"Disconnected" Litvishe Roshei Yeshiva Running Scared as their Followers Wake Up and Enlist

As I’ve been writing over the past two weeks, there is a noticeable shift taking place in the thinking and hashkafah of many within the Charedi community. More and more people are recognizing that they cannot remain separate from the rest of the Jewish people, and that this separation is creating real resentment.

We all live in this country, and every individual has a responsibility to be part of Klal Yisrael and not to be poretz geder.

Many are beginning to realize that their elderly spiritual leaders are, in their view, increasingly out of touch — disconnected from the realities unfolding around them — and that these leaders are often influenced by handlers who filter what they see and hear.

We are at war, yet when speaking to a typical Charedi individual, you might not sense it. Some openly say that this is not “their war,” a statement that echoes language historically used by those hostile to the Jewish people.

At long last, some within the community are waking up. There is a small but genuine ray of hope that people are beginning to see the larger picture and reassess long‑held assumptions.

 An emergency gathering attended by dozens of Lithuanian-haredi yeshiva deans was held Sunday to warn against what they described as a "grave spiritual danger" posed by the enlistment of haredim into army frameworks tailored for the haredi public.

Central to the gathering was the reading of a sharply-worded letter from leading rabbis opposing military enlistment, even in frameworks that claim to accommodate religious observance and allow soldiers to maintain their haredi lifestyle. In the signatories' opinion, these arrangements "regrettably do not endure over time despite promises and commitments."

Rabbi Moshe Hillel Hirsch wrote: "It has unfortunately come to my attention that, as part of efforts to enlist Torah students, various tracks have been established and given names such as ‘Kodkod’ and others, and recently additional enlistment tracks have been added in the south, in Netivot and Be’er Sheva."

"And it is certain that all of these tracks are an integral part of the army, and one who goes there hands himself over to the control and authority of the military rulership, and becomes a full soldier in every respect, and it is similar to joining the army, which has no permissible aspect at all."

The letter also included remarks by yeshiva dean Rabbi Dov Lando, who warned: "Anyone who, G-d forbid, joins these tracks or similar, should know that beyond the personal tragedy that he brings upon himself and his household, others may, G-d forbid, be drawn after him, and his sin would be great to bear."

However within the Chasidic-haredi community: In groups such as Belz, Sanz, Karlin, and others, married working men are permitted to participate in supervised military initiatives.

Nachum Yisrael Eber found murdered in Colombia was looking for new bride after his marriage to teenager failed

 The Brooklyn Orthodox man brutally murdered in Colombia was reeling from the end of his one-month marriage to a teen bride — and was desperately looking for a new love when he was killed.

The body of Nachum Israel Eber was found dismembered inside a bloody wardrobe that was dumped on a street in Bogota on Sunday.

Yosef Matheron, a Colombian man who befriended Eber and helped translate for him, told The Post how Eber had met his 18-year-old wife before the brief union unraveled in January.

Eber, 51, a member of the Boro Park Belz Hasidic community, went to South America to search for a bride after divorcing his first wife five or six years ago. They shared four kids and two grandchildren.

Eber searched far and wide for a new bride, working with matchmakers in New York and Ukraine, before setting his sights on Colombia, his best friend said.

The divorcee was drawn to the country because he knew a rabbi from his community who would travel there and help descendants of Spanish Inquisition exiles convert to Judaism.

“He mentioned that he was exploring the possibility of meeting someone to marry, and eventually he made a match,” Matheron said.

Eber met the much younger woman in Barranquilla and thought she was 20 years old, the pal said.

Matheron said he spent a lot of time with the pair, and he would often accompany them on dates to get ice cream.

“They were a religious couple, a very wholesome couple,” he said, “He didn’t drink alcohol, he didn’t use drugs, he was a religious man.”

The two were married in a ceremony in Barranquilla, and a dinner celebrating the union was held in Bogota, he said.

But it turns out his new in-laws lied about their daughter’s age — she was really 18, and was getting cold feet.

“The young woman eventually broke up with him, though mostly because she told him she didn’t feel ready — she felt she was too young and believed she had rushed into taking that step. But it was never something she was forced to do,” Matheron said of the marriage.

He told Eber, who was depressed after the January split, to go home to the Big Apple and recover.

But Eber was determined to stay in Colombia until he found a wife.

“It’s very hard to live alone in our community. Everyone lives with their families and has children in the house,” his friend from Brooklyn said.

Bad luck seemed to follow the “high-strung, nervous” Eber, Matheron said.

“I decided to stop traveling with Nachum, as I had already encountered several security issues. I was being robbed frequently in the places we stayed, though I couldn’t figure out why,” he said.

Eber may have made himself a target for a “paseo millionairo” attack — where robbers stalk a potential victim for days — by doing things foreigners shouldn’t, like walking around with his cell phone in his hand, Matheron theorized.

