Aish Hatorah distances itself from Berland celebration at Old City center

 https://www.jpost.com/israel-news/article-689885

Aish Hatorah, the global Jewish organization, distanced itself from the use of its center in the Old City of Jerusalem by sex offender Eliezer Berland, leader of an extremist haredi sect, who held a celebration there on Sunday evening.

Berland was filmed driving into the Western Wall plaza and then entering the Aish Hatorah World Center located just opposite the Kotel.

Alex Jones: Trump either ignorant or ‘one of the most evil men’

Bill Gates: ‘Conspiracy theories that unfortunately involve me’ are keeping many Americans from the Covid vaccines

 https://www.cnbc.com/2021/12/14/bill-gates-conspiracy-theories-keep-people-from-getting-covid-vaccine.html

Since the start of the pandemic, billionaire health philanthropist Bill Gates has been a target for bizarre Covid conspiracy theories.

Now, Gates says, those rumors and pieces of disinformation are keeping many Americans from getting vaccinated against Covid — and delaying the end of the pandemic by doing so.

In a blog post last week, Gates wrote that “conspiracy theories that unfortunately involve me” have impacted Covid vaccine uptake in the United States, adding that he expected vaccination rates to be much higher by now. To date, 61% of the U.S. population is fully vaccinated against Covid, according to data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Fact Check-Bill Gates did not say COVID-19 vaccines are ineffective

 https://www.reuters.com/article/factcheck-coronavirus-gates-idUSL1N2S7292

A snippet of an interview with Bill Gates has been taken out of context by social media users who claim the billionaire philanthropist “admitted” that COVID-19 vaccines are not very effective.

Versions of the claim have been seen by nearly a million people across Twitter (here and here) and Facebook (here).

המדען לשעבר הרב יואב אלון בראיון לתקשורת על סכנת החיסונים והמזימה המסוכנת של ביל גייטס והסדר העולמי

Marjorie Taylor Greene Wants To 'Restore' America to Christian Principles

 https://www.newsweek.com/marjorie-taylor-greene-restore-america-christian-principles-christmas-message-1663109

Greene went on: "I believe with all my heart if our lives and laws reflect the teachings of the King of Kings, the more peace, prosperity and freedom we will enjoy.

"And that is exactly why I came to Congress. To work to see America restored to the Christian principles that have given rise to the greatest nation the world has ever known. Merry Christmas."

NYC COVID Hospitalizations Quadruple Over 3 Weeks for Kids, Just a Third Vaccinated

 https://www.newsweek.com/nyc-covid-hospitalizations-quadruple-over-3-weeks-kids-just-third-vaccinated-1663133

No fully vaccinated children ages five to 11-years-old have been admitted into a New York hospital since December 19, according to the statement. They first became eligible to take the vaccine in November.

Trump wants the courts to help him sabotage the January 6 investigation

https://www.vox.com/2021/12/19/22837673/supreme-court-trump-january-6-investigation-executive-privilege-thompson

In part because of gerrymandering and in part because the party that controls the White House tends to lose seats in midterm elections, Republicans are favored to regain control of Congress in the next election. If they do, they can shut down the January 6 committee and quash any of its ongoing efforts to obtain Trump’s documents.The Supreme Court, in other words, doesn’t even need to overrule any existing precedents in order to carry Trump’s water in the Thompson case. All it has to do is run out the clock.

Israel’s growing intermarriage problem

 https://www.jpost.com/opinion/israels-growing-intermarriage-problem-687691

But a deeper dive into the data leaves no room for doubt, as the majority of interfaith marriages in Israel are between a Jewish man and a non-Jewish woman. Nearly 60 percent, or 52,000 out of 87,000 intermarriages, involve a woman who is not Jewish. Consequently, their children will not be considered Jewish either.

COVID-19 Omicron outbreak due to homosexuality and Israel - Al-Aqsa Imam

 https://www.jpost.com/israel-news/article-689614

The LGBTQ+ community, as well as the Israeli government and media, are to blame for the rapid spread of the Omicron variant of COVID-19, Imam of al-Aqsa Mosque Issam Amira has claimed, according to N12.

The Palestinian Islamic scholar and preacher made the controversial statements in a sermon during Friday prayers at the Islamic holy site in Jerusalem.

According to Amira, the Omicron variant "did not spread until the government and media announced its existence."

Amira went on to claