Worshippers who noticed her hunched over a Sefer Tehilim alerted emergency services, but Magen David Adom teams were forced to pronounce her dead at the scene after finding no signs of life.
Wednesday, May 28, 2025
Woman in Her 60s Found Lifeless at the Kotel
Kristi Noem meets Netanyahu in Israel, warns him not to submarine Iran talks
Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem had a “candid” conversation with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu over the weekend about Iran’s nuclear capabilities — delivering a message “directly” from President Trump, The Post learned.
Noem travelled to Israel and met with Netanyahu on Trump’s behalf, where the two spoke about Israel’s security and visited the border with Gaza. She also offered the US’s condolences for Sarah Milgrim and Yaron Lischinsky, the two Israeli embassy workers who were shot in a terrorist attack in DC last week.
The meeting was part of Noem’s larger jaunt to Italy, Bahrain and Poland, where she also spoke to world leaders about advancing US security interests.
While in Israel, “the Secretary and Prime Minister had a candid conversation where the Secretary reiterated POTUS’s desire to bring peace to the region and for Iran to never have a nuclear weapon,” a readout of the meeting read.
Trump has been adamant on Iran not acquiring a nuclear weapon and has made it his foreign policy mission to enforce the message that the US will not stop until Tehran abandons the idea.
While the contents of the conversation weren’t entirely clear, Israel has reportedly been considering striking Iran’s nuclear facilities if the US-Iran talks don’t work out.
However, Trump has warned Netanyahu that he would rather achieve the goal diplomatically, instead of the “more severe and negative option,” White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said last week.
“President Trump specifically sent me here to have a conversation with the prime minister about how those negotiations are going and how important it is that we stay united and let this process play out,” Noem told “Fox & Friends” Monday about her conversation with Netanyahu.
“It was a very candid conversation.”
Trump pulled out of the Obama-era Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) in 2018, but has made clear that he will ensure Iran doesn’t achieve nuclear capability under his watch. The president has directed his administration to hold talks with Tehran about stopping their nuclear program — and has threatened to bomb their atomic sites.
“Well, we could actually blow ’em up. Blow ’em up, or just de-nuke ’em,” Trump told Hugh Hewitt on May 7 about Iran’s nuclear sites. “But there are only two alternatives, blow ’em up nicely or blow ’em up viciously.”
Noem also held a candle lighting ceremony and tree planting for Milgrim and Lischinsky alongside Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Saar.
In Italy, Noem spoke to Italian Minister of the Interior Matteo Piantedosi about the US and Italy working together to combat “transnational crime, including efforts to disrupt human trafficking, smuggling networks, and organized criminal activity,” the readout said.
Noem also went to Bahrain, where she met with King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa and spoke to US Coast Guard personnel, and Poland, where she met with President Andrzej Duda about US bilateral relations.
Germany again Threatening Jews!!!
Germany's foreign minister, Johann Wadephul, on Tuesday warned Israel of unspecified measures and declared Berlin would cease exporting weapons used in violation of humanitarian law, Reuters reported.
This marks the most severe rebuke yet from Germany, delivered in concert with Chancellor Friedrich Merz, as international pressure mounts on Israel regarding its military operations in Gaza.
long a staunch supporter of Israel following the October 7, 2023 Hamas attacks, Germany's shift aligns with a broader European re-evaluation of Israel policy. This comes as Britain, France, and Canada have also threatened "concrete actions" over the unfolding humanitarian crisis in Gaza.
Speaking to broadcaster WDR, Minister Wadephul stressed that Germany's historic support for Israel, rooted in the legacy of the Nazi Holocaust and known as the "Staatsraeson," must not be "instrumentalized" by the current conflict. He described the situation in Gaza, marked by "massive air strikes and shortages of food and medicines," as "unbearable."
Chancellor Merz, speaking earlier in Finland, also criticized the air strikes on Gaza, stating they were "no longer justified by the need to fight Hamas and 'no longer comprehensible.'"
Wadephul reiterated this sentiment, stating, "Our committed fight against anti-Semitism and our full support for the right to exist and the security of the state of Israel must not be instrumentalised for the conflict and the warfare currently being waged in the Gaza Strip."
He added, "We are now at a point where we have to think very carefully about what further steps to take," and affirmed, "Where we see dangers of harm, we will of course intervene and certainly not supply weapons so that there will be further harm."
Israel's ambassador to Berlin, Ron Prosor, acknowledged German concerns, stating, "When Friedrich Merz raises this criticism of Israel, we listen very carefully because he is a friend."
Chareidim Looking to Start Wearing Kipah Serugas as Trump’s Tariffs Could Send Prices Of Black Hats Soaring
A quiet but concerning development has surfaced that may significantly impact one of the most recognizable elements of traditional Orthodox Jewish attire: the black felt hat.
For over 40 years, a Spanish company—Fernandez y Roche, based in Seville, Spain—has supplied tens of thousands of black hats annually to yeshiva bochurim, avreichim, and balabatim in communities across America. These hats, worn daily by bnei Torah from the age of bar mitzvah and onward, are not merely a garment, but a statement of identity and dignity.