“I’d tell him: ‘Nachum, this isn’t New York.’ He would start speaking Yiddish, Hebrew, and English right out in the open. He drew attention to himself, because of his distinctive attire and the various languages ​​he spoke,” he said.

The murder victim was described by his friend as a loving father and grandfather who would do anything for his family.

“During COVID he traveled to Cleveland and took care of his sick father for 100 days straight, that’s the kind of person he was,” his friend said.

Eber’s Brooklyn friend spoke to him April 21, the last day he was seen alive, and said Eber was optimistic.

His body was found Wednesday, and local police are investigating.

“He came to Colombia to find a wife, then, his dreams went cold,” Eber’s Brooklyn friend said.

Belz Chasid from New York abducted, brutally murdered in Colombia

 

Nachum Yisrael Eber, a 51-year-old Belz Hasid from the Borough Park neighborhood of New York, was murdered during a trip to Colombia after being abducted by a local criminal gang.

According to initial reports from Colombian authorities, Eber was kidnapped in an attempted robbery and was later killed by his assailants, who fled the scene.

His body was found in a remote area bearing signs of severe violence, days after contact with him was lost and he was reported missing.

Family members, concerned for his safety, appealed to community activists and authorities for assistance in locating him. Following intensive searches conducted in cooperation with local officials, his body was located.

Eber is survived by an extended family, including 16 siblings, who are part of the Belz Hasidic community in the United States, Canada and Israel.

At the same time, leaders of the Jewish community in Colombia, along with international aid organizations and community activists from the United States, are working to ensure proper respect for the deceased and to arrange for his burial as soon as possible.

Colombian authorities have opened a murder investigation, while community representatives are applying diplomatic pressure to expedite the transfer of his body for burial in Israel

Concern in Belz as Rebbe’s condition worsens

Concern is mounting in the Belz hasidic sect following a recent deterioration in the health of the Belzer Rebbe, Rabbi Yissachar Dov Rokeach.

His son, Rabbi Aharon Mordechai Rokeach, on Sunday night sent a message via the sect's internal "Kol Belz" system, calling on Belz hasidim in Israel and abroad to pray for the Rebbe's recovery.

The statement said the Rebbe is in a state of great weakness, and urged the public to recite Psalms, give charity, and pray for his recovery.

Over the past Shabbat (Sabbath), the Rebbe did not attend public prayers and instead prayed with a small quorum at his home.

The public is asked to pray for the complete and speedy recovery of Rabbi Yissachar Dov son of Miriam, among the other ill of Israel.

Liar Porush: “Arrests Of Bnei Torah Is Causing A Rift With Largest Jewish Kehilla In The Diaspora”

 

Meir Porush claims that the arrests of Bnei Torah are “causing a rift with the largest Jewish kehilla in the Diaspora.” This is simply not true.

Which kehilla is he referring to? Lakewood? Skver? Monroe? These communities do not center their education around love of Eretz Yisrael; in many cases, the topic is barely addressed.

Porush states: “The Jewish community that sends the largest number of young Jews to study in Eretz Yisrael is the community of New York.”

Yes — but then they leave. Yeshivos like Mir actively discourage foreign students from making Aliyah. I know this firsthand; my own son was discouraged when he expressed interest in officially making Aliyah!

He then adds another claim: 

“The Jewish community that sends the largest number of couples to make Aliyah is New York.”

Anyone who watches Nefesh B’Nefesh flights knows this is simply not the case. You will not find Charedi families on those flights — not one.

Israel must do what is right for its citizens and should not shape national policy based on the opinions of Charedim living in Chutz La’Aretz who never have, and show zero interest in making Aliya! 

Porush then makes his most dramatic statement:

“The ongoing persecution by the judicial system against lomdei Torah is creating a severe, perhaps irreparable, rift.”

Persecution? Against lomdei Torah? What is he talking about?

No one is preventing anyone from learning. The batei midrash and kollelim are full, from morning to night. I have never seen a single person stopped from learning Torah.

Israel has a law: if you are eligible for the IDF, you must either enlist or do national service. That is not persecution — that is basic civic responsibility. Even Rav Shach and Rav Shteinman ruled clearly that anyone who is not learning seriously must serve.

Porush’s statements are not grounded in reality, and they misrepresent both the situation in Israel and the attitudes of Diaspora communities.

In a speech last week marking the Day for Strengthening Ties with Diaspora Jewry, UTJ MK Meir Porush addressed the serious damage that the arrests of bnei yeshivos have caused to ties with the frum community in the US.

“The largest Jewish community in the world outside Israel is in New York and New Jersey,” he said. “Unfortunately, it seems that for certain elements here, strengthening ties with this community is not important. On the contrary, they want to weaken those ties and, chalilah, even sever them, perhaps because of its Chareidi identity.”

