Fierce Anti-Zionist Israeli Researcher Kidnapped in Iraq by Iran-Backed Militia

 

The Israeli Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) on Wednesday announced that an Israeli-Russian researcher, Elizabeth Tsurkov, was kidnapped in Iraq, is alive, and is being held by the Iraqi Shia militia Kataib Hezbollah.

According to a statement by the New Lines Institute, a DC-based think tank where Tsurkov is a fellow, she last made contact with her colleagues in March, and her disappearance was first mentioned in an article in June.

The PMO’s announcement Wednesday is the first official confirmation of her kidnapping.

“Elizabeth Tsurkov is still alive and we hold Iraq responsible for her safety and well-being,” the statement said. “The matter is being handled by the relevant parties in the State of Israel out of concern for Elizabeth Tsurkov’s security and well-being.”

The statement added that she had entered Iraq on her Russian passport as part of her doctoral research at Princeton University. Israel and Iraq do not have any formal diplomatic relations.

Princeton University and the Iraqi embassy in Washington, DC, did not immediately respond to The Algemeiner’s request for comment.

Tsurkov is a well-known researcher and commentator on the Middle East whose work has appeared in the New York Times, the Washington Post, and elsewhere.

In their statement, New Lines said the motivation behind her kidnapping and her whereabouts are unknown.

“Although we don’t know for certain where she is, it would probably involve Iran,” the statement says. “Since Liz is also a Russian national, it may well involve Russia, too. 

Somewhat ironically, Liz, who some claim was kidnapped for being the ‘Zionist enemy,’ is not a Zionist at all. Indeed, she is a fierce critic of Israeli national security policy. While some of her critics see her Israeli nationality as an indelible stain, whatever her beliefs, many who follow her work know that she is deeply passionate about the region and empathetic toward its people. It is unclear whether her kidnappers actually believe she is the enemy or merely useful, but what is clear is that she has many friends from the region.”

This is a developing story that we will update as more information becomes available

70% of Those Leaving The State of Israel in 2020 were Goyim! 30% of Russian Olim leave Israel after receiving funding.

 

According to a new report, 30% of immigrants from the former Soviet Union leave Israel less than half a year after receiving extensive absorption funding and an Israeli passport.

The report, published by the Knesset's Research and Information Center, reveals that the extent of immigration fraud to Israel is numbered at approximately half a billion NIS spent on immigrants taking advantage of the Law of Return, receiving extensive absorption funding upon their arrival, and leaving the country a short time later.

The research data, prepared at the request of Otzma Yehudit's MK Limor Son Har-Melech, shows that following the outbreak of Russia's war in Ukraine, there was a sharp uptick in the amount of immigrants from the former Soviet Union.

In 2022, 62,295 immigrants from the FSU immigrated to Israel compared to just 12,873 the previous year. At the same time, according to the Population Authority, about 18,000 immigrants who had arrived since February 2022 - about 30% of Olim for the entire year - had left the country months of their arrival.

 Of all the immigrants who came from Russia, Ukraine and Belarus in 2022, about 23% have emigrated from Israel. 24% of these left within days of entering the country, 70% left within 100 days or less, and about 90% left within 200 days of their arrival.

According to the study, the amount of financial aid for each individual immigrant stands at an average of NIS 45,000, which includes an extensive absorption basket, rent assistance, compensation for Hebrew study, and more. In addition, the amount of financial assistance for one family averages about NIS 100,000.

The report also reveals that the proportion of non-Jews leaving the country is on the rise since 2015, and accounted for 70.3% of all those leaving the Jewish State in 2020.

Another figure from the report shows that the State of Israel spent a sum of about NIS 500 million on all immigrants who left between 2012 and 2020 and on average about NIS 37,000 per person.

Amital Barali, CEO of 'Chotam,' an organization that promotes maintenance of the collective Jewish identity of the Israeli population, said: "They are making a move on us. We are bringing masses of immigrants who have nothing to do with Judaism. They receive funding for their medical care, an Israeli passport, and hopefully - a return to Russia."

"From the data it is clearly seen that the main reason for immigration to Israel is purely economic. This stupidity must come to an end. Immediate action must be taken to change the immigration policy in such a way that prevents immigrants from taking advantage of the State. The grandson clause in the Law of Return must be amended," he added.

