Former Hamas captive Erez Kalderon celebrated his bar mitzvah in Kiryat Gat, southeast of Ashkelon, on Thursday, after marking his 12th birthday in the Gaza Strip.
Hamas terrorists kidnapped Kalderon, along with his father, Ofer, and 16-year-old sister, Sahar, from their home in Kibbutz Nir Oz during the terrorist attacks in southern Israel on Oct. 7, 2023.
Erez and Sahar were among 105 hostages released last November as part of a weeklong ceasefire between Israel and Hamas. Ofer, now 53, remains a captive in Gaza.
“It was very difficult. For probably the first time in the last year, we let ourselves celebrate for Erez to feel some joy in almost 400 days,” Eyal Kalderon, Ofer’s cousin, told JNS on Sunday.

In a significant announcement for Yeshivas Rabbeinu Chaim Berlin, the yeshiva has announced the appointment of Rav Yosef Halioua and Rav Tzvi Fink as the new roshei yeshiva of the yeshiva in Brooklyn, NY.
The announcement was made moments ago at the yeshiva by Rav Chaim Kitevits, longtime senior R”M at the yeshiva.
This announcement comes a little over a week after the shocking petirah of Hagaon Rav Shlomo Halioua zt”l, the previous rosh yeshiva, who left an indelible mark on the yeshiva and its greater community. Rav Shlomo, as is well known, was a son-in-law of the previous rosh yeshiva, Rav Aharon Schechter.

In a unique development just days before the U.S. presidential election, the zekan roshei hayeshivos in America, Maran Rav Shmuel Kamenetsky, rosh yeshiva of Yeshiva of Philadelphia and senior member of the Moetzes Gedolei HaTorah of Agudas Yisroel of America, extended his bracha for the re-election of President Donald Trump.
In a recording obtained by Matzav.com, Rav Shmuel is heard offering his bracha during a conversation with his close talmid and gabbai, Rav Leizer Weinman.
“Blessing to President Trump that he’ll win the election,” Rav Shmuel is heard saying.
“Who?”
“President Trump.”
Listen to the recording here:

With the US Presidential Election coming up on Tuesday, the rosh yeshiva of the Kissei Rachamim Yeshiva, Rav Meir Mazuz, called for Tefillos for a victory for former President Trump.
During his weekly shiur, Rav Mazuz said: “We must daven that Trump wins these elections. Even though Trump is from Germany, he has good attributes and he loves Israel.”
Rav Mazuz mentioned Trump’s Jewish family members, saying: “He has a grandson or granddaughter who’s Jewish. And there’s a picture of him taking his grandson on Shabbat to the Beit Knesset before Mincha, and he encourages and blesses him.”
{Matzav.com} 

An American rosh yeshiva shared with Matzav.com that reports concerning Rav Asher Deutsch’s guidance on the yeshiva schedule for bein hazemanim were misinterpreted.
Contrary to initial news reports, Rav Deutsch clarified that he did not instruct yeshivos to maintain the current bein hazemanim schedule without any changes.

Among the thousands who visited Maran Rav Moshe Hillel Hirsch, Rosh Yeshivas Slabodka, over Yom Tov was Rav Mordechai Binyamin Zilberberg, the rov of the Shikun Hei neighborhood in Bnei Brak and rosh yeshiva of Yeshivas Yad Binyamin. He engaged in various discussions with the Rosh Yeshiva.
During the conversation, Rav Zilberberg mentioned that a few months ago, the Rosh Yeshiva had been quoted as saying there was no reason to fear Hezbollah. “In a speech I gave,” he said, “I mentioned that Rav Moshe Hillel doesn’t say things lightly,” and indeed, we see that the Rosh Yeshiva’s words hold true.
Then Rav Zilberberg added, “When I hear the Rosh Yeshiva, I hear Rav Shteinman.”

Yeshiva Beth Yehudah, the largest and oldest Jewish day school in Michigan, will hold its annual dinner this Sunday, November 3, at the Detroit Marriott, marking a significant milestone, 110 years since its founding.
Former United Kingdom Prime Minister Boris Johnson will be the evening’s featured speaker.
This year’s dinner will honor Matt Lester, a prominent Detroit entrepreneur and philanthropist, with the Outstanding Leadership Award. Lester is the founder and CEO of Princeton Enterprises.

It is with great sadness that Matzav.com reports the passing of the Mattersdorfer Rebbetzin, Rebbetzin Shaina Feigel Ehrenfeld a”h.
The rebbetzin was the devoted wife of the late Mattersdorfer Rov, Rav Simcha Bunim Ehrenfeld zt”l, member of the Moetzes Gedolei HaTorah of Agudas Yisroel of America, and a daughter of Rav Shmuel Avrohom Zeltenreich zt”l, the Chakover Rov.
Rebbetzin Ehrenfeld was a beloved matriarch of an outstanding mishpacha. Her boundless kindness to all and her dedication to Torah profoundly impacted her family and community.

Larry Snelling, superintendent of the Chicago Police Department, announced that the city is adding one felony count of terrorism and one felony count of a hate crime to the 14 felony charges brought against Sidi Mohamed Abdallahi.
Abdallahi, 22, is accused of shooting a 39-year-old Jewish man, as well as firing at police officers and paramedics on Oct. 26. Snelling said that investigators found evidence on the accused gunman’s phone that indicated that he deliberately targeted Jews.
“We did not secure these charges because of public pressure” or media coverage, the police official said, speaking at a press conference at 4:30 p.m. local time at Chicago Police Department headquarters.

In this crucial time for Klal Yisroel, the Moetzes Gedolei Hatorah has issued a call regarding our duty to participate in the democratic process. As the Moetzes statement below explains, participating in the election process is not merely a civic responsibility, but a profound expression of our commitment to the well-being of our fellow Jews wherever they reside.
May our collective efforts be mekadeish Sheim Shomayim and bring about bracha and hatzlacha to Klal Yisroel.
[Free Translation]
The third day of the parsha of “Vera’u kol amei ha’aretz ki Sheim Hashem nikra alecha” – Ki Savo 5784.