For three unforgettable days, the streets of France were filled with emotion, reverence, and song as Rav Moshe Hillel Hirsch, rosh yeshivas Slabodka, visited the country on a rare and historic mission of chizuk. From Paris to Rancy, thousands came out to greet him, lining the streets with flags, music, and tears of awe and joy.
The visit, which took place this week, was joined by Rav Simcha Shmuel Zaks, one of the senior roshei yeshiva of Slabodka.
Everywhere Rav Hirsch went, he was received with honor and enthusiasm. Children waved specially designed banners, bnei Torah filled the streets, and community leaders expressed profound excitement at welcoming a figure of such stature.
Organizers of the visit noted that preparations had been underway for weeks. “In the Talmudei Torah and schools, children were taught about the meaning of honoring Torah and how to greet a gadol b’Yisrael,” one committee member said. “Many of the rabbanim arranged private meetings with the Rosh Yeshiva to seek his daas Torah and guidance on communal issues.”
French police provided extensive security arrangements to ensure the smooth and safe conduct of the events. At one point, during national celebrations marking the end of World War I on November 11, major Parisian arteries—including the Arc de Triomphe and the Champs-Élysées—were closed to traffic. Yet, in a remarkable gesture of respect, French authorities opened the closed roads exclusively for Rav Hirsch’s motorcade.
Upon landing in France, the Rosh Yeshiva was greeted at the airport by prominent rabbanim, community leaders, and his talmidim. He then traveled under heavy police escort to his host, philanthropist R’ Joachim Cohen.
That evening, Rav Hirsch delivered the keynote address at a massive event marking the 80th anniversary of Yeshivas Aix-les-Bains. He spoke passionately about the obligation to raise boys to attend yeshivos kodesh and warned of the dangers of introducing secular studies. His words reverberated across the French Jewish community and became the central topic of discussion in batei midrash throughout the country. Later that night, a private dinner benefitting Yeshivas Slabodka was hosted by R’ Joachim Cohen.
The next morning, Rav Hirsch traveled to the Torah Center of Rancy, led by Rav Yitzchak Toledano. He was received in a moving kabbalas panim procession with Sifrei Torah and accompanied by hundreds of community members. He addressed parents about instilling Torah values in their children and later spoke to yeshiva ketana students about the love of Torah and how to attain it. During a special session with the melamdim, the Rosh Yeshiva fielded questions on chinuch and hashkafah, offering hour-long insights shaped by decades of leadership. A touching moment came when a young child presented him with a sealed envelope filled with personal kabbalos tovos—commitments to growth—from the local children in honor of his visit.
Rav Hirsch then attended a private dinner at the home of R’ Dov Kuriel in Rancy before heading to the main event of the day at the Yad Mordechai community in Paris, led by Rav Yitzchak Katz. Hundreds of children greeted him with song, and the Rosh Yeshiva blessed them warmly before addressing the avreichim and bochurim in the packed beis midrash, speaking about achieving closeness to Hashem. As he departed, hundreds followed him in joyous singing and dancing through the streets of Paris in a display of kavod haTorah that France had rarely seen.
Later that evening, he delivered a shmuess at Yeshivas Emes L’Yaakov, led by Rav Moshe Rotenberg, where he again inspired the bochurim to deepen their dedication to learning and avodas Hashem.
On Tuesday morning, Rav Hirsch davened Shacharis at the Baba Sali beis haknesses in Paris and offered brief words of chizuk after tefillah. His final stop was at the Union des Orthodoxes community, under the leadership of Rav Frankfurter and Rav Fedida, where once again the crowds filled the streets, singing and dancing in joy and reverence. From there, the Rosh Yeshiva departed for the airport, concluding a journey that left an indelible mark on the hearts of French Jewry, a visit they will indeed never forget.
{Matzav.com}
In a sweeping reversal of energy policy, the Trump administration announced Thursday that it is reopening millions of acres in Alaska’s Arctic region for oil and gas exploration—land that had been sealed off under President Biden’s restrictions.
