Dublin councillor and ex-coach of Conor McGregor, Philip Sutcliffe, shared a WhatsApp video promoting antisemitic conspiracy theories and a 'final solution' claim Itamar Eichner https://ynet-pic1.yit.co.il/picserver6/crop_images/2024/11/22/S17xiB0G1g/S17xiB0G1g_0_133_2816_1586_0_small.jpg https://www.ynetnews.com/jewish-world/article/r1n3drckmg Sat, 23 May 2026 10:47:10 +03:00 Former Olympic boxer Philip Sutcliffe, who once coached Irish MMA fighter Conor McGregor and now serves as a Dublin city councillor, has triggered a public controversy in Ireland after sharing a highly antisemitic video on his WhatsApp status. The video included clips of Adolf Hitler alongside narration promoting antisemitic conspiracy theories, including claims of Jewish “degenerate Hollywood,” pornography and the “white replacement.” It also claimed the world has a “serious Jewish problem” and called for a “real final solution” — a phrase associated with the Nazi extermination plan during the Holocaust. The backlash erupted after the video was circulated on Sutcliffe’s WhatsApp status. Sutcliffe, who was elected in 2024 to the Dublin City Council representing the Ballyfermot–Drimnagh area, later removed the post following strong criticism from Ireland’s Jewish community and politicians. In his defence, Sutcliffe said he had shared the video without fully watching it. “I probably shared something I shouldn’t have,” he said, adding that someone had sent it to him and he likely “just hit the share button.” He also insisted he does not support the antisemitic content. Ireland’s Jewish community reacted with anger. The Jewish Representative Council of Ireland said members of the community are “tired” of incitement and rising antisemitism, stressing that if similar prejudice were directed at another minority, there would be immediate and clear condemnation. Irish reports also noted this is not the first time Sutcliffe has faced controversy over social media posts. Last year he apologised after sharing a photo of a defaced ballot paper containing racist and homophobic remarks, again claiming it was a “accidentally shared.” The incident has drawn wider public attention due to Sutcliffe’s ties to McGregor, one of Ireland’s most famous athletes, whom he has coached in boxing and accompanied at public and political events. message b1pbtha1me AIPAC faces a mounting crisis ahead of US midterms as it pours record sums into costly primaries to defeat critics, while bipartisan support for Israel erodes, Democrats reject donations and both parties see rising anti-Israel sentiment pressure Tzippy Shmilovitz, New York https://ynet-pic1.yit.co.il/picserver6/crop_images/2018/03/06/8389512/8389512_0_0_1300_867_0_small.jpg https://www.ynetnews.com/jewish-world/article/b1pbtha1me Sat, 23 May 2026 09:29:35 +03:00 Kentucky's 4th congressional district is not particularly important in the broader picture of the 435 voting members of the U.S. House of Representatives. Still, the Republican primary held there on Tuesday ahead of the November midterm elections was among the most turbulent, talked-about and expensive in history, with at least $32 million spent on campaign advertising. At the center of the race was Thomas Massie, a veteran Republican congressman who has served for nearly 14 years. Over the past year, Massie became the biggest thorn in Donald Trump’s side, leading calls to release the Epstein files, publicly criticizing massive spending on gilded ballroom projects and renovations in Washington, and loudly opposing not only the war with Iran but also aid packages to Israel. Trump eventually decided he had had enough and recruited Ed Gallrein, a former Navy SEAL, to run against Massie. For the first time in a decade, Massie faced a serious primary threat, with the U.S. president’s social media account attacking him relentlessly on a daily basis. Massie indeed lost easily. In fact, he never really had a chance. Not only because when Trump decides to end a Republican career, it tends to end, but also because Massie had crossed one of the most powerful political organizations in Washington: the pro-Israel lobby AIPAC, which is now facing its most difficult period since its founding in 1954. AIPAC is in a deep and unprecedented crisis with the Democratic Party, where opposition to Israel is no longer a fringe position but part of the party mainstream. Massie, in a sense, represented the beginning of a challenge for AIPAC within the Republican ranks as well, even if still limited. For the lobby, it was crucial to stop that trend quickly. In the months leading up to the primary, AIPAC and other pro-Israel organizations spent more than $9 million in a campaign against Massie. Prominent Republican donors added another $7 million to a Super PAC aligned with Trump allies. Unlike recent Democratic primaries, where AIPAC tries to hide its involvement, this time the pro-Israel lobby went into open political warfare, to the point that Massie introduced a bill he called the “AIPAC Act,” aiming to force the organization to register as a foreign agent. The bill has no real chance of passing, just as Massie had no chance of surviving the financial tsunami directed against him. “When this race is over,” Massie told Politico last week, “whether I won or lost, that’s the story: Were they able to come in and take out a Republican who’s skeptical of Benjamin Netanyahu’s policies?” In his post-election speech, Massie added: “I would’ve come out sooner, but I had to call my opponent and concede. And it took a while to find Ed Gallrein in Tel Aviv.” But AIPAC’s victory barely conceals the deeper crisis Israel is facing in the United States amid the current government’s policies. About 1,000 kilometers from Kentucky, Israel faces a new headache: Chris Raab, who won the Democratic primary in Philadelphia with a sharply critical anti-Israel platform. Since no Republican is running against him for the House seat, Raab has effectively secured election to Congress in November. In his campaign, opposition to Israel and AIPAC was central, and after his victory he declared: “Fuck AIPAC.” In 2025, spending on lobbying activities in Washington crossed $5 billion for the first time. According to OpenSecrets, which tracks money in U.S. politics, the first quarter of 2026 also set a record with $1.4 billion in spending in a single quarter. More than 14,000 registered lobbyists operated in Washington last year, representing nearly 16,000 organizations, companies and clients. Many of them outspend AIPAC significantly, including tech giants, pharmaceutical companies and the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, but few organizations match AIPAC’s political influence. That power was built over decades of close ties between U.S. administrations and Israeli governments, and it is reinforced by the disproportionate influence of American Jews, who make up about 2.4% of the population. For decades, AIPAC maintained a strictly bipartisan approach, keeping both parties close. Its success as a lobby operating in Washington’s political chaos was extraordinary. That began to change when Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu started to erode bipartisan consensus on Israel in the U.S., while a new generation of Democrats in Washington became increasingly resistant to Israeli messaging and the lobby’s influence. AIPAC has the power to end political careers of those it views as hostile to Israel. Last year it spent more than $23 million successfully defeating progressive Democrats Cori Bush of Missouri and Jamaal Bowman of New York, both vocal critics of U.S. aid to Israel. It also invested more than $1 million in a Democratic primary in Oregon, helping Congresswoman Maxine Dexter defeat a progressive challenger. Dexter has since said that the U.S. must stop offensive arms transfers to Israel and ensure immediate and sustained humanitarian aid to Gaza. She is also part of the “Block the Bombs Act,” aimed at restricting certain arms sales to Israel. Although she is no longer on AIPAC’s target list in the current cycle, her positions reflect a significant erosion of the lobby’s standing. Another example is Democratic Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries. Once closely aligned with AIPAC, he was even nicknamed “AIPAC Shakur” by radio host Charlamagne Tha God. But he has recently begun engaging with J Street, a rival pro-Israel group supporting a two-state solution more aligned with traditional Democratic platforms. For nearly 70 years, AIPAC avoided direct involvement in elections, refrained from raising campaign funds and stayed out of public political battles, focusing instead on lobbying Congress and organizing trips to Israel. That model, combined with broad American support for Israel, made it one of Washington’s most successful bipartisan organizations. But as public opinion shifted, AIPAC underwent a major transformation. In 2021 it created political arms, including AIPAC PAC and the United Democracy Project, a Super PAC capable of spending unlimited sums to support or oppose candidates. Since 2022, AIPAC has spent more than $221 million in Democratic primaries alone. It sometimes operates through affiliated groups with less visible branding, aware that the AIPAC name has become toxic in some circles. Some Democrats who previously relied on AIPAC support have distanced themselves from the organization, including Morgan McGarvey, Deborah Ross and Valerie Foushee. In addition, most Senate Democrats recently voted to block arms sales to Israel, something few would have done just a few years ago. The change is also visible in congressional delegation trips to Israel organized by AIPAC. In 2023, 24 of 34 new House Democrats participated. This year, only 11 of 33 did so, and several canceled last minute. Some who attended reportedly returned to political backlash. Steny Hoyer, a longtime Democratic congressman who regularly joined such trips, said during a visit last August: “Israelis must take all necessary action to win this war against Hamas, recover hostages, preserve the safety of innocent Palestinian civilians.” That message, once effective, no longer carries the same weight. Hoyer, 86, will retire at the end of the year, as will Nancy Pelosi. Chuck Schumer, 75, remains one of Israel’s strongest Democratic supporters but has seen his influence decline. A new generation is emerging that knows Israel primarily through the Netanyahu government. The political break with AIPAC reflects broader shifts in Democratic voter attitudes. Analysts believe Biden’s handling of the Gaza war cost Kamala Harris hundreds of thousands of critical votes in 2024. Polls show Democrats increasingly blaming Israel for the escalation of the conflict with Iran. A recent New York Times poll found 57% of Democrats sympathize more with Palestinians compared to 17% with Israel. Among Republicans the numbers are reversed, with 66% favoring Israel. Among independents, 44% side with Palestinians versus 29% with Israel. Nearly 75% of Democrats now oppose military aid to Israel, up from 45% three years ago. NBC News found 57% of Democrats view Israel negatively, compared to 35% shortly after October 7. A Quinnipiac poll found 62% believe the U.S. supports Israel too much. These trends have freed many Democrats from traditional ties to AIPAC. Some potential 2028 presidential candidates have already distanced themselves. Cory Booker has said he will no longer accept donations from lobbying groups including AIPAC. California Governor Gavin Newsom said he has never taken and will “never take” AIPAC money. Senator Ruben Gallego has also refused future contributions. Many former AIPAC-friendly Democrats now see the organization as aligned with Netanyahu’s government. Others have become entangled in unexpected political fights, such as Daniel Biss, mayor of Evanston, who won a Democratic primary despite AIPAC opposition. Similar dynamics appeared in New Jersey, where AIPAC spent more than $2 million against Tom Malinowski, who was defeated by progressive candidate LaMonica McIver, who has described the Gaza war as “genocide.” Illinois Governor JB Pritzker, once a donor, said AIPAC has become a “pro-Trump group” and cut ties. Former Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel said he does not expect AIPAC support, as it will not come. Still, many leading Democrats avoided answering questions about AIPAC when asked by Politico, including Kamala Harris, Pete Buttigieg, Mark Kelly, Jon Ossoff, Wes Moore and Gretchen Whitmer. AIPAC’s current slate of endorsed candidates is now dominated by Republicans, though it still includes some Democrats. The trend, however, is clear. As longtime AIPAC spokesperson Marshall Wittmann recently told the New York Times that that “the overwhelming majority” of Democrats continue to understand that being pro-Israel “is both good politics and good policy.” message hjh4qgcyme Staff Sgt. K. grew up celebrating Jewish holidays and believing she was Jewish, only to discover she was not recognized as such under halacha; now serving in the IDF’s Panther Battalion, she is undergoing conversion: 'I never felt I wasn’t part of the Jewish people' Shilo Freid https://ynet-pic1.yit.co.il/picserver6/crop_images/2026/05/20/rJ6BaNjyfl/rJ6BaNjyfl_0_480_982_553_0_small.jpg https://www.ynetnews.com/jewish-world/article/hjh4qgcyme Fri, 22 May 2026 19:00:06 +03:00 Ahead of the Shavuot holiday, the State Conversion Authority in the Prime Minister’s Office this week held a national conference for conversion candidates in Jerusalem’s Old City under the banner “One Eternal People.” About 1,000 conversion candidates from across Israel, at various stages of the conversion process, attended the gathering, which aimed to connect participants and strengthen them ahead of the next stage of their journey. One of the participants was Staff Sgt. K., a 20-year-old combat soldier in the Panther Battalion of the Judea and Samaria Division. She grew up in Beersheba to parents who immigrated to Israel from Peru. Her family recited Kiddush every Friday night, observed Jewish holidays and maintained a deep connection to Jewish tradition and identity. “I grew up my entire life believing I was Jewish,” she said. “My great-grandfather escaped the Holocaust and arrived in South America, where he rebuilt his life. My grandfather promised him he would fulfill his wish and immigrate to Israel.” According to her, the family home in Peru was regularly open to Israelis traveling after their military service. “They would come to our home, speak Hebrew with us and connect to Judaism and Israeli culture. We talked about it all the time. Those were the values I grew up with,” she said. Even before enlisting in the military, she said, the IDF offered her the opportunity to join a conversion track, but she assumed it was a mistake. “I told them there was no way. I had lived my whole life as a Jewish person, so I thought it was obviously an error,” she said. About six months ago, during a conversation with her cousin, she discovered for the first time that according to Jewish law she was not considered Jewish. “It was frustrating and deeply unsettling,” she said. “I spent my whole life going to synagogue and living a Jewish life, and suddenly I understood that according to halacha, I apparently wasn’t Jewish.” Despite the shock, she said she refused to give up her sense of belonging and connection to Judaism. She is currently undergoing conversion through Nativ, the military conversion program that operates under the State Conversion Authority in the Prime Minister’s Office. “I decided that this discovery would not stop me from being Jewish. It was very important for me to stay close to Judaism,” she said. “I’m waiting to appear before the rabbinical court and complete the process successfully.” As part of the course, she studies Torah, Jewish law and prayers from morning until evening. She said her mother supports her decision and is also planning to undergo conversion herself. At the same time, she faces difficult moments with fellow soldiers. “My friends, who know me as a very religious person, discover that I’m not Jewish, and there’s something very unsettling about that, especially in the middle of military service as a combat soldier,” she said. Still, she said her sense of identity remains clear and stable. “Not for a single moment did I feel that I wasn’t part of the Jewish people,” she said. “That is the awareness with which I serve as a combat soldier and do everything for my country. In difficult moments, faith meets me very strongly, and that’s why I deeply believe in what I’m doing.” Rise in number of converts Before the main event, participants toured the Old City and visited the Western Wall. They later gathered at the Davidson Center for a ceremony attended by Sephardic Chief Rabbi David Yosef, Western Wall Rabbi Shmuel Rabinovitch, State Conversion Authority head Rabbi Yehuda Amichai and others. The participants represented a broad cross-section of Israeli society: soldiers and civilians, new immigrants and longtime residents, young and old, and residents of Israel’s north, south, center and peripheral communities. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu praised the work of the authority, calling state conversion “a tremendous national mission.” “It touches the heart of our identity and the future of the State of Israel as a Jewish state,” Netanyahu said. He linked the event to Shavuot and the biblical Book of Ruth, saying Ruth, who willingly chose Judaism and told Naomi, “Your people shall be my people, and your God my God”, symbolizes the choice to join the Jewish people. According to Netanyahu, those entering the conversion process today come from “every part of the mosaic of Israeli society.” He said the conversion authority would continue accompanying those seeking “to come under the wings of the Jewish people, the eternal people.” Rabbi Yehuda Amichai, head of the State Conversion Authority, also addressed the broader significance of conversion. “Love of the convert is not only concern for the convert themselves, but also the right and obligation of the Jewish people toward their future and identity,” he said. According to Amichai, the story of Ruth the convert, from whom the Davidic monarchy emerged, teaches that conversion is deeply woven into the continuity of the Jewish people. Data presented by the authority indicate a rise in the number of conversions in recent years, particularly since the outbreak of the Israel-Hamas war. In 2022, 1,087 people completed the conversion process. In 2023, when the war began at the end of the year, the number rose to 1,446. In 2024, 1,421 people completed conversion, and in 2025 the figure increased to 1,535. Officials said the increase also reflects a growing search for identity and a deeper connection to the Jewish people and the State of Israel, especially among soldiers, new immigrants and members of mixed families who have lived in Israel for many years and see themselves as an integral part of Israeli society. Alongside the increase in conversion candidates, a broad network of classes and training programs now operates nationwide. In 2026, 229 conversion classes operated across the country, with 134 currently active, not including classes in absorption centers for Ethiopian immigrants and members of the Bnei Menashe community. The classes are divided into five regions: north, center, Jerusalem, south and a separate track for Bnei Menashe candidates. There are 29 classes in the south, 35 in Jerusalem, 36 in the center and 34 in the north. In addition, 14 classes for Bnei Menashe candidates operate in Nof Hagalil and Kiryat Yam, along with 43 classes for Ethiopian immigrants in absorption centers in northern and southern Israel. Officials said instructors remain alongside conversion candidates throughout the process. Alongside the civilian tracks, the military conversion program Nativ is also operating, with 852 soldiers currently participating at various stages: 467 in the introductory stage, 173 in Seminar A, 172 in Seminar B and 40 career soldiers in a separate track. Classes are taught in multiple languages, including Hebrew, Russian, English, Spanish, French, Portuguese and Amharic, as well as additional languages for the Bnei Menashe community and Israeli Sign Language. Officials said cultural and linguistic adaptation is a central component in making the process accessible to candidates from diverse backgrounds. Currently, 5,910 students are studying within the conversion authority framework, including 5,160 in civilian preparatory tracks and about 750 soldiers in IDF conversion preparation courses. Officials emphasized that behind the numbers are thousands of personal stories of people seeking to fully join the Jewish people, and said the authority now functions as a broad national system supporting candidates from all sectors of Israeli society through Jewish studies, personal guidance and a deep connection to identity and national belonging. message byyappnygx After decades guiding expeditions through the Amazon and aiding remote Indigenous communities, 62-year-old Wilson Miranda Filho, now Micha, is building a new life in Efrat as he studies Torah and pursues conversion ynet Global https://ynet-pic1.yit.co.il/picserver6/crop_images/2026/05/21/S1IQ0TnyMl/S1IQ0TnyMl_1_237_953_537_0_small.jpg https://www.ynetnews.com/jewish-world/article/byyappnygx Fri, 22 May 2026 13:39:26 +03:00 In his previous life, Wilson Miranda Filho would travel by boat up the Amazon River for nearly six days, then walk another three days through dense jungle, machete in hand, to deliver medications and malaria vaccines to villages with no electricity, no roads and residents without citizenship. Today, he wakes at 5 a.m. in Efrat to pray vatikin, the prayer recited at sunrise, and spends every spare hour studying Torah. Now known as Micha, he is 62, athletic and upright, with a white beard, sidelocks and pale blue eyes that still seem to carry decades of navigating the unknown. Born in Brazil and raised in a modest Catholic family, he served for six years in a military search-and-rescue unit comparable to Israel’s Unit 669. “After my military service, I worked for decades as a guide in the Amazon jungle, accompanying tourists and expeditions of archaeologists and researchers,” he recounts. At the same time, Micha volunteered with an organization that assists local Indigenous communities in northern Brazil belonging to the Yanomami people. “Many times, rain accompanied me the entire way. Even sleeping in the rain became routine,” he says. It was there, in one of the most remote places on earth, that he first encountered the God of Israel. “My initial connection to Judaism began with a lecture on science by a Jewish speaker who wove in insights from Jewish wisdom,” he recalls. “But at that time, among the trees of the jungle, something inside me shifted. Something touched my innermost soul and led me to what would become the beginning of a spiritual journey.” He began studying alone, buying books and reading everything he could find. Later, he connected with the Jewish community in São Paulo, traveling more than two hours each way for morning prayers. He kept coming, day after day, slowly finding his place, largely on his own. Eventually, he concluded that if he was serious about conversion, he would need to do it in Israel. In 2013, he moved to Israel and spent about six months in a conversion ulpan and at a yeshiva in Jerusalem, exploring different parts of the religious world as he searched for his place within it. The fit was not right, and he returned to Brazil. But he never let go of Judaism. He continued learning on his own, following the weekly Torah portion and the teachings of the sages, observing blessings and holidays as best he understood them. Years later, wiser and more grounded in his search, he decided to return and finish what he had started. Through former ulpan students, he was introduced to Rabbanit Renana Birnbaum, director of the Ohr Torah Stone conversion program. “This time was different,” he says. “At Ohr Torah Stone, I was not only guided, I was welcomed warmly and given help finding housing and daily structure.” Micha has been studying at the ulpan for five months and received formal Rabbinate approval to begin the official conversion track two months ago. He considers himself only at the beginning of the process and expects a long road ahead, but he intends to remain in Israel permanently and build his life here. “Micha is entirely heart and entirely soul,” says Rabbanit Birnbaum. “He doesn’t make life easy for us as teachers, because he asks questions that force us to think deeply.” As an example, she recalls a recent discussion he initiated while learning about Lag BaOmer and the tradition that Yehuda ben Gerim spoke against Rabbi Shimon bar Yochai to the Romans. “Micha asked countless questions: Why would a convert fail in this way, and was it related to a lack of respect for converts? He felt that, as a convert, he would expect very different behavior,” she says. “I feel that he refines us through questions that come from such a deep place,” Rabbanit Birnbaum adds. “There is something unique about him. His inside matches his outside. That is why his process is so long and pure. That is something extraordinary in a person joining the Jewish people. We need many more like him to remind us to think and feel.” Micha has kept the discipline he built over a lifetime. He exercises daily, cycles regularly and, two weeks ago, completed the Jerusalem half-marathon with a backpack on his back. “I feel very connected to the Jewish people,” he says. “For me, I have already fulfilled my dream: to live in the Land of Israel and study Torah. This is where I want to continue building my life.” message s1zksz3yfx Daughter of the Phoenician king Ethbaal and wife of Israel’s King Ahab, Jezebel promoted Baal worship, battled Elijah and engineered Naboth’s death before meeting a brutal end foretold by prophecy Eliezer Hayun https://ynet-pic1.yit.co.il/picserver6/crop_images/2026/05/18/S1TaQHu1fe/S1TaQHu1fe_1_49_501_282_0_small.jpg https://www.ynetnews.com/jewish-world/article/s1zksz3yfx Fri, 22 May 2026 04:16:54 +03:00 She was the daughter of Ethbaal, the idol-worshipping king of Sidon and Tyre, who married Ahab, king of Israel, as part of a political alliance. She eventually died after being hurled from a window, with dogs leaving behind only her skull, hands and feet. Jezebel is depicted as one of the most dominant female figures in Jewish tradition, though she is presented in an overwhelmingly negative light. The Bible attributes to her cunning and enormous influence over one of the strongest kings of the Kingdom of Israel, while rabbinic tradition added further layers to her image. The leader who called a prophet 'the troubler of Israel' It is impossible to truly understand the Israelite-Phoenician queen Jezebel without first understanding her husband, Ahab, one of Israel’s greatest kings. The Bible recounts how, after the death of King Solomon, the united kingdom split into two: the Kingdom of Judah under Rehoboam and the Kingdom of Israel under Jeroboam. Jeroboam strayed from God’s ways, and through the prophet Ahijah, God promised to bring disaster upon his house. After more than 20 years on the throne, Jeroboam died. Six kings followed him in rapid succession: Nadab, Baasha, Elah, Zimri, Tibni and Omri. Then came Ahab — and he was different. He was a leader. The six relatively mediocre kings before him focused mainly on political and military matters. Religion and culture interested them far less, and they largely continued Jeroboam’s legacy. Ahab rejected that passivity. In his view, a king was not merely a governing figure responsible for national security. A ruler, he believed, had to reshape his people according to his worldview, including in spiritual and moral matters. Ahab therefore decided to institutionalize idol worship in Israel. The Bible states: “And Ahab made an Asherah. Ahab did more to provoke the God of Israel, to anger than all the kings of Israel who were before him.” Rabbinic tradition was equally harsh. Rabbi Yohanan said Ahab inscribed on the gates of Samaria that he denied the God of Israel, and claimed there was not a single furrow in the land where Ahab had not placed an idol and bowed to it. This organized rejection of God eventually led to the dramatic confrontation between Ahab and the prophet Elijah. Ahab mocked the prophecy that idol worship would bring drought upon the land, and Elijah responded by declaring that drought would indeed come. Yet alongside this organized apostasy, Ahab was also regarded as a great ruler. “It is important to remember that Ahab was responsible for a major construction boom in the land,” said Rabbi Nechemia Steinberger, rabbi of Ohel Yitzhak synagogue in Jerusalem and host of a Bible podcast on the Kikar HaShabat website. “He built many new cities and led the people into one of the most prosperous economic periods in their history. Militarily and politically as well, Ahab’s empire was considered one of the greatest in Israel’s history.” Steinberger notes that rabbinic tradition says Ahab “ruled the world,” with hundreds of kings subject to him. Archaeological inscriptions discovered in the 19th century also describe his vast military power, including an unusually large number of soldiers and chariots. Steinberger believes this explains why Ahab, meeting Elijah during the years of drought, angrily asks him: “Is that you, troubler of Israel?” Ahab appears genuinely convinced that Elijah, perhaps through mystical powers, had brought the drought upon the people. The encounter occurs while Ahab himself is searching for water and grass alongside Obadiah — again presenting him as a king personally concerned for his people. Ahab’s death would once again combine these contradictions. Before the great battle against the king of Aram, he ignored the warnings of the true prophet Micaiah, who predicted defeat, and instead listened to 400 false prophets promising victory. During the battle, Ahab fought on the front lines like an ordinary soldier until a stray arrow struck him. Blood poured from his body, yet he refused to lie down or evacuate, remaining upright in his chariot so his troops would not see his condition and lose morale. The Bible describes how he finally died by evening, his blood filling the floor of the chariot. According to the text, dogs later licked his blood exactly as Elijah had prophesied. The mastermind Despite the negative associations surrounding her name, scholars believe “Jezebel” may originally have been a prestigious royal title. She was the daughter of Ethbaal, king of Sidon and Tyre. By marrying the daughter of such an influential foreign ruler, Ahab hoped to strengthen ties between the kingdoms. Political marriages were common in the ancient world, but Ahab may not have realized that Jezebel had no intention of serving merely as a decorative symbol of the alliance. If she was coming to Israel, she intended to wield power. And she did. Ahab quickly learned that he could rely on his strong-willed wife in both the theological and political arenas. Whether the two were deeply in love or whether Jezebel’s devotion was primarily a means of preserving her own power is impossible to know, but the biblical account is unequivocal regarding her influence: “There was none who sold himself to do what was evil in the sight of the Lord like Ahab, whom Jezebel his wife incited.” Rabbinic tradition adds that every day she weighed Ahab and donated an equivalent weight in gold to idol worship — a kind of intimate pagan ritual reserved only for the two of them. But Jezebel understood that this was not enough. Recognizing the influence of God’s prophets, she launched a mass campaign against them while simultaneously building her own royal court of 850 prophets of Baal and Asherah. This was power that could not be ignored. Not only did the kingdom’s greatest statesman stand beside her, but nearly a thousand prophets figuratively ate from her hand. What she failed to account for was Elijah. The prophet from Gilead, unafraid of confronting Ahab, declared that rain would cease. He later staged the dramatic showdown on Mount Carmel, where fire descended from heaven to consume his offering while ignoring those of the false prophets. Afterward, Elijah brought the false prophets down to the Kishon River and slaughtered them. When Ahab informed Jezebel of Elijah’s actions, she erupted in fury and vowed revenge. She even sent Elijah a direct message warning that within a day his life would be taken just as he had taken the lives of her prophets. Elijah fled once again and later passed his prophetic authority to his disciple Elisha. When the king’s honor was hurt The story of Naboth’s vineyard offers another glimpse into the dynamic between the royal couple. Ahab descended to his winter palace in Jezreel and noticed a vineyard he desired. He asked Naboth for it, but Naboth refused to part with his ancestral inheritance. Ahab reacted dramatically, returning home “sullen and vexed,” lying on his bed, turning his face away and refusing to eat. Why was he so devastated? After all, it was only a vineyard. Steinberger explains that Jezebel immediately grasped the deeper issue: the king’s honor had been wounded. She promised to restore his status. The vineyard itself mattered less than what it represented — the authority of the king. “Do you now reign over Israel? Arise, eat bread, and let your heart be joyful; I will give you the vineyard of Naboth the Jezreelite.” Jezebel effectively tells him. Naboth, unknowingly, became a central figure in the cruel drama surrounding the emotions of the man sitting on Israel’s throne. Jezebel sent letters in Ahab’s name to the elders and judges of Jezreel. False witnesses soon appeared, accusing Naboth of cursing God and the king. The corrupt judges accepted the testimony, sentenced Naboth to death and had him stoned outside the city. They then sent Jezebel a brief message: “Naboth has been stoned and is dead.” That was enough. Jezebel hurried to Ahab to inform him that Naboth was gone and the vineyard was now his. As Ahab happily made his way to claim the vineyard, Elijah confronted him with the famous rebuke: “Have you murdered and also taken possession?” Why did Elijah address Ahab rather than Jezebel, who orchestrated the scheme? Politics, it seems, never changes. Kings, presidents and prime ministers throughout history have claimed they “did not know” about the actions of their wives, children or aides. Others were blamed — chiefs of staff, advisers, assistants. They were the guilty ones. The rulers themselves, supposedly, knew nothing. The queen’s end After Ahab’s death, his son Ahaziah became king. When Ahaziah died childless, his brother Jehoram succeeded him. Meanwhile, Elisha instructed one of the prophets to anoint Jehu son of Jehoshaphat as king. His mission was to destroy the house of Ahab and establish a faithful and righteous monarchy. Jehu, portrayed as cold and fully self-controlled, quickly rode to Jezreel, where Jehoram was staying. When Jehoram asked him, “Is it peace, Jehu?” the new king answered furiously: “What peace, so long as the prostitution of your mother Jezebel and her witchcraft abound?” Jehoram attempted to flee but was killed, his body thrown into Naboth’s vineyard. Jehu then turned his attention to Jezebel herself. The queen mother had already heard of the revolt and prepared for Jehu’s arrival in her own way: “She painted her eyes, adorned her head and looked out the window.” Why beautify herself at such a moment? Perhaps Jezebel hoped to seduce the new ruler and save her life. More likely, she chose to die as a queen — regal and fearless to the end. Jehu was unmoved. Looking up at the window, he called out: “Who is on my side? Who?” And two or three eunuchs looked down at him. “Throw her down!” yelled Jehu. So they threw