The Kennedy Curse ..... family tragedies and heartbreaks through the years

 The Kennedy family has been at the forefront of tragedy and heartbreak with the deaths and accidents of loved ones for generations.

Most recently, the clan mourned the death of Tatiana Schlossberg, the granddaughter of late President John F. Kennedy, after a battle with leukemia on Dec. 30.

The journalist’s passing reignited chatter of the “Kennedy Curse,” which refers to the continuous tragic deaths within the family from illnesses and crashes to assassinations.

Joseph P. Kennedy, the eldest son of Joseph Sr. and Rose Kennedy, was killed while on a secret WWII mission. He was 29. The aviator died when his explosive Navy bomber aircraft blew up midair. He was flying over the English Channel.

Kathleen “Kick” Kennedy, the daughter of Joseph Sr. and Rose Kennedy, died in a plane crash in France on May 13, 1948.

Kick, who was 28, was on the way to the French Riviera with her lover Earl Peter Wentworth-Fitzwilliam, author Barbara Leaming wrote in “Kick Kennedy: The Charmed Life and Tragic Death of the Favorite Kennedy Daughter,” per People. The plane’s pilot and a navigator were also killed.

Patrick Bouvier Kennedy, the son of Jacqueline and JFK, died on Aug. 7, 1963 — less than 40 hours after he was born. He passed away a few short months before his father was assassinated.

President John F. Kennedy was shot by Lee Harvey Oswald while riding in a motorcade with his wife, Jacqueline Kennedy, in Dallas on Nov. 22, 1963.He was rushed to the hospital and later pronounced dead at the age of 46. Oswald was shot dead while being transferred to a different jail location a few weeks later.

JFK and Jacqueline wed in 1953 and were parents to four kids: Arabella, who was a stillborn baby, Caroline, John, and Patrick, who died shortly after his premature birth.

Robert F. Kennedy was assassinated shortly after winning the California presidential primary on June 5, 1968. He died the following day at the age of 42.

The politician was at the Ambassador Hotel in Los Angeles when he was shot by Sirhan Sirhan.

He married Ethel Kennedy in 1950 and they shared 11 children: Kathleen, Joseph, Robert Jr., David, Courtney, Michael, Kerry, Christopher, Max, Douglas and Rory.

Shortly before midnight on July 18, 1969, Ted Kennedy drove his car off Dyke Bridge on Chappaquiddick Island, located off the coast of Martha’s Vineyard.

At the time, the late former senator, whose brothers were JFK and RFK, fled the scene, and authorities later found the body of 28-year-old aide Mary Jo Kopechne in the car. He didn’t report the accident until 10 hours later and claimed he attempted to save Kopechne.The lawyer died in August 2009 at the age of 77.

Jewish donors from US will only donate to Torah institutions that support IDF

DIN: This issue may have repercussions as many who signed this letter are on the board of ArtScroll, and pathetic rabbis in Israel are now threatening to ban the Schottenstein Hebrew Talmud! I believe Artscroll will cave and make their donors retract their signatories! After all כסף יענה את הכל ... but whatever the outcome, this shows that people are becoming frustrated with Charedie Torah Leaders!

 A group of Charedi businessmen and Jewish donors from the US has announced the establishment of a new framework titled the “Coalition for Torah Study and Security,” declaring that it will cease financial support for Torah institutions in Israel that publicly speak out against the Israel Defense Forces.

The move, endorsed by numerous donors and community leaders, has sparked controversy within Charedi communities both in Israel and in the US.

In a letter published by the coalition, its founders explained their position against the backdrop of rising global antisemitism. “The Jewish nation is under sustained attack,” the letter states. “The struggle against Jews has become global. Intimidation and violence are taking place on the streets of Europe and North America, reaching a tragic peak recently in the massacre at Bondi Beach in Australia.”

The letter continues by emphasizing the centrality of Israel’s security:

 “Israel’s security has become a critical issue. The future of our people is increasingly tied to the Land of Israel, and the security of Jews throughout the Diaspora depends on the strength of the Jewish state. The IDF bears responsibility for defending the Jewish people in the State of Israel. We support them and pray for their success.”

