19th century painting of the Kotel

Original caption: "Jews Praying at Wailing Wall in Jerusalem" by Johann Martin Bernatz in 1868 (?)

It looks like this was Tisha Be'ov and so we bring this painting that while showing Jewish lamentations, is also a testament to Jewish continuity and aspirations for Redemption.

We are thankful to the archivists at the Ottoman Imperial Archives for digitizing and  posting vintage pictures from Palestine on their website.

On July 14, 2015, this incredible painting was posted. 

Note the Jews' lamentations. They are barefoot (their shoes are in the foreground), suggesting that the scene may be commemorating Tisha B'Av, a day of Jewish mourning for the destruction of the Jewish Temples and other calamities in Jewish history.

Note that the women are not praying with the men, as so many have erroneously claimed was the case before 1967.

The painter, Johann Martin Bernatz, was born in Germany in 1802.  He traveled in the Middle East and Asia in 1836 and published 40 pictures from his journey in a book, "Pictures from the Holy Land, Drawn from Nature" in 1839.  We suggest that the painting was painted 30 years prior to the year in the Archives' caption. 

The blessing said on the settlement of the land of Israel

In honor of the season of Yom Ha’atzmaut and Yom Yerushalayim, it is appropriate to once again review the halakha’s of the blessing the Chazal fixed over the mitzvah of ‘yishuv ha’aretz‘ – the settling and redemption of the Land of Israel.

Article by Rabbi Eliezer Melamed Shlitah

Our Sages said: “On seeing the houses of Israel when inhabited, one says: ‘Baruch ata Hashem, Elokeinu Melech Ha’Olam, matziv gevul almana‘ (“Blessed be He who sets the boundary of the widow”) (Berachot 58b, S.A. 224:10). The intention of this blessing is to thank God for returning Israel to their land.

After transgressing God’s commandments, we were exiled from our land and ridiculed and scorned among the nations – akin to a widow, wandering around broken and lonely, without any prospect of returning to our borders and building our house; Hashem took pity on us, returned us to our land so as to build houses there, inhabiting them with serenity and confidence. 

Satmar Crazies rule that even on a bris they must say Tachnun on "Hai Iyer"

The prayer called Tachnun that is said every day except Shabbos and Yomim Toivim, has additional exemptions that are clearly outlined in the Shulchan Aruch. 

One of those exemptions is if someone makes a bris. The Shulchan goes as far to say that all minyonim of the building that hosts the bris shouldn't say Tachnun!

Now, Satmar and some other Chassidim don't say Tachnun on friday, because it is Erev shabbos. This minhag is not mentioned in the entire Shulcha Aruch and it's "nosei keilim." Some Rabbi made this minhag up, or he forgot to say Tachnun on friday and the Chassidim saw this as a sign to to start their own halachos!

The poster above distributed to all Satmar Kehillos orders them all to say Tachnun on friday even if their made up minhag is not to say, in the event that "haei iyer" the 5th of iyer falls on a friday!
The notice states that even if there is a bris in shul, they must say Tachnun in all the minyonim!

"Hei Iyer" is the designated date for the State of Israel's Independence Day, Yom Hatzmaot!

Most erliche Jews don't even remember this fact, but every single Satmar Chusid even those that are still breast feeding know when hei iyer is!
But since the Satmar Chassidim are by in large ignorant, so they missed the fact that when hei iyer falls on a friday then Yom Hatzmeot is celebrated one day before ....on Thursday!
So this year the Satmar ignoramous' all violated their own made up halacheh and said tachnun on friday!

Hashem has his own ways and had all the Satmar boychicks say tachnun on friday, like the Shulchan Aruch rules!
Ma Rabu Maasecha Hashem!

Ger shuts down two shtiblach because congregants won't follow Ger rules on Smartphones!

Two Gerer Shtiblach, geared towards 35 year olds and younger, one in Bnei Brak called "Shtibal Abrabenel" and one in Ashdod, were shut down by the higher echelons of Ger, because they refused to follow takanos!

Mispallelim that showed up on Shabbos morning found the doors shut and had to find other shuls to daven in!

Bechadrei Chadorim reports that the congregants of the Shtiblach refused to adhere to the rules prohibiting smartphones!




התקנות המחמירות בחסידות גור: בעקבות הכנס נגד פגעי הטכנולוגיה, נסגרו השבת מספר שטיבלך - בתי חסידים של גור, שמתפלליהם סירבו לתקנות, כך נודע ל'בחדרי חרדים'. 

השטיבלך נסגרו, לאחר שמספר אברכים המתפללים בהם, לא החליפו למכשיר דלתא מובייל, כפי שאושר בכינוס החירום. 

ל'בחדרי חרדים' נודע, כי המתפללים טוענים כי הם מחזיקים במכשיר מוגן, אך בחסידות גור לא מאשרים את השימוש במכשיר שכזה. ההחלטה הרשמית - כפי שהועברה לחסידים בכינוס בירושלים, שהחלטותיו פורסמו לראשונה ב'בחדרי חרדים', היא חד-משמעית וללא הנחות. 