her down. They did. Her blood spattered the wall and the horses, and Jehu trampled her under his horse's hooves. Moments later, Jehu calmly sat down to eat and drink. Only afterward did he order that Jezebel be buried, “for she is a king’s daughter.” But when servants went to bury her, they found only her skull, feet and palms. The rest had been devoured by dogs, fulfilling Elijah’s prophecy that “Dogs will eat Ahab's wife Jezebel at the plot of land in Jezreel.” Rabbinic tradition explains that the queen’s skull, hands and feet remained intact because she used to celebrate with Israelite brides and grooms on their wedding days, dancing, clapping and rejoicing with them. For Steinberger, this final detail captures the unusual complexity that defined the royal couple: genuine concern, empathy and attentiveness toward ordinary people alongside profound moral and theological corruption. message b1vq4bnygg ANU Museum displays 700-year-old Genesis fragments from one of only five known early Spanish Torah scrolls, revealing lost scribal traditions from before the expulsion Itamar Eichner https://ynet-pic1.yit.co.il/picserver6/crop_images/2026/05/20/Hk7URUzokfx/Hk7URUzokfx_1_104_1601_901_0_small.jpg https://www.ynetnews.com/jewish-world/article/b1vq4bnygg Thu, 21 May 2026 14:05:02 +03:00 ANU - Museum of the Jewish People is displaying rare parchment sheets from a medieval Spanish Torah scroll for the first time, offering a glimpse into Jewish life and scribal traditions in Spain before the expulsion. The fragments, which include Genesis chapters 28-46, are among only five early Spanish Torah scrolls known today, the museum said. They have been preserved in exceptional condition for hundreds of years and are being shown ahead of Shavuot, the festival marking the giving of the Torah. The scroll was written in ink on parchment in a square Spanish Hebrew script typical of the period. Carbon dating places it in the late 13th or early 14th century, making it about 700 years old. Few Spanish Torah scrolls from before the expulsion have survived, especially compared with medieval Ashkenazi scrolls. Torah scrolls often shared the fate of the communities that used them and were destroyed, lost or displaced during periods of persecution, fire and expulsion. Some were taken by Jews expelled from Spain to new communities, while others ended up in Christian hands, preserved in church libraries or reused as binding material for books. The scroll’s importance lies not only in its age and origin but also in its distinctive writing tradition. Alongside ornamental crowns above certain Hebrew letters, other letters were marked with special tags and stylized forms known in rabbinic literature as “unusual letters.” The museum said these markings were not merely decorative but reflected an ancient tradition in which the visual form of a Hebrew letter carried interpretive, spiritual and sometimes mystical meaning. The tradition drew on rabbinic sources and later played a central role in the writings of Hasidei Ashkenaz, a Jewish mystical and ascetic movement in the German Rhineland in the 12th and 13th centuries, as well as in “Sefer Tagin,” which catalogued unique scribal markings in Torah scrolls. Over time, especially from the early modern period onward, this tradition faded in favor of a more standardized scribal style and is no longer practiced today. Researchers have also identified later annotations and corrections on the fragments, suggesting the scroll continued to serve a Jewish community over time. At some point, the original scroll appears to have been dismantled, leaving only some of its parchment sheets intact. The scroll is on loan to the museum from the Feld Family Collection. Oded Revivi, CEO of ANU, said unveiling the scroll ahead of Shavuot carried special meaning. “Beyond its extraordinary historical value, it reminds us that the Torah scroll has long served as a focal point of Jewish identity, memory and creativity,” he said. “Every letter, ornament and marking tells a story of community, faith and a rich spiritual world built over centuries. “The survival of these fragments through the upheavals of history allows us to offer the public a rare and tangible glimpse into the cultural and spiritual world of Spanish Jewry in the centuries before the expulsion.” Chief curator Dr. Orit Shaham Gover said the fragments allow visitors to encounter “a world that was almost lost,” including scribal traditions, calligraphy and the spiritual ideas of medieval Spanish Jewry. “In today’s fast and digital age, encountering the original handwriting, the ink traces and the decorated letters creates an unmediated connection to people, communities and Jewish memory passed down for hundreds of years,” she added. message b1bjadiyfe On Shavuot, tradition links King David’s birth and death to the holiday and the reading of the Book of Ruth; from Bethlehem’s fields to Ein Gedi’s caves, the story links faith, exile and royal destiny Joel Rappel https://ynet-pic1.yit.co.il/picserver6/crop_images/2026/05/20/r1xYJ4okMe/r1xYJ4okMe_1_89_1955_1101_0_small.jpg https://www.ynetnews.com/jewish-world/article/b1bjadiyfe Thu, 21 May 2026 08:49:54 +03:00 Different reasons were given by the sages for the tradition of reading the Book of Ruth on Shavuot. The first is linked to Ruth’s identity as a convert: “When Israel received the Torah, they also converted and came under the wings of the Divine Presence, and Ruth the Moabite also came under the wings of the Divine Presence.” A well-known quote from Ruth’s words to Naomi expresses her acceptance of the people of Israel: “Your people will be my people, and your God will be my God.” Another reason is that the book is entirely about kindness, and the Torah given on Shavuot is entirely about kindness. A further explanation relates to the timing of the story, described as “at the beginning of the barley harvest” — the harvest season. But there is yet another reason. According to tradition mentioned in the Jerusalem Talmud, King David was born and died on Shavuot. This provides another explanation for reading the Book of Ruth on this holiday: the closing verses of the scroll include the genealogy of King David. According to the biblical account, David, the sweet singer of Israel whose life and deeds have long inspired the imagination of generations, is in fact a descendant of Ruth and Boaz. The biblical David was born in Bethlehem, the town to which the prophet Samuel was sent to anoint him king of Israel. The Bible describes how Jesse presented his sons, but none were deemed worthy in Samuel’s eyes to rule Israel. Before leaving, Samuel asked Jesse: “Are these all the young men?” and Jesse replied: “Here is still the youngest, but he is tending the sheep.” That shepherd, ruddy and handsome, called from the fields of Bethlehem to kingship, sparked reflection among the sages on the connection between shepherding flocks and leadership of a nation — a link also familiar from the story of Moses and other patriarchs. Legend has it that King David was an exceptional shepherd who knew the feeding times for each type of animal and the appropriate food for each: he would take out the young goats and feed them the tips of the grass. He would take out the lambs and feed them the middle of the grass, and he would take out the old sheep and feed them the heartiest part of the grass. God said: Since he knows how to tend my sheep, he will tend these sheep of Israel. The well of King David At the very beginning of David’s reign, the Philistines invaded deep into Judah and seized Bethlehem. The Bible recounts: “And David was then in an hold, and the garrison of the Philistines was then in Bethlehem. And David longed, and said, Oh that one would give me drink of the water of the well of Bethlehem, which is by the gate! And the three mighty men brake through the host of the Philistines, and drew water out of the well of Bethlehem, that was by the gate, and took it, and brought it to David” (2 Samuel 23:14–16). The biblical description strongly resembles the scene visible to visitors in Bethlehem today: a hill city, whose inhabitants still partly rely on agriculture, grain crops and vineyards like Boaz, or sheep like David. The eastern and southern edges of the city border the Judean Desert. In the northern part, within a courtyard sacred in Christian tradition, a rainwater cistern is carved into the rock. According to tradition, this well is associated with King David and is called in Arabic “Beit Dawud.” From childhood, David was a brave, curious and ambitious boy. He was still young when he left his father’s flock and went to the Valley of Elah, west of Bethlehem, to witness the battle between the Philistines and Israel. The Bible describes how on the battlefield he did not hesitate to confront the Philistine giant Goliath, fully armed. With a shepherd’s sling and five smooth stones from the stream, weapons from his youth, David defeated the enemy commander. Why five stones? The sages interpreted them as representing the Holy One, the three patriarchs and Aaron the priest. Jealousy as a shield Jealousy is a human trait that appears in varying degrees among different people. The Bible describes how King Saul suspected his young son-in-law David, husband of his daughter Michal, of seeking to take the crown and seize the monarchy from his family. The people’s song “Saul has struck down his thousands, and David his tens of thousands” intensified the king’s fear, turning it into hostility and psychological instability. David, persecuted by Saul, found refuge in the Cave of Adullam near the Valley of Elah. Rabbinic tradition tells a legend about his experiences in the cave: once David sat in his garden and saw a wasp eating a spider. He said to God: what benefit are these creatures? The wasp destroys honey and is of no use; the spider weaves all year and produces no clothing. God replied: David, you mock My creatures; a time will come when you will need them. When David hid in a cave from King Saul, God sent a spider that wove a web across the entrance, sealing it. Saul arrived, saw the web and concluded no one had entered, since it would have been torn, and left. When David emerged and saw the spider, he kissed it and said: blessed be your Creator and blessed are you. Wonders of Ein Gedi David and his men sought refuge in the frontier settlements of the Judean Desert, which David knew well from his years as a shepherd. As Saul’s reach extended there as well, David and his men moved to the strongholds of Ein Gedi. Only after exhausting their options in the area did they turn to hiding among Israel’s enemies, the Philistines. In those days, Ein Gedi was known for its vineyards and balsam plantations, and its landscape is poetically described in the Song of Songs and preserved today in the nature reserve that attracts tens of thousands of visitors each year. The green oasis, with springs flowing year-round, waterfalls and streams cutting through lush canyons, stands in stark contrast to the surrounding desert. The name of David, who according to tradition hid in this area, is preserved in David Stream and in the spring flowing in the heart of the desert, Ein Gedi’s David Spring. According to tradition, one of David’s descendants will be the Messiah, who will also be born, like him, in Bethlehem. The centrality of the city around which the story of the Book of Ruth unfolds is reflected in the words of the prophet Micah: “But you, Bethlehem Ephrathah, though you are small among the clans of Judah, from you shall come forth for me one who will rule in Israel.” message rygpgz2kfx From the Book of Numbers to Ruth and King David, Nachshon’s legacy shows that holiness and leadership belong to those who take responsibility, act with courage and move the nation forward Michael Eisenberg https://ynet-pic1.yit.co.il/picserver6/crop_images/2019/04/16/9190975/9190975_0_127_1000_563_0_small.jpg https://www.ynetnews.com/jewish-world/article/rygpgz2kfx Thu, 21 May 2026 07:02:30 +03:00 In the opening portions of the Book of Numbers, Nachshon ben Aminadav stands out. This prominence extends to the holiday of Shavuot, which always falls between these two weekly Torah portions. On Shavuot, we read the Book of Ruth, where Nachshon serves as the central axis, positioned exactly in the middle of the ten-generation lineage connecting Perez, the son of Judah, to King David: "Perez begot Hezron; Hezron begot Ram, and Ram begot Amminadab. Amminadab begot Nahshon, and Nahshon begot Salmah. Salmon begot Boaz, and Boaz begot Obed. Obed begot Jesse, and Jesse begot David." (Ruth 4:18-21) This genealogical list deliberately begins with Perez rather than Judah himself, to emphasize Perez's breakthrough from the womb, having pushed ahead to exit before his twin brother. The community's blessing to Boaz at the end of the story of Ruth echoes this emphasis: "...and let your house be like the house of Perez, whom Tamar bore to Judah..." (Ruth 4:12). We also see this with David: "...and he was accepted in the sight of all the people... because he went out and came in before them" (I Samuel 18:5-16), which means that he led them into battle. The nation deeply recognizes the value of this profound tradition of courage, audacity, breakthrough, responsibility and leadership. Like Abraham initiating a war to rescue his nephew Lot, David confronting Goliath or Nachshon, who was leading the conquering march toward the land of Israel, they all moved forward into an unknown and threatening future. Encampment vs. journey Correspondingly, in this week’s Torah portion reading - Nasso, Nachshon is chosen to be the first of the twelve tribal princes to bring an offering for the dedication of the Tabernacle. This choice prompts a question: why didn't the prince of the tribe of Reuven, who was the firstborn, offer first? This question highlights the gap between Chapter 1 of Numbers and Chapter 2. Chapter 1 lists the princes and census results by birth order, starting with Reuven and ending with the camp layout wrapped around the central Tabernacle. Chapter 2 completely resets the narrative. Although this chapter concludes by repeating the same census totals as Chapter 1, the structural order is completely changed as the order begins with Judah and Nachshon, who "shall journey first". Reuven's camp is designated to journey in the second group. Why does Chapter 2 echo Chapter 1 while altering the tribal order? Why does Chapter 7 in this week's portion, which describes the dedication offerings, follow Chapter 2's journeying order rather than Chapter 1's resting order? The difference lies in resting versus journeying toward a destination. Chapter 1 focuses on the stationary camp, using the natural birthright order starting with Reuven. Chapter 2 describes the journey, where leading is not a privilege, but a mission involving heavy responsibility and costs. Surprisingly, though the dedication of the Tabernacle was performed while the people were stationary it followed the journeying order. This teaches that the Divine Presence dwells among us to stimulate action, creativity and forward progress. Holiness leadership in spiritual endeavors follows productive action, including leading military action like Nachshon Ben Aminadab, that inherently instills Torah values within the nation. Chronologically, the dedication (Chapter 7) occurred on the first of Nisan, a month before the census described in Chapter 1. By altering the chronological order, the Torah narrative conveys a message: holiness belongs to those who take responsibility and possess audacity. This applies to Nachshon crossing the sea and leading into battle, Boaz descending directly into the fields to notice the poor widow Ruth, and David joyfully bringing the Ark of God to Jerusalem. The dangers of initiative Yet, innovators and initiative takers sometimes fail. According to the Sages, the first of Nissan was the exact day Nachshon's nephews, Nadav and Avihu (the sons of Aaron), were consumed by fire after entering the sanctuary with a foreign fire they were not commanded to bring. Nachshon's distinctive offering of a golden ladle filled with incense suggests that Nadav and Avihu may have been inspired by the spirit of the day and by Nachshon's personal initiative to break in. The distinction is critical: Nachshon plunged into the sea to fulfill a divine command ("speak to the children of Israel, that they go forward"), and march toward the conquest of the Land, creating a breakthrough for the entire nation and encouraging everyone to follow. Nadav and Avihu's breakthrough was a personal, sectorial act to draw close to God. One cannot appropriate holiness for oneself. True leadership belongs to those who pull the collective forward. Following their deaths, Aaron and his surviving sons refrained from eating Nachshon's offering. It demonstrates the gap between them as the servants of the Tabernacle to the breakthrough leadership who take self-risks where the community can follow. In Megillat Ruth, Nachshon’s descendants clearly internalized this lesson. While others distanced themselves from Naomi and Ruth, Boaz took responsibility for both of them. He protected Ruth in his fields and ultimately showed audacity by navigating and innovating delicate halakhic boundaries regarding Moabite converts in order to marry her. This was an important message to the community, and to future generations, regarding the treatment of the stranger and regarding bold halakhic ruling. Future challenges The future is unknown and, as noted in my book Milk, Honey and Uncertainty, nowadays is shifting rapidly through wars, challenged democracies, collapsing welfare states and disruptive artificial intelligence. The future can feel as daunting as a raging sea or an impending war. It brings anxieties, much like a Moabite widow crossing lines, proving that where Moabite men lacked the courage to greet Israel, perhaps women dared to lead. It mirrors the fear of a desert generation transitioning to an agricultural economy to bring the best of their first fruits before God on Shavuot, or a young shepherd boy, born on Shavuot, stepping out to fight a giant. Ultimately, the future becomes better when we refuse to be passive. Faced with international, security, social and economic challenges, we must be pioneers - acting as "Nachshonim" to lead the way forward. message bkwszwoyfl Fifteen years after rising from desert sand, the southern community honors four residents killed fighting Hamas on Oct. 7 while celebrating new Jewish National Fund-USA-backed projects meant to anchor future growth Romi Amar https://ynet-pic1.yit.co.il/picserver6/crop_images/2026/05/20/HkRlUwiJGl/HkRlUwiJGl_74_37_1207_679_0_small.jpg https://www.ynetnews.com/jewish-world/article/bkwszwoyfl Wed, 20 May 2026 19:55:22 +03:00 Seven kilometers from the Gaza border and just one kilometer from Egypt, Shlomit is a small but growing community in Israel’s South, established only 15 years ago and today home to about 670 residents. Surrounded by desert landscape, the community is part of the Halutza region, which includes the neighboring communities of Naveh and Bnei Netzarim, areas that have become symbols of resilience, growth and pioneering spirit in the Negev. Last week, hundreds of residents gathered in Shlomit to dedicate a new synagogue, Be’er Shalom, in a celebration that reflected both the community’s painful losses and its determination to continue building for the future. Children dressed in white waved Israeli flags and banners bearing illustrations of the new synagogue as families filled the streets surrounding the building, transforming the desert setting into a scene of celebration and communal pride. “It’s the heart of the community for us,” one resident of Shlomit said. “Just the idea that we make the desert bloom, and to honor our friends who fought for us to be here, it’s very meaningful.” The synagogue and the future community center set to rise beside it were made possible by the Jewish National Fund-USA, which has played a central role in developing the Halutza region through investments in infrastructure, housing, education, and communal spaces aimed at strengthening long-term population growth in Israel’s South. The organization has accompanied the region since its earliest days, when residents first arrived to establish communities in what was then little more than sand dunes along Israel’s border. “The day the residents of Shlomit, Naveh, and Bnei Netzarim decided they were going to move here, when there was only sand, Jewish National Fund-USA was with them on the ground,” said Tali Tzour Avner, chief Israel officer of Jewish National Fund-USA. “Dreaming, planning, executing - we invest, we give, we support because we see that things are really happening on the ground,” she added. Directly across from the synagogue, construction is already underway on what will become the region’s largest public building - a new Jewish National Fund-USA community center that residents say will serve as another anchor for continued growth in the area. For many in the community, the synagogue represents far more than a place of prayer. It stands as a symbol of continuity and renewal in a region that has faced years of security challenges while continuing to expand and thrive. The road to Shlomit passes the Re’im parking area, near the site of the Nova Music Festival massacre in October 2023, a reminder of the devastation that struck the region on Oct. 7. On that day, after Hamas terrorists infiltrated Israeli communities surrounding Gaza and attacked the festival, members of Shlomit’s emergency response squad rushed out under heavy fire to help neighboring communities under assault. Four members of the community - Bechor Sued, Aviyad Cohen, Uriel Bibi, and Reuven Shishportish - were killed in battle after fighting terrorists in a nearby community. Throughout the dedication ceremony, residents spoke not only about remembrance but also about the responsibility to continue building and growing despite the pain. “They will learn that they will not defeat us on the battlefield,” one speaker said during the event. “After their military defeat, they will see that they are also losing in growth. In every place where they wanted to see destruction and damage, they will see civilian, communal, Israeli, and Jewish growth.” Architect Rachel Komet, who designed the synagogue together with her father, Yechiel, said the building was planned around the delicate balance between memorializing loss and creating a living, thriving future for the community. “The idea was to create a place that preserves this sensitive line between commemorating life and ensuring continuity,” Komet said. “It was a privilege to do this in partnership with the special, deeply Zionist people who live here.” She recalled first meeting members of the local emergency response team nearly 15 years ago, when the region's communities were still in their infancy. “They came to our office and said they wanted to build the cultural center of the Negev,” she said. “There was only sand here. There was nothing.” According to Komet, the support of Jewish National Fund-USA helped turn that vision into reality, not only through the synagogue project but also through many of the public buildings that now serve the region. “The partnership and support of this organization moved us deeply,” she said. “It gives so much spirit and strength to this edge of the country. message sje5xejyml Republicans Overseas Israel's chairman says Trump’s Iran policy focuses on blocking nuclear weapons and missile threats, while US voters remain more concerned with fuel prices, food costs and the economic fallout of any wider war Alexandra Lukash https://ynet-pic1.yit.co.il/picserver6/crop_images/2026/05/20/rkQocei1Me/rkQocei1Me_0_80_896_505_0_small.jpg https://www.ynetnews.com/jewish-world/article/sje5xejyml Wed, 20 May 2026 12:14:28 +03:00 Marc Zell, chairman of Republicans Overseas Israel, said President Donald Trump’s primary objective regarding Iran remains clear: preventing Tehran from obtaining nuclear weapons and curbing its regional influence — even as uncertainty continues to surround how far Washington is prepared to go militarily. Zell told ynet Global that Trump’s decision-making process is often difficult to predict but insisted the president listens to a broad range of opinions before acting. “Nobody really knows what he’s going to do except for him himself,” Zell said. “He listens carefully. He likes different points of view.” Zell said both the Trump administration and the Israeli government share the same strategic goal of ensuring Iran cannot develop nuclear weapons or expand its ballistic missile capabilities. However, he noted a key difference between Washington and Jerusalem regarding regime change in Tehran. “Unlike Israel, the United States is not talking about regime change,” Zell said, adding that in his personal view, removing Iran’s current leadership is “ultimately the only solution.” Addressing criticism of Trump from within parts of the Republican Party, Zell dismissed isolationist voices as a small minority with limited influence. He pointed to recent divisions over U.S. military policy in the Senate but argued most Republicans remain firmly behind the president. He also criticized conservative commentators including Tucker Carlson and Candace Owens, saying their positions increasingly overlap with anti-Israel rhetoric from the far left. Zell warned that antisemitism in the United States has become increasingly open and socially acceptable across political and cultural institutions. “Antisemitism has never gone away in the United States,” he said. “Over the years it was very unfashionable to be antisemitic in the United States. That has changed.” He argued that rhetoric once considered fringe is now appearing in universities, media outlets and mainstream political discourse. On the broader confrontation with Iran, Zell said economic warfare may ultimately have greater impact than direct military action. He pointed to concerns over Iranian influence in the Strait of Hormuz, alleged efforts to bypass sanctions through cryptocurrency and attempts to expand control over critical undersea internet infrastructure. Despite those challenges, Zell expressed confidence that the United States and Israel would ultimately prevail through what he described as “creative and effective solutions.” Zell argued that while Israelis primarily view the Iran conflict through the lens of national security, American voters remain focused on economic consequences, including fuel and food prices. “When elections are coming up in the United States, that’s all it’s about,” he said. “It’s about the American pocket.” message bkzsdqqygl Is corporate culture measured at peak moments, or in the small decisions made when pressure rises? Ziv Elul https://ynet-pic1.yit.co.il/picserver6/crop_images/2022/03/23/HkzyvUqdf9/HkzyvUqdf9_1_145_2913_1640_0_small.jpg https://www.ynetnews.com/jewish-world/article/bkzsdqqygl Wed, 20 May 2026 05:19:07 +03:00 There are moments in organizations when everything seems precise: an elaborate employee conference, a festive launch, inspiring messages, statements about vision, innovation and values. For a moment, everything appears to come together. But experienced managers know an organization’s real test begins after the event ends. It begins in a leadership meeting under pressure, in a complex decision involving a major client, in the way criticism is received and in how a junior employee or small supplier is treated. It is precisely there, in moments outside the spotlight, that it becomes clear whether a real culture exists, or only the ability to speak about it well. That is exactly the deeper question raised by Rabbi Isaac Arama, author of “Akedat Yitzhak,” when he lingers on a striking detail: The Torah itself hardly defines Shavuot as the day of the “giving of the Torah.” At first glance, that is surprising. In Jewish tradition, Shavuot is known as “the time of the giving of our Torah.” If this is the most formative event in Jewish history, why does the Torah itself barely emphasize it? Arama offers an answer that sounds as if it were written for the world of modern leadership: because the Torah is not a one-time event. In his view, receiving the Torah is not a historical moment that was sealed and completed, but an ongoing process. “Every day, they should be new in your eyes.” The Torah is not meant to remain an emotional experience of a single day, but to become the foundation that permanently shapes a person’s life. And here the connection to Parashat Naso becomes fascinating. Naso is the longest weekly Torah portion, and at its center is a detailed description of the offerings brought by the leaders of the tribes. Each leader brings the exact same offering, yet the Torah chooses to repeat the same details again and again. Technically, the entire section could have been summarized in a single line. But the Torah does the opposite. Because greatness is not always found in the uniqueness of an event, but in its consistency. Not only in the one-time moment, but in the ability to charge repeated actions with meaning. That is also one of the greatest challenges in the business world. Managers know how to create peak moments. It is relatively easy to build a major event, craft a sharp message or deliver an inspiring presentation. The real challenge begins the next day, when those messages are supposed to become daily conduct. Some companies know how to explain who they are, but struggle to remain faithful to that identity under business pressure. Some organizations present a clear worldview externally, but in routine work make decisions that gradually distance them from where they began. Sometimes, out of a desire to respond to the market, adapt to every investor or every piece of feedback, it becomes very easy to lose the original voice. I admit that during fundraising periods, I too found myself, as an entrepreneur, repeatedly changing the way I presented the company in response to comments and feedback. Sometimes rightly so. But over the years, I understood that when the founders themselves are aligned around the company’s true core, something changes. The conversation becomes more stable, decision-making becomes more precise and even hard questions become less destabilizing. When identity is clear, it is harder to be swept away by background noise. Aristotle formulated a similar principle more than 2,000 years ago: A person does not become who he is because of one great act, but because of habits. Excellence is not a one-time act, but the result of actions repeated over time. The same is true of organizations. Corporate culture is not what is written on the company website or said from the stage at the annual conference. It is created by recurring patterns of behavior, by the small decisions made again and again and by the way people act even when no one is watching. Leumi recently reported a quarter with the highest profit in Israel’s banking system and continued steady improvement in its efficiency ratios. Behind the impressive figures was not one major move, but the consistent implementation of a technology and artificial intelligence strategy over years. The numbers themselves are important, but the real story lies in what built them. In one of the songs I wrote, there is this verse: “Without masks, I call to you Even when it is dark inside me Without masks, I call to you And from there everything begins” Perhaps there is also a deeper message here for leadership. Organizations do not lose their way in a single day. It happens gradually, when the way they present themselves begins to drift from the way they actually act. And perhaps that is exactly the shared meaning of Shavuot and Parashat Naso. The Torah did not seek to create one moving moment of revelation, but an entire system of life. And Naso teaches that things repeated again and again are not unnecessary repetition, but the way identity is built. So it is in business. Organizations do not change at an annual conference, in a polished video or through a sharp message written by a branding agency. They change in the way decisions are made under pressure, in the way mistakes are handled and in whether, even on an entirely ordinary workday, after the enthusiasm has faded and the screens have gone dark, people still act from the same belief. Because in the end, leadership is not the ability to create great moments people remember. Real leadership is the ability to build a culture in which, the day after, people still know why they got up in the morning. message sjraenkyme After making aliyah to Jerusalem with her husband and baby daughter, TikTok creator Maayan Gordon says new immigrants can find community in Israel through parks, family events, coworking spaces, synagogues and WhatsApp groups  ynet Global https://ynet-pic1.yit.co.il/picserver6/crop_images/2026/05/19/B1N06zcyMg/B1N06zcyMg_0_204_607_342_0_small.jpg https://www.ynetnews.com/jewish-world/article/sjraenkyme Wed, 20 May 2026 08:33:28 +03:00 For Maayan Gordon, an American Jewish TikTok creator with more than 2 million followers, that fear is real, but so is the answer she says she has found in Israel: community is often built into everyday life. Gordon recently made aliyah to Jerusalem with her husband, Benjamin, and their 1-year-old daughter, Eliora, after sharing her immigration journey with her online audience. Gordon, 34, was born into an Orthodox Jewish family in Seattle and later drifted away from religious life, before reconnecting with Judaism after the October 7 massacre. She has said the war did not change her family’s decision to move to Israel, and that life in Israel, where people are open and go through things together, felt more natural to her than life in the United States. Now, as she settles into life in Israel, Gordon says one of the most reassuring discoveries has been how naturally social connections can form. “Scared you won’t make friends after moving to Israel?” she asks. “I actually think that’s one of the biggest fears people have before making aliyah.” But, she says, one of the most meaningful parts of her experience has been seeing how community appears in ordinary moments. On Lag B’Omer, Gordon and her family went to Gan Sacher in Jerusalem, where barbecues and gatherings filled the park. What stood out, she says, was not only the atmosphere, but the openness of people around them. “What’s amazing is that people here are genuinely open to meeting new people,” she says. Family life, Gordon adds, can also become an easy path into community. One afternoon, she and Benjamin took their daughter to the mall and unexpectedly found a children’s performance underway, with dozens of local families gathered around. The event, paid for by the mall and free for families, turned into a simple way to meet other parents from the neighborhood. “It’s how much life here is built around families and community, in ways you won’t find anywhere else in the world,” she says. For new Olim who work remotely, Gordon recommends coworking spaces as another way to meet people. Places such as WeWork often host weekly community events, creating opportunities for freelancers, entrepreneurs and remote workers to recognize familiar faces and form relationships over time. Synagogues and Chabad houses, she says, are also among the easiest entry points into local life. Gordon notes the familiar saying that anywhere one can find Coca-Cola, one can find Chabad. In Israel, many communities also operate WhatsApp groups where residents share events, Shabbat meal invitations, recommendations and other ways to connect. And in Israel, she says, WhatsApp should not be underestimated. “Don’t sleep on WhatsApp,” Gordon says. “It’s one of the biggest social tools you’ll find here in Israel. There are groups for everything.” Making aliyah can still feel overwhelming, especially in the beginning. But Gordon says one of the most beautiful things about Israel is that community is woven into daily life. For new Olim, the first step may be simple: show up, join the group, accept the invitation and say yes when connection appears. message hj3xvlqjgl The Israel Zionist Council will award 17 Heroes of Israeli Society honors at a ceremony, recognizing figures including US Ambassador Mike Huckabee, Amir Peretz, Or Ben Yehuda and Oz Davidian for contributions to resilience, unity and national support ynet https://ynet-pic1.yit.co.il/picserver6/crop_images/2026/05/19/ry2V6gcyGl/ry2V6gcyGl_1_166_1601_901_0_small.jpg https://www.ynetnews.com/jewish-world/article/hj3xvlqjgl Tue, 19 May 2026 20:17:25 +03:00 Seventeen awards of recognition will be presented by the Israel Zionist Council to individuals, organizations and civic initiatives that worked over the past year to strengthen Israeli society, national resilience and the spirit of mutual responsibility, during a festive ceremony to be held at Bar-Ilan University. The Israel Zionist Council, part of the World Zionist Organization, announced the recipients of the 2026 “Heroes of Israeli Society” award, selected by a special public committee headed by Israel Zionist Council CEO Yigal Brand. Serving alongside Brand on the committee were Dr. ‏Yocheved Pinhasi-Adiv, former Knesset member Shuli Mualem, Hevel Yavne Regional Council head Avi Fox, Israel Zionist Council chairman Oz Malka, KKL-JNF Education Division head Sar Shalom-Gerbi and attorney Liron Yehezkel. This marks the third year the Israel Zionist Council has presented the awards, which honor citizens, public figures, organizations and social initiatives that stood out for their work on behalf of the State of Israel and Israeli society during a complex and challenging period. 