Self -Hating Jew Shira Ben Sasson Thrown Out of Mosque Because She Wasn't dressed Tzneesdik!

 

Poor Sheikh Karem Shahada, the former Imam of the terrorist village of Urif in Samaria, the home of two terrorists who murdered four Jews in Eli a few weeks ago. According to Hakol HaYehudi, after angry settlers had been reported to damage the village mosque in retaliation for the massacre, somebody from the New Israel Fund––the largest and most powerful non-governmental source of support for Israeli anti-Zionist NGOs––contacted Shahada to say a delegation of NIF activists, shocked by the brazen violence of those bad Jewish settlers, was coming over to help restore the damage.

Poor Sheikh Karem Shahada, what could he say? The good kind of Jews are coming, the ones with the checkbooks, how could he refuse? So, he invited them, and they came, and somebody shot a video of their visit, and in the video all the nice people of this terror nest saw the leader of the delegation, New Israel Fund Associate Director in Israel Shira Ben Sasson Furstenberg, standing in the middle of the mosque with bare legs below a midiskirt.

New Israel Fund Associate Director Shira Ben Sasson Furstenberg showed up dressed like this at a mosque and was promptly thrown out, July 2, 2023. / Twitter screenshot

Joseph Spurgeon "chapping"Yeshiva Students to teach them about Yoshkeh!

 

New audio backs up claim Kerry gave Iranians secret info on Israel

An independently analyzed translation of the leaked audiotape of Iranian Foreign Minister Javad Zarif shows that he was unaware of secret Israeli airstrikes until former Secretary of State John Kerry gave him the information.

These new details are in direct contradiction to claims by the State Department in defense of Kerry that the information was no longer classified and already in the public domain at the time of his conversation with Zarif, reported the Washington Free Beacon, who paid for an independent translation of the audiotape.

In the tape, Zarif can be heard saying, “Kerry told me that Israel had launched 200 airstrikes against (Iran).”

"You didn't know?" asked the interviewer.

"No, no," said Zarif.

At a Monday press conference, State Department spokesperson Ned Price appeared to contradict what is on the tape.

"If you go back and look at press reporting from the time, this certainly was not secret, and governments that were involved were speaking to this publicly on the record," he said.

Also, the next day Secretary of State Anthony Blinken called the allegations “utter nonsense” and said that the strikes had already been reported in the media. He accused Republicans of trying to "play politics with this,” according to the Washington Free Beacon.

Republicans have been calling for Kerry to resign or be fired from his current White House job as Biden’s climate envoy.

“The allegation that John Kerry told his Iranian pal Foreign Minister Zarif that Israel attacked Iranian interests 200 times is deeply concerning and there needs to be a serious investigation,” Senator Ted Cruz (R-TX) said in a tweet. “If it’s true, and Joe Biden were a real leader, he should fire John Kerry.”

 

IDF Soldier Killed In Jenin: ‘He Was All Goodheartedness’

 

 IDF soldier Sergeant-Major David Yehuda Yitzchak, a 23-year-old resident of Beit El, was killed in action Tuesday evening during the final stages of the Bayit V’Gan operation in Jenin. Yitzchak, who was a member of the Egoz commando unit, leaves parents and six siblings.

Yitzchak was taken to hospital in critical condition for medical treatment, but was pronounced dead at the hospital.

The IDF Spokesperson’s Unit said, “This evening (Tuesday), a non-commissioned officer in combat service was killed by live fire during the operation against terrorist infrastructure in the Jenin Camp.”

“His family has been notified. The IDF sends its heartfelt condolences to the family and will continue to support them. ”

Yitzchak will be laid to rest on Wednesday, June 5th 2023, 16:00 at the military cemetery in on Mount Herzl. The IDF Spokesperson’s Unit relayed that the family has requested that there be no media coverage of the funeral.

Beit El Local Council head Shai Alon siad: “The residents of Beit El mourn the death of David Yehuda Yitzhak Hy”d (may G-d avenge his blood), killed in action during the IDF operation in Jenin. David was a fighter in the Egoz commando unit, eldest son of Moshe and Emunah, brother of six siblings. Our hearts go out to his family at the news of the terrible loss ‘For He will avenge the blood of His servants, inflict revenge upon His adversaries, and appease His land [and] His people (Devarim 32)’.”

