In a shmuess delivered ahead of Shavuos, HaRav Avrohom Yehoshua Soloveitchik, shlita, Rosh Yeshivas Brisk, called upon his talmidim—particularly the newly arrived bochurim—not to daven in the nearby Zichron Moshe shtieblach, saying that it is inappropriate for yeshiva bochurim and often leads to bittul zman. Rav Avrohom Yehoshua addressed the yeshiva following the inauguration of a new beis medrash building, which opened in time for the summer zman. The upper floor of the building now houses a spacious new beis medrash with over 350 seats. During his remarks, the Rosh Yeshiva lamented the habit of bochurim leaving the yeshiva grounds to daven in Zichron Moshe.

The antisemitism in Canada has reached new heights, with the Toronto Sun reporting on Sunday that Canadian federal police have launched a criminal probe into potential war crimes in Gaza, the Toronto Star reported on Tuesday. According to the report, the probe by the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) into the “Israel-Hamas armed conflict” was launched in early 2024 but has only been revealed now.

A convicted felon who spewed antisemitic slurs outside a Michigan synagogue and threatened Jewish children and parents has pleaded guilty to federal firearms offenses in what prosecutors describe as a chilling plot to carry out a mass shooting. Hassan Chokr, 35, confronted preschoolers and their families outside Temple Beth El in Bloomfield Hills in December 2022 while out on bail for an unrelated assault case. According to the U.S. Department of Justice, Chokr shouted antisemitic threats as young children entered the building with their parents. Just hours after the confrontation, Chokr drove to a gun store in Dearborn and attempted to purchase three semi-automatic weapons, including an AR-15-style rifle and a Landor Arms automatic shotgun.

A new Israel Health Ministry report has revealed deeply troubling trends about smoking among Israeli teens, particularly within the frum community. According to a first-of-its-kind survey, more than half of Charedi high school students — and a staggering 80% of yeshiva dropouts — have experimented with smoking. The findings, presented to the Knesset as part of the annual smoking report, highlight a sharp rise in the use of electronic cigarettes and flavored tobacco products, often mistakenly perceived by youth as less harmful than traditional cigarettes. While the overall adult smoking rate in Israel remains steady at around 20.5% — roughly 30% higher than the global average — smoking and nicotine use are increasingly prevalent among teenagers.

By Rabbi Yair Hoffman Her name was Chana Breina Bas R’ Ephraim a”h and the levaya took place at the Agudah of Long Island.  She was the quintessential Aishes Chayil and the heart of Bikkur Cholim. She housed so many people and personified hachnasa orchim and chessed.  She was a remarkable teacher who was so […]

Former New York Governor Andrew Cuomo, speaking to the New York Times, said he regrets his 2021 resignation from the governorship amid harassment allegations, suggesting he would have handled the situation differently if given another chance. Cuomo, who stepped down during his third term, said, “If I had to do it again, I wouldn’t have resigned.” “At the time, I thought that I would be a distraction to government functionality, that they would all be involved in impeachment proceedings, blah, blah, blah,” he continued. “Looking back, what has really been done in the past four years anyway, right?” – a pointed critique at his successor, Governor Kathy Hochul.

Just days after the IDF revealed it had quietly used a laser defense system to down dozens of Hezbollah drones over northern Israel last year, defense giant Rafael has pulled back the curtain even further — unveiling a next-generation family of laser weapons poised to revolutionize the battlefield. At the heart of the showcase is the Iron Beam 450, an upgraded version of Israel’s first operational laser air defense system, slated for delivery to the IDF by the end of 2025. Billed as the most advanced high-energy laser system in the world, the Iron Beam 450 can take down drones, rockets, and other airborne threats from up to 10 kilometers away — silently and at a fraction of the cost of traditional missile interceptors.

In a bombshell revelation aired Wednesday evening on Channel 13’s flagship news broadcast, recordings of an extraordinary English-language conversation between Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and HaGaon Rav Moshe Hillel Hirsch, have surfaced. The lengthy dialogue, believed to have been recorded ahead of last March’s state budget vote, captures Netanyahu unequivocally committing to advance the Chareidi draft law while admitting to ousting former Defense Minister Yoav Gallant and IDF Chief of Staff Herzi Halevi due to their stances, which he claims obstructed progress on this critical issue. “We need to save not only the State of Israel but also the world of Torah,” Netanyahu began, setting the tone for the conversation.

In a joint operation by the Shin Bet and Israel Police, a resident of the Issawiya neighborhood in East Jerusalem was recently arrested on suspicion of carrying out missions for Iranian intelligence operatives, officials announced Tuesday. According to the investigation, the suspect — in his 30s — was recruited by Iranian agents after expressing a willingness to undertake assignments in exchange for money and out of a stated hatred for Jews. He reportedly told interrogators that he “hated Jews and wanted to murder Jews and die as a martyr (shahid).” The Shin Bet revealed that the suspect had agreed to carry out a terrorist attack in central Israel and had also attempted to enlist his family members, including his mother, to carry out additional missions within Israeli territory.

If elections were held in Israel today, the parties supporting Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s government would only garner 48 seats—far below the 60-seat majority needed to form a coalition, according to a new Channel 12 poll. Conversely, a bloc led by former Prime Minister Naftali Bennett, comprising opposition parties including his newly registered party, would secure a commanding 72 seats. The poll indicates that without including Arab-majority parties Hadash Ta’al or Ra’am, the opposition bloc would still reach 62 seats, surpassing the threshold for forming a government.