Massive 7.8 Magnitude Earthquake Shakes Central Turkey, Felt In Beit Shemesh & Yerushalyim

 

A 7.8 magnitude earthquake shook southeast Turkey early Monday and was followed by another strong temblor. It was felt in several provinces in the region and knocked down a number of buildings, reports said.

The U.S. Geological Survey said quake was centered about 33 kilometers (20 miles) from Gaziantep, a major city and provincial capital. It was about 26 kilometers (16 miles) from the town of Nurdagi.

It was centered 18 kilometers (11 miles) deep, according to the U.S. Geological Survey. A strong 6.7 temblor rumbled about 10 minutes later.

Turkey’s Disaster and Emergency Management agency, AFAD, said the quake measured 7.4 and was centered in the town of Pazarcik, in Kahramanmaras province.

Several buildings tumbled down in the neighboring provinces of Malatya, Diyarbakir and Malatya, HaberTurk television reported. There was no immediate reports on casualties.

Turkey sits on top of major fault lines and is frequently shaken by earthquakes.

The earthquake was also felt in Lebanon and Syria, and Israel.

Syria’s state media reported that some buildings collapsed in the northern city of Aleppo and the central city of Hama.

In Syria’s rebel-held northwest that borders Turkey several buildings collapsed, according to the opposition’s Syrian civil Defense.

There was no immediate word on casualties.

In Beirut and Damascus, buildings shook and many people went down to the streets in fear.

I just felt a powerful earthquake in Jerusalem, Israel.

The entire building was shaking, chandeliers swinging back and forth.

Seems to be aftershock from a much larger earthquake in Southern Turkey.

— Shloime Zionce | שלומי זייאנץ (@Chusidel) February 6, 2023

Costco in Israel?

 

Israel Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich wants to bring the Costco Wholesale chain to Israel, according to a report by Yehuda Shlezinger in Israel Hayom. Costco is the largest wholesale chain in the US, and the ninth largest in the world, and is considered the second largest food chain in the world after Walmart.

In a letter that Smotrich sent to the managers of the chain, he wrote that “the Israeli government has set itself the goal of increasing Israeli competition in the food market in Israel. It would be a great achievement if international players like your company enter. We want to interest you in entering the Israeli market, we have an opportunity and shared goals.”

Smotrich said he hopes to meet with the heads of the company during his next visit to the US.

Costco’s entry into the Israeli market could cause a major shakeup and reduction in prices.

Its entry into Israel would also be one less excuse for not making Aliyah.

Florida community in shock after Jewish Lyft driver Gary Levin kidnapped and murdered

 

The Jewish community of Palm Beach Gardens, Florida, is in shock after a Jewish Lyft driver was kidnapped and murdered while working.

Police believe that Gary Levin, 74, was kidnapped and murdered by an angry passenger he had picked up. His family reported him missing on Tuesday. He was last seen alive on Monday.

Human remains were found on Saturday in a wooded area Okeechobee County, Florida, near where Levin had dropped off a passenger right before his disappearance. The remains were later identified as Levin.

His daughter, Lindsay DiBetta, told reporters: "There's no way he would pick someone up in Miami and drive all the way to Okeechobee without letting his partner know. They had dinner plans that day, but he never came home."

A suspect, Matthew Scott Flores, was arrested after a police chase in North Carolina while driving Levin's car. Flores is wanted for an unrelated murder in Florida.

Roselee Moskowitz has squatted in 90-year-old Rabbi Meyer Leifer's home for years

 

Rabbi Leifer and Bloomberg 

Roselee Moskowitz 

This couch potato isn’t kosher.

A 90-year-old rabbi’s life has been turned upside down by a brazen squatter who moved into his living room two years ago — and shows no signs of making her exodus any time soon.

Accused agi-tater Roselee Moskowitz, 67, allegedly took advantage of the kindness of Rabbi Meyer Leifer and his family, who gave her a place to stay in his two-bedroom West 28th Street apartment when she had nowhere to go at the dawn of the pandemic, according to his daughter Daniella and court records.

