Chabad Guy Becomes a Frum Grandmother

After Shabbat dinner, a guest asked to speak to Yaakov Smith in private before leaving.

“That was an amazing act you performed for us tonight,” the man said, cryptically. “Take care of yourself.”

Smith managed to stay composed — but in that moment, the ultra-Orthodox Jewish father-of-six’s head began to spin.

“In that moment, I sensed my problem was becoming visible on the outside,” the former yeshiva teacher, now named Yiscah Smith, tells The Post. “I thought I had done a good job of hiding my secret until then.”

Nearly three decades after that fateful encounter at the family home, Smith, 68, is the subject of the upcoming film “I Was Not Born a Mistake,” about her transition from a Chabad man to an observant grandmother of 18.

The documentary, showing at film festivals starting this fall, chronicles Smith’s childhood on Long Island through life as a married scholar in Crown Heights — and her eventual gender transition in 2004.

“I never thought it would be this amazing,” says Smith, now divorced.

The Flustered Mueller Couldn't Have Written His Report... Had No Clue What Was Written Inside

Among his talents, Donald Trump has a special gift for driving his detractors so crazy that they do really stupid stuff. The decision by Democrats to force Robert Mueller to testify before Congress is Exhibit A.

Bumblin’ Bob was a train wreck of epic proportions. The fallout is immediate, starting with this: impeachment is no longer an option.

It had a slim chance before Wednesday’s painful slog and no chance after it.

Mueller was that bad, seemingly hard of hearing, often confused and contradicted himself several times.

The Dems’ fantasy of having him breathe life into his report backfired.

His dismal performance killed any possibility that his 450-page tome could serve as a road map for overturning the 2016 election and driving Trump from office.

Although Mueller’s general demeanor was disturbing, it was also instructive. He did not project the mental and physical vigor of someone capable of leading the complex two-year probe into Russian meddling, possible Trump collusion and obstruction of justice.

More likely, the 74-year old former FBI director was something of a figure-head for an investigation that was carried out by the team of zealots he ­assembled.

3,500-Year-Old Staircase Reveals Grand Dimensions of Ancient Palace in Northern Israel

I'm disappointed .... no elevators?

A recently uncovered ancient staircase at the Tel Hazor archeological site in Northern Israel, the largest biblical-era site in the country, hints to the grandiose palace that once stood at the site, used by the Canaanite kings of Hatzor.

The staircase, preserved in excellent condition, is 4.5 meters wide and consists of at least seven stairs made from wide basalt slabs. The staircase was part of a palace located at the entrance to an ancient Canaanite town of Hazor. The palace is estimated to have housed the king of Hazor, who ruled over a large area in northern Israel.

Excavation director Prof. Amnon Ben-Tor, of the Institute of Archeology at the Hebrew University in Jerusalem, commented on the findings that “when discussing biblical sites, the staircase that was found shows once again that there are other biblical sites, and then there is Hazor.”

Dr. Shlomit Bachar, a researcher on the site, explained the significance of the staircase for the accumulative knowledge about the Hazor site.

Mueller Comes Across Dazed, Weak and Confused in Congressional Hearing

'Disoriented' Mueller's stumbling responses to questions during blockbuster hearing leave social media concerned the special counsel seems a 'confused old man' 

Former Special Counsel Robert Mueller was frequently tripped up and forced to ask lawmakers to repeat their questions during his rapid-fire questioning on Capitol Hill on Wednesday, though he reportedly prepared at length for the hearings.

At one point, he even said he wasn't familiar with Fusion GPS, the opposition research firm behind the controversial anti-Trump dossier.

The longtime lawman was known to be reluctant to testify, having made clear he would largely stick to the boundaries of his original report. He reiterated Wednesday that his testimony before House committees would be based on the text of his report on Russian election interference and potential obstruction of the investigation.

But that didn't stop a barrage of detail-rich questions that seemed to throw off the usually stone-faced investigator.

7-Year-Old Girl R”L Killed After Closet Falls On Her in Kiryas Yoel

Tragedy struck Kiryas Joel on Tuesday afternoon, after a child was killed in a horrible incident.

It happened on Tuesday afternoon at around 3:00PM at the Bais Rochel School on Israel Zupnik Drive, when a closet reportedly fell on top of a 7-year-old girl.

Kiryas Joel Hatzolah Paramedics rushed to the scene and worked on the child, doing everything they could to save her life.

She was rushed to Good Samaritan Hospital, but was unfortunately Niftar upon her arrival at the hospital.

The NY State Police is currently at the school conducting an investigation.

The Real Story Why FAT NADLER hates Trump! Jealousy!!

Rep. Jerry Nadler will be President Trump’s chief tormenter at a Robert Mueller hearing in Congress today. Remarkably, it is a continuation of a Trump-Nadler feud that goes back four decades.

An early dispute even figured into the October 1980 meeting between New York’s Democratic Mayor Ed Koch and Republican presidential candidate Ronald Reagan. 

 A top aide to Koch at the time writes to say he was there and that the mayor “made a strong case for $100 million for the Westway project, which would have buried the unsightly West Side Highway underground and provided a new park and development. 
Reagan agreed to the proposal after he became president.”

But Westway was never built, thanks in large part to Nadler, then an assemblyman.

 “Nadler killed the appropriation, mostly because he thought it was part of Trump’s plan to develop housing along the Hudson River, which he opposed,” the Koch aide says. 

“Trump eventually built his buildings anyway, made a lot of money, and New Yorkers lost a park.”

"Little Belzer Shmoiger" Naftuli Moster's Public Schools Will Now Focus Mainly On Thrashing "Whites" ... No Longer Interested In Teaching Math, English & Science

Hey Belzer Shmoiger!

So you want the Yeshivois to teach that "Shvartzers" are superior?

Are you concerned that the goyim won't get an education now ...?

Or

Are you just interested in harassing "heimishe" moisdois???

Start with the public schools first! 

City kids are struggling with basic math and English— but a new Department of Education curricular initiative focuses instead on racial privilege and activism, The Post has learned.

Pushed by Schools Chancellor Richard Carranza, the “Culturally Responsive-Sustaining Education” program will require schools to “identify and interrupt policies and practices that center historically advantaged social/cultural groups and lead to predictable outcomes of success or failure for historically marginalized students.”

“The simplistic narrative that is being peddled is white privilege,” said Maud Maron, president of Community Education Council 2.

“What’s confounding about this proposal is that it doesn’t acknowledge the successes of students doing well in New York City public schools and instead identifies it as problematic white privilege,” she added,

Jewish New York City Opthamologist Killed in Crash; Had Office on Ave J Flatbush

Dr. Mark Lebowitz was killed in an auto accident on Monday morning.

Dr. Lebowitz had a large practice in Brooklyn as well as being in charge of the Brooklyn Eye Surgery Center on Avenue J in Flatbush, with 35 ophthalmologists. He was responsible for running it.

Dr. Avishai Neuman, an anesthesiologist, who knew him well, Said: “He was a highly decorated ophthalmologist in terms of his skills.  Mark was a true pokayach ivrim – he restored people’s vision – after cataract surgeries, and other issues – he is there to make sure that they see.”

Dr. Neuman continues, “He was ranked at the top of his field. He was a very down-to-earth and approachable person. He was a true humble giant – a real mensch.”

Chani Neuberger, Bais Yaakov Graduate Appointed As NSA Cybersecurity Directorate

The National Security Agency announced Tuesday it is creating a new Cybersecurity Directorate, which will “unify NSA’s foreign intelligence and cyberdefense missions and is charged with preventing and eradicating threats to National Security Systems and the Defense Industrial Base.”

The new directorate — which will become operational on October 1 — is to be headed up by Anne Neuberger, who has been leading the NSA’s Russia Small Group.

In her new position, Mrs. Neuberger, who worked in the private sector before joining the Defense Department and is from Brooklyn, N.Y., will be one of the highest-ranking women at the NSA since Ann Caracristi was named deputy director in 1980.

She has been with NSA for close to 10 years. Neuberger has helped establish U.S. Cyber Command, served as chief risk officer, and is currently an assistant deputy director at NSA. Prior to her time at NSA, Neuberger was the deputy chief management office at the U.S. Navy.

Naftuli Moster "The Little Belzer Shmoiger" First Puts Up Billboard in Times Square for his "Yaffed Moised! Then He Shnoors and Begs from his "Chassidim" To Pay For The Billboard!

Watch the "Mashiginah Machshifah" Rashida Tlaib Dancing When being Removed From 2016 Trump Event

HaRav Reuven Scheiner, Longtime Magid Shiur At Torah Vodaas

We regret to inform our readers  of the Petira of HaRav Reuven Scheiner ZATZAL, a Magid Shiur at Yeshiva Torah Vodaas in Flatbush for more than 50 years.

The Levaya will be held at 1:00PM at the Yeshiva, located at 425 East 9th Street in Brooklyn.

Kevurah will be in Eretz Yisrael.

Boruch Dayan HaEmmes…

Chareidie 6 Month-old Dies in Hot Car After Family Forgot About Him

Last month I posted a photo of a Chareidie Lakewood Mother who got arrested for leaving her child in a hot car that died ...