2026 Heroes of Israeli Society In the category of steadfast support for Israel, Mike Huckabee received the award for his consistent support for the State of Israel on the international stage, his firm backing of the Jewish people and his efforts to strengthen Israel’s standing worldwide. In the category of responsible journalism during wartime, Kalman Libeskind was recognized for value-driven and responsible journalism during the fighting, alongside his contribution to strengthening social resilience and promoting unifying discourse in Israel. In the category of Jewish-Israeli pride, Ahavat and Ruach Gordon, gold medalists in Muay Thai boxing, were honored for their work strengthening Jewish identity and Israeli pride in Israel and abroad. Alongside their athletic achievements, the two promote messages of faith, unity and strengthening the spirit of the people, serving as an inspiration to many young Israelis. In the category of female heroism on the battlefield, Or Ben Yehuda was recognized for groundbreaking combat leadership, exceptional courage and inspiring female leadership, alongside her significant contribution to state security and advancing the status of women in combat service. In the category of settlement activity, Ilanit Dadosh Kalfon and Eliav and Sarah Libby were honored for their efforts to strengthen settlement, agriculture and connection to the land, alongside broad educational and community work. Ilanit Dadosh Kalfon has worked for years to strengthen settlement and community life in northern Israel and the periphery out of a deep Zionist sense of mission. Eliav and Sarah Libby have served as pioneering figures in the field of agricultural farms in Judea and Samaria, driven by a deep connection to the land and settlement values while coping with the personal hardship of bereavement. In the category of community volunteering, Tekle Makonnen, Hatem Fares and Joseph Project were recognized for exceptional social and volunteer work advancing opportunities, strengthening communities and assisting diverse populations across the country. Tekle Makonnen has worked for years on behalf of young people from the Ethiopian community to promote equal opportunity, social leadership and integration into Israeli society. Hattam Fares leads extensive social initiatives aimed at strengthening shared society, advancing the Druze community and deepening the sense of partnership and mutual responsibility in Israel. Joseph Project is a large-scale humanitarian initiative that collects and distributes equipment and aid to those in need across the country, including the elderly, immigrants, lone soldiers, struggling families and emergency victims, alongside assistance to hospitals and medical institutions and preparedness for national emergencies. In the category of civic resilience and community rehabilitation, former minister Amir Peretz, Orit Mark Ettinger and Alon Davidi were recognized for their contributions to strengthening national resilience, supporting communities during emergencies and leading rehabilitation and recovery efforts. Peretz was honored for his combined contribution to national security and society. His efforts to advance the Iron Dome system helped save lives and strengthen the home front, while he also works to promote equality and empowerment through his social activities. His decades of work reflect leadership, national responsibility and mutual responsibility. Orit Mark Ettinger was recognized for the inner strength and social activism she leads despite profound personal loss. After losing her father in a terror attack and two brothers in tragic circumstances, she chose to strengthen others through the establishment of the Or Michael association, which brings joy to patients in hospitals across Israel. Through her lectures, she also inspires hope, resilience and strength. Davidi was honored for his leadership during emergency and recovery efforts. As mayor of Sderot, he led the evacuation of tens of thousands of residents with close personal guidance and attention to detail, later working decisively to restore normal life and reopen the city. He also promoted rehabilitation efforts and supported additional local authorities, reflecting leadership, responsibility and mutual solidarity. In the category of national assistance, Kyle Blank and the organization Israel Friends, along with Haim Taib and the Menomadin Foundation, were recognized for extensive activity on behalf of the State of Israel and IDF soldiers since the start of the war. Kyle Blank and Israel Friends operated on an unprecedented scale for IDF soldiers through the mobilization of equipment, logistical aid and support for combat forces. Haim Taib and the Menomadin Foundation led broad civilian assistance efforts, support for communities and strengthening social and national support systems during the war. In the category of fighting spirit and striving for victory, Oz Davidian and Ohad Fodor were honored for displays of leadership, courage and exceptional dedication in their service and activities for state security during the war. Davidian became a symbol of civilian heroism after risking his life under fire to save others during the October 7 attack through extraordinary resourcefulness and courage. Fodor stood out for the fighting spirit, sense of mission and determination he demonstrated throughout the war, making a significant contribution to strengthening the morale of fighters and Israeli society. In the category of bridging divisions in Israeli society, Yossi Levi, a reserve lieutenant colonel and CEO of the Netzah Yehuda association, was recognized for years of work integrating ultra-Orthodox Israelis into meaningful IDF service and broader Israeli society, drawing on his personal experience as a fighter and commander in Haredi military service tracks. Yigal Brand, CEO of the Israel Zionist Council, said: “At a time when Israeli society is facing complex challenges, there are people and organizations who choose to rise and act out of a sense of mission, mutual responsibility and faith in the path forward. The recipients of the Heroes of Israeli Society award represent the beautiful face of Israeli society, the spirit of volunteering, resilience and unity that continue to move us all forward.” message b111o31151ge Authorities in Ecuador and the US located the children, ages 4 to 12, in an isolated rural home after months of searching; sources said they suffered from severe malnutrition and neglect, with one person involved saying the eldest weighed ‘like an average 6-year-old’ Itamar Eichner https://ynet-pic1.yit.co.il/picserver6/crop_images/2026/05/19/r1Vh11115JMx/r1Vh11115JMx_0_0_1280_720_0_small.jpg https://www.ynetnews.com/jewish-world/article/b111o31151ge Tue, 19 May 2026 19:18:06 +03:00 For nearly seven months, authorities in the United States and Ecuador did not know where six children were hiding after they fled Guatemala with their mother following the collapse of the Lev Tahor sect. Last week, the search ended in a dramatic rescue operation, when the children were found in an isolated house in a small village in Ecuador, suffering from severe malnutrition and neglect. According to a report by Yeshiva World News, the operation was carried out through cooperation between ultra-Orthodox activists, law enforcement authorities in the United States and Ecuador, and officials connected to the U.S. Embassy in the South American country. According to the report, the children’s mother fled Guatemala about seven months ago as Lev Tahor was unraveling following a series of investigations and legal proceedings against senior members. Her husband, a sect member currently serving a lengthy prison sentence for kidnapping and threats, allegedly continued to control the family even from prison. Sources familiar with the case said U.S. authorities had gathered significant evidence and testimony against the mother and had obtained legal authorization to remove her six children, ages 4 to 12, from her custody. Shortly before the order was to be carried out, however, the family disappeared. For months, authorities tried to track them down. They were eventually found in an isolated house in one of Ecuador’s rural areas after what was described as “exceptional investigative work.” According to officials, the mother entered Ecuador using American passports and applied for refugee status, allowing her to remain in the country temporarily. Once the hiding place was located, a joint operation was coordinated between local authorities and American officials. According to the report, Ecuadorian authorities sought to deport the mother for violating visa conditions, while the United States worked to ensure the children’s safe transfer. The operation began last Thursday morning. Hatzalah Air, which joined the mission after appeals from activists who said the case involved a risk to life, provided a special aircraft for the rescue. According to testimony, the mother resisted the move, shouted and acted violently during the operation, but authorities managed to take control of the situation and remove the children from the home. People who saw the children described a particularly difficult scene. They said the six children had been kept for months in a small, crowded room, suffering from severe malnutrition and neglect. According to testimony, their diet consisted mainly of fruits and vegetables, with almost no protein. One person involved said the eldest child, 12, weighed “like an average 6-year-old.” The children were taken under security to the aircraft by Ecuadorian agents and officials connected to the U.S. Embassy. According to reports, two Ecuadorian officials remained on board the flight to ensure the deportation process was completed without incident and that the mother did not return to the country. After the plane landed in New York, the children were placed with a foster family, while welfare authorities began extensive treatment and rehabilitation procedures. Lev Tahor, founded in Israel in 1988, practices an extreme form of Judaism with strict interpretations of Jewish law. The sect has faced numerous allegations of kidnapping, child marriage and physical abuse since the 1980s, and later relocated to North and Central America. message s1mauhfkge Ahead of Shavuot, the National Library of Israel presents a rare copy of what is believed to be the world’s first kosher cookbook, an 1846 English volume with dairy dishes, beauty tips and recipes often attributed to Lady Judith Montefiore Shilo Freid https://ynet-pic1.yit.co.il/picserver6/crop_images/2026/05/19/SygBfhvtyGx/SygBfhvtyGx_0_107_1280_721_0_small.jpg https://www.ynetnews.com/jewish-world/article/s1mauhfkge Tue, 19 May 2026 18:52:13 +03:00 On the eve of Shavuot, a fascinating document recently acquired by the National Library offers a glimpse at some of the earliest cheesecakes documented in culinary literature. It is a rare copy of what is believed to be the first kosher cookbook ever published. The book, published in 1846, is titled The Jewish Manual of Modern Cookery, With a Collection of Valuable Recipes & Hints Relating to the Toilette. It was written in English and published anonymously under the credit “A Lady.” Although there is no conclusive proof, researchers attribute the book to Lady Judith Montefiore for several reasons: In Victorian England, there were very few Jewish women who held the title “Lady”; the recipes match the types of dishes served in the Montefiore household; the text indicates that the author belonged to the upper class; and, most significantly, the writer appears to have been a woman who traveled several times to the Land of Israel. Judith Montefiore indeed visited the region five times alongside her husband, Moses Montefiore. Among the recipes in the book is “Palestine soup,” a rich dish based on veal, chicken, Jerusalem artichokes and spices, alongside numerous dairy dishes that rely heavily on butter. The book is not only about cooking. Its chapters also include personal grooming advice, including recommendations for “cosmetic baths” based on milk, which the author said were common among the upper classes in the East and had become very popular in France and England. The book also seeks “to guide the young Jewish housekeeper in the luxury and economy of ‘The Table,’ on which so much of the pleasure of social intercourse depends”, as the author writes. According to Dr. Chaim Neria, curator of the Haim and Hanna Salomon Judaica Collection at the National Library of Israel, “Until now, the library had access only to the digital copy of the book from the Montefiore Collection. It was important for us to obtain a physical copy as well, because this is the first Jewish cookbook published in England. "Its acquisition fits the library’s mission to collect, preserve and make accessible collections of knowledge, heritage and culture of the Jewish people, the State of Israel and the Land of Israel, and the legacy of the Montefiore family is woven into all of these.” The book joins a broad collection of historic and modern cookbooks at the National Library, alongside many other items dealing with Jewish and Israeli cuisine. Among them are Di Yidishe Kikh from 1930, a cookbook written in Yiddish that also includes recipes from Middle Eastern cuisine; How to Cook in the Land of Israel from 1933, a culinary guide meant to help immigrants adapt to local tastes and ingredients; and cookbooks from various Jewish communities. The library’s collections dealing with cooking and culinary culture reach as far back as the Middle Ages. For example, in the “Ktiv” manuscript collection, a fragment from the Cairo Geniza preserves a 12th-century shopping list that includes ingredients for making tahini. message hyvzgafyge Israel's consul general in New York attacked Mayor Zohran Mamdani following a post marking Nakba Day and accused him of stoking tensions: 'Don't let fake smiles fool you' Itamar Eichner https://ynet-pic1.yit.co.il/picserver6/crop_images/2026/05/16/r1D0A00HkGx/r1D0A00HkGx_0_241_3000_1688_0_small.jpg https://www.ynetnews.com/jewish-world/article/hyvzgafyge Tue, 19 May 2026 14:14:38 +03:00 Against the backdrop of a sharp rise in antisemitic incidents and anti-Israel demonstrations in New York streets, Israel’s consul general in the city, Ofir Akunis, issued a stark warning to Jewish community leaders, saying: “The state of antisemitism in New York is the worst of all time.” He said the city is facing an unprecedented reality of incitement and hatred toward Jews. Speaking at a meeting with Jewish community representatives in Staten Island, Akunis addressed the global wave of antisemitism that has surged since the Hamas terrorist attack and massacre on October 7. “The state of antisemitism in the world is the worst since the end of World War II, and in New York City since the beginning of Jewish settlement here,” the consul general said. He warned of further deterioration and criticized New York Mayor Zohran Mamdani. “The waving of Hezbollah and Hamas flags has become routine here at every demonstration. The mayor not only fails to curb these phenomena, but fuels the fire and violence with false videos and statements, such as the one he spread about the ‘Nakba.’ Do not let fake smiles mislead you,” Akunis said. Akunis met with Jewish community leaders, rabbis from across the denominational spectrum and Staten Island Borough President Vito Fossella, who is known for his support of Israel. The consul general made the remarks several days after a large anti-Israel demonstration. On Friday, thousands of protesters in the city marked “Nakba Day.” Mamdani shared a message on the city’s official account honoring “Nakba survivors,” drawing strong criticism from the Jewish community. The New York mayor also posted on his official X account to mark Nakba Day, including a video testimony by city resident Inea Bushnaq, who was presented as a “Nakba survivor.” Mamdani wrote that the day annually commemorates the expulsion of more than 700,000 Palestinians between 1947 and 1949, during and after the establishment of the State of Israel. In the video, which has already been viewed more than 2 million times, Bushnaq says she fled her home at age 9 because “the Zionists came to Jerusalem.” The video also claims that the displacement of Palestinians continues to this day. Jewish leaders in the city attacked Mamdani and accused him of distorting history. Dov Hikind, founder of Americans Against Antisemitism, said Mamdani is “dangerous, evil and stirring the pot of hatred.” message rk00emyt1gg According to reports, the suspect broke into a home in a Jewish neighborhood overnight, entered a girl’s bedroom and refused to drop a stick he was holding before a neighbor who heard screams shot him Itamar Eichner https://ynet-pic1.yit.co.il/picserver6/crop_images/2019/08/15/9423792/9423792_0_58_1300_732_0_small.jpg https://www.ynetnews.com/jewish-world/article/rk00emyt1gg Tue, 19 May 2026 09:33:00 +03:00 A man was shot dead Monday after allegedly forcing his way overnight into the home of a Jewish family in the Rhawnhurst neighborhood of Philadelphia, according to a report by The Yeshiva World. Police said the man, believed to be in his 40s, broke into the family’s home on Griffith Street at about 1:30 a.m. Monday. Authorities said he entered the daughter’s bedroom, prompting a resident on the first floor of the building to investigate after hearing noises and retrieve a handgun. Police said the resident then encountered the intruder holding a stick. According to Philadelphia’s local ABC affiliate, the neighbor ordered the suspect to drop the stick, but he refused. The neighbor then allegedly shot him once in the chest. The suspect was pronounced dead at a hospital. Investigators said the home’s front door had been forced open and that the suspect’s vehicle was parked outside the residence. According to reports by the Haredi news site The Yeshiva World, an Orthodox Jewish woman and her two children were inside the home at the time. The woman, who works as a babysitter for many infants in the Orthodox community, began screaming after the intruder entered the house. A neighbor who heard her cries arrived at the scene, forced open the door with a crowbar and fatally shot the intruder. No injuries were reported among the family members or others who were inside the home. The identity of the suspect has not yet been released. Authorities are treating the case as a homicide investigation — a standard procedure in any fatal shooting, as they work to determine the full circumstances surrounding the break-in and shooting. message bk9rpvf1ge Col. Omri Rosenkrantz led Brigade 300 on Israel’s northern front against Hezbollah, also served in Gaza; He describes offensive ops across the Lebanon border, drone warfare challenges, and warns invasion threat remains despite improved security Yossi Yehoshua, Reuven Weiss https://ynet-pic1.yit.co.il/picserver6/crop_images/2026/05/14/HJlu1DzQJfl/HJlu1DzQJfl_0_153_1260_710_0_small.jpg https://www.ynetnews.com/jewish-world/article/bk9rpvf1ge Tue, 19 May 2026 05:44:01 +03:00 On the morning of Simchat Torah, October 7, 2023, Colonel Omri Rosenkrantz was out for a morning run on the Tel Aviv promenade. “I was running with headphones near Charles Clore Park,” he recalls, “when suddenly someone ran toward me waving his hands. I took one earbud out and heard him shouting, ‘Alarm, alarm.’ I thought to myself, here is another typical Tel Aviv drunk who finished a night out. I kept running and then I suddenly saw people lying on the ground with their hands over their heads. My wife, who was at our home in a town in the south, called me. She was in her ninth month of pregnancy. ‘There are alarms all over the country. Come back, something is happening,’ she said.” Rosenkrantz, who a little more than a year earlier had finished commanding the Duvdevan unit, was then commander of the Carmeli reserve brigade under the Northern Command. “I had about three kilometers back to my car,” he said. “Even then I got my first call from a friend who had been with me in the original Duvdevan team and lives in Kibbutz Magen near the Gaza border. ‘What is this? Where is the army?’ he asked me.” “In the car on the way home, my wife’s cousin called me, he lives in Be’eri. ‘The whole kibbutz, terrorists, they are shooting here, they are slaughtering us,’ he said. I instructed him, ‘Lock yourself in.’ I asked him what weapon he had and when he said he had a pistol I told him it was not enough to go fight and that he should stay inside. I still did not understand the scale of the event. A minute after I got home we saw on television the Toyota in Sderot. I told my wife, ‘It’s fake, nonsense.’” As someone who throughout his military service sought contact with the enemy and looked many terrorists in the eye, it was clear to him even that Saturday that he would immediately go to the Gaza border communities. “I put on uniform, took my weapon, and then I remembered that my division commander, Shomer, lives in Kfar Aza. I called him and even joked, ‘Did you start fighting without me?’ He immediately said, ‘There is war. Go north and mobilize the brigade.’ I argued. ‘I’m going south,’ I said. He insisted, ‘Drive, mobilize the brigade.’” What did you do? “I was in a real dilemma. On one hand there was fighting and I needed to be there. On the other hand I had responsibility for the north. I called Duvdevan for a situation update. They told me initial teams had already gone south and more were on the way. In short, I went north. But the feeling of frustration that I did not go down to fight in the Gaza border that morning will never leave me.” Emerging from the shadows Three days ago, Rosenkrantz completed nearly two years commanding Brigade 300 (Baram Division), the regional brigade responsible for defending the western Galilee. In his farewell speech he returned to those moments of October 7. “I put on uniform and prepared to go fight in the south,” he said in the speech. “I was then a reserve brigade commander and during discussions with my superiors I understood my main mission was to reach the northern sector as quickly as possible to prevent the enemy from achieving a devastating outcome there as well. From then until today, that has been my sole mission.” Rosenkrantz, known to his acquaintances as Rosen, spent most of his career in the shadows. He grew up in the elite Duvdevan unit, served in all its roles, later commanded the Rotem Battalion of Givati and returned to command Duvdevan again. Until now he was referred to only as “R.” Now, he summarizes more than two and a half years of fighting, mainly in the north but also in Gaza, speaks about friends he lost in the war, the challenge of drone threats, the vast quantities of Hezbollah weapons exposed by his brigade, and the injury of his close friend and command post officer Idan Amedi. Rosen praises the fighters of the Carmeli Brigade, which he initially commanded at the start of the war: “It is a brigade built on reservists from Golani’s 13th Battalion and the Golani reconnaissance unit. Good DNA. Golanchiks, cohesive, loyal. People who are not just there for war. Very dedicated. I was not surprised they all showed up immediately on October 7. We organized quickly and then received the order to connect to commander of Division 91.” For the first six months of the war, Carmeli operated on the northern border, “mainly defense but also offensive actions,” he says. The biggest fear was that Hezbollah would join immediately. “We all knew Hezbollah’s plans: the Radwan force, the conquest of the Galilee. The intelligence was very accessible and very worrying. Fortunately, it did not materialize. In my sector there were two infiltration attempts near Hanita (kibbutz in northern Israel) in the first weeks, but at squad level only.” The person who accompanied Rosen in the early months in the northern arena was singer and actor Idan Amedi. “Idan and I have been close friends since civilian life,” Rosen said. “When I took command of Duvdevan I brought him into reserve duty in my command post, and when I became commander of Carmeli I brought him as well.” “He was with us from the beginning of the war in the north. After a few months we went on a short break. Instead of resting, Idan asked to go serve in Gaza with his team from his regular engineering service. Because administratively he was under my brigade, when he was injured I received the report. I was at home. I went to Sheba Hospital and was the first to arrive. Through the Intensive Care Unit doors I tried to recognize him. It did not look good. His wife called me too: ‘Is it true? I have casualty officers at my door.’ I told her, ‘Let them in.’” Since then Rosen has closely accompanied his recovery. “I think most of the footage in the film he made about himself is mine,” he laughs. Gaza and expanded operations On Passover 2024, about three months after Amedi was wounded, Rosen entered Gaza. “Just before Passover, Carmeli was assigned to Gaza. We operated under Barak Hiram’s Division 99, an excellent division. In Zeitoun, Sabra, Shuja’iyya. Two and a half months there.” A few days after he took command, Israel launched Operation Northern Arrows against Hezbollah. Although Brigade 300 is a regional defensive formation, under Rosen it at times became a maneuvering offensive brigade crossing the border. “If before October 7 only special units crossed the Blue Line, now there is no issue sending in a reserve battalion with tanks and artillery,” he explains. “Brigade 300 developed its offensive muscle. The guiding principle is clear: responsibility for civilians means forces in the communities, but alongside that constant offensive activity beyond the border — exposing, destroying and detonating infrastructure.” “During the opetarion 'Northern Arrows,'” he continues, “Brigade 300 maneuvered. We destroyed a lot of infrastructure in the strip close to the border — dense thicket areas, nearby villages, underground tactical compounds. Hezbollah had a structured military system there, with equipment lists, beds, fighters’ rosters and duty schedules. It was a real immediate threat and we dealt with it well. We neutralized that offensive capability — from the dense terrain to the settlements.” At the end of November 2024, a ceasefire agreement was reached between Israel and Lebanon. “Today there is no Ayta al-Shaab left in that sense, all infrastructure there was dismantled,” he says. “But at the time it was still there. It is a very dangerous village, a Hezbollah stronghold directly opposite Zar’it, Shetula. I was very concerned about what was there. Ori Gordon was then Northern Command chief. I presented the plan to him and to the Chief of General Staff Herzi Halevi and they told me: ‘Go for it.’ We entered for nearly two and a half weeks and cleared Ayta of Hezbollah weapons. We took out insane quantities — trucks of weapons of all kinds, Burkan rockets, anti-tank missiles. Light weapons in such quantities that at some point we stopped being surprised.” Drone threat In the following months, up to Operation “Rising Lion” in June 2025, Brigade 300 continued combined defensive and offensive operations. “We carried out a series of operations with a lot of freedom of action,” he says. “We kept advancing. When the operation started, we expected Hezbollah to join, but it did nothing. Our offensive activity continued afterward as well. We conducted physical reconnaissance inside Lebanon ahead of the operation. For example, the commander of Battalion Rotem (Battalion 435) under me had been at all the locations beforehand. We knew the routes, evacuation paths, observation points. Ninety percent of what we planned happened.” And in “Rising Lion”, Hezbollah did join the campaign “They want to hit civilians” “As a defensive brigade commander, my assumption is always that terrorists want to reach communities. So once we understood Hezbollah had joined, we strengthened defense. More forces, more firepower. After that we attacked. I entered Ayta again with the forces. It is a symbol. I wanted to ensure no infrastructure was rebuilt. I saw that what remained there was minimal — barely anything in areas we had already maneuvered through and destroyed. In my view, that work is one of the biggest delays to the next escalation.” Before the latest phase, the brigade killed 22 militants, and since then another 36. “The eliminations were from a distance — tanks, UAVs,” he says. “Based on intelligence developed by the brigade and a strike cell we operate. It is a significant shift — not thinking only defense.” “In one case,” he reveals, “we even carried out a sniper operation. There was an operative in Aita we could not eliminate with a drone. He kept escaping. So we operated on the ground for a few days, and when he appeared, he was shot — in daylight. ‘If someone comes to kill you, kill him first.’” Drone warfare “Drone warfare is a new-old threat,” he says. “We also looked at Ukraine, where it is a major weapon. Detection systems here have improved significantly, as has awareness among troops. In practice, far more drones are intercepted or fail than actually cause damage. It is a difficult target, a moving target, but there is Iron Dome, personal weapons, and every solution the IDF has. New solutions are constantly being pushed.” “In the end, it is about proper positioning, not being exposed. Above my command post there were nets stretched out, and twice drones got stuck in them. Nets sound low-tech, but they help a lot. And constant routine disruption is critical, because they fire at known targets. My job is for them to shoot at me, not at the Cohen family in Zar’it.” Is the threat of invasion still present? “The situation today is much better than before the war. We are still present along the forward lines in much larger force. But it still does not allow me to sleep peacefully. It has to be maintained constantly.” In terms of doctrine: “In my view, a linear defense is less correct, but if the decision is to defend from the fence, then we will defend from the fence. That is not an excuse for any brigade commander.” Lebanon experience and family “I only encountered Hezbollah in this war as a brigade commander. I was not in Lebanon in 2000 when we withdrew, and in the Second Lebanon War I was in Duvdevan operating in the West Bank. My father fought in Lebanon in 1982. My brother served in Maglan and reserves in Brigade 551 and was in Lebanon in the Second Lebanon War.” “Two months before October 7 we completed a major brigade exercise. I pushed hard to get approval for a full readiness drill simulating 72 hours of war in the north. It was summer, hot, people on vacation, but they showed up. Two months later we were already deployed.” He is married and father of two — a two-year-old and a two-month-old infant. “I have an amazing wife. After nearly three years of war I understand the real heroes are at home. It is harder to raise children than to command a brigade. The operational load is huge. There is no routine, no planning. The home lives in uncertainty.” Closing reflection During the war, Rosen says he lost 32 friends, subordinates and comrades. Among them was Major Ben Bronstein, killed on October 7. “I quoted him in my farewell speech,” Rosen says. “‘To allow a nation to live normally, a few must live abnormally.’” “We named our son Nadav-Ben after him,” he adds quietly. message hyh1calyfe After the Six-Day War, the Western Wall became a national symbol for Israelis of all backgrounds, but its transfer to religious authorities and the introduction of gender separation gradually turned it into an ultra-Orthodox space Shmuel Munitz https://ynet-pic1.yit.co.il/picserver6/crop_images/2026/05/11/HJkbKnkyGg/HJkbKnkyGg_0_295_631_356_0_small.jpg https://www.ynetnews.com/jewish-world/article/hyh1calyfe Tue, 19 May 2026 02:41:46 +03:00 The Western Wall plaza is now widely seen and effectively run as an Orthodox synagogue. Visitors must follow the site’s rules, including “modest dress,” while a long partition separates men and women in the prayer area. Today, that may seem like a given, but the reality was once very different. After Jerusalem was reunified in 1967, a fierce dispute erupted over the Wall’s character. “After the Six-Day War, most Israelis felt a deep sense of connection to the Western Wall. Everyone felt it belonged to them,” says Prof. Doron Bar, a historical geographer and lecturer of Land of Israel studies at the Schechter Institute of Jewish Studies in Jerusalem. “Even if you were not a regular synagogue-goer, standing at the Wall stirred something in you; It symbolized something that was not necessarily religious, but national, historical, formative and deeply rooted in who we are as Jews and Israelis. That is why, remarkably, Israel’s Memorial Day ceremonies for fallen soldiers begin there.” In archival photos from the euphoria that followed Israel’s capture of the Western Wall, one can see a mixed crowd of men and women, including many secular Israelis, from men wearing the iconic Israeli “tembel” hats to women in sleeveless shirts. Today, if a woman arrives at the Western Wall in a tank top, she will quickly be asked to cover up. “Sadly, the Wall’s Israeli symbolism has been fading,” Bar says. “The Western Wall has become not only increasingly religious, but increasingly ultra-Orthodox. The site is still very popular, but it has taken on a distinctly Orthodox, and even ultra-Orthodox, character. Some Israelis now avoid it altogether. I can say that for myself, for example, as a secular person.” In a reality in which most regular visitors to the Western Wall are Orthodox Jews, could the fact that it is run as an Orthodox synagogue be the most democratic option? Or is this a chicken-and-egg situation, and if the Wall were more welcoming to secular Israelis, would things look different? “This goes to the question of who the Western Wall belongs to. And the question can be broader still: Who does Jerusalem belong to? As Israel’s capital, Jerusalem is a symbol for everyone and should serve everyone. The Western Wall is not just another site, and it does not belong to any one sector of Israeli society. That is how I see it. I am not naïve, and I do not think everyone should