But the mensch’s mitzvah was repaid with unimaginable chutzpah.

Squatter, Roselee Moskowitz crouches down when approached by The Post.

Ben-Gvir will consider resigning if demands are not met

 

National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir harshly criticized his government's policies, the response to the attacks from Gaza, which he calls weak, and the postponement of the evacuation of Khan al-Ahmar.

In heated conversations behind closed doors, Ben-Gvir claimed that if within eight months he won't manage to change these issues significantly, he will not hold on to his seat and will consider resigning.

According to a report by Channel 13 News, Ben-Gvir will wait no more than nine months to see if he is receiving support for the changes he wishes to make. Ben-Gvir believes he has partners and that he is not alone. The same sources claim that the Netanyahu government is ready and willing to make changes and that Ben-Gvir is not alone in the fight.

"If they cut me off in the next budget, that means I'm alone. In such a case, if I feel like I don't have an influence, I will return the keys and will go fight in the opposition," Ben-Gvir recently told people in his inner circle, emphasizing that he expects to "fight to the end, even at the cost of a crisis." Yet, Ben-Gvir clarifies that this is not an ultimatum for his partners in the coalition.

On the other hand, Ben-Gvir is indeed happy with the moves and steps being taken, and according to him, they would not have happened in a different government. Among them: sealing the homes of terrorists, closing the prison bakeries, demolishing houses in eastern Jerusalem, and making it easier for citizens to receive weapons permits.

Musk wins Didn't Deceive Tesla Investors with 2018 tweets, jury rules

 

 A jury on Friday decided Elon Musk didn’t deceive investors with his 2018 tweets about electric automaker Tesla in a proposed deal that quickly unraveled and raised questions about whether the billionaire had misled investors.

The nine-member jury reached its verdict after less then two hours of deliberation following a three-week trial. It represents a major vindication for Musk, who spent about eight hours on the witness stand defending his motives for the August 2018 tweets at the center of the trial.

Musk, 51, wasn’t on hand for the brief reading of the verdict but he made a surprise appearance earlier Friday for closing arguments that drew starkly different portraits of him.

Not long after the verdict came down, Musk took to Twitter — the bully pulpit he now owns — to celebrate.

“Thank goodness, the wisdom of the people has prevailed!” Musk tweeted.

BIDEN'S HOT AIR BALLOON

 

Biden administration tried to hide Chinese spy balloon from American public

President Biden and his administration knew for nearly a week that a Chinese spy balloon was hovering in U.S. airspace — but kept the incursion secret, fearing it would derail Secretary of State Antony Blinken’s planned meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping in Beijing.

Republicans expressed “outrage” over the president’s refusal to act.

“Communist China’s surveillance balloon violates international law and threatens our homeland,” Rep. Nicole Malliotakis (R-Staten Island) told The Post.

Ezra "the Capo" Friedlander Running for Santos's Congressional Seat?

 So who is the bigger liar?

Announcing my candidacy for Congress....in front of the office.... pic.twitter.com/UJD5uv6hFb

— Ezra Friedlander (@EzraFriedlander) February 1, 2023

Florida Woman Arrested for Ripping Off Holocaust Survivor for 2.8 Million Dollars

 

 Damian Williams, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, and Michael J. Driscoll, the Assistant Director-in-Charge of the New York Field Office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (“FBI”), announced charges against PEACHES STERGO with engaging in a years-long scheme to defraud an 87-year-old Holocaust survivor of his life savings.  STERGO was arrested and will be presented in the Middle District of Florida.  The case has been assigned to U.S. District Judge Edgardo Ramos.

U.S. Attorney Damian Williams said: “As alleged, for years, Stergo deceived an 87-year-old Holocaust survivor, maliciously draining his life savings so she could become a millionaire through fraud.  Stergo forged documents and impersonated a bank employee in exchange for a life of fancy trips, Rolex watches, and luxury purchases.”

Zera Shimshon Paeshas Be'Shalach

Jewish Population in Judea and Samaria Tops Half a Million

 

he Jewish population in Judea and Samaria has surpassed half a million people, according to a report compiled by former MK Ya’akov Katz.

