Teachings of rabbi killed in Bondi Beach terrorist attack live on with new book: ‘A profound gift’

 

Nikki holding an etrog and lulav inside a sukkah with Rabbi Eli Schlanger

Family crying over they casket of Eli Schlanger, which is draped with a Star of David

Nikki Goldstein

He saved her life — now her mission is to save his legacy. Nikki Goldstein doesn’t remember the first time she met Rabbi Eli Schlanger in September 2022. She was comatose in a Sydney, Australia, ICU, battling pneumonia and failing lungs. Doctors didn’t think the 57-year-old would live to see the next day.

Moments after her husband and daughter lifted their bowed heads resting over wires on her hospital bed, they caught a glimpse of a whirling dervish darting past the room wearing a yarmulke.

Though Goldstein was a secular Jew who never went to synagogue, her desperate husband Rowan asked the rabbi to give his dying wife a blessing.

When Nikki Goldstein’s husband asked Rabbi Eli Schlanger to give her a blessing, he sounded the shofar in her hospital room.

Before reciting ancient prayers over her “near lifeless” body, the bearded, bespeckled young rabbi brandished a ram’s horn known as a shofar, auspiciously blown before the Jewish High Holidays.

He sounded the simple instrument considered a “spiritual wake-­up call” that “pierces the heavens” with its plaintive cry and left Goldstein’s room.  

By the next day her infection retreated as doctors brought Goldstein out of the coma, something the medical team jokingly hailed as a “miracle.”

A few days later while doing his rounds as a hospital chaplain, Schlanger walked through the recovery ward and spotted Goldstein — sitting up, talking on the phone and looking strong.

“You survived,” he said, looking “completely shocked,” Goldstein, whose new book, “Conversations with My Rabbi: Timeless Teachings for a Fractured World” (Harper Influence), comes out May 26, recalled to The Post.

Nikki Goldstein would become known as “Eli’s miracle.”

American Airlines halts New York-Tel Aviv route through early 2027

 American Airlines announced on Sunday that it would be suspending nonstop flight services from New York to Tel Aviv’s Ben Gurion Airport through January 6, 2027.

“We will proactively reach ​out to ​impacted customers of this schedule adjustment, offering ​options in line with our customer-friendly schedule change policy," the airline said in an e-mailed statement.

The airline suspended operations to Israel immediately after the Hamas-led massacre on October 7, 2023.

American Airlines was to have resumed flights to Israel in March, but has repeatedly extended the suspension of flights amid regional tensions.

The airline had previously extended the suspension of service to Tel Aviv through September 7.

Last week, the European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) announced the extension of its Conflict Zone Advisory for Israeli airspace and several other nations across the Middle East and Persian Gulf, Globes reported.

The updated directive will remain in effect until at least May 27, though the agency has notably adjusted its tone regarding the current security landscape.

Major European carriers such as Wizz Air, KLM, Air France, and Air Europa are reportedly re-evaluating their scheduled resumption dates in light of the continued EASA warning.

Smotrich attacks Attorney General: ‘Very soon we will end the AG's dictatorship’

 

Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich today (Monday) attacked the Attorney General and the State Attorney during a discussion on the bill to split the role of the Attorney General at the Constitution Committee, sparking outrage among opposition MKs.

In his remarks, Smotrich referred to the “Sde Teiman" affair and said, 

“Almost 200 days have passed since the great blood libel carried out by Jews against IDF soldiers, and where is the Attorney General? Covering for her former colleague, the former Military Advocate General. There is no justice and no one is taking responsibility. She is sitting at home enjoying a generous pension and the rank of major general in the IDF. Almost 200 days have passed, and the public deserves answers: How is the investigation progressing? Have timelines been set? Who else was involved in this criminal leak and is receiving legal protection from the state?"

Smotrich compared the conduct of the legal system to foreign reports against IDF soldiers and criticized the harm caused to suspects in the affair.

 “Why should we complain about the lies of the New York Times, which publishes a disgraceful fake ‘investigation’ against heroic IDF soldiers, when the legal adviser to the Government of Israel lends a hand to exactly such a false libel. The lives of the heroes of Force 100 were destroyed. Families fell apart, their mental health collapsed. The time has come for everyone involved in the affair to be held accountable."

The Finance Minister went on to accuse the Attorney General of politically persecuting generals appointed to senior security positions. 

“What is the Attorney General occupied with? Persecuting Roman Gofman, a hero and outstanding IDF general appointed head of the Mossad during a critical period for Israel’s security; persecuting David Zini, another outstanding IDF general appointed head of the ISA in order to rehabilitate this extremely important organization after Ronen Bar shattered it."

