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HaGaon HaRav Yitzchak Zilberstein wrote a letter of chizzuk to bnei yeshivos ahead of the start of Elul Zeman that was published in the Chareidi newspapers on Friday morning. HaRav Zilberstein wrote: “Chazal said at the end of Masechtas Kesuvos, ‘Rabi Zeira said that Rabi Yirmiyah bar Abba said, ‘There will be an accusations against Talmidei Chachamim in the generation in which Ben Dovid comes.’ And Rashi explained, ‘Accusation—many accusers and advocates of guilt will stand against them.’ And further on it says, ‘Affliction after affliction,’ and Rashi explained: ‘Decrees upon decrees.’ And it explains that before Bias Moshiach, there will be many accusations against Talmidei Chachamim, and accusers will stand to advocate guilt against them.” “And we see this happening—that they are now coming out against bnei yeshivos and Talmidei Chachamim and accusing and inciting against them. They don’t understand that this Limmud Torah protects and saves the entire Jewish nation. And behold, the Torah says, ‘A thousand per tribe, a thousand per tribe’—corresponding with all the soldiers fighting on the physical battlefield, there must be Lomdei Torah who protect and conquer with their limmud—Torah protects and saves.” “We are currently experiencing a great tzara—that they want to pull bnei yeshivos away from their Torah and are even imprisoning some of them. Our tafkid is to be mechazeik ourselves, to engage in Torah and Gemilas Chassadim.” “Rabban shel Yisrael, HaGaon HaRav Dov Landau, already said that the Galus is making its burden heavy upon us, and it is a great tzarah that Jews are persecuting Jews for Limmud Torah.” “And especially now, as Zeman Elul begins, we call on the bnei yeshivos: be strong and courageous, and don’t let your hearts weaken, and start the upcoming Zeman with all your strength and enthusiasm, and engage in Torah at all times and in every hour, without idle talk, and thereby you will be zocheh to be the true protectors of the entire Jewish nation.” ““And may we soon be saved with an everlasting salvation, and may all the evil decrees be revoked from all of Am Yisrael, and may you be zocheh to be inscribed לכתיבה וחתימה טובה.” “Your brother, who blesses you with love.” (YWN Israel Desk—Jerusalem)

Sen. Cory Booker (D-N.J.), a member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, called on U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio to immediately resume granting medical and humanitarian visas to residents of the Gaza Strip.

“Donald Trump promised to secure a ceasefire between Hamas and Israel in his first week in office,” Booker stated, “and now, Secretary Rubio is compounding this administration’s failure of leadership with a policy that leaves Gazans who qualify for temporary medical and humanitarian visas, including seriously injured children and civilians who have been caught in the crossfire through no fault of their own, without this lifesaving recourse.”

On Aug. 16, the U.S. State Department announced that all visitor visas from Gaza were being halted as it conducts “a full and thorough review of the process and procedures used to issue a small number of temporary medical-humanitarian visas in recent days.”

Rubio, speaking with “Face the Nation” on CBS on Sunday, said some of the groups involved in bringing children and adults into the United States may have ties to the Hamas terror organization, which broke an existing ceasefire when it attacked southern Israel on Oct. 7, 2023.

He added that there has been evidence “presented to us by numerous congressional offices that some of the organizations bragging about and involved in acquiring these visas have strong links to terrorist groups like Hamas. And so we are not going to be in partnership with groups that are friendly with Hamas.”

Because of that, Rubio said, the State Department decided to pause issuing the visas.

