Refuting the Lies of Rabbi Shoff who may become a Rosh Yeshiva in LA

 

On December 7, 2025, Meaningful Minutes featured a debate on YouTube between Rabbi Michal Weichbrod and Rabbi Elchonon Shoff titled “Should Jews Leave America?” As of December 18, the video has already garnered over 45,000 views.

I feel it is my chov—my obligation—to be moiche against the tremendous Chillul Hashem caused by Rabbi Elchonon Shoff. His words, filled with distortions and half-truths, must be repudiated so they do not, chas v’sholom, become a kitrug against Klall Yisrael.

Rabbi Shoff, with his Yeshivishe background, was articulate in presenting his fabrications and lashon hara about Eretz Yisrael—more dangerous in their subtlety than even the words of the meraglim chosen by Moshe Rabbeinu himself.

Rabbi Michal Weichbrod, a true mentch, responded with sincerity and conviction, and may I add, with respect!

I intend to point out Rabbi Shoff’s absurd and heretical claims, and  his misguided praise of Jews remaining in Chutz La’aretz. His arguments must be dismantled clearly and forcefully, so that the truth about Eretz Yisrael and the responsibility of our generation is heard.

I will not go into whether there is an obligation to live in Eretz Yisrael I'm just here to point out the ridiculous and sometimes heretical views of Shoff! 

At the 9:21 mark, Rabbi Shoff presents an extreme and emotionally charged scenario about a child with cancer. This example has no relevance to the discussion. Pikuach nefesh overrides everything — no one disputes that. Why introduce such a case other than to manipulate the audience’s emotions?

At 11:29, he claims to “follow the majority of poskim,” citing Rav Moshe Feinstein as saying that living in Eretz Yisrael is not a mitzvah kiyumis and carries no obligation. Rabbi Michal Weichbrod correctly responds that Rav Moshe is a yachid on this matter. In fact, Rav Moshe bases his position on another yachid — Rabbeinu Chaim Kohen of the Baalei Tosafos.

How Surveillance Technology and the ‘Reddit Detective Agency’ Helped Search for a Killer

 More than a decade ago, a frenzied 5-day search for the Boston Marathon bombers left some lessons in its aftermath.

One was that increasingly pervasive surveillance technology could help catch the culprits. Another was that amateur online sleuths on Reddit could not.

But the intense search this week for a suspect in a Brown University shooting that killed two students and wounded nine other people turned the tables on those expectations.

Sweeping surveillance, now found in doorbells, cars and a vast network of vehicle-tracking cameras, did eventually help track down the whereabouts of Claudio Neves Valente, the 48-year-old former Brown graduate student investigators believe was responsible for the Dec. 13 shooting and another killing two days later of an MIT professor in Brookline, Massachusetts.

Is there a "Cover-up" of an active Drug Lab in Pearl River?

 A reader wants to know! 

My life's been upside down because Pearl River fire department/Fire and Emergency Services seem to think this fire siren is safe.

They left me in danger to die while Pearl River PD stood there covering up the hazard of the girl that was living below me producing synthetic drugs with no consequences! (proof they know- they moved her out shortly after).

While this video was taken there was an active drug lab, yet law enforcement turned a blind eye. Rockland County Government has done nothing including Ed Day with enforcement power over County departments.

They documented the hazard as a gas leak I found out from Town Supervisor, Teressa Kenny, who was herself lied to and heard about it after the fact. The call was made for toxic chemcial odors not a gas leak.

They sent Hazmat team after I pressed them on about my 7th call, and after being told its all my fault in the middle of the street with about 30 emergency responders it was cleared it as safe. If you need confirmation ask any Pearl River firefighter that you trust to tell you the truth. They all know the truth.

In the video you can hear the firefighters saying the O2 sensor is low which means immediate evacuation which they did not do. Later Sgt Houlihan seen in my comments said it's prefectly safe.

But my blood gas oxygen levels were at nearly deadly numbers the next day. Other medical findings are consistent with severe toxic exposure.. VOC meter was over 3 times safe number (before they started altering conditions)

Each time I call the Health Department someone allegedly puts ozone in the building so the chemical order disappears.

Right now the building is being heavily ventilated and they even put a new resident into the dangerous unit!