A statement released by the administration confirmed the move, declaring that it had finalized a rule eliminating Biden’s 2024 order that blocked development across 13 million acres of the National Petroleum Reserve in Alaska. The official notice is set to be published in the Federal Register on Friday.
The National Petroleum Reserve—spanning roughly 23 million acres—was originally established in 1923 by President Harding as a backup fuel source for the U.S. Navy. Over the decades, it has become a political flashpoint, with Democrats arguing for environmental protection of its wilderness areas while Republicans have pushed for increased domestic production.
The Trump administration defended its decision as a necessary step toward revitalizing Alaska’s economy and fortifying the nation’s energy independence. “By rescinding the 2024 rule, we are following the direction set by President Trump to unlock Alaska’s energy potential, create jobs for North Slope communities and strengthen American energy security,” Interior Secretary Doug Burgum said in a written statement.
Thursday’s action marks the culmination of a process that began earlier this year when the administration first proposed rolling back the Biden-era rule. With this latest announcement, that proposal now becomes official policy—signaling a decisive shift back toward energy expansion in the Arctic.
{Matzav.com}
California officials have announced plans to invalidate 17,000 commercial driver’s licenses issued to immigrants, after state authorities admitted the expiration dates extended beyond the drivers’ legal residency in the United States. The decision marks a sharp reversal following months of federal criticism and renewed scrutiny over how states handle licensing for noncitizens.
The controversy reignited after a deadly Florida crash in August involving a tractor-trailer operator who was in the country illegally and made an illegal U-turn, killing three people. The case drew national attention and prompted the Trump administration to demand accountability from California and other states that allow undocumented residents to obtain commercial licenses.
Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy said the state’s move proves that California “acted improperly,” despite its earlier defense of its procedures. “After weeks of claiming they did nothing wrong, Gavin Newsom and California have been caught red-handed. Now that we’ve exposed their lies, 17,000 illegally issued trucking licenses are being revoked,” Duffy said. “This is just the tip of iceberg. My team will continue to force California to prove they have removed every illegal immigrant from behind the wheel of semitrucks and school buses.”
Governor Gavin Newsom’s office responded that all the affected drivers had valid federal work authorizations at the time their licenses were issued. While initially declining to explain the revocations, the governor’s office later said the affected licenses violated a California statute requiring that expiration dates align with the end of a person’s legal stay in the country.
Newsom’s spokesperson Brandon Richards fired back at Duffy over his public accusations. “Once again, the Sean ‘Road Rules’ Duffy fails to share the truth — spreading easily disproven falsehoods in a sad and desperate attempt to please his dear leader,” Richards said.
The issue of licensing immigrants gained added urgency following multiple fatal truck crashes in Texas, Alabama, and California involving drivers who were not authorized to be in the U.S. Those incidents have intensified scrutiny over who is permitted to operate commercial vehicles nationwide.
Earlier this fall, Duffy announced tighter national restrictions on noncitizen eligibility for commercial driver’s licenses, accusing six states of issuing them to ineligible applicants. California was the first to face sanctions after an audit was completed, while reviews in other states were delayed due to the federal shutdown.
As part of the enforcement push, Duffy revoked $40 million in federal transportation funds from California, arguing that the state had failed to enforce English proficiency rules for truck drivers. He warned Wednesday that another $160 million could be withheld if California fails to cancel every improperly issued license and bring its system into full compliance.
The new federal guidelines introduced in September now make it far more difficult for immigrants to obtain commercial licenses. Only holders of H-2A, H-2B, or E-2 visas—representing temporary agricultural, temporary nonagricultural, and investment workers—will qualify. States must verify immigration status through a federal database, and licenses will be valid for no more than a year or until the visa expires, whichever comes first.
Out of 200,000 noncitizen commercial drivers nationwide, only about 10,000 will still qualify under these new rules. The rest may keep their licenses only until they are due for renewal, as the restrictions are not retroactive.
The 17,000 California drivers affected by this week’s action were issued licenses before these new standards took effect. Each has been notified that their credentials will be invalid within 60 days.