“The Jewish community that sends the largest number of young Jews to study here in Eretz Yisrael is the Jewish community of New York. The Jewish community that sends the largest number of couples to make aliyah to Eretz Yisrael and to Jerusalem is the community of New York. Enter the Mir, Belz, or Brisk yeshivos in Jerusalem and see how many bochurim and avreichim left the comfortable conditions of New York and came to study in Eretz Yisrael.”

“The state invests hundreds of millions of shekels, and perhaps even more, in Diaspora Jewry, whether through the Ministry of Aliyah with the aim of bringing them to Israel, or through the Ministry of Diaspora Affairs to strengthen them abroad, and through many other channels. I doubt whether even a tiny fraction of that is invested in the Jewish community of New York.”

“Recently, U.S. Congressman Mike Lawler’s letter was published. He is one of Israel’s greatest friends in Congress and represents a significant portion of that Jewish community in New York in his district. He appealed to the Prime Minister and cried out about the absurdity: how can a group of unelected judicial clerks so severely harm the rights of the American citizens he represents, simply because they came to Israel to learn Torah?”

“The ongoing persecution by the judicial system against lomdei Torah is creating a severe rift, perhaps even an irreparable one, between us and the largest Jewish community in the Diaspora. When we gather here to speak about strengthening ties with Diaspora Jewry, perhaps we should first make sure not to weaken our ties with Diaspora Jewry.”

“Perhaps the Attorney-General shouldn’t be busy from morning to night constructing piles upon piles of interpretations explaining how, why, and in what way not to fund yeshivos that bring foreign students to Israel, students who have nothing to do with the issue of military conscription, simply because perhaps they might buy milk at a coffee corner where an Israeli ben yeshivah is also drinking tea.”

Satmar "Shventz" Plan Massive Anti-IDF Draft Demonstration ..Guess Where? ... In London ..

What a spectacle — and what a waste of time. Satmar is busy organizing protests in London, but let’s be real: sooner or later the Muslims will chase them out. London already has a Muslim mayor, and when the tide turns, where exactly will Satmar run?

Not to the USA — Trump isn’t opening the doors for more people to mooch off the system. The only option left will be Israel, where they’ll suddenly need the very protection of the IDF they spend their lives demonizing.

So what’s behind this useless protest? Not one MK in the Knesset cares what these leidegeirs have to say. The truth is simple: Satmar teenagers are bored out of their minds. They don’t enjoy learning, they don’t exercise, they don’t swim, they don’t have smartphones. So what’s left?

Easy. Stage a protest against their eternal nemesis — the State of Israel, home to the majority of the Jewish people. At least it keeps them occupied for a few hours.

But then comes Sunday. And the question remains: what do you do with these kids once the protest is over?

Stay tuned.

Following the major Satmar rally in Manhattan against Israel’s proposed draft law, which accomplished Zero, London’s Satmar kehilla is now preparing for its own large-scale demonstration. 

Thousands of residents from across London’s frum neighborhoods are expected to gather Thursday afternoon outside the Israeli Embassy to voice their opposition to the ongoing efforts in the Knesset to advance a new conscription law.

The demonstration is being organized by Satmar and are pushing to have all major chasidish kehillos join them , with participation expected from , Belz, Vizhnitz, Bobov, and Ger. 

Both dueling Satmar factions have agreed to unite for this protest, lending unusual weight and symbolism to the event, just like when dueling Arabs unite against Israel.

 Organizers also noted that the gathering is set to take place on the 21st of Kislev, long marked as the “Yom Hatzalah” of the Satmar Rebbe, Rav Yoel Teitelbaum zt”l, from none other than Rudolf Kastner a Zionist! 

The call to protest follows a request from the Badatz of the Eidah HaGanavim in Yerushalayim, which issued a strongly worded letter urging kehillos abroad to join the outcry against any legislation that would compel "bnei Torah" in Eretz Yisroel to serve in what they termed “the army of destruction.”

 In response, the rabbonim of London’s Badatz Kehillas Kadathia issued their own letter encouraging full participation, stressing that the hour demands a united and public stance.

Local rabbonim across London have signed on to the initiative, encouraging all men and bochurim to attend. Yeshivos affiliated with Ger have already confirmed that they will be sending their bochurim, and organizers say buses will be running from all major chareidi centers to accommodate the large turnout.

The demonstration follows the massive Manhattan protest outside the Israeli Consulate two months ago, which drew international attention but accomplished zero. With the draft bill continuing to advance through Israel’s Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee, London’s kehillos say it is their responsibility to raise their voices in solidarity.

The atzeres is scheduled to begin at 2:00 p.m. London time. Community leaders anticipate a peaceful but forceful show of unity, expressing the long-held position that the chareidi community worldwide stands firmly against any legislation that would require bnei Torah in Eretz Yisroel to abandon their learning and join military service.