The minister concluded his speech with criticism of the system’s budgeting and a promise to change the functioning of legal counsel in Israel.

 “At a time when crime and protection rackets are raging in the streets, the Attorney General and the Attorney General's Office, who head the system that was supposed to deal with this and provide us with personal security, are abandoning the citizens of Israel and investing the billions we give them in persecuting the government and the Right, thwarting every step, every plan and every appointment we make, with foolish investigations and abuse of legal process. Very soon we will restore Israel to being a democratic state and put an end to the dictatorship of the Attorney General. A state in which legal counsel advises, the government can govern, and the Knesset succeeds in legislating. That is democracy."

Smotrich sharply criticized the legal advisers in the Justice Ministry and said:

 “You are a total failure. From the Attorney General and the State Attorney down to the department heads, they all need to go home."

During the discussion, a verbal confrontation developed between bereaved brother Danny Elgart, who joined the Democrats party, and Minister Smotrich. The Knesset Guard attempted to prevent the clash and remove Elgart from the minister. Constitution Committee chairman MK Simcha Rothman suspended the discussion.

Israel turning back violent flotilla from Turkey

 Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu  held a security discussion Monday regarding the Turkish flotilla making its way to the Gaza Strip.

Following the discussion, Netanyahu is expected to authorize the IDF to take control of the vessels in order to prevent a breach of the naval blockade.

Fifty-seven vessels set sail last week from Marmaris, Turkey, carrying hundreds of pro-Palestinian activists. They are expected to reach the Gaza Strip area Tuesday evening if they are not stopped beforehand.

The defense establishment fears that the current flotilla could be more violent than previous ones, both because of the identity of the activists and due to the involvement of IHH. The organization was behind the Mavi Marmara flotilla in 2010, during which activists attacked Shayetet 13 commandos with knives and clubs, seized a soldier’s weapon, and opened fire at the force.

Israel has made clear that it will not allow the vessels to breach the naval blockade, and the IDF is preparing for a physical takeover using Shayetet 13 commandos and naval forces. According to a Kan News report, a floating detention cell has been built on one of the ships, to which the activists will be transferred after their arrest if they refuse to heed the forces’ warnings and turn back at sea.

In 2010, the Mavi Marmara defied orders to turn around and dock at the Ashdod port, forcing the IDF to board the vessel - only to be attacked by Islamist extremists on board. The soldiers were pressed to open fire to save their lives.

After an investigation, Israeli authorities discovered the vessel to be carrying no humanitarian aid - in fact, no aid supplies at all - in contrary to the claimed "humanitarian" mission of the flotilla. The incident led to a fallout between Israel and Turkey.

Charles Weiss of Flatbush " Askanim Must Not Allow Mamdani To Use Them As Political Props"

 

For years, askanim and community leaders stood beside politicians at the White House, in Albany, and at City Hall. They built relationships, advocated for resources, and fought for the needs of the community. Most people understood the purpose. Government controls funding, influence, and access, and maintaining those relationships often produced real benefits for Jewish communities.

Critics occasionally mocked the optics or accused communal leaders of becoming too close to power, but most reasonable people understood that representation matters. Strong advocacy has long been an essential part of protecting and advancing communal interests.

But this moment is different.

Antisemitism is no longer hiding in the shadows. Jews are increasingly targeted under the cover of terms like “Zionists,” “anti-Israel,” and “anti-IDF.” The language may be politically sanitized, but the hostility behind it is becoming harder to ignore.

After watching Jewish neighborhoods in Manhattan, Queens, and now Midwood overwhelmed by hostile protests, masked agitators, and aggressive mobs, nobody can honestly pretend anymore that this is simply normal political activism.

What unfolded in Midwood was not peaceful “activism.” It was intimidation, chaos, and fear. Parents frantically searched for their children. Families rushed indoors. Residents felt trapped in their own neighborhood while police appeared either overwhelmed or unwilling to remove mobs marching without permits and in open violation of city law.

And afterward, City Hall said virtually nothing.

That silence was deafening.

Recent legislative battles at City Hall and now in Albany over establishing “protective distances” around shuls and yeshivas raise an obvious question: what difference does 50 feet, 100 feet, or even 1,000 feet make if aggressive mobs are still allowed to illegally march, without permits, through Jewish residential neighborhoods?

Allowing mobs to illegally march without permits and terrorize Jewish residential neighborhoods is outrageous.

Either there is law and order or there is not.

And if anyone still believes this mayor is going to offer meaningful protest or genuine concern, they simply have not been paying attention.