Duffy said earlier audits revealed major irregularities—about a quarter of the 145 reviewed licenses in California should never have been approved, with some remaining active years after a driver’s work permit expired.
Newsom’s office maintains that the state acted according to guidance from the Department of Homeland Security when the licenses were first granted, insisting that California followed federal recommendations in good faith.
{Matzav.com}
President Donald Trump announced that the lavish new $300 million White House ballroom will be funded “100% by me and some friends of mine,” highlighting a blend of personal generosity and support from influential allies.
The White House disclosed the names of 37 contributors, featuring an eclectic mix of donors — from cryptocurrency tycoons and major corporations to charitable foundations, financiers, and sports team owners. The roster also included familiar figures in Palm Beach, Florida, where Trump resides.
Among those on the list were two major figures tied to Israel — longtime Trump supporter Miriam Adelson and Israeli-American businessman Isaac Perlmutter, both of whom have backed Trump and Republican causes for years.
Adelson, who controls the Adelson Family Foundation devoted to strengthening Israel and the Jewish people, has long been a close confidante of Trump. During his recent visit to Israel, Trump singled her out while addressing the Knesset, recalling her influence in his 2017 decision to recognize Jerusalem as Israel’s capital. He also noted that she and her late husband, Sheldon Adelson, were among the most frequent White House guests during his presidency.
“Look at her sitting there so innocently. She’s got $60 billion in the bank,” Trump quipped, referring to the billionaire philanthropist and majority owner of the Dallas Mavericks.
Isaac Perlmutter’s contribution was made through the Laura & Isaac Perlmutter Foundation, which operates out of Lake Worth Beach near Palm Beach. The foundation focuses on health care, social justice, and cultural projects. The Perlmutters, known for their philanthropy and ties to Trump, have previously donated to his campaigns and affiliated political committees. Perlmutter, the former chairman of Marvel Entertainment, has been a key supporter of Trump’s initiatives over the years.
The donor list featured some of the world’s largest tech companies, including Amazon, Apple, Google, and Microsoft — all of which contributed $1 million each to Trump’s inauguration. Top executives from these firms have recently met with Trump to discuss his push for domestic manufacturing and artificial intelligence development. Palantir Technologies, co-founded by Peter Thiel, was also among the contributors, a company that has long benefited from lucrative federal contracts.
Crypto firms like Coinbase, Ripple, and Tether also made appearances on the list, reflecting the industry’s growing alliance with Trump as his administration works to relax digital asset regulations and integrate cryptocurrency leaders into advisory roles.
Donations also came from heavyweights in other sectors: defense contractors Lockheed Martin and Booz Allen Hamilton; industrial giant Caterpillar; energy company NextEra Energy; and Union Pacific, whose massive $85 billion merger with Norfolk Southern has Trump’s support. Individual donors included Blackstone’s Stephen Schwarzman, oil magnate Harold Hamm, and Tampa Bay Buccaneers co-owners Edward and Shari Glazer.
However, the White House acknowledged that the released list was incomplete. Some known contributors — such as Carrier Group, which pledged an HVAC system, and Nvidia, whose CEO Jensen Huang confirmed a donation — were not yet listed.
Officials have not revealed specific donation amounts, and most companies declined to discuss their contributions when contacted by the Associated Press. A senior White House official, speaking anonymously, said that the donor list has continued to expand since October but that several corporations prefer to remain unnamed until disclosure is legally mandated. The official added that no foreign entities or individuals are involved in the funding.
{Matzav.com}
For the first time in the city’s history, the flag of Palestine will be raised outside Toronto City Hall on November 17, following an official request from the International Centre of Justice for Palestinians (ICJP) to commemorate Palestine’s Independence Day, which falls on November 15.
Bashar Alshawwa, a Toronto-based Palestinian activist, described the occasion as a hopeful milestone. “It’s a symbolic move to raise the flag. But I believe this will encourage other parties and institutions, individuals inside Canada, to join the journey for human rights and equality and justice regarding the issue of Palestine,” he said.