Prominent Belz Chasid travels for granddaughter's wedding and passes away

 Rabbi Benzion Rabinowitz, a prominent Belzer hasid in Jerusalem, died over Shabbat (the Sabbath) at a US hospital.He was 87.

Rabbi Rabinowitz arrived in the US last week for his granddaughter's wedding, which took place on Tuesday in Williamsburg. On the night of the wedding, he began feeling unwell, and after dancing the traditional "Mitzvah Tanz" dance with the bride, he went to rest.

On Friday night, he was hospitalized after contracting a virus and passed away the following morning, during the week of the "sheva brachot" celebrations.

Rabbi Rabinowitz was known for his precision in prayer, and he taught the Belz Rebbe grammar methods. As a result, the Belz community began praying according to precise pronunciation using the "Avodat Hashem" prayer book.

Rabbi Rabinowitz suffered the loss of his son, Rabbi Yosef, and his daughter during his lifetime.

The funeral took place on Saturday night at the Belz synagogue on 43rd Street in Borough Park. His coffin was flown to Israel, and the funeral procession will leave Sunday night at 10:00p.m. from the Sanhedria funeral home in Jerusalem, passing through the Belz Great Synagogue in Kiryat Belz, and will continue to the "Kahal Mahzikei Dat" section of Mount Hamenuchot, where he will be buried.

Belzer Chusid Sees Off His daughter that Enlisted

 

In a scene that is capturing widespread attention across Israeli social media, a brief nine-second video has ignited powerful emotion and debate. The clip shows Ba’ash Indursky, a young woman from the Belz Hasidic community, stepping forward to enlist in the Israel Border Police — with her traditionally observant father, Shlomo Indursky, at her side.

Indursky, a senior administrative director at the Belz headquarters in Jerusalem, is seen wrapping his daughter in a long, heartfelt embrace before she enters the enlistment base. Family members surround the pair, offering support in what has become an unusually public moment of unity from a sector where military enlistment, especially for women, remains exceedingly rare.

The video, published by media figure Yossi Reiner, has sparked a wave of reactions online. Many viewers praised the father’s unwavering love and the daughter’s determination; others highlighted the cultural significance of a Hasidic woman enlisting with her family’s full support.

In just seconds, the clip captures a striking intersection of faith, family, and national service — a moment that continues to echo across the public conversation in Israel.

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Dov Hikind Spot On about that Huge Chillul Hashem by the Satmar Dueling Brothers

 

In a fiery interview on the Zev Brenner Radio Show Saturday night, former New York Assemblyman Dov Hikind sharply criticized the Satmar community for organizing a major protest against the State of Israel, which took place Sunday in Manhattan.

Both Satmar factions — the Aronim and the Zaloynim — are uniting for the first time since 2013, after dragging each other in secular courts, to stage a joint rally opposing the Israeli government’s proposed draft of yeshiva students. 

Organizers say the timing of the protest reflects Satmar’s long-held policy not to rally against Israel while the country is at war. (Israel is always at war so this policy is a lie) With fighting in Gaza now paused (paused? two Idf soldiers were murdered yesterday after the ceasefire) following the ceasefire brokered by President Donald Trump, they argue that the time has come to voice opposition to what they call “gezeiras hagiyus,” the decree of conscription.

So now helping to fight murderers and rapists is a "gezeira?" 

Hikind, however, denounced the rally as “an absolute disgrace,” accusing its organizers of being trapped in the past.

 “Are these people still living in the 1960s?” he asked. “They receive massive support from the Israeli government — housing, education, welfare — and yet they march against the very country that sustains them. It’s ridiculous.”

He called the planned protest “a dangerous and shameful spectacle,” warning that “what the Satmars are doing is not a game.” Hikind said, “It’s heartbreaking for the Jewish people that this can even happen. The idea that some in Satmar believe they are holier than everyone else — it’s beyond arrogance. It’s delusional.”

Hikind also pointed out that no other major Chassidic group — including Belz, Bobov, or Ger — is participating in or supporting this event, either in New York or in Israel. “This is not a mainstream Chassidic position,” he said. “The rest of the Chassidic world knows better than to embarrass Am Yisrael at a time like this.”

He added that the demonstration only serves to embolden Israel’s enemies. “This kind of event gives Hamas and other terrorists a reason to celebrate,” Hikind warned. “They see Jews protesting against Israel and use it as propaganda to justify their terrorism. It’s fuel for their hate.”

Hikind further noted that with antisemitism surging around the world, this type of public demonstration “is totally inappropriate” and dangerous. “It gives fodder to antisemites everywhere who are already looking for excuses to attack Jews,” he said. “This isn’t the time to hand them more ammunition.”

