HORRIFIC Tragedy in BNEI-BRAK R' Yeshaya Fur Murdered for learning Rambam

  

 An Israeli rabbinical scholar was fatally stabbed while studying at a religious study hall in the ultra-Orthodox city of Bnei Brak ahead of the Shavuot holiday, in an attack police said was carried out by a mentally disturbed assailant. 

The victim was identified as Rabbi Yeshaya “Yishai” Fur, 52, a longtime scholar at the prominent Chazon Ish kollel in Bnei Brak. 

According to Hebrew media reports, Fur was attacked while studying alongside his 13-year-old only son, who was born to the family after many years of waiting. 

Witnesses said the attacker suddenly stabbed Fur inside the study hall. Israeli police said the suspect was taken into custody and is believed to be mentally unstable. The circumstances surrounding the attack remain under investigation.

CAPTURED IN BEIT SHEMESH!

 Investigators are examining reports of an escalating dispute between the suspect and Rabbi Por related to Torah study. 

According to witnesses, the suspect repeatedly confronted Por in recent days over his study of the writings of Maimonides, known in Jewish tradition as the Rambam, insisting that learning the medieval sage’s works was forbidden.

 Fellow scholars at the kollel said the suspect allegedly threatened Por the night before the attack, warning him that because he continued studying the Rambam’s writings, he “would not complete the year.” 

Despite the confrontations, friends said Por continued his regular Torah study schedule and avoided engaging in arguments.

The suspect was captured in Beit Shemesh

The Satmar Rebbe and the Destruction of Hungarian Jewry: Part 1

 

This is the first of a two-part investigation into the life of the Satmar Rebbe, Rabbi Yoel Teitelbaum.  Part two on Sunday 

In her book Be-Seter Ha-Madrega (In the Covert of the Cliff), Haredi Holocaust historian Esther Farbstein writes, “Rabbi Yoel (Yoelish) of Satmar was unquestionably chief among leaders [of Haredi Jews in Hungary].” If Farbstein is correct in her claim, Rabbi Yoel’s conduct before, during, and after the Holocaust may explain, albeit only partially, the extraordinary devastation suffered by the Hungarian Orthodox community, which had regarded him as “chief among leaders.”

The first section of this article describes Rabbi Yoel’s life and actions during the Holocaust, both on personal and public levels, as reflected in his writings, the contemporary press, memoirs written by his Hasidim, and archival sources. In many cases, researchers note that Rabbi Yoel’s position regarding the Holocaust was extreme and exceptional compared to views held by other rabbis and spokespeople of the Haredi community. Yet the worldview he cultivated, coupled with his theological explanations of the Holocaust and its mystical meaning, drew a growing number of followers, in whose eyes he was the last remnant of a dying ideology. His anti-Zionist worldview, representing as it did to them the Eastern European “Old Home,” expunged his failures during the Holocaust. As his public stature grew, criticism from within diminished, while criticism from without was disregarded and dismissed as Zionist defamation.

As I argue in greater detail in the following, Rabbi Yoel’s life, activities, and decisions during the Holocaust and his pressing need to explain and justify them thereafter offer a possible explanation for the extremism of his later views. Any fair examination of the historical record shows that Rabbi Yoel’s contribution to assisting Jewish refugees and to the rescue of Transylvanian Haredi Jews was negligible. Prior to the Holocaust, he ignored the dangers threatening the Jews of Transylvania and failed to engage in the preparation of rescue and aid plans. Although he became privy to reports on the extermination of the Jewish communities in Poland, given his position as a member of the Central Bureau and through his connections with the authorities, he refrained from calling on his followers to save or prepare themselves. On the contrary, he warned any would-be immigrants to Palestine or other countries that they were in danger of severely harming their Haredi way of life. Moreover, he refrained from cooperating with the Zionist—and even with the Haredi—leadership in addressing current issues or preparing for the impending threat and even opposed measures of a religious nature, such as prayer and fast days, which he feared would be perceived as a protest against the authorities.

When the danger of war became real and immediate, Rabbi Yoel did his best to equip himself and his closest circle with certificates or visas that would facilitate their escape to Palestine or the United States. At the same time, he thwarted all attempts at cooperation between the heads of the Orthodox communities and the Zionist organizations, which could have helped to rescue them. He failed to set a personal example and rejected his associates’ advice to prepare a hiding place or attempt to cross the border to Romania. Had he done so, some of his Hasidim may have done the same and thus survived.

Sid Rosenberg has a question for Satmar!

 

I did notice a few Satmar Rabbis sucking up to our Antisemite Mayor last night. Why? Just answer why? Don’t the young Israeli girls who were gang raped and dismembered deserve better from their own people? I’m curious? You had to go to Gracie Mansion to celebrate Shavuot? Why?…

— Sid Rosenberg (@sidrosenberg19) May 19, 2026

CODE PINK Medea Benjamin has ties to Hamas and Iran

 

A millionaire anti-war activist who organized the high-profile “humanitarian aid” convoy to Cuba in March has ties to Hamas and the Iranian regime.

The aid flotilla to Cuba attracted much attention as it included Ilhan Omar’s daughter Isra Hirsi and leftist streamer Hasan Piker — who both sung the praises of the ailing Communist ‘paradise’ after their trip.

It was organized by Medea Benjamin, president of the Arc of Justice Foundation, a charity with $51 million at its disposal.

Albert Itzkowitz Longtime owner of NYC kosher bakery, 75, found shot to death along Queens shoreline

 

A prominent elderly member of the Jewish community and longtime bakery owner was found shot to death along a Queens shoreline, according to authorities and reports.

Cops discovered the body of Albert Itzkowitz, 75, along the Kissena Lake shoreline in Flushing just before 5:00 p.m. on Monday, according to the NYPD.

Itzkowitz sustained gunshot wounds to his neck and back and was pronounced dead at the scene, police said. It’s unclear how long his body had been sitting near the quiet, picturesque lake.

He was a former volunteer with Hatzolah, a Jewish emergency medical service, Yeshiva World News reported.

Itzkowitz also owned the G&I Kosher Bakery on Main Street, a neighborhood institution for several years before it shut down, the Orthodox Jewish outlet said.

Chesed Shel Emes volunteers were on the scene to ensure a proper burial for Itzkowitz, the outlet reported.

The circumstances surrounding his death are not immediately clear.

The incident remains under investigation, cops said.

We are all settlers now

Sometimes the incessant braying of ill or uninformed demonizers counterintuitively contains and conveys a certain “wisdom:" That wisdom might be summed up as the realization that there is no judgment, no discernment coming from the haters, and therefore no explanation, let alone apology is needed.

Quite the opposite: ironically, blind and thoughtless hatred provides a certain clarity that allows us to see things for what they truly are.

The demonization of the evil “settlers" is a great case in point. The excoriation of settlers started as a way to denigrate and to demonize Hilltop Youth mendaciously as marauding bands of violent thugs who were wantonly preying on innocent Palestinians.

Victory for Trump: Thomas Massie defeated in Kentucky primary

 

Long-time Representative Thomas Massie (R-KY) is projected to lose his Kentucky House primary election.

According to projections from Decision Desk HQ on Tuesday, the high-stakes race in Kentucky’s 4th Congressional District has been clinched by Ed Gallrein, a retired Navy SEAL and farmer who was endorsed by President Donald Trump.

The structural shakeup officially terminates Massie’s 14-year tenure representing the deep-red district. The primary battle garnered intense national scrutiny, transforming into an extraordinarily bitter ideological war zone that shattered all historical spending records for a congressional primary.

The campaign brought prominent national figures to the state to push voters across the finish line. Secretary of War Pete Hegseth flew to Kentucky on Monday to personally campaign for Gallrein. Simultaneously, President Trump utilized his massive platform on Monday to deliver a final blow, renewing his public demand that Massie be “thrown out of office."