Y’, a friend of David Yitzchak, eulogized him stating that “he brought me up and taught me. He had an amazing approach, he was all goodheartedness, a fantastic soldier, a hero of Israel. He taught me that whatever happens we must maintain unity. He felt that we are all brothers whatever happens.

“His benevolence was something unusual, whatever he did was with a true small, with all his heart.”

‘Exodus’ Immigrant’s Diary Shows Hardships of Post-shoah Refugees

 

First a comment:

A REAL YID 4 hours ago

#2078414

Thank you for posting this important reminder for all those who HATE Israel. Journalist Ruth Gruber was an eyewitness and reported the sad fate of the Exodus, which was later made into a book and film. I met her a few times at age 80. She was a real “mensch”.

Dozens of personal diaries from people living through the early years of the Jewish state have been handed over to the National Library of Israel as part of the Operation Diary project.

One presented recently describes the life of the immigrants on the Exodus 1947 ship.

“September 1, 1947—one person died on one of the ships today,” Miriam Sternberg Wechsler wrote. “In the presence of all the ships that stood still for a short while, he was lowered for burial in the Atlantic Ocean. The fourth victim, this time not from an English bullet, but by normal death. Is this normal? At the same time, about 10 babies were born on these ships. If we stay on the water for another two weeks, there will be several more births.”

“We were like animals?”
Sternberg Wechsler’s diary, part of the project initiated by the library and Israel Hayom, contains chilling testimonies about the lives of the 4,500 Jews who survived the Holocaust and left France in July 1947, heading for the Land of Israel.

The ship arrived in Israel, but the British refused to allow them to disembark. After a fight inside the ship in which three passengers were killed and dozens injured, the immigrants were forcibly transported to deportation ships that brought them back to the shores of France.

BEN & Jerry Now Messing With the USA! Claim ‘US exists on stolen Indigenous land,’

 Ben & Jerry’s has called on the US to return “stolen Indigenous land” in a bold Fourth of July message.

Taking to social media, the ice cream company divided fans over its Independence Day post, tweeting, “The United States was founded on stolen indigenous land. This Fourth of July, let’s commit to returning it.”

In a similar message on its website, the company argued that July 4 festivities and celebrations can “distract from an essential truth about this nation’s birth.”

Ben & Jerry’s proposed to “start with Mount Rushmore,” writing, “What is the meaning of Independence Day for those whose land this country stole, those who were murdered and forced with brutal violence onto reservations, those who were pushed from their holy places and denied their freedom.”

Naftali Bennett Decimates BBC Reporter Who Said Israelis ‘Happy to Kill Children’

 

המראיינת מה-BBC העזה לטעון בפניי ש״חיילי צה״ל שמחים להרוג ילדים״ (!).
ממש במילים אלה.
צפו בתשובה שלי.
(מתוך ראיון שלי הערב ל-BBC). pic.twitter.com/RUTZfdmAfo

— Naftali Bennett בנט (@naftalibennett) July 4, 2023

 

The Only Community that Doesn't Take a Penny from "the Medinah" No SS, No Medicaid, No Medicare, No Health Insurance, No Fed Grants for Yeshivas..... Nada ..Gurnisht!

They don't apologize for not being doctors, lawyers or dentists!

IDF Soldiers Gather For Tefilla Prior To Operation In Jenin

 

IDF soldiers gathered together on Sunday evening for a special tefillah prior to the launch of a major military operation in Jenin.

Moments after the tefillah, over a thousand soldiers were deployed to Jenin to face hundreds of murderous terrorists.

One IDF soldier from the Duvedan unit was lightly injured by a “friendly” grenade. After receiving emergency medical treatment, he insisted on immediately returning to his unit in Jenin to continue fighting.

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‘Divorcee’ Restaurant Opens In J’Lem With Rabbinate Kashrus After Badatz Bet Yosef Refused Hechsher Over Name

 

The Badatz Bet Yosef, affiliated with the followers of Rabbi Ovadia Yosef, refused to grant a hechsher to a new restaurant opening on Jerusalem’s Yaffo street, due to the name chosen for the eatery- “The Divorcee’. 

The owner of the restaurant, Tehilla Waknin, is a divorcee who decided to take the pain of her own divorce and use it humorously for her business enterprise, which offers reductions for “divorcees paying child support” as well as stating that “You don’t have to get married for food” and “You can’t cheat on food.”