be able to do whatever they want there. But the argument that ‘we are the majority, we are the ones who pray there all the time, so it belongs to us’ strikes me as deeply problematic.” “The Western Wall also has a major influence on other parts of the country, including at holy sites. Look at photos from Rachel’s Tomb before 1948. There was no partition, nothing. Look at King David’s Tomb; there certainly was no partition. Look at the tomb of Rabbi Shimon bar Yochai or Elijah’s Cave, there was no partition either. We see how the partition introduced at the Western Wall in 1967 spread to other places.” The dispute over the partition In the first days after the Old City was captured, responsibility for the site lay with the IDF. Prime Minister Levi Eshkol and Defense Minister Moshe Dayan considered transferring responsibility for all religious and historical sites in East Jerusalem and the West Bank to the National Parks Authority. But that option was blocked after Religious Affairs Minister Zerah Warhaftig and the chief rabbis at the time, Rabbi Isser Yehuda Unterman and Rabbi Yitzhak Nissim, opposed the involvement of secular officials in developing and managing the Western Wall. Ultimately, oversight and responsibility for the Western Wall were transferred to the Religious Affairs Ministry, based on the 1967 Protection of Holy Places Law. The law, which prohibits the desecration or violation of holy sites, was originally intended first and foremost to make clear to the world that the State of Israel would protect Christian and Muslim holy places. According to the wording of the law, “The minister of religions is responsible for implementing this law, and he may, after consulting representatives of the relevant religions or at their proposal, and with the consent of the justice minister, issue regulations concerning its implementation.” The law did not explicitly define who the representatives of the religions were, but the Religious Affairs Ministry interpreted it as transferring authority to the chief rabbis to determine procedures and arrangements at the Western Wall. With the approval of the ministerial committee responsible for protecting holy sites, a partition separating men and women was installed at the Western Wall plaza a few weeks after the Six-Day War. The move drew some public opposition. The Religious Affairs Ministry defended the decision by citing a Chief Rabbinate ruling that, because the Wall is a holy site and a place of prayer, men and women must be separated there. The men’s section was given more space than the women’s section. One of those angered by the developments was Yaakov Yanai, who directed the National Parks and Historical Sites Authority (which later merged with the Nature Reserves Authority to form the Israel Nature and Parks Authority). In a report published in Yedioth Ahronoth on July 23, 1967, under the headline “The Wall has been hijacked,” Yanai was quoted sharply criticizing the Religious Affairs Ministry. “The greatest desecration of holiness today is the management of the Western Wall by Religious Affairs Ministry officials,” he said. Among other things, Yanai asked: “Since when did the Wall become a place visited only by religious people? Why do they think Jews come to the Wall to pray? Does American Jewry see the Wall only as a synagogue? And as for secular Israelis, why should they be forced to stand at the Wall without their wives? And what is a person supposed to do if he wants to stand before the Wall and reflect quietly, without prayer?” Yanai, a former IDF colonel, described the chain of events and claimed it amounted to a takeover. “One day, about six weeks ago, I read in the newspaper that Rabbi Goren was ceremonially handing the Wall over to the religious affairs minister. As simple as that, from the military rabbinate to the civilian rabbinate. A gift for all eternity. As if the Wall belongs only to the rabbinate.” Yanai added painfully: “I am not saying the Wall is not a holy place. But the Wall is not only a religious symbol. In my view, it is first and foremost a symbol of Israel’s independence, and it should be treated as such.” He warned that “responsibility for matters concerning the Wall must be taken, and quickly, out of the hands of the Religious Affairs Ministry,” and stressed: “The Wall belongs to the entire Jewish people, which is not made up only of religious people.” Yanai also argued that the national parks authority could protect the Western Wall better than the Religious Affairs Ministry, while complaining about the heavy dirt at the site. Warhaftig, for his part, said at the time: “There are those who want the Wall to be a museum or a monument. That will not happen. The Wall will not be a historical site like other historical sites.” Responding to the claim that there is nothing holy about the Western Wall and that the Religious Affairs Ministry was effectively hiding from the public the fact that it is not truly a remnant of the Temple itself but only a retaining wall for the Temple Mount plaza, the religious affairs minister said: “No force in the world will take the Wall from the sacred to the secular.” Bar explains that at the time, “the question arose: What is the Wall more than anything else, a historical site or a holy place? The National Parks Authority said it was a historical site, and with all due respect to the holiness of the place, it was the expert in handling historical sites. Yanai was a fairly close friend of Jerusalem Mayor Teddy Kollek and apparently also fairly close to Prime Minister Eshkol. But very quickly, the religious establishment took control of the place. Eshkol understood that the solution to the complexity surrounding the Wall was to leave it as a place with a religious agenda. Warhaftig was a very smart and levelheaded man.” On the question of the Western Wall’s sanctity, he notes: “Jews have always viewed this place as a remnant of the Temple, without getting caught up in archaeological technicalities.” Religious Affairs Ministry officials issued regulations governing permissible conduct at the Western Wall plaza. The regulations banned Shabbat desecration, eating and drinking, holding gatherings and walking bareheaded at the site, and required “appropriate dress.” Ministry officials stopped weddings and circumcision ceremonies from being held at the Western Wall plaza, but encouraged bar mitzvah ceremonies at the site. Most Cabinet ministers showed little interest in the debate over the Western Wall, but there was some opposition. “One opponent of the partition was Tourism Minister Moshe Kol, a centrist who was deeply troubled by the division of the Wall into separate men’s and women’s sections,” Bar says. “Already then, protest among North American Jews was beginning to grow. In 1968, during a conference of the World Union for Progressive Judaism, Reform Jews sought to pray at the Wall with men and women together, sparking an enormous uproar. It is very similar to what we are seeing today.” Before 1948, there was no separation between men and women at the Western Wall. “There wasn’t, but let’s be honest: Some worshippers wanted separation. It is also worth remembering that on holidays and festivals, men dominated the space, and women stood off to the side, if there was room for them at all. So I think that if Jews had been allowed to put up a partition during the British Mandate period, they would have separated men and women.” The struggle of Women of the Wall In 1988, the Western Wall was transferred to the responsibility of the Western Wall Heritage Foundation, a move that, in retrospect, was another step toward tightening Orthodox control over the site. Late that year, the Women of the Wall group began its activity and petitioned the High Court of Justice. While the petition was still being considered, a new regulation was added at the Western Wall banning “the holding of a religious ceremony at the Western Wall not in accordance with local custom, which offends the feelings of the worshipping public toward the place.” The women tried to pray at the Western Wall plaza while wearing prayer shawls and reading aloud from a Torah scroll, but this was not welcomed by those who saw it as a provocative attempt to undermine “local custom.” Since the first day of the Hebrew month of Tevet 5749, in December 1988, Women of the Wall have held a prayer service every Rosh Chodesh, the start of the Hebrew month. Already in the early years, they faced violent opposition, including curses, insults, blows and objects thrown by male and female worshippers at the site. Following the incidents, the Western Wall rabbi at the time, Rabbi Meir Yehuda Getz, banned the women from praying near the Wall while wearing prayer shawls and reading from the Torah. In 1994, a petition by Women of the Wall to the High Court of Justice was rejected. Deputy Supreme Court President Menachem Elon, an Orthodox Jew, ruled that the Western Wall plaza had the status of an Orthodox synagogue and argued that this was consistent with the “status quo” that had existed for generations. Justice Shlomo Levin, who held a liberal secular worldview, disagreed and ruled that the Western Wall should not be viewed as a synagogue in every respect, operating only according to Jewish law. Supreme Court President Meir Shamgar wrote that ways should be sought to allow every person to pray in his or her own style and manner, provided there was no “substantial harm to the prayers of others.” The legal battle continued for years. In 2013, Jerusalem District Court Judge Moshe Sobel ruled that Women of the Wall’s prayer was not forbidden and did not constitute a legal offense, but rather fell under the definition of local custom. Attorney General Yehuda Weinstein did not appeal the decision. At Robinson’s Arch, part of the archaeological area near the Western Wall, a mixed-gender prayer area was partially prepared. It was supposed to allow Women of the Wall to pray in their way, as well as allow prayer without gender separation. But they continued to demand a foothold in the main plaza, arguing that the area designated for them had never been properly prepared and that its management authority had not been regulated. At the same time, harassment by Orthodox worshippers continued. The Western Wall compromise was meant to formalize and expand the mixed-gender prayer area, known as Ezrat Yisrael, but the plan was shelved under pressure from ultra-Orthodox politicians. An amendment to the Protection of Holy Places Law, initiated by Knesset member Avi Maoz, effectively seeks to abolish the mixed-gender prayer area as well. It would give the chief rabbis exclusive authority to set procedures at the site and define any activity that contradicts Chief Rabbinate rulings as desecration of the holy place. The bill has already passed a preliminary reading in the Knesset. “I thought it was a mistake by Women of the Wall and the liberal Jewish movements to agree to the compromise of ‘Ezrat Yisrael’ proposed by Naftali Bennett,” Bar says. “I think it was a colossal mistake, because in effect they agreed to a third-tier Wall. Not the main Wall, not the women’s section, but a third Wall.” And now, even that limited concession is under threat. “Exactly. It is foolish and infuriating. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu made promises on the Western Wall compromise, then walked them back. In recent years, with all the turmoil in this country, the issue has been pushed completely to the sidelines.” There is also an absurd regulation at the Wall that forbids bringing in a Torah scroll from outside. There was even a stage in which security guards searched bags to make sure the women were not hiding a small Torah scroll inside. “In recent years, there has been a process of policing the Western Wall,” Bar says. “In the past, it was much more possible and normal to behave according to communal and family customs. In recent years, as part of the site’s ultra-Orthodoxization, those forms of expression have disappeared. In the context of Women of the Wall, this policing is exploited to prevent phenomena they see as dangerous. By the way, the job of Western Wall rabbi has become one of the most stable jobs in the country. “Presidents come and go, prime ministers come and go, everyone comes and goes, and only Rabbi Shmuel Rabinowitz (who has been in charge of the Western Wall since 2000) seems to remain forever.” Women of the Wall said in a statement: “Women of the Wall is a group of believing women from all streams of Judaism. Some have tried for years to cast doubt on the purity of our intentions and accuse us of attempts at ‘provocation.’ This stems solely from the effort to exclude and silence women and preserve separatist, extreme ultra-Orthodox control over the site. "These days, Knesset member Avi Maoz is advancing an amendment to the law that would mean those who do not pray at the site according to the Chief Rabbinate’s position, those who do not dress or behave there according to the rabbinate’s worldview, would be exposed to a punishment of seven years in prison! The public should know and understand who is running the Western Wall, the holiest place to the Jewish people, and what the true face of the place is, to our great sorrow.” Maoz, chairman of the Noam party, responded: “The Western Wall, the remnant of our Temple, is holy along its entire length, and we have a duty to preserve its sanctity and character for generations, for the millions of worshippers and visitors who come there every year. That is the purpose of my bill. The law will also protect the real women of the Wall, the righteous women who come to pray there in reverence every day, and will not allow the women of provocation to turn this holy site into a battleground against the tradition and Jewish identity of the State of Israel.” Between the Western Wall and the Temple Mount Bar is the son of two long-established Jerusalem families. He is a seventh-generation Jerusalemite. “Since I was a child, these alleyways have been part of my life,” he says. “I remember going to the Wall with my father and mother, both of whom came from ultra-Orthodox families of the Old Yishuv,” he adds. “I remember my excitement over the archaeological excavations in the area. But to my great sorrow, today the Wall does not mean much to me, it even puts me off, because of its ultra-Orthodox identity, the politics surrounding it and the separation between men and women.” You describe how visitors who knew the Western Wall before the war stood stunned by the loss of its romantic character. “One of the greatest disappointments for people who began coming to the Wall after 1967 was that the place had, in effect, lost some of its magic. Before 1948, people would describe walking through the alleyways of the Mughrabi homes and suddenly standing before this enormous wall. With that giant plaza, people would say all the romance had been destroyed.” When Motta (Mordechai) Gur spoke over the radio network during the Six-Day War, he declared, “The Temple Mount is in our hands,” not “The Western Wall is in our hands.” There was an understanding that the Temple Mount was the site of the ancient Jewish Temple, while the Western Wall was secondary to it. “You are absolutely right. This is where politics enters the picture. For a brief moment, an Israeli flag was raised over the Dome of the Rock on the Temple Mount. It was no accident that Moshe Dayan ordered it removed, said it was inappropriate and pulled the soldiers out. “It is a mistake to view this story through the reality of 2026. You have to see it through the reality of 1967, after a war in which Israel had felt on the brink of destruction, then emerged victorious, while still feeling surrounded by enemies. The thinking was: Let’s not wake sleeping demons.” Jewish Temple Mount activists see that as a historic missed opportunity. “That is a very common argument today. People say, ‘What an idiot Moshe Dayan was.’ In 1967, Israel had won a great victory, but it still saw itself as a small, besieged state dependent on the United States and other powers. The thinking was that Israel had enough problems without adding this one. After all, the Temple Mount is also Haram al-Sharif, the third-holiest site in Islam. They did not want to upend that reality and ignite a crisis.” Opposition to changes in the status quo on the Temple Mount, of course, rests on security arguments. Supporters of the status quo fear that any step could lead to false reports that Israel supposedly wants to take over the site, and could even become a pretext for a wave of terrorism, as happened around the Western Wall tunnel events in 1996, Ariel Sharon’s visit to the Temple Mount in 2000 or the metal detector crisis in 2017. Before the well-known crises surrounding the Temple Mount, there was a shocking incident in 1969. “An eccentric Australian Christian named Michael Rohan took advantage of lax Waqf security and set fire to Al-Aqsa Mosque. It was a critical test for Israeli authorities,” Bar says. “It was a test for Prime Minister Golda Meir and others: how to make clear that Israel was not responsible, after Muslims accused the state of causing the fire.” Over the years, there was a strict insistence that Jews not pray on the Temple Mount, at least not openly. It appears that Israeli governments were also comfortable with the arrangement under which Jews prayed at the Western Wall and Muslims on the Temple Mount. In recent years, that has changed, and Jewish visitors have begun holding group prayers on the Temple Mount aloud and in public. The number of Jews visiting the Temple Mount has risen over the years, but the Western Wall has remained, and still is, the Jewish site that draws the highest number of visitors. message rjrav1fygl NYC mayor uses public funds for widely viewed video omitting the UN partition plan; he says illness kept him from taking part as Jewish leaders boycott his Jewish American Heritage Month event Daniel Edelson, New York https://ynet-pic1.yit.co.il/picserver6/crop_images/2025/12/30/rkt11b6ZE11l/rkt11b6ZE11l_0_47_3000_1689_0_small.jpg https://www.ynetnews.com/jewish-world/article/rjrav1fygl Mon, 18 May 2026 23:15:57 +03:00 New York Mayor Zohran Mamdani responded Monday night for the first time to public criticism over a Nakba Day video produced by his administration and shared on his official accounts, where it drew millions of views. Mamdani did not apologize for posting the video and said he had wanted to appear in it himself. “I was proud to commemorate Nakba Day,” Mamdani said at a news conference. “It was a privilege to share the story of a Nakba survivor who is also a city resident.” He said he had planned to take part in the filming but fell ill. Alongside his defiant response to critics, Mamdani added that “recognizing the pain of one people does not negate recognizing the pain of another.” Meanwhile, a provocative sculpture in the form of a raised middle finger was placed outside Mamdani’s office Monday by city artist Scott LoBaido, who has protested against him since his election. The Nakba Day video was produced by a city team, directed by the mayor’s video department director and published Friday evening. It features city resident Inea Bushnaq, who says her family was forced to flee its home in East Jerusalem for Nablus “because of the arrival of the Zionists.” The video drew 11 million views on social media and became the center of a public controversy. The Anti-Defamation League in New York sharply criticized the move, saying the use of city resources to publish a one-sided video that ignores the UN partition plan, which was accepted by Jews but rejected by Palestinians, as well as the Jewish refugees forced to leave Arab countries, “is not commemoration but propaganda.” The organization added that the decision to publish the video shortly before Shabbat was a provocation. Following the video, prominent Jewish community leaders decided to boycott a Jewish American Heritage Month event the mayor is hosting Monday night at Gracie Mansion ahead of the holiday of Shavuot. UJA-Federation of New York said in an official statement that it would not attend an event hosted by a mayor who denies a central pillar of Jewish heritage: the State of Israel as the home of the Jewish people. Mark Treyger, CEO of the Jewish Community Relations Council of New York, which organizes the city’s Celebrate Israel Parade, also joined the boycott. Mamdani himself plans to boycott that parade. Treyger said the episode was a troubling sign for New York and that the mayor had published a video omitting significant parts of history. He noted that the post came shortly after harsh anti-Israel protests outside synagogues, and that residents are seeking the kind of leadership New Yorkers deserve to reduce tensions. Rabbi Joseph Potasnik, executive vice president of the New York Board of Rabbis, also said he would not attend the event, saying Jewish heritage must include recognition of the State of Israel. “Jewish history did not end in 1946,” Potasnik said. The statue placed in front of Mamdani's office: Former New York state Assemblyman Dov Hikind called on leaders to boycott Mamdani’s event, saying attendance would legitimize the mayor’s anti-Zionist views. Despite the criticism, some leaders, including Rabbi David Niederman of the anti-Zionist Satmar Hasidic community, confirmed they would attend. A City Hall spokesman said the mayor is committed to building ties with Jewish communities, noting that Mamdani’s budget plan includes an additional $26 million to prevent hate crimes. Alongside the political boycott, opposition to the mayor also reached the streets. A large protest rally titled “Stop Mamdani” was held Sunday in the Brighton Beach neighborhood of Brooklyn. The rally was organized by local Assemblyman Michael Novakhov. Organizers said participants sought to unite residents in demanding safer streets and opposing what they described as “the mayor’s radical communist agenda.” Protesters also denounced rising antisemitism, anti-police sentiment and anti-American and anti-Israel ideologies in the city. message rjudh6uyfe Tel Aviv University says participation surged in Israel and abroad, with students from 14 countries testing their skills in puzzles, idioms and code-breaking ynet Global https://ynet-pic1.yit.co.il/picserver6/crop_images/2026/05/18/Hktk7RdJfl/Hktk7RdJfl_282_226_2600_1463_0_small.jpg https://www.ynetnews.com/jewish-world/article/rjudh6uyfe Mon, 18 May 2026 21:06:37 +03:00 A record 9,286 students from Israel and abroad participated in the fifth Hebrew Language Olympiad this year, according to Tel Aviv University. The initiative, run by Tel Aviv University’s Department of Hebrew Language and Semitic Linguistics, offers students Hebrew-language puzzles, code-breaking exercises, idioms and word meanings. Participation rose from 5,668 students last year to 9,286 in 2026. The international track, held in collaboration with Brandeis University for students outside Israel, also grew sharply, from about 200 participants last year to around 800 this year. Students in the international track came from countries including the United States, Britain, Egypt, the Netherlands, Canada, Germany, Brazil, Japan, Singapore, Hong Kong, Mexico, Cyprus and Russia. Most participants in the international track were born outside Israel and learned Hebrew through schools, supplementary education, youth movements, family environments and community frameworks The competition is held in two stages: an online qualifying round followed by in-person finals at Tel Aviv University and partner universities around the world. Milette Shamir, Tel Aviv University’s vice president for international affairs, said the Olympiad reflects the “curiosity, enthusiasm and sense of connection” Hebrew inspires among young people worldwide. She said the program exposes students not only to modern Hebrew, but also to “its origins, its place within the Semitic linguistic sphere, and its role within the broader family of world languages.” message r1dkjaokzg Police search for five Arabic-speaking masked men who allegedly chased, dragged and assaulted the 22-year-old after hearing him speak on the phone in Hebrew in Golders Green, leaving him with cuts and bruises Itamar Eichner https://ynet-pic1.yit.co.il/picserver6/crop_images/2026/05/18/r1AEvod1Gg/r1AEvod1Gg_80_0_1129_636_0_small.jpg https://www.ynetnews.com/jewish-world/article/r1dkjaokzg Mon, 18 May 2026 19:52:11 +03:00 Police in London are searching for five attackers who assaulted a 22-year-old Israeli man speaking Hebrew in the Golders Green neighborhood, treating the incident — which left the victim with cuts and bruises to his face and body — as an antisemitic hate crime. The man, who lives in London, left an apartment in the Jewish neighborhood at 2 a.m. Monday to speak on the phone without disturbing his roommates. Five masked men speaking Arabic were nearby, heard him speaking and suddenly began chasing him. They caught the man, dragged him across the street and beat him brutally until he nearly lost consciousness. The attackers also tore the Israeli man’s clothes, threw away his shoes and shouted insults at him in Arabic, according to reports. A neighbor heard the commotion and called police. The five attackers managed to flee before police arrived. “I had this feeling, like I thought I was going to die," the victim told the British-Jewish newspaper The Jewish Chronicle. "They caught me completely off guard. I wasn’t ready. I saw them approaching me, and I had a suspicious feeling about them, but in one second suddenly one of them ran toward me and jumped on me.” He said that after being dragged across the street, several of the attackers formed a circle around him and repeatedly kicked him while he tried to protect himself with his eyes closed. “They were shouting at me in Arabic,” the man said. Although he lost track of time, he estimated the attack lasted “about five minutes.” Before fleeing, the attackers also stole one of his shoes. 'A violent and shocking attack' A spokesman for the Community Security Trust (CST), a Jewish security organization, called it "a violent and shocking attack in the heart of Golders Green. The incident is being treated by the Metropolitan Police as an antisemitic hate crime, and we thank them for their swift response. CST is providing support to the victim and his family. We urge anyone who witnessed what happened to contact the police and CST immediately. At a time of rising antisemitism, incidents like this highlight the very real dangers facing Jewish communities.” The Metropolitan Police urged anyone who witnessed the incident to contact police immediately. "At a time of rising antisemitism, incidents like this highlight the real dangers facing Jewish communities,” the police said in a statement. London has seen several incidents recently classified as antisemitic hate crimes. Over the weekend, police searched for a pro-Palestinian man who threatened to “behead Jews” during a confrontation outside a mosque in east London. Last month, two Jews were seriously wounded in a stabbing attack in Golders Green. A month earlier, masked men set fire to ambulances belonging to a Jewish rescue organization outside a synagogue in the neighborhood. message b1600ytd1me New report details daily antisemitic abuse faced by Jewish students in London schools, including Nazi salutes, violent threats and calls to behead family members, as British officials warn there is 'no place for antisemitism' in society Yogev Israeli https://ynet-pic1.yit.co.il/picserver6/crop_images/2026/05/18/BkliVOuyfg/BkliVOuyfg_0_13_1024_576_0_small.jpg https://www.ynetnews.com/jewish-world/article/b1600ytd1me Mon, 18 May 2026 18:58:39 +03:00 Jewish students in London are experiencing a sharp and alarming rise in antisemitic incidents, including frequent harassment in schools that has become “routine,” according to a report cited by the British newspaper The Times. At one school, a class Snapchat group was renamed “F*** Israel, Heil Hitler,” and students recorded voice messages accusing a Jewish pupil of being a pedophile “who thinks he can get away with it just because he’s Jewish.” Students at the London high school also spread antisemitic conspiracy theories claiming Jews were responsible for the Sept. 11 attacks. They additionally made baseless accusations that Jews control the world’s money and kill babies. “My son lost faith in his teachers,” Sarah, a pseudonym used to protect her identity, told The Times of London after her son endured repeated taunts. “He reached the point where he felt there was no point reporting this behavior because nothing was done to stop it. We eventually had to remove him from the school. Things are better now, but bullying on this scale is horrifying. My son went through an emotional roller coaster.” The report said that although most documented incidents involved hostility between students, many schools simply do not understand how to address such problems or what their legal obligations are in maintaining a politically neutral learning environment. The report was published anonymously and did not identify the schools involved in order to protect the students who were subjected to abuse. However, Parents Against Antisemitism, a British parent advocacy group established to combat antisemitism and expose hate incidents targeting Jewish students in the education system, conducted interviews to verify the accounts. Tessa, another pseudonym, said her children, who attend a London high school, have faced antisemitism on a daily basis since Hamas’ Oct. 7, 2023, attack on Israel. The hostility from other students included verbal harassment such as chants of “Jew, Jew” and “F*** Israel.” Swastikas were sprayed on school walls, and one student reportedly said during class that “Jewish blood is toxic.” In another incident, a teacher opened a lesson with a photo of released Israeli hostages and claimed reports of mistreatment by Hamas were “Israeli propaganda,” asserting that the captives had been treated well by their abductors. Tessa told The Times that the teacher was spoken to but remained in her position. She said school administrators acknowledged the antisemitism problem and suspended individual students in the most severe abuse cases, but struggled to address the broader phenomenon. The organization collected more than 100 testimonies from children and parents describing harassment, bullying, the use of Nazi symbols and anti-Jewish slurs in London schools and other educational institutions across England. The reports were submitted to independent reviews and government officials in an effort to change education policy. Monica, another Jewish student in London identified by a pseudonym, said she was ostracized by classmates after Oct. 7. Within hours of the Hamas attack, students in her year group posted Palestinian flags in a Snapchat group chat. The harassment escalated, and Monica received messages from students describing reports of Israeli children murdered on Oct. 7 as “disinformation.” Her classmates also used Instagram to circulate imagery comparing Jews to Nazis. In class, one student shouted at her, “You f***ing Zionist pig.” According to Monica, the school administration’s response was weak. “I showed the school administration the antisemitic descriptions and insults on social media, and I was promised the issue would be handled,” Monica said. “The next day I saw in class the girl who had called me a Nazi. I often felt the school administration preferred to protect other students over me. They never said there was zero tolerance for antisemitism at the school.” Parents Against Antisemitism said in a statement: “We urgently need political leadership and clear safeguards to address the antisemitism crisis in schools so Jewish students can feel safe again.” Britain’s Education Ministry also condemned the incidents, saying: “These are terrible and deeply concerning allegations, which will be referred to the government’s adviser on antisemitism in schools and higher education institutions. There is no place for antisemitism in our society or our schools. Every student deserves dignity and safety. The government has therefore decided to make Holocaust education mandatory for all students, while also strengthening the curriculum so children can learn to identify misinformation and disinformation.” message byabjhd1zl A Jewish couple and their 5-year-old daughter were horrified to find a swastika carved into their car in Paris, as French politician Romain Ashkenazi warned that antisemitic and racist acts are increasingly spreading across France ynet https://ynet-pic1.yit.co.il/picserver6/crop_images/2026/05/18/r1OolSO1fx/r1OolSO1fx_0_368_768_433_0_small.jpg https://www.ynetnews.com/jewish-world/article/byabjhd1zl Mon, 18 May 2026 11:33:37 +03:00 A Jewish couple in Paris was shocked to discover a swastika carved into the hood of their car. A police complaint was filed, but no suspects have yet been arrested. French National Assembly member Romain Ashkenazi said the vehicle belonged to his sister and her husband. “My younger sister and her husband discovered a swastika carved into the hood of their car, which was parked outside their home in Soisy, where they are raising their 5-year-old daughter,” Ashkenazi wrote. “It is chilling, frightening and outrageous. A police complaint has been filed, and I thank the authorities for working to identify those responsible.” Ashkenazi added: “Acts of hatred and racist and antisemitic statements are becoming increasingly common in our country.” He said the act runs counter to the values of France. “These ideas must be fought through education, and these acts must be punished according to the law,” Ashkenazi wrote. The incident prompted a wave of reactions. France’s minister for gender equality and the fight against discrimination, Aurore Bergé, responded to Ashkenazi by writing: “We must not give up even a single inch of the republic’s values. Together, we will succeed. The fight against antisemitism is the fight of the entire republic.” Bernard Cazeneuve, who served as France’s prime minister about a decade ago, wrote: “You and your family have my full support, Romain, in the face of this despicable act. Antisemitism is a scourge.” Pierre Jouvet, a member of the European Parliament, added: “These antisemitic acts are far too numerous, and every one of them must be condemned.” A French anti-antisemitism organization said: “We thought the darkest days of France in the 1930s were already behind us.” message bklrjpnjge Through Israel-is, Nova survivor Sapir Golan shares her Oct. 7 testimony on US campuses, where the organization trains Israelis to engage students abroad using personal stories, VR tools and delegation programs amid both support and hostility Yoav Keren https://ynet-pic1.yit.co.il/picserver6/crop_images/2026/05/14/BJfhzIXkfg/BJfhzIXkfg_2_0_1279_720_0_small.jpg https://www.ynetnews.com/jewish-world/article/bklrjpnjge Fri, 15 May 2026 22:36:31 +03:00 In her Tel Aviv apartment overlooking a construction site, on the third floor without an elevator, Sapir Golan returns to the massacre scene. Not a single feature of this young woman gives away what she saw that morning or the journey she has been on since. Her scars are hidden from view. But the words she speaks are sharp, fluent and painful, telling an almost unimaginable story. Over coffee and banana cake she baked, she describes the eight hours that felt to her like eternity, breaking them down into heart-stopping moments, images, sounds, smells and sensations that she will carry for the rest of her life alongside the title “Nova survivor.” One of those moments came when she fled for her life with dozens of other young people as thick smoke rose behind them from an ambulance that had turned into a death trap for 18 festival participants. She was there with Shahar (pseudonym), her commander in the artillery corps who became her closest friend. “We heard the ambulance explode and understood the situation was messed up,” Sapir recalls. “After things got a bit quiet, we started running. Suddenly one of the girls running with us, someone I didn’t know, decided to stop. I turned to her and said, ‘Why are you stopping?’ She said, ‘Look at me, I’m not an athlete. I can’t run.’ I said, ‘Who cares? Run! Our lives depend on it.’ She said, ‘I have no air, I’m done.’ I picked up a bottle of water and said, ‘Drink.’ The moment I handed her the bottle, she was shot in the head and died right in my hands.” “I laid her on the ground and I understood what was happening but I couldn’t move. And Shahar was shouting at me, ‘Sapir, run!’ We kept running until we reached a tank (the tank of the Shay Levinson unit, may his memory be a blessing). When we were hiding there I told Shahar, ‘Damn, I left her the water bottle. She died, what is she going to do with it? We need water.’” You were half a meter away. The bullet could just as easily have hit you. Do you think about that? “Of course. It’s the most insane thing. But once we got to the tank, I understood I was going home alive. Two days later that girl started appearing in my nightmares. I called Shahar and asked her to tell me if it really happened or if it was just in my dreams. And she said, ‘Yes, of course it happened.’” To this day she does not know the identity of the young woman killed in front of her and she has not tried to find out. “I’m not sure her parents would want to hear this,” Sapir says. No moralizing Sapir, 26, grew up in Ramat Gan and is the eldest of three siblings. She has never been interviewed by the media, but has shared what she went through on October 7 in dozens of lectures and meetings with American audiences through the organization “Israel-is”, ranging from warm and supportive Jews and Christians to students filled with hostility and ignorance. During a 21-day speaking tour across the United States in September 2024 with her younger sister Shir, who was also at Nova and lost six close friends, and another mission about two months later, she encountered both types of audiences. “At the University of Michigan we met two guys handing out flyers against Israel,” she recalls. “I said, let’s take one and see what they want. And you read it and you’re shocked.” She shows the flyer, which features a Palestinian flag. “Muslims, Christians, Jews and atheists must unite for the liberation of Palestine, which is a moral imperative,” it read. “We will not rest until the killing of Palestinian children stops.” Sapir says, “We told them, ‘You know we are from Israel?’ One of them freaked out and started screaming that we are child killers and committing genocide against Palestinians. But his friend was actually willing to listen to our story. We told him what happened to us on October 7, showed him photos and videos from Nova, and he was somewhat shocked. But it wasn’t enough for him and he said, ‘I need to look into this again.’” “In the meantime his friend kept shouting that we kill children. I was at my limit and started shouting back until Aviv Koren, who accompanied my sister and me on behalf of ‘Israel-is,’ stopped me and said: ‘Sapir, don’t go down to their level. If you want to get the message across, this is not the way. You need to create empathy, otherwise you become what they claim we are.’” In another case, after an event at a campus, she was told, “You can’t leave now because there is a protest against Israel at the entrance and they will throw eggs at you.” I said, “Eggs? Just let me go back to the hotel, I’m exhausted.” A very different experience came at a Jewish National Fund women’s conference in Arizona, also through “Israel-is.” “The audience listened to me for 45 minutes, and when I finished speaking 450 people stood up and applauded,” Sapir recalls. “I was in shock.” Afterward, one woman approached her and said she lights a candle every day for Omer Shem Tov and would appreciate it if Sapir could pass that message to his mother. At the time he was still held hostage in Gaza. She managed to reach his sister and pass on the message. “Another woman told me that after hearing me, she and her husband would stop donating to general causes and would only donate to Jewish and Israeli organizations.” In both cases, the woman who opened her heart and wallet and the pro-Palestinian student who agreed to listen, it was a success. “People connect first to people and only afterward to ideas,” says Yotam Ivry, CEO of “Israel-is.” “You first have to open the heart and only then can you change an opinion. And that is not simple. When you are attacked and accused of war crimes, the last thing you want is dialogue. But through personal stories and lived experience, you can create change.” Ivry emphasizes that “Israel-is” is not a traditional hasbara (public diplomacy of Israel) organization. “Our goal is not to explain or preach morality, but to show all the good things Israelis have to offer the world. At the end of the day there is a people here that has chosen life and creation and is dealing with enormous threats.” To achieve this, the organization built what Ivry calls “an army of young people with the tools to do it.” “We say: Israel’s greatest strength is its people, so let’s train every Israeli traveling abroad to be an ambassador for us.” “To date, about 110,000 Israelis have gone through our training, from a one-day session before a big trip, to a month-long program for students going abroad to study, to a five-month course for social media influencers. The next stage is training tech professionals who travel frequently.” One of “Israel-is” key target audiences is Generation Z in the United States. “We have a team in the U.S. and we bring delegations with the most diverse and inspiring Israeli stories to campuses,” he explains. Sapir and her sister participated in two such delegations. “In the past two years we have met more than 40,000 American students on campuses,” Ivry says. The organization equips its delegates with VR headsets that show immersive reality experiences, including the story of Nova survivor Mazal Tazazo, who also participates in delegations. “There is something called event tabling, it is very popular in U.S. campuses,” Ivry says. “You set up a table without an Israeli flag or the Israel-is logo and invite people to a VR experience. Almost no one stops watching halfway. Sometimes someone asks, ‘Why didn’t you say you are from Israel?’ We answer, ‘Does it matter?’ And they keep watching to the end.” “I don’t expect to change someone completely in a 20-minute encounter. But if I get them to ask questions, if I expose them to good people who do not fit the lies they heard about Israel, if after the meeting they say to themselves, ‘Maybe what I was told is not entirely true,’ and go and check the facts, that is a success.” One of Israel-is guiding principles is to expose audiences abroad to the full diversity of Israeli society. “When they meet someone like Mazal, an Ethiopian Israeli, or a Bedouin police officer who saved dozens at Nova, or a Druze family from the Golan whose daughter was killed in Majdal Shams, they understand that the claim of an ‘apartheid state’ is far from reality,” Ivry says. A shared struggle Ivry’s own family story is closely tied to Jewish and Israeli history. His great-grandfather, Benjamin Ivry, immigrated from Poland during the Second Aliyah and headed the political department of the Haganah intelligence service, the predecessor of Israeli intelligence agencies. After the state was founded, that department was absorbed into what became the Mossad, and he continued serving for years as an emissary in Europe. Ivry was eight when his great-grandfather died and still heard stories from him about his global work. His paternal grandfather, Tzur Ivry, was born in Israel and married Yehudit, a Holocaust survivor from Poland. His maternal grandmother Gila is also a Holocaust survivor, and his grandfather Sami grew up in Egypt and was loosely connected to the Lavon Affair spy case. “They took teenagers from the Maccabi youth movement in Cairo, including my grandfather Sami, and asked them to pass notes with intelligence. He was 15 and probably not important enough, so when the network was exposed and its members executed, they did not reach him.” Tzur, a water engineer, later served as an adviser to the Shah of Iran on agriculture in the late 1970s. Ivry’s father, Moti, lived in Tehran as a teenager and was a competitive fencer who represented Iran internationally and was expected to compete in the 1980 Moscow Olympics. The Islamic Revolution changed those plans. “My father, my grandmother Yehudit and her two sisters were on vacation in Israel when the revolution happened,” Ivry says. “My grandfather was on the last El Al flight out of Tehran on December 8, 1978, along with animals that were being smuggled to Israel.” His father later died of a heart attack during a hike in Bulgaria at age 54, when Ivry was with him in his final moments. Ivry also served in the IDF, initially accepted into pilot training before transferring to naval officers’ course. He later served as a naval officer and visited Germany during his service. “What did it feel like to stand on German soil as an Israeli officer and grandson of Holocaust survivors?” “Both of my grandmothers are Holocaust survivors. From one I heard many stories. She told me how, as a child, she was taken to execution pits and saw Nazis shooting hundreds of people. At one point the Germans stopped for lunch and the Jews waiting to die stood there, hoping the killing would resume after the break.” “Her mother grabbed her hand and they escaped into the forest, barefoot in the snow in Poland, until they were caught by a German soldier. My great-grandmother begged for their lives and, for some reason, he let them go. Just before they left, she asked his name and said, ‘One day, if there is a better world, I want to thank you.’” “My grandmother never forgot the face of that soldier laughing and saying, ‘Do you really think after Hitler there will be a single Jew left in the world?’ He pointed at her and said, ‘Do you think that dirty little Jewish girl will be alive in a year?’ And she believed him. In her wildest dreams she could not imagine she would one day live in a Jewish state with a strong army, with children and grandchildren who would become officers and soldiers. That was her victory.” “So when you ask me what it was like to return to Germany as an Israeli officer and sing ‘Hatikvah’ on German soil, it was a great privilege,” Ivry says, tearfully. “In those moments you understand that the State of Israel is the greatest achievement of the Jewish people. In a 2,000-year perspective, it is an incredible miracle.” His grandmother Yehudit passed away about three years ago. And while she could not have imagined a Jewish state, she also could not have imagined that in that same state, young Israelis like Sapir Golan would one day find themselves fleeing through forests from Nukhba terrorists. Sapir never imagined it either. In fact, she was not supposed to be there. Shahar, who had been her commander in the artillery corps and became like an older sister, repeatedly insisted she join her at a desert rave. They had planned to go to one event but Sapir could not make it due to work. The next event was Nova. At 2 a.m. they arrived and Sapir saw the sign for Re’im. “We had served there for about a month,” she says. “I did not remember it as dangerous.” At 6:29 a.m., everything changed. They saw flashes in the sky. “One of the guys said, ‘Wow, looks like fireworks.’ Then a girl said, ‘It is rocket fire, we need to get out of here.’” Explosions began. Sapir lay on the ground covering her head. Her sister Shir, who arrived separately, saw her and panicked. “I told her, ‘Don’t worry about me, the party is over, take the other girls and go home.’ And that is what they did. They got stuck in traffic. Twelve girls went to Nova, only six came back alive.” Later she saw her sister again at the police station in Ofakim after hours of terror. Sapir’s survival story continued through running, hiding and repeated gunfire. At one point she hid with Shahar in a production caravan near the ambulance that had been hit by an rocket-propelled grenade and set on fire. About 60 festival-goers eventually took shelter around a tank. Sapir and Shahar were among them. Hours later, a police vehicle arrived to evacuate them. “I looked out and saw the road full of bodies,” she recalls. “People who tried to escape and did not make it, people lying in pools of blood, burned cars. For a moment I felt like I was inside my brother’s GTA game. My body went into shock. I stopped breathing.” She was treated on site and evacuated to a gas station at the Ofakim junction that had become a makeshift medical center, then to the police station where she reunited with her sister. Only days later did she learn that her friends Daniel and Yarden had been murdered. Since then, life has not returned to normal. “Before October 7 I worked as an event manager, weddings, bar mitzvahs, corporate events of up to 300 people. It was my dream job. I made a lot of money. After October 7 I tried to go back, but you cannot manage a wedding with hundreds of guests if you might have a panic attack in the middle.” She tried social media management, yoga therapy training, youth work with the Scouts and eventually returned again to social media work. Sapir is recognized by Israel’s National Insurance Institute as a victim of terror attacks suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder. She now lives with her partner near Tel Aviv’s Rabin Square. Her involvement with “Israel-is” began almost by chance after her trip to India was canceled due to the Iranian missile attack in April 2024. Her sister told her about the organization and a planned delegation to the United States. “I said, let’s go for fun,” she recalls. “I did not know what we were about to experience. I was at a point where I had nothing to lose.” After two delegations to the U.S. and additional activities in Israel, Sapir is thinking about the future. “After October 7 I felt a strong urge to create, especially living things. I sprouted everything I could at home, green onions, potatoes, avocados. I had about 20 sprouting avocados in my apartment.” “And suddenly I felt a strong urge to build a family and have children. After seeing death so vividly, what is left other than to create life?” message b1rqcbn1gg Nachshon’s leap into the sea offers a model of Jewish leadership rooted in courage, initiative and shared national responsibility; Just as Moses' prayers did not part the sea until Nachshon moved, today’s stormy 'sea' requires the initiative of our leaders Michael Eisenberg https://ynet-pic1.yit.co.il/picserver6/crop_images/2026/05/15/SkredfNkzl/SkredfNkzl_0_32_1402_790_0_small.jpg https://www.ynetnews.com/jewish-world/article/b1rqcbn1gg Fri, 15 May 2026 06:53:14 +03:00 Parashat Bamidbar, the fourth book of the Torah, begins with the meticulous organization of the camp - outlining the tribes, their leaders, their flags, the structure of the encampments, and a census of those fit for military service. Nachshon the son of Aminadav, the head of the tribe of Judah, camps the eastern side of the formation alongside the tribes of Issachar and Zebulun. Whenever the nation sets out on their journey, this group moves first. On the surface, Nachshon’s story does not appear to be a grand personal narrative; rather, it seems to be an orderly public role. Consequently, he is almost always listed alongside his counterparts from other tribes. This remains true in the following portion regarding the prince’s offerings for the dedication of the Tabernacle. Even when mentioned alone, it is often in passing, such as being noted as the brother of Elisheva (Aaron's wife) or appearing within the genealogy of the House of David in the Book of Ruth. A figure of breakthrough and initiative Despite this seemingly administrative presence, the sources view Nachshon as an admired figure who embodies the spirit of "breaking through" and pioneering. This characteristic is rooted in his lineage; the Davidic dynasty begins with Peretz, who was named, as the Hebrew name suggests, for "bursting forth" at birth. Nachshon, and the tribe of Judah behind him, serves as the "spearhead" in the journey toward the Land of Israel. This role and positioning alongside Zebulun the seafaring entrepreneurs and Issachar, the logistical backbone of the economy (see the final chapter of my book “The Tree of Life and Prosperity”) represents a unique combination of military leadership, commercial initiative, and logistical capability. Furthermore, as the brother-in-law of Aaron the High Priest, Nachshon serves as the link between the military leadership of Judah and the spiritual leadership of the Priesthood. The text suggests that Nachshon is not merely "one of the princes," but the leader from whom the entire camp begins. Although Reuben was the firstborn son, Nachshon was the first to bring an offering at the consecration of the altar and tabernacle, because the order of offerings was determined by the order of the journey rather than the order of birth. Priority and proximity to the holy are determined by one's degree of initiative and willingness to bear the burden. This is not a matter of status, privilege or factors beyond a person's control; it is an acknowledgment that it is far more difficult to be the one who walks at the head. As Haim Sturman famously and tragically eulogized in 1935: "Those who go first, fall." The choice at the Red Sea The Sages explained that Nachshon's worthiness for leadership was proven at the Red Sea. While the Egyptians pursued them, the tribes hesitated, each saying, "I will not be the first to go down into the sea." Nachshon jumped in first. Regarding this action, the Sages apply the verse: "Save me, O God, for the waters have come up to drown my soul". And they also added to the description of the event that during this crisis, Moses was deep in prayer but God said to him: "My beloved ones are drowning in the sea, and you are lengthening your prayer?!" When Moses asked what he should do, God replied: "Speak to the children of Israel, and let them march forward!". Meaning: you shall all follow Nachshon. Another Midrash describes the Children of Israel at that same time, arguing among themselves. One faction said: "Let us fall into the sea and commit suicide. The other said: "Let us return to Egypt.: The third offered: "Let us wage war" (though it was a hopeless struggle). And some of them said: "Let us cry out (pray)." These four responses represent various forms of helplessness. Nachshon brooked none of them. He did not break in the face of the future, nor did he return to the past. He did the only thing the moment required: “‘go forward!” He did not jump into the sea to die, but to advance to the other side, believing, insisting and pushing that the path must open. The 'Go forward!' mentality This narrative offers a sharp comparison to contemporary events. Recently, dark and extreme rhetoric has emerged from certain Rabbinic leadership figures, such as Rabbi Yaakov Hanania, who lamented a student who enlisted in the IDF as if he were delivering a eulogy at a funeral. He wished the student would fail or commit grievous sins. He cursed those who fall in defense of the nation and demanded that students inform on someone who is contemplating a similar move in order to "save" him from "Nachshon-like thoughts." This behavior exhibits classic tactics of a cult. In the face of the question of Haredi partnership in the security of the nation, current Haredi leadership seems to be adopting the mindsets of the four factions at the sea. The suicidal voice of despair: "We will die and not enlist," essentially echoing the suicidal faction on the Sea of Reeds, and hoping that the entire state collapse with them. Some suggest a retreat to Exile, seeking to return to the patterns of a century ago in Europe, where the nation was defenseless and tragically burned in furnaces. The voice of war: Waging war against the state itself rather than for its existence; choosing isolation over responsibility. The voice of “holiness”: Positioning Torah and prayer as a total replacement for the "Nachshon-like" real world action. Just as Moses' prayers did not part the sea until Nachshon moved, today’s stormy "sea" requires the initiative of those who lead the camp. The critique here is not directed at Torah study or holiness, but at their transformation into a refuge against the command to move forward. Nachshon teaches us that a Torah that cannot walk at the head of the camp risks becoming a Torah that merely explains why the sea cannot be crossed. Such a path leads to a dead end rather than the dedication of a Tabernacle in the heart of the camp, as featured in the next Torah portion. To those who are hesitating: do not descend into the depths of shame or fear any man. The only question that matters is whether we are part of the four defeatist factions, and if not - how deeply we stepped into the waters. message skuxnlqyzx Known by many names across Jewish, Christian and Muslim tradition, Jerusalem’s Lions’ Gate carries centuries of legends, from Suleiman the Magnificent’s dream to the Israeli paratroopers who entered the Old City through it in 1967 Dr. Yoel Rappel https://ynet-pic1.yit.co.il/picserver6/crop_images/2026/05/12/S13iiDekzl/S13iiDekzl_0_120_3000_1689_0_small.jpg https://www.ynetnews.com/jewish-world/article/skuxnlqyzx Fri, 15 May 2026 04:14:06 +03:00 The construction of Jerusalem’s walls took four years. The Ottoman sultan Suleiman the Magnificent decided to restore Jerusalem’s status and fortify it with a wall. From 1537 to 1541, the walls were built largely along the route of the city’s earlier walls, most of which had fallen into ruin. Evidence of Suleiman the Magnificent’s project appears at the entrance to Jaffa Gate. An inscription in ornate Arabic script says: "In the name of Allah, the Merciful, the Compassionate, our lord the sultan, king of the Turks, Arabs and Persians, Suleiman son of Selim Khan, ordered the construction of this wall. May Allah make his work eternal." Entering Jerusalem’s gates in ancient times, and one could say even today, marked a passage from the mundane to the sacred, from the field and village to the area of the Temple, and later to the surviving remnant of the wall that surrounded the compound, the Western Wall. The poet of Psalms expresses the joy of one who reached Jerusalem: "I rejoiced when they said to me, ‘Let us go to the house of the Lord.’ Our feet stood within your gates, Jerusalem." In the days when Jerusalem was entirely enclosed by walls, passing through a gate meant entering the holy city. Even today, when passing through one of the gates connecting the new city to the Old City, the visitor, traveler or resident is stirred by emotion and sensation. Jerusalem’s sanctity hovers over the four kilometers of massive, rugged and unyielding wall. A gate with many names Jerusalem writer Yehuda Haezrahi wrote: "It is said that two children were standing at the entrance to Lions’ Gate. One asked the other: Why is this gate called Lions’ Gate? His friend replied: Because through this gate, the paratroopers broke into the Old City like lions." Is that the source of the name? Certainly not. But the story itself contains the foundation of a folk legend that will surely develop over time and take an honored place among the legends of Jerusalem. So what is the true explanation for the gate’s name? Although several explanations will be offered, the decision is left to the reader. Lions’ Gate is set into the eastern section of the wall above the valley, at the top of a steep slope. In the Middle Ages, the gate was called Jehoshaphat Gate because it faces the Valley of Jehoshaphat, where, according to tradition, the resurrection of the dead will take place and the nations of the world will stand in judgment. Christians call it St. Stephen’s Gate, after Saint Stephen, who, according to their belief, was taken through the gate toward the Kidron Valley and stoned there. Muslims changed the gate’s name several times. In the early period, they called it Bab al-Asbat, the Gate of the Tribes, based on their belief that through this gate the multitudes of the House of Israel would enter during pilgrimage to the Temple in Jerusalem. In the Middle Ages, it was called Jericho Gate because the road to the city of Jericho, east of Jerusalem, began there. In later periods, the name was changed again to Bab Sitt Maryam, or the Gate of Our Lady Mary, based on the Christian belief that the birthplace of Mary, the mother of Jesus, was located nearby. Among Jews, its name was Lions’ Gate, and so it remained. The question remains: Why was the gate given this name, so different from the names assigned to it by the religions that also sanctified Jerusalem? Lions in a dream Anyone approaching Lions’ Gate from the east, the outer side, will immediately notice two pairs of reliefs of predatory animals carved on either side of the gate: one pair on the right and another on the left. Who carved these pairs of lions (some say they are actually leopards) and why? Was it Suleiman the Magnificent who restored and built the wall? Is this perhaps a section of an earlier wall? Or were the lions carved by someone who ruled the Land of Israel and Jerusalem in later periods? Answers to these questions can be found in folk tales that grappled with the same mysteries. In his book "Legends of the Land of Israel," Professor Zev Vilnay recounts the legend of "Lions’ Gate and the dream of the Turkish sultan." According to the legend, the sultan had plotted evil against Jerusalem and its residents, planning to impose a heavy tax and a burden of servitude on them. One night, he had a terrifying dream in which two pairs of lions attacked him and tried to devour him. At dawn, the sultan rushed to summon dream interpreters to explain the meaning of his dream. One old man stood up and dared to answer that the wrath of Allah, jealous and vengeful, had been directed at the sultan for plotting to harm the city and its residents. The lions, the old man said, had been sent by Allah to devour him. But if the sultan did good for the city and its residents, his sin would be atoned for and forgiven. The sultan asked the astrologers how he could do good for Jerusalem. They replied that its wall was breached and its residents had no protection. The sultan quickly ordered the city wall to be rebuilt and restored. The two reliefs of paired lions are a testimony to the sultan’s project. But why this gate in particular? The legend continues that the construction work was carried out by two groups of builders. One group built the southeastern, southern and southwestern sections of the wall, while the other built the northeastern, northern and northwestern sections. The starting point for both groups was Lions’ Gate, where the lion reliefs were carved, the same lions that did not devour the sultan but instead gave him the divine command to restore and build the wall around Jerusalem. Another theory holds that the pairs of lions are actually the royal emblems of the Mamluk sultan Baybars, who ruled the Land of Israel in the 13th century. Evidence that these were Baybars’ symbols can be seen in additional pairs of lions carved on Baybars Bridge north of Lod, whose builder is undisputed: Sultan Baybars. This naturally raises the question of what symbols of Baybars’ 13th-century rule are doing on a wall built in the 16th century. That is a question for research, not folk tradition. There is also a newer legend, cited by Yitzhak Navon, Israel’s fifth president, in the marvelous legend he wrote, "The Six Days and the Seven Gates." In that legend, Jerusalem’s gates argue over which of them will bring redemption. The legend, in Navon’s words, says: "Lions’ Gate folded inward during the argument and said nothing. Hakadosh Baruch Hu said to it: 'Speak!' But it refused. He struck it with a whip until it opened its mouth and said: ‘Master of the Universe, at every moment I see from here, toward the east, the soldiers of Israel on the hills and on Mount Scopus, and at the feet of the gates, being saved by fire and falling. Let them come through whichever gate they come, so long as not one more of them falls.’ "When Hakadosh Baruch Hu, heard this, He said: 'Since you have humbled yourself, and the lives of young men are more important in your eyes than your own honor, I decree that they shall come through you. The sons of lions shall come and enter through the Lions’ Gate.' A short time had not passed before the young men of Israel broke through in armored vehicles to Lions’ Gate, and from there to the Temple Mount and the holy places of Israel." message skxkszxyfl As Jerusalem remains the top destination for North American olim, one family prepares to begin a new life in the capital while a young olah reflects on how the city transformed her connection to Israel and the Jewish people Emma Oliver Hacham https://ynet-pic1.yit.co.il/picserver6/crop_images/2026/05/14/BJRsJ7mJfg/BJRsJ7mJfg_0_448_869_490_0_small.jpg https://www.ynetnews.com/jewish-world/article/skxkszxyfl Thu, 14 May 2026 14:24:25 +03:00 Every summer, thousands of Jews from around the world arrive in Israel carrying suitcases, hopes, fears and a vision of a new future. But for many olim, the decision to make aliyah is not only about moving countries, it is about moving closer to something deeply personal: identity, purpose and belonging. This Yom Yerushalayim, that feeling is especially visible in Jerusalem itself. This Yom Yerushalayim, new data released by Nefesh B’Nefesh, together with the Ministry of Aliyah and Integration, The Jewish Agency for Israel, KKL, and Jewish National Fund-USA, highlights Jerusalem’s continued role as the top city for North American olim, drawn by the city’s unique blend of community, spirituality and belonging. For Atara and Jeffrey Douglas, Jerusalem represents a dream still unfolding. For 19-year-old Aliya Abergil, it has already become home. Together, their stories capture two sides of the aliyah journey, the anticipation before arrival, and the transformation that can happen afterward. This July, the Douglas family will board a flight to Israel with their three children, ages 10, 9 and 5, to begin a life as Israeli citizens in Jerusalem’s Baka neighborhood. For the family, aliyah was never a spontaneous decision. It had long existed quietly in the background of their lives. “Making Aliyah has always been a dream for our family,” Atara Douglas explained. “We always wanted to raise our children in Israel.” But it was a wedding in Israel last summer that transformed that dream into reality. During a month-long family trip, the couple attended the wedding of close friends. Standing among Israeli families celebrating together, they suddenly saw their own future differently. “At one point during the wedding, my husband and I looked at each other and just knew: this is how we want to raise our children,” Douglas recalled. “We both got chills.” Originally, the family planned to spend a trial year in Israel. Instead, they returned home already emotionally committed to aliyah. They came back again in November for what they called a “fact-finding mission,” exploring communities throughout the country. But once they spent time in Jerusalem, the search ended. “Jerusalem just felt right for our family,” Douglas said. “We loved the sense of community, the diversity within the Jewish people, and the feeling of truly being connected to something bigger than ourselves.” The family enrolled their children in local schools, began building friendships and started imagining daily life in the city, not as tourists, but as future Israelis. “We want to be in the middle of it,” she said. “We want to be part of the Jewish homeland.” Less than a year ago, Aliya Abergil stood exactly where the Douglas family stands now, on the edge of a completely new life in Jerusalem. Born and raised in Brooklyn to an Israeli father from Haifa and an American mother from Baltimore, Abergil always felt connected to Israel. Summers spent visiting family helped shape that connection early on. “Israel always felt like home to me,” she said. Still, when she arrived in Israel in 2025, aliyah was not part of the plan. “The plan was to come here, study for a year, and then go back to New York,” she explained. But living in Jerusalem slowly changed her perspective. “As I experienced daily life here, my connection just grew stronger and stronger,” she said. Ironically, Jerusalem itself had never been the center of that connection. “I actually had very little connection to Jerusalem before coming here,” Abergil admitted. That changed during her year of study in Jerusalem. “I saw a completely different side of the city,” she said. “Jerusalem really does feel holy. Even the air feels holier.” A defining moment came during Yom HaZikaron and Yom HaAtzmaut ceremonies at Mount Herzl. “Standing at Mount Herzl on Yom HaZikaron and Yom HaAtzmaut changed everything for me,” she recalled. “I realized that so many people sacrificed their lives to build our homeland.” The experience solidified her decision to stay permanently. “I wanted to be part of the Jewish people and part of what’s happening in Israel,” she said. Today, Abergil is doing Sherut Leumi (National Volunteer Service) and lives in the Nefesh B’Nefesh Bnot Sherut Bodedot Residence in Jerusalem alongside other young women from around the world doing National Volunteer Service in Israel. Abergil is doing her service at Shaare Zedek Medical Center in Jerusalem’s maternity department, where she helps care for mothers and newborns. “Helping bring more life into the country is something very special,” she said. During recent wartime escalations, the hospital unit she volunteers in relocated operations into the hospital’s safe area. The experience deepened her sense of responsibility as a National Service Volunteer and new olah. “During the war, I really felt that I was doing an important service for the people of Israel,” she said. Though they are at very different stages of life, the Douglas family and Abergil speak about Jerusalem in strikingly similar ways. Both describe the city not only as a place, but as something almost impossible to explain, a feeling of coming home to something bigger than themselves. For the Douglas family, Jerusalem represents the future they want to give their children. For Abergil, it became the place where she discovered who she wanted to become. Both were drawn to the city’s diversity, warmth and sense of shared purpose. Both speak about wanting to live fully Jewish lives, not from afar, but from within the story itself. “Jerusalem is a true Kibbutz Galuyot (ingathering of the nations),” Abergil said. “There are Jews here from all over the world and from every background imaginable.” That reality continues to shape the city each year as new immigrants arrive, adding their own stories to Jerusalem’s evolving identity. This summer, when the Douglas family will step off the plane and begin their lives in Jerusalem, they will join thousands of others who chose to take the same leap, some still searching for what the city might become for them, and others, like Abergil, who already found the answer. message h1zsvmqkzg The campaign, called 'Gett Naked,' seeks to pressure gett refusers by publishing revealing photos submitted by ultra-Orthodox women in the United States Sharon Kidon https://ynet-pic1.yit.co.il/picserver6/crop_images/2026/05/13/HkdyQzzyfe/HkdyQzzyfe_0_41_481_271_0_small.jpg https://www.ynetnews.com/jewish-world/article/h1zsvmqkzg Thu, 14 May 2026 13:39:57 +03:00 The “Gett Naked” campaign, led by activist Adina Sash, is using anonymous images and public pressure to demand a religious divorce for an agunah and force the issue back onto the