In the aftermath of the Midwood riots, the only notable public message from Mayor Mamdani was an incendiary tweet posted before Shabbos commemorating the “Nakba.”

Which brings us to the upcoming Jewish Heritage event at Gracie Mansion.

Year after year, these events have attracted a who’s who of community leaders, organizational representatives, askanim, and politically connected machers.

But things are different now.

There is something profoundly unsettling about watching Jewish neighborhoods overwhelmed by masked mobs and then, days later, seeing yarmulke-wearing communal representatives participate in carefully staged, feel-good photo opportunities with the same administration many believe enabled, excused, or tolerated the hostility directed at Jewish communities.

Political engagement matters. No serious person disputes that. Meetings should continue. Advocacy should continue. Relationships with government should continue.

But there is a difference between advocacy and exploitation.

Communal representatives should advocate privately and professionally for the needs of the Jewish community. They should continue fighting for security, funding, education, and protection. What they should not do is allow themselves to become political props while Jewish neighborhoods increasingly feel under siege.

At some point, the optics themselves become damaging.

Many ordinary community members no longer view these public displays as productive diplomacy. They view them as tone-deaf, humiliating, and disconnected from the fear and anger many Jewish families are currently experiencing.

And that raises a fair question:

Who exactly are these public appearances serving?

Charles Weiss
Flatbush, Brooklyn

Unreal!! Rabbi Yair Hoffman a Rav in Chutz Le'Aaretz Takes on the Israel Poisik HaRav Shmuel Eliyahu A Giant Poisik & Torah Scholar On his Stance on Opening a Shul on Har Habayit

 

I found it remarkable that Rabbi Yair Hoffmann, writing comfortably from Chutz La’Aretz, chose to challenge a towering Torah figure like HaRav Shmuel Eliyahu shlit”a — a baki be’chol haTorah kula, a widely respected posek throughout Israel, a member of the Moetzes HaRabbanut HaRashit, and the Chief Rabbi of Tzfas.

The controversy centers on Rav Eliyahu’s suggestion that Israel establish a Beis HaKnesses on Har HaBayit.

But this idea is hardly unprecedented. There was a functioning synagogue on Har HaBayit for centuries during the Byzantine period in the 5th and 6th centuries. Rabbi Berel Wein z”l even devoted an entire lecture to this historical fact. So while Rabbi Hoffmann’s “Open Letter” is written respectfully, his arguments miss the mark on several levels.

Rabbi Hoffmann offers two reasons to oppose building a shul:

1. Lifnei Iver

2. Pikuach Nefesh and the value of Jewish life

His primary concern is Pikuach Nefesh — the fear that Arabs may respond violently. But this raises an obvious question: If violence is the metric, what “provocation” triggered the October 7 massacre, the largest slaughter of Jews since the Holocaust? The answer is clear: Arabs do not need a pretext to kill Jews. Their hatred is not conditional on Jewish actions.

More importantly, if there truly is an issur d’Oraisa of Lifnei Iver, why would one need a second argument at all? And if entering certain areas of Har HaBayit carries a potential chiyuv kareis, isn’t that alone sufficient?

The fact that Rabbi Hoffmann leans so heavily on the Pikuach Nefesh argument suggests that even he does not believe the Lifnei Iver claim stands on solid ground.

Another point, why is it that Chutz Le'aarerz Rabbanim are so concerned of Arabs rioting? We have a poisik living in Israel and he thinks we should establish a Jewish presence on the Har Habayit, despite Arab threats!

Before we get to Rabbi Hoffman's letter, I want to copy and paste some letters to Rav Hoffman, rebutting his entire premise!

I disagree and here is why

To summarize Yair Hoffman’s arguments as I understood them: A) An establishment of beis hakneses even in the mutar areas of har habais CAN cause a spillage of people to the osur areas which can cause issur koreis on the mass scale c”v. B) Doing something that the islamonazis consider unacceptable can cause loss of Jewish lives chas vesholom.

Why I disagree with both:

A) A possibility of something bad is not a reason to avoid doing something good. The obvious solution is to learn the relevant halachos and to enforce these halachos as necessary.

After all, we don’t spend an entire shabos lying in bed out of fear of violating hilchos shabos and getting issur koreis c”v — instead we learn hilchos shabos and spend our shabosim besimcha while avoiding all the isurim. Making a salad on shabos CAN violate a few avos melacha, but we make salads without violating — because we learn exactly what we are allowed and not allowed to do. We eat matza throughout Pesach even not during seder, even though there CAN be a remote possiblity that a matza is a chometz — because we are makpid on afiyas matzos and we make sure that kashrus of matzos is impeccable.

