Seventy-seven suspects who took an active part in the violent riots during the last few days and since the US president’s announcement recognizing Jerusalem as Israel’s capital, were arrested by the police. “Through fieldwork, intelligence gathering, documentation, sophisticated use of technology, and the determination of Israel Police investigators, the main suspects in the disturbances were mapped and identified. Our job is to maintain order and enable normal life and routine for normative citizens, and we will continue to act without compromise,” the police spokesman stated. During the past two days, 37 suspects who took an active part in the violent disturbances that took place in recent days in eastern Jerusalem have been arrested. This is in addition t...
The Best Gift Buyer When the cupbearer presented Yosef to Pharaoh, he tried to denigrate him by describing him as a “young lad”, a “Hebrew (a foreigner)”, and a “slave”. Despite this, Pharaoh was so impressed with Yosef's interpretation of his dream that he immediately appointed Yosef as viceroy over Egypt. What could Yosef have possibly said that impressed Pharaoh so greatly - enough for him to dismiss all of Yosef's "flaws" and immediately declare that he wanted Yosef, an inexperienced slave, to be the viceroy? Additionally, although we know that it was Hashem's will for Yosef to rule Egypt, what specific merit earned him this incredible position of power?   R’ Shimon lived in Jerusalem and was known for always paying spec...
The number of Americans applying for unemployment benefits fell by 11,000 last week to 225,000, the lowest in nearly two months and another sign that U.S. workers are enjoying job security. The Labor Department said Thursday that the less volatile four-week average also fell by 6,750 to 234,750. Overall, 1.89 million Americans are collecting unemployment checks, down more than 7 percent from a year earlier and close to a four-decade low reached in November. Unemployment claims are a proxy for layoffs. They’ve been below 300,000 a week for nearly three years, the longest stretch in more than four decades. The low levels reflect the strength of the job market and the overall economy. The unemployment rate has fallen to a 17-year low of 4.1 percent. Employers, who added 228,00...
Israel Chief Rabbi David Lau visited the wounded security guard, who was stabbed in the heart at the Central Jerusalem Bus Station earlier this week by a Palestinian terrorist. Asher Elmaliach was stabbed on Sunday afternoon. He was rushed to Shaare Zedek Medical Center in Jerusalem in critical condition. He has since been stabilized, but remains in very serious condition.
Chesed Chesed
Extremist Muslims in Germany have been staging anti-Israel and anti-Trump protests since the U.S. President Trump announced his recognition of Jerusalem as Israel’s capital last week. These protests have seen widespread coverage in the German press. One of these protests was scheduled to take place a short time before the scheduled lighting of the Menorah Tuesday night by Chabad of Berlin in the square in front of the Brandenburg Gate. The protesters obtained the required permits to hold a legal protest, something which caused a great deal of anguish for the Jewish community.  
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Police have made an arrest is an attempted abduction in Boro Park. An 8-year-old boy was walking home from school this past Monday, at around 4:30PM, when a man stopped his vehicle on 16 Avenue and 54 Street and asked the child to get into his vehicle. The frightened child thankfully did not listen – and ran home. Police investigated the matter, and sources confirm that the NYPD’s 66 Precinct Detective Squad has taken this individual into custody. His identity and the changes have not been publicized yet. While this incident ended in a swift arrest, please use this opportunity to speak to your children to always be aware of their surroundings, and never to talk to strangers or get into a vehicle with a stranger.
The Famous Question We all know the famous question of the Beis Yosef (Orach Chaim 670) as to why we celebrate Chanukah for 8 days if the miracle of the oil was only 7 days, because the jug contained enough oil to burn for one day. This question was already asked by Tosfos HaRosh and Meiri (Shabbos 21a), commentators that Beis Yosef did not have access to in his time. I’m going to offer you 18 answers, but before that, allow me to share two thoughts based on Ramban alone, and then a third thought which is an answer to the above question based on Ramban as well as 17 other answers. 1) The Sin of the Chashmonaim The Chashmonaim were a great family of Kohanim, and they led the Jewish battle and protected their people. They were great activists and very righteous; they led their brot...
Man is a child of his environment - Shinichi Suzuki Sometimes, you really can’t see the forest for the trees… Awash in riches, it is not only possible but probable that one loses sight of value.  During Yosef’s lifetime, the Egyptians were so lost in their wealth and plenty that they were blind to the seven years of famine ahead.  Like the Egyptians, we are blinded by our own culture of “too much”.  We are a culture defined by our addictions – to our material wealth, to our smartphones, to our lascivious ways, to our alcohol, our drugs, our desire for status and recognition.  * * * The concluding scene in, The Raiders of the Lost Ark, depicts the Ark of the Covenant – the Ark of the Covenant – crated and being put in...
The Education Ministry is seeking to raise the budgetary allocations for Hesder Yeshivos, while maintaining a sense of harsh castigation against Charedi Yeshivos. Israeli press sites reported on Wednesday that the Ministry is seeking to raise the level of funding for Hesder Yeshiva students to 90 percent of what a pre-military academy student receives. The current subsidy is somewhere around 75 percent, making the raise a sharp increase while Charedi Yeshivos receive a far lower stipend for their students. The reports state that the current stipend for a Hesder Yeshiva student is four times that amount that a Charedi Yeshiva receives for their students, and Education Minister Naftali Bennett, is looking to make the Hesder stipends even larger. The Director of Union of Charedi...
