Rock star Aviv Geffen, almost an icon of the left-wing Tel Aviv crowd, isn’t known for his warm feelings for religious people. But something in his thinking shifted after receiving 420 messages from Bnei Brak residents who thanked him for his unexpected public support. He was moved to tears and shed tears again when speaking about the experience in a TV interview. The story began when Gefen gave a live virtual performance and on the spur of the moment decided to dedicate a song to the residents of Bnei Brak. Gefen described what happened during an interview with Channel 12: “At a live virtual performance, I said – I didn’t prepare beforehand – ‘they’re not guilty [for the high rate of infections in their community].

Channel 13 News aired a clip of Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu comparing the actions of the Peleg Yerushalmi group to those of various cults around the world. One of the defining characteristics during the height of the coronavirus pandemic in Israel was the absolute refusal of certain elements within the Chareidi world to follow the instructions of Israel’s Health Ministry which included the prohibition against davening in a minyan. The refusal to adhere to the rules originally began among the extremist groups within the Chareidi world such as the Peleg Yerushalmi, but dragged the entire Chareidi public down with them, leading to a public discourse of hatred against the Chareidi public in the mainstream and social media.

Following the swearing-in of the 35th government last week, confirming Binyamin Netanyahu once again as Israel’s prime minister – against all odds and despite three indictments against him – B’Chadrei Chareidim re-visited the “election prophet” – Rav Meir Turheim of Lod who did it again, accurately predicting Netanyahu’s win. Rav Turnheim told B’Chadrei that throughout the past year, as Israel endured three elections, representatives of several right-wing parties contacted him to ascertain if Netanyahu actually still had a chance to win. “I knew that it wasn’t a simple mission and I understood the great responsibility on my shoulders,” Rav Turnheim said. “I sat for long nights to try to decipher what’s written in [the Torah].

By Rabbi Yair Hoffman for 5TJT.com We are living in difficult times.  Firstly, the loss of countless lives.  Secondly, the impending economic disaster; the loss of jobs, the blow to the businesses – some of which have changed forever.  The massive depressions and shalom bayis issues that COVID-19 has wreaked. Yes, we certainly do need the Geulah.  And here is how to bring it about. The Chofetz Chaim has written in numerous places that the studying and clarification of the halachos of avodas HaMikdash is the means through which Geulah will come.  That being the case, and the fact that each of the 3 regalim contain the Mitzvah of being oleh regel – we can certainly gain a lot by studying these halachos.

Do you remember The Siyum? Yes, the day Klal Yisrael gathered together, hundreds of thousands strong at MetLife Stadium, Barclays Center and dozens of locations around the world, to celebrate Torah. Yes, The Siyum may now sound like a distant dream – can you imagine being able to go somewhere, daven with the world’s largest minyan, and even dance with strangers? But, no matter how many tens of days March had this year, The Siyum still lives on.  Even with Yeshivos closed and Shuls shuttered, Torah is not on lockdown. On phone conferences and Zoom meetings around the world, Daf Yomi is being learned. We are just as connected and united as before, because our nation understands that Torah is our life – ki heim chayeinu.  Torah learning connects us.

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In a meeting that took place on Sunday with the Minister of Transportation and Road Safety Miri Regev and Health Minister Yuli Edelstein in attendance, it was decided that public transportation would increase its operations in a monumental way. As of May 28th, the number of people allowed on an inter-city bus will increase from 23 to 46. Thus, with the exception of the row directly behind the driver, every seat on a bus can be occupied. The prohibition of people standing on buses will continue. On intra-city buses, the number of passengers will increase from 20 to 49 on a regular bus and from 30 to 75 on an accordion bus. On intra-city buses, passengers will now be allowed to stand. Minibuses and taxis will be allowed to travel with up to 75 percent capacity.

We need your help to save our boys, Shalom Binyomin, “Benny” and Yehoshua Natan, “Josh”. Benny and Josh were diagnosed with a devastating, fatal disease called Canavan Disease two and half years ago. Their diagnosis changed our lives forever. Canavan Disease is a progressive brain disorder caused by a genetic mutation that affects children. Children with Canavan Disease are unable to sit, stand, walk or talk. As degeneration progresses, many children will lose the ability to swallow, develop seizures, and experience blindness. Children with Canavan Disease often don’t live past age 10. CLICK HERE TO DONATE After recovering from the initial shock of the diagnosis, we began to research the disease and learned about a neuroscientist who has dedicated her life to curing Canavan disease.

Since the beginning of the government’s more loosening of the regulations set up to protect against COVID-19, nearly 170,000 Israelis have begun working once again. The number seems large, but compared to the number of people who lost their jobs or were put on unpaid leave it is quite small. Close to 1.2 million Israelis found themselves without work due to the regulations enforced surrounding the Coronavirus. These workers make up one-quarter of the entirety of the Israeli workforce. The government stepped in and the Labor Office set up unemployment payments to all of these workers. However, even with the regulations lightning and people going out more, 1,237 people registered for unemployment since Thursday.

Talmudei Torah in Jerusalem neighborhoods which were categorized as “red zones” in the past were finally given the green light to reopen on Friday. According to a Kikar H’Shabbos report, principals and parents of children in once “red zone” neighborhoods have been fighting a protracted battle to reopen their educational institutions despite the fact that the numbers of new coronavirus cases have decreased dramatically and are even now lower than some secular areas. Some of the schools re-opened on Sunday morning and others are waiting until Monday morning. Meanwhile, in Sanhedria Murchevet, a kindergarten assistant in the Chachmas Shlomo cheder was diagnosed with the coronavirus, forcing two groups of kindergartners, each with 30 children, into quarantine.