Massie, a steadfast libertarian Republican, has spent over a decade building a reputation for an uncompromising independent streak. However, he found himself increasingly isolated and at odds with the White House over the past year on issues of paramount importance to the executive branch.

The maverick congressman helped spearhead the legislative push demanding the administration release files on Jeffrey Epstein, frequently lambasted the establishment's foreign policy consensus, and aggressively voted against Trump’s signature tax and spending legislation, citing principled fiscal concerns about skyrocketing deficit spending.

Among the issues of contention between Massie and Trump was the US foreign aid to Israel. Massie has repeatedly voted against military assistance packages to Israel, including being the sole Republican to oppose $1 billion in Iron Dome funding in 2021 and the only GOP member to vote against a 2023 resolution affirming US support for Israel's military actions in Gaza following the October 7 Hamas attacks.

Massie has also been a vocal opponent of the American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC), introducing legislation to require it to register under the Foreign Agents Registration Act (FARA) and highlighting what he sees as its outsized influence in U.S. politics through campaign spending.

US Senate votes to advance resolution restricting Trump's actions in Iran

 

The United States Senate voted on Tuesday to advance a controversial war powers resolution aimed at forcing President Donald Trump to withdraw American military forces currently engaged in hostilities against the Iranian regime, after previously failing to approve similar measures.

The political shift was propelled by Senator Bill Cassidy (R-LA), who lost his bid for a third term in Louisiana’s Republican primary just days prior on Saturday. Turning against his party's congressional leadership, Cassidy became the fourth Republican lawmaker to cross the aisle and vote in favor of the measure, according to The Hill.

With Cassidy’s backing, the Senate successfully passed a motion to discharge the war powers resolution out of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee by a narrow margin of 50 to 47. The procedural victory, originally sponsored by Democratic Senator Tim Kaine (D-VA), sets the stage for an upcoming floor vote to formally consider the mandate.

Cassidy joined three other long-standing Republican critics of the administration’s foreign policy interventions: Senators Rand Paul (R-KY), Susan Collins (R-ME), and Lisa Murkowski (R-AK).

Conversely, the vote exposed minor fractures within the opposition party. Senator John Fetterman (D-PA) broke lockstep with his caucus, standing alone as the solitary Democrat who voted to block the resolution from advancing to the Senate floor.

Tuesday’s razor-thin victory represents a symbolic milestone for congressional opponents of the war. It marks the eighth time since the initial outbreak of military operations that the Senate has voted on a motion to advance a resolution ordering Trump to cease hostilities against Iran, but it is the first time that such a motion has successfully advanced out of committee.

Despite the procedural breakthrough, the anti-war resolution faces an insurmountable path before it can exert any actual force of law. Even if the full Senate manages to gather enough votes to pass the war powers restriction, the exact same measure would still need to clear the House of Representatives and receive the president's signature.

President Trump remains certain to veto any legislative attempt to restrict his commander-in-chief authorities, and the current congressional coalition lacks the necessary two-thirds supermajority support in both legislative chambers required to override an executive veto.

Toronto Police Escalate Search for Missing 14-Year-Old Esther ‘Esti’ to Priority 1

Toronto Police have elevated the search for a missing 14-year-old girl known as Esther or Esti to Priority 1 status, dedicating all available resources as community volunteers join the effort to bring her home safely.

Esther was last seen late Friday evening, May 15, 2026, near Earl Bales Park in the Bathurst Street and Sheppard Avenue West area of North York. She is described as 5-foot-2 with a medium build and brown hair. She was last seen wearing a green long-sleeve shirt, gray sweatpants and no shoes.

The search has intensified with hundreds of volunteers from Toronto’s Jewish community, including Shomrim Safety Patrol, assisting police with door-to-door canvassing, flyer distribution and searches in the wooded park and surrounding areas. A command center has operated from the Petah Tikvah Synagogue parking lot at 20 Danby Rd.