Same can and should be done on har habais. The relevant halachos can be publicized. Maps of mutar and osur areas can be publicized. Friendly rabanut-employed attendants can be stationed throughout and guide people where to go and where not to go. This is not an opportunity for issur — this is an opportunity for increasing kovod shamaim by educating yiden about mitzvois, the very definition of Kidush Hashem.

B) The islamonazis don’t need any additional reasons to try to kill us c”v. They are already doing their best at their highest capacity.

Read their homicidal koran and learn their homicidal history. Our very existence drives them mad.

Our taking back of the holiest site in Judaism is not going to make a homicidal maniac into a more homicidal maniac, same as an already pregnant woman can never become more pregnant. Some phenomena can have only two possible states — either on or off switch — and quantity is not applicable. The islamonazis homicidal switch has been turned on since the 7th century, and any stories of Jews thriving in Islamic countries have the following three explanations, in any combination: greatly exaggerated, the government was weak and needed the Jewish help in various areas, the Islamism was only nominal.

 Accuracy Matters

Rabbi Hoffman – I want to thank you for the respectful tone of your letter. I happen to strongly disagree with it, but appreciate that it is coming from a place of concern and caring, rather than being a political polemic masquerading as “Psak”.

As to the issue of danger to Jewish lives – according to Rav Shmuel, there is currently an active Mitzva of Kibush – and by its very nature, Kibush entails danger to life. There’s also his view that it is important to show ownership of ALL of Eretz Yisrael, and that that’s the greatest form of deterence from attacks over the long term – veyir’u osecha kol amei ha’aretz, veyar’u mipanecha. You and others of the Chareidi religious persuasion may disagree with Rav Shmuel on this, but your arguments will not sway Rav Shmuel – since you’re coming from a completely different religious world view on what areas of Halacha are relevant b’zman hazeh. You are arguing from a place of Chareidism, which views Galus – even while being physically present in Eretz Yisrael – as currently being the correct place for a Jew. He is coming from a place of Aschalta d’Ge’ula, where proud Jews are reclaiming their heritage here in Eretz Yisrael.

I write the above with the greatest respect

Read letter from Rav Hoffman after the break

The Left’s turn against Israel is complete with the NY Times’ latest antisemitic smear: Michael Goodwin!

 

Nicholas Kristof

For those who missed last week’s gutter-level low for The New York Times, here’s a catch-up — and the big picture meaning.

The focus is Nicholas Kristof’s bizarre column last Monday that repeated debunked claims that Israeli dogs had raped Palestinian prisoners. Among the landslide of criticism, the most frequent was that the author had swallowed, hook, line and sinker, garbage from sources widely known for peddling Hamas propaganda.

The key assertions Kristof makes are so outlandish that the Israeli government vows to file a defamation suit against him and the Times.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said the writer and paper “defamed the soldiers of Israel and perpetuated a blood libel about rape, trying to create a false symmetry between the genocidal terrorists of Hamas and Israel’s valiant soldiers.”

The last reference, of course, is to the well-documented cases of Hamas terrorists raping women and children — and sometimes corpses — during and after the Oct. 7, 2023, invasion.

Those proven war crimes are a prime reason why the paper’s dogmatic defense of Kristof’s column is as outrageous as the column itself. By embracing without reservations the Hamas-tainted sourcing and the author’s claims that echo ancient antisemitic tropes about Jews, the Times has tied itself to wild assertions that most rookie reporters would suspect.

The tweet that sparked outrage online: “Tel Aviv is being conquered by religious people"

 Independent journalist Hila Tov sparked controversy after claiming that Tel Aviv is being “conquered" by religious Jews, and questioning why they choose to live “in the heart of secularism."

The journalist, who is the mother of Michael Hauser Tov of Haaretz, triggered a broad public uproar on social media.

The controversy began after Tov published a post protesting the presence of religious residents in her hometown, Tel Aviv. In the post, she included a photo of an armed religious man carrying a long gun alongside a father pushing a baby stroller.

“In a disturbing and revolting way, Tel Aviv is being conquered by kippah-wearers with guns, and by groups in the ‘Rosh Yehudi’ style," Tov wrote. “And don’t start with ‘there’s room for everyone’ - because there isn’t. Look at what’s happening in Arad, for example. The takeover of Tel Aviv is deliberate and systematic. If not to poke a finger in the eye, why come settled specifically in the heart of secularism?"

The post sparked a wave of harsh reactions from many users, some of whom accused Tov of antisemitism, with one commenter writing that “this tweet would probably sound even better in German."