My guess the motive to cover this up is that the building gets state funding for supportive housing and knowingly placed a residence in the unit below me with full knowledge of the risks and dismissed my complaints for about 1 year (of extremely intense marijuana, cigar, tar, mothballs, lysol odors) until this incident when chemical odors were extremely strong, and I felt like I couldnt breath well.

One police officer said it's a meth lab and started an evacuation process and later changed the story to say that it was mothballs and let everyone stay in the building. There is a coordinated effort to keep this concealed at this current moment the air smells crispy clean, likely due to HVAC system alterations and filterations running.

This is what I've been dealing with for 2.5 months. I'm displaced and it is unsafe to live at 174 N Middletown rd in Pearl River across from Schweizer florist near 7/11 and the County is failing to keep its residents safe.

News 12 Hudson Valley Rockland County Department of Health Pearl River Patch

If you want safe water and soil in your nearby town call Ed Days office as the solvents and chemical residue goes into the soil.

While nearly 2.5 months has passed I've made over seven emergency calls and multiple other calls to agencies. I've been threatened not to call again and my business is being harassed. #pearlriverny

Inside Stefanik’s exit and how the Trump endorsement that never came

  Republican Rep. Elise Stefanik’s surprise announcement on Friday night that she is dropping out of the race for New York governor and leaving her seat in Congress was partly due to lack of full support from President Trump, Fox News Digital has learned. 

"The biggest piece of this puzzle was Donald Trump and the fact that he passed three times on endorsing her candidacy, including in the Oval Office with the Miracle on Ice Team last week," a GOP source close to the situation told Fox News Digital. "I think [that] played the largest role in this decision," 

Stefanik’s original thought process when she jumped into the race last month, according to the source, was that she would have a "clear shot" at current New York Gov. Kathy Hochul. But once Trump ally and Nassau County Executive Bruce Blakeman announced his candidacy earlier this month, "it became clear that was not going to happen."

The naval raid that exposed Hezbollah's secret unit

 

In a covert mission last year in the town of Batroun in northern Lebanon, Israeli naval commandos from Shayetet 13 arrested Imad Amhaz, a senior official in Hezbollah's secret naval unit.

The operation, named "Behind the Back," was conducted approximately 140 km from the Israel border, under the direction of the Naval Intelligence Department.

Amhaz, a member of Coastal Missile Unit 7900, underwent military training in both Lebanon and Iran. As part of his training, he also participated in courses in the Lebanese civil maritime institute Marsati, which indicates Hezbollah's operating procedure, which uses civilian institutions for terror.

During his interrogation in Israel, Amhaz revealed details of the organization's secret naval unit, the purpose of which is to establish a maritime terror infrastructure in civilian guise.

The naval unit is considered one of Hezbollah's most sensitive projects and was directly directed by the organization's Secretary General Hassan Nasrallah.

Together with him worked Fuad Shuqr, a senior military commander who was eliminated during the war, and Ali Abdelhassan Nur al-Din, who was considered directly responsible for the project.

The neutralization of the command echelon responsible for the file, combined with the intelligence obtained from Amhaz’s interrogation, enabled the IDF to halt the project’s progress at a critical juncture. As a result, the project’s further development and entrenchment within Hezbollah were prevented.

Stefanik suspends gubernatorial campaign and announces retirement from Congress

 Rep. Elise Stefanik (R-NY) on Friday suspended her New York gubernatorial campaign and announced her retirement from Congress.

The announcement sent shockwaves through Washington, D.C., taking most by complete surprise. In a lengthy post on X, Stefanik cited family commitments, saying she wanted to prioritize her duty as a mother.

"While spending precious time with my family this Christmas season, I have made the decision to suspend my campaign for Governor and will not seek re-election to Congress. I did not come to this decision lightly for our family," she wrote.

"And while many know me as Congresswoman, my most important title is Mom. I believe that being a parent is life's greatest gift and greatest responsibility. I have thought deeply about this and I know that as a mother, I will feel profound regret if I don't further focus on my young son's safety, growth, and happiness - particularly at his tender age," the congresswoman explained.

This is a breaking news story and will be updated.