According to Mayor Olivia Chow’s office, the event was approved through standard city procedures. Her press secretary, Braman Thillainathan, clarified that “City Council provided city staff the authority to manage the public flagpole booking process based on policy approved by council in 1999.” He emphasized that neither the mayor nor council voted on the request, which was handled administratively by the city’s protocol office.
City officials stressed that the act of flying a flag does not signal political endorsement. “The use of the City’s courtesy flagpole neither implies nor expresses support for the politics or policies of nations and/or organizations but raises the flag in recognition of those citizens or members that have made the request,” a spokesperson said in an emailed statement. They added that the city routinely raises national flags on recognized occasions, anniversaries, and commemorative days, as long as those nations are acknowledged by the federal government.
The development follows a major foreign policy shift announced by Prime Minister Mark Carney, who recently confirmed at the United Nations General Assembly that Canada now recognizes the State of Palestine — a move later confirmed to Toronto officials by Global Affairs Canada. Carney’s statement aligned Canada with several Western nations, including the United Kingdom and Australia, that have recently made similar declarations ahead of renewed UN discussions about peace between Israel and Hamas.
Alshawwa credited the federal government for making the Toronto event possible. “We need to remember that, without the brave historical step by the Canadian government led by Mr. Carney, recognizing the Palestinian people’s rights to self-determination and the Palestinian state, is the reason why we’re celebrating such a huge move,” he said.
ICJP lawyer Shane Martinez emphasized the symbolic weight of the upcoming ceremony. “I think it is quite significant to Palestinians across Canada and particularly in Toronto,” he said. “Visibility is something that’s particularly important. Anti-Palestinian racism is carried out in large part through attempts to erase Palestinian identity, erase Palestinian voices and ensure that they don’t have a place in society, that they’re stigmatized, that they’re tabooed, that they’re othered and sometimes that their existence is denied altogether,” he continued. “It’s really a statement as to Palestinian resilience in the face of oppression, in the face of unprecedented oppression by Israel.”
{Matzav.com}
After weeks of uncertainty, the body of 73-year-old Meni Godard, Hashem yikom damo, who was murdered and abducted from his home in Kibbutz Be’eri on October 7, has been identified and returned to Israel for burial in a Jewish grave.
The identification was completed by the National Center of Forensic Medicine in coordination with the Israel Police and the IDF Rabbinate. Following confirmation of his identity, IDF representatives delivered the devastating news to his family Thursday evening. Godard leaves behind four children and seven grandchildren.
Born and raised along Israel’s coast, Meni followed in the footsteps of his father, Yaakov, who worked as a lifeguard. He moved to Kibbutz Be’eri at age 14 to join his sister Shmuela, and later served in the IDF’s Armored Corps reconnaissance unit, fighting bravely during the Yom Kippur War.
Throughout his life, Meni was known as a warm-hearted, generous man who cared deeply for others. Within the kibbutz, he filled many roles, including managing the community pool for years. Yet, those who knew him say he regarded his family as his greatest accomplishment—his children Gal, Bar, Mor, and Goni, and his beloved grandchildren.
On the morning of October 7, Meni and his wife Ayelet hid in their safe room as terrorists overran Kibbutz Be’eri. When their home was set on fire, the couple fled—but gunmen ambushed them outside. Meni was murdered and taken to Gaza. Ayelet managed to hide in nearby bushes for several hours before she too was killed.
As of Thursday night, three murdered hostages remain held in Gaza: Dror Or, Ran Gweili, and Suthisak Rinthalak.
In a statement from the Prime Minister’s Office, officials reaffirmed the government’s commitment to bringing all hostages—living and deceased—home for proper burial:
“The government and all of Israel’s security and intelligence services are determined and working tirelessly to bring back all our hostages and the bodies of those who were killed for burial in their homeland. The Hamas terror organization must uphold its commitments to the mediators and return them as part of the agreed framework. We will not compromise on this, and we will not rest until every last hostage is brought home.”
