In a dramatic halachic ruling, Hagaon Rav Moshe Sternbuch, the senior posek and raavad of the Badatz of the Eidah Hachareidis, has declared that anyone who was in Yerushalayim at dawn on Purim morning must not leave the city during the day.
The psak, which has significant halachic implications, was delivered by Rav Sternbuch during his shiur to members of the Teshuvos Vehanhagos Kollel, and has sparked widespread discussion.

Renowned and beloved composer Yossi Green has unveiled a special musical composition for Purim, Shoshanas Yaakov, written in honor of the Munkatcher Rebbe, Rav Moshe Leib Rabinowitz.
Sung by Yossi himself, the production below features the musical arrangements by Mendy Hershkowitz and the masterful vocal production by Yossi Tyberg.
From conception to completion, the entire production was accomplished in less than 36 hours in an effort to present the song to the Rebbe before Purim this year.
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Credits:
Composed by: Yossi Green
Produced by: Yossi Tyberg
Arranged by: Mendy Hershkowitz

Footage has surfaced showing Iran’s Chief Rabbi Yehuda Gerami reading Megillas Esther at the kever of Mordechai and Esther in Hamadan, Iran on leil Purim tonight.
Rabbi Gerami and his followers were also seen dancing outside the kever complex before Mincha. The rabbi then proceeded to read Megillas Esther after Maariv.
Mordechai and Esther are believed to be buried in a mausoleum located in Hamadan, thought to be the ancient city of Shushan mentioned in Megillas Esther. This tradition, however, is not accepted by all beyond the Iranian Jewish community.
Iran is home to approximately 8,500 Jews, with the majority residing in Tehran, Isfahan, and Shiraz.
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Rabbonim from Yerushalayim and other cities have urged people to avoid traveling between cities on Friday, recommending that if travel is absolutely necessary, it should be done in the morning hours.
This year, the majority of Israel will observe Purim on Friday, while in Yerushalayim and a few other locations, the Yom Tov is on Shabbos and Sunday, for a Purim Meshulash.
This cautionary advice has been issued due to concerns that there could be severe traffic congestion on the highways, particularly given the timing of the Yom Tov.

Voting is underway stateside for the so-called “parliament of the Jewish people.”
The election for the 39th World Zionist Congress, which opened on Monday, will last until May 4, with major ramifications for the allocation of more than $1 billion of funding for Israel and world Jewry and shaping Zionist institutions for the next few years.
The election is the first for the congress since the end of the Covid pandemic, internal Israeli political strife and Oct. 7, and many see it as a referendum on the Israeli government and Jewish organizational leadership.

In a surprising development, Matzav.com and Yeshiva World News have jointly announced that they are merging into a single powerhouse of online news, bringing a seismic shift to the frum media landscape.
Sources close to both websites have confirmed that the merger, which is set to take effect on Shushan Purim, is in response to the overwhelming realization that two separate sites simply aren’t necessary anymore.
“After all,” said one anonymous insider, “why the need for two websites when you can have one mega-site that covers every angle of frum life, from shidduch suggestions to political opinions, from COVID-19 updates to the latest yeshiva drama?”

The Israel Defense Forces’ Military Rabbinate distributed almost half a million hamantaschen, or oznei Haman cookies, the army said ahead of Purim night.
Approximately 460,000 hamantaschen in the flavors of chocolate, poppy seed and date arrived at army bases across the country, according to the IDF announcement. Vegan and gluten-free options are also provided. Around 5,000 Purim gift baskets were distributed to various units.
The army gave out 125,000 copies of Megillas Esther.
For soldiers to familiarize themselves with the various halachos of Purim, 8,000 books were distributed.

Milwaukee’s Jewish community is filled with joy and gratitude as Rav Michel Twerski and Rebbetzin Twerski have returned home after undergoing successful surgeries in Chicago.
The beloved rov and rebbetzin, who have been away for the past two months, were warmly greeted today by members of the community eager to welcome them back.

The health of the Vizhnitzer Rebbe of Bnei Brak, Rav Yisroel Hager, who is currently in Los Angeles for medical treatment, has shown notable improvement, according to sources in the Vizhnitzer kehillah.
The Rebbe is expected to be hospitalized this Friday—on Purim itself—in preparation for a medical procedure scheduled for Monday at a Los Angeles hospital.
In a recorded message sent to thousands of chassidim, Vizhnitzer leaders shared the encouraging update, attributing the improvement to the heartfelt tefillos of Klal Yisroel. They urged the public to continue davening for the Rebbe’s refuah, particularly on Ta’anis Esther and Purim.

Rav Yitzchok Berkovits, rosh yeshiva of Yeshiva Aish HaTorah and rosh kollel of the Jerusalem Kollel, has issued a strong statement regarding the current World Zionist Organization (WZO) elections, emphasizing the critical importance of participation for the Torah community.
“The election is not about us becoming Zionists,” Rav Berkovits clarified. “They are to prevent the Reform from siphoning off money and using it to bring Reform to Eretz Yisroel. They openly say it is about undoing all the accomplishments of [Eretz HaKodesh].”
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