השטיבל הראשון שנסגר הוא 'שטיבל אברבנאל', 'בית המדרש בית אהרן אריה' ברחוב אברבנאל 107 בקרית הרצוג בבני ברק. השטיבל היה נעול השבת על מנעול ובריח, והמתפללים התפזרו בשאר בתי הכנסת בעיר. מדובר בבבית כנסת המיועד למתפללים עד גיל 35. 

שטיבל נוסף שנסגר הוא בית החסידים ברובע ו' באשדוד, שגם הוא מיועד לצעירים. גם הוא היה סגור השבת עד להחלטת הנהלת המוסדות, נוכח אי שמירת התקנות שנקבעו, על ידי חלק מהמתפללים החברים בשטיבל. 

בנוסף ננקטו עיצומים נגד אברכים בשטיבל של בית החסידים, ברחוב רבי עקיבא 68 בבני ברק. 

תוך כך, בני האדמו"ר, הרה"צ רבי נחמיה אלתר והרה"צ רבי ישראל מנחם אלתר, שהו בשבת בניו יורק, לשבת חיזוק והתאחדות במלון באלי יחד עם מאות מחסידי גור. השבת מתקיימת, במסגרת הנחלת התקנות גם לחסידים בארה"ב. 

תחילה דובר כי השבת תתקיים בראשות הרה"צ רבי ישראל מנחם, יו"ר מכון פאר מקדושים, אך לאחר בעיה בויזה, הוזעק האח רבי נחמיה. לבסוף הבעיה סודרה, וכך נהנו החסידים משבת בראשות שני האחים.

Top NYPD Cop Commits Suicide over Reichberg and Rechnitz Investigation !Warned Pals To Cut Ties With Orthodox Jewish Community

Groiseh Tzuris ...Chillul Hashen sh'ein kamohuh

The NYPD officer who took his own life on Friday afternoon had reportedly taken steps to distance himself from some members of Brooklyn’s Orthodox Jewish community according to a New York Post report.

 Inspector Michael Ameri, commanding officer of the NYPD’s Highway Patrol, was found in his unmarked police car on Friday afternoon. 

The 44 year old divorced father of a teenage son apparently took his own life near the Bergen Point Golf Course three miles from his home in West Babylon according to The Daily News. 

Police said that Ameri, who had been with the NYPD since 1993, died of a gunshot wound to the head and that no suicide note was found at the scene.

It was during his tenure as the commanding officer of the NYPD’s 78th Precinct, which includes both Gowanus and Park Slope, that Ameri first met Mayor Bill de Blasio, a Park Slope resident.  Ameri was photographed chatting with the mayor and his wife at the 2014 Pride Parade in Park Slope and de Blasio released a statement expressing his sadness at Ameri’s passing.

“Our thoughts and prayers are with his family during this difficult time,” said de Blasio.

Sources said that many in the NYPD, including Ameri, have been particularly worried about the corruption probe.  Ameri’s name surfaced in the ongoing probe in early April but at the time, the career cop did not appear overly concerned. 

He had been interviewed twice by investigators about having possibly given preferential treatment to Jeremy Reichberg and Jonah Rechnitz.  Officers from the NYPD’s Internal Affairs Bureau raided the Highway Patrol Unit office on Thursday in connection with the investigation, taking police escort logs from the office.

The corruption probe is said to be concluding soon, with possible criminal charges and other changes expected at high levels within the NYPD.  One source said that Ameri might have been facing departmental charges but not criminal ones.

Ameri took over as commanding officer of the highway unit in July 2014, bringing with him a close friend from the 78th Precinct, Lieutenant Michael Fargo.

Firefighter put out fire in Meah Shearim and get thanked with smeared PLO Stickers

One of the offending stickers

The Meah Shearim residents are experts in "hakaras hotov"

and were eager to show it to the firefighters that came to extinguish a fire in one of their homes!

They went and shmeared PLO stickers on the fire trucks!

I know the e-mails I'm going to get ....

 "it's only a bunch of crazies" ...

"don't include all the residents, they are all tzaddikim"

To that I answer, "this is unacceptable, and if they know who these guys are and stand by and do nothing, they are all guilty! Absolutely!

I stopped shopping in their stores years ago .....I do go to my favorite stores in Meah Shearim and tell the owners " sorry, but I cannot support terrorism"

Firefighting crews that worked on Thursday evening to put out a fire in an apartment located in Jerusalem's Meah She'arim neighborhood were surprised to find anti-Israeli stickers with the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) flag stuck to their fire engine.

Making the incident all the more troubling is that it took place on Israeli Independence Day.

One of the stickers read "Jews are not Zionists" in Hebrew, Arabic and English, with the PLO flag in the background.

The stickers had especially strong glue, and the crews were force to spend a long time trying to remove them until they finally succeeded in doing so with high pressured water from the fire engine's pumps.

The incident comes after a similar provocation on Israeli Memorial Day, when anti-Zionist haredi extremists from Neturei Karta hung a huge sign in the center of Meah She'arim presenting haredim who enlisted to the IDF as fallen soldiers.

Police forces were dispatched to remove the sign.

