Even the interviewer doesn’t know what to make of this man’s stupidity.
It really makes you wonder why anyone, the United States or any other nation, would continue to engage in negotiations with a regime like this.
It defies all logic.
“I don’t speak because I have the power to speak; I speak because I don’t have the power to remain silent.” Rav Kook z"l
Last Thursday, Chol Hamoed Passover, for the first time in my life, I had the privilege of praying the morning prayer of the holiday and the Hallel prayer with a blessing – on the Temple Mount. It was a special experience to sing "בְּחַצְרות בֵּית ה' בְּתוכֵכִי יְרוּשָׁלָיִם – הַלְלוּיָה" standing in the courtyard of the House of God, and to sing "בצאת ישראל ממצרים" on Chol HaMoed Pesach – in the holiest place for the Jewish people.
As in all the times when I went up to the Temple Mount, it was a joy and exciting to meet Rabbi Shimshon Elbaum, head of the Temple Mount Administration, and his son Rabbi Chaim, whose activities and the energy they invest have made a great, very significant contribution to the regular prayers that have been held on the Temple Mount for several years. Rabbi Shimshon Elbaum is the man who helped most of all to open the Temple Mount to Jewish prayer.
Well, the prayer wasn't perfect.
1. The wheel of history has turned in such a way that Holocaust Remembrance Day, the 27th of Nissan, usually falls in the week at the end of which we read in Parashat Shmini, about the tragic death of the two sons of Aharon the Cohen. The parasha also describes the powerful reaction of their father Aharon, which was summed up in thunderous silence: "וידם אהרן." From this we learn that sometimes it is precisely the silence, in the sense of "Thy blood is praise," that is the most thunderous action.
There is no doubt that the silence that Aharon Hacohen decreed upon himself on the occasion of the death of his two sons, was the background of the Rav of the Medina's decision, in 1959, to hold a moment of communion on Holocaust Remembrance Day, accompanied by a loud siren, with the holy memory of the six million who were slaughtered and burned and who were bound to sanctify God's name during the years of rage of 5700-1945 – only because of the sin of being Jews! Since then, the siren of communion has been one of the highlights of the day, as we are indeed experiencing this year as well.
Tonight, the 30th of Nissan, marks the yahrtzeit of the great Rabbi Chaim Vital, zatzal, the primary disciple of the holy Arizal and transmitter of his teachings. On this solemn day of remembrance, we are confronted with disturbing news that demands our tefilos and perhaps of learning Rav Chaim Vital’s Torah.
Jewish leaders worldwide have expressed profound outrage after learning that the tomb of Rabbi Chaim Vital in Damascus, Syria was desecrated this weekend. The Alliance of Rabbis in Islamic Countries, representing Jewish communities across Muslim-majority nations, has issued a strong condemnation of this heinous act.
This desecration occurring just before Rav Vital’s yahrtzeit cannot be dismissed as mere coincidence. We must recognize this as a deliberate act perpetrated by those who harbor ill will toward our holy sages and, by extension, toward the Jewish people. They did this just before his Yahrtzeit! History has repeatedly shown, those who raise their hands against our kedoshim invariably face Divine retribution. The neshama of this great tzaddik will surely bring about heavenly judgment upon those responsible, as we have already begun to witness.
Few realize the profound spiritual role Rav Chaim Vital zt”l continues to play in the affairs of the region. The great mekubal serves as a spiritual guardian watching over Israel from his resting place in Damascus, where he was sent by the Arizal to overcome powerful forces of tumah (spiritual impurity) known as Bais Rimon.
A career criminal with nearly 60 arrests on his rap sheet burglarized a Brooklyn wig shop and made off with $30,000 in pricey pieces — including some possibly meant for cancer patients, police sources said.
Daron Ware, 52, allegedly hit the Hustle Wig shop on Dean Street in Crown Heights on the morning of March 4, cops said. Police detectives got surveillance video of a man entering the closed shop and walking out with a stuffed sack.
“They took wigs and materials to make the wigs, including hair and some hats and some random things,” co-owner Rivky Krinsky said.
Nine of the stolen hairpieces were valued at about $30,000, around $3,300 for each, according to Krinsky.
Some of the shop’s wigs, which are created from real human hair, are sold to cancer patients, Krinsky said, but she wasn’t sure how many of the stolen wigs were for patients.
“The clients didn’t know because we were able to replace the orders very swiftly,” she said. “We were able to get everything out pretty much on time.”
Cops caught up with Ware on March 13, charging him with burglary and illegal entry, police said.
He’s currently in jail on Rikers Island.