{Matzav.com}
The BBC has issued an apology to President Trump following his threat of a billion-dollar lawsuit over a deceptively edited segment from his January 6, 2021 speech — but the network made clear it will not be paying any damages.
A BBC representative confirmed the outreach, saying, “Lawyers for the BBC have written to President Trump’s legal team in response to a letter received on Sunday.”
In addition, the network’s chair, Samir Shah, sent a personal note to the White House expressing regret directly to Trump. “BBC chair Samir Shah has separately sent a personal letter to the White House making clear to President Trump that he and the corporation are sorry for the edit of the president’s speech on 6 January 2021, which featured in the program,” the spokesperson said.
The broadcaster also stated that the contested program will not be returning to its channels. “The BBC has no plans to rebroadcast the documentary Trump: A Second Chance? on any BBC platforms.”
The disputed footage appeared in a “Panorama” documentary that aired last October. According to The Telegraph, citing a whistleblower, the program “materially misled viewers” by cutting and rearranging parts of Trump’s “Stop the Steal” rally speech to make it appear as though he had encouraged the Capitol riot.
Trump’s legal team demanded the network retract the documentary and threatened to sue for $1 billion if it failed to do so.
Despite apologizing, the BBC is holding its ground financially. “While the BBC sincerely regrets the manner in which the video clip was edited, we strongly disagree there is a basis for a defamation claim,” the spokesperson said.
{Matzav.com}
A new Channel 12 survey reveals that Prime Minister Bibi Netanyahu maintains a clear edge over his political rivals, even as the country remains mired in a political stalemate. When respondents were asked who they believed was best suited to lead Israel, 42% selected Netanyahu, compared to 35% who chose Naftali Bennett. Another 18% said that neither was fit for the role, while 5% were unsure.
The poll also compared Netanyahu to Opposition Leader Yair Lapid, with 47% of Israelis saying Netanyahu is more qualified to serve as prime minister, while just 21% preferred Lapid. Nearly a third of participants — 29% — said they didn’t want either man as premier, and 3% expressed no opinion. Channel 12 noted that these are Netanyahu’s strongest preference margins since the November 2022 election.
Respondents were also asked about U.S. President Donald Trump’s letter to President Isaac Herzog urging him to pardon Netanyahu amid the ongoing corruption trial. Public opinion was sharply divided: 48% opposed Trump’s request, including 36% who said they “strongly opposed” it. Meanwhile, 44% expressed support for Trump’s involvement, with 23% saying they “strongly supported” it. Eight percent of those surveyed said they were uncertain.
When asked how they thought Netanyahu’s legal proceedings should conclude, 32% of respondents said he should agree to a plea deal that would permanently remove him from politics. Another 27% favored canceling the trial entirely, while 23% preferred to let it continue until the judges issue a verdict. Nine percent believed Netanyahu should negotiate a plea deal allowing him to stay in politics, and another 9% were undecided.
The survey also projected Knesset seat distribution if elections were held today — and found no clear path to a governing majority. Likud would remain the largest party with 27 seats, followed by Bennett’s faction with 22. The left-wing Democrats led by Yair Golan would win 10 seats. Yesh Atid, Shas, Yisrael Beytenu, and Otzma Yehudit would each secure nine seats. Gadi Eisenkot’s “Yashar!” would earn eight, while United Torah Judaism would take seven. Ra’am and Hadash-Ta’al would each receive five.
Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich’s Religious Zionism party, along with Balad and Yoaz Hendel’s HaMiluimnikim, would fail to pass the 3.25% electoral threshold. According to the poll, the current right-wing and chareidi coalition would total just 52 seats—short of the 60 required for a majority—while the anti-Netanyahu bloc would reach 58. Any future government would therefore depend on Arab parties like Ra’am or Hadash-Ta’al, though it remains uncertain whether such cooperation would be feasible for either side.
Channel 12 reported that the survey was conducted on November 13 among 501 respondents, with a margin of error of 4.4%.
{Matzav.com}