Waknin, who left her religious way of life after getting a divorce from her abusive husband, said that she was “shocked” by the Badatz’s decision. “I am a single mother who emerged from a shelter for abused women. The title of ‘divorcee’ has been central to my life. I couldn’t stay chareidi after they shunned me and called me a shiksa. I bled for my status,” Waknin added. She decided to promote her culinary talents by opening a Moroccan-style restaurant, which was slated to open last week.

Apparently people had told the Badatz about the name of the establishment and the picture she used of a curly-haired woman and they had decided to remove the hechsher, forcing her to delay opening and race to find another hechsher. In the end, Rabbi Shlomo Amar from the Jerusalem Rabbinate granted her a hechsher and she says that “The rabbinate is no less strict than other hechsherim, in some ways it is stricter.”

“I insisted on a hechsher since I want to serve the chareidi community and see it enjoy my delicacies, this is the community I wished to work with,” Waknin said. On her Facebook page she added that “I took all of my fears and turned them into humor. The name is not meant to make noise and antagonism. There is a lot of meaning behind it. Divorcee is not something negative, divorcee means a woman who is fighting for her rights.”

The restaurant formally opened with the new hechsher on Sunday, July 2nd.

May one report Jewish Ponzi Schemers to secular authorities, even if it will hurt their children?

 

Unfortunately, there has been a trend of Ponzi Schemes and other scams which have plagued the frum community of late.

Rabbi Dovid Lichtenstein, host of the “Halacha Headlines” podcast, discussed this serious matter on his latest episode.

One of his guests was Rav Shmuel Fuerst shlit’a, Rav of Agudas Yisrael of Chicago, a renowned Dayan and Posek, and one of America’s leading Gedolim.

R’ Lichtenstein asked if it is considered lashon hara to discuss someone [who is committing a Ponzi Scheme].

Rav Fuerst repled, “If you know this person is not ehrlich…and the chance is that [the investor] will most probably not get their money back, it is not lashon hara.”

He continued, “Fakhert (on the contrary)–It is ‘Lo Saamod al dam rayecha’ to not warn people.” (It is considered standing by while a Jew is in danger, which is forbidden). He quoted the Chafetz Chaim who says this applies not only to life-and-death matters but financial matters as well.

Rabbi Fuerst added that sometimes the yetzer hara tries to persuade people that it is lashon hara, when in fact it is not.

The Rav added that not only is one allowed to warn, he is obligated to do so.

Guys! Daven for our Children in Uniform.. Netanyahu: Jenin became a haven for terror; we're putting a stop to it

 

Let's put our differences aside and say a couple capitlach tehillim for our IDF soldiers who are putting their lives on the line. If you are learning in kollel, dedicate your learning for your brothers and sisters who are fighting for us. Whether you are for the draft or against the draft, for Zionism or against Zionism put your theological ideas aside and feel for those who are in uniform! 

At the end of a security situational assessment, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu commented on the military operation in Jenin and said that "the IDF last night launched an extensive operation against terrorist targets in Jenin. In recent months, Jenin has become a haven for terrorism - we are putting an end to it."

"Our forces entered Jenin into the nests of terrorists - they eliminate terrorists, they arrest wanted persons, they destroy headquarters and seize many weapons, and they do another thing - they destroy laboratories on an almost industrial scale. Laboratories from which they made explosives and IEDs intended for the slaughter and murder of Israeli civilians. They are doing all of this in one of the densest places on earth, and they are doing it with minimal harm to civilians up to this moment, and no harm to those not involved, and this is the directive - to look after the security of our forces and also to avoid harming innocent people as much as possible," Netanyahu said.

Netanyahu also said that "I have been saying for some time that we are dealing with changing the equation against terrorism, we did it two and a half years ago in Operation Guardian of the Walls against Hamas, we set it back a decade. We did it a few weeks ago in Operation Shield and Arrow, in which we eliminated senior Islamic Jihad leaders, and we are doing it today in Jenin through a combination of surprise measures, power, and changing the rules. This also adds to the deterrence capacity of the State of Israel, both to protect against additional terrorist attacks and to change the equation in the region."

At the end of his speech, Netanyahu said: "I would like to thank and express my appreciation to the Minister of Defense, the Chief of Staff, the head of the Shin Bet, and the IDF commanders - those here and those in the field, and the soldiers who are doing an outstanding job. I know that all the citizens of Israel stand behind them. We will continue this action as much as possible required to restore peace and security to the citizens of Israel."