A powerful explosion at the Port of Shahid Rajaee in Bandar Abbas, Iran, left hundreds injured.
The Saturday blast left at least four dead and around 700 injured, some seriously, state media said.
An Israeli source said that Israel was not involved in the explosion.
In recent months, shipments with chemicals used as fuel for mid-range rockets have been brought to the port. Some of the rockets were launched at Israel.
An Iranian government spokesperson said that a final determination of the cause will take time, but in the meantime, the containers, which were stored at the port - and which may have contained chemicals - exploded.
Popular Instagrammer NowJewishNanny announced to her more than 96,000 followers that she would be joining the Project Mesorah Chizuk Mission just hours before the start of Yom Hashoah. The influencer prefers to be known for safety reasons as Adina, the name she took on when her conversion to Orthodox Judaism was completed in late March.
In what is being hailed as a potential turning point in Israel’s long and fraught battle with the International Criminal Court (ICC), the ICC’s Appeals Chamber on Thursday reversed a landmark November 2024 ruling that had rejected Israel’s jurisdictional objections to the issuance of arrest warrants for alleged war crimes against Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and former Defense Minister Yoav Gallant.
As reported by The Jerusalem Post, the decision is not only a major legal win for Israel—its first significant success before the ICC since 2012—but also a dramatic shift in the trajectory of a case that had, until now, been rapidly advancing through the ICC’s procedural stages. Legal experts say the ruling may halt the momentum behind attempts to criminalize Israel’s leaders for their roles in prosecuting the war in Gaza, at least for the foreseeable future.
A 101-year-old Hasidic family matriarch who fled Russia after World War II – and was “extremely independent till her last day” – was fatally struck by an unlicensed driver in Brooklyn, according to cops and her family.
Taibel Brod was walking home from a birthday party for a rebbe around 8:25 p.m. on April 8 when a 65-year-old man behind the wheel of a 2023 GMC Yukon SUV plowed into her as she crossed at the corner of Brooklyn Avenue and Montgomery Street in Crown Heights, authorities and relatives said.
Brod was rushed to Maimonides Medical Center, where she was initially listed in stable condition – but succumbed to her injuries less than two weeks later, on Sunday, police said.
Brod left behind five children – three sons, two daughters — and several grandchildren and great-grandchildren, according to her loved ones.
Born in Kremenchuk, Ukraine, Brod was among many Hasidim who fled Russia on escape trains to Poland, according to an online obituary.
She met her husband, Reb Chatzkel Brod, at the Poking displaced persons camp in Germany, the obit said.
They married there and had two daughters before moving to the US in 1951, according to Brod’s relatives.
The growing Chabad family lived in Brownsville before moving to Crown Heights in the mid-1950s.
Brod lived alone after her husband died 20 years ago.
On Thursday afternoon, her Crown Heights home – a short walk from the deadly crash – was filled with grieving family members sitting shiva, a seven-day Jewish mourning ritual.
Her son, Yosef Brod, 73, who works as a building engineer in Los Angeles, said his mother spent decades feeding patients at Brookdale University Hospital Medical Center.
“For over 50 years she would feed patients,” said Yosef, as he sat next to three lit candles. “Over 50 years day in and day out.”
Yosef said his mother, who was “very active in the community,” had “goodness and kindness going for her.”
Another son echoed his sentiments.
Mohamed Adan Mohamed, 24, was arrested on April 17 after he took off from a Mankato sporting goods store with more than $2,000 worth of ammunition magazines, body armor and bear spray, according to Blue Earth County charging documents.
Store employees had noticed Mohamed prowling about the shop in an oversized jacket, medical mask and hat, and grabbing expensive items off the shelves without checking the prices.
When they confronted him, he explained he was buying supplies for his AR-style rifle, according to the docs.
Police were called to the scene over reports of a suspicious person, but before they could arrive, Mohamed ran off with the goods as store security tried to stop him. He then leapt into a minivan without plates and sped away — jumping a curb and nearly hitting somebody in the process, the papers alleged.
However, he left behind a shopping list at the scene, labelled “Survival Gear List with Alternative” — which included a sleeping bag, gun magazines, pepper spray, knives, lighters and bow and arrows.
One of the responding officers reviewing the bizarre list remembered a recent investigation into a local man who’d been posting videos of himself pointing guns at the camera.
And the hashtags on those videos — allegedly posted by Mohamed — read “deathtoamerikkan&israelliImperialism,” according to police.
Investigators found that a Sienna matching the one seen at the scene was registered to Mohamed’s address in nearby St. Peter, and determined “there were strong indicators that Mohamed was preparing to conduct some sort of attack in the next twenty-four hours,” which they also called a possible “mass casualty event.”
