Following the petirah of Rav Asher Deutsch zt”l, rosh yeshiva of Ponovezh and leader of the Peleg Yerushalmi, Hagaon Rav Ezriel Auerbach, 88, has been chosen as his successor.
Rav Auerbach, the brother of Hagaon Rav Shmuel Auerbach zt”l, who founded the movement, and a son-in-law of Hagaon Rav Yosef Shalom Elyashiv, made his first public statement during a gathering held at his home yesterday. He declared that he would continue in the path of his predecessors.

מראות חיי הגאון רבי אשר דויטש זצ”לצילום: ארכיון
מראות חיי הגאון רבי אשר דויטש זצ”לצילום: ארכיון
מראות חיי הגאון רבי אשר דויטש זצ”לצילום: ארכיון

Thousands followed the aron of the Rosh Yeshiva, Hagaon Rav Asher Deutsch zt”l, Rosh Yeshiva of Ponevezh and leader of the Peleg Yerushalmi.
According to his tzavaah, the aron was brought only to the courtyard of the yeshiva, not inside the bais medrash. Tehillim was recited with intense fervor by the Mashgiach of Ponevezh Yeshiva, Rav Eliyahu Eliezer Dessler. As per Rav Deutsch’s wishes, no hespeidim were delivered.
Afterward, the aron proceeded to the cemetery, with gedolei hador at the head of the procession, including Rav Meir Zvi Bergman, Rav Dov Landau, and Rav Moshe Hillel Hirsch.

A highly anticipated concert in London featuring singer Bentzion Hakohein “Benny” Friedman is facing an unexpected setback. Matzav.com has learned that the venue originally secured for the show, the Clapham Grand, canceled the event just one day after tickets were made available for sale.
The concert, part of the Am Yisrael Chai Tour organized in partnership with ACM Events, has been months in the making, with the tour spreading a message of Jewish pride to audiences around the world. London, a city that has been consistently requesting Benny’s performances for several years, was selected for two shows—one in London on January 6 and another in Manchester on January 7.

The Chief Rabbinate of Israel on Monday called on the public to pray for rain, in the first joint ruling issued since Rav Kalman Ber and Rav Dovid Yosef were voted in as the country’s Ashkenazi and Sephardi chief rabbis, respectively.
“We are in the midst of the month of Kislev and have not yet received the rains of blessing,” the rabbis wrote. “The people in the fields and crops of the land are desperate for water and, unfortunately, there is none.”
“We call on the public in every location to pray and beg Him who blesses the years to have mercy on His people and His land and answer us and rain down upon us dew and rain for blessing,” added Rav Ber and Rav Yosef.

The noted mashpia, Rav Tzvi Meir Zilberberg, head of Chaburas Nachlas Yaakov in Yerushalayim, convened thousands for the annual “Oim Ani Choma” asifa, emphasizing complete separation from the harmful influences of technology.
This year, the event took place at the large Vizhnizter Beis Medrash in Bnei Brak, with over 10,000 participants arriving via dozens of buses organized from across the country.
The gathering attracted people from all walks of life, including Litvishe attendees and members of the Religious Zionist community.

Yesterday, a historic moment unfolded as over 10,000 people gathered at the Copper Box Arena in London for a grand siyum hosted by Dirshu.
The event marked the culmination of Maseches Shabbos in the Dirshu Daf HaYomi B’Amud program, as well as the beginning of Maseches Eiruvin.
This monumental occasion was not merely a celebration of Torah learning, but a testament to the enduring dedication to limud haTorah within Klal Yisroel.

It is with great sadness that Matzav.com reports the petirah of Hagaon Rav Asher Hakohein Deutsch zt”l, Rosh Yeshiva of Ponevezh. He was 79 years old.
in recent months, the health of the Rosh Yeshiva zt”l had deteriorated, and he was hospitalized multiple times at the Ma’ayanei Hayeshua Hospital after contracting a devastating illness. Since then, his condition worsened, and heartfelt tefillos for his recovery were recited throughout the Torah world. However, on Friday evening, his condition worsened, and the doctors fought for his life. Today, his body’s systems collapsed and he was niftar.
The levayah will take place this evening at 8:00 PM from the Ponevezh Yeshiva in Bnei Brak.

Israeli Prime Minister Bibi Netanyahu’s office on Sunday strongly condemned former Sephardi chief rabbi Rav Yitzchok Yosef’s statement that even chareidi men who are not studying in yeshiva should not serve in the Israel Defense Forces.
The rabbi’s words are “unacceptable and worthy of all condemnation,” said the PMO, adding, “we will not accept expressions of insubordination from any side.”
Rav Yosef sparked outrage by saying in remarks made public on Sunday that “it is forbidden to go to the army, even for one who is idle.”