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The world of niggunim and chassidus is in mourning with the passing of one of its greatest composers, Reb Yitzchok Ungar z”l of Vizhnitz, who passed away at the age of 86. His niggunim became timeless treasures in the chassidic world, sung at countless tishen, Shabbos tables, and yom tov gatherings around the globe.

Among his most famous compositions is the beloved niggun “Menuchah V’simchah,” along with hundreds of others that have been embraced by kehillos worldwide and woven into the very fabric of chassidic life.

Reb Yitzchok was a son of Reb Dovid Yosef Ungar. As a young boy, he gravitated toward the Vizhnitz court and quickly developed a close bond with the Imrei Chaim of Vizhnitz, who recognized his musical gift and would often request that he compose niggunim for the Yomim Noraim, Shabbosos, and mo’adim.

He married a daughter of Reb Yehoshua Zev Mechlovitz, a senior Vizhnitz chossid who resided in Haifa. Reb Yitzchok settled in Kiryas Vizhnitz, where he lived in close proximity to the Imrei Chaim and continued to compose niggunim that inspired generations.

Aside from his musical genius, Reb Yitzchok earned a livelihood as a sofer stam, with many seeking out his Sifrei Torah, tefillin, and mezuzos. He lived a life of humility and simplicity, raising his children in the path of Torah, yiras Shamayim, and deep emunah.

Davening at Beis Shalom, the Vizhnitzer shul near the community’s senior center, Reb Yitzchok was beloved as a baal tefillah, especially during the Yomim Noraim.

One remarkable story he shared only recently involved a dream following the petirah of the Imrei Chaim. In the dream, his Rebbe appeared and taught him a new niggun. Upon waking, Reb Yitzchok immediately recorded it. Just a few weeks ago, sensing his end was near, he revealed this dream and taught the melody to others for the first time.

According to those close to him, Reb Yitzchok composed approximately 1,500 niggunim over his lifetime.

After the passing of the Imrei Chaim and later the Yeshuos Moshe and Toras Mordechai, Reb Yitzchok remained deeply connected to the current Vizhnitzer Rebbe and was a constant presence at every event and tish.

In recent weeks, Reb Yitzchok’s health declined and he was hospitalized at Mayanei HaYeshua Medical Center. Surrounded by his family, he was niftar last night.

He is survived by his devoted wife, children, and grandchildren, all following in his path of Torah and chassidus. His sons include Rav Dovid, a mechanech; Rav Avraham, a noted askan; Rav Chaim Meir; and Rav Meshulam Faish. Among his nephews are the esteemed mashpia Rav Nachman Biderman and the Gaavad of Tchaba.

The levayah was held this morning at his home on Rechov Admor M’Vizhnitz and passed through the main Vizhnitzer beis medrash in Kiryas Vizhnitz.

Yehi zichro boruch.

{Matzav.com Israel}

Bob Menendez, the disgraced Democrat from New Jersey, entered federal custody on Tuesday to begin serving an 11-year sentence following his conviction on a wide array of corruption-related charges.

According to the Associated Press, Menendez is now being held at the Federal Correctional Institution in Schuylkill, Pennsylvania. He is expected to be placed in the prison’s minimum-security facility.

Menendez was convicted in July 2024 on 16 counts that included bribery, fraud, obstruction of justice, and acting as an unregistered foreign agent. Prosecutors said he took in hundreds of thousands of dollars through illicit means—bribes in the form of cash, gold bars, and mortgage payments—according to ABC News.

He stepped down from office shortly after his conviction and was sentenced this past January alongside two New Jersey businessmen, Wael Hana and Fred Daibes. Hana received over seven years, while Daibes was sentenced to more than eight.

Prosecutors alleged that Menendez leveraged his senatorial influence to shield Hana and Daibes from legal trouble and to advance the interests of the Egyptian and Qatari governments, benefiting both businessmen in the process.

In addition to accepting bribes, Menendez was found to have worked to derail federal probes into his co-defendants, conspiring to obstruct the investigation into the broader corruption scheme.

Another associate, Jose Uribe, took a plea deal in May 2024 and testified against Menendez. Uribe admitted that he had paid for a Mercedes-Benz convertible for Menendez’s wife, Nadine, to replace a vehicle she wrecked in a 2018 accident that killed a pedestrian, as reported by NorthJersey.com.