community agenda A growing online protest campaign is drawing attention to the plight of agunot — Jewish women trapped in marriages because their husbands refuse to grant them a religious divorce. The campaign, called “Gett Naked,” seeks to pressure gett refusers by publishing revealing photos submitted by ultra-Orthodox women in the United States. Hundreds of images have been posted on Instagram in recent weeks, most of them anonymously. The initiative is led by social activist Adina Sash, who has worked for years in the United States on behalf of agunot and women denied a gett. Sash runs the platform collecting and publishing the images and messages sent by participants. Each woman decides her own level of exposure, according to her boundaries around modesty and her personal sense of mission. In an interview with ynet, ultra-Orthodox social activist Tzipi Lavi said the campaign was sparked by an especially severe case. “In this case, there is a much more extreme story than what they are used to seeing,” Lavi said. “This refuser has not only been refusing for five years while saying his wife is crazy and insane, but he also encourages and guides other men on how they can refuse a gett. That is why this is so infuriating and why it has sparked such a large protest against him.” Lavi said the campaign’s broader aim is to force the issue of gett refusal onto the communal agenda, especially among men. “In the end, the goal of these women is to get their husbands, the men at home with them, interested in this issue,” she said. “Their experience is that gett refusal has become a women’s issue, a women’s problem. Their goal is to wake up the community to address this issue, to wake up the men and make them care.” According to Lavi, the campaign has already succeeded in putting agunot back in the headlines. “I think in this case their real and central goal is to obtain this gett, while also raising awareness and discussion around the issue of agunot in general,” she said. “This has been going on for several weeks, and for several weeks it has been the hot topic. It has not come off the agenda.” Lavi said most participants submit their images anonymously to Sash, who posts them along with their accompanying messages. “First, it is important to note that they do this anonymously,” Lavi said. “The woman uploading the photos is Adina Sash, the social activist leading the campaign. They send her the photo privately with an accompanying message, and she takes a screenshot and posts both together, including on a separate page.” Lavi said Sash has faced significant pressure over the campaign, but has responded by publicly exposing threats or intimidation attempts. “She absorbs a lot of pressure,” Lavi said. “She also posts everything. You cannot threaten or pressure her without her immediately posting it with your name.” Lavi compared the campaign to a 2022 sex strike by ultra-Orthodox women in the United States, which helped one woman obtain a gett. “That actually worked,” she said. “Three months after that protest, Malky Berkowitz received her gett, and that is the hope now as well.” message bj00bvkq1ml Do companies collapse because of competition, or at the moment they forget what they were actually built around? Ziv Elul https://ynet-pic1.yit.co.il/picserver6/crop_images/2021/10/03/10968685/10968685_1_105_1000_563_0_small.jpg https://www.ynetnews.com/jewish-world/article/bj00bvkq1ml Thu, 14 May 2026 09:34:01 +03:00 One of the greatest paradoxes of successful organizations is that they tend to lose clarity as they grow. At the beginning, everything is clear. There is an idea, a mission, a real need. Everyone knows why they got up in the morning. But as the system expands — more employees, more departments, more goals, more reports, more performance metrics — something begins to blur. The means multiply, and the center disappears. The Book of Numbers ostensibly deals with the technical arrangement of the Israelites’ camps in the desert: who camped where, who was close to the Tabernacle and who was farther away. Nachmanides viewed this primarily as a system of boundaries and hierarchy surrounding holiness. But Rabbi Isaac Arama adds a much deeper layer. According to him, the very structure was meant to create consciousness. Each tribe occupied a different circle, but at the center stood the Ark of the Covenant. Not only to prevent improper access, but to remind everyone what is “essential,” in his words, and what is “the purpose of all actions.” This is not merely a religious concept. It is a sharp management principle: An organization that cannot define what stands at its center will begin revolving around the wrong things. And that is almost always how it happens. Hospitals begin focusing on paperwork instead of healing. Universities focus on rankings instead of education. Startups founded to solve a human problem become machines whose sole purpose is the next funding round. Individuals, too, are sometimes pulled into the pursuit of titles, money or status and forget why they chose their path in the first place. Martin Heidegger warned that modern people become so immersed in a world of operation and efficiency that they stop asking foundational questions. Instead of asking “What for?” they ask only “How can we do it faster?” Arama seeks to prevent precisely that. According to him, the physical structure of the camp was meant to shape an inner structure. The clearer a person understands what stands at the center, the more life arranges itself around proper priorities. Not every goal becomes a supreme value. Not every success becomes an identity. Great leaders understand this well. Almost every healthy organization has its own “Ark of the Covenant” — a value that must not be sacrificed even when the numbers are under pressure. For some, it is uncompromising quality. For others, it is organizational culture, innovation or human-centered service. The problem begins when the center becomes decoration. When the vision remains written on the company website but no longer truly guides decisions. When employees can no longer explain why the organization exists beyond “making a profit.” A few years ago, we brought a professor from a leading American university to a YPO retreat. He presented research showing that companies that lost touch with their center, and focused more on internal operations than on customers and markets, suffered dramatic damage to performance and growth potential. Rabbi Isaac Arama adds another profound insight: understanding that there is a true center “cools the blaze of desires.” In a world of endless consumption, this is a critical management insight. A person or organization without a stable internal core will try to fill the void with more money, more exposure, more power and more achievements. But without a clear center, no achievement is ever truly satisfying. Perhaps that is why many companies collapse after major success. Not because they failed operationally, but because they lost the reason they succeeded in the first place. The global arena also shows how a clear center creates strength. Trump’s visit to China comes at a time when China is displaying long-term consistency in its economic, technological and strategic planning. Lectures we attended last summer at Harvard University repeatedly emphasized how China’s ability to define a clear center for itself over decades — in the economy, energy, education and resource management — has become a tremendous force multiplier. Perhaps this is also the deeper meaning of Jerusalem, whose reunification day was marked this week. Jerusalem is not only a city; it is an idea of a center. For thousands of years, even when the Jewish people were scattered around the world, they maintained one internal direction around which they moved. A society, person or organization that does not know what its own “Jerusalem” is will ultimately lose its way as well. One verse from a song I wrote says: “Because there is a root seeking grounding And there is a spirit opening movement Between the place from which I came And the horizon I will reach tomorrow” Perhaps that is precisely the balance of the Book of Numbers: To know how to move forward without losing the center from which you began. Because in the end, the most important question in management is not how fast the organization advances. The question is what it revolves around. message hjtck8z1ze Georgian national Michail Chkhikvishvili, known as 'Commander Butcher,' allegedly ordered an undercover agent to attack on a Jewish holiday or near schools 'full of children,' writing that the target was 'dead Jewish children' Daniel Edelson, New York https://ynet-pic1.yit.co.il/picserver6/crop_images/2026/05/13/ByVuDHMJze/ByVuDHMJze_0_48_620_350_0_small.jpg https://www.ynetnews.com/jewish-world/article/hjtck8z1ze Wed, 13 May 2026 22:43:00 +03:00 A New York court on Wednesday sentenced Michail Chkhikvishvili, a Georgian national known as “Commander Butcher,” to 15 years in prison. According to the U.S. Justice Department, Chkhikvishvili planned a mass attack in Brooklyn in which a person dressed as Santa Claus would hand out poisoned candy to Jewish children and children from other minority groups. Chkhikvishvili, whom prosecutors described as a leader of the neo-Nazi Maniac Murder Cult - an international racially motivated violent extremist group, pleaded guilty to soliciting hate crimes and distributing instructions for making bombs. He was arrested in Moldova in July 2024 while trying to travel from Georgia to Ukraine, extradited to the United States in May 2025 and pleaded guilty in November. According to prosecutors, the group operated on Telegram and other encrypted platforms, spread neo-Nazi propaganda and recruited followers to carry out assaults, arson attacks, bombings and murders targeting Jews, racial minorities, LGBTQ people, homeless people and groups it deemed “undesirable.” Prosecutors said Chkhikvishvili was not merely a propagandist, but a leading figure in the organization who published a manifesto titled “Hater’s Handbook,” which was distributed to Maniac Murder Cult members and others and encouraged school shootings and mass attacks, and instructed recruits to film attacks to prove they had been carried out and use the videos to recruit additional followers. The New York plot was developed with an undercover FBI agent who posed as a potential recruit. The plan initially involved an attack on New Year’s Eve in which a person dressed as Santa Claus would hand out poisoned candy to children from minority groups. Later, in January 2024, Chkhikvishvili directed the plan toward Brooklyn’s Jewish community, Jewish schools and Jewish children. According to prosecutors, he sent the agent instructions for making deadly poisons and gases, including extracting ricin from castor beans, asked how many “doses per person” had already been prepared and suggested carrying out the attack on a Jewish holiday or near Jewish schools “full of children.” In one message, he wrote that the target was “dead Jewish children.” The prosecution memo also alleged that Chkhikvishvili had boasted in earlier correspondence of harming an elderly, ill Jewish patient in Brooklyn, though prosecutors said they were not claiming his actions caused the man’s death. Prosecutors also linked the group’s propaganda to violent incidents outside New York, including a January 2025 shooting at a high school in Nashville in which one student was killed and another was wounded, and the stabbing of five people outside a mosque in Turkey in August 2024. According to prosecutors, a search of Chkhikvishvili’s phone also found extensive neo-Nazi propaganda and child sexual abuse material. “The intentions of this violent extremist were clear: to harm and kill as many Jewish people and members of racial groups as possible,” New York Police Commissioner Jessica Tisch said. message hjziwqzkmx The #FREEADEENA campaign is pressuring a US man accused of refusing his wife a Jewish divorce for five years, exposing a wider fight over agunot and communal accountability Shilo Freid https://ynet-pic1.yit.co.il/picserver6/crop_images/2026/05/13/S1sJXzzyze/S1sJXzzyze_0_61_495_279_0_small.jpg https://www.ynetnews.com/jewish-world/article/hjziwqzkmx Wed, 13 May 2026 20:13:48 +03:00 Ultra-Orthodox women in the United States have launched an unusual coordinated social media campaign in recent days under the hashtag #FREEADEENA, aimed at putting public pressure on a man who has refused to grant his wife a get, or Jewish divorce, for about five years. As part of the campaign, called “Gett Naked,” the women are posting photos on social media in which they reveal parts of their bodies as an act of protest against get refusal. The campaign is led by social activist Adina Sash, who in recent years has worked in the United States on behalf of agunot — women trapped in marriages because their husbands refuse to grant them a get, or a Jewish religious divorce. Unlike in Israel, rabbinical courts in the United States do not have the authority to impose significant sanctions on men who refuse to grant a get, so the struggle is waged mainly through social and communal pressure. But activists say that in many cases, the community itself protects the refuser rather than pressuring him. The current case concerns Raphi Stein, who activists say has refused to grant his wife, Adeena, a get for about five years. They say that, while refusing to release her, he also has acted publicly against his wife and portrayed her negatively, while receiving some support from those close to him. According to the women, conventional demonstrations and protests failed to produce a breakthrough, leading them to adopt a sharper and more provocative form of protest. As part of the campaign, ultra-Orthodox women have been posting photos in recent days showing parts of their bodies that are usually covered in ultra-Orthodox society. Some women chose to reveal their hair, others an arm or shoulder, and some posted bolder images. Some photos were taken in symbolically significant places, including mikvehs, Jewish ritual baths. The images appear alongside the hashtag #FREEADEENA, which has stirred heated debate in Jewish communities in the United States in recent days. The campaign’s organizers say the shock it has generated shows how much more the public is preoccupied with bodily modesty than with the reality of women trapped in marriages. “The fact that people are more shocked by the protest than by the agunah situation itself is exactly the problem,” the activists said. They said that had the community treated the violation of women’s freedom with the same severity, such extreme steps would not have been necessary. This is not the first time Sash has led an unusual protest over get refusal. In 2022, she was behind another campaign that caused an uproar, in which ultra-Orthodox women called for a sex strike in solidarity with a woman who had been trapped in her marriage for four years. She also faced sharp criticism then, but supporters said the campaign succeeded in bringing the issue into public debate and ultimately ended with the granting of a get. The activists now hope the current campaign will lead to a similar result. “Get refusal is not only a women’s problem,” participants in the campaign said. “It is the responsibility of the entire community.” Alongside public protests, Jewish law also includes traditional tools meant to deal with men who refuse to grant a get. These include “Rabbeinu Tam’s sanctions,” a series of social penalties intended to isolate the refuser from the community, including avoiding social and business ties with him, not inviting him to events and sometimes denying him honors in synagogue, such as reading from the Torah, being called up to the Torah, reciting Kaddish and delivering sermons or lectures on Torah topics. In Israel, legal sanctions can also be imposed in some cases through rabbinical courts, but in the United States, the power of Jewish courts is significantly limited. As a result, enforcement depends largely on public and communal pressure. Activists say that when the community chooses not to use those tools against the refuser, many women remain agunot for years. Ultra-Orthodox social activist Tzipi Lavi praised the protesters. “I think it is very difficult for an ordinary person to understand how much courage and inner strength are required for an ultra-Orthodox woman to photograph and distribute an exposed picture of herself," she said. "Here we have a number of women who did this for another woman. This sisterhood is very special. The saddest thing in this story is that history is repeating itself. It is a disgrace to the entire community that women have to undress or refuse sex for men to care about them.” message b1rctjgjml New aliyah figures released ahead of Yom Yerushalayim show Jerusalem remains the leading destination for North American olim, with thousands continuing to choose Israel’s capital despite ongoing security challenge ynet Global https://ynet-pic1.yit.co.il/picserver6/crop_images/2026/05/13/BygbG1ef1Ge/BygbG1ef1Ge_43_70_1200_676_0_small.jpg https://www.ynetnews.com/jewish-world/article/b1rctjgjml Wed, 13 May 2026 15:45:28 +03:00 As Israel marks Yom Yerushalayim (Jerusalem Day) and celebrates the reunification of its capital, new aliyah figures released by Nefesh B’Nefesh show that Jerusalem continues to be the leading destination for North American olim. Nefesh B’Nefesh, in partnership with the Ministry of aliyah and Integration, The Jewish Agency for Israel, Keren Kayemeth LeIsrael, and Jewish National Fund-USA, has assisted more than 100,000 North American olim since the organization’s founding in 2002, of whom nearly 30,000 moved to Jerusalem. The data shows that since the start of 2026, 201 new immigrants have already arrived in Jerusalem, with the organization projecting some 1,200 olim by the end of this year. By comparison, Jerusalem welcomed 1,128 olim in 2025, 1,161 in 2024, and 963 in 2023, despite the ongoing security challenges Israel has faced in recent years. “Jerusalem is much more than a historic symbol or Israel’s capital city. It is a vibrant, growing city filled with opportunity, a place where people choose to build their future,” said Moshe Lion, mayor of Jerusalem. “The fact that thousands of North American olim continue to make Jerusalem their home reflects not only their deep connection to Israel and the Jewish people, but also the exceptional quality of life the city offers: strong communities, excellent education, culture, employment opportunities, innovation, and a true sense of belonging unlike anywhere else. Making aliyah to Jerusalem is a powerful Zionist statement, and we are proud to open the doors of our city to everyone who chooses to build their lives and future in Israel’s capital.” Since last year’s Yom Yerushalayim, 1,014 North American olim chose to make Jerusalem their home. Among them are 70 families, approximately 400 young singles, and around 180 retirees. The oldest oleh is 96 years old, while the youngest is just 11 months old. “On Yom Yerushalayim, we are reminded that Jerusalem is not only central to the Jewish people’s history, but also a vibrant center of life and community today,” said Tony Gelbart, co-founder and chairman of Nefesh B’Nefesh. “Every oleh who chooses to build a life in Jerusalem becomes part of the city’s evolving story, contributing to its future and strengthening a connection that spans thousands of years. We are proud that so many olim now call Jerusalem home.” The demographic profile of the new olim settling in Jerusalem also highlights the city’s wide appeal across different populations and stages of life. Women account for nearly 60% of newcomers to the capital, while men comprise approximately 40%. Most immigrants are arriving from New York, New Jersey, California, and Florida in the United States, as well as Ontario, Canada. Among those who reported their professions, physicians ranked highest, with 35 doctors choosing to settle in Jerusalem this year. Other prominent professions among the new olim include educators, lawyers, social workers, business professionals, and engineers. As Jerusalem continues to welcome growing numbers of North American olim, the city has also become a central hub for programs and initiatives supporting their integration into Israeli society. Located alongside many of Israel’s key national institutions, the Nefesh B’Nefesh Jerusalem Campus has emerged as a vibrant gathering place for olim, prospective olim, educators, community leaders, and visitors from around the world. Since opening in 2021, the Nefesh B’Nefesh Jerusalem Campus has welcomed a staggering 150,000 visitors. Since the beginning of 2026, the campus has welcomed more than 8,000 visitors and has hosted more than 100 diverse events. From professional networking opportunities and educational seminars to programs for lone soldiers and young families, the campus serves as a meeting point for individuals building their lives in Jerusalem and strengthening their connection to Israel’s capital. Jerusalem remains one of the most sought-after cities for North American olim, with many citing its cultural diversity, educational opportunities, strong communities, and spiritual significance as major factors in their decision to make aliyah. As Israel marks Yom Yerushalayim, the continued growth in aliyah to Jerusalem highlights the city’s lasting role as a central hub for olim building their future in Israel. message skegk1zjmg As antisemitism surges following Hamas’ Oct. 7 attack, an Orthodox rabbi from New Jersey is replacing traditional Torah lessons with firearms training, self-defense tactics and active shooter preparedness for Jewish communities Itamar Eichner https://ynet-pic1.yit.co.il/picserver6/crop_images/2026/05/13/ryUZT0Wyzl/ryUZT0Wyzl_6_0_1008_567_0_small.jpg https://www.ynetnews.com/jewish-world/article/skegk1zjmg Wed, 13 May 2026 14:58:19 +03:00 Rabbi Raziel Cohen, 29, known on social media as “The Tactical Rabbi,” has spent recent years leading an unusual initiative in the United States: an academy that trains Jews in firearms use and self-defense. Against the backdrop of rising antisemitic incidents across the United States and growing anxiety within Jewish communities since Hamas’ Oct. 7 terror attack, Cohen says demand for his training programs has surged sharply. Cohen was recently documented instructing students at a private shooting range in a wooded area of Pennsylvania’s Pocono Mountains. During the training, participants practiced firing AR-15 rifles, quick-draw drills and tactical movement. “Jews today understand that the only person who can protect their lives and their families is themselves,” he told the website NorthJersey.com. Cohen, who runs a popular YouTube channel with about 77,000 subscribers, teaches courses on firearms, emergency response tactics and security for community institutions. He said that since founding the academy in 2019, thousands of people have completed its programs, including more than 5,000 in the past two years alone. He also said that since the recent escalation with Iran, more than 40 synagogues have approached him for security consultations. The growing interest in firearms among American Jews comes amid a series of antisemitic incidents in recent years. In March, an armed man allegedly attempted to breach Temple Israel in Michigan — an incident the FBI described as “an act of terrorism inspired by Hezbollah.” In another case, an Orthodox Jewish teenager was shot from a passing vehicle in New Jersey. According to Cohen, there was once a stigma within the Jewish community surrounding gun ownership, but that reality is changing rapidly. “More people are now applying for gun permits,” he said. Cohen also addressed the Jewish legal perspective on firearms use. “The commandment ‘Thou shalt not murder’ prohibits murder, not self-defense,” he said. “Shooting in order to save lives is permitted and even required according to Judaism.” Cohen trains both private citizens and synagogue security teams, and holds seminars across the United States on security awareness and responses to active shooter incidents. “The goal is to prepare Jews to act in decisive moments,” he said. A Los Angeles native, Cohen said he began firearms training at a young age following repeated break-in attempts and violence experienced by his family in Southern California. “Before I turned 18, we experienced 14 break-in attempts and two attempted murders within the family,” he said. “I realized you cannot confuse kindness with weakness.” Alongside growing support for his approach, criticism has also emerged. Rabbi Shmuly Yanklowitz, president of the advocacy organization Uri L’Tzedek, said that while the rise in antisemitism is understandable and frightening, he warned of the risks associated with expanded gun use. According to Yanklowitz, “Gun owners are statistically more likely to experience accidental shootings or misuse in the home than to use a weapon in self-defense.” Cohen himself acknowledges that firearms are not a magic solution. He said there is no place for drawing a weapon in a synagogue without professional training and teamwork. “There is a difference between a guy with a handgun and a trained team that knows how to move and operate together,” he said. message hkmyrqwyze The declaration warns of rising threats against Jewish communities worldwide, highlighting urgent security concerns, the spread of online antisemitism and the need for stronger Holocaust education and international cooperation ynet Global https://ynet-pic1.yit.co.il/picserver6/crop_images/2026/03/23/BJ7bZZyoZx/BJ7bZZyoZx_0_7_2890_1626_0_small.jpg https://www.ynetnews.com/jewish-world/article/hkmyrqwyze Wed, 13 May 2026 10:14:26 +03:00 Special envoys and coordinators combating antisemitism from more than two dozen countries and international organizations issued a joint declaration Tuesday warning that antisemitism has become an escalating global threat and calling for stronger protections for Jewish communities worldwide. The statement, released during a gathering of the Special Envoys and Coordinators Combating Antisemitism network in Geneva alongside a meeting of the World Jewish Congress Governing Board, was signed by representatives from the United States, Israel, Canada, Australia, European countries, the European Commission, the Organization of American States and the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe. The declaration cited a rise in attacks targeting synagogues, Jewish schools and community gatherings in multiple countries, saying the incidents were intended to intimidate Jewish communities and threaten Jewish life. “Antisemitism is a threat to Jews — and that alone would be reason enough to fight it,” the statement said. “But it also erodes the very foundations of our democratic and free societies.” The envoys called on governments to strengthen security for Jewish institutions and communities, prosecute perpetrators of antisemitic crimes and increase international cooperation against extremism. The statement also emphasized the role of education in combating antisemitism and urged expanded Holocaust education and research, particularly for younger generations. The signatories warned that online hate has amplified antisemitic rhetoric and violence, calling on governments, social media platforms, artificial intelligence companies and civil society organizations to work together to curb antisemitic content in digital spaces. “Expressions of antisemitism in the physical world are influenced by the digital world,” the declaration said. The statement reaffirmed support for the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance’s working definition of antisemitism and stressed that antisemitism “cannot be tolerated anytime or any place.” The declaration underscored a rare point of international consensus at a time of political divisions among democratic nations, with the signatories emphasizing a shared commitment to protecting Jewish life and democratic values. message sj45ehzyge Weinberg spent his final years recounting his survival of Auschwitz, Mittelbau-Dora, Bergen-Belsen and three death marches Associated Press https://ynet-pic1.yit.co.il/picserver6/crop_images/2026/05/13/ByOzSrWJzl/ByOzSrWJzl_0_70_1223_689_0_small.jpg https://www.ynetnews.com/jewish-world/article/sj45ehzyge Wed, 13 May 2026 03:27:40 +03:00 Albrecht Weinberg, who survived several Nazi concentration and death camps and lost most of his family in the Holocaust before returning to Germany in his 80s, has died at the age of 101, authorities in his home region said Tuesday. Weinberg died in Leer, in northwestern Germany, weeks after he marked his birthday and the premiere of a film about his life, “Es ist immer in meinem Kopf” (“It is always in my head”), attended by hundreds of guests, the city said in a statement. “Since returning from New York to his East Frisian home 14 years ago, Albrecht recounted tirelessly and with incredible energy his terrible experiences during the Nazi era and warned again and again against forgetting,” Mayor Claus-Peter Horst said. Weinberg, who was born in Rhauderfehn, near Leer, on March 7, 1925, survived incarceration at the Auschwitz, Mittelbau-Dora and Bergen-Belsen camps as well as three death marches at the end of World War II. He spent years teaching high school students and others about the atrocities he had to live through. Speaking last year, Weinberg said the memories of his wartime experiences still haunted him. “I sleep with it, I wake up with it, I sweat, I have nightmares; that is my present,” he said. He said he worried what would happen when he was no longer around to bear witness. “When my generation is not in this world anymore, when we disappear from the world, then the next generation can only read it out of the book,” he said. Weinberg was awarded Germany’s Order of Merit in 2017 but handed it back last year in protest at a parliamentary vote in which a motion put forward by Friedrich Merz, now the country’s chancellor, calling for many more migrants to be turned back at Germany’s borders passed with the help of a far-right party. Israel’s ambassador to Germany, Ron Prosor, said in a post on X that he had got to know Weinberg well and paid tribute to him as “a bridge — between past and present, between pain and hope, between the dead he could never forget and the young people whom he encouraged to seek the truth.” message sjjpwj11kge The painting, 'Portrait of a Young Girl' by Dutch artist Toon Kelder, belonged to the extensive collection of Jewish art dealer Jacques Goudstikker Itamar Eichner https://ynet-pic1.yit.co.il/picserver6/crop_images/2026/05/12/BkWC3kyZ1fl/BkWC3kyZ1fl_0_933_2250_1267_0_small.jpg https://www.ynetnews.com/jewish-world/article/sjjpwj11kge Tue, 12 May 2026 21:38:53 +03:00 Dutch art detective Arthur Brand revealed that a painting looted from a Jewish collector during World War II had been hanging for decades in the home of a Dutch family descended from Hendrik Seyffardt, commander of a volunteer unit in the Netherlands that aided Nazi Germany’s SS. The painting, “Portrait of a Young Girl” by Dutch artist Toon Kelder, belonged to the extensive collection of Jewish art dealer Jacques Goudstikker, from whom more than 1,000 works of art were looted after the Nazi invasion of the Netherlands. Goudstikker was killed while trying to flee the country in 1940. According to the investigation’s findings, the work was likely transferred after Nazi Germany, led by senior officials including Hermann Göring, confiscated works from Jewish collections and sold them through wartime art deals. Brand believes the painting was included in a 1940 auction and later came into Seyffardt’s possession, before being passed down within the family. The case came to light when a family member, who discovered he was descended from Seyffardt, contacted Brand through an intermediary after growing suspicious about the painting’s origin. According to him, a check with his grandmother found that the painting had been “bought during the war,” but was known in the family as “looted Jewish art.” In a statement to the Dutch newspaper De Telegraaf, the family member said: “I am ashamed. The painting must be returned to Goudstikker’s heirs.” The grandmother, for her part, said she had not known the painting’s true origin. Brand said his investigation was based on labels on the back of the work and a number engraved on the frame, which led him to 1940 auction archives. He said he cross-checked the information with records from the Goudstikker collection, which include works by Toon Kelder, and identified a possible match with an item sold under No. 92. Lawyers for Goudstikker’s heirs confirmed that he had owned six paintings by Kelder and that they appear in the historical sales records. Brand said talks are now underway to return the work to the original family. In an interview with the BBC, Brand described the case as “the strangest discovery of my career,” and said it was another chapter in the continuing effort to return artworks looted during the Holocaust to their rightful heirs. message b1qjtng1ge Right-wing creator, whose videos about ultra-Orthodox communities drew millions of views, was accused by Israeli officials of spreading antisemitic incitement and exploiting anti-Jewish harassment for online attention Daniel Edelson, New York https://ynet-pic1.yit.co.il/picserver6/crop_images/2026/05/12/BypN3ce1Ge/BypN3ce1Ge_1_28_1233_695_0_small.jpg https://www.ynetnews.com/jewish-world/article/b1qjtng1ge Tue, 12 May 2026 19:11:35 +03:00 Israel denied entry to popular American content creator Tyler Oliveira and deported him back to the United States Monday immediately after he landed at Ben Gurion Airport. The decision came after Oliveira, who produces controversial content and is associated with the American right wing, published a series of videos criticizing Orthodox Jewish communities in New York and New Jersey. Oliveira’s deportation followed a public exchange online. Last month, Oliveira asked his followers on X, “Do you think Israel will let me into the country?” Oliveira runs a YouTube channel with more than 9 million subscribers. He first rose to prominence in 2018 following a collaboration with popular creator MrBeast, initially focusing on challenge videos and street interviews with passersby. In recent years, he shifted toward investigative-style content about various communities in the United States and around the world. His latest videos focused on the Satmar community in Kiryas Joel, New York, and the large ultra-Orthodox community in Lakewood, New Jersey. The videos, which amassed more than 9 million views, featured ominous editing and slanted narration. Oliveira claimed he was exposing a “Jewish invasion” of these towns. He accused ultra-Orthodox residents of systematically defrauding the welfare system and exploiting government assistance programs. During the videos, he confronted local residents and urged them to return to Israel. Oliveira has previously been accused several times of publishing racist content, distorting quotes, filming people in vulnerable situations without permission and using biased editing that promotes stereotypes about minorities. His name was also linked to the U.S. election campaign after JD Vance, then a vice presidential candidate, cited an Oliveira video alleging that immigrants in Springfield were eating pets. The claim was later proven false and nearly cost the Republican Party in the election. Following the publication of the videos about the Jewish communities, Patreon suspended Oliveira’s account and blocked his ability to raise money from supporters. At the same time, he received backing from prominent figures on the American right, underscoring growing divisions within the conservative camp over antisemitism and Israel. Right-wing activist Nick Fuentes defended Oliveira, claiming that “there is a double