There were 502,991 Jews living in Judea and Samaria as of Jan. 1, according to the document, which culled data from the Israeli Interior Ministry’s Population Registry.

That does not include the nearly 350,000 Jews living in the eastern part of Jerusalem, which the Palestinians claim despite the area being by law a part of Israel’s unified capital.

The Jewish population in Judea and Samaria is up 15.5% from January 2018, when 435,159 Jews lived in the territories captured after Arab states initiated what became known as the Six-Day War.

The report projects the Jewish population in Judea and Samaria to exceed 600,000 by 2030, 700,000 by 2035 and one million by 2047.

The 500,000-plus Jews living in Judea and Samaria account for 12% of all Jews in Israel, according to the report.

Ahead of its inauguration, Prime Minister Bibi Netanyahu’s government published a list of policy guidelines that includes a vow to promote settlement throughout the country.

“The Jewish people has an exclusive and inalienable right to all parts of the Land of Israel. The government will promote and develop the settlement of all parts of the Land of Israel—in the Galilee, the Negev, the Golan Heights and Judea and Samaria,” a clause in the document states. JNS

Southwest Killed my Daughter, Says frum Mom

 

Chaya Gabrielle Messouda Assouline, is seen with her brother Simon Shimon Eliyahou Assouline in the Hospital

The mother of an Orthodox Jewish woman who was paralyzed after being thrown out of her wheelchair while attempting to board a Southwest flight 11 months ago is demanding justice for her daughter, who passed away nearly two weeks ago.

 Gaby Assouline was on her way to Denver on February 25th, 2022 when the incident occurred.

Ms. Assouline was afflicted with a rare musculoskeletal condition known as FOP that made it difficult for her to walk long distances, but was fully ambulatory and led a full life, pursuing a degree in business and advocating for her fellow FOP sufferers.

Mother Sandra Assouline said that Gaby did considerable research when planning the trip to Denver to visit her older sister Ariella, choosing Southwest because she felt that they were more accommodating of special needs passengers.

“Gaby wanted to be like anyone else who could travel,” said Mrs. Assouline.  “She contacted them and she did everything, planning out the whole trip and making sure they knew what she was bringing.”

Ms. Assouline had never flown alone before and her mother secured a buddy pass to take her through the airport until the gate.

NYC DOE Cuts Off Million in Special Ed Funding for Yeshiva Students

 

20 companies that provide special education services to private school students are being blocked by the New York City Department of Education amid concerns of industry fraud.

The New York Times (nyti.ms/3xb6qTb) on Thursday, reported that recent emails sent by the DOE instructed its employees to avoid hiring employees of the 20 companies when providing services to private school students with disabilities.

That change will have the city fighting requests for payment from private school parents whose children were approved by the DOE for services through the 20 companies that were singled out.

Those 20 companies, which primarily serve yeshiva students, provided $60 million in special education services last year alone.

While officials have said that all 20 firms have ties to an individual arrested last month in connection with special education funding, some have disputed that claim, including Special Edge, a large Borough Park company that received nearly $30 million in funding last year from the DOE, most of which was for private school students.

A statement released by Special Edge and EvalCare, an education company, accused the DOE of acting unfairly, saying that the agency’s “refusal to engage in conversation with us and restore Special Edge and EvalCare Inc. as providers in good standing is only harming deserving students who need special education services.”

Adira Koffsky 19 Seminary Girl from Long Island Killed in Yerushalyim in Car Accident

 

A 19-year-old from Long Island was killed in a car accident in Jerusalem on Wednesday night.

Adira Koffsky was hit by a car whose driver lost control in a rain storm. A 2022 graduate of Yeshiva University Girls High School, Koffsky was studying in a gap-year program for Orthodox women called Midreshet Amudim, located just a few blocks from the accident site in the German Colony neighborhood.

“The entire Amudim family is shattered, our hearts are broken and we are in shock and pain over the loss of our beloved student,” the seminary wrote in a statement. “All words of wisdom or comfort are empty at this moment.”