General Mills Among 15 Companies to Stop Doing Business in Israeli Settlements: UN Report

 

The United Nations (UN) High Commissioner for Human Rights has removed General Mills and 14 other business entities from a blacklist of companies identified as working in Israeli settlements in the West Bank.

General Mills, which earned $19 billion in 2022 and is the company behind Honey Nut Cheerios and Haagen-Dazs, first announced plans to sell its stake in a factory it managed in partnership with Bodan Holding, an Israeli investment group, in an industrial zone near East Jerusalem last June. The company, however, denied that its decision was motivated by politics.

“We have made clear the global business strategy that drove this decision,” a spokesperson for the company told Jewish Telegraphic Agency at the time. “Any claims by others for taking credit for this decision are false. We continue to sell our product in Israel and look forward to continuing to serve Israeli consumers with our other brands.”

Yehuda Glick on Trial for Walking Too Slowly on Temple Mount

 

Last Wednesday, former Likud MK Yehuda Glick appeared for the opening of another trial against him, this time for walking slowly on the Temple Mount, Makor Rishon reported on Sunday. The police made it clear at the initial hearing that it intends to demand a prison sentence for Glick, as a warning to others.

The last time, the State of Israel prosecuted Glick was based on accusations by an Arab woman, a member of the Islamist movement al-Murabitat, who said that Glik beat her. In the end, the police had to withdraw the indictment in shame, when it was proven that the woman made up the accusation. But Glick had been harassed by the prosecution for a year and a half, during which he barely survived an assassination attempt on his life.

Is it any wonder he walks slowly?

According to the indictment, in early 2020, “At the end of the tour, the accused returned and tried again to enter the Temple Mount area alone. Later, the accused joined another group and began the tour, but stopped every few steps, walked slowly, and looked at his mobile phone. This was despite the fact that he was asked time and time again by the policeman to keep walking and join the group. However, the accused did not obey his instructions. The accused continued to ignore the policeman’s instructions and deviated from the group’s route, which was moving in a different direction.”

Off with his head!

The police want to bring no less than 25 prosecution witnesses to court, which could take years. Let’s face it, the Jerusalem cops are mad at the redheaded former MK, who is amazingly mild-mannered despite his carrot top. But he refuses to ask How high every time a policeman orders him to jump. Instead, on several occasions he opted to sit down and let the cops carry him out of the compound.

So, these are the priorities of the Israel police: hundreds of anarchists are allowed to storm Ayalon Highway, burn tires outside the homes of government officials, and sabotage Ben Gurion International Airport, while a sweet, ginger-haired man is cuffed and prosecuted for taking his time at the home of his Father.

We’re so lucky to have a right-wing government…

Eric Adams Doubles Down As He Lashes Out at 84 Year Old Who Fled Nazis

The Mayor, a shvartzer, I say say "shvartzer" because he himself  brings it up every single time he is confronted with a question he cannot answer, was the favorite of the chareidie askanim, not that they had a choice, but its time to put up republicans even if they cannot win. 

The "shvartzer" mayor seems to forget that all those who elected him are in fact "plantation owners" in the sense that he is supposed to be their servant, wasn't he elected to "serve?" 

Mayor Eric Adams doubled down on comments he made Wednesday, comparing an 84-year-old whose family fled the Holocaust to a plantation owner.

At a town hall event in Hamilton Heights on Wednesday, Adams was interrupted by Jeanie Dubnau, an advocate for housing rights and an assistant professor of biology at Rutgers University.

She confronted him for supporting a recent decision that would result in rent increases for tenants in rent-stabilized apartments.

Pregnant Chareidie Lady Mother of 12 Smuggles into Israel 400,000 Shekels worth of Cancer Sticks

 

 A chareidi couple from Antwerp attempted to pass through the green route at the Ben Gurion airport customs checkpoint but were brought back for suitcase checking, which revealed that they were carrying 868 packets of imported cigarettes and 1,430 packets of tobacco, worth a total of 400,000 NIS. The taxes on these items amount to 250,000 NIS.

The couple, parents of 12 children and expecting another child, were arrested and released on bail. The customs authorities stated that the couple’s suitcases did  not have ID tags as required in order to try and dupe the customs workers.