“There was just a small number of them issued to children, but they come with adults accompanying them, obviously,” he told CBS. “And we are going to pause this program and reevaluate how those visas are being vetted and what relationship, if any, has there been by these organizations to the process of acquiring those visas.” JNS

{Matzav.com}

Famine was officially declared Friday in northern Gaza, including Gaza City, by the Integrated Food Security Phase Classification system (IPC), the world’s leading authority on hunger. But Israel swiftly denounced the move as a politically motivated fabrication designed to shield Hamas from defeat as the IDF prepares for a major offensive. According to the IPC, an estimated 514,000 people—nearly a quarter of Gaza’s population—are already in famine, with the figure projected to rise to 641,000 by the end of September. The declaration marked the first time Gaza has been classified at famine level, with the IPC citing Gaza Governorate as the epicenter and warning that Deir al-Balah and Khan Younis could follow next month. The report argued that fighting, aid restrictions, and a collapse in food production had pushed hunger to life-threatening levels. Israel rejected the claims outright, accusing the IPC of bending its own rules in order to reach a predetermined conclusion. Traditionally, famine is declared when at least 20 percent of households face extreme food shortages, 30 percent of children are acutely malnourished, and at least two adults or four children out of every 10,000 die each day from starvation. In Gaza, however, the IPC invoked a lower threshold, declaring famine when 15 percent of children were found to suffer acute malnutrition, while conceding it lacked reliable mortality data. Israel’s Foreign Ministry called this a dangerous distortion, saying the IPC had “changed its own global standard, cutting the 30 percent threshold to 15 percent for this report only, and totally ignoring its second criterion of death rate.” COGAT, the Israeli defense body overseeing Gaza humanitarian affairs, issued a counter-report charging that the IPC’s assessment relied on “biased and self-interested sources originating from Hamas,” including UNRWA workers in Gaza, some of whom Israel says are Hamas operatives. Maj. Gen. Ghassan Alian, COGAT’s chief, said the IPC had abandoned professionalism in favor of propaganda. “Instead of a professional, neutral assessment, the report adopts a biased approach riddled with severe methodological flaws, thereby undermining its credibility and the trust the international community can place in it,” he said. Israeli officials pointed to the large volumes of aid entering Gaza in recent months as proof that famine conditions do not exist. Since May, more than 10,000 trucks have entered the enclave, while the U.S.- and Israel-backed Gaza Humanitarian Foundation has distributed over 2.2 million relief packages. Between 200 and 300 trucks of aid cross daily, Israel says, alongside daily humanitarian pauses and international airdrops. While still below the UN’s demand for 600 trucks a day, Israeli officials argue the deliveries have eased conditions significantly. Any remaining shortages, they contend, stem from Hamas seizing supplies and hoarding food for its fighters. U.S. Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee echoed that point in a blistering post: “You know who IS starving? The hostages kidnapped and tortured by uncivilized Hamas savages. Maybe the overfed terrorists could share their warehouse full they stole with hungry people especially the hostages.” The timing of the declaration has fueled suspicion in Jerusalem that the IPC is attempting to interfere with Israel’s military strategy. IDF Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Eyal Zamir has already announced preparations for “Gideon’s Chariots II,” a full-scale offensive to capture Gaza City. Defense Minister Yisrael Katz vowed to open the “gates of hell” unless Hamas surrendered […]

A federal judge has ordered the shutdown of President Donald Trump’s controversial migrant detention center in Florida, widely referred to as “Alligator Alcatraz.”

According to the ruling, the facility has been causing significant environmental harm to the Florida Everglades, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, and the Trump administration has been given 60 days to phase out its operations.

The 82-page decision also bans the transfer of any additional detainees to the center and blocks all new construction or expansion plans at the location.

Florida, which partnered with the Trump administration on the project, has already filed an appeal challenging the ruling.

The court’s decision marks a major setback for Trump’s plans for the detention facility, which has drawn sharp criticism over both its conditions and its potential impact on the delicate Everglades ecosystem.

In Thursday’s ruling, U.S. District Judge Kathleen Williams, appointed by former President Barack Obama, concluded that the center is causing “irreparable harm” to the Everglades and its endangered wildlife.

She also ordered the shutdown of “all generators, gas, sewage, and other waste receptors,” a move that will severely disrupt the center’s operations.

Judge Williams referenced a plan from the 1960s to build a tourist airport in the Everglades that was abandoned due to environmental concerns.

“Since that time, every Florida governor, every Florida senator, and countless local and national political figures, including presidents, have publicly pledged their unequivocal support for the restoration, conservation, and protection of the Everglades,” she wrote.

“This order does nothing more than uphold the basic requirements of legislation designed to fulfil those promises.”

The decision represents a preliminary injunction, temporarily halting operations at the facility while a lawsuit filed by environmental groups moves forward.

Environmental advocates who brought the case celebrated the ruling.

“This is a landmark victory for the Everglades and countless Americans who believe this imperilled wilderness should be protected, not exploited,” said Eve Samples, executive director of Friends of the Everglades.

“It sends a clear message that environmental laws must be respected by leaders at the highest levels of our government – and there are consequences for ignoring them.”

Thursday’s decision follows an earlier temporary restraining order from Judge Williams issued earlier this month, which stopped construction at the site.

Dubbed “Alligator Alcatraz,” the facility was promoted as a key element of the Trump administration’s aggressive approach to illegal immigration enforcement.

Located deep within a Miami-area swamp, the site earned its nickname because of the surrounding wildlife, including alligators, crocodiles, and pythons — which Trump once suggested would deter detainees from attempting escape.

The center was built to house up to 3,000 detainees and was envisioned as a model for future facilities supporting Trump’s broader deportation agenda.

During a visit to the site in July, Trump praised its purpose and capacity to hold the “most menacing migrants, some of the most vicious people on the planet.”

However, since its opening, the detention center has faced multiple lawsuits and growing opposition from local residents and environmental groups.

Experts have repeatedly warned that the environmental damage caused by the project threatens decades of restoration efforts in the Everglades, an undertaking that has already cost Florida billions of dollars.

{Matzav.com}

It is with great sadness that Matzav.com reports the passing of Rebbetzin Malkie Goldberg a”h, who was niftar yesterday in Lakewood at the age of 99.

Rebbetzin Goldberg was the wife of Rav Nochum Goldberg zt”l, and together they were among the very first kollel families in Lakewood, part of the pioneering group that helped lay the foundations of the Torah community.

After their years in Lakewood, Rav Nochum became a rav on the Lower East Side, where they lived for many years before Rebbetzin Goldberg moved back to Lakewood a few years ago.

When she was a teenage girl, her sister, Rebbetzin Esther Weissman, encouraged her to join the original group of Bais Yaakov students under the leadership of Rebbetzin Vichna Kaplan, an experience that shaped much of her life’s path.

Rebbetzin Goldberg was the daughter of Reb Yechiel Michel Hakohen Cohen, the beloved baal tokeia in the Poilishe shtiebel in Williamsburg.

She was predeceased by her sisters Rebbetzin Esther Weissman, Mrs. Chavie Rosenberg, and Mrs. Chaya Morgenstern.

She is survived by her sons, Reb Shlomo Goldberg, Reb Yitzchok Goldberg, Reb Nosi Goldberg, Reb Moshe Goldberg, and Reb Dovid Goldberg, as well as her daughters, Mrs. Chana Perl Grozovsky and Mrs. Fraidy Van. She leaves behind many grandchildren and great-grandchildren who continue her legacy.

Yehi zichrah boruch.

{Matzav.com}

Federal auto safety regulators are investigating why Tesla has repeatedly broken rules requiring it to quickly tell them about crashes involving its self-driving technology, a potentially significant development given the company’s plans to put hundreds of thousands of driverless cars on U.S. roads over the next year. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration said in a filing on Thursday that Tesla’s reports on “numerous” incidents involving its driver assistance and self-driving features were submitted far too late — several months after the crashes instead of within five days as required. The probe comes two months after the electric vehicle maker run by Elon Musk started a self-driving taxi service in Austin, Texas, with hopes of soon offering it nationwide. The company also hopes to send over-the-air software updates to millions of Teslas already on the road that will allow them to drive themselves. Investors enthusiastic about such plans have kept Tesla stock aloft despite plunging sales and profits due to boycotts over Musk’s support for U.S. President Donald Trump and far-right politicians in Europe. The safety agency said the probe will focus on why Tesla took so long to report the crashes, whether the reports included all the necessary data and details and if there are crashes that the agency still doesn’t know about. Tesla did not respond to a request for comment, but the agency noted that the company has told it the delays were “due to an issue with Tesla’s data collection,” which Tesla says has now been fixed. The new investigation follows another probe that began in October into potential problems with Tesla’s self-driving technology in foggy weather and other low visibility conditions, which has been linked to several accidents including one death. That probe involves 2.4 million Tesla vehicles. The crash reporting rule for vehicles using Level 2 driver-assistance software, or those that require drivers to pay full attention to the road, was implemented in 2021. Since then Tesla has reported 2,308 crashes when the software was used, the vast majority of the more than 2,600 reported by all automakers, according to agency data. The numbers are skewed by the fact that Tesla is by far the dominant maker of partial self-driving vehicles in the U.S. The company has been offering robotaxi rides in Austin to only a select group of riders, but said it will allow any paying customer to hail its cabs starting sometime in September, according to a Musk post on X earlier this month. Tesla has also begun allowing limited robotaxi service in San Francisco with a driver behind the wheel as a safety check to conform with California rules. Investors in Tesla were initially cheered after Trump won the presidency in hopes he would reward his biggest financial backer, Musk, by getting safety regulators to go easier on the company. Now that isn’t so certain given Musk’s falling out with the president in recent months after Musk called Trump’s budget bill an “abomination” that would add to U.S. debt and threatened to form a new political party. (AP)

A central memorial gathering in honor of the late Porat Yosef Rosh Yeshiva, Chacham Shalom Cohen zt”l, was held last night at the Minyan Avreichim Beis Medrash in Bnei Brak’s Shikun Hey neighborhood. The event drew prominent rabbonim, public figures, and family members who came together to remember the leader of the Sephardic Torah world.

The gathering was attended by many leading rabbonim, including Rav Avrohom Salim, member of the Moetzet Chachmei HaTorah; Rav Shlomo Zafrani, Gaavad of Amalei Torah; Rav Lior Pinchasi, Rosh Yeshiva of Or Avraham; Rav Avrohom Cohen, son of the late Rosh Yeshiva and a senior Rosh Yeshiva at Yekirei Yerushalayim; Rav Avrohom Zchuta, Rov of the Soferim neighborhood; Rav Moshe Mizrachi, Rosh Yeshiva of Nachlas Yosef; Rav Yaakov Chayun, son-in-law of the late Rosh Yeshiva; Rav Ovadia Yechzekel, R”M at Od Yosef Chai; and his grandson, Rav Yonatan Toledano.

Rav Avrohom Salim: “The Army Was Designed as a Melting Pot”

During his remarks, Rav Avrohom Salim addressed the ongoing battle over the proposed draft law and warned about its dangerous implications for the Torah world.

“We are standing at a crossroads,” he declared. “Today, there is an organized effort to weaken the influence of the yeshivos. We must remember that the army, by its very essence, is a ‘melting pot.’ That is what the man who founded the state [Ben Gurion] himself said.”

His words highlighted the growing tension surrounding efforts to draft yeshiva bochurim, a matter that Chacham Shalom Cohen fought against passionately throughout his life.

Continuing the Legacy of Porat Yosef

Speaking about the late Rosh Yeshiva’s impact, Rav Salim praised his monumental role in shaping the Sephardic Torah world:

“Chacham Shalom breathed life into the Sephardic yeshivos and brought light where there was darkness, beginning from Porat Yosef. Even the baalei batim sent their children there. The very first to step forward, to break ground, was Porat Yosef in Katamon, founded by the Rosh Yeshiva together with Chacham Shimon Baadani zt”l. From there, the influence spread not only to Yerushalayim but throughout the entire country, from Dan to Be’er Sheva, after the crisis that the Zionist establishment created in the early years of the state.”

Rav Meir Tzvi Bergman’s Emotional Letter

Rav Meir Tzvi Bergman, Rosh Yeshiva of Yeshivas Rashbi, sent a heartfelt letter that was read aloud during the gathering. In it, he described Chacham Shalom Cohen zt”l as: “Yedid Hashem v’yedid Beis Abba… a dear friend of Hashem and of our family, who devoted his entire life to spreading Torah. He lived with constant fear and trembling over the decree of drafting yeshiva students, and his entire being was bound up in safeguarding their spiritual future.”

Rav Shlomo Zafrani: “He Loved Both Truth and Peace”

Rav Shlomo Yedidya Zafrani, Gaavad of Amalei Torah, spoke passionately about Chacham Shalom’s unique character: “Rav Shalom Cohen was a man of absolute truth, fiercely defending it with unwavering strength. At the same time, he was a man of peace, bringing harmony among Klal Yisroel and between the Jewish people and their Father in Heaven. He exemplified the possuk, ‘V’ha’emes v’hashalom ehavu’ — love both truth and peace. He never sacrificed truth for peace, nor peace for truth, but lived his life in perfect balance between the two.”

A Son’s Memories: Rav Efraim Cohen Speaks

Rav Efraim Cohen, son of Chacham Shalom, shared personal reflections that offered a glimpse into his father’s extraordinary dedication: “Abba would daven in yeshiva and could not be pulled away from that place of life. During bein hazmanim, he refused to daven in any minyan that started later than the zman of the Magen Avraham, keeping to his personal chumra.

“People would beg him to join them in different shuls — in the Old City, in Katamon — during bein hazmanim, especially for Shabbos. He would agree to come for kabbalas Shabbos to strengthen the kehilla, but when asked to come Shabbos morning, he would first inquire: ‘What time is the tefillah?’ If they told him 8:00 or 8:30, he would say, ‘That’s not for me.’

“They would explain that the time was set late because otherwise the crowd wouldn’t come earlier. They even promised him, ‘If the Rosh Yeshiva comes, everyone will wake up and arrive by seven.’ But he would always reply: ‘I don’t want people to change their routine just because of me.’”

{Matzav.com Israel}

Fed Chair Powell set to deliver big Jackson Hole speech Friday • Fed Chair Jerome Powell is set to deliver what almost certainly will be his last keynote address at the central bank’s annual conclave during one of the most tumultuous times in its history. • Amid several controversies, Powell could use the speech to at least take a sideswipe at the political distractions even if he holds to past practice of not taking direct aim. • The speech is billed as an “Economic Outlook and Framework Review,” indicating Powell will take time to provide his views on broad conditions as well as discuss the Fed’s long-term policy goals.

The United States and the European Union agreed a joint statement on the framework trade deal struck at the end of July to end months of uncertainty for industries and consumers

House Oversight Committee Chairman James Comer (R-Ky.) said Thursday that former White House spokesman Ian Sams admitted he spoke with President Biden just two times during his more than two years in the administration — raising questions about who was truly making decisions in the West Wing. “One of the most shocking things to me,” Comer told reporters after Sams’ testimony, “is that he communicated with Joe Biden two times, he saw Joe Biden, talked to Joe Biden — two times.”

President Trump cracks joke before greeting local and federal law enforcement: “You’ve got to be very careful. You don’t want to slip or fall like somebody else I know.”  

Supreme Court allows Trump’s cuts to health research grants over DEI policies The Supreme Court on Thursday allowed Trump administration broad cuts to National Institutes of Health grants as part of the federal government’s campaign against diversity, equity and inclusion policies. But in a mixed decision the court left in place a different part of the lower court judge’s ruling that threw out the administration’s guidance document that introduced the policy, raising questions about whether it can be applied moving forward.

WATCH: Hurricane Erin as seen from the International Space Station on Wednesday. The storm is bringing large waves and coastal flooding to beaches along the Atlantic coast, including North Carolina’s Outer Banks.