Koffsky’s death sent shockwaves throughout the Modern Orthodox communities in the New York area, where she grew up. A Yeshiva University rabbi lamented Koffsky’s death during his morning talk and noted that a local Orthodox high school had canceled a planned trip because of it.

Koffsky attended Hebrew Academy of Nassau County until eighth grade before moving on to Yeshiva’s girls high school, located in Queens.

“Adira was one of the happiest, friendliest, and most creative individuals,” the school posted on Facebook. “She was kind, giving, and down to earth. She was one of us, and we are devastated by this news.”

Koffsky’s funeral was set for Young Israel in West Hempstead. She is survived by her parents, Ann and Mark, and two older brothers.

The driver of the car that hit Koffsky was a 76-year-old woman, according to Israeli media reports. She was seriously injured, and her passenger, a 78-year-old man, was also killed.

New York Times ‘Shameful Coverage of Jerusalem Terrorist Attack"

 

The New York Times has been blasted for its reporting on the recent terrorist attack in Jerusalem that killed seven Israelis and wounded three others—with critics saying the newspaper’s headline, which incorrectly stated the attack occurred in “East Jerusalem,” implies that the murders were justified because they took place over the Green Line (Israel’s pre-1967 border).

“Here’s the New York Times reporting that Jews were murdered and they had it coming,” tweeted former head of speechwriting and Israel’s Mission to the United Nations Aviva Klompas.

Here's the @nytimes reporting that Jews were murdered and they had it coming. pic.twitter.com/KTPPn5dat3

— Aviva Klompas (@AvivaKlompas) January 27, 2023

 

 International human rights lawyer and CEO of the International Legal Forum Arsen Ostrovsky called that the coverage was “obscene.”

This is obscene @nytimes! You have no shame. https://t.co/iAbYLPhl9s

— Arsen Ostrovsky (@Ostrov_A) January 27, 2023

 International CEO and co-founder of StandWithUs Roz Rothstein condemned the NYT headline as shameful, while HonestReporting put out a statement criticizing the publication for its minimization and complicity with this terrorist attack on International Holocaust Remembrance Day.

This is what we mean when we say the media is complicit. Shame on the @nytimes for trying to minimize and excuse a terrorist attack that left 8 Jewish civilians dead, at their synagogue, on Int’l Holocaust Remembrance Day. https://t.co/AMa1rCmRuf pic.twitter.com/UoUxmOHBCa

— HonestReporting (@HonestReporting) January 27, 2023

“This is what we mean when we say the media is complicit,” tweeted HonestReporting. “Shame on the New York Times for trying to minimize and excuse a terrorist attack that left 8 Jewish civilians dead, at their synagogue, on Int’l Holocaust Remembrance Day.”

The paper inaccurately labeled the attack as taking place in an “East Jerusalem” synagogue.

“Breaking News: A gunman killed at least five people at an East Jerusalem synagogue after a deadly month in the occupied West Bank,” tweeted the publication in its initial coverage of the terrorist attack.

The terrorist attack took place in the Neve Ya’akov neighborhood, which is located on the northern border of Jerusalem, rather than beyond the Green Line in the eastern part of the city.

“Shame on you,” former Israeli Ambassador to the U.N. Danny Danon tweeted in response to the New York Times story. The article was also criticized by other members of Israel’s diplomatic corps.

 

Shame on you @nytimes pic.twitter.com/YBkUbHBf3f

— Danny Danon 🇮🇱 דני דנון (@dannydanon) January 27, 2023

 “I strongly condemn the New York Times for gaslighting this terror attack by referring to it as east Jerusalem,” tweeted Deputy Counsel General of Israel to the Southeast U.S. Alex Gandler. “This is Jerusalem, this is the quiet neighborhood [where] I grew up. I don’t expect much from reporting based on ideology, but at least some sense of truth is needed.”

Talmud with Rabbi Chaim Kanievsky’s Notes Online at Israel’s National Library

 

Rabbi Chaim Kanievsky ZT’L who died last year at the age of 94 was known for his unique system of study, which included an annual cycle of reviewing, in-depth, the Babylonian and Jerusalem Talmudim, the writings of Maimonides, and the Shulchan Aruch. It earned him the title of Sar HaTorah (Master of the Torah).

