Katz, who survived the Eastern Front and lost his entire family in the Holocaust, created thousands of paintings over decades, most never shown.
Now at Neve Horim nursing home, his long-held dream came true through Ezer Mizion’s “A Wish for a Survivor” project and the Ministry of Welfare, with his works displayed in the “Flying in Time” exhibit at the Harmony Center.
The JPPI survey found one-third of Jewish youth are more observant since the conflict began, with increases in prayer, Torah study, synagogue attendance, and Shabbat candle lighting.
Faith is rising too, with over a quarter of Jews reporting stronger belief in God and nearly half noticing the same among family and friends.
The archaeological heritage of Beit Shemesh is stepping into the spotlight:
The Beit Shemesh Municipality and the Israeli Institute of Archaeology have released a new series of short, engaging videos showcasing discoveries from Tel Beit Shemesh. The initiative grew out of rescue excavations carried out during the preparation of the area for the Route 38 interchange, and quickly evolved into a full community-archaeology project. Students from Ulpanat Noga joined the digs, learning hands-on archaeology while strengthening their knowledge, identity, and leadership.
The videos highlight key points of interest on the western side of the Tel, including a Late Bronze Age palace, a water system from the Kingdom of Yehuda, and a Byzantine-era monastery.
This project marks the next stage of “Ne’emanut HaTel,” launched after Ulpanat Amit Noga and the Institute won the 2022 Beit Shemesh Community-Engagement Hackathon. As part of the program, students studied archaeology, toured the site, excavated alongside professionals, and wrote the content for the videos under expert guidance.
Although work paused after the events of October 7th, the project never stopped. A major milestone was just completed: the installation of brand-new educational signs across Tel Beit Shemesh, based entirely on the research produced by the students. While access to the site is still challenging, visitors can now enjoy clear, engaging explanations written by the girls themselves.
Meeting recently with the students, now in 11th grade after beginning the project in 8th, they described the experience as one that “left a deep and lasting impact.”
I don't know if I should just laugh or cry!
I'm reading the comments on these Yeshivishe chats and they are cursing the judge, claiming that he "is a secular" judge!
This is so funny, just yesterday I wrote that the fighting parties hired a secular retired judge to arbitrate, and I got hell and ridicule from comments in emails that I didn't understand the process and this is not a "secular court" but an arbitrator, but now that they lost the case they are screaming "secular judge" and even claiming falsely that he is a Chilonie !
So just yesterday they claimed that this arbitration process was al pi Torah so as to not be accused of violating the third Rashi in Parshas Mishpatim, but now that they lost, the Pelegs are screaming that this is not al pi Torah and that he is a "secular judge" !!!
This is a microcosm of Charedie communities!
After decades of conflict in the Ponovezh Yeshivah, retired judge Dovid Cheshin, who was appointed as arbitrator between the parties four years ago, published a final ruling on Wednesday at noon that determined that the “Mechablim” must vacate the yeshivah by the summer of 2025.
The conflict in Ponovezh has been ongoing for decades, since the early 1990s, between the brothers‑in‑law: the yeshiva Nasi, HaRav Eliezer Kahaneman of the “Sonim” faction, and the Rosh Yeshivah, HaRav Shmuel Markovitz of the “Mechablim” faction.
The dispute cast a shadow over the entire Chareidi public, leading, among other things, to a final split between Degel HaTorah and Peleg Yerushalmi.
The two factions have been operating as two separate yeshivas in one complex for about 20 years: the “Mechablim” in the hall with the golden Aron Kodesh, and the “Sona’im” in the Ohel Kedoshim hall nearby.
Four years ago, both sides signed an agreement appointing Cheshin a secular judge to issue an arbitration ruling. Cheshin sat with representatives of both sides for thousands of hours, but the final ruling was repeatedly delayed for various reasons.
In the ruling, which spans over 160 pages and was sent by email to both sides, Cheshin wrote that the “Mechablim” must vacate the yeshivah by the month of Av 5786, must pay millions of shekels to the yeshivah and will no longer be able to use the name Ponovezh.
Cheshin wrote that he accepted HaRav Kahaneman’s claim for payment of appropriate usage fees for the land in the total sum of 42.8 million shekels (the final payment was significantly lowered) and a claim for payment of 3,307,402 shekels for expenses incurred by the Ponovezh association for maintenance of shared buildings used by both sides.
Cheshin added: “Likewise, I accepted in part the Kinyan Ruchani of HaRav Kahaneman, and I found it appropriate to issue an injunction prohibiting HaRav Markowitz from using the name ‘Ponovezh Yeshiva’ to describe the learning framework under his leadership, from using the yeshiva’s logo, and from presenting himself as ‘the Rosh Yeshivah of Ponovezh Yeshiva.’”
The 25-year-old activist, who helped organize nationwide protests calling for stricter gun laws after the Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School massacre that killed 17 people, is seeking the Democratic nomination to succeed retiring Rep. Jerrold Nadler (D-N.Y.).
In a statement on his campaign website, Kasky linked his activism against American-made firearms to his opposition to U.S. military aid to Israel, writing: “As a school shooting survivor, I began my life calling for an end to the mass murder of innocent children and adults using weapons manufactured by the United States. Witnessing the ongoing genocide in Gaza has served as a haunting, serious reminder that it is my life’s purpose to advocate against violence everywhere.”
Kasky has also called for Medicare for All, abolishing Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), and measures to regulate artificial intelligence.
Nadler, the longest-serving Jewish member of Congress and a staunch supporter of Israel, announced in September that he would not seek re-election in 2026.
The open seat, which stretches across Manhattan’s Upper West Side, Upper East Side and Midtown, has drawn a crowded Democratic field that includes Jack Schlossberg — grandson of President John F. Kennedy — New York City Councilman Erik Bottcher, state Assemblyman Micah Lasher, journalist Jami Floyd and several others.
Kasky, who describes himself as a “Democratic socialist,” moved to New York to attend Columbia University but later dropped out. He now resides in the district.
A dramatic ruling is expected within the next day from retired judge David Cheshin, who has been serving as arbitrator in the long-running dispute surrounding the Ponovezh (also spelled Ponovitz) Yeshiva in Bnei Brak - one of the oldest and most well-known internal conflicts in the Haredi world.
Haredi commentator Yisrael Cohen outlined the roots of the dispute in a conversation with Israel National News - Arutz Sheva, describing the historic stature of the institution. “This is the Oxford of the yeshiva world,” he said.
Following the Holocaust, Rabbi Yosef Kahaneman arrived in Israel with a vision to rebuild a great yeshiva bearing the name of the town in which he had once served as rabbi. “People pitied him and didn’t believe he could do it, but he purchased lands in Bnei Brak and built a massive Beit Midrash for that era.”
Rabbi Kahaneman also established dormitories for students, housing for Rabbis, teachers and lecturers, and founded orphanages for boys and girls from across the Jewish world - all funded through donations he raised abroad. What began with a small group of students grew rapidly, and over the years leading senior Rabbis were appointed, including Rabbi Shmuel Rozovsky, Rabbi Dovid Kovarsky, and Rabbi Shach, who ultimately became the leading figure of the Lithuanian Torah world.
After Rabbi Kahaneman’s passing, the yeshiva was led by his son, Rabbi Avraham Kahaneman. Upon his own passing, a fierce conflict erupted between his son, Rabbi Eliezer Kahaneman, and his son-in-law, Rabbi Shmuel Markovitz, over both financial ownership and authority within the yeshiva.
“The late rabbi left two children - Rabbi Eliezer, and Rebbetzin Tzipora, who married Rabbi Markovitz,” Cohen explained. Disagreements over inheritance soon escalated into a struggle over leadership. Rabbi Markovitz claimed that Rabbi Shach had intended for him to assume the role of rosh yeshiva, in addition to his familial standing. Rabbi Kahaneman, meanwhile, stated he was prepared to forgo material ownership but insisted that he retained the right to appoint the yeshiva’s leadership, as had other yeshiva leaders aligned with him in previous years.
Over time, the dispute drew in senior rabbinic leaders across the Haredi sector, dividing the yeshiva into two rival camps -
the “Shonim” and the “Machablim.”
Each faction now operates its own administrative structure, with separate rabbinic staff, student rosters, and even split dormitories and study areas. Prayers and public events are held separately, and any joint framework has long since collapsed.
According to Cohen, tensions at times spilled into physical confrontations, and for roughly two decades the institution has functioned as what he termed “two yeshivot under one roof.”
tudents study the same Talmud tractate and share the dining hall, but the faculty, lecturers, supervisors, and dormitory divisions remain completely separate. Even on Shabbat and holidays, the split is seen clearly: the Shonim and their rabbis pray in the “Ohel Kedoshim” hall established by Rabbi Kahaneman, while the other camp maintains its own prayer groups.
Cohen noted that each new academic year often saw renewed clashes, as both sides accepted hundreds of new students and fought over beds, rooms, and seating in the Beit Midrash - “causing a great desecration of G-d's name,” he said.
Given the immense material and spiritual value of the property and in an attempt to prevent further deterioration, both sides eventually agreed to enter arbitration before Judge Cheshin. His forthcoming ruling is expected to determine how authority and ownership - both financial and spiritual - will be divided.
Addressing the question of how a community that generally avoids civil courts came to accept such a process, Cohen tried to circumvent the issue and stressed that this is arbitration, not a court proceeding.
With a straight face he said “That makes it easier for the sides to accept the decision. There is also hope that someone from outside will see the full picture more clearly and deliver a better outcome.” Whoever believes this explanation also believes in the tooth fairy!
The ruling is expected to outline the future distribution of responsibilities and assets in the yeshiva, much of which stands on land acquired decades ago by Rabbi Kahaneman. Whether the decision will be accepted by both camps remains uncertain.
Despite the split, Cohen emphasized that the yeshiva’s reputation remains untouched. (??)