At the same time, the coalition stressed its ongoing commitment to Torah learning. 

“We remain deeply committed to supporting Torah, yeshivot, and kollelim,” the statement reads. “Precisely because of this commitment, we cannot support institutions whose public stance undermines those responsible for protecting Jewish lives. Accordingly, we will provide financial support only to Torah institutions that do not publicly speak against the IDF.”

The organization clarified that it is not taking a position on the sensitive issue of military conscription. “This stance does not address the debate surrounding the draft law,” the letter states. “It relates solely to the legitimacy of public opposition to the IDF while it is engaged in defending Jewish lives.”

The letter has generated significant discussion within the Charedi sector. In recent years, leading rabbis have traveled abroad to raise funds for yeshivot following government budget cuts, and the coalition’s announcement is now viewed by some as an additional threat to already strained funding sources.

However, the initiative has not received unanimous support among Jewish donors. Several donors have made clear that they intend to continue supporting Torah scholars and institutions and do not plan to cooperate with the newly formed coalition.

List of donors who will not support non-enlistment in the army:

The Levites are actually the proof of the obligation to enlist

by 

Rabbi Eliezer Melamed

 In the previous two columns, I explained that in time of war for the defense of the Nation and the Land, members of the tribe of Levi enlisted and fought more than the other tribes. First, the Kohanim (priests) led the army in the special roles that the Torah assigned them in strengthening the spirit of the fighters. The Levites were the officers responsible for the fulfillment of the commandments of war; they would release those eligible for exemption, and punish those who evaded the obligation to fight.

Beyond that, the other Kohanim and Levites would enlist as regular fighters, to the point that there were even army commanders among them. The war for the conquest of the Land was the only war in which they did not serve as regular fighters, since they did not receive a portion of Land, like the other tribes.

From here we learn that yeshiva students may not be exempted from army service by claiming that they are like Levites, for if they are like Levites, they must volunteer as pioneers at the head of the army, both spiritually and militarily, like the Hasmoneans who led the war against the Greeks.

Latest on the Iranian Chaos

 

The head of Iran's Central Bank resigned Monday as protests erupted in Tehran and several other cities after the country’s currency plummeted to a new record low against the U.S. dollar.

*Israel on High Alert: 

Intelligence Warns Iran May Spark Confrontation With Israel as Regime Wobbles Under Mass Protests

Iran’s unrest is spreading from Tehran into multiple cities, with campuses and the bazaar emerging as flashpoints. Israeli defense officials are increasingly concerned Tehran could try to deflect domestic anger by escalating against Israel—an unpredictable scenario where miscalculation is the danger.

*Unusual scenes at Tehran University:* 

students clashed with the IRGC-linked Basij after the militia was reportedly sent in to intimidate and break up campus protests. Field accounts and circulating footage say Basij forces pulled back and were even chased across parts of the campus—an image of regime muscle briefly losing the street. 

The flare-up comes as unrest widens beyond universities, with videos and reports pointing to protests and strike activity in and around Tehran, plus confrontations with security forces in other areas. Iran International has reported continued demonstrations and violent incidents in multiple locations, and Reuters-linked reporting notes student calls for peers to join the protests. 

Campuses have long been Iran’s pressure valve: when students move, the regime often leans on the Basij—its fast-response enforcers embedded in civilian spaces—to reassert control. Iranian reporting and rights-focused outlets describe new organizing and protest messaging tied to economic hardship and political fury, with Tehran University activists urging broader public participation. 

Israel allows Jewish Visitors to visit Joseph’s Kever

 Israel will allow Jewish pilgrims to visit Joseph’s Tomb during daylight hours for the first time in about 25 years, officials said Monday, marking a significant shift in access to one of Judaism’s most sensitive and contested holy sites in the West Bank. 

The decision follows an agreement between Defense Minister Israel Katz, senior military officials and political leaders, and will expand visits beyond the strictly nighttime access that has been in place since 2000.

Immigration to Israel from North America rose sharply in 2025

 Immigration to Israel from North America rose sharply in 2025, with more than 4,100 Jews making aliyah with assistance from the nonprofit organization Nefesh B’Nefesh, according to figures released at the close of the year. 