In a statement Tuesday, officials noted the escalation: “The search for missing youth Esti has now been escalated to Priority 1. Bringing her home safely remains our top priority. We joined Esti’s family today as the search continues, and we are grateful to the Toronto Police and Inspector Peter Wallace for dedicating every available resource to this effort.”

Police and volunteers urge anyone with information to call 911 immediately or contact Shomrim Toronto at (647) 557-6735. Toronto Police can also be reached at 416-808-3200 . 

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Smotrich says ICC prosecutor has requested warrant for his arrest; Payback time: Orders demolition of West Bank hamlet

Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich announced on Tuesday that the prosecutor’s office of the International Criminal Court in The Hague has requested an arrest warrant be issued against him.

“Yesterday, I was informed that the criminal prosecutor of the antisemitic court in The Hague submitted a request for a secret, international arrest warrant against me,” Smotrich said at a press conference he held to announce the development, and described the move as “a declaration of war.”

It was not immediately clear what charges the ICC prosecutor’s office might be seeking against the far-right minister, although a report in the Wall Street Journal last year indicated that Smotrich is being targeted by the court for the major role he has played in expanding settlements in the West Bank.

These actions are considered a violation of the Geneva Conventions by the International Court of Justice, and the ICC could therefore prosecute Smotrich for such violations as war crimes.

The Foreign Ministry did not immediately respond to requests for comment.

Kathleen Kingsbury behind the fake Dog rape story in the New York Times!

 Want to know who the senior editor at @nytimes  was who pushed the atrocious and undocumented dog r@pe story? 

Meet Kathleen Kingsbury, who leads the "opinion report" for the New York Times. Melissa Brodsky, prolific author of the outstanding Substack, "The Lioness Writes," did the sleuthing. 

"When she [Kingsbury] assumed control of the opinion section in 2020, three of the most prominent pro-Israel voices on the staff were gone within months. Editorial page editor James Bennet was forced out. Opinion writer Bari Weiss resigned, writing in her letter that colleagues had called her a Nazi and a racist, and that the publisher will cave to the mob, the editor will get fired or reassigned, and you will be hung out to dry. Opinion staffer Adam Rubenstein was gone too. "

Charedim will pay a heavy price for toppling the government during war time

 

Deputy Foreign Minister Sharren Haskel strongly attacked the Charedi parties amid the conscription law crisis and the possibility of early elections.

"The Charedim are coming and trying to topple the government. Someone who is prepared to sell off the security of the state of Israel for funding, and someone who goes to Gantz and Eisenkot to threaten the Prime Minister during a war - what kind of right-wing is that?" Haskel wondered in an interview with Arutz Sheva-Israel National News.

Haskel added, "The right is first and foremost about security, supporting IDF soldiers. It is first and foremost about holding on to the Land of Israel."

She was later asked if she was summoned to a meeting with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu or the leader of her faction, Minister Gideon Sa'ar, due to her opposition to the current conscription bill. Likud members were summoned to the Prime Minister."

She claimed that the proposed bill would "not lead to more haredi enlistment," and added that even without the law, there is an increase in haredi enlistees.

Haskel also presented a proposal to establish yeshivas on the borders to create a solution "that would both protect the yeshiva world and provide the IDF with the manpower it needs for security assignments." She further claimed that if the haredim would understand that they are not exempt from conscription, "The number of haredi soldiers would double."

She also addressed anti-conscription sentiments in the haredi sector:

 "At the moment, what we hear in Charedi society is, 'We'll die and not enlist,' it's crazy." According to Haskel, "If they do not enlist, we will die. The IDF will not have the manpower to perform its security duties."

At the conclusion of the interview, Haskel was asked if she would change her position if she were blamed for toppling the right-wing government during the war. Haskel responded that "those plans should be presented to our Charedi brothers and they should take responsibility, otherwise, they will pay a heavy price in the next elections and they won't be in the next government."

