Harav David Shlitah is a very well-respected Rav and Posik in Beit Shemesh. Finally a prominent Rav in a major Jewish Charedie City, not afraid to tell the truth!
I see a slow change in the Chardeie culture finally speaking out and refuting the lies and propaganda of Yeshivishe R"Y!
Listen to his lecture:
The highway is closed from Aluf Sadeh to Em HaMoshavot in both directions, with traffic diverted to alternate routes.
Similar protests blocked traffic in Jerusalem and Beit Shemesh where people were stuck in buses and cars for hours!
The story has been spreading across WhatsApp groups and frum news sites for the past several days. The details vary depending on which version one encountered. A family in the Lakewood area was without parents at home one evening. Dinner was ordered through Uber Eats. The intended restaurant was Smash House Burgers — a kosher establishment with locations in several cities, well known to many. The actual restaurant the order went to was Smashburger, the national chain that serves bacon, cheeseburgers, and milkshakes.
In one version, the family caught the mistake when the packaging looked unfamiliar and the food was not eaten.
In another, three children sat down and ate before anyone realized what had happened. The differences matters, and should not be glossed over, but for what needs to be said now, the discrepancy is almost beside the point. Because in either version of the story, the same critical safeguard was missing.
There was no kosher seal – or rather: there was no checking for one.
Other conversations abound:
“Kosher restaurant shouldn’t use a confusing name!”
“Why do we need to follow goyisha names for restaurants?”
“Uber Eats should label kosher establishments more clearly!”
“Hashgachos shouldn’t permit menu items that resemble cheeseburgers!”
And more.
But maybe, in this modern era, we should retool our Chinuch. Maybe we should create a curriculum that addresses the underlying issue – something that Chazal had addressed long, long ago – The concept of Chosamos.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on Tuesday issued a sharp criticism of Israel over what he described as the arrival of a vessel carrying “stolen" Ukrainian grain to an Israeli port.
“In any normal country, purchasing stolen goods is an act that entails legal liability. This applies, in particular, to grain stolen by Russia," Zelenskyy said in a statement. “Another vessel carrying such grain has arrived at a port in Israel and is preparing to unload. This is not - and cannot be - legitimate business."
Zelenskyy added that Israeli authorities “cannot be unaware of which ships are arriving at the country’s ports and what cargo they are carrying."
According to the Ukrainian president, Russia has been “systematically seizing grain on temporarily occupied Ukrainian land and organizing its export through individuals linked to the occupiers," describing such actions as violations of Israeli law.
“Ukraine has taken all necessary steps through diplomatic channels to prevent such incidents. However, we see that yet another such vessel has not been stopped," he stated.
It is no secret that the shidduchim world within the Hasidic community has been experiencing a serious crisis in recent years. Many older bachelors remain unmarried for long periods, while their peers have already built families, raising children and guiding them in a life of Torah and Mitzvos.
The situation in which one young man remains single from an entire class is heartbreaking. Beyond the personal pain of the unmarried individual, his friends also face a difficult reality. On the one hand, they want to maintain their relationship with him; on the other, it’s hard to ignore the feelings of jealousy that may arise when meeting or speaking with someone who has not yet had the chance to establish a home.
While there is no single explanation for why some individuals do not become engaged even after dozens or hundreds of dates, recent accounts suggest an interesting phenomenon that may be contributing significantly to the crisis.
From conversations with older singles and parents, a concerning picture emerges, as reported on the Emess (Kol Chai) site. In some Hasidic circles, it has become common to send the handwriting of a prospective couple to a graphologist before finalizing a match, in order to analyze personality traits and determine compatibility.
This practice is especially widespread in one of the larger chasidic groups in Israel. In many cases, families consult well-known graphologists, sometimes considered among the best in the country, to decide whether to proceed with a proposed match.
“What’s holding the sector back in recent years is this issue of graphology. Ninety percent [of matches] are rejected,” says “A,” who has experienced the crisis firsthand and asked to remain anonymous. “I understand that in Gur Hasidic dynasty they’ve only recently begun to scale this back.”
He adds: “This has led to a large number of unmarried young men within the community. People have become almost addicted to it. It’s a miracle it hasn’t spread to the Lithuanian or Sephardi sectors. I personally had several good matches this past year that could have progressed, but the graphologist said they weren’t suitable.”
Another individual, “T,” shared a similar experience: “I once dated a girl who wouldn’t move forward in any match without approval from a certain graphologist. Eventually she got fed up and switched to someone else, because the first one rejected all her matches.”
He added: “At one point I met that graphologist and told him: ‘Stop destroying homes that could be built in Israel. Even if it’s your livelihood, there are other ways to make a living without harming people like this.’”
“B,” a parent of two older sons navigating the matchmaking system, offered further insight: “A very senior graphologist told me that those who say whether to go ahead with a match or not are charlatans motivated by money. A graphologist can analyze personality, but should never determine compatibility.”
He continued: “He even told me that if he had analyzed his own handwriting and that of his wife, he would have concluded they were completely incompatible, yet thank G-d they’ve been happily married for 40 years.”
These testimonies come from people directly affected by the matchmaking crisis, who have chosen to speak out in hopes of raising awareness and perhaps contributing to at least a partial solution.
Online reaction was swift and intense. Avi Glaserman questioned, “How the hell was she elected into office if she thinks (II) in Roman numerals equals 11?”
Lakewood Resident, Rabbi Yechiel Farkash, Facing Extradition to Israel for Alleged Sexual Abuse of Students at Bnei Brak Yeshiva Where He Taught, Denied Bond Ahead of Extradition Hearing
Nearly 19,000 Jews immigrated to Israel over the past year, arriving from 103 countries despite ongoing war and regional tensions.
Russia, the US, and France led in numbers, with rising immigration from Western countries linked to growing antisemitism.
Most newcomers settled in central Israel and Jerusalem
According to a new report from the Institute for Jewish Policy Research, 742 Jews from the United Kingdom made aliyah in 2025, the highest annual total since the mid-1980s.
Over the past two decades, aliyah from the UK has remained stable, typically ranging between 400 and 740 people per year, with a long-term average of about 566 annually.
In practical terms, that means roughly 2 out of every 1,000 British Jews make aliyah each year, higher than other countries like Canada but still far below places like France, where migration levels are significantly higher.
So this is not, at least yet, a mass exodus. But something is changing.
Firstly, this marks two consecutive years of growth, rising from 561 immigrants in 2024 to 742 in 2025.
Secondly, since October 7, studies show British Jews are more likely than before to consider aliyah, even if many have not yet acted on it.
That change is especially pronounced among younger Jews, Orthodox communities, and those who have personally experienced antisemitism.
Many British Jews find that there are many factors to consider regarding aliyah. Economic opportunities, family, and connection to Israel all play a role.
Antisemitism in the UK has surged in recent years, which reshapes how many Jews view their place in British society.