The former lawmaker also suggested that the protest could have political fallout in New York City. “Events like this make the Jewish community look divided and weak,” he said. “It plays right into the hands of politicians like Zohran Mamdani, who’s running for mayor and has made a career out of attacking Israel. Why give him more ammunition?”

Hikind emphasized that Satmar is entitled to its opinion and has every right to protest, but urged them to use better judgment. “I have no issue with people expressing their beliefs,” he said. “But there has to be sensitivity. Right now, with everything Israel is facing, this is absolutely not the time.”

He noted that during his years in office, he worked closely with both Satmar Rebbes and often helped their communities. “I have no animosity toward Satmar,” he said. “They’re wonderful people, and I respect their dedication. But this event — at this time — is simply ridiculous.”

He concluded by calling on the broader Jewish community to reject the divisive message of the rally. “At a moment when Israel is fighting for its survival,” Hikind said, “the Jewish world should be standing together — not tearing itself apart.”

Belzer Rebbe hospitalized

 Concern is spreading among the Belz hasidim following reports that their Rebbe, Rabbi Yissachar Dov Rokeach, was admitted to Hadassah Ein Kerem Medical Center in Jerusalem due to a broken leg.

One of the Rebbe’s attendants issued an official notice to the community stating that the Rebbe underwent a series of tests, which confirmed the fracture to his leg.

The Rebbe spent Shabbat (Sabbath) in the hospital, together with his close aides, and is expected to undergo surgery early next week.

Meanwhile, the Gerrer Rebbe fell about two weeks ago while in the Jerusalem-area community of Ora, and is suffering from a broken arm. According to reports within the community, he remains weak and has not yet resumed receiving visitors ahead of the High Holidays.

The public is asked to pray for both hasidic leaders: Rabbi Yissachar Dov, the son of Miriam; and Rabbi Yaakov Aryeh, the son of Yuta Hena.

Machnovka Belz Rebbe Gives Chizik To Lev Tahor Child Abuser

DIN: I am very disappointed in this rebbe! Did he visit the victims? 

I think this act of the rebbe is sick and depraved! 

In an unannounced visit to Ayalon Prison, the Rebbe of Machnovka Belz met with Eliezer Rompler, the head of the radical and controversial Lev Tahor sect, who was extradited to Israel on charges of severe child abuse.

Rompler had fled Israel after a 2020 indictment alleging serious abuse of minors. He was apprehended in El Salvador following an attempted escape from Guatemala, after Israel issued a red notice via Interpol.

The Rebbe was accompanied by his eldest son, Rav Berel Rokeach.

Sources noted that the Rebbe has a personal connection to the Rompler family — one of Rompler’s sons previously served as an aide to the Rebbe — which, they explained, was a key factor in the decision to make the visit.

The visit has sparked mixed reactions. Some have voiced criticism over maintaining ties with an individual facing such grave criminal charges.

 

Study finds growing numbers leaving Charedi community

 When Yehuda Moses was 25, his worldview began to shift.

A member of the Belz Hasidic community, Moses found himself placed under excommunication by the group’s grand rabbi after he criticized a decision to use money raised for the poor to fund the construction of a new synagogue.

“I began to wonder how people considered righteous could do such harmful things,” Moses, now 52, told The Times of Israel in a phone interview.

That moment marked the start of Moses’s departure from the Haredi world, a life-altering choice being made by a growing number of ultra-Orthodox Israelis, according to a comprehensive study published earlier this year by Out for Change, which provides help to those leaving the ultra-Orthodox community.

The study found that rather than marking a complete break, a stereotype enforced by pop culture portrayals, leaving the ultra-Orthodox world is a complicated process that can preserve some aspects of the former lives of ex-Haredim, from faith to their relationships with their parents.

At the time of his shunning, Moses was already married with five children, all of whom left the ultra-Orthodox world with him. Yet while he now describes himself as completely secular, getting there took over two decades, while his wife and three daughters still maintain some level of religiosity.

“Only recently I started to travel on Shabbat,” he said.

Based on publicly available Central Bureau of Statistics data, Out for Change found that many former members of the Haredi community maintain some level of religious observance, albeit a less stringent one.

Fewer than one in five former Haredim describe themselves as completely secular, according to the study, which was published in February.

“Past qualitative research on the topic has shown that the choice to leave Haredi society behind often is not an issue of faith, but rather of seeking a different lifestyle or quality of life,” said Adar Anisman, head of research at Out for Change and one of the authors of the report.

Still, even the first step out of the cloistered ultra-Orthodox community can be a shock. For Moses, whose father Menachem Eliezer Moses served as an MK for United Torah Judaism from 2009 until 2019, leaving the confines of Haredi life was like stepping into an entirely new world.

“I didn’t even know how the human body functions — I believed that prayer alone was enough to recover from illness,” he recalled.