Investigators searched Mohamed’s home and found an assault rifle and two 3D-printed guns. He was then arrested at his home.
Neighbors said they are saddened by Mohamed’s arrest but not entirely surprised. A former classmate recalled that he had been struggling with mental health since high school.
“We grew in St. Peter together, and it’s heartbreaking,” a neighbor named Dunia told CBS Minnesota. “We just start seeing Mohamed just start talking to himself, not socializing with us, with the kids.”
“He has a very beautiful heart,” she added. “He’s a really good guy. It’s just, he’s not mentally, physically there right now at the moment.”
Mohamed was charged with felony theft, and threats of violence. Both charges could carry sentences of up to five years in prison.
Unilever on Thursday said the conglomerate has no intention of selling Ben & Jerry’s — despite a bid by the founders of the popular ice cream brand to buy back the company.
Starting July 1, Unilever’s ice cream brands will be spun off and renamed the Magnum Ice Cream Company, a nod to the division’s other popular company. The spin-off will be listed in the Netherlands as a separate company.
“The separation and listing of ice cream is the option that we consider maximizes shareholder value, that has not changed,” Unilever CEO Fernando Fernandez said on a media call, according to Bloomberg.
Ben & Jerry’s did not immediately respond to The Post’s request for comment.
Ben & Jerry’s has been battling its London-based owner for years over its freedom to support liberal causes publicly, like protesting President Trump and the war in Gaza, and calling for police departments to be defunded.
In 2022, the ice cream brand sued Unilever for selling its Ben & Jerry’s business in Israel to a partner who continued to sell the sweet treats with slightly different branding.
The companies reached a settlement that same year, which required Unilever to respect Ben & Jerry’s independent board.
Earlier this week, news broke that Unilever allegedly threatened to pull funding for the Ben & Jerry’s Foundation, a nonprofit supporting organizations that advocate for prison reforms and undocumented youth.
Unilever demanded the foundation submit to an expedited audit to continue receiving funding – about $5 million each year, sources told Reuters.
“We have not made any threat,” Fernandez said, adding that audits are a valid form of governance and the company wants to know where its money is going.
“It is our responsibility to ensure that these funds are used properly,” he said. “It has to be allocated to areas or institutions that are absolutely in line with the ones that are part of the acquisition agreement.”
In March, Ben & Jerry’s claimed Unilever fired its chief executive David Stever, who started as a tour guide at the brand’s Waterbury, Vt., factory, over anti-Trump activism.
The brand argued the firing violated its 2000 merger agreement with Unilever.
Unilever responded that it has the authority to appoint a new chief executive, and that it would only make such a decision after speaking with the board.
Ben Cohen and Jerry Greenfield, childhood friends from Long Island, NY, founded the company in 1978. They sold the company to Unilever for $326 million in 2000.
Foreign Minister Gideon Sa'ar has submitted a request to Prof. Amir Yaron, Governor of the Bank of Israel, to carry out an extraordinary economic move and revoke the legal tender status of certain 200 Shekel bills.
The goal is to undermine Hamas’ economic power base in the Gaza Strip. Sa'ar explained that Hamas relies heavily on cash circulating within Gaza, estimated at billions of shekels.
According to Sa'ar, Hamas uses these bills to pay its operatives and collect “taxes” from merchants. According to a team of experts, who worked on a voluntary basis, about 80% of the amount in Gaza is held in 200 shekel bills.
“Denying the financing capacity of terrorist organizations in general and Hamas, in particular, is a vital pillar of the war effort,” Sa'ar wrote.
Sa'ar added that canceling a certain series of 200 shekel bills, which were transferred to Gaza in recent years, could deal a "strategic economic blow" to Hamas, disrupting its governance abilities and recruitment mechanisms.
In memory of the IDF female soldiers who fell in battle in this war while bravely defending the homeland until their last breath.
— Vivid.🇮🇱 (@VividProwess) April 23, 2025
May their memory be forever a blessing. pic.twitter.com/K0ocHHXcOQ
Tonight and tomorrow on Yom HaShoah, we at DIN remember the 6 million Jews who were brutally murdered during the Holocaust.
Rabbi Dov Landau, leader of the Lithuanian-haredi community and the dean of the Slabodka Yeshiva, was evacuated Thursday morning to Mayanei Hayeshua Medical Center after falling during the night.
Rabbi Landau, 95, fell while he was at his home and suffered great pain. Following his fall, Rabbi Landau did not attend the morning prayers at the yeshiva.