AG totally out of control: announces indictment against MK Tally Gotliv

 Attorney General Gali Baharav-Miara announced Tuesday afternoon that she had decided to file an indictment against Likud MK Tally Gotliv.

The statement said: “It was decided to indict MK Tally Gotliv for the offense of revealing and publishing classified information in violation of the Shin Bet Law."

Just minutes earlier, Gotliv wrote on X that Baharav-Miara had informed her that the indictment had been filed.

Gotliv wrote: “Thunderous applause for Miara. She has just announced the filing of an indictment against me. As I clarified, my intention was to convince Knesset members that exposing Bressler’s partner was done within the proper framework and for the fulfillment of my role."

She added: “I have not yet received the indictment, but I trust Miara that I will soon read it through one of her mouthpieces."

Earlier this month Defense Minister Israel Katz signed the required confidentiality certificate, thereby paving the way for the attorney general to file the indictment in the case involving the exposure of the identity of the Shin Bet official, who is the partner of activist Shikma Bressler.

With the filing of the indictment, the legal battle is expected to move to the political arena. Gotliv may claim parliamentary immunity, and the issue will be decided by the Knesset Committee. Given the coalition’s majority on the committee, there is a possibility that her immunity will be upheld and the criminal proceedings blocked.

Education Minister Yoav Kisch called on coalition members to unite against removing Gotliv’s immunity.

“A dismissed political adviser who is occupied 24/7 with undermining and persecuting the government and right-wing Knesset members. I trust my colleagues on the Knesset Committee to make the right decision and approve the immunity of my colleague, MK Tally Gotliv," he said.

National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir responded: “It’s time for Yariv Levin and my Likud colleagues to overcome their fear barrier מול the attorney general - reform now!"

MK Avichai Boaron, a member of the Knesset Committee, added: “The filing of an indictment against MK Tally Gotliv is part of Gali Baharav-Miara’s hunting and persecution campaign against right-wing Knesset members and their government. Therefore, as a member of the Knesset Committee, with God’s help, very soon we will vote and grant immunity to my colleague Tally and prevent her prosecution."

“We will not allow the radical left that has taken over the State Attorney’s Office and the attorney general to prosecute right-wing representatives for no wrongdoing. We must continue the correction, cleansing, and deep healing of the legal advisory system, the prosecution, and the entire judicial system. I again call on my colleagues in the government to immediately suspend the attorney general and her relevant deputies, after it became clear they lied in the Gofman High Court petition, in addition to the false affidavits submitted in the Military Advocate General petition, until the decisions of a governmental inquiry committee examining the attorney general system and its conduct," Boaron said.

MK Boaz Bismuth also called for action against Baharav-Miara.

“Attorney Miara continues her unhinged conduct against right-wing Knesset members and ministers. Now she has announced an indictment against MK Tally Gotliv. Spoiler: this fabrication will also fail. The government must resume advancing the process of her dismissal, and at the same time examine whether she is breaching public trust through her trampling of elected officials," Bismuth said.

Shevuois Message from a Holy Chayelet ...in Hebrew

 

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Alexander the Great's tomb revealed for first time: ‘unique and magnificent’

 Greek officials have unveiled the interior of a massive ancient tomb linked to Alexander the Great as archaeologists continue excavation and restoration work.

Greece’s Ministry of Culture announced the news in a statement on May 11.

The excavation centers around the Kasta Tomb in Amphipolis, the ruins of an ancient Macedonian city in northern Greece, about 60 miles northeast of Thessaloniki.

Greek officials said restoration work at the Kasta Tomb in Amphipolis has uncovered the site’s full enclosure for the first time, revealing the massive scale of the ancient Macedonian monument.

The enclosure, built in the fourth century B.C., measures roughly 1,630 feet in circumference. It surrounds a burial mound spanning more than 20 acres, as Cover Media reported.

Pictures released by the ministry show marble-lined passageways, elaborate architecture, and fine sculptural details that suggest the structure was built for a member of the Macedonian elite.