Beit Shemesh Rabbis Call To Boycott Entire BIG Chain Over Shabbos Desecration

The struggle against the BIG retail chain, which recently opened a large shopping mall in Glilot near Tel Aviv that operates on Shabbat, continues. On Sunday evening, the leading rabbis of Beit Shemesh, including Rabbi Mordechai Goldstein (Lithuanian sector), Rabbi Natan Kopshitz (Hasidic sector), and Rabbi Shlomo Zaafrani (Sephardic sector), signed a letter along with other city rabbis calling on the public to boycott the mall, according to a Kikar HaShabbat report.

In an unusually sharp letter, the top Ashkenazi, Sephardi, and Hasidic rabbis call on residents to refrain from buying products from chains that desecrate Shabbat. This includes not only branches that are open on Shabbat, but even those that remain closed locally, if the chain’s national owners publicly violate the sanctity of Shabbat—such as the BIG shopping complex, which is closed on Shabbat in Beit Shemesh but operates on Shabbat in the newly opened Glilot branch.

Despite Protests Chareidim (Ger, Slonim, Belz)Start Enlisting in the IDF!

 

Bus full of Charedie Recruits 

GEDOLIM CAVE: No Draft Law Ultimatum Will Be Given To Netanyahu

 

The anti draft chareidi rabbonim have played their hand and realize that they will be in an even more perilous situation if and when elections are held. The “no compromise, no giyus for any chareidi” stand has not won them any allies, other than in Lakewood and Williamsburg, but their American allies don’t control the purse strings in Israel, and those strings are closing tightly. They might try some PR instead of throwing shade on the rest of Israeli society. Tone deaf doesn’t start to describe how non-chareidim in Israel view their proclamations against the “shmad army.”

For weeks, Gedolei Torah in Eretz Yisroel have been grappling with a critical decision—whether to issue an ultimatum demanding that Prime Minister Netanyahu pass a draft exemption law by Shavuos, or risk losing the support of the United Torah Judaism (UTJ) party in the coalition. The proposal, known as the “Pindrus Plan,” had gained traction among leading Roshei Yeshiva and Rebbes, with intense discussions behind the scenes.

However, a dramatic turn of events unfolded Sunday when HaGaon HaRav Moshe Hillel Hirsch, Rosh Yeshivas Slabodka and one of the preeminent leaders of the Torah world, indicated that UTJ would not be issuing an official ultimatum to Netanyahu. The revelation came after a rare English-language phone call between Netanyahu and Rav Hirsch earlier Sunday, a conversation that has sent shockwaves through the frum political landscape.

Netanyahu, fully aware that an ultimatum from UTJ could threaten his fragile coalition, has been working feverishly to neutralize the looming threat. Prior to his conversation with Rav Hirsch, Netanyahu had reached out to the Belzer Rebbe, who assured him that Belz and the Shlomei Emunim faction were not part of the ultimatum and had no intention of withdrawing from the coalition. This gave Netanyahu a crucial opening to pressure the remaining factions to reconsider their stance.

Netanyahu’s main concern is the three-month deadline proposed by the Litvishe Gedolim and UTJ leaders. He argued that such a short time frame was unrealistic for passing a comprehensive Draft Law and urged Torah leaders to extend the deadline beyond Tishrei to ensure a sustainable legislative process.

Following his direct intervention, Rav Hirsch relayed Netanyahu’s concerns to HaGaon HaRav Dov Landau, Rosh Yeshivas Slabodka and the leading authority of the Litvishe world. A subsequent meeting took take place between the Gerrer Rebbe and Rav Landau at the Slabodka Yeshiva in Bnei Brak on Sunday.

Rav Hirsch relayed Netanyahu’s plea to the assembled Gedolim, explaining the Prime Minister’s concerns. However, the Gedolim remained skeptical. They noted that no matter what deadline was set, Netanyahu would find excuses to delay.

After extensive deliberations, the Gedolim made a momentous decision: they will set a firm deadline for Netanyahu to pass the Draft Law by the end of the summer.

If the government fails to deliver by the set date, the Torah factions may withdraw their support for Netanyahu’s fragile coalition—a move that could potentially bring down the government.

At the same time, efforts are underway to build a unified front between the Ashkenazi and Sefardi Torah leadership. Messages from the Gedolim have been relayed to HaGaon HaRav Yitzchak Yosef, the Rishon L’Tzion and other Sefardi Gedolim in an attempt to form a solidarity pact.

In Response to the "Letter to the Editor" of the Flatbush Jewish Journal from Rabbi Morris Goldman of NJ

 

DIN: I came across this "letter to the editor" to the FJJ, The Flatbush Jewish Journal,  from a guy who calls himself "Rabbi Morris Goldman" and who lives in West Orange, New Jersey! This "Goldman" character is answering  a previous "letter to the editor" in the Flatbush Jewish Journal written by a Moshe Bodner in the January 30 edition of the FJJ

ASK THE RABBI? 