The Rishon Letzion Magistrates court set bail at 50,000 NIS for each of the couple, as well as a third party guarantee of 50,000 NIS and a 20,000 NIS deposit for each of the suspects. The couple’s lawter claimed that they are foreign residents who come once or twice a month to visit relatives and have a large family to maintain in Belgium. Judge Gil Gabbai issued  a restraining order preventing them from leaving the country until Sunday, 9th of July.

Twitter New Policy limit how much content they can access and of what kind.

 

Twitter owner Elon Musk announced that from now on unverified accounts in the Twitter Blue program (that do not pay for a monthly subscription) will be limited to reading only 600 posts per day, compared to verified accounts which will be able to read 6,000 posts per post per day.

At the same time, the social network on Friday began to require users to connect to the service in order to view public tweets, or user profiles.

According to Musk, the reason for the move is "to deal with large volumes of information mining, or 'scraping,' and system malfunctions."

In addition, Musk noted that new accounts that have not been verified will be able to read a maximum of 300 posts per day.

Charming Little Israeli Girl Sings Her Heart Out!

 

El Al owner used fraudulent nursing home funds to buy airline, New York AG Letitia James claims.

 

 New York State Attorney General Letitia James accused Jewish owners of four nursing homes in New York of misusing $83 million in government funds and diverting them towards the purchase of Israel’s national airline, El Al.

In a lawsuit filed this week, James alleges that instead of employing the funds to care for residents and hire adequate staff, Kenneth Rozenberg and Daryl Hagler, the owners of Centers Health Care, have been using the money for their own personal benefit. In 2020, Rozenberg purchased a controlling stake in the Israeli airline El Al for $107 million. Hagler became a director of El Al in 2021, and per the suit spent $132 million in 2022 to purchase three properties in Brooklyn and Queens.

“Rozenberg’s investment in El Al, which ultimately allowed him to become the controlling shareholder of the airline, was made possible by his and Hagler’s longstanding pattern of fraud and illegality,” the suit says.

SUICIDE BANNED: Kim Jong Un Orders North Koreans To Stop Killing Themselves

 

This isn’t satire. North Korean dictator Kim Jong Un has issued a secret order to local authorities, aiming to ban suicides in response to a significant rise in numbers. The reclusive regime rarely discloses information about the country’s internal issues, making it challenging to ascertain the exact figures. However, according to the South Korean National Intelligence Service, suicides in North Korea have surged by approximately 40% compared to the previous year.

Kim Jong Un characterized suicide as an “act of treason against socialism” in the directive and emphasized that local government officials would be held jointly responsible for failing to prevent such incidents within their jurisdictions, as reported by Radio Free Asia.

During emergency meetings where the issue was discussed, data regarding the number of suicides was presented, and instances of entire families taking their own lives were highlighted, according to an official interviewed by Radio Free Asia. The disclosure of suicide notes that criticized the country and its social system left attendees shocked.

Another official told Radio Free Asia that suicide was affecting the community more than starvation. Despite the implementation of a suicide-prevention policy endorsed by the General Secretary, officials have struggled to find effective solutions. The prevailing causes of suicides were attributed to extreme poverty and starvation, making it difficult to develop immediate countermeasures.

Avraham Melohn, a noted community leader and philanthropist from Manhattan, suffered a fatal heart attack yesterday.

 

R’ Avrohom Moshe Melohn, a noted community leader and philanthropist from Manhattan, has passed away at the age of 62. The Monsey Scoop reports that while visiting a friend in Monsey, Rabbi Melohn suffered a heart attack and passed away shortly thereafter.

The deceased, who lived in Manhattan, was a fervent follower of several leading Jewish sages, among them the late Rabbi Chaim Kanievsky. He was also connected to the Pinsk Karlin hasidic court.

Rabbi Melohn was well known for philanthropic works, particularly in support of the yeshiva world. Family members told Rockland Daily that, "He gave millions to charity, often out of the limelight."

He had a special connection to the court of Satmar. The Rebbe of Satmar personally held a celebration for the marriage of the deceased's son.

His businesses spanned the world, mainly in the field of real estate. He was known for charity and kindness, for supporting orphans and widows, and for being a patron of nonprofits in the Me'ah She'arim neighborhood of Jerusalem.

