THE FOLLOWING IS VIA YWN The chareidi civil service not only failed to meet its recruitment goals, but also failed in its social and economic goals while hardly contributing to the integration of chareidim into the economy. This is the conclusion of a new study by Assaf Malchi, a researcher at the Israel Democracy Institute. The study is of particular importance because, as part of the exemption from recruitment law, the intention is to extend the validity of the chareidi civilian service and even to set service goals for the army. Malchi concludes that “the chareidi civilian service brings more economic and social harm than benefit, which is an empty policy tool – a false and partially failed civil service.” The study reveals that fewer than half of the service gradua...
The following is via YWNMet Council already runs the largest kosher food distribution in the world and spends nearly $10 million on free kosher food distribution each year. Now, as part of their ongoing effort to provide even more and better food to the over 180,000 people every year they serve, CEO David G. Greenfield announced the creation of a new role – Food Czar – to fight for more food for the Jewish poor. “As the voice of Jewish poverty, it is our job to fight for the neediest New Yorkers. That’s why I decided to create a new position to be laser-focused on what the neediest New Yorkers need – more food.” After searching far and wide for months, Met Council announced that Jessica Chait, formerly Chief of Staff to UJA-Federation’s CEO Eric G...
So, Moshe went and returned to Jethro, his father in law, and said to him, “Let me now go back to my brethren who are in Egypt, and see if they are still alive.”  And Jethro said to Moshe, “Go in peace.” - Exodus 4:18 Rashi notes that when Moshe was commanded to return to Egypt to lead the people from bondage, he first approached his father-in-law, Jethro, and asked his permission.  Astonishing!  That the Creator of all should command Moses to deliver B’nai Yisrael from their bondage and before doing so Moshe asked permission from Jethro?  It is as if Moshe holds up his hand to God and declares, “Hold on while I see if it’s all right for me to follow your command.”  And if Jethro said, No?  What then?  Wo...
WASHINGTON (AP) — A Senate battle was brewing Tuesday over Democrats' requests for documents from Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh's career, with his time in President George W. Bush's White House emerging as a potential focal point of that fight. No. 2 Senate Republican leader John Cornyn told reporters about "rumblings" that Democrats want "every scrap of paper" from Kavanaugh's career. "We're not going to sit idly by and allow our Democratic colleagues to draw this out by making unreasonable document demands which would delay this hearing until well past the election," the Texan told reporters. GOP leaders have talked about hoping to confirm Kavanaugh by the Oct. 1 start of the next Supreme Court term. Most Democrats are expected to oppose the nomi...
Moscow - By her early 20s, Maria Butina appeared to have a budding political career and a mini furniture empire in her remote Siberian hometown. Then she abandoned both to pursue her passion for gun rights — and, prosecutors say, to spy on the United States. Butina, 29, faces a hearing Wednesday in Washington on accusations she worked as a foreign agent, representing a new generation of Russian operatives seeking a long-term U.S. foothold. Her lawyer says she did nothing wrong. “It’s psychosis. A witch hunt,” her father, Valery Butin, was quoted as saying Wednesday by the Altapress website in her hometown of Barnaul. U.S. prosecutors suggest Butina used her gun-lobbying efforts to infiltrate the NRA and the Republican Party, both during the 2016 presidential camp...
HELSINKI (AP) — Plenty of U.S. presidents have created commotion in their travels abroad, but none as much as President Donald Trump. The president's tumultuous trip across Europe, historians say, smashed the conventions of American leaders on the world stage. Trump's "America first" approach to foreign policy had him seeming to accept the word of a hostile power over his own intelligence agencies, insulting allies and sowing doubts about his commitment to the NATO alliance. "We've never had a president go abroad and not only lecture to our NATO allies, but also to embarrass them," said Russia expert William Pomeranz, deputy director of the Kennan Institute at the Wilson Center. "We've never had our president go on a foreign tour and categorize our allies as fo...
WASHINGTON (AP) — Taking to Twitter early Wednesday, President Donald Trump defended anew his much-criticized performance at the Helsinki summit, promising "big results" from better relations with Russia and hitting back at "haters." Trump made no mention of his having walked back comments that called into question U.S. intelligence findings of Russian meddling in the 2016 presidential election. Those comments, delivered alongside Russian President Vladimir Putin at a summit press conference Monday, had prompted blistering, bipartisan criticism at home. "So many people at the higher ends of intelligence loved my press conference performance in Helsinki," Trump tweeted. He added: "We got along well which truly bothered many haters who wanted to see a boxing match." In a follow-up ...