Guy Levy, spokesperson for Likud, responded sarcastically by suggesting she open a dedicated email address where people could submit formal applications to move to the city for her approval.

On the other hand, a resident of central Tel Aviv who identified himself as secular expressed a more moderate view toward the religious presence: “I think we would gain a lot as a society if we stopped looking at people as groups and started looking at them as individuals. I have religious-Zionist friends - heaven forbid - who live in central Tel Aviv because they love the city, the proximity to the sea, and being close to friends. Not everything is part of some malicious plan."

Right-wing activist Ayelet Lash also criticized the remarks and pointed to what she described as hypocrisy on the left: “When we live in Judea and Samaria, you shout ‘get out of there.’ When we move to the Gaza border area, you shout ‘but why there?’ When we go to Metula, you shout ‘the religious are conquering Metula.’ When we arrive in Lod, you shout ‘why did you come to stir things up?’ You want coexistence with Nazi Arabs but can’t stand seeing your own brothers wearing kippahs within your radius. Tell me more about the inclusion, pluralism, humanity, and tolerance of the Israeli left."

The Yeshiva World News Posts a Flawed Poll that "MAJORITY OF ISRAELIS OPPOSE NETANYAHU"

As many have already read, Rav Dov Landau — the spiritual leader of Degel — instructed his representatives in the Zionist Knesset to leave the coalition, effectively triggering the collapse of the current government. Since national elections are already scheduled for October, this move is largely symbolic and politically unnecessary.

The real purpose, in my view, is to keep the Chareidi parties relevant at a time when more and more frum Jews are beginning to recognize that these parties operate primarily for their own interests. They do not participate in the responsibilities of the State, they do not recognize the State, and they avoid contributing to anything that benefits the broader population. Meanwhile, nearly every city with a large Chareidi population is listed among Israel’s poorest.

Now, in order to maintain their influence, they are turning against the very person who supported them for years — Netanyahu. They are already signaling openness to working with the Left and even with Arab parties if it brings financial gain. A report last week revealed that Rav Landau rejected a Left‑wing proposal two years ago that would have granted full army exemptions for yeshivah students. The reason? The deal did not include additional funding for the mosdos. This makes it clear that the issue is not Torah learning — it is money and control. The army debate is simply a convenient rallying cry for their base.

Last night, Yeshiva World News ran the headline:

“MAJORITY OF ISRAELIS OPPOSE NETANYAHU: Poll Finds Most Believe He Should Leave Political Life.”

This poll comes from the far‑left newspaper Maariv, whose polling has been consistently inaccurate for the past decade. In contrast, Arutz Sheva published a poll just last week indicating that Netanyahu is still favored to return as Prime Minister in October.

So why did Yeshiva World News choose to highlight this particular, highly questionable poll?

Because their readers are beginning to question the logic behind dissolving the government. By promoting this flawed survey, they can claim that it’s not only Rav Landau who opposes Netanyahu — it’s supposedly the “majority of Israelis.” The Lazar Research Center, which conducted the poll for Maariv, uses opaque and non‑transparent methodology, raising further doubts about its reliability.

Mamzerani "the satmerer" releases a Nakba Day Video

 

Don't expect the Satmar Leadership to condemn Mazarani, they stick by their own! 

New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani faced widespread criticism from Jewish organizations and elected officials after releasing a Nakba Day video that opponents said unfairly portrayed Israel’s founding while ignoring key historical context.

The video, posted Friday by the mayor’s office shortly before Shabbat, highlighted Palestinian displacement during the 1948 war surrounding Israel’s creation and included testimony from a Palestinian resident recalling her family’s departure from Jerusalem. The presentation described the Nakba as an ongoing experience for Palestinians.

Jewish advocacy groups and lawmakers quickly condemned the message, arguing it failed to mention the invasion of Israel by Arab armies after independence, the rejection of a U.N. partition proposal by Arab leaders and the displacement of Jewish communities from Arab countries in the years that followed.

The UJA-Federation of New York accused the mayor of presenting a selective version of history, while several state lawmakers said the video risked deepening tensions at a time of heightened antisemitic incidents in New York City.

Assemblymembers Simcha Eisenstein and Sam Berger were among those criticizing the use of city resources for the project, arguing the video promoted a political narrative hostile to Israel.

The backlash came as anti-Israel demonstrations tied to Nakba Day took place in Manhattan, where some protesters displayed Hezbollah flags and chanted slogans calling for Israel’s elimination.

Earlier in the day, Mamdani had praised authorities for arresting a suspect accused of planning an attack on a New York synagogue, stating that antisemitism and extremism would not be tolerated in the city.