A new religious versus secular debate arose in Israel this week when media outlets reported on Tuesday that the Tel Aviv municipality has banned stands, including tefillin stands, within 100 meters of publicly owned buildings which service minors, such as schools. The decision was led by the Green Secular party, part of Tel Aviv Mayor Ron Huldai’s coalition, which is headed by Tel Aviv Deputy Mayor Reuven Ladianski. The news was condemned by religious political parties, religious groups and even secular personalities. A secular television host fiercely attacked the municipality’s decision, saying: “I heard the deputy mayor of Tel Aviv saying that they’re banning stands outside schools. What type of stands!? Tefillin stands of the wonderful Chabad who work with such ahavas Yisrael.

Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu joined reporters Yinon Magel, Erel Segal and Shimon Riklin in singing “Shabichi Yerushalayim” as part of Magel’s “Niggun L’Shabbos” program. Magel learns Gemara and Parshas HaShavua every Shabbos with Harav Dovid Druk and also sings a “niggun Shabbos” together with Segal and Riklin and posts it on Twitter, according to a Kikar HaShabbos report.

By Rabbi Shmuel Kamenetzky
By no stretch of the imagination is Newark, New Jersey, the epicenter of the Torah world. Yet for one evening, the city of Newark hosted the most significant celebration of Torah accomplishments in the United States: The World Siyum of Dirshu...
The post Dirshu World Siyum North America Highlight Video appeared first on The Yeshiva World.

German comedian Atze Schröder, 54, tearfully apologized to Auschwitz survivor Eva Szepesi for his father’s war crimes on a talk show last week and was slammed on social media by far-right extremists, JTA reported. Schröder told Szepesi that his father, who was drafted by the Nazis in 1941 and served for four years, “did horrible things as a soldier…He told me about them later.” The comedian’s apology was a spontaneous one in response to Szepesi, 87, sharing her experiences in Auschwitz on the talk show for a broadcast marking 75 years since Auschwitz’s liberation. Visibly moved by Szepesi’s harrowing memories, Schröder told Szepesi that his father “would probably apologize if he was sitting here.” He then arose and extended his hand to Szepesi, saying: “I am sorry.

New recordings obtained by police investigators revealing how Eliezer Berland, the leader of Shuvu Banim who was arrested on Sunday along with his associates, tried to intimidate people with physical violence, were aired on Channel 12 News on Wednesday evening. Berland is heard talking with the Shuvu Banim chief of operations Aharon Schwartz (Oren Amit) on one of the recordings, instructing him to use violence against two people. The conversation was recorded when Berland was in police custody in Tzalmon prison following his extradition to Israel after fleeing the country due to criminal charges against him for assaulting women.

Attorney General Bill Barr told ABC News on Thursday that President Donald Trump “has never asked me to do anything in a criminal case” but should stop tweeting about the Justice Department because his tweets “make it impossible for me to do my job.” Barr’s comments are a rare break with a president who the attorney general has aligned himself with and fiercely defended. But it also puts Barr in line with many of Trump’s supporters on Capitol Hill who say they support the president but wish he’d cut back on his tweets. Barr said he was prepared to accept the consequences of speaking out against the president. “I cannot do my job here at the department with a constant background commentary that undercuts me,” the attorney general said. (YWN World Headquarters – NYC)

The Jerusalem Magistrate’s Court on Thursday extended the arrest of Rabbi Eliezer Berland for eight days. During the court hearing, Berland’s lawyer complained that his client isn’t feeling well because he just underwent a catheterization. In response, the judge said: “Give him Mentos or Tic Tacs!,” a barb to Berland since news reports said that police discovered that some of the “medications” provided by Berland’s followers to patients and their families were Mentos candies. Berland and his underlings were arrested this week on charges of exploitation, money laundering and tax evasion, an ongoing intrigue that was originally revealed by a Channel 13 News investigation. Israel Police has collected over 200 testimonies against the suspects.

The excitement of Tiveria residents is rising along with the Kinneret water level, as it reaches a level last seen in 1992. Israel’s Water Authority announced on Wednesday morning that the Kinneret rose another 2.5 centimeters in the last 24 hours and the water level is now 209,995 meters below sea level, a level last reached in 2013. Regardless of the fact that if the Kinneret’s water level continues to rise, Tiveria will be at risk of flooding, locals are happy to be worrying about flooding rather than the drought they’ve become accustomed to. In any case, if flooding seems imminent, Israel’s Water Authority will open the dam at Kibbutz Degania, which will allow the water to flow into the Yarden, which is exactly what they did in 1992. ים כנרת.

Israel’s Foreign Ministry issued an official request to Japan on Wednesday to release the 15 Israeli passengers quarantined on the Japanese cruise ship Diamond Princess on which passengers were diagnosed with the coronavirus. Israel’s request came after Japan’s Health Ministry informed Israel’s Health Ministry that the Israeli passengers are slated to be released next week when the 14-day quarantine period ends. Foreign Minister Yisrael Katz said that there will be a meeting on Thursday in the ministry regarding the necessary preparations to bring the Israelis passengers back to Israel. Due to the chance that the Israeli passengers could contract the virus after leaving the ship, they will have to be quarantined again upon arrival in Israel.

A parcel containing Matzos, Tefillin, a Tallis, Sefarim, and Mezuzas were sent by Yad L’Achim to a Jewish man living in an enemy state. The operation was carried out via a third country that would receive a package from Israel and could also send packages to the enemy state. The Jewish man in question relayed in a letter to Yad L’Achim that he wanted other Jewish children in the country to see him act like a Jew and perform the mitzvos like a Jew.