The organization said 4,150 immigrants from the United States and Canada settled in Israel in 2025, the highest annual total in four years and an increase of more than 12% compared with the previous year.

Archaeologists uncover a mikvah dating to the Second Bais Ha'Mikdash period

 

Israeli archaeologists have uncovered a mikvah, dating to the final days of the Second Temple period beneath the Western Wall Plaza, authorities said Monday. 

The mikvah, hewn into bedrock and sealed under a layer dated to 70 C.E., contained ash linked to the Roman destruction of Jerusalem, according to the Israel Antiquities Authority. 

Pottery and stone vessels typical of Jewish life at the time were also found. 

Researchers say the mikvah likely served residents and those who were Oileh Regel  preparing to enter the Temple complex, highlighting the central role of ritual purity in daily life in ancient Jerusalem.

Kenneth Kirsch and Michael Greenberg Killed in Helicopter Crash ....They ran into each other

 Authorities on Monday identified two pilots who died after their helicopters collided midair in southern New Jersey. 

Kenneth Kirsch, 65, and Michael Greenberg, 71, were friends who both lived in New Jersey and would often have breakfast together at a cafe near the crash site in Hammonton, about 35 miles (56 kilometers) southeast of Philadelphia.

Shekel Continues to Strengthen Against the Dollar

  The Israeli shekel continued to strengthen against the U.S. dollar in late December 2025, with the exchange rate falling to around 3.17-3.18 shekels per dollar - its strongest level in roughly four years.

Pollard to Arutz Sheva: Polls are wrong, Israelis want to return to Gaza

 

Jonathan Pollard addressed a Knesset session this week, calling for Israel to resettle the Gaza Strip with Jews, arguing that public opinion in Israel supports a full return to the territory.

Speaking in an interview with Arutz Sheva-Israel National News from the Knesset, Pollard rejected claims that such a move lacks public backing. He said that polls opposing a return to Gaza were flawed, adding, "I actually feel that the consensus would support a return to Gaza as completely as we can." Pollard said other surveys indicate broad support for a complete Israeli return to the area following the removal of what he described as its current Islamo-fascist population.

Asked how a return to Gaza could be implemented in practice, Pollard said it would require decisive leadership. He stressed the need for a strong prime minister who would clearly convey to the President of the United States that Israel would not relinquish territory gained through war. "What was achieved in blood will never be given up by us ever again," Pollard said.

Pollard warned that indecision and reliance on foreign governments to shape Israeli policy would lead to further losses. He described Gaza as a defining moment, saying that resettling Jews there would demonstrate to Israel’s enemies that attacks would result not only in defeat but also in permanent territorial loss. "If you fight us, we will not only defeat you decisively, but we will take back our land as well, permanently," he said.

Addressing the role of the US, Pollard said that President Donald Trump had provided Israel with an opportunity by lifting weapons embargoes and signaling support for decisive action. He argued that had Israel acted at that time, Hamas would have been destroyed and Israeli resettlement of Gaza would already be underway.

Pollard said his views are shaped primarily by conversations with displaced residents of Gaza envelope communities. "I look at the people first," he said. According to Pollard, all those he spoke with expressed support for a Jewish Gaza, including individuals who previously would not have considered such a position. He said they believe this is the only way to ensure long-term security for southern Israel.

He added that he does not focus on persuading Knesset members, but rather listens to citizens who have lost homes and family members and who fear renewed attacks. Pollard said ensuring their safety is his mission, saying that those he spoke with told him they could not rebuild their lives without knowing the threat would never return. He said this can only be achieved, in his words, through a "100% Jewish Gaza."

Referring again to President Trump, Pollard said the US leader respects strength and success. He called on Israel to act as a winner rather than seek permission. "The man likes winners," Pollard said of President Trump, adding that Israel should adopt an "Israel first" policy beginning with Gaza.

When asked whether he would personally consider moving to Gaza if resettlement took place, Pollard responded humorously that it would depend on the housing, adding that having grown up near the ocean, he could envision living by the sea again.