Jerusalem - The Israeli government would have far-reaching power to remove or block content from social media sites under legislation coming up for a vote in the Knesset. The so-called Facebook Law could delete the content for reasons that include incitement to terrorism without criminal proceeding and without any admissible evidence. The legislation, which was approved Sunday by the Law, Constitution and Justice Committee, is expected to be voted on before the Knesset ends its summer session on July 22. Along with Facebook, among the social media outlets that would be covered by the legislation are Twitter, WhatsApp, Telegram, YouTube and reddit. Under the bill, a post that violates any section of Israel’s penal code can be removed after an administrative hearing that does not i...
Washington - Boeing Co has received a $3.9 billion contract to build two 747-8 aircraft for use as Air Force One by the U.S. president, due to be delivered by December 2024 and painted red, white and blue, officials said on Tuesday. The Pentagon announced the decision on Tuesday, saying Seattle-based Boeing’s previously awarded contract for development work had been expanded to include design, modification and fielding of two mission-ready presidential 747-8 aircraft. The contract followed the outlines of the informal deal reached between Boeing and the White House in February. That agreement came after President Donald Trump objected to the $4 billion price tag of a previous Air Force One deal, complaining in a Twitter post that “costs are out of control” and adding &l...
Seattle - Amazon.com Inc said online shoppers purchased more than 100 million products worldwide during its Prime Day sale, despite glitches on its mobile app and websites that prevented customers from placing orders. The company’s shares rose about 0.5 percent to touch a record high of $1,858.88 in early trading. The world’s largest online retailer said it recorded the largest daily sales for Amazon’s Echo range of speakers, helped by heavy discounts. Fire TV Stick with Alexa Voice Remote and Echo Dot were the best-selling devices. This year Prime Day, Amazon’s summer marketing event, started on July 16 and lasted 36 hours. The technical glitches lasted for at least two hours and was likely exacerbated by excessive demand and traffic volume, RBC Capital Markets...
Brussels - The European Union’s antitrust chief has fined Google a record $5 billion for abusing the market dominance of its Android mobile phone operating system. EU Competition Commissioner Margrethe Vestager said Wednesday that Google went against EU rules when it required mobile phone producers to pre-install the Google Search and browser apps as a condition for licensing Google’s app store. She said Google also paid big producers to exclusively pre-install the Google Search app. Vestager said that “companies must compete on their merits,” playing by antitrust rules that favor consumers and open markets, and not restrict competition. Google said that instead of restricting competition, it did the opposite. “Android has created more choice for everyone, ...
Visitors to the Twitter feed of Iran’s “supreme leader”on Monday were treated to the incongruous sight of multicolored balloons floating above a series of incendiary anti-Israel tweets. The celebratory mood on what is normally a rather somber feed marks Ayatollah Ali Khamenei’s 79th birthday — which falls on Tuesday, July 17, in the Gregorian calendar. But as the last balloon disappeared from the screen, so did the jollity — leaving only a thread of threatening messages warning of the Jewish state’s coming destruction. Denouncing US President Donald Trump’s “deal of the century” proposal for an Israeli-Palestinian peace as a “satanic, vicious plot,” Khamenei declared, “The turbulent dream that Al-Qud...
Washington - James Comey, the FBI director who was fired last year by President Donald Trump, is urging voters to support Democrats in November’s midterm elections. Comey says on Twitter that the “Republican Congress has proven incapable of fulfilling the Founders’ design that ‘Ambition must ... counteract ambition.’” That refers to the need for Congress to provide checks and balances to presidential power. Comey writes: “All who believe in this country’s values must vote for Democrats this fall. ... History has its eyes on us.” The former FBI director recently said he no longer considers himself a Republican. On Monday, after Trump’s press conference with Russian President Vladimir Putin, Comey tweeted, “This was the da...