But that longstanding partnership is now at risk. Due to newly imposed trade tariffs by the U.S. government on European goods, including imported felt hats, Fernandez y Roche has been hit with a 10% import fee, with a looming possibility of an additional 50% tariff.
Abraham Mazuecos, Managing Director of the 140-year-old hatmaker, expressed deep concern. “Our margins are very tight,” he said, “and we expect demand to decline as a result.” The company currently supplies approximately 30,000 hats annually to the Orthodox Jewish communities in New York and New Jersey—making up around half of its exports in this sector. The other half goes to kehillos in Eretz Yisroel.
For many, this isn’t just a business disruption—it could soon become a practical challenge. The typical black felt hat, often replaced every few years due to wear or changing styles, can cost up to $380. And while hat manufacturers exist in the United States, Mazuecos pointed out that many are geared toward producing cowboy hats and similar styles, not the refined, traditional designs worn by bnei Torah.
“There simply isn’t a local replacement that fits the expectations of our clientele,” he explained.
What’s more, the impact may be felt not only on an individual level, but within the infrastructure of the frum clothing market as a whole. Many local retailers, especially those who serve yeshiva communities and rely on steady imports of these hats, are watching the situation closely. If tariffs continue to rise and supply is interrupted, it could force stores to seek inferior alternatives—or raise prices significantly.
With a July 9 deadline looming for trade negotiations between the U.S. and the European Union, there is still some hope that a resolution will be reached. But should talks fail, this cherished accessory—so central to the levush of a ben Torah—may become harder to access and more costly to replace.
Tuesday, May 27, 2025
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.
Rabbis debate settling for prayer at Kotel vs Har Habayit
Monday's Jerusalem Day observances, commemorating Jerusalem's liberation, traditionally draw religious Zionist groups to the capital in celebration of the city's reunification and restored access to Judaism's holiest sites. These annual pilgrimages culminate in emotional prayer services at the Western Wall, where thousands gather for thanksgiving ceremonies.
Yet a growing chorus of religious voices now advocates moving beyond the Kotel entirely, urging Jews to pray directly on the Har Habayit itself. This unprecedented shift has ignited fierce debate within Orthodox circles, pitting traditionalists against those seeking to reclaim Judaism's most sacred space.
The controversy stems from a historical ruling by Israel's Chief Rabbinate, supported by the vast majority of the country's rabbis, prohibiting Jewish ascent to the Har Habayit altogether. However, mounting challenges to this decision in recent years have prompted renewed theological examination of the issue. We consulted several prominent rabbis to understand their positions on this divisive matter.
Rabbi David Stav, who leads the Tzohar Rabbinical Organization and serves as rabbi of Shoham, articulated fierce opposition to Har Habayit ascent during our discussion. "We believe the Temple can be rebuilt only when the people of Israel achieve unity and moral purity of the highest order, alongside adherence to specific purity laws governing the Mount. Currently, these essential conditions remain unfulfilled.
"This spiritual preparation is necessary to make us worthy even of Jerusalem itself. The notion of ascending the Mount for prayer in our current spiritual state represents a fundamentally flawed approach. Temple Mount ascent will become possible only when the people of Israel reach their complete spiritual state."
"Each person should act according to his rabbi"
Rabbi Hagai Lundin, who heads the Holon Hesder Yeshiva and directs the study hall at Ono Academic College, acknowledged that while he personally refrains from Temple Mount ascent, "each person should act according to his rabbi."
He elaborated, "The question of whether to pray at the Kotel versus the Har Habayit has generated years of controversy. Most religious authorities currently rule against Har Habayit ascent. Yet today, certain voices argue that the security situation and national considerations have strengthened the case for Har Habayit access. I personally choose not to ascend and believe we can strengthen our sovereignty and connection to the Har Habayit through alternative means."
"Prayer at the Har Habayit is preferable."
Rabbi Yisrael Ariel, founder and director of the Temple Institute and head of the Temple Yeshiva in Jerusalem's Old City, advocates the opposite approach entirely. "While the Kotel functions like an enormous synagogue with special sanctity for prayer within the ancient walls, Har Habayit prayer remains superior. This principle applies throughout the year and holds particular significance on Jerusalem Day.
"Har Habyit prayer carries a different meaning and receives greater heavenly acceptance. This concept appears in King Solomon's dedication prayer for the Temple, where he invokes the word 'prayer' in various forms 24 times. This emphasis demonstrates the paramount importance of prayer on the Mount – the actual Temple site."
"Clean hands and pure heart"
Rabbi and author Chaim Navon presents a nuanced middle position, arguing that Har Habayit ascent demands exceptional spiritual elevation. "My revered teacher, Rabbi Aharon Lichtenstein of blessed memory, believed certain areas remained halachically permissible to enter. When I once asked why he personally avoided Har Habayit ascent despite this ruling, he referenced Psalms: 'Who shall ascend the mountain of the Lord?' The answer provided is 'Clean hands and pure heart.' Only someone achieving complete heart purity and entirely clean hands can ascend the Temple Mount and stand before the Divine. He concluded, 'I have not yet reached this level.'"