After receiving his sentence in January, Menendez made headlines by invoking the name of President Donald Trump, claiming the legal proceedings against him were politically motivated. “President Trump was right,” he told reporters after his sentencing. “This process is political and is corrupted to its core. I hope President Trump cleans up the cesspool and restores the integrity to the system.”

This isn’t Menendez’s first time facing federal charges. In 2015, he was indicted on allegations of bribery and making false statements in a separate scandal. Prosecutors had accused him of pressuring the State Department to support a port security deal in the Dominican Republic that would benefit a donor who reportedly hosted him at lavish parties, a story originally uncovered by Breitbart News Washington Bureau Chief Matthew Boyle at The Daily Caller in 2012.

That earlier case collapsed in 2017 with a mistrial, and the Department of Justice ultimately dropped the charges in 2018, Breitbart News reported.

Just before heading to prison, Menendez reignited criticism of the Obama administration, accusing it of politically targeting him over his opposition to the Iran nuclear agreement while he chaired the Senate Foreign Relations Committee. “People talk about the Trump DOJ, but it was the Democrats who started weaponizing the Justice Dept. When, as the Chairman of the SFRC, I didn’t go along with Obama’s Iran deal, I was indicted, and the next day after being stripped of my position, Obama announced the Iran deal,” the former senator wrote in a May 30 thread on X.

He continued, “Obama told me that he could not have the Democratic Chairman of the SFRC be against him. By having me removed as the Chair of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, Obama removed my major opposition to his Iran deal. It was a bad deal for the U.S. and for our ally, Israel.”

“This was the ultimate weaponization of the Justice Dept. for a political purpose… So when Democrats talk about weaponizing the Justice Dept, they should look into their own past actions. Obama was willing to use the Justice Department to pursue and preserve the legacy issue he felt would earn him the Nobel Prize he had received.”

Menendez, now 71 years old, continues to insist he did nothing wrong in either of the corruption cases brought against him.

His wife, Nadine Menendez, was convicted in April on related charges. Her sentencing is scheduled for September 11.

{Matzav.com}

General Mills revealed Tuesday that it is initiating a sweeping phaseout of artificial coloring in all of its cereal products sold in the U.S., as well as in the meals it provides to K-12 schools.

In a press release, the company outlined its timeline: artificial colors will be fully eliminated from all U.S. cereals and school foods by the summer of 2026, with the rest of its American retail items following suit by the close of 2027.

“Across the long arc of our history, General Mills has moved quickly to meet evolving consumer needs, and reformulating our product portfolio to remove certified colors is yet another example,” Jeff Harmening, CEO and chairman of General Mills, said in the announcement.

Harmening also highlighted that “the vast majority” of General Mills products already do not contain certified colors.

“Knowing the trust families place in us, we are leading the way on removing certified colors in cereals and K-12 foods by next summer,” Harmening added. “We’re committed to continuing to make food that tastes great and is accessible to all.”

General Mills’ decision arrived on the same day as Kraft Heinz’s own announcement declaring an end to the rollout of new products containing artificial dyes, specifically those classified as Food, Drug & Cosmetic (FD&C) colors. Kraft Heinz also committed to removing such dyes from existing products by the end of 2027.

The push to eliminate artificial food coloring in widely consumed products has intensified since March, when Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. urged major food manufacturers to discontinue their use of artificial dyes.

Breitbart News reported: “Kennedy has pledged to tackle chronic illnesses by overhauling the U.S. diet and food dye elimination is part of his plan for reform. He has encouraged fast-food chains to switch to beef tallow instead of seed oils for French fries, and pushed for bans on additives like food colors, as Breitbart News reported.”

The campaign escalated in April when Kennedy joined FDA Commissioner Marty Makary in declaring that “petroleum-based food dyes” would be phased out from both food and pharmaceutical products in the U.S.

The FDA followed with a separate pledge to collaborate with food producers in removing synthetic color additives, including FD&C Green No. 3, Red No. 40, Yellow Nos. 5 and 6, and Blue Nos. 1 and 2, from the nation’s food supply “by the end of next year.”

{Matzav.com}

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Sirens are sounding, schools and jobs are shut, and families’ expenses are soaring while income has vanished. Our Rabbinic board has ordered a large crisis fund to keep food on tables and hope in hearts.