Sheldon Adelson Is Poised to Give Donald Trump a Hundred Million Dollars

The casino magnate Sheldon G. Adelson told Donald J. Trump in a private meeting last week that he was willing to contribute more to help elect him than he has to any previous campaign, a sum that could exceed $100 million, according to two Republicans with direct knowledge of Mr. Adelson’s commitment.

As significant, Mr. Adelson, a billionaire based in Las Vegas, has decided that he will significantly scale back his giving to congressional Republicans and direct most of his contributions to groups dedicated to Mr. Trump’s campaign. The two Republicans familiar with Mr. Adelson’s plans spoke anonymously because they were not authorized to discuss the matter publicly.

Mr. Adelson’s pledge to Mr. Trump, the presumptive Republican presidential nominee, comes at an opportune time. Mr. Trump has relied on a mix of his own wealth and small-dollar contributions to finance his primary effort and lacks the sort of major donor network needed to sustain him in the general election. Mr. Trump has said that he may need $1 billion for the campaign but has only recently begun scheduling fund-raisers and hiring finance staff members. Many of the Republican Party’s wealthiest contributors, including the billionaire brothers Charles G. and David H. Koch, have indicated they are unlikely to give to his candidacy.

What remains unclear is how Mr. Adelson plans to contribute his money to Mr. Trump. He will give the maximum allowed to Mr. Trump’s campaign and the Republican National Committee, but to spend the amount he contemplates would require donating through a “super PAC,” able to accept unlimited donations.

Dina Cohen wife of Rosh Kollel proud that her husband was arrested for protesting the arrest of the "Bar Hopper"

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Instead of making potato kugel and chulent, Mrs. Dina Cohen, wife of a Rav and Rosh Kollel got up and danced, celebrating  her husband's arrest for protesting the arrest of the "drunk bar-hopper" that failed to register for the draft!

There are IDF soldiers ready to give up their lives for this fat yente, and what is she proud of?
Her convict husband ....who has the good life, sitting all day, " looking for hafganas....
Mind you, he is a Rosh Kollel, meaning that he is supported by the community, he lives on schnorred money.... people are paying so that he learns Torah .... and what does this menuval do? 
He is busy supporting a bar hopper in Eilat!
"Mutzeh Meen es Meenah"!



Mrs. Dina Cohen, the wife of a Rosh Kollel arrested at a Yerushalmi branch protest in Bnei Brak over the arrest of a talmid yeshiva told “Kav HaHaganah” News affiliated with the Yerushalmi branch she is proud.

Tens of protestors were taken into custody by police during a stormy protest during which they tried to block streets in protest over the arrest of a talmid yeshiva who is in an IDF prison for failing to register for military service. Since the Yerushalmi faction follows HaGaon HaRav Shmuel Auerbach Shlita, talmidim do not even report to draft centers to register in compliance with the rav’s instructions, for he feels one may not cooperate with military authorities in any way.

Mrs. Cohen explained “my husband is not a 30-year-old avreich but a rosh kollel and a rav of a kehilla. When they woke me and told me I simply got up and danced out of joy and thanked HKBH on the great zechus.

“We are in a period in which HKBH is calling on us with the cry “מי ה’ אלי” and today in Israel there is a government that wishes to eradicate the world of Torah R”L. This is its goal! We must know this and it must be loud and clear…

Tragedy in Tzfat ...R' Yechiel Cohen falls from office building and dies

A huge tragedy in Tzfat, Reb Yechiel Mordechai Cohen, died after falling from an office building. Rav Cohen z"l was a noted Talmud Chachum  and studied in the Sanzer Kollel for 14 years. He  is survived by his wife and eight children.

טרגדיה בקהילה החרדית בצפת. האברך החשוב הרב יחיאל מרדכי שפרגל כהן ז"ל, נפטר לאחר שנפל מבניין משרדים בעיר. כוחות ההצלה שהגיעו למקום קבעו במקום את מותו. 

הרב כהן ז"ל היה מחשובי תלמידי החכמים בעיר. הוא למד בכולל של חסידות צאנז במשך 14 שנה והיה דמות ידועה ומוכרת. 

הותיר אחריו את רעייתו שתחי' ושמונה ילדים יתומים. 

הלוויתו יצאה היום בשעה 21:00 מצפת, לבית העלמין בעיר. במסע הלוויה השתתפו קהל רב מתושבי העיר. 

תהא נשמתו צרורה בצרור החיים.

Ponovitz Terrorists lose Flag fight to Zionists

Early yesterday a bunch of terrorists that learn in Ponovitz glued the locks (ala Satmar against R' Moshe Feinstein) of the door leading to the roof of the Yeshiva, so that it would be impossible to fly the Zionist Flag on Yom Hazmaot!

There has been a custom in Ponovitz that was started by the founder of Ponovitz, Rav Kahanamen z"l and continued by Rav Shach z"l to fly the Israeli flag once a year on Yom Hatzmaot to give Hakaras Hatoiv to the government for funding and protecting the Yeshivah!

So a bunch of Bochrim that are holier than the previous and present Rosh Yeshivah, decided to vandalize Yeshiva property and glue the locks to the door leading to the roof...

It seems that Ben-Gurion won this one!

Am Yisroel Chai!