Greek officials have unveiled the interior of a massive ancient tomb possibly linked to Alexander the Great as archaeologists continue excavation and restoration work.

The excavation centers around the Kasta Tomb in Amphipolis, the ruins of an ancient Macedonian city in northern Greece, about 60 miles northeast of Thessaloniki.

Officials removed older metal supports to make the monument’s interior fully visible, and future plans include installing the tomb’s monumental double-leaf Macedonian marble door and restoring parts of the sphinx sculptures that once guarded the entrance.

“The Kasta Tomb is a unique and magnificent Macedonian monument, which, through the completion of the work of restoring its geometry, but also revealing the entire enclosure, now clearly highlights its historical importance and its value,” Lina Mendoni, Greek minister of culture, said in a translated statement.

Amphipolis is “associated with major figures of the Kingdom of Macedon, such as the three generals of Alexander the Great, Nearchus, Hephaestion, and Laomedon, who resided in the city,” according to the Ministry of Culture’s website.

People walk along a dirt path next to the Kasta Tumulus in Amphipolis.

The enclosure, built in the fourth century B.C., measures roughly 1,630 feet in circumference.

Kasta Tumulus in Amphipolis with a massive burial mound surrounded by a curved wall.

The excavation centers around the Kasta Tomb in Amphipolis, the ruins of an ancient Macedonian city in northern Greece, about 60 miles northeast of Thessaloniki.

“After Alexander’s death, the city’s garrison remained loyal to his mother Olympias and only agreed to surrender the city to Cassander, one of Alexander’s successors, on her orders,” the website notes.

“Cassander imprisoned Alexander’s wife Roxana and his son Alexander IV in Amphipolis and ordered their murder.”

Alexander the Great, who lived from 356 B.C. to 323 B.C., is known for establishing the vast Macedonian Empire across parts of Europe, Asia, and Africa as a young man.

He defeated the Persian Empire — then the dominant superpower of the ancient world — before dying at age 32 under mysterious circumstances, despite never losing a battle.

Researchers believed Kasta Tomb was “built for someone very close to Alexander the Great,” such as his mother, one of his wives, or one of his friends, National Geographic reported in 2014.

Alexander the Great fighting in the Battle of Issus, ca. 310 B.C., based on The Battle of Issus Roman Mosaic from the House of the Faun, Pompeii, Italy.

The latest excavation isn’t the only recent archaeological project tied to the legendary Macedonian ruler.

Earlier in 2026, Fox News Digital spoke with an archaeologist who helped locate a long-lost city founded by Alexander the Great after centuries of obscurity.

The city, called Alexandria on the Tigris, is located near the Persian Gulf in southern Iraq. It was founded in the fourth century B.C.

Nick Kristof’s Israel abuse claims spark civil war at New York Times: ‘I’m sick of being embarrassed’

 

A civil war has erupted inside the New York Times over Nicholas Kristof’s explosive column alleging widespread sexual abuse of Palestinians by Israeli prison guards.

Staffers at the newspaper are questioning whether some of the most incendiary claims, including an allegation that Israel trains dogs to rape Palestinian detainees, would have ever cleared the paper’s newsroom standards, according to Puck News.

The internal backlash has grown so intense that one Times journalist vented to Puck: “I am sick of being embarrassed by the Opinion section.”

Nicholas Kristof’s controversial column on alleged sexual abuse of Palestinian detainees has sparked backlash inside and outside the New York Times.

Nicholas Kristof’s controversial column on alleged sexual abuse of Palestinian detainees has sparked backlash inside and outside the New York Times.

The controversy centers on Kristof’s May 11 opinion essay, “The Silence That Meets the Rape of Palestinians,” which included graphic allegations from Palestinian detainees who claimed they were sexually assaulted, raped with objects and abused by Israeli prison guards, interrogators and settlers.