 The January 23, 2025 issue published an excerpt from the book Ask The Rabbi by Chaim Mintz, Artscroll Productions. The questioner acknowledged that secular Zionism is flawed and asked whether religious Zionism is also flawed? 

 The response was "Yes, the accepted Torah-true worldview based on Talmud (Kesuvos 111a) is that we are not to have any Jewish-run government at all until the arrival of Moshiach." As you are aware, many "Torah true" rabbis do not agree with Rabbi Mintz's view, and it is, at the very least, questionable whether we may rely on Aggadata for Psak Halacha. Is this position, that Religious Zionism is contrary to halacha, held by the FJJ ownership and editors? 

 Moshe Bodner Woodmere, NY

I must address the response of  "Rabbi" Goldman to the Bodner letter because the FJJ has a pretty large circulation and some readers may take Goldman's letter as fact when in truth it is full of half-truths and whole lies! 

I will break up his letter and respond to his fictitious thoughts! 

MG (Morris Goldman): In response to Moshe Bodner's letter last week in regards to the Torah Hashkafa about the religious Zionism ideology, in which he wrote that there are many ''Torah true rabbis'' that do not hold of Rabbi Mintz's view that religious Zionism is also flawed.

DIN: I don't know who this Rabbi Mintz is but I can say that Rabbi Mintz's view goes contrary to the Avnei Nezer, Drishas Tzyon, Netziv , Rav Teichtal, Rav Henkin etc . 

In fact we spoke a lot about this previously on this blog and we pointed out that the Gemarra that Rabbi Mintz quotes is an "aggadetta" and this view is not brought in the Rambam's Mishna Torah, nor is it brought down anywhere in the entire Shulchan Aruch! 

The gemarrah itself doesn't mention when this "oath" took place, with whom it took place, and who was there when it took place and where it took place!

 What is fascinating is that the Maharsha who is on constant alert and explains all aggadetas,  doesn't say one word and skips over this gemarrah! ! What is also interesting is that Ezra HaSofer totally ignored this quoted gamarrah and made Aliya and cursed those who remained in Baval!

 Not only that but most of the greatest Tzaddikim ignored that aggadeta and made Aliyah, The Ramban, The Gra and the Besht were on the way but were prevented for one reason or another but their Talmedim made aliya in mass! The Chafetz Chayim sold his home in Radin to make Aliyah but had to abandon his plans! The Gerer Rebbe, the Belzer Rebbe, The Biayler Rebbe, The Kloizinberger, Rav Chaim Zonninfeld, Rav Dushinsky,The Chazon Ish, The Steipler, Rav Shach, Rav Shteinman, ...I can go on and on..all made Aliyah!! And now I'll reveal a secret ...Even the Satmar Rebbe made Aliyah, but then relocated to the US after his Chassidim in Israel rejected him because of his terrible advice pre WW2 that Jews should not emigrate to the US as that was a "treifine medina" and to Israel as that was Zionistic! 

 MG: I just wanted to say that you can actually look at the archives of the Agudas Yisroel asifa in the 1930's,  in which a poll was conducted among the participating rabbis, and almost all the rabbis there were strongly against the founding of the state and against the ideology that they were trying to promote. You can see for yourself at how they write about the idea. 

DIN: The 3rd Knessiya Gedolah was held in Marienbad in Sept 1937 There was no "poll"!  At this conference, the Aguda reiterated their anti-Zionist positions and distanced themselves from the Mizrachi Movement that was founded by the great Gaon and Tzaddik Rav Yitzchok Yaakov Reines z"l! 

As an aside, note that the Netziv was one of the founders of the Choiveve Tzion, a Zionist Religious Organization encouraging a State ! 

Ironically, the Agudah took part in the St. James Palace Conference convened by the British just two years later early in 1939, and coordinated and partnered with the Zionists! Since you asked readers to "look at the archives" I did and found this fact! 

 But It's important to point out that the Agudah dropped its anti-Zionist position after the Holocaust, when they realized albeit too late that if a State had been established then it would have saved 6 million Jews! 

In fact, Aguda established a political party in Israel endorsed by its Gedoilim and appointed members who ran and won seats in the Zionist Knesset. So much for Rabbi Mintz's ridiculous arrogant opinions! 

MG: For example, R' Elchanan Wasserman who wrote against the Zionist movement very strongly. 

DIN: True, but if instead of fighting Zionism, he would have supported a State, he could have saved himself and his entire Yeshiva from annihilation! Most Chareidie Rabbanim dropped their anti-Zionism stance while witnessing the largest destruction of the Jewish people in its entire history! 

MG: And even among our Gedolim in America you can hear how R' Avigdor Miller speaks about it in every other speech in which he denounces the state and their leaders, and states that the entire founding of the state is against Halacha and hashkafa of a frum Torah jew.