standard when it comes to Jews.” Last week, Oliveira appeared on Tucker Carlson’s podcast and again claimed that the lifestyle of Jews in the ultra-Orthodox towns he visited was designed “to squeeze and exploit welfare systems to the fullest. It’s not accidental — it’s premeditated.” He also complained about the criticism he faced, telling Carlson, “Apparently there are a lot of powerful Jewish people who own major media companies and websites that seem to cave to what they view as antisemitic speech.” Carlson defended the creator and questioned why Republicans who had praised Oliveira’s previous work on alleged welfare fraud by Somalis in Minnesota suddenly hated his reporting on an Orthodox Jewish community in New York. The Ministry for Diaspora Affairs and Combating Antisemitism released a statement explaining that the decision to bar Oliveira from entering Israel stemmed from activity that went beyond legitimate freedom of expression. The ministry stressed that Oliveira’s actions included incitement against Jews and the dissemination of content with clear antisemitic characteristics. “I am proud that today I prevented the entry into Israel of a pathetic YouTuber who uses the harassment of Jews as a way to gain exposure on social media,” Minister Amichai Chikli said in a conversation with right-wing activist Laura Loomer, who is also known as a far-right agitator and promoter of racism, homophobia and conspiracy theories, according to the article’s editorial note. Israel has previously barred the entry of foreign activists and public figures who came to promote anti-Israel sentiment or support the boycott movement. In 2019, Israel refused entry to U.S. congresswomen Rashida Tlaib and Ilhan Omar because of their public support for the BDS movement. The decision was made under a 2017 law allowing the interior minister to deny entry to foreign nationals who call for a boycott of the state. In another notable case in 2018, American left-wing activist Ariel Gold, then an official with the Code Pink organization, was deported from Ben Gurion Airport on the grounds that she had arrived to provoke confrontations and promote the boycott movement. Prominent intellectuals have also faced similar refusals, including in 2010, when Jewish American linguist and anti-Zionist activist Noam Chomsky was denied entry. message hyodjtlyze A survey presented to Australia’s Royal Commission on Antisemitism found a sharp rise in incidents since Oct. 7, with nearly 80% of Jewish women reporting they or relatives faced antisemitism in the past 2 and a half years Itamar Eichner https://ynet-pic1.yit.co.il/picserver6/crop_images/2025/07/06/B1z6KHqvrex/B1z6KHqvrex_0_0_3000_1689_0_small.jpg https://www.ynetnews.com/jewish-world/article/hyodjtlyze Tue, 12 May 2026 17:06:17 +03:00 About 80% of Jewish women in Australia have personally experienced antisemitism or seen it directed at a close family member over the past 2 and a half years, according to a survey presented to the country’s Royal Commission into Antisemitism and Social Cohesion. The commission is in its second week of public hearings, which began following the terrorist attack in Bondi, Sydney, during the most recent Hanukkah holiday. Fifteen people were killed in the attack. The survey was conducted by the National Council of Jewish Women of Australia between July 2025 and February 2026 and included more than 600 participants. According to the findings, 81% of respondents said they or a close relative had experienced antisemitism since Hamas’ attack on Israel on October 7, 2023. The survey also found that 20% of the women or their relatives had experienced physical violence or verbal abuse, while 69% said they had been accused of “genocide” after identifying as Jewish, Israeli or Zionist. Some participants described serious incidents they had personally experienced. One said she was verbally abused at a hospital in Queensland. Another testified that her daughter, a high school student, “was spat on, beaten, held down and choked while being shouted at.” More than half of respondents said they had heard claims that the October 7 attack was “justified” or did not happen at all. One survey participant said: “One of my best friends questioned the sexual assaults and the murder of women on October 7.” Shirley Leader, vice president of the National Council of Jewish Women of Australia, presented the survey findings to the commission. She said the denial of sexual assaults committed against women in Israel during Hamas’ attack was especially hurtful to Jewish women. “Such denial sometimes comes even from so-called feminist and progressive spaces,” Leader said. “Solidarity with Jewish women has been completely eroded.” In recent weeks, the commission has heard testimony from dozens of citizens and organizations about rising antisemitism across Australia. Some hearings were held behind closed doors because of national security concerns and ongoing criminal proceedings. Michele Goldman, CEO of the New South Wales Jewish Board of Deputies, also testified before the commission, saying that since October 7 — and even more so after the Bondi terrorist attack in December 2025 — the organization has been forced to significantly expand its support services for the Jewish community. Goldman described a series of antisemitic incidents at schools in New South Wales. In one case, she said, a 10-year-old Jewish boy “was pushed to the ground and beaten” by another student, who showed him a picture of Adolf Hitler and described him as an “idol.” She said it took “many months” before the school agreed to meet with Jewish community representatives to discuss the incident. Eventually, it was decided to hold tours at the Sydney Jewish Museum and launch teacher training programs on antisemitism. However, Goldman warned that Jewish organizations do not have enough resources to address the scale of the problem. “A broader systemic solution is needed,” she said. message sja85sg1mx Videos shared on social media show young men using cash on a fishing rod and throwing coins to mock Jews in Orthodox neighborhoods, in what London police called targeted antisemitic hate crimes meant to ‘spread hate’ ynet https://ynet-pic1.yit.co.il/picserver6/crop_images/2026/05/12/HJPlVSx1fl/HJPlVSx1fl_0_0_912_498_0_small.jpg https://www.ynetnews.com/jewish-world/article/sja85sg1mx Tue, 12 May 2026 11:39:41 +03:00 A disturbing antisemitic TikTok trend in London has led to arrests and convictions after young men filmed themselves using cash to mock and harass Jews in Orthodox neighborhoods. In videos recently shared on social media, young men are seen walking through heavily Jewish areas with a fishing rod, attaching money to the end of the line in an apparent attempt to ‘fish for Jews’. Other clips show antisemitic influencers throwing coins and banknotes on the ground in an effort to get Jewish passersby to pick them up. Last week, two young men who filmed themselves walking with a fishing rod and a banknote were arrested and charged in what police described as a serious hate crime. The footage, released by Shomrim, London’s Jewish neighborhood patrol group, shows the two men smiling as they walk down the street with the fishing rod. A banknote is attached to the end of it, in an apparent reference to antisemitic stereotypes linking Jews with money. According to London’s Metropolitan Police, Adam Bedoui, 20, from Hillingdon, and Abdelkader Amir Bousloub, 21, specifically traveled to the Orthodox Jewish area to film ‘antisemitic content’ for social media. Security camera footage shows Bedoui holding the fishing rod in front of him while Bousloub films on his phone as they walk through a narrow street. The two are later seen being searched and arrested by police officers, with Shomrim volunteers standing nearby. Police said the pair went to the area deliberately to create antisemitic content. According to Shomrim, they specifically targeted Orthodox Jews during the filmed encounters. ‘A deliberate and targeted antisemitic attack’ Oliver Richter, who oversees policing in Hackney and Tower Hamlets, told the Daily Mail: ‘This was a deliberate and targeted antisemitic attack, aggravated by the pair’s intention to post the incident on social media in order to spread hate. It is unacceptable and has no place in London’ Richter said officers moved quickly to arrest those responsible. ‘Our officers acted swiftly to arrest those responsible, and within 48 hours they had been brought before the court and convicted. This should send a clear message — we will act decisively against anyone who commits hate crimes. We understand the harm such incidents cause to communities, and we will continue to treat every report with the utmost seriousness.’ Antisemitic stereotypes about Jews and money The videos rely on one of the oldest antisemitic tropes: the false association between Jews and money. Such stereotypes developed over centuries in Europe, partly as a result of restrictions that barred Jews from many professions and pushed some into trade and moneylending. Over time, those historical conditions were twisted into hateful generalizations portraying Jews as greedy or financially controlling. Those claims became a central tool of antisemitic propaganda, discrimination and violence. Today, they are widely recognized as dangerous and dehumanizing because they assign negative traits to an entire group based on religious identity. The influencer threw cash on the sidewalk The latest case follows a separate controversy involving British social media influencer Harry Marsh, known online as ‘PhenoPain’, who was criticized last month after posting a series of antisemitic videos in which he harassed Jewish passersby in Orthodox neighborhoods in London. Money was again at the center of the videos. According to British media reports, the clips, which together drew more than 100 million views on YouTube, Instagram and TikTok, showed Marsh throwing coins on the ground and calling it a ‘Jew trap’. He was also seen chasing Orthodox Jewish youths while mocking them and trying to obtain phone numbers from Jewish women by offering them cash. In another video, Marsh filmed himself chasing an Orthodox Jewish boy while holding coins and shouting at him, before bursting into laughter. Other clips showed what he described as ‘experiments’, in which he threw money onto the sidewalk and filmed the reactions of people passing by. Some of the videos were reportedly filmed on Shabbat, drawing further criticism because observant Jews do not handle money on the Sabbath. Several commentators noted that Marsh may not have understood the religious significance, but stressed that this did not lessen the severity of the acts. The incidents have renewed concern in London’s Jewish community over the use of social media platforms to turn antisemitic harassment into viral entertainment — and over how quickly old hatred can be repackaged as online ‘content’ for millions of viewers. message bjztceejfl Tony Gordon, president of Bristol’s Jewish community, said the local synagogue had to lock its gates due to threats against worshippers, adding that some members are considering leaving Britain out of fear Itamar Eichner https://ynet-pic1.yit.co.il/picserver6/crop_images/2026/04/29/rk7JlqyAZl/rk7JlqyAZl_0_81_3000_1688_0_small.jpg https://www.ynetnews.com/jewish-world/article/bjztceejfl Tue, 12 May 2026 09:23:12 +03:00 Tony Gordon, 80, president of the Bristol Jewish community, said the local synagogue has been forced to lock its gates because of threats facing worshippers. In an interview with the British radio station LBC, Gordon said: “As a youngster, I was brought up in Leeds, which is the third largest Jewish community in the country. And in my youth and in my early teens, there were a few antisemitic incidents. It was the time of the rise of the National Front. But I've never seen anything like this.” Gordon added: “This is way, way worse than it has ever been in the last, well, I can only count for the last 80 years, but certainly in the last 80 years.” He compared the situation in Britain today to that in Nazi Germany some 95 years ago. “There is absolutely no doubt whatsoever that there is a recognizable relationship between what is happening now and what was happening in Germany, for example, in the early '30s,” Gordon said. “And we know what that led to in the long term in Germany. And the question I wake up to every day is, ‘are we currently at peak lunacy? And it will decline and get back to something livable with, or is this a trend? And in which case, what's the end result?” The British government has announced funding for Jewish communities across England aimed at combating antisemitism and strengthening community cohesion in places facing the highest risk. But Gordon said he has seen “members of the congregation considering moving abroad for fear.” Gordon said the situation has had a major impact on his local Jewish community: “We have to make sure the gates to the synagogue, the entry gates, are permanently locked. So, we only know if somebody's attending a service because we see them on CCTV and have to leave the service to go to the gates to let them in. Fortunately, we have good support from the local police, and there is a two-man police presence now whenever we have a service or whenever we have an educational visit to the synagogue.” Later in the LBC interview, Gordon said: “But who wants to live like this and worry that we will be next? The fact that nobody has actually confronted me in the street does not mean that I'm not living with a level of fear. Which quite frankly I'm entitled not to live with.” In recent weeks, Jewish communities in Britain have faced antisemitic attacks, stabbings, vandalism, arson and physical assaults in the street. The government and police have announced increased police patrols, but antisemitic incidents have not stopped. message hy11qtf1jmg Two antisemitic incidents were reported Sunday in Stamford Hill, London’s Haredi neighborhood, as police chiefs warn Britain’s Jewish community is facing an unprecedented threat  Itamar Eichner https://ynet-pic1.yit.co.il/picserver6/crop_images/2026/05/11/rJe8EwS1JMg/rJe8EwS1JMg_327_0_1042_586_0_small.jpg https://www.ynetnews.com/jewish-world/article/hy11qtf1jmg Tue, 12 May 2026 02:53:06 +03:00 Jewish residents of London were targeted in two antisemitic incidents on Sunday in the Haredi neighborhood of Stamford Hill, despite repeated pledges by British authorities to confront the rise in attacks on the community. In one incident, shortly after 6:25 p.m., a woman attacked a Jewish schoolboy wearing a kippah outside a Jewish boys’ school while shouting antisemitic abuse at him. Volunteers from the Jewish neighborhood watch group Shomrim arrived quickly at the scene and called the police. Officers arrested the suspect on suspicion of a racially aggravated assault. Shomrim urged any additional witnesses or victims to come forward. Earlier the same day, at about 3:45 p.m., a man allegedly attacked several Haredi women in the area. According to Shomrim, the suspect lashed out at them with a belt and spat at one of the group’s volunteers who arrived at the scene. Shomrim said the suspect also shouted racist abuse at the victims and at its volunteers during the incident. The volunteers detained the suspect until police arrived, and he was arrested at the scene. He was later charged with racially aggravated public order offenses and assault, and his detention was extended by a court. The incidents come amid a string of antisemitic attacks and threats in London, including cases in which two young men harassed a Haredi man and posted the footage on TikTok, a suspect shouted at Jews that Hitler should have killed them, police investigated an alleged attempt to run over Jewish children, and unknown assailants tried to set fire to a building that had previously served as a synagogue. The most serious recent incident occurred last month, when two Jewish men were stabbed and seriously wounded. Following the rise in attacks, London police commissioner Mark Rowley warned that Britain’s Jewish community is facing the gravest threat in its history. He said antisemitism was being fueled by social media and could not be solved by police enforcement alone. In an interview with Times Radio, Rowley said Jews had become a focal point for hatred from multiple directions, including extremists on the far left and far right, terrorist groups and hostile state actors. Police, he said, were able to deal only with the symptoms, while successive governments had failed to address the deeper problem. message b1sikyyjfl European Jewish Association pushing protected minority status for Jews in Europe to fund community security, protect practices such as kosher slaughter and circumcision, and expand antisemitism education; all EU member states would need to approve Tamar Sebok, Brussels https://ynet-pic1.yit.co.il/picserver6/crop_images/2026/05/10/S1Z1DnWC0bx/S1Z1DnWC0bx_0_222_3000_1688_0_small.jpg https://www.ynetnews.com/jewish-world/article/b1sikyyjfl Mon, 11 May 2026 09:20:11 +03:00 The sharp rise in antisemitic incidents across many countries and the escalation in expressions of hatred on the ground are leading many Jews in Europe to question the future of Jewish communities on the continent. At a conference of the European Jewish Association (EJA), held last month in Brussels, the organization examined an unusual proposal aimed at advancing legislation that would recognize Jews as a “protected ethnic minority.” The goal of the proposal is to safeguard the human rights of Jewish communities without discrimination, obligate states to promote dialogue and intercultural education, and preserve educational systems and language even in places where the state does not support religious schools. Under the plan, authorities would specifically commit to expanding antisemitism education and Holocaust awareness in schools, while protecting Jewish practices such as kosher slaughter and circumcision. One of the major advantages of “ethnic minority” status would be government and European funding for community security. That is because in some European countries, the communities themselves pay for their own protection. It was recently reported that former elite-unit personnel were hired by Jewish organizations to secure institutions in Britain. In Ireland, as well, for example, security costs are borne by participants at events. “The security measures for the new kindergarten we opened in Brussels cost about half a million euros — armored doors and windows, a special gate, a safe room and much more,” Rabbi Menachem Margolin, chairman of the European Jewish Association, told Ynet. But the question goes beyond budgets: Are European states willing to take responsibility for the safety of Jews? Defining Jews as an ethnic minority and comparing them to other minorities such as the Roma or the Sami in Scandinavian countries has sparked controversy, particularly in countries such as France, where there is a strict separation between religion and state and community members prefer to define themselves as “French Jews.” “The definition of Jews is based on religion rather than as an ethnic or linguistic minority,” acknowledged Professor Rosa Freedman of the University of Reading in Britain, who works with human rights organizations protecting minorities and sectors around the world and is responsible for drafting the legal section of the document. “However, at least seven member states of the Council of Europe already have such a status, recognizing communities with a unique culture, unique identity and more than 100 years of ties to Europe. The status was created following the ethnic and religious conflicts in the former Yugoslav states. Jewish identity is more than religion; it is also an ethnic and cultural identity with its own language.” 'Antisemitism is poison' More than 100 community leaders from across Europe attended the EJA conference in Brussels, including representatives from Spain, Ireland and Belgium itself, where the situation is considered especially severe. Leaders from across Europe also arrived deeply concerned by the escalation in antisemitic incidents, from synagogue arsons and attacks on ambulances belonging to a Jewish rescue organization in Britain to institutional measures such as legal proceedings in Belgium against mohels and against kosher slaughter. Alongside 104 Jewish community leaders, notable guests included U.S. Ambassador to Belgium Bill White, who has spoken out against harassment of the country’s Jewish community; Rabbi Yehuda Kaploun, the U.S. special envoy to monitor and combat antisemitism; Katharina von Schnurbein, the European Commission’s coordinator on combating antisemitism and fostering Jewish life; Ambassador Haim Regev-Feldklein, head of Israel’s mission to the European Union and NATO; members of the European Parliament; and politicians from across the continent. Even European Parliament President Roberta Metsola sent a lengthy video message in which she described antisemitism as “poison” and stressed: “Europe must be a place where Jews can live safely and without fear. A place where wearing a kippah is not a danger, and children do not need armed security to go to school.” Margolin has organized the conference since 2014, each year in a different city. “The purpose of these conferences is not only for people to express their pain and talk about their difficulties, but mainly to explore practical options and cooperation between communities in order to strengthen them,” he explained. “Many communities have cautious relationships with the authorities and institutions in their countries. It is important for us that communities understand that sometimes they need to be firm with governments. If we tell them only what they want to hear, it won’t work very well. Sometimes communities deal with the authorities diplomatically and ask us to speak the truth. We are prepared to stand on the front line and ‘take the fire.’” Orli Degani, a board member of the organization representing the Jewish community in Ireland, attended the conference to describe conditions in one of the countries where dealing with public and institutional hostility is especially difficult. She has lived there for eight years after her family moved between several European countries, and became active after personally encountering antisemitism. “The Irish method,” she said, “is not spitting or shoving, but ‘politely yet completely excluding you from their lives.’” Another problem, she said, lies in school textbooks. “BDS has infiltrated teachers’ organizations and the content is extremely one-sided,” Degani said. “In Ireland, there is no supervision over the use of textbooks, so anyone can publish a book as long as it contains several elements required by the Education Ministry. The government ministry refuses to help us.” The ambassador who caused an uproar — and did not back down As for defining Jews as a “protected ethnic minority,” the task is far from simple. Every EU member state would need to approve the status. The chances appear slim, but proponents say there is value simply in declaring the intention to pursue the move. “We came to ask for a mandate from Jewish communities in Europe to call on all European governments to rely on a European charter that defines minorities as a special status deserving protection," Margolin, who is leading the initiative, explained. "We are equal citizens, but there are protected plants and protected animals — there is recognition and understanding that the world needs them for ecological balance.” David Lega of Sweden, secretary-general of the European Jewish Association and a former member of the European Parliament, said that the situation of Europe’s Jews differs from country to country and depends on the ruling party. "In countries where the situation is good, there is great anxiety ahead of elections, and in countries where the situation is terrible, there is always great hope before elections. It is absurd, because the security of Europe’s Jews and the continuation of Jewish life should not depend on the political identity of governments,” he said. “That is why there is a need for an organized status for Jewish communities throughout Europe,” he added. Another sensitive issue raised during discussions was the confusion between antisemitism and anti-Zionism. “The prevailing discourse on antisemitism is usually about ‘traditional hatred of Jews,’” Freedman said in analyzing the delicate distinction between criticism and antisemitism. “One can absolutely debate whether what is happening in Gaza is self-defense or not. The right to protest nonviolently is a fundamental part of any functioning democracy. Yes, people absolutely should protest wars and are allowed to criticize Israel; but they do not have the right to harass, threaten, be antisemitic or engage in doxxing.” Freedman is witnessing developments firsthand at Britain’s elite universities. “There is confusion among students. Academic freedom is not the freedom to be antisemitic,” she said. “The moment they say Israel has no right to defend itself, they are treating it differently from other countries, and that is antisemitism. They would never shout ‘No Bangladeshis on campus.’ When they shout ‘No Zionists on campus,’ they are treating Israel differently. A clear legal framework is needed to address this type of antisemitism, while simultaneously protecting people’s right to protest in nonviolent ways. If the definitions are not made clear, we are facing a tsunami of antisemitism disguised as anti-Zionism.” During a ceremony held at the conference, a special award was presented to U.S. Ambassador to Belgium Bill White. A close friend of President Donald Trump for 30 years, White said he received a special mandate from Trump to defend Jewish rights in Belgium. “I’m not a typical diplomat, and I speak from the heart,” he said. “It breaks me when someone spits on a wonderful Jewish child or an elderly person in the streets of Antwerp simply because someone thinks they represent Israel. People need to be educated to separate the two. I would like to see everywhere in the world what President Trump did: appointing a special envoy to combat antisemitism, like Rabbi Kaploun. I tell the Jews of Belgium to stay and fight. We will support you, but if you want to immigrate to the United States, I will help however I can. I hope you invest with us, build businesses and employ American workers.” Ralph Pais of Belgium, one of the founders of the Center for Jewish Information and Documentation, praised White. “When indictments were filed against mohels for alleged violence against children, Ambassador White tweeted that ‘Belgium is antisemitic.’ The ambassador found himself at the center of a diplomatic scandal covered by every newspaper in the country, was summoned to the Belgian Foreign Ministry, but did not back down," he said. "There is hardly a tweet in which he does not address the issue. External pressure is the only thing that still deters people here. When the United States says, ‘If you do not treat Jews properly, we will impose sanctions on you or open the gates for them to leave,’ local politicians listen.” message r1gyi8crzg Several couples, including a bride and groom both aged 92, married under the chuppah in an emotional ceremony after years of war, sirens and uncertainty made large family celebrations nearly impossible Itamar Eichner https://ynet-pic1.yit.co.il/picserver6/crop_images/2026/05/10/HkQasCe0Rbx/HkQasCe0Rbx_0_0_1280_854_0_small.jpg https://www.ynetnews.com/jewish-world/article/r1gyi8crzg Sun, 10 May 2026 22:27:12 +03:00 A mass Jewish wedding was held in Kyiv amid the relative calm that followed a temporary ceasefire in Ukraine, bringing together couples ranging from young newlyweds to elderly partners who had lived together for decades. The ceremony took place at the Beit Menachem Jewish Community Center, where several couples were married according to Jewish law, including couples in their 60s and one bride and groom who are both 92. Community members said some of the couples had lived together for many years but only now, after a long period of war, air raid sirens and uncertainty, decided to formalize their marriages in a traditional Jewish ceremony. They said holding a large event with relatives and guests had been nearly impossible during months of fighting. The wedding drew entire families, including children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren, creating the unusual sight of several generations gathered together under the chuppah, the Jewish wedding canopy. Local media also covered the event, which drew attention in the Ukrainian capital. “To see a 92-year-old couple enter the chuppah is not something you see every day,” said Rabbi Yonatan Markovitch, Kyiv’s chief rabbi. “We have been living for a long time in a reality of war and uncertainty. Precisely now, when a bit of quiet became possible, people are choosing to stop and say: We are continuing the chain of generations, preserving tradition and building a Jewish home.” message rjnp00pp0wg They came specifically to the ultra-Orthodox neighborhood of Stamford Hill to film 'antisemitic content' for TikTok, harassed a Jewish man and filmed it; London Police emphasized that this was a 'deliberate antisemitic attack' Itamar Eichner https://ynet-pic1.yit.co.il/picserver6/crop_images/2026/05/10/HyO8M66CZe/HyO8M66CZe_0_56_798_450_0_small.jpg https://www.ynetnews.com/jewish-world/article/rjnp00pp0wg Sun, 10 May 2026 12:54:04 +03:00 Two young men were arrested in London and convicted in expedited proceedings after filming and sharing on social media a video of an assault and verbal abuse targeting a Haredi man in the Stamford Hill neighborhood, an area with a large Haredi Jewish population. British police described the case as “a targeted antisemitic hate crime.” According to police, Adam Bedoui, 20, and Abdelkader Amir Bousloub, 21, both of the Hillingdon neighborhood of West London, came specifically to the Haredi area to film “antisemitic content” for social media. The two approached a Jewish man, harassed him and recorded the incident for a video posted on TikTok. They pleaded guilty in court to a religiously aggravated public order offense. Police said the incident took place on Thursday at about 9 p.m. After a report was made to emergency services, the suspects tried to flee but were quickly arrested by officers. Detective Chief Inspector Oliver Richter condemned the incident, calling it “a deliberate and targeted antisemitic attack, aggravated by the pair’s intention to post the incident on social media to spread hatred.” He added that it is "completely unacceptable and has no place in London." Richter said that within less than 48 hours the suspects were brought before a court and convicted. “That should send a clear message – we will act decisively against anyone who commits hate crime. We know the harm incidents like this cause to communities and we will continue to take all reports with the utmost seriousness,” he said. The two men are scheduled to be sentenced on June 5. Police also said three additional suspects — two 20-year-olds and a 21-year-old — were arrested as part of the investigation and released on bail. According to London police figures, about 50 people have been arrested in the city over the past four weeks on suspicion of involvement in antisemitic hate crimes, with charges already filed against 10 of them. message hytx45arbe Noam, a Nahal reconnaissance soldier wounded in an incident that killed 5 troops, prayed for IDF soldiers at a Budapest synagogue; Rachel Bayer, whose brother fell in the war, joined the Jewish Agency delegation in Europe Gal Ganot https://ynet-pic1.yit.co.il/picserver6/crop_images/2026/05/10/rJ00shF6AWx/rJ00shF6AWx_1_78_800_451_0_small.jpg https://www.ynetnews.com/jewish-world/article/hytx45arbe Sun, 10 May 2026 08:46:27 +03:00 At a synagogue in Budapest, the capital of Hungary, Noam, a Nahal reconnaissance soldier who recovered from a serious head wound, stood to recite a prayer for the welfare of IDF soldiers. In his heart, he also carried a personal prayer for the recovery of his teammate, A., who was wounded in the same serious incident and is still undergoing rehabilitation at the hospital. From the front row of the women’s section, Eva Berger, 91, who was born and raised in Hungary, watched him with emotion. As a 10-year-old girl, she lost her entire extended family, who were murdered in the Holocaust; only her parents and she, their only daughter, survived. “I was lucky, we were not in the ghetto. We hid, moving from house to house every two or three days, and I did not understand at all what was happening,” she said, recalling the home where she lived before they fled. “It was opposite a large hospital, where they brought all the wounded soldiers from the war. That is what I saw as a child.” After Noam, himself the grandson of a Holocaust survivor, finished the prayer, she said: “It hurts, and it is also amazing, to see a young man like that, who was wounded and is still defending the State of Israel.” It was not the first time I met Noam, 22. The previous time was at Sheba Medical Center at Tel Hashomer, when he arrived with his teammates from Team Z1 of the Nahal reconnaissance unit to visit A., the most seriously wounded soldier from the incident. In the incident, which took place in Beit Hanoun on Jan. 13, 2025, when the building where the force was operating exploded, the team lost its commander, Captain Yair Yakov Shushan, and four other soldiers: Staff Sgt. Yahav Hadar, Staff Sgt. Aviel Wiseman, Staff Sgt. Guy Karmiel and Staff Sgt. Yoav Feffer. This year, Noam joined the Jewish Agency’s “Shlichim in Uniform” delegation to share with members of the Jewish community in Budapest the journey he and his fellow soldiers went through together, from their enlistment in August 2022, through their training and completion of the course after a year and four months, to the ground maneuver in the Gaza Strip. He came to tell them about his own injury and rehabilitation, and that of seven other comrades wounded in the serious incident; about his decision to return to the unit as soon as he could, to complete his regular service; and about the memory of his five fallen friends, whose names he carried with him on every stage where he spoke and in every meeting he attended. “They walk with us, they are a source of strength for us. We remember them and their five families, with whom we have become one big family,” he said. “And we remember A., who is coping with a serious head wound and is still fighting to return to his life.” At the Shabbat meal after the prayer service at the synagogue, Noam said: “This is not my story or the team’s story. It is the story of the State of Israel, of the Jewish people around the world. The best example of that is this synagogue and this community, which has grown and developed, and it moves me so much to see it. That is the spirit of the Jewish people.” The next day, at the Jewish Agency center in Budapest, Noam met Itay, the bereaved brother of Sgt. 1st Class Matan Polyboda, who was killed in a training accident during his course in the Shayetet 13 naval commando unit in 1996. “We were shattered,” Itay said, describing the painful loss of his beloved brother. “I understood that I had to treat my shattered soul, my heart that had been broken into pieces. With his help, I rebuilt myself. In the process I went through, his soul was woven into the new Itay. Matan is with me all the time.” Noam and Itay had already met at a Memorial Day ceremony in which Noam took part, and where Itay, as he does every year, came to speak and light a torch. It was then that Itay discovered that Noam had fought on the same team as Yahav Hadar, the son of his childhood friend. “This is a brotherhood of fighters. Those who have experienced these things can communicate with understanding,” Polyboda