The column immediately ignited outrage from pro-Israel critics, sparked denunciations from Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and triggered threats of a libel suit against the Times.

The Times pushed back forcefully against Netanyahu’s threat to sue the paper, with spokesperson Danielle Rhoades Ha saying the proposed libel action was “part of a well-worn political playbook that aims to undermine independent reporting and stifle journalism that does not fit a specific narrative.”

She added that “any such legal claim would be without merit.”

Kristof’s column included graphic allegations from Palestinians who claimed they were sexually abused while detained by Israeli authorities.

Kristof’s column included graphic allegations from Palestinians who claimed they were sexually abused while detained by Israeli authorities.

While Times leadership has publicly defended Kristof’s reporting as “rigorously and meticulously fact-checked,” Puck reported that many newsroom journalists remain privately “suspicious” of the sourcing behind some of the column’s most graphic allegations.

Pollard Drops Out Of Politics 'Overwhelmed with death threats

 

Pollard also revealed that he had recently decided against entering politics after briefly announcing plans to run for the Knesset. He said he faced significant backlash and threats from both the political left and right following his announcement.

"I got overwhelmed with death threats," Pollard said, adding that criticism from the left stemmed largely from his position that hostages should be freed "by strength, not by concession."

Addressing criticism from Netanyahu supporters, Pollard said he had repeatedly expressed gratitude to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu for efforts connected to his release from prison, while emphasizing that others had also played major roles. "There were a host of people who played very important roles in securing my release," he said, mentioning his late wife Esther, Ron Dermer, Miriam and Sheldon Adelson, and Rabbi Pesach Lerner.

Much of the discussion focused on Israel’s security doctrine and regional threats. Pollard warned that Israel faces mounting dangers from Iran, Turkey, and extremist forces operating in Syria, while arguing that the Jewish state must prepare for future large-scale conflicts.

Pollard also expressed concern over growing antisemitism in Western countries, arguing that many Jews abroad still underestimate the dangers they face. He described Aliyah as both inevitable and necessary as hostility toward Jewish communities increases.

"The only safe place for a Jew is right here in the Holy Land," Pollard said, while also criticizing Israeli leaders for failing to prepare adequately for future immigration waves.

The interview also included criticism of Israeli bureaucracy and defense procurement systems, with Pollard arguing that excessive caution and delays have prevented Israel from adopting technologies and policies he believes are necessary to confront modern threats.

Concluding the discussion, Pollard explained why he ultimately decided remaining outside politics would allow him to speak more freely. "When you have this thing called party discipline, you can't speak your mind," he said. "Now it's much more liberating to be able to sit as I am now... and discuss options, to discuss what we're doing right, what we're doing wrong."

Satmerer "Shventz" Continue to Lick the Tuchis of the Mayor and Attend Mamzarani's Shevuois Party after he Posted a Nakba Day video

 

The Ramchal: How a controversial figure was rehabilitated by the Mussar movement

 

When I was about seventeen in yeshiva, I remember being stunned to learn that the Ramchal — the author of Mesilas Yesharim and Derech Hashem — was clean‑shaven. Even more shocking was discovering that he had been placed in cherem by the gedolei hador, largely because some believed he viewed himself as Moshiach. It was only later, so the story goes, that the Vilna Gaon “brought him out of mothballs,” declaring that he would not step outside into the streets of Vilna without first learning through the entire Mesilas Yesharim.

Once the initial shock wore off, my respect for the Ramchal never wavered. I filed the whole episode away in my mind and didn’t think much about it again — until recently, when I came across an article by Binyomin Z. Wolf, who writes a Substack column called Torah V’Apikorsus.

I found the article while looking up information about the Ramchal because I share a birthday — כ"ו אייר, which in the Sefirah cycle corresponds to yesod she’b’yesod — with his yahrzeit. That curiosity led me to Wolf’s piece. And although the author openly describes himself as an “apikores,” the article was surprisingly informative and genuinely fascinating.

