, and the answers came with astonishing speed, clarity, and precision.

Questions ranged across the entire Shas, touching on the Chachmei Yisrael and the Tzedokim, darkei shalom, dreams mentioned throughout Shas, forgotten Torah that Abaye reminded Rav Yosef of, and countless other topics. The rapid-fire responses demonstrated not merely knowledge, but a remarkable bekius, depth, and command of the vast expanses of Torah.

“I Have Never Seen Talmidei Chachomim Such as These”

Hagaon Rav Reuven Elbaz, Rosh Yeshivas Ohr Hachaim, was visibly moved by the scene. Seeing 132 true gaonim together, he remarked that he was nearly convinced that the berachah of “Baruch Shecholak Meichachmaso Lirei’av” should be recited.

Hagaon Rav Menachem Cohen, Rosh Yeshivas Nesiv Hada’as, testified that despite having spent years among the greatest batei midrash and alongside outstanding talmidei chachomim, he had “never seen Talmidei Chachomim such as these.”

A Torah Revolution Across the World

Today, seven Kollelim Shas Yidden—in Yerushalayim, Bnei Brak, Beit Shemesh, Beitar, Kiryat Sefer, London, and Flatbush—are cultivating a generation of lomdei Shas whose accomplishments are inspiring the entire Torah world.

In Flatbush alone, the Kollel continues its demanding daily regimen of nine blatt of Gemara, studied five times each together with Rashi and Tosfos, in addition to Yerushalmi, monthly written examinations, and rigorous farheren.

The impact reaches far beyond the Kollelim. Those who witness these farheren are inspired to take on new shiurim, deepen their own limud haTorah, and raise their aspirations for what can be accomplished through unwavering dedication to Torah.

As we enter the new year, we extend our deepest hakaras hatov to each and every supporter who makes this Torah empire possible.

May the zechus of supporting such unparalleled yegias haTorah and Torah mastery stand by you and your families for a year of brachah, hatzlachah, yeshuos, and kol tuv—a year in which all your tefillos are accepted b’rachamim u’v’ratzon, and you are blessed with birkas Hashem b’ruchniyus u’v’gashmiyus.

                                                 Kesivah v’chasimah tovah,

A Gut Gebentsht Yor,
and with heartfelt gratitude,
Kollel Shas Yidden

ShasYiden.com