said of the connection that was formed with Noam. As someone who works to strengthen the resilience of the Jewish community in Budapest and in Israel, Itay spoke about his decision to live in Hungary. “Our real mission is to back Israel. Not to be inside, but from here, to support the country in every way, and our support is very meaningful,” he said. At the end of the meeting, Noam continued to a conversation with Jewish teenagers living in Budapest. After sharing his story, he was asked whether he would choose to enlist as a combat soldier even if he knew he would be wounded in battle. “I would do it again and again. That is why we enlisted in the army, to contribute as much as possible. If I could do more, I would do more,” he replied confidently. “I am glad the Jewish identity in the community is so strong. The fact that you call yourselves ‘the Zionist group’ is very moving. It gives support to those who live in Israel, knowing that there is also a strong Jewish community abroad. That is what keeps us all together.” Delegations to 74 communities worldwide Noam is one of 130 male and female soldiers who took part this year in the Jewish Agency’s “Shlichim in Uniform” initiative. During the complex days between Holocaust Remembrance Day and Independence Day, the delegation, initiated by Jewish Agency Chairman Maj. Gen. (res.) Doron Almog, set out for the fourth year. The delegation is part of the “Kiruv Levavot” initiative, in cooperation with the IDF Ground Forces, the Defense Ministry’s Department of Families, Commemoration and Heritage, and the Class Action Fund. Eighty-eight men and 42 women traveled in 54 delegations to 74 Jewish communities, 42 in the United States and 32 elsewhere around the world. They met with more than 60,000 people in all, with the aim of sharing personal stories from the war and strengthening ties with Jews in the Diaspora who are facing rising antisemitism. “The delegation expresses more than anything the spirit and pride of us as a people,” Almog said. “Our male and female soldiers go out to Jewish communities around the world and bring with them the beating heart of the State of Israel — the human face of courage, responsibility and hope. It is a painful, moving, unifying and healing encounter. An encounter that rebuilds the sense of mutual responsibility, which is the foundation of our existence.” This year’s delegation included 50 career soldiers, 61 reservists and 19 soldiers in mandatory service, with the vast majority of participants wounded in the Swords of Iron war. The group included a unique breakdown of 15 new immigrants, 12 lone soldiers, 11 casualty officers, 10 doctors, four members of local rapid response teams, four paramedics and three resilience officers. Almog addressed the unusual approval for the delegation to travel during this period. “In wartime, and in an unprecedented way, the IDF allowed 130 male and female soldiers to go to Jewish communities around the world, underscoring the importance of the connection with world Jewry as a national mission of the highest order,” he said. Closing a circle in Germany Master Sgt. (res.) Rachel Bayer, 27, also took part in the initiative, leaving April 19 for a delegation to Germany, where her grandparents were born. The two, evangelical Christians, chose to come to Israel in 1972 and were among the founders of Zedakah, a nursing home in Ma’alot and a guesthouse for Holocaust survivors in Shavei Zion. “It is a story of faith, not from a place of atonement. They believe in God, wanted to show love to the people of Israel and acted out of a sense of mission,” Bayer said. “We always spoke German at home, and we never hid that this is our origin. But we are also Israelis in every sense.” When she grew up, Bayer chose to enlist in a combat track. “I had not known female combat soldiers before, but I understood that I loved the field and wanted to contribute as much as possible,” she said. In 2017, she was assigned to serve as a fighter in a search and rescue unit, and served as a combat medic. “It was the most meaningful service I could have asked for,” she said. The rest of the Bayer siblings also set themselves the goal of completing meaningful military service. “All the credit goes to our parents, that is the education we got at home,” Rachel said proudly. After her in the family are Odelia, who enlisted one draft cycle after her in exactly the same combat track, and C., who served in an elite unit. Both now report for reserve duty. The youngest son, A., is currently serving as a combat soldier in the Paratroopers Brigade. Between them was Urija, who served as a fighter in the Maglan unit and fell in the war. Sgt. First Class Urija Bayer was wounded Dec. 14, 2023, in an explosive device blast in the southern Gaza Strip. Seven other soldiers were wounded in the serious incident. “I was in a reserve duty rotation. My father called and said Urija had been wounded. On the way, I did not understand what his condition was, but I was most afraid of a head injury. As a medic, I know the consequences,” Rachel said. The family surrounded Urija as he fought for his life. “Intensive care is a surreal experience. I call it a waiting room for heaven. Some leave it, and some continue on,” she said. After three days, Urija died after being declared brain dead. “It was a time of grace. At that time, it was not obvious that we would have someone to bury. We had a farewell, to give thanks for the time with Urija, 20 years that we were privileged to have him as a brother,” his bereaved sister said painfully. She remembers their final meeting well. “During the first ceasefire, he came out of Gaza, and I remember the hug he gave me, strong and good,” she said. Bayer spoke with longing about her younger brother, who had been “quiet and introverted,” but began to flourish after his pre-army academy and enlistment in the IDF. “In the unit, he really shone. He was happy there. His team became his family,” she said. Her decision to join the delegation this year, even at the cost of being absent from the cemetery on Memorial Day, was clear to her. “I do not need Memorial Day to remember my brother. I remember him every day. To be in Germany, with my family story, is more of a return for me,” she explained. “My grandparents would never have believed I would stand here in an IDF uniform.” She came to the meetings with the Jewish community in Germany with a clear message: “Do not forget the wounded, who are still fighting to return to life, and their families, who devote their lives to their recovery.” After returning from the delegation, and alongside her medical studies at Ben-Gurion University, Bayer reported for her sixth round of reserve duty. Summing up the experience, she said: “It is incredible to see what Jews abroad are doing for their community. I understood how important it is to strengthen ties with them from Israel. Jews around the world have a very significant role, and meeting them gave me a broader picture of what they are coping with, which, like the reality in Israel, is also very complex.” message h1t1nuo0ze Rabbi Dr. Ari Berman says 'the good AI' must beat 'the bad AI' as YU expands in technology, draws students and faculty from elite universities where they felt unsupported after October 7, and answers antisemitism with 'pro-semitism' Felice Friedson / The Media Line https://ynet-pic1.yit.co.il/picserver6/crop_images/2026/05/08/rJsnEUsRZx/rJsnEUsRZx_0_0_2560_1706_0_small.jpg https://www.ynetnews.com/jewish-world/article/h1t1nuo0ze Fri, 08 May 2026 15:23:13 +03:00 Rabbi Dr. Ari Berman does not talk like a university president under siege. At a time when antisemitism is surging, elite campuses are under scrutiny, artificial intelligence is rewriting the terms of public life, and parents are increasingly unsure what kind of world their children are inheriting, Berman sounds less alarmed than resolved. Kind in demeanor and gentle in speech, Berman nevertheless gives the impression of someone unafraid to say what he thinks—a deep thinker who comes across as authentic, genuine, and real. He speaks about turbulence the way some leaders speak about opportunity—not because he underestimates the danger, but because he believes institutions with deep roots are uniquely equipped to meet it. “We were made for this moment,” he says. That confidence is not naïveté. Berman, now nearly nine years into the presidency of Yeshiva University (YU), says plainly that he could not have predicted what was coming. “There is no way I could have anticipated a whole host of challenges that would come, including COVID,” he says, calling the pandemic “pretty much a curveball.” YU, primarily based in New York City, was “the first university in the Northeast to actually have a student who was diagnosed with COVID.” Then came October 7 and the shock waves that rippled across campus life in America. But if the crises were unanticipated, his response to them was not. “My approach to all of the changes and challenges of these past years,” he says, “is where can you find the opportunity?” Berman is adamant that YU’s role in this era is not simply to shield Jewish students from hostility, though that matters. It is to offer a model of moral seriousness at a time when too many institutions, in his view, have lost the will to speak plainly. He is direct on the subject of anti-Israel rhetoric. “Anti-Zionism is definitely antisemitism,” he says. He insists the reasoning is straightforward: if Israel alone is denied the right to exist as a Jewish state while Muslim and Christian states are treated as ordinary facts of international life, “that is a double standard. It is discrimination. And by definition, that is antisemitism.” The lesson he wants students to absorb is equally clear: they must learn “to have the courage to call it out and to stand for what is true.” At the same time, Berman is careful not to reduce campus life to political combat alone. When controversial political figures in New York entered the broader conversation, he says YU itself has not felt a direct institutional impact. “We haven’t felt the effects of Mayor Mamdani and hasn’t had any implications for YU,” he says. But that practical distinction does not soften his larger conviction that students need moral clarity and a firm vocabulary for naming discrimination when they see it. That phrase—moral clarity—runs through much of Berman’s vision. After October 7, as universities around the country struggled or refused to respond, he moved to organize. “Absolutely. It was very important. And it’s still very important,” he says of the effort to bring presidents and academic leaders together. His position continues to try to hold multiple truths in view at once: “We stand with Israel, with the Palestinian people who suffer under Hamas’s cruel rule in Gaza, and all people of moral conscience.” The line matters because it rejects both terrorism and the flattening habits of campus discourse, where sympathy for civilians can become a pretext for erasing moral distinctions. Out of that effort came an alliance that Berman describes with pride. “We created a coalition of universities united against terrorism,” he says, and “we had over 100 universities who signed up to join us.” The significance of the coalition is not merely numerical. It is symbolic. “Especially when there were some universities that were silent in the face of these atrocities, it was very important for the country to know that there are good universities too,” he says. “There are presidents who know how to speak with moral clarity.” The upheaval on campuses has also reshaped where students are choosing to study. Berman says that after October 7, YU saw “a sharp increase in transfer students.” Over time, he adds, there has been “a significant increase in the percentage of students from our feeder schools who would otherwise have gone to these elite universities” but are now choosing YU instead. He is careful to note that the University’s growth did not begin with the current crisis; he says students had already begun recognizing “the excellence of our education.” Still, he offers one figure that captures the shift: early decision applicants are up “over 70% over the past two years.” Those are, he says, “the top students who would otherwise have applied early decision to Ivy League universities.” "Anti-Zionism is definitely antisemitism" What is changing at YU, however, is not simply a matter of student recruitment. Berman describes a broader realignment that includes faculty as well. In fields central to the technological future, he says, professors are increasingly coming to YU after feeling exposed or unsupported elsewhere. “It’s a story that’s not yet being told,” he says, “which is not just students who want to leave those universities and come to YU, but the faculty.” He ticks through examples: “the former chair of math at Rutgers left Rutgers,” a former chair of electrical engineering at Cooper Union is joining Yeshiva, and “we have a professor from MIT who left MIT in computer science to come to Yeshiva.” The reason, he says, is that after October 7, many discovered that “their peers at best were indifferent to who they are.” This helps explain why Berman speaks about engineering, robotics, and artificial intelligence with such urgency. YU, he says, “just opened up an engineering track,” backed by a major donation, and is expanding aggressively into the disciplines shaping the next century. “We’re becoming experts in it,” he says of AI. He points to new faculty in math and computer science, and says YU is “at the forefront of research in AI, including in tech health fields.” For Berman, the point is not simply to keep up but to help define the field. “Being at the cutting edge of knowledge is essential,” he says. Yet Berman does not regard artificial intelligence as merely a technical frontier. For him, it is a moral one. Students must learn to use AI “positively and ethically with values,” he says, and universities cannot afford to treat such questions as peripheral. “AI itself is obviously morally neutral,” he says. “The question is how it’s deployed, and what are the policies, and what are the innovations that we’re going to afford.” That formulation matters because it places responsibility not on the tool itself but on the people who build, regulate, and normalize it. He is especially concerned with the role AI now plays in misinformation and social distortion. “This is going to be the key issue of the age,” he says, describing the challenge as learning “how to both separate out what’s fake and what’s real, and to be inside the conversation as AI is being formed, so that we do not actually meet a dystopian future, but one that has our values.” YU recently hosted a “hack the hate” event, he notes, that brought together innovators and policy figures, including “the chief policymaker at Meta,” to explore how AI can identify falsehood. “The good AI,” he says, must learn to beat “the bad AI.” Still, Berman’s questions about AI reach far beyond detection tools and policy frameworks. He speaks of the subject in almost civilizational terms, which is why he has moved to place YU in global conversations about ethics and technology. About a year and a half ago, he traveled to Hiroshima “to sign on to the Rome Call of AI and Ethics.” There, he found himself in a room with faith leaders not only from monotheistic traditions but from Hindu, Sikh, Buddhist, and Shinto communities as well. What stays with him from that gathering is a scene both humorous and revealing. A Shinto priest told him that “there’s a spirit inside of everything,” including AI. Berman turned to a Buddhist monk seated nearby and asked, “Is there a Buddha in AI?” The monk answered, “Rabbi, that’s why I’m here to find out.” When Berman followed up later—had he found the answer?—the monk replied, “I need two more conferences.” The anecdote lightens the mood, but Berman’s conclusion is serious. “You have to be in the leadership,” he says. “You have to have a seat at the table in terms of how it’s unfolding right now.” YU is now part of “a consortium of other faith-based universities right now with BYU and Notre Dame” focused on how faith is represented in AI. He sees that work as indispensable. “We don’t know where the world is going,” he says, “but YU has a seat at the table to help bring the Jewish values and the thousands of year tradition that we have in our Talmudic texts and our biblical texts to inform where the future is going to go with AI.” For Berman, the same principle extends beyond technology into public truth itself. One of the central burdens of our times, he suggests, is not just that lies travel quickly, but that truth is often overshadowed by drama. “The truth will win out at the end,” he says. Then he sharpens the point with a line that feels almost like a creed: “one truth will spread the light that will shatter a thousand lies.” But if truth is to prevail, it needs people willing to tell it. Berman does not believe truth is collapsing so much as being underreported. “I wouldn’t say it’s failing,” he says. “I think that what I see in the world is actually it’s spreading.” The problem, in his view, is that public attention is skewed toward hatred and conflict. “We are so intrigued by the anti,” he says, because hate and violence “always makes the news.” What is missed is what he calls “the common story,” namely, “the love and appreciation for Jews, for Israel.” That hidden story, from his perspective, has been one of the most surprising and consequential elements of recent years. When he began organizing support after October 7, some of the first people he reached were leaders at faith-based universities. One Christian leader told him, “Ari, whatever you write, I’m going to sign. You don’t even have to show it to me. I’m with you.” Another, the president of a historically Black faith-based university, offered him a biblical image that Berman clearly treasures. “The Jews win when Moses holds his hands up,” she said, “but who is holding Moses’s hands up? It’s Aaron and Hur. Let us be your Aaron and Hur. You can lean on us.” What these exchanges have revealed to him is not merely support in a difficult season, but the possibility of a larger coalition grounded in faith and mutual respect. “We have friends and allies in the United States and around the world,” he says. And those allies are not limited to Christians. Reflecting on the coalition, he says, “It’s not just Christians, we have Muslims and Hindus, like we have religions and people of faith all throughout the world who appreciate the Jewish tradition.” This, he argues, is the story too often left untold: “We’re so focused on antisemitism that we’re not doing the pro-semitism.” That conviction has also shaped YU’s outreach to Christian communities eager to understand Judaism more deeply. Berman says he recognized a real search in the Christian world to understand Judaism from authentic Jewish voices and saw in that search an opening. “We should extend ourselves outward,” he says. The result has been “enormous interest” from students in the United States and abroad, including partnerships with “two Christian universities in South Korea.” YU is not only collaborating with them; “we actually have classes in Korean that we’re teaching Jewish texts in Korean.” Tying together language, technology, and theology, Berman asserts that “especially with AI, [we] have an opportunity to reach everyone in their own language and bring the world back to a time of fellowship.” He even sees evidence of this growing fascination with Jewish tradition in unexpected places. He notes he had “very strong positive conversations with Charlie Kirk,” whom he describes as one of the possible “harbingers” of a movement among some Christians toward Sabbath observance and a deeper engagement with Jewish ethics. Berman recalls Kirk wanting to visit YU and speaking admiringly of the university. Kirk, known for saying college is a scam, once began talking that way to one of Berman’s sons before realizing whose son he was addressing. He quickly amended his position by saying, “College is a scam except Yeshiva.” Beyond the joke, Berman says, Kirk “believed so deeply in the Jewish tradition as a basis of ethics and morality and as a means to inform the entire conversation, certainly in the United States.” The through-line in all of this is Berman’s conviction that tradition is not a brake on modernity but a source of strength within it. He says YU’s philosophy, since its founding, has been to be “deeply rooted and forward-focused.” He sees modern instability not as proof that the old foundations have failed, but as proof of how badly those foundations are needed. “The fact that we are built on 3,000 years of tradition gives us a stability,” he says, and allows the university “to be nourished by the past generations, as opposed to being cut off from them.” He reaches for an old rabbinic image to explain the point: “a tree without roots easily breaks in torrential winds. But a tree with roots can withstand times of great turmoil and instability.” The lesson, as he applies it to YU, is twofold. “The first step is to be deeply rooted,” he says. “But the second step is to be forward-focused.” That means “not to shy away from the technological changes and innovations, but to lean in.” For Berman, this is not a balancing act between two competing loyalties. It is a single philosophy: “rather than seeing tradition as conflicting with innovation, to see it as forming the basis that allows you to lead positive, progressive, and flourishing lives.” This has implications not just for college students, but for younger children and the parents trying to raise them in a digitally saturated age. “Parents today are worried, and rightfully so,” Berman says. “We’ve never seen children who’ve had such exposure to what these kids have,” and they are being raised “digitally native” in an environment that can intensify “mental health and anxiety.” He says he shares those concerns, and he invokes a conversation with Jonathan Haidt to explain why he believes the answer is not simply technological regulation or educational reform. “The answer actually is rooted in tradition.” Berman recounts Haidt’s metaphor of a world filled with toxins, in which some cities are protected by a bubble that allows families to flourish. “Those bubbles are tradition and faith,” he says. Communities with a moral center are able “to navigate and sort of filter out the bad toxins to allow the good things to come in.” Without that rootedness, modern life becomes “truly a dangerous world.” With it, students can move confidently into contemporary professions, from computer science to other cutting-edge fields, because “they’re not hiding from progress,” but are “rooted in who they are.” If Berman’s vision sounds expansive, it is because he is already looking beyond the present moment. He mentions speaking in Dubai on Holocaust Memorial Day, being “the first as an American and Israeli to speak at the [US presidential] inauguration,” and participating in faith events more broadly, each appearance part of a wider effort to place Jewish ideas into global conversations. He is guarded about specifics but clearly energized by what he sees coming next. “We have actually a lot planned,” he says. Some of those plans, he suggests, are tied to a changing geopolitical landscape. “After the Abraham Accords, we had a lot of possibilities that were a little held back after October 7, but now we’re able to lean in on,” he says. He expects “a lot of Jewish connection with countries throughout the world that otherwise, in the past, would have been very reluctant to partner with the flagship Jewish university.” He also sees YU moving further into research, not simply consuming existing knowledge but producing it. “As we grow in excellence in research, as we continue to not just study knowledge, but create knowledge, we’re finding incredible partnerships that will help society flourish deeply.” That word—flourish—comes up often with Berman. It signals the difference between mere survival and something fuller, more ambitious. He is not only trying to protect a university or defend a community, but to argue for a larger model of human development: rooted, ethical, technologically literate, intellectually serious, and open to partnership. In a public culture that often treats faith as either private comfort or political identity, Berman is making a different case—that religious tradition, seriously lived, can be a source of institutional confidence, cultural clarity, and civic repair. “The future of Yeshiva is bright,” he says. It is the sort of line many university presidents might offer. But for Berman, it carries a broader aspiration. YU is not simply trying to navigate an age of fracture. It is trying to show that ancient commitments and future-facing ambition need not cancel each other out. If anything, he suggests, each may be impossible without the other. “We’re looking to build a better world for all.” The story is written by Felice Friedson and reprinted with permission from The Media Line. message h1g2v4oawe Suspect accused of shouting Nazi abuse and death threats on Hackney bus; second man arrested in Manchester over threats to Jewish community Itamar Eichner https://ynet-pic1.yit.co.il/picserver6/crop_images/2026/05/08/HJl8KGfsAWe/HJl8KGfsAWe_0_47_505_285_0_small.jpg https://www.ynetnews.com/jewish-world/article/h1g2v4oawe Fri, 08 May 2026 13:08:52 +03:00 A man in his 50s was arrested on Thursday in London after allegedly threatening Jewish bus passengers and shouting antisemitic abuse at them, authorities said, as a separate incident targeting Jews in Manchester also ended in an arrest. The London incident took place at about 3:45 p.m. on a Route 254 bus in the Hackney borough. Volunteers with Shomrim, a Jewish neighborhood watch group, said the suspect shouted at Jewish passengers, “It’s a shame Hitler didn’t kill you” and “You should all go to the gas chambers.” He also allegedly threatened to kill Jewish children and claimed he had a knife. The bus driver stopped the vehicle and pressed a panic button. Shomrim volunteers who arrived at the scene detained the suspect until police arrived. The Metropolitan Police said the man, in his 50s, was arrested on suspicion of threats to kill and public order offenses. Police said the case is being investigated as an antisemitic hate crime. In Manchester, another man, in his 60s, was arrested after allegedly threatening Jews in the Heaton Park area of Salford, home to a large Haredi community. According to reports, the suspect made serious threats against Jewish residents and was arrested by local police on suspicion of racially aggravated public order offenses. The two incidents come amid a recent rise in reports of antisemitic incidents in Britain. Police said they take such cases extremely seriously. message r19gvxocbe Behar-Bechukotai’s ban on substituting consecrated animals becomes a lesson on self-deception, moral clarity and the danger of letting AI justify human choices Michael Eisenberg https://ynet-pic1.yit.co.il/picserver6/crop_images/2020/07/09/10088324/10088324_0_0_1920_1080_0_small.jpg https://www.ynetnews.com/jewish-world/article/r19gvxocbe Fri, 08 May 2026 12:14:04 +03:00 As we conclude the Book of Leviticus with the double portion of Behar-Bechukotai, we find ourselves immersed in the practical realities of inheriting the Land of Israel and managing an economic life. These chapters lay out a comprehensive framework for a society built on divine principles: Chapter 25 discusses the Shmita (sabbatical), the Yovel (jubilee), the empowerment of those who have lost their assets and the redemption of ancestral lands. Chapter 26 presents the "Blessings and Curses," outlining the economic prosperity that follows the observance of commandments versus the ruin and exile that result from their abandonment. Finally, Chapter 27 deals with Hekdesh—the act of an individual sanctifying their value, animals or estates—alongside the sanctity of firstborn animals and tithes. Essentially, this concluding chapter focuses on what a person gives back from their economic success, acknowledging the goodness God has bestowed upon us. The law of Temurah: a prohibition on substitution Within the laws of sanctifying animals, the Torah twice emphasizes the prohibition of substitution, stating that once an item is consecrated, its status cannot be changed: "And if it be a beast, whereof men bring an offering unto the Lord, all that any man giveth of such unto the Lord shall be holy. He shall not alter it, nor change it, a good for a bad, or a bad for a good; and if he shall at all change beast for beast, then both it and that for which it is changed shall be holy" (Leviticus 27:9-10). A similar restriction appears regarding the animal tithe: "And concerning the tithe of the herd, or of the flock... the tenth shall be holy unto the Lord. He shall not search whether it be good or bad, neither shall he change it; and if he change it at all, then both it and the change thereof shall be holy; it shall not be redeemed" (Leviticus 27:32-33). The specific phrasing of "good" and "bad" resonates deeply with the story of the Garden of Eden. The Torah employs the same Hebrew words in the law of Temurah and the Tree of Knowledge: Good and Bad. God warned Adam not to eat from the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Bad. The serpent tempted Eve by claiming they would become "like God, knowing good and bad." Ultimately, upon their exile, God noted that man had become like one of the Divine "to know good and bad." Maimonides, in The Guide for the Perplexed (1:2), explains that this transition was not an "upgrade" for humanity. Before the sin, the human being operated in the realm of "Intellect," distinguishing between Truth and Falsehood. Following the sin, human consciousness shifted to the realm of "Conventions," or human norms, such as the transition from being clothed or naked. These norms are often influenced by subjective or societal needs and interests, designed to help us navigate the challenges of reality. Outside of Eden, our decisions are frequently based on what is beneficial versus what is harmful, and we find ourselves preoccupied with interpreting events based on our own perspective. The psychology of self-deception Maimonides explains the law of substitution as a safeguard against the misuse of this ability to distinguish between good and bad. He argues that if it were permitted to substitute a "bad" animal for a "good" one (with the intent to improve the offering), a person would eventually substitute a "good" animal with a "bad" one, convincing themselves that the inferior animal is actually "better." The Torah recognizes human weaknesses, desires and the fragility of our self-image. It fears the erosion of our ability to distinguish between good and evil. Therefore, at the end of Leviticus, where holiness meets economics and property, the Torah sets a boundary: once something is surrendered to the Holy, an individual no longer has the right to "pivot" their judgment based on lust, money, religious fastidiousness, ecstasy or honor. The Torah blocks the possibility of substitution so that we could return for a moment to the "pure truth," the "taste of Eden." This ancient warning is amplified today by artificial intelligence. AI learns our preferences and, rather than confronting us or holding up a mirror, it may simply agree with us. It can help us blur the lines between good and evil for our own convenience, using sophisticated rhetoric to justify our subjective choices. In contrast, the Torah provides "mirrors" to ground us: the "help-mate" (spouse) who creates a productive tension, and the direct encounters with others, often less fortunate members of society, required by the laws of Shemitta and Yovel. These acts of mutual responsibility help an individual refine their discernment. Modern progressive trends often seek to blur the boundaries between the permitted and the forbidden, or to offload moral burdens onto "objective models" and populist or authoritative figures. The Torah, however, insists that the distinction between good and evil is a lifelong mission of individual choice and responsibility. This is also the essence of divine leadership. When King David was praised, it was for his ability to "discern good and evil." When Solomon, the wisest of men, asked God for a gift, he did not ask for mathematical brilliance, but for an "understanding heart... to discern between good and evil." To lead is not merely to know facts or "truth and falsehood," but to realize the right choice within a complex reality of temptations, conflicts and interests. message hycc9ucrwg Officers found a hidden Jewish marriage contract, glass cup and ring during raid tied to suspected underage wedding; the teenage girl was dressed in white and sitting in a white-draped chair as relatives insisted the event was only an engagement party Shilo Freid, Israel Moshkovitz https://ynet-pic1.yit.co.il/picserver6/crop_images/2026/05/07/rkvTuSc0bl/rkvTuSc0bl_2_60_1174_661_0_small.jpg https://www.ynetnews.com/jewish-world/article/hycc9ucrwg Thu, 07 May 2026 21:52:00 +03:00 Police are investigating suspected underage marriages in the closed Haredi community of Yavne’el, where families have repeatedly claimed the events were “engagement ceremonies only” — ceremonies that are not prohibited by law. The latest case involved a notice circulated in the town near the Sea of Galilee about a “vort,” a party marking a couple’s decision to marry, between a man about 30 years old and a teenage bride. Footage from the event later showed clashes near the site between family members and people who had seen the notice and came to prevent what they believed was an illegal underage wedding. Following the uproar, police released details from another case that took place in Yavne’el several weeks ago. Acting on information about a minor’s marriage, officers raided a home in the town. Family members there also claimed it was only an engagement ceremony, but police found a ketubah- a Jewish marriage contract - hidden in the house. The bride, 16, was sitting on a chair in a white dress, and the groom was also an adult. Police also found a glass and a wedding ring. 'Even when you get there and see her in a wedding dress and him in a suit, it is not enough proof' Law enforcement officials said the phenomenon is difficult to combat with the tools currently available. In many cases, they said, when police receive information about a planned event, those involved say it is merely an engagement party, making it difficult to take immediate legal action. As long as there is no clear indication that a marriage has taken place or is about to take place, police have limited legal grounds to intervene. Investigations are often opened only after the fact, and even then, investigators struggle to establish sufficient evidence. Organizers also use methods meant to make enforcement harder, officials said. Events are often held at unusual hours and in isolated locations, with only a small number of people aware of the details. Phones are sometimes barred to prevent documentation, and documents such as the ketubah may be hidden away from the ceremony site or left unsigned. “In many cases, even when you get there and see her in a wedding dress and him in a suit, it is not enough,” a police source said. “Without clear proof of marriage, we have no way to act. You have no documentation, no witnesses, and in the end the couple themselves also say they did not get married. Without smoking-gun evidence, these cases simply do not hold up.” Regarding the latest case, a police source told ynet that those involved again claimed it was an engagement party. “Therefore, without solid evidence of a wedding, criminal proceedings cannot be opened. At the same time, police are continuing to monitor the matter,” the source said message