Teen Who Sparked Nationwide Alarm by Climbing Jerusalem Crane Tries It Again

 

A dramatic and dangerous scene unfolded once again at one of Jerusalem’s most prominent construction sites, as the same teenage boy who sparked nationwide alarm just weeks ago by climbing a towering crane attempted to do it again.

The 15-year-old from Beit Shemesh, who last month climbed a crane at the Marom Tower near the main entrance to Jerusalem and had to be rescued by fire and rescue forces, returned to the site on Monday morning and attempted another ascent. This time, however, the outcome was different: he was intercepted by a civilian passerby and police before he could scale the structure.

The Marom Tower rises approximately 39 stories high, and the previous incident drew widespread public attention, with Israelis across the country watching anxiously as emergency services worked to bring the teenager down safely. Despite that close call, authorities say the boy tried once again to breach the site and climb the crane.

According to police, the teenager was detained and taken in for questioning at the Lev HaBira police station in Jerusalem.

The intervention that likely prevented a second near-tragedy came from Melchiel Elbaz, a drone photography enthusiast who was passing through the area near Jerusalem’s central bus station. Elbaz noticed the boy attempting to cross a security fence leading to the tower and immediately sensed the danger.

“I saw a young guy trying to get past the fence toward Marom Tower,” Elbaz told B’Chadrei Chareidim. “I approached him and asked where he was going. He told me he was the one who climbed the crane a month ago — and that he was going up again.”

Realizing the urgency of the situation, Elbaz decided to act alone while simultaneously calling the police. “I understood I couldn’t wait,” he said. “When I saw that he was determined to cross the fence, I jumped up, grabbed him, and held him for several minutes until more help arrived. Then the police came and took over.”

Elbaz stressed that the incident should serve as a wake-up call. “This is not a joke,” he said. “These are human lives. Pay attention to your friends. One wrong move, and it could end in tragedy.”

Zera Shimshon Parshat Miketz

 

Brown University shooter also killed MIT professor

 

NEW: U.S. attorney for Massachusetts details how investigators linked the Brown University shooting to the shooting of the MIT professor:

“Investigators identified the vehicle that he had rented in Boston, and then drove to Rhode Island. And the vehicle was seen outside of… pic.twitter.com/1BbKdkTp0R

— Fox  

News (@FoxNews) December 19, 2025

 The Brown University gunman is also responsible for the murder of MIT professor Nuno Loureiro on Monday, officials said on Thursday night, confirming earlier speculations.

The shooter was found dead of an apparent self-inflicted gunshot wound earlier on Thursday, law enforcement officials confirmed.

Authorities have identified the suspect as Portuguese national Claudio Manuel Neves-Valente, 48. He was found dead of a self-inflicted gunshot wound in a New Hampshire storage facility.

Earlier on Thursday, CBS News reported that law enforcement authorities are examining whether there is a connection between the deadly mass shooting at Brown University and the targeted killing of Professor Loureiro.

Leah Foley, a US attorney for Massachusetts, detailed how investigators linked the Brown University shooting to the shooting of the professor.

“Investigators identified the vehicle that he had rented in Boston, and then drove to Rhode Island. And the vehicle was seen outside of Brown, and there was security footage that showed a person who resembled him,” said Foley.

She added, “There was financial investigations that were going on in the background that linked him not only to that car, but also to the hotels that he had rented."

“There is video footage of him entering an apartment building in the location of the professor's apartment. And then later that evening, he is seen about an hour later entering the storage unit wearing the same clothes that he had been seen wearing right after the murder.”

Chareidim Decide They Don't need to Light Chanuka Candles anymore Found a Bigger Mitzvah To Throw Stones at a Bus Carrying IDF Soldiers

 

The IDF condemned an incident in Jerusalem on Thursday in which civilians attacked and threw stones at a bus transporting IDF trainees and commanders from the Kfir Brigade.

The IDF said the bus was forced to stop after a group of civilians gathered around it and began throwing stones. Commanders disembarked in order to secure the vehicle and protect the soldiers until police arrived at the scene. Law enforcement officers dispersed the crowd, after which the bus was able to continue on its route. No injuries were reported among the soldiers.

“The IDF strongly condemns any violence against its soldiers,” the military said.