Democrats and the media are accusing anyone who criticizes special counsel Robert Mueller as Trumpian conspirators trying to undermine his probe. But who needs critics when Mr. Mueller’s team is doing so much to undermine its own credibility? Wednesday’s revelations—they’re coming almost daily—include the Justice Department’s release of 2016 text messages to and from Peter Strzok, the FBI counterintelligence agent whom Mr. Mueller demoted this summer. The texts, which he exchanged with senior FBI lawyer Lisa Page, contain expletive-laced tirades against Mr. Trump. Such Trump hatred is no surprise and not by itself disqualifying. More troubling are texts that suggest that some FBI officials may have gone beyond antipathy to anti-Trump plotting. &ldquo...
CareFirst BlueCross BlueShield officials joined Mayor Catherine Pugh Wednesday to announce new efforts to combat the opioid problem in Baltimore City and the region. The insurance company plans to invest $1.5 million in local non-profits that serve the Baltimore and Washington D.C. area. CareFirst officials said they also plan to expand recovery centers, implement a program to assist users with both physical and mental health, and limit the amount of drugs prescribed. "Everybody knows somebody who has been touched by this, we call it, disease. It is a health crisis. And so, to the extent that we continue to work together on these kinds of efforts, I think it will change the outcomes to so many other individuals," Pugh said. More than 2,000 people died last year in Maryland from opioid ...
The Beth Medrash Govoha Department of Government Affairs has provided the following update on the nationwide effort to save the Qualified Tuition Benefit that is so crucial to Mechanchim and which has a cascade effect on mosdos and all parents: This evening, multiple sources are reporting that the House elimination of the Sec. 117(d) Qualified Tuition Reduction was not included in the GOP Tax Reform Deal. This benefit for mechanchim and school employees has been protected in the final deal. Eliminating Sec. 117(d) would have caused the loss to Rebbeim, educators, teachers and their families of hundreds of millions of dollars each year, financially devastating the North American Yeshiva system. This threat has now receded and our network of activists are staying on top of this to se...
Baltimore, MD - Dec. 14, 2017 - The cold weather is upon us. Along with this comes increased risk for auto theft due to the desire to warm cars up before getting in. This morning a Toyota Sienna was stolen from the 3900 Block of Pinkney Rd. It is clear on the surveillance video what occurred. The victim started the car using the push button ignition. The video shows 2 black males walking past the home and coming back a few minutes later and stealing the vehicle. Please be on the lookout for a Grey Toyota Sienna License Plate # 5AX0497. If you see this vehicle please call Shomrim (410.358.9999) and the Baltimore City PoliceThis time of year always sees an uptick in these “puffer” thefts. Law enforcement refers to them as puffer thefts because of the puffs of exhaust vapor that c...
The US embassy in Israel is unlikely to be relocated to Jerusalem during President Donald Trump’s first term in office, Secretary of State Rex Tillerson said this week, changing his original estimate of two years needed to build a new facility in the Israeli capital. Last Wednesday, President Trump formally recognized Jerusalem as Israel’s capital city, and ordered the State Department to begin work on relocating the embassy, currently located in Tel Aviv, to Jerusalem. “[C]onsistent with the Jerusalem Embassy Act, I am also directing the State Department to begin preparations to move the American embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem,” said Trump. “This will immediately begin the process of hiring architects, engineers, and planners so that a new embassy, when...
Terrorists have struck, or tried to strike, New York City several times since the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks. Here’s a look at some of the plots that succeeded and fizzled. 2003: Iyman Faris, a former Ohio truck driver, is arrested for a never-implemented plot to destroy the Brooklyn Bridge by severing its suspension cables. He later pleads guilty. 2004: Shahawar Matin Siraj, 24, is arrested on the eve of the Republican National Convention for hatching an unsuccessful plot to blow up the Herald Square subway station in Manhattan. Though there was no proof he ever obtained explosives, prosecutors said he had deadly intentions. He was sentenced to 30 years. 2005: An alleged plot to set off explosives in rail tunnels under the Hudson River never gets off the ground. Assem Hammoud ...
With the prime minister facing a slew of corruption allegations, the peace process at a standstill and the government moving to stifle critics, it is no secret that Israel is a deeply polarized nation. But a new survey released on Tuesday shows just how divided the country has become. The annual Israeli Democracy Index found that 45 percent, or just under half of Israelis, believe the country’s democratic system of government is in serious danger. But the survey found very different sentiment among different parts of the population. Just 23 percent of Jewish right-wing and religious voters, the base of support for Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s government, fear that Israel’s democracy is in danger. Yet among Jewish left-wing voters found in the opposition tha...
True to form, former “Apprentice” star Omarosa is ending her time at the White House with a dose of drama. Omarosa Manigault Newman, one of President Donald Trump’s most prominent African-American supporters, was escorted off the White House grounds after resigning her post as a presidential adviser, according to two White House officials who spoke on condition of anonymity. White House press secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders said Wednesday that Manigault Newman’s resignation is effective Jan. 20, one year after Trump’s inauguration. “We wish her the best in future endeavors and are grateful for her service,” Sanders said. The president also bid her farewell, tweeting: “Thank you Omarosa for your service! I wish you continued success....
Confident congressional Republicans forged an agreement Wednesday on a major overhaul of the nation’s tax laws that would provide generous tax cuts for corporations and the wealthiest Americans, and deliver the first major legislative accomplishment to the GOP president. Middle- and low-income families would get smaller tax cuts, though Trump and GOP leaders have billed the package as a huge benefit for the middle class. The measure would scrap a major tax requirement of Barack Obama’s Affordable Care Act, a step toward the ultimate GOP goal of unraveling the law. “The cynical voices that opposed tax cuts grow smaller and weaker, and the American people grow stronger,” Trump said at the White House. “This is for people of middle income, this is for com...
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