Israeli Finance Minister Avigdor Lieberman searched for creative ways to improve the budgetary situation while at the same time targeting the chareidi community. Two new decrees which will go into effect next month are set to cause significant hardship to chareidi families. The first new budgetary amendment concerns child care subsidies which until now were given to families of Avreichim studying Torah. Lieberman plans to cut the subsidies and provide them to those who are “maximizing earning potential”. Although students studying for degrees are eligible for such subsidies, Avreichim studying in kollel will not receive subsidies even if their wives are working full-time. For many low-income families this is a serious additional expense. The second amendment concerns disposab...
 Israel and the UAE signed a historic deal Wednesday to collaborate on space missions including the Israeli rocket ship Beresheet 2 which is bound for the moon, according to a report by the Jerusalem Post. The United Arab Emirates Space Agency (UAESA) also signed a deal with the Israel Space Agency to enhance cooperation in scientific research, space exploration, and knowledge transfer. The deal was signed on Wednesday in Dubai by Emirati Minister of State for Advanced Technology and chairwoman of UAESA Sarah bint Yousef Al Amiri, and Israeli Minister of Science and Technology Orit Farkash-Hacohen. As part of the agreement, the two nations will work together on data-based development and research from the Israeli-French satellite Venus, which tracks environmental preservation param...
Sen. Joe Manchin, a centrist who has stood as a stumbling block to President Joe Biden’s agenda, denied a news report on Wednesday that he might leave the Democratic Party if his colleagues do not scale back a sweeping domestic spending bill. Manchin told reporters that an article in Mother Jones that he might leave the party and become an independent was “bullshit.” He added that he had “no controls over rumors.” The Senate is split 50-50 between Democrats and Republicans, with Vice President Kamala Harris casting the tie-breaking vote, meaning a defection by Manchin could potentially hand control of the chamber to Republicans. Manchin has been at odds with many of his fellow Democrats over key aspects of Biden’s agenda, from voting rights to climate...
The largest union representing the New York Police Department is planning to sue the city for “unilaterally” imposing vaccine mandates on police officers they represent. The New York City Police Benevolent Association called out NYC Mayor Bill de Blasio for its “haphazard vaccine rollout,” standing firm that vaccination against COVID-19 should be a “personal medical decision.” “From the beginning of the de Blasio administration’s haphazard vaccine rollout, we have fought to make the vaccine available to every member who chooses it, while also protecting their right to make that personal medical decision in consultation with their own doctor,” PBA President Patrick Lynch wrote in a statement Wednesday.
An average of five different national surveys show that more than half the country disapproves of the job President Joe Biden is doing. RealClearPolitics on Wednesday said Biden’s overall job approval rating is just 42.3%, with 51.2% of likely voters disapproving. A whopping 60.8% say the country is headed in the wrong direction. The numbers were the average results of six surveys — Grinnell/Selzer, Quinnipiac, Morning Consult-Politico, Economist/YouGov, Rasmussen Reports, and Reuters/Ipsos — conducted at times between Sept. 9-Oct. 19. Immigration appears to be Biden’s biggest problem, with 58.7% (Sept. 15-Oct. 18) saying they disapproved of his job. An average of 31.8% overall approved of his immigration policies. Biden’s job approval ...
Agudath Israel of America is proud to announce that it will be co-hosting a White House webinar on the Child Tax Credit, which is a program of great import to our community. Many families are struggling financially and the Child Tax Credit is an opportunity to help them cover their expenses, especially as children in our community have been back in school during these difficult times. To help address the situation, the Agudah is engaging with the White House and Treasury Department to assist in enrolling eligible families in the Child Tax Credit, with a particular focus on families that may not usually file taxes and may be in need of financial support.  The Agudah is partnering with the Jewish Federations of North America, the Orthodox Union, and the Rabbinical Alliance to...
Have you heard the news? Bnos’ exciting new middle school girls’ program is starting. Middle-schoolers are too old for Bnos Shabbos groups, and for years we had no way to include them in Bnos. Then came Bnos One on One, where we paired middle school Little Sisters for individual activities with high school Big Sisters. Building on that success, we wanted to give 6th, 7th, and 8t graders their own group activities, too. We spent the summer planning events, activities, a curriculum, a theme, and middos lessons with cool acronyms. We worked on a song and set up an exclusive hotline. Then, in Elul, we turned to our girls to fill in the missing piece: a name. Now, the results of the naming contest are in. Introducing Bnos Tween Light! Why Tween Light? We’re shining a spotl...
Nicholas Burns, President Joe Biden’s nominee for ambassador to China, appears to have changed his tune on the back-and-forth between Washington and Beijing regarding the novel coronavirus, telling the Senate Foreign Relations Committee the U.S. ”needs to investigate” and that the Chinese ”need to answer questions,” the Washington Examiner reports. Burns, a retired career diplomat and former U.S. ambassador to NATO, used his confirmation hearing to stress that China poses ”the greatest threat to the security of our country and the democratic world” in the 21st century. He also said the U.S. ”cannot trust China on Taiwan” and that the most important thing the U.S. could do ”is to deepen our security coope...
A father and son practicing as Orthodox rabbis in America have been accused by anti-missionary investigators of being covert evangelical Christians. The claims regarding M and C Fisher (not their real names) would allegedly cause disastrous halachic problems for the Jewish community if true, given that the two men apparently wrote Torah and mezuzah scrolls, participated in ritually preparing the dead for burial, and conducted weddings, divorces, and even conversions. The Fishers have been accepted and welcomed in a number of Orthodox Jewish communities in locations across the United States, but investigations have so far failed to uncover any evidence that they are actually Jewish – either born or converted.
