Agudath Israel of America introduces the second episode of its compelling new initiative, Torah Perspectives, designed to provide profound wisdom and valuable insights from gedolei Yisroel and prominent rabbonim. This video series aims to address contemporary issues through the timeless lens of Torah, offering guidance, inspiration, and chizuk to the wider Jewish community.
In this episode, once again hosted by Rabbi Yitzchok Hisiger, Agudath Israel’s Director of Torah Initiatives, we are zocheh to hear from Dayan Aharon Dovid Dunner, rav of Adass Yisroel Tottenham of London and dayan with the Union of Orthodox Hebrew Congregations, speaking on the topic of “The Scourge of Machklokes: Fights, Divorces, and the Pursuit of Shalom.”
Dayan...
U.S. President Joe Biden on Friday said he did not need a cognitive test to determine whether he had a mental decline and dismissed calls from some Democrats that he should step aside to let a more vigorous candidate take on Republican Donald Trump.
However, Biden's performance in the 22-minute interview with ABC's George Stephanopoulos, widely billed as a crucial test of the octogenarian leader's fitness to run for a second term, was perceived a underwhelming.
A defiant Biden, scrambling to defuse the political crisis over his shaky debate performance, argued that he had a bad night at the debate and that he was the right candidate to beat Donald Trump in the U.S. presidential rac...
MK Moshe Gafni, chairman of the haredi Degel Hatorah Party, on Saturday night condemned the statement which was released by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Friday night, after the start of Shabbat.
In the statement, Netanyahu issued an update to the public about the status of the negotiations for the release of the hostages held by the terrorist organizations in Gaza.
"I condemn the announcement of the Prime Minister's Office on Friday night, which did not contain any semblance of pikuach nefesh (preservation of human life)," Gafni wrote. "I condemn it entirely, it was a completely unnecessary statement issued while desecrating Shabbat."
The statement which was distributed to the media on Friday night came amid reports of progress in the negotiations on a hostage rel...
Baltimore, MD - July 6, 2024 - Baltimore health officials extended a Code Red Extreme Heat Alert, that was supposed to end on Shabbos, through Monday.
The heat index is forecasted to reach over 100 degrees Fahrenheit for the next couple days. The heat index is a measure of air temperature and relative humidity and indicates how hot it feels to the human body.
“As we prepare to enjoy the 4th of July holiday, we should prioritize our safety while having fun. Amidst the extreme heat, residents should stay hydrated, remain indoors with a working air conditioner or fan, and be sure to check on vulnerable neighbors,” Commissioner of Health Ihuoma Emenuga said in a news release. “Extreme heat is dangerous to older adults, children, and those with chronic health condition...
A senior engineer in Hezbollah's aerial array has been eliminated, reports said, adding that the engineer participated in transferring advanced weapons.
The IDF confirmed: "A short while ago, the IAF operated in the area of Baalbek to strike and eliminate the terrorist Meitham Mustafa Altaar, a key operative in Hezbollah's Aerial Defense Unit."
"Meitham led many of the unit's activities and took part in the planning and carrying out of numerous terror attacks against the State of Israel. Meitham also flew to Iran multiple times, where he gained knowledge and assisted in building up the Hezbollah terrorist organization's force and arsenal of Iranian weapons.
"His elimination significantly harms the capabilities of Hezbollah's Aerial Defense Unit."
Earlier on Sat...
A senior Hamas terrorist has said that in the amended proposal for a ceasefire-prisoner swap deal, the discussions on releasing hostages, including soldiers, will begin only 16 days after the first stage of the deal is carried out.
Earlier reports had said that the first stage of the deal includes the release of 32 "humanitarian" hostages: female soldiers, women, the Bibas children, the ailing, and the elderly. Some of these are no longer alive, and their bodies will be returned during the first stage of the deal.
However, according to the terrorist, the negotiators will ensure a temporary ceasefire agreement, the transfer of aid, and the withdrawal of IDF forces from Gaza, and parallel to this, there will be indirect negotiations regarding the second stage of the agreement. The release ...
An attorney grievance commission finding on Marilyn Mosby denied an immediate suspension of her ability to practice law in Maryland.
The court documents say "the request for immediate suspension of [Mosby] from the practice of law in Maryland is denied without prejudice."
A jury convicted Mosby of two counts of perjury, and one count of making false statements on a home mortgage application.
Back in May, she was sentenced to 12 months of home confinement, followed by two additional years of supervised release. She was also ordered to forfeit her Florida vacation home.
A judge also required her to complete community service.
Mosby maintains her innocence and says she was politically targeted.
Dr. Yitzhak Yifat, one of the three paratroopers in an iconic photograph of the Western Wall, passed away Saturday at age 81.
Yifat was nicknamed "the crying paratrooper" after he was seen in the iconic photograph featuring three IDF paratroopers in front of the Western Wall on the day it was taken from the Jordanians in the Six Day War. One of the first soldiers to enter the Old City of Jerusalem, he served in Brigade 55. He was 24 years old when the photograph was taken, and is the soldier featured in the center of the photo.