He embellished these books with numerous margin notes, including comments on wording and content, attesting to his perceptiveness and expertise. The National Library of Israel recently launched a project to digitize the books authored by Rabbi Kanievsky, donated by the family, as well as copies of books that belonged to him, to offer access to his teachings and comments which, to date, had not been made public.

The digitized works are available on KTIV – The International Collection of Digitized Hebrew Manuscripts.

Regents Exam Includes ‘Anti-Zionist Propaganda’

 

 Jewish leaders blasted a Regents exam which was administered last week as “unconscionable and shameful” for asking questions biased against Israel and the Jews.

Dov Hikind and others condemned the Global History and Geography Regents II which asked two egregious questions, and gave a distorted version of the Jewish nation’s right to dwell in Israel.

“It’s unconscionable and shameful that at a time of heightened violent antisemitism our state’s educational materials would include what amounts to anti-Zionist propaganda—a truly pathetic attempt at surreptitiously harming Israel,” said Dov Hikind. “We’re calling on NYS Education Department commissioner Betty A. Rosa to swiftly remove the disingenuous questions and conduct a thorough audit to ensure such egregious distortions of history that invariably lead to animosity for the sole Jewish state aren’t being inadvertently fed to our children.”

One of the questions asked “Which historical event most directly influenced the development of the 1947 plan shown on map A (and showed a map of Israel from 1947).” The possible answers were 1) Russian pogroms, 2) the fall of the Austro-Hungarian Empire 3) Paris Peace Conference 4) the Holocaust, with 4 being the right answer.

The other asked “Which group benefited most from the changes shown on the maps?” The right answer, according to the test, was “Zionists and Jewish Immigrants.”

Test transparency can raise legitimate issues of questions’ appropriateness and wording,” said David Bloomfield, education professor at Brooklyn College. “It’s not a matter of ‘wokeness’ to civilly debate these matters.”

“Preposterous, biased and lacking context, these questions are on par with the woke agenda and brainwashing of our young adult generation to make them think the way the biased officials want them to think,” said Brooklyn Councilwoman Inna Vernikov. “It’s unacceptable and must be corrected immediately.”

Hikind said that reducing the creation of Israel to the Holocaust ignores all historical, ancestral and Biblical connections of the Jewish people to the land of Israel. “That connection goes back thousands of years.”

“One proctor was so angry, she was beside herself,” Hikind told The NY Post.

He also said that the test included the trope that the Holocaust was the prevailing reason for the state of Israel and that “Zionists and Jewish immigrants” benefited most from the “changing borders.”

“The maps lack all context,” added Hikind, “Specifically that border changes were the result of successive wars started by Arab states to annihilate Israel. Second, the questions, at best, lend themselves to debate, not to singular answers from among false choices.”

“When you show these maps, and ask why the state of Israel was created, it just attributes it to the Holocaust.” The former assemblyman added that the Zionist movement actually began in the 19th century under Theodor Herzl.

In addition, he objected that the test referred to the Golan Heights region, recognized by President Trump in 2019, as being “annexed” by Israel.

According to the Post, the Board of Regents said the two questions on Israel were “designed to test students’ knowledge of geography as it relates to historical events.”

Satmar's Neturei Karta Mourn the death of the Jenin Terrorist

 

Members of Satmar/Neturei Karta demonstrate in memory of terrorists killed in Jenin gun battle.

נטורי קרתא אין ברוקלין pic.twitter.com/s80jiHQOQI

— Hasidic (@hasidic_1) January 30, 2023

Avigayil Halpern Finishes Shas

                                                       

Below is her take on Yosef Ha'Zaddik

Below she tries her best to be a shadchan

Chareidie Media Erase Photo of Lady Murdered "Al Kiddush Hashem"

 If this perversion of crazed Chareidim continues we are all doomed!

They are very sick!

Not enough that she was murdered trying to help Chareidie MEN, they erase her memory! Is this what the Torah wants?