Since March 2020, foreign tourists have been largely barred from entering Israel. Today, Prime Minister Naftali Bennett approved a plan which will allow vaccinated and recovered tourists into the country, as of Nov. 1. It should be noted that the plan still must be ratified by the government, and changes in details may still occur. At this point, it appears that travellers who have been vaccinated with Pfizer, Moderna, AstraZeneca, Sputnik V, Johnson and Johnson or Sinopharm vaccines within the last six months will be granted entry into Israel. Additionally, travellers who have recovered from Covid will be allowed to enter Israel with proof of a positive PCR test performed at least 11 days prior to entering Israel (but no more than 180 days ago).. If more than six months have passed sin...
A mezuzah torn from the door of the Hillel House at Northeastern University prompted condemnations from Jewish groups and university president Joseph E. Aoun, who said Wednesday that campus police are still investigating the incident. “No matter its origin, this despicable act has left members of our Jewish community justifiably upset, saddened, and even fearful,” President Aoun said Wednesday. “They are experiencing firsthand an instance of senseless hate, coming at a time when the ancient scourge of antisemitism is on the rise across the US and around the world.” The ritual scroll of parchment, traditionally affixed to the doorposts of Jewish homes, was discovered to have been ripped from the Jewish center’s entrance on Monday, as students arrived for morn...
Facebook's oversight board rebuked the social-media company for not being forthcoming about exempting high-profile users from its rules, and said it is drafting recommendations for how to overhaul the system, following a Wall Street Journal investigation into the practice.
A salmonella outbreak that has sickened more than 600 people in 37 states has been linked to various types of imported onions, federal health officials said Wednesday. "Throw away any unlabeled onions at home. Do not eat, sell, or serve red, white, or yellow onions imported from Mexico and distributed U.S.-wide by ProSource Inc," the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) warned in a tweet. The CDC said 652 people have been infected with salmonella -- and there have been 129 hospitalizations. No deaths have been reported. "Epidemiologic and traceback data show that one source of infections in this outbreak are whole red, white, and yellow onions imported from Chihuahua, Mexico, and distributed throughout the United States by ProSource Inc," ...
The study was performed while the delta variant was the dominant strain of coronavirus in Israel A study of 200,000 Israeli adolescents shows that Pfizer's coronavirus vaccine is 93 percent effective in stopping symptoms of Covid-19, and almost as effective in protecting the immune system of the delta variant from the virus, researchers said Wednesday. The study, conducted by researchers from Israel's health organization Clalit, Harvard University and Boston Children's Hospital, compared 94,354 young people between the ages of 12 and 18 who received the vaccine with the same number of unvaccinated people of the same age group. The study was performed while the delta variant was the dominant strain of coronavirus in Israel, which led researchers to conclude that the...
The release will be followed by a subscription video-on-demand service called TMTG+ Former US president Donald Trump announced plans to launch his own social media app, TRUTH Social. In a press release issued by Trump Media & Technology Group (TMTG), the company stated their mission was "to create a rival to the liberal media consortium and fight back against the 'Big Tech' companies of Silicon Valley."  TRUTH Social is available for pre-order in the Apple App store, and has plans to begin its beta launch for invited guests in November 2021, with a nationwide rollout scheduled for the beginning of 2022.  The release will be followed by a subscription video-on-demand service called TMTG+ which will feature entertainment programming, news, and podcasts. Trump, ...
Five additional cases of the new variant of Sars-CoV-2 have been detected in Israel. The new variant, so far known as AY4.2, has begun appearing in various parts of the world, most notably in the United Kingdom, where it is estimated that as many as ten percent of daily new cases are caused by this new mutation of the Delta variant. The first case to have been discovered in Israel was that of an eleven-year-old boy who had recently returned from Moldova and was already in quarantine when his test came back positive. Once his case was confirmed to have been caused by AY4.2, the Health Ministry commenced a new investigation of confirmed cases over the past few months, and discovered five more cases of the new Delta mutation. On Wednesday, Prime Minister Naftali Bennett held a&n...
Turkish media on Thursday reported that the government arrested a cell of 15 people over the past month, who were caught spying for the Israeli Mossad, Kan News reported. The 15 were working in five cells, the report added. The media also published photos of several of the suspects. According to reports in Sabah and Gazetevatan, the "agents" are both Turkish and foreign citizens, and all are of Arab descent. The Turkish claim that the suspects were passing information on foreign students in Turkish universities to the Mossad, especially about those who can work in the security industry in the future. The newspapers added that there was also tracking of "Palestinians." According to the report, within the past month the Turks arrested three cells, the members of...
Baltimore, MD - Oct. 20, 2021 - Check out the Bonei Olam photo cutouts at Market Maven and 7 Mile.  Snap a pic of your kids and email your photo to boneiolambaltimore@gmail.com for a chance to win a free photoshoot with Leba D Photography!
An unpleasant figure was published yesterday by the State Comptroller, who determined that the Tax Authority owes citizens NIS 3.6 billion in over-collections and that the deficiencies that led to these unnecessary payments have not been corrected. CPA Yaniv Angel, co-manager of the Israeli branch of the international consulting firm Auren, believes that "the main reason for this is that the tax authority does not act proactively to provide tax refunds to those entitled." Angel notes that "by law they must return the funds, but there is a technological inability to obtain the information required to return the funds." As an example of the missing information Angel says: "Some people know they deserve a tax refund, but their bank account details are not updated with the tax authorities, a...
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