“The Ponovezh name hasn’t suffered.(LOL) One would expect such a dispute to weaken the yeshiva, but it didn’t happen - the best students still sought admission.”
Although the conflict generated headlines over the years, Cohen said the individuals involved never viewed their actions as deliberate provocation.
“Each side believes it is fighting for truth, for a religious principle that cannot be compromised.”
In which dispute do the parties not believe that they are fighting for the truth?
Yet even after moments of public tension, he noted, it was common to see members of both camps continuing their routine calmly side-by-side in the Beit Midrash, just like the Arabs and the Jews!
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| Flat Tire at Ben Gurion |
But what is up with that??
The rebbe can only ride in his own Cadillac??
How sick and depraved is this chassidus?
What was the cost of transporting the vehicle??
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| Victims Diana (right), 7, and Deborah (left), 5, were killed, while 4-year-old Philip (middle) was severely injured. |
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| Natasha Saada (right) was killed. |
The wacky wigmaker who wantonly mowed down a Brooklyn mom and her two young daughters scored a sweetheart plea deal over the objections of prosecutors.
Miriam Yarimi, 33, pleaded guilty last month to manslaughter after Judge Danny Chen offered a 3-to-9-year sentence, records show.
The deal was far less than the 15-year maximum sentence sought by Brooklyn prosecutors, who plan to submit a letter ahead of her Wednesday sentencing detailing the many reasons they contend Yarimi should be locked up longer, officials said.
Yarimi rocketed her luxury Audi A4 down Ocean Parkway in March and crashed into an Uber, sending her sedan careening into mom Natasha Saada and her three children — killing her daughters Diana, 7, and Deborah, 5, and leaving her 4-year-old Philip grievously injured.
“The lives of Natasha Saada and her young daughters were stolen by the callous choices of a chronically reckless driver on Ocean Parkway,” said Eric Gonzalez, district attorney for Brooklyn, in a statement.
“Though the proposed sentence falls short of the maximum we sought, it will still send a clear message that reckless driving that ends in tragedy will be met with serious penalties.”
The horrific crash devastated south Brooklyn’s tight-knit Jewish community and resurrected long-standing concerns over the dangerous stretch of Ocean Parkway.
Yarimi, a wigmaker whose car sported the license plate “WIGM8KER,” drove on a suspended license after racking up more than 93 traffic violations, including 20 speeding tickets that led to more than $10,000 in fines, according to online records.
She also rattled off a long trail of unhinged, hateful rants after the crash, telling first responders she was “possessed” and “had the devil in me,” sources said.
“The devil’s in my eyes,” she told cops, according to a criminal complaint. “I’m haunted inside. I didn’t kill anyone. I didn’t hurt anyone. Prove it. Show me proof.”
Friends have revealed that Yarimi, who had a “nerdy” religious Jewish upbringing, long showed erratic behavior simmering beneath the flashy lifestyle she displayed on social media — with posts highlighting high-end fashion, fast cars and sultry vacation bikini pics.
She won $2 million from a 2023 lawsuit against the the NYPD, contending when she was 14-years-old she was coerced into sex with a uniformed cop, court documents show.
Postings on her Instagram and TikTok accounts are also laced with bizarre and paranoid conspiracy theories.
One bizarre post from 2024 showed her scantily clad and raging at cops as they conducted a psych arrest.
Israel is moving forward with a major project to build a new visitor education center on Har Hazeisim, part of a broader effort to upgrade security and deepen public understanding of one of the world’s most significant religious and historical sites.
The 1,500-square-meter complex — a joint initiative of the Israeli government and the International Committee for Har Hazeitim (ICHH) — is now under construction amid the ancient tombstones of the cemetery, the oldest and largest Jewish burial site in the world, which holds the graves of roughly 150,000 Jews.
In a statement, the ICHH described the Mount of Olives as “the pantheon of the Jewish people — an unrivaled center of Jewish history and education.” The committee was created in 2010 after a State Comptroller report found years of neglect and recurring vandalism at the site.
Security issues have long been a central concern. “One of the biggest challenges we faced was the lack of security: the desecration, the vandalism by adolescents from eastern Jerusalem,” said Jeff Daub, the ICHH’s Israel chairman.
The new center is designed to tackle those vulnerabilities. Plans call for a police substation, undercover officers, reinforced fencing and gates, upgraded lighting, more than 230 security cameras, and 24/7 monitoring. The project’s total budget is 25 million NIS, or more than $7.7 million. The facility will serve both as a security hub and as an orientation and touring center for the hundreds of thousands who visit the site annually.
“ICHH and the Government of Israel quickly understood that the best way to ensure the safety of tourists, students, and mourners was to attract more visitors — and that required a permanent police presence,” the committee said.
Daub emphasized that the center is intended to serve all who come to the Mount of Olives, regardless of background. “Everyone is welcome — Jews, Christians, Muslims, tourists, soldiers, students,” he said. “But its purpose is to highlight the Jewish presence on the Mount of Olives.”
Construction is slated for completion in December 2026, with an opening targeted for February 2027.