Defense Minister Yisrael Katz on Wednesday morning issued a sharp threat to the Islamic Republic ahead of further IDF attacks in Iran. He wrote on X: “A tornado is sweeping through Tehran. Symbols of government are bombed and collapsing—from the broadcasting authority and soon more targets—and masses of residents are fleeing. This is how dictatorships collapse,” he said. The statement came after dozens of air force fighter jets bombed a centrifuge production site and a number of weapons production sites of the Iranian regime in the Tehran area overnight Tuesday. (YWN Israel Desk—Jerusalem)

Dramatic details are now being revealed behind the scenes of the preparations for Israel’s war against Iran, with Ynet reporting that only a few months ago, Israel’s preparations for a conflict with Iran were partial—and in fact almost nonexistent. Sources in the IDF said that until February, “the target bank was almost empty,” and the assumption in the defense establishment was that the operation would be carried out mainly in covert missions and not through a large-scale military campaign. Serious preparations began in October—amid the war with Hezbollah. The IDF then decided to launch operational preparations for a campaign against Iran. The battle procedure began to unfold, but then it became clear that the military intelligence lacked a concrete target bank—even at the tactical level. “We found an empty cup,” one of the officers said. In November, hundreds of officers convened at a closed strategic conference, while the war with Hezbollah was still raging, in an attempt to understand Iran’s centers of gravity [COG]—where to strike to achieve strategic gains. The conclusion that was reached: air superiority is the key; that is, Iran’s air defense systems must first be destroyed in order for the IDF to achieve freedom of action in the skies above Iran. The IDF established a dedicated joint team of military intelligence and Air Force personnel—120–130 officers—to try to crack the air superiority challenge. However, until January, no sufficient progress was made. “We started to get stressed. We were on a path to failure,” a senior military intelligence officer official said. The breakthrough came in February–March: with a dedicated intelligence protocol for each air defense system. At the same time, a real target bank was formulated for the first time: separate teams dealt with each area—missiles, command and control, nuclear, and economic. The progress was “daily—every day was better than the previous one,” IDF officials said. The operation itself was launched the moment several elements converged: the Iranian nuclear program reached a peak, Iran recovered from the damage to its missile production capabilities in November, and Tehran’s plans to attack Israel via its proxies matured. At that point, the decision to launch a war against Iran was made. According to a New York Times report, Israel began planning for the war in December after Hezbollah was subdued and the Assad regime in Syria fell, opening up an air corridor. The report added that during Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu’s visit to the White House in February, he delivered a presentation on Iran’s nuclear program to US President Donald Trump in the Oval Office. (YWN Israel Desk—Jerusalem)

Pro-Israel military analyst John Spencer: “There are many ways to get the job done (destroy Iran’s nuclear sites)… we should all agree it has to be done.”

New satellite imagery of the Diego Garcia airbase – the closest one used by the US closest to Iran – appears to show 2 B-52 Stratfortress bombers and several transport aircraft. Of note, the only plane that can carry the bombs necessary to rip through the Fordo nuclear installation is the B-2 Spirit stealth bomber, which isn’t at the base.

Before and after photos from the IRGC’s Tabriz missile base shows the utter devastation wrought by IDF airstrikes

The first flight carrying Israeli citizens back home since international air travel was halted due to the war with Iran has landed safely at Ben Gurion Airport. A second flight is on the way as well.

The “Nightwatch” Doomsday Plane, the President’s emergency command aircraft, has landed at Joint Base Andrews after an unusual flight from Shreveport, Louisiana. It’s typically activated during major crises. Last known use by a president? 9/11/2001.

The first flight carrying Israeli citizens back home since international air travel was halted due to the war with Iran has landed safely at Ben Gurion Airport. The flight, operated from Larnaca, Cyprus, is part of a national effort to bring back tens of thousands of Israelis who were stranded abroad after Iranian missile attacks and the ensuing closure of Israeli airspace caused widespread disruption to commercial flights. Israeli airlines—including El Al, Arkia, Israir, and the newly operational Air Haifa—are all participating in the coordinated repatriation campaign. Flights are scheduled throughout the week as the airspace gradually reopens under heavy security and with military coordination. The return operation comes amid a tense calm following days of aerial warfare that left much of the region on edge. For the Israelis stuck overseas, today’s flight signals a long-awaited and emotional return to their homeland. More flights are expected in the coming days as Israel works swiftly to ensure that all its citizens can return safely. (YWN World Headquarters – NYC)