His sudden death from a heart attack has shocked all his many acquaintances and friends, as well as the Torah institutions that were helped by him.

Rabbi Melohn's funeral took place Friday at 17:30 (New York time) from Or Sameach Synagogue in Monsey. His casket arrived for burial in Israel in the afternoon on a private flight and was buried just prior Shabbat (Sabbath) on the Mount of Olives.

25 Leading Rabbanim And Roshei Yeshiva Issue Ban On Using AI Chatbots

 

I will post some comments that I feel gives another perspective of this issue.  But before I do I think that like with other Kol Korahs they are barking up the wrong tree. Not one person using the internet gives two hoots about this Kol Korah! What this Kol Korah does do is give people an opening to mock Gedoilim who sign Kol Korah who have no clue to what they are signing! Not one who signed understands how any of the platforms work! Askanim are frightened that the regular "Joe Shmo" will now have some basic knowledge, so they recruit clueless rabbanim that will sign anything against the internet. The internet is here to stay. Most reasonable people using Google understand that a lot of the information is false and I will give credit to most people that they are able to distinguish between Fake News and what's true. 

Here is a sampling of some comments:

1. ProudModernYid June 30, 2023 2:02 pm at 2:02 pm

   These gedolim are unfortunately being told lies and divrei guzma by their immediate shamashim. It’s doing a HUGE disservice to the yirei shamayim who will inevitably have to use these things.

   We all know how this will turn out.

   First people will do this in private. Then the rabbanim will scream at these people. Then, in fifteen years, when they realize that the majority of the frum community uses this stuff in a daily basis and there is no turning back, they’ll issue a non-sensicak “hetter parnasa” which can ONLY be issued by a competent posek… ridiculous.

   What the Gedolim SHOULD do is issue a “strong recommendation” and inform people about the TRUE dangers of these programs and what it will do to Torah society. How do we live with this as oppose to ignoring it.

   This is only making people lose respect for these Gedolim. I am not alone.

   If you can mamish have a 100% insular community, go for it. For the rest of us, this is passé and useless.

1. Mordechai Hatzadik June 30, 2023 2:34 pm at 2:34 pm

   GROW UP

   1. A chashuve rav once said – ‘every time a kol korei comes out which many won’t listen to, the ONLY’ thing the author gained was delegitimization of our rabbis’

   2. No kol kore ever came out against google search. Why is AI any different – because it has a shmansy name??

   3. Whoever is behind the kol kore, and you know who you are – you know very well that when a question is asked a certain way, you’ll get the answer and signatures you want.

   4. To the the kol kore author – my name is Mordechai.
   What’s yours?

   Disclaimer;
   a) I’m a religious guy like all of you and highly respect these Rabbonim of ours.
   b) Seeing as many kol kores are fake, i take the liberty to assume the same here

2. 1. David019123 June 30, 2023 3:28 pm at 3:28 pm

      This is honestly laughable do they even know what ai is used for it’s actually very useful and I can’t imagine In 5 years how a business would survive without it the Rabbonim don’t even know what’s ai is they are being lied to and either way anyone who’s got internet that’s not for business use which is crazy that they try to ban it 😂 is not listening anyway so all they’re doing is spreading lashon harah because that’s all that’s going to happen from this rabbonim should not try to sit and bam every thing cause then no one end up taking them seriously and there is no problem with ai

   1. Yanky1998 June 30, 2023 3:45 pm at 3:45 pm

      This is what happens when a burned out kollel yungerman (who should have gone out to work 10 years ago but instead just hocks in the BMG coffee room all day and whose wife works 3 jobs to support the family) has a great idea to make up a nonexistent problem and run to the gedolim to “warn” them about it. I got to give him credit he did a pretty good job getting so many people to sign this statement full of nonsense and exaggerations.

      It’s no different than Google search which tons of yirei Shamayim use whether for work or because they are planning a vacation or because they want to know what time the supermarket around the block closes… If anything ChatGPT and Bard are better because they don’t respond to profanity while google search is more problematic. People should have a filter in their head and of course when kids are around then basic filters are required m’Ikkar haDin to make sure the kids do not see inappropriate stuff.

      Why did klal Yisroel fall for this anti tech religion? There are other things that al pi shulchan aruch are much more problematic like tznius issues and the likes… or people speaking loshon hara…