Much of it, I knew, I knew about the plays that he wrote, and I knew that he was pariah, but I didn't know the extent of how the Gedoilim of that generation persecuted him! Read it and form your own opinion!

Last Wednesday (כ"ו אייר) was the Yarhtzeit (death anniversary) of Moshe Chaim Luzzato, the Ramchal. While Ramchal has been rehabilitated as a classic Orthodox Jewish pietist with his work, Mesilat Yesharim, read in virtually every yeshiva, he was a complicated figure. He faced bans, wrote Hebrew plays, and was involved in major controversies as a kabbalist. David Sclar, in his PhD dissertation, traces the true life of Ramchal, and uncovers fascinating details left out of Chareidi biographical sketches.

To understand the Ramchal, you have to forget the image of the stoic, elderly sage peering out from the title pages of yeshiva texts. Born in 1707 into a wealthy mercantilist family in Padua, Italy, the young Luzzatto was a brilliant, privileged polymath. Supported entirely by his family's wealth, he spent his days mastering Talmud, Kabbalah, science, and secular literature.

But beneath the surface of his academic brilliance, Luzzatto was orchestrating something much more radical.

Beit Shemesh is Approaching 200,000 Residents Amid Unprecedented Growth!

 

Beit Shemesh continues to grow at a rapid pace and is becoming one of Israel's most prominent cities. During the recent city council meeting, the Mayor said that the city is expected to surpass 200,000 residents in the coming months - a milestone that will officially place it among the largest cities in the country.

According to the data presented, the population of Beit Shemesh has already crossed the 190,000 threshold, boasting an annual growth rate that is among the highest in Israel - at approximately 6% each year. Just this past year, the city overtook Holon in the rankings of Israel's largest cities and currently sits in tenth place.

Israel’s Largest Cities: 2026 Population Estimates

1. Jerusalem: 1,180,000 residents
2. Tel Aviv: 602,000 residents
3. Haifa: 318,000 residents
4. Petah Tikva: 317,000 residents
5. Beer Sheva: 245,000 residents
6. Bnei Brak: 236,000 residents
7. Ashdod: 235,500 residents
8. Rishon LeZion: 234,000 residents
9. Netanya: 223,000 residents
10. Beit Shemesh: 200,000 residents

However, officials in Beit Shemesh emphasize: it’s not just about numbers. Transitioning into a city of over 200,000 residents is expected to impact nearly every aspect of the residents' daily lives.

One of the central focus areas is employment. The municipality is currently promoting the establishment of the new Ma'ar (Main Business District) in the southern (newer) part of the city, aiming to transform Beit Shemesh into a city with more employment centers so fewer residents will have to commute daily to Jerusalem or the Center for work.

Simultaneously, the city continues to expand with new construction plans, including future neighborhoods in the eastern part of the city. Some of these plans are already causing friction with neighboring communities, including Moshav Zanoach, due to concerns over urban sprawl and infrastructure strain.

The city also faces significant internal challenges. The rapid population growth creates traffic congestion and drives the need to expand educational institutions, public transportation, parks, and other municipal services. Plans to build office towers and bus terminals in the heart of residential neighborhoods have already drawn opposition from some residents and rabbis.

Alongside the large Haredi neighborhoods, Beit Shemesh has also been trying in recent years to strengthen its National Religious and traditional populations, with new projects in the main city, Neve Shamir, Givat Sharet, and other neighborhoods.

Beit Shemesh's transformation into a city of over 200,000 residents carries political and economic significance as well: the number of city council seats is set to increase from 27 to 31, the municipality will receive allocations for additional deputy mayor positions, and development budgets as well as senior municipal salaries are expected to grow accordingly.

In recent years, many have dubbed Beit Shemesh "Israel’s Laboratory" - a city trying to integrate diverse populations and build a unique urban model.

The big question now is whether the city will manage to keep pace with this rapid growth in terms of infrastructure and quality of life, or if this expansion will become an overwhelming burden on the municipal system.