DIN: I'm glad you brought up R' Avigdor Miller who I knew personally and was at his Q&A on Sunday in Flatbush many times! 

With all due respect to Rav Miller, he was in the USA in a warm comfortable home when my grandparents, uncles and aunts, cousins, and two brothers were being gassed to death! אינו דומה שמיעה לריאה! 

Rav Miller wrote a book  called "A Divine Madness' where he outrageously actually blames the Holocaust on Zionism!????

One could argue in reverse, the argument put forth by Rav Teictal in his sefer Eim Habanim Semicha, that the Holocaust happened because the Jews DIDN'T listen to the call of the Zionists, and instead chose to remain in the galuth! 

 Interesting that he refrained from publishing this work while he was alive, and kept it in his drawer in a manuscript, it was published posthumously by a grandchild ! Many Holocaust survivors were outraged, in fact, the Kloizinberger Rebbe z"l who lost a wife and 11 children in the Holocaust said in response to people who said they knew what the reason of the Holocaust was  "He who knows, would never speak, and He who speaks doesn't know"?

 It's important to point out that in the early 50s and 60s Neturei Karta  could not understand or speak English and it was Rav Avigdar Miller who translated all the Neturei Karta hate propaganda against the Jewish State from Yiddish into English! 

As far as Goldman's comment that "that the entire founding of the state is against Halacha and hashkafa of a frum Torah Jew." this statement is not only patently false but a total distortion of the views of Gedoilei Yisrael such as Hav Kalisher, Harav Reinis, the Netziv, Harav Kook, Rav Teichtal, Rav Henkin etc.and more recently the Rabbis of Gur, Belz, Slonim, Stolin and Rav Shach, Rav Chaim Kanievski, Rav Ovadia Yosef all who appointed their own members to the Zionist Knesset, and established their own parties! 

 MR:  That is besides for the fact that how can we forget the thousands that lost their whole heritage due to the state forcing them to cut off their payos and forcing them to desecrate the Shabbos. (for ex. Yaldei Taimen,Yaldei Tehran). 

DIN: I have to admit that this was a tragic period in the founding of the state, but I see that Goldman doesn't write the epilogue where Haaretz did a survey about two years ago and found that many of these descendants have now returned to Yiddishkeit and have beautiful families! While in the USA, children of Chareidie families have totally abandoned their Chareidie backgrounds and became OTD with many marrying shiksas! At least in Israel, there is a 95% chance according to the latest Pew Research Poll that a Chilonie will marry another Jew! 

MG: As mentioned, we must stay far away from these people that are trying to do everything in their power to make other things (that the Gedolim said is Kefira) more important than our holy Torah of the past thousands of years. I would like if the writer can please write in which rabbis you know that hold of such things. 

DIN: Yes, stay far away from us with your crazed childish false views! I listed above a partial tiny list from Hundreds of Great Talmeide Chachamim who do "hold such things"

Hey Goldman, what are you doing living in West Orange? How many of the residents are intermarried? How many are OTD? 

What I am amazed is that a guy calling himself "Rabbi" living in the comfort of his home in West Orange NJ, spews hate and vitriol on the Jewish people and their rabbanim living in Israel, while Jewish children in uniform are still dying, and millions of Goldman's brothers and sisters are still running to shelters! 

The Talmud in Chulin 63b states:

אמר רב אבהו, ראה זו איה, ולמה נקרא שמה ראה

עומדת בבבל וראה נבלה בארץ ישראל

"Rabbi Abahu said, the bird called Raah is the same bird called Ayah. Why is this bird called Raah? Because the bird stands in Babylon and can see a carcass in Eretz Yisrael!"

The Baal Shem Tov asks, if Hashem created this bird that it can see so well, why is this bird Tamei?

Mr. Goldman... Listen to his answer!

The Baal Shem Tov answers that if a person is in Chutz Le'aartz and sees a "neveilah" in Eretz Yisrael, he sees only bad things, he sees chilonim, he sees Zionists, a person like this can only be tamei! 

מי שפוסל במימו פוסל

Calling Rabbanim who are Religious Zionists... "Flawed!" Is being mevazeh Talmeidi Chachamim!  From Goldman's letter is משמע that one cannot be mevazeh Chareidie Rabbanim, but being mevazeh Religious Zionist Rabbanim is no problem! 

The Goldmans of this world are blind to the fact that the Ribbono Shel Olam orchestrated the founding of the State so that all Jews would have a home, no questions asked! Pretty soon the goyim in West Orange New Jersey are going to round up the Jews there, where will the Goldmans run?? 

 MG: Rabbi Morris Goldman West Orange, New Jersey

DIN: The Mintzs and the Goldmans of this world are not bringing us any closer to Mashiach!