Video footage shows a crowd of Chareidi men surrounding the bus and engaging in heated verbal confrontations with the soldiers inside and outside the vehicle. The IDF did not identify the individuals involved.

The incident came amid broader unrest in Jerusalem earlier in the day. A riot broke out in the city involving Chareidi demonstrators, during which at least 10 police officers were injured. Protesters threw stones at police and overturned a police vehicle during the riot, which was sparked by the arrest of 3 yeshiva bochurim.

Police have not released further details regarding arrests or potential charges related to either incident.

A Conversation a Father Had with His Son going Viral

 

Q. Tattie, how did we defeat the Yevanim?

A. With Hashem’s help!

Q. So why did we need the Maccabim?

A. They were just soldiers, Hashem helped them and Baruch Hashem we won.

Q. The Maccabim were soldiers?!

A. Yes, they were soldiers in the army of Hashem.

Q. So they were Chabdniks?

A. No, no! Chas v'shalom! They were yeshivish.

Q. Did Yehuda Hamacabi fight? With a weapon?

A. Yes.

Q. So Yehuda Hamacabi was a goy or not religious?

A. Chas v'shalom, why would you think he was a goy or not religious?

Q. Because only goyim or non-religious Jews go to the army.

A. No, no, in the past religious people also went to the army.

Q. So why did the Maccabim go to the army and we don't?

A. Because today our Torah protects us.

Q. And then their Torah didn't protect them?

A. I think it’s time for you to go learn with Moishie.

Q. Did the Maccabim learn Torah?

A. Of course! They learned Torah all the time!

Q. They didn't work for a living?

A. Chas v'shalom!

Q. So how did they have money?

A. Well they worked a very little teeny bit.

Q. Off the books in secret like Uncle Yanky?

A. No!

Q. So what did Mattisyahu do?

A. He was a farmer.

Q. So how did he work in the fields with his white shirt?

A. How do you know he wore a white shirt?

Q. Moishie told me that a real Jew only wears white shirts.

A. You spend too much time with Moishie, but he is right.

Q. What did the Maccabim want?

A. They wanted an independent Jewish state that they would run.

Q. Is this what we want?

A. That is something that Zionists want.

Q. Tattie, I want to be a soldier, a farmer and a Zionist!

A. Gevalt!!! What happened to you?!

Hundreds of mourners attend the funeral in Sydney for 10-year-old Matilda murdered for being a Jew

 Hundreds of mourners attended the funeral in Sydney for 10-year-old Matilda, who was killed in an antisemitic mass shooting at a Hanukkah celebration at Bondi Beach.

 Her parents, immigrants from Ukraine, had brought her to what they believed was a safe family event, a rabbi said, calling the tragedy a collective failure.

Brown University shooter found DEAD

  The suspected Brown University shooter found DEAD to a self-inflicted gun-shot wound in Salem, New Hampshire at a storage facility.

The individual is identified as Claudio Neves Valenti, a 48-year-old man. He was a Brown University student, a Portuguese national, and his last known address was in Miami, Florida. He took his own life

Israel building its First Tunnel Under Tel Aviv!

 

After Decades of Talk, Israel Breaks Ground on Its First True Underground Metro as Netanyahu Hails a National Turning Point

Israel formally kicked off work on the Gush Dan metro with a cornerstone ceremony at the Segula depot site in Petah Tikva, with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Transport Minister Miri Regev marking what the government calls the largest infrastructure project in the country’s history.

Netanyahu framed it as a shift from decades of talk to execution, pitching the underground network as a national “leap forward” that will reshape commuting, growth, and day-to-day life across the Tel Aviv metro area. Plans call for three lines spanning roughly 150 km with 109 stations across 24 local authorities.

He also fused the transit milestone into a broader message of Israeli strength, saying Israel has brought back 254 hostages and will not stop until the last fallen hostage, Staff Sgt. Ran Gvili, is returned as well.

And he tied momentum at home to leverage abroad: Israel has approved a record Leviathan gas export agreement with Chevron and partners to supply Egypt, worth about NIS 112 billion, while Egypt stressed it is a “purely commercial” deal.

Nvidia’s newly announced mega-campus push in Kiryat Tivon added fuel to the pitch that global tech still chooses Israel.