Hachnosas Sefer Torah to Khal Birkas Shesh, Rabbi Rokach’s Shul on Regina Road in Airmont.  

During last night’s Yartzeit Tish of the Satmar Rov ZT’L, the Satmar Rebbe Shlita warned that anyone not aligned and following the Kiryas Yoel values in accordance with the Shitah set forth by the Rebbe ZT’L, should not move to the area, stating that the Rebbe ZT’L will hold accountable those who help bring such families in, and reminded that anyone buying property in Kiryas Yoel should not pay more than $250 per square foot, emphasizing that “Yiddish money is not hefker”. To Watch: https://drive.google.com/file/d/191ukdlSmqDJvLQ9VNRW7NopAetysVzdu/view?usp=sharing To Listen: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1jmtVjsKLuIj-kCej_1y7YtdtDjLiUkrQ/view?usp=drivesdk

Pam Bondi on Making D.C. Safe Again: There has not been a homicide in a week because of the presence of law enforcement. President Trump being out there today was an incredible inspiration to all of those men and women… they were so happy to see the President.

Villanova University president says report of an active shooter prompting shelter in place and major police response was a “cruel hoax”

In a powerful address delivered at the conclusion of bein hazemanim, Rav Moshe Tzadka, rosh yeshiva of Yeshiva Porat Yosef, spoke passionately about the growing challenges facing the Torah world and sharply criticized those who oppose it. Speaking before hundreds gathered at the central yeshivas bein hazemanim in the Shmuel HaNavi neighborhood of Yerushalayim, he reminded the audience that “we have nothing but the holy Torah,” emphasizing that Torah remains the Jewish people’s ultimate source of strength and protection.

The summer bein hazemanim has now come to an end, and thousands of yeshiva students are returning to their daily learning. This week, hundreds crowded into the bais medrash near Rav Tzadka’s home to hear his heartfelt words of inspiration, delivered to strengthen their commitment to Torah despite the mounting societal pressures.

Rav Tzadka addressed the increasingly difficult challenges facing the Torah community, both from within and from outside forces. “The trials grow from day to day,” he declared. “But our effort and toil in Torah, even in these times, are our weapon and our strength.”

At the peak of his drasha, Rav Tzadka turned directly to those he described as persecuting the Torah world, responding sharply to calls for universal army enlistment. “‘They say everyone should join the army?’” he asked with deep anguish. “These are the most foolish of the foolish, people who never learned Torah!”

He continued forcefully: “They should be passing a law that everyone must go to yeshiva! That’s what the yeshiva students are doing! But these poor fools — where did they ever learn anything? They are like children who were raised without knowledge!”

Rav Tzadka stressed that the very foundation of the Jewish people’s existence rests solely on the Torah. “What is the Jewish nation without Torah? We have nothing but the holy Torah!” he proclaimed, making it clear that no substitute exists for deep dedication to Torah study.

Quoting Chazal, Rav Tzadka reminded the gathering: “What should a person do to be saved from the trials of the era of Moshiach? He should immerse himself in Torah!” He emphasized that complete devotion to Torah study is the only true response to the challenges of this generation.