The photograph was taken on June 7, 1967, by photographer David Rubinger. It has since become one of the most famous photos in the State of Israel's history.
Yifat later became a well-known obstetrician-gynecologist.
His funeral will take place Sunday at Mo...
After the episode of Korach, B'nei Yisrael continue to challenge Moshe and Aharon's authority. After yet another plague strikes B'nei Yisrael, Moshe is instructed to perform a demonstration that would show, through Divine intervention, the authenticity of Aharon's leadership as kohein gadol. He was told (17:17-18) to gather twelve staves from the twelve leaders of the tribes and to write their names on their respective staves. Aharon's name was to be written on the stave belonging to the tribe of Levi. Later, when the demonstration is performed, the Torah recounts (17:21) that the leaders gave the staves to Moshe - twelve staves with the stave of Aharon among (besoch) them. Throughout the episode, it is unclear whether Aharon's stave was one of the t...
Baltimore, MD – July 5, 2024 - It is with regret that Baltimore Jewish Life (BJL) informs the community of the petira of Baruch Schoenes, z’l, father of Rabbi Menachem Mendel (Ariella) Schoenes.
The levaya took place earlier today.
Shiva details forthcoming.
Bila HaMaves LaNetzach…
Baltimore, MD – July 5, 2024 - It is with regret that Baltimore Jewish Life (BJL) informs the community of the petira of Rabbi Dovid Adlin, z’l, father of Rabbi Nosson Adlin.
The levaya will be held today at 3:15pm in Lakewood at the 7th Street Chapel.
Shiva details forthcoming.
Bila HaMaves LaNetzach…
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, his wife Sara, and their son Avner, together with Ido Netanyahu and his family, attended the memorial ceremony on Friday at the Mt. Herzl military cemetery in Jerusalem, for Lt.-Col. Yoni Netanyahu, who fell while commanding IDF General Staff Reconnaissance Unit soldiers in the operation to free the hostages at Entebbe, Uganda in 1976.
The Prime Minister and his brother Ido said the Kaddish prayer and laid a memorial wreath on the grave of their older brother Yoni, who fell heroically in battle.
They laid an additional wreath together with Yoni's IDF General Staff Reconnaissance Unit colleagues.
Also attending the ceremony were the Knesset Speaker, ministers, MKs, former and current IDF commanders, and friends of the family.
Victoria Starmer, a Jewish woman with a rich cultural heritage and deep-rooted traditions, is poised to become the UK's first lady.
Intertwined with her Jewish upbringing, her life story plays a significant role in shaping the values and practices of her family.
From regularly observing Shabbat to maintaining strong connections with the Jewish community, Victoria's influence extends beyond the domestic sphere into her husband, Labour leader Keir Starmer's political career.
As Keir stands on the brink of becoming the next prime minister, Victoria's steadfast commitment to her faith and cultural traditions, as well as her involvement in combating antisemitism, emphasizes the unique role she will play as the new first lady of the UK.
Victoria Starmer, origin...
The Palestinian terrorist group Hamas informed its ally Hezbollah it had agreed to a proposal for a ceasefire in the Gaza Strip and that its leader Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah welcomed the step, two sources familiar with the matter said on Saturday.
A Hamas delegation headed by the group's deputy leader Khalil Al-Hayya briefed Nasrallah about the latest developments at a meeting in Beirut, the sources said.
One of the sources, a Hezbollah official, told Reuters that the group would cease fire as soon as any Gaza ceasefire agreement takes effect, echoing previous statements from the group. "If there is a Gaza agreement, then from zero hour there will be a ceasefire in Lebanon," the official said.
This announcement comes off the back of renewed hostage talk nego...
Right off Reisterstown Road, a popular thoroughfare located in the heart of Baltimore, MD, there is a furniture store that has been claiming to be “going out of business” for as long as I can remember! I’ve driven past that store literally dozens of times, and each time, upon seeing the “going out of business” sign, I feel a little sad for them, and also feel like I want to go in to get a good closeout deal on some furniture. Just recently, though, as I was driving (yet again) past the store, for some reason I decided to read the sign again, and what I noticed was shocking. The sign did not actually say, “Going out OF business,” rather, it said, “Going out FOR business.” Using falsified advertisements to lure customers into a store is n...
Jerusalem, Israel - July 5, 2024 - “I expect Aliyah from Western countries to double in the coming years,” declared Ofir Sofer, Minister of Aliyah and Klita. Sofer made his comments during a tour of Chaim V’Chessed headquarters in Jerusalem on July 3. The minister was accompanied by senior staff members, as well as Davidi Benzion, Deputy Head of the Shomron Regional Council and a leading Aliyah proponent.
Chaim V’Chessed is an NGO which provides comprehensive support to olim from English-speaking countries. The organization boasts a staff of expert advisors who guide callers in areas such as medical, special education and more. Sofer’s visit came as part of his ministry’s efforts to upgrade the experience of new immigrants to Israel...