Rabbi Navon continued, "While I question whether such an elevated standard is truly required, hearing this from my teacher has left me emotionally unable to summon the spiritual courage for Temple Mount ascent. Those who have achieved greater spiritual completeness may ascend in sanctity and purity, but they must never disparage those who find fulfillment in Kotel prayer. The Kotel possesses inherent holiness, sanctified further by centuries of worship from countless Jewish faithful."
Record 2,139 Jews Ascend Temple Mount on Jerusalem Day
Four years after Hamas threats nearly forced the cancellation of Jerusalem Liberation Day celebrations, more than 2,000 Jews marked the occasion by ascending the Temple Mount, many waving Israeli flags and praying openly.
According to HaKol HaYehudi, 2,139 Jews visited the Temple Mount in honor of Jerusalem Liberation Day. The Temple Mount Authority reported that this figure represents a nearly 50% increase from last year.
Among those who ascended were prominent rabbis, yeshiva deans, government ministers, and MKs. Participants prayed, sang, recited the Hallel, and bowed in worship. Several individuals wore tefillin and prayer shawls, while dozens held aloft Israeli flags.
Meanwhile, tens of thousands took part in the traditional flag dance procession through the unified Jerusalem’s streets.
In a notable moment captured on video, MK Zvi Sukkot was seen waving an Israeli flag in front of the Golden Dome…
Many Hostage Families Work Only With Leftists that have Anti-Bibi Views
It is well-known in Israel that the Hostages and Missing Families Forum is run by leftists, and in many ways, the organization’s activities are a continuation of the pre-October 7 protests against the Netanyahu government and his so-called plan to “crush democracy.”
What is less well known is the extent of the organization’s politicization, which was recently revealed by one of the organization’s founders, Liat Bell Sommer, who has since left the organization.
Before October 7, Bell Sommer was a leftist herself, a self-described “Kaplanist who burned the Ayalon.” Following the massacre, she had a desire to help the families of the hostages, and she volunteered to work at the Hostages Forum. And as one may think, her desire to help was not related to her political views.
“I came to work with everybody,” she recently told 124 News [Hebrew]. “I didn’t care who they voted for. Hamas didn’t choose to abduct people according to whether they were right-wing, left-wing, religious, or non-religious.”
However, she described that she gradually realized that her fellow employees and volunteers were there to advance their own agendas and would even only work with families of hostages with left-wing political views.
She continued: “At one point, I realized that there’s a family there who had a huge story, the Samerano family. Their son Yonatan, H’yd, the son of Ayelet and Kobi, was murdered on October 7, and his body was abducted by a UNWRA social worker in a UN vehicle.”
“This story remained behind the scenes for months because of the political views of the Samerano family,” she said.
“At a certain point, we began to lose the international audience,” she said, meaning that the world was no longer siding with Israel against the UN’s complicity in the massacre. “Despite this fact, no one would agree to publicize the Samerano story,” she added.
“At a certain point, I decided that I, the Kaplanist, would take it upon myself. I held press conferences at the headquarters, and we publicized the story. We traveled all over the world with the story—to Switzerland, to Paris, to the UN —to explain how guilty the UN was. If it wasn’t for me, this story would still be unknown due to the political views of the victim.”
The interviewer interjected: “So are you saying that the Hostages Forum operated out of political considerations?”
“That’s exactly what I’m saying,” she replied. “Despite the fact that this issue involved saving people’s lives, they operated and are still operating out of personal political interests—until today.”
Bell Sommer added that the Samerano family was not the only one with whom the Forum refused to work. It should be noted that she explained in the interview that there was no official policy dictating this policy or overt statements about it, but in practice, that’s how it worked.
“We’ve turned into our own enemies,” she said sadly. “Already before October 7 but definitely after October 7.”
Watch Ayelet Samerano speak about the abduction of her son at the UN:
Ponovezh Rosh Yeshivas Oppose Prolonged Meetings Of Engaged Couples: ‘Frivolity’
The Roshei Yeshiva of the Ponevezh Yeshiva in Bnei Brak (who are they? no names just "roshei Yeshiva") have established new guidelines regarding meetings between engaged yeshiva students and their fiancées during the period between engagement and marriage.
According to a report on the charedi news site Bechadrei Charedim, the decision comes in response to a growing trend in recent years of prolonged meetings, particularly what has become known as the “final meeting,” which often lasts for many hours.
A gathering was held at the home of one of the yeshiva heads, who emphasized that he views this trend as a serious halachic issue.
“There is no permission to simply look at a woman. There is no allowance for frivolity. What is permitted is only to the extent of necessity. Beyond that, there is no permission at all,” he stated.
One of the rabbis shared: “A year and a half ago, someone told me there was a meeting that lasted more than two hours. Today I’m being told about 12-hour meetings. I said: ‘They’re lying.’ I couldn’t believe it. It never occurred to me that such a thing could exist. It’s insane. What is this?”
The yeshiva head also addressed another phenomenon that has developed in recent years: gifts from the groom to the bride during the engagement period.
“Why cram this short period with nonsense and things? Every time a different gift from (the groom). In our time, such a thing didn’t exist — a gift from the groom to the bride. It was forbidden. It had to go through the parents only.”
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