In an operation deep inside Iranian territory, the IDF announced on Wednesday that it carried out a large-scale aerial assault targeting Iran’s nuclear weapons development infrastructure and missile production industry. “Over the past few hours, more than 50 IAF fighter jets completed a series of intelligence-based strikes on military targets in the area of Tehran,” the IDF said in an official statement. The primary target was a centrifuge production facility in Tehran. According to the IDF, “the IAF struck a facility used to manufacture centrifuges in Tehran that was designed to enable the Iranian regime to expand the scale and speed of its uranium enrichment to develop nuclear weapons.” The Israeli military made clear that Iran’s nuclear ambitions are not for peaceful purposes. “The Iranian regime is enriching uranium for the purpose of developing nuclear weapons. Nuclear power for civilian use does not require enrichment at these levels,” the IDF stated. In addition to the centrifuge facility, the IAF also hit several other strategic sites connected to Iran’s weapons industry. “The IAF also struck several weapons manufacturing sites overnight, including a facility used to produce raw materials and components for the assembly of surface-to-surface missiles, which the Iranian regime has fired and continues to fire toward the State of Israel,” the statement continued. Furthermore, “a facility for manufacturing components of surface-to-air missiles designed to attack aircraft was also struck.” The IDF emphasized that these strikes were part of a wider military campaign targeting both Iran’s nuclear weapons program and its missile production capabilities. “These targets were struck as part of the IDF’s operations against the Iranian regime’s project to develop nuclear weapons and its missile production industry.” (YWN World Headquarters – NYC)

Sen. Ted Cruz: “If Iran gets a nuclear weapon, I think the odds are high that we would find out with a mushroom cloud over New York City or Los Angeles.”

An Iranian military official attempted to flip the narrative on recent developments, echoing language used by Israel while asserting that Tehran now has “complete control over the skies” of Israel.

Colonel Iman Tajik of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps made the statement in an apparent bid to bolster morale within Iran, following consecutive days of Israeli airstrikes across Iranian territory.

He declared: “Tonight’s missile attack showed that we have gained complete control over the skies of the occupied territories and that its residents have become completely defenseless against Iranian missile attacks.”

Despite Tajik’s claim, Israel has successfully intercepted the majority of incoming Iranian missiles and drones using its advanced air defense systems. Nonetheless, a few projectiles have penetrated the defenses, resulting in casualties and significant destruction.

{Matzav.com}

As Israeli jets carved through Iranian airspace, reducing strategic targets to smoking craters, Iran’s “Supreme Leader” Ali Khamenei was wide awake—tucked under reinforced blankets and rage-tweeting in three languages from what we can only assume is a very well-insulated bunker. At 4:30 a.m. local time, Khamenei took to X with his latest outburst—this time in Hebrew: “We must act with force against the terrorist Zionist entity… We will not be merciful toward the Zionists.” This marked his third multilingual salvo in under 24 hours—first in Farsi, then in English, now Hebrew. The only medium left is Morse code tapped on a bunker wall flashlight. Meanwhile, in the real theater of war—not the digital one—Israel’s Air Force has now spent six consecutive nights methodically disassembling Iran’s military infrastructure. Missile depots, drone launch pads, and command centers have been vaporized while Khamenei clutches his phone in defiance. (YWN World Headquarters – NYC)