I got a lot of flack for posting her picture ....

I since learned that the Chareidie world because it doesn't allow the internet... doesn't get the news ...

The story in Lakewood was not reported in any of the popular Chareidie newspapers ...

because of "Lashan Hara" ...

Well .. how many children must die before they get it?

The picture of that mother as tragic as it was, (and I feel so so bad for her, since she will be living with this the rest of her life,) should have been posted in every school, shul and supermarket ...

Here in Israel, we will never get that photo, since the Laws in Israel are different ...

and so we start the 3 weeks with another needless tragedy ...
one that could have been prevented...

A six-month-old baby boy died Monday afternoon, after he was forgotten in a car in the city of Modiin Illit in central Israel.

 He was left forgotten for three hours locked in a hot car 

Watch Iranians Capture British Ship .... World Says Nothing!

When the "Cheshik Shlomo" The Popular Commentator on Shas, Presented a Sefer Torah to Theodore Herzl

The following story in honor of the 115th Yurzeit of the founder of the State of Israel, Theodore Herzl, which will be on this Tuesday the 20th of Tammuz ..

Anyone opening any Gemarrah printed in the last 15 years, including those learning in Yeshivois and Kollilim, will find the commentaries of Rav Shlomo Ha'Kohein  who served as Rav of Vilna, one hundred years ago, on every daf.
 Rav Shlomo HaKohein is better known by his famous commentary חשק שלמה ..... The Cheishik Shlomo!

To give you an idea how great the חשק שלמה was... The Chofetz Chayim had his haskama on the Mishna Berurah!
He authored over 37 Sefarim and answered over 1,500 Shaalois in his sefer בנין שלמה

What these Kollel guys don't know is that, the Vilna Rav and Posik, opened the welcome mat and was right up front  greeting the founder of Zionism, Theodore Herzl, when Herzl visited the city of Vilna in 1903, on the 23rd day of Av, a year before Herzl died.

The חשק שלמה who was well in his years, got dressed up in his Shabbos finest, and clutching a Sefer Torah walked over to the Zionist Leader and presented Herzl with the Sefer Torah as a gift from the entire Vilna Kehillah! 
The Rav who was a kohein then placed his holy hands on Herzl's head and blessed him with Birchas Kohanim....

How does DIN know this?

We know this story from someone who witnessed the scene and described it.

None other than Rav Yechiel Yaakov Weinberg z"l, the author of the famous Shaalois Utshuvois famously called 
"שרידי אש" 
who records the scene in vivid detail!

וילנה החרדית והעתיקה נתנה לרגשותיה העמוקים ביטוי מלאו הוד של כבוד . 

מורה ההוראה הזקן ונשוא הפנים בווילנה, הגאון הזקן והישיש ר' שלמה הכהן, מסר להרצל בשם ירושלים דליטא ס''ת קטן

ובהניחו את ידי הכהן החיוורות שלו על ראש הרצל בעל הוד שבמלכות, לחשו שפתי הכהן הזקן 

ספר תורה זה יוליך אותנו לא''י 

פני הרצל חוורו, דמעות זלגו מעיניו 

הרב הזקן עמד בקושי על רגליו, אולם לא רצה לשבת בנוכחותו של הרצל

וזה אמר

יישב נא רבינו תחילה, זקן הוא ממני, וגם חכם

מלים אלה צילצלו באוזני הנוכחים כסמל להשתייכותו לווילנה העתיקה והחרדית, לעם העתיד והחרד 

Day Yoimie Snippets .... Arachin 21,22,23, 24, 25, 26,27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, & 34

A great opportunity for the entire family, to share some thoughts on the daf ...  the  family feels united by discussing what the head of the house is studying.
I try to break it down so that everyone can understand it .... 

You can copy and print this without my consent, since Torah belongs to all of us..... 

See  previous Daf Yoimie Snippets 

This week's "Daf Yoimie Snippets Sponsored For the Refuah Shliemah of 

צארטל בת אסתר מלכה 

''דף כ''א ''מטבעות פגומים       

Page 21  Mesectas Arachin

''Damaged Coins "

When the Beit Din (court) sells land that was inherited by orphaned minors from their father, the Beit Din publicly announces the availability of the property for thirty consecutive days, in order to receive the best possible price for the property. 

In what situation would the Beit Din intercede and sell the orphaned minors’ property? 

In a case where the father left behind creditors to whom he owed money, for example.

What does the Beit Din announce? 

The baraita states: 

“There is such-and-such a field, of such-and-such size, that is worth such-and-such. Anyone who wishes to purchase this field should come purchase it, as the field is being sold in order to pay off a deceased man’s debt.”

Why is it necessary to announce that the field is being sold in order to pay off creditors? Why would that fact interest potential buyers? Why isn’t it sufficient to merely announce the field is for sale? 

The Talmud explains that this additional declaration is needed as there are some who prefer to do business with a person who is in debt, as that person would likely to be lenient and even accept slightly damaged coins — and individuals who possess damaged coins might be pleased to purchase the property in order to get rid of those coins. 

Press "read more" right below to see rest of the dafim

MBD Storms OFF Stage After Young "Chutzpemyak" Refuses To Put Out His Cigeratte

I don't know if MBD was right or wrong ....
Most people there weren't smoking 
 hundreds paid to hear him...
Did they get their money back?

Newton South Public High School Joins Satmar In Teaching Students to Demonize Israel .......

Shortly after Rosh Hashanah of 2011, Shiri Pagliuso, a Jewish ninth grader at the Newton South High School, came home with an awkward question for her father. She had learned some things about Israel in school, she said, and she wanted to know if they were true. For example, she asked if it was true that Israel was systematically torturing and killing Palestinian women.

Her father, Tony Pagliuso, pressed her for more information, so the young woman produced the handout she was given at school, titled the Arab World Studies Notebook. In it, Pagliuso found the following line: “Over the past four decades, women have been active in the Palestinian resistance movement. Several hundred have been imprisoned, tortured, and killed by Israeli occupation forces.”

Pagliuso, a dual citizen of the United States and Israel, was alarmed that such claims had somehow found their way into the curriculum of a public school. He called his daughter’s teacher, Jessica Engel.

“I fully expected when I called that I would be told, ‘Jeez we didn’t catch this and this shouldn’t be in the curriculum,’” he told an interviewer shortly thereafter. “This was my full expectation. I was very wrong.”

Akiva Meir Hersh of Cleveland Suspected of Pedophilla Suing 22 Rabbanim for Defamation

A Cleveland-area man is suing 15 local Orthodox synagogues and 22 rabbis for defamation, saying a community announcement alleging that he engaged in inappropriate behavior with children has ruined his reputation.

Akiva Meir Hersh of suburban Cleveland Heights filed suit July 11 in the Cuyahoga County Common Pleas Court claiming that an announcement written by the Vaad Harabonim of Cleveland, the Orthodox rabbinical council, created a false impression and hurt his future employment prospects.

Hersh is requesting punitive damages in excess of $25,000.

The Vaad’s announcement, dated Aug. 13, 2018, named Hersh and his home address, and said he “is alleged to have engaged in inappropriate behavior with young men under the age of thirteen. We have also learned that police reports have been filed detailing his activities. We understand that he is attempting to create a Boy Scout troop. We are concerned that this is a potentially unhealthy and dangerous situation.”

Omar To Introduce Pro-BDS Resolution In House ...Will Satmar Rebbe Start A "Letter Writing" Campaign ????

R' Aron Teitelbaum, Monroe Satmar Rebbe had a "letter writing" campaign to US Congressman that they vote that Iran be allowed to manufacture nuclear weapons ...
The Holy Rebbe was furious then at the Moetzes Gedoilie HaTorah and the  Agudah because they were against the Iran deal...

Iran is a country whose leaders vowed to "wipe Israel off the map!"

Well ... now Satmar's favorite congresswoman Ilhan Omar ym"s just introduced a bill to congress that will allow BDS movements to be legal and thrive ...

Well ... we are all waiting to see what the Satmar Rebbe will do now!!

U.S. Rep. Ilhan Omar said that she plans to introduce a resolution this week in support of the anti-Israel BDS movement, reported Al-Monitor on Tuesday.

“We are introducing a resolution … to really speak about the American values that support and believe in our ability to exercise our first amendment rights in regard to boycotting,” the congresswoman told the outlet. “And it is an opportunity for us to explain why it is we support a nonviolent movement, which is the BDS movement.”

Since entering Congress in January, Omar has made multiple anti-Semitic and anti-Israel remarks.

In February, she accused the American Israel Public Affairs Committee, the largest pro-Israel lobbying organization, of paying members of Congress to back Israel, saying it was “all about the Benjamins.”

The following month, she pointed fingers at her “Jewish colleagues” for attacking her and Rep. Rashida Tlaib (D-Mich.) for labeling their criticisms as anti-Israel because of the Muslim faith of the two congresswomen, in addition to slamming her critics regarding “the political influence in this country that says it is OK to push for allegiance to a foreign country.”

This led to the passing of a resolution in the U.S. House of Representatives condemning anti-Semitism and other forms of hatred that did not call out Omar by name.