Former state Sen. Nathaniel Oaks was sentenced to 3 1/2 years in federal prison on Tuesday. A federal judge told Oaks, who had pleaded guilty to wire fraud and honest services wire fraud, that his sentence would be lighter if Oaks hadn't allegedly tipped off another target of a federal investigation. Prosecutors had asked for a five-year sentence, while Oaks' attorneys argued for 18 months. “Our democratic system relies on the integrity of our elected officials," U.S. Attorney Robert K. Hur said in a statement. "Today’s sentence and our prosecution of former Maryland Senator Nathaniel Oaks demonstrate that we will hold accountable those elected officials who use their offices to enrich themselves, rather than serve the interests of their constituents.&rdq...
Washington - U.S President Donald Trump said Wednesday he got on well with Russian President Vladimir Putin at their summit in Finland and “big results will come”. “So many people at the higher ends of intelligence loved my press conference performance in Helsinki. Putin and I discussed many important subjects at our earlier meeting. We got along well which truly bothered many haters who wanted to see a boxing match. Big results will come!” he said on Twitter. Advertisement: “While the NATO meeting in Brussels was an acknowledged triumph, with billions of dollars more being put up by member countries at a faster pace, the meeting with Russia may prove to be, in the long run, an even greater success. Many positive things will come out of that mee...
CHIANG RAI, Thailand (AP) — The Latest on Thai youth soccer players and their coach who were rescued after being trapped in a cave (all times local): 6:30 p.m. The 12 boys and their soccer coach who were rescued from a cave in northern Thailand have appeared at a news conference, entering to applause from the media and classmates. The boys put on a quick demonstration of their ball-handling skills in a special miniature soccer field set up in the hall where they are meeting the media on Wednesday. They then hugged their friends before taking seats up front with doctors and others who helped them during their ordeal. Doctors took the first two questions, and said the 13 were healthy in body and mind. Doctors said the boys gained around 3 kilograms (6.6 pounds) on average since th...
Baltimore, MD - July 18, 2018 - On behalf of Bikur Cholim of Baltimore, we want to express our deepest sympathy over the loss of Mrs. Michelle Jakobovits,,  Rochel Mirel bas Shmuel HaLevy, Z'L. The community has always benefited from the extraordinary chessed that she gave for over 30 years to the cholim of Baltimore embodying the essence of the mitzvah of bikur cholim as one of Bikur Cholim’s very valued and dedicated volunteers.  In addition, Michelle served on the committee for the Rebbetzin Weinberg Tribute taking hundreds of reservations and managing the finances; she volunteered at every brunch with décor and registration; and maintained the Bikur Cholim apartments on a regular basis.  Specifically, for those participating in this event, it ...
Helsinki - Plenty of U.S. presidents have created commotion in their travels abroad, but none as much as President Donald Trump. The president’s tumultuous trip across Europe, historians say, smashed the conventions of American leaders on the world stage. Trump’s “America first” approach to foreign policy had him seeming to accept the word of a hostile power over his own intelligence agencies, insulting allies and sowing doubts about his commitment to the NATO alliance. “We’ve never had a president go abroad and not only lecture to our NATO allies, but also to embarrass them,” said Russia expert William Pomeranz, deputy director of the Kennan Institute at the Wilson Center. “We’ve never had our president go on a foreign tour and cate...
Are you chareidi? In a few days’ time, tens of thousands of chareidi families in Israel will leave for vacations, and many of them can be expected to face blatant discrimination, which they will feel in their pockets. The zoo in Rishon Letzion, which has become popular in the chareidi sector since it recently began keeping Shabbos, is apparently interested in keeping chareidim out. Otherwise, it is not possible to understand the outrageous conduct of the zoo. When you ask the zoo secretary for the price of entering the zoo, one of the first questions that you are asked is: “Are you chareidi?” The fixed price for everyone is NIS 15 per child, but for chareidim, the price is no less than NIS 35.
Baltimore, MD - July 17, 2018:Parshas Pinchas - Pinchas and the Broken Luchos- The Three Weeks Part 1: Hashem knew that in order for the Jewish people to survive, the breaking of the luchos was critical. The story of the three weeks is Hashem distancing from us so that we would have a future. He takes out His wrath on "sticks and stones" because He wants us to go forward with an alternative approach of His love for us.To listen, click herePart II: Parshas Matos-Masei - The Three Weeks Part II - Hashem instructs Moshe to tell the Jewish people to go and take their revenge on the Midianites for what they did to the Jewish people. When Moshe instructs the Jewish people, he tells them to take the revenge of Hashem. An affront to the Jewish people is an affront to Hashem, and we must ...
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