{Matzav.com Israel}

Vice President JD Vance pitched President Donald Trump’s sweeping new law as a “working families’ tax cut” during a visit Thursday to a refrigeration facility in swing-state Georgia, a preview of the midterm message that Republicans are expected to campaign on next year. In his third trip to promote Trump’s tax cuts and spending bill, Vance cited its tax cut extensions as well as tax breaks on overtime and tips that he said “rewards you instead of punishes you for working hard.” “If you’re working hard, the government ought to leave you alone,” Vance said in his visit to Alta Refrigeration, an industrial refrigeration manufacturing facility in Peachtree City, in metro Atlanta. Less than 20 miles to the northeast, Democratic Sen. Jon Ossoff was also talking about the tax law but noting provisions that cut Medicaid and food stamps by $1.2 trillion. He pointed to reports this week from Evans Memorial Hospital, a rural hospital in Claxton, Georgia, where the facility’s CEO is blaming the law for a $3.3 million hole in the hospital’s budget. Bill Lee, the president and CEO of the hospital, told reporters that it might need to cut its intensive care unit. “To be very blunt, I think it is embarrassing for the vice president to be coming to Georgia to sell a policy that is already resulting in harm,” Ossoff said in Jonesboro at the Clayton County Chamber of Commerce. The visits encapsulate how both Republicans and Democrats are seeking to capitalize on the president’s signature law before the 2026 elections, where U.S. House, Senate and governor’s seats are up for grabs. The races will give voters nationwide one of their first chances to weigh in on the second Trump presidency. In Peachtree City, Vance described the cuts to Medicaid as ensuring that people who are in the United States illegally are not receiving benefits meant for low-income people. “It’s not about kicking people off of health care,” Vance said. “It’s about kicking illegal aliens the hell out of this country, so that we can preserve health care for American families.” Vance was joined by two members of Congress, Buddy Carter and Mike Collins, and former college football coach Derek Dooley, all of whom who are running in the GOP race to challenge Ossoff next year. At the Alta Refrigeration facility, Vance stood in a warehouse in front of a large American flag and two banners that said, “Jobs! Jobs! Jobs!” As he spoke to several hundred people, the vice president also said he was proud to have gone out in the District of Columbia with Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth on Wednesday to visit National Guard troops that Trump has deployed in the city as part of a law enforcement crackdown. “We’ve got to take America’s streets back for the American people,” Vance said. He was asked if the administration expected to deploy troops in Atlanta, too. Vance did not directly answer but said the Republican administration has focused on the situation in the nation’s capital. “We hope the people see what we’re doing in Washington, D.C., and follow our example all across the country,” he said. Last month, Vance also promoted the new law in visits to areas in Ohio and Pennsylvania that are expected to have competitive U.S. House races next year. While […]

A string of tefillin thefts has struck the Chabad World Headquarters at 770 Eastern Parkway in Crown Heights, Brooklyn, where the central Tomchei Tmimim yeshiva is located. Hundreds of students from across the globe, including many from Israel, study at the location, which has become a hub for visitors and  mispallelim alike.

On Thursday, security footage from the building was circulated within the local community, showing a man suspected of stealing a pair of tefillin. The suspect, wearing a sun hat and attempting to conceal his face, can be seen entering the premises through the back door. He walks toward a side bookshelf, discreetly grabs a pair of tefillin, and quickly exits the building before anyone notices.

According to askanim, the suspect is already known to them. A warning was issued urging residents to avoid assisting him in any way. “One must be careful and keep him away,” a Chabad community representative said. “Anyone helping him, whether knowingly or innocently, should understand they are indirectly participating in a criminal act.”

The Chabad World Headquarters is a bustling location where hundreds of people are present throughout the day. Many students and visitors leave their tefillin in the beis medrash without supervision, making them easy targets for theft. Reports of missing items have increased in recent months, and security concerns are mounting.

Just last month, another theft was recorded when an African-American man disguised himself as a chassid, wearing a makeshift kneitch hat and visible tzitzis over his shirt. He managed to steal two expensive sets of tefillin valued at roughly $7,000. Surveillance footage captured him in the act, and the video was widely shared among Shomrim volunteers to assist in the search.

In that previous incident, one of the stolen tefillin bags contained an Apple AirTag tracker. The device transmitted the tefillin’s precise location to volunteers, revealing that they were in Manhattan. With the information in hand, Shomrim quickly dispatched a team, located the thief, and successfully recovered the tefillin.

Chabad activists are urging students and visitors to remain alert and secure their belongings. “This is not an isolated problem,” a local source said. “We have seen several incidents over the past few weeks, and people need to be more cautious with their tefillin and other valuables.”

{Matzav.com}