QUEENS, NY— Mark Levine, a Democratic candidate for New York City Comptroller, is facing growing calls to publicly distance himself from Brian Romero, a controversial figure in New York State politics and a proud member of Democratic Socialists of America (DSA).   In the aftermath of the Hamas atrocity on October 7, while the victims hy”d were still being buried and the family was sitting down for shiva, Romero started to organize protests on the NYC streets and proudly posted pictures and videos on social media of himself being arrested and chanting “Resistance is justified,” justifying the worst attack on Jews since the Holocaust. His actions drew widespread condemnation from Jewish leaders and community members who saw the protests as a direct affront to grieving families.   Months later, Romero started to organize support and lay the ground for Mark Levine to become the City Comptroller of New York City, and in December of 2024, he officially hosted a fundraiser for Levine, giving Levine a boost in cash since the event was focused on small-dollar donations, which the city matches 8 to 1. In an email, he asked his fellow socialists to help his “good friend,” Mark Levine, “who fights for New Yorkers.” Romero helped coordinate political groundwork in key areas of the borough and went on to play a role in building support for Levine’s campaign in Queens. According to individuals familiar with the campaign.   Jewish Community leaders have asked Levine to publicly disavow Romero and return any campaign contributions Romero raised or facilitated. So far, Levine has declined to do either. “We can’t consider supporting a candidate who’s unwilling to take a basic moral stand,” said one local leader who requested anonymity to speak candidly. “Romero justified the murder of Jews. If Levine can’t say that’s wrong—if he can’t return that money—then that tells us everything we need to know, and no one should be supporting him.”   The controversy is the latest flashpoint in the city’s ongoing debate over political accountability in the wake of rising antisemitism. As the race for comptroller heats up, some say this could be a defining test of leadership for Levine—one he appears to be failing.   This also comes after Levine tries to hide his role of voting to defund the NYPD in 2020 after the unrest across the country. While still a councilman and a candidate for Manhattan Borough President, he went on CNN and was one of the first elected officials in NYC to call to defund the police.     The controversy follows the revelation of Mr. Levine’s working relationship with Abby Stein, a transgender activist who left the Orthodox Jewish community and is an outspoken critic of the Orthodox Jewish community and the yeshiva education and organizes protests in support of the antisemitic Boycott, Divestment, and Sanctions (BDS) movement promoting boycotts, divestments, and economic sanctions against Israel. Mr. Levine proudly boasted on social media about their friendship and praised Stein for her leadership. VIEW TWEETS: https://x.com/BrianRny/status/1714765946642907628?t=QdYaXxV2cH8h5z9Tc6l-8Q&s=19https://x.com/BrianRny/status/1712983140359078335?t=FbdovGkoa6hUaCJ4PHUXow&s=19 https://x.com/BrianRny/status/1714765946642907628?t=QdYaXxV2cH8h5z9Tc6l-8Q&s=19https://x.com/BrianRny/status/1712983140359078335?t=FbdovGkoa6hUaCJ4PHUXow&s=19

Zohran Mamdani, who is among the leading contenders in the upcoming Democratic primary for New York City mayor, declined to denounce the controversial slogan “globalize the intifada” during an appearance on The Bulwark podcast released Tuesday, Jewish Insider reports. Mamdani – who has been endorsed by socialist and self-hating-Jew Bernie Sanders – argued that the phrase is a reflection of Palestinian calls for justice.

When asked by host Tim Miller about the use of such language, particularly in connection to antisemitism on the political left, Mamdani framed the phrase as a statement of solidarity with the Palestinian cause. “To me, ultimately, what I hear in so many is a desperate desire for equality and equal rights in standing up for Palestinian human rights,” Mamdani said. The Queens assemblyman, who has consistently taken anti-Israel positions, noted, “And I think what’s difficult also is that the very word has been used by the Holocaust Museum when translating the Warsaw Ghetto Uprising into Arabic, because it’s a word that means struggle.”

Mamdani, identifying as a Muslim and reflecting on his personal experiences after 9/11, argued that Arabic terminology is often mischaracterized. “As a Muslim man who grew up post-9/11, I’m all too familiar in the way in which Arabic words can be twisted, can be distorted, can be used to justify any kind of meaning,” he said.

Although he did not explicitly weigh in on whether such rhetoric should be deemed acceptable, Mamdani stressed the importance of ensuring safety for the Jewish community. “I think that’s where it leaves me with a sense that what we need to do is focus on keeping Jewish New Yorkers safe,” he said, acknowledging that antisemitism is a “real issue” he intends to confront as mayor. “The question of the permissibility of language is something that I haven’t ventured into.”

Throughout the race, Mamdani has drawn scrutiny for his position on Israel. He has refused to affirm the legitimacy of Israel as a Jewish state and pledged to divest from Israel if he becomes mayor — positions that have caused concern among many in the Jewish community.

Andrew Cuomo, who currently leads in the polls, has sharply criticized Mamdani’s stance and made combating antisemitism central to his campaign. Addressing the slogan in question, Cuomo said it is a dangerous message. He warned, “Such phrases are giving license to come after Jews.”

In recent weeks, major Jewish organizations, including the UJA-Federation of New York, issued a call for clarity from all mayoral hopefuls. They urged candidates “to unequivocally condemn dangerous rhetoric — such as ‘globalize the intifada’ — that has inspired deadly acts against Jews, most recently in Colorado, Washington, D.C., and Pennsylvania.”

{Matzav.com}

NEW: Strikes hit the Imam Hossein University in Tehran, Iran, often referred to as the IRGC university.

Mark Levin rails against those opposing U.S. strikes on Iran: “How about China? Nowhere! How about Russia? Nowhere! What happened to World War 3? There is no World War 3! They all sound like a bunch of Marxist Islamists!”