The hospital conducted a series of imaging and other tests on Rabbi Landau, and admitted him for further observation.
The family has asked the public to pray for the complete recovery of Rabbi Ephraim Dov, the son of Devora, among the other ill of Israel.
In 1942, Rabbi Azriel David Fastag, a cantor composer from the Modzitz hasidic sect, was squashed onto a train together with thousands of his Jewish brethren, on their way to the Treblinka death camp.
In the suffocating crush, he began humming a quiet tune to the words of the twelfth Principle of Faith, "I believe with full faith in the coming of Moshiach (the messiah)." The tune spread throughout the train car, becoming a tune of hope in the darkness.
Rabbi Azriel David, who sensed his end was near, asked that the tune be passed to his leader, the Modzitz Rebbe, who then lived in the US. He promised half of his portion in the World to Come to whoever succeeded in bringing the tune to the Rebbe.
Two Jews jumped from the train. One of them was killed, but the second succeeded in teaching the tune to the Modzitz Rebbe, Rabbi Shaul Yedidya Elazar Taub, who disseminated it throughout the Jewish world.
"With this tune, Jewish marched to the gas chambers, and with this tune, Jews will march to greet Moshiach," he said.
The tune became a symbol of hope and faith, and is performed to this day at Holocaust memorial events and ceremonies.
Police have confirmed the death of Barak Tzach, a 45-year-old father of four from Petah Tikva, in a rare shark attack off the coast of Hadera. His remains were recovered and positively identified by forensic experts after he went missing Monday while snorkeling.
Tzach had entered the water with a GoPro camera to document sharks — not feed them — contrary to early speculation. His wife, Sarit Tzach, said he was simply observing from a distance and used his camera stick to gently push the sharks away when they came too close.
Eyewitnesses described a terrifying scene. One woman told Channel 12 that Tzach shouted, “I’ve been bitten,” before being dragged away by several sharks. Bystanders captured the incident on video as it unfolded in the Mediterranean waters.
The attack occurred in an area known to attract sharks due to warm water discharged from a nearby power plant. Although the zone is officially off-limits to swimmers, many had entered the sea during the Passover holiday week, some reportedly interacting with the sharks.
Marine authorities say this is only the third recorded shark attack in Israel’s history — and the first fatal one in decades. Beaches in the area have been closed until further notice.
“I had the honor and privilege of meeting with senior members of the Republican Party at Trump’s Mar-a-Lago estate,” Ben-Gvir tweeted on Wednesday morning.
“They expressed support for my clear stance on how action should be taken in Gaza—that food and aid depots should be bombed to create military and political pressure to bring our hostages home,” he stated.
His office added that during the Mar-a-Lago dinner, Ben Gvir met with GOP House Majority Whip Tom Emmer (R-Minn.) and was invited to speak to members of Congress and senators from the Republican Party.
Addressing attendees in Hebrew through an interpreter, Ben-Gvir said, “I love you very much, I love the American people. We have a joint war against the jihadists—for many years, I’ve been fighting against them.”‘ ...
He added: “Thank God, we’ve made a few changes in Israel in how we treat jailed terrorists. It used to be like a hotel over there. We took away all their privileges, canteen, showers, television, radio.”
The statement from Ben-Gvir’s office said that the Tuesday evening dinner also included dozens of “senior businessmen” from Miami.
Ahead of the dinner, Ben-Gvir visited a Miami-area police station.
As part of the minister’s first-ever official visit abroad, which started on Monday, Ben-Gvir also met with Jewish community leaders, public figures and American government officials, his office stated.
Following his arrival at Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport on Monday, Ben-Gvir was hounded by left-wing Israeli activists, who accused the right-wing minister of being a “racist” and a “terrorist.”
After his arrival, Ben-Gvir met with members of the Boca Raton Jewish community, as well as the Aleph Institute, a group that supports Jewish inmates and is affiliated with the Chabad-Lubavitch movement.
On Monday, Ben-Gvir toured the Everglades Correctional Institute, meeting with Jewish inmates and observing rehabilitation programs.
The police minister also visited an Israeli supermarket in Hollywood, Florida, and stopped at a Jewish-owned gun store in the Miami area.
Ben-Gvir will leave for New York on Wednesday, including a stop at Yale University in Connecticut. There, he will meet with students and faculty at an off-campus event hosted by Shabtai, a global Jewish leadership society independent from the university.
The U.S. visit, which a spokesman for Ben-Gvir described to JNS earlier this month as “political-diplomatic,” marks the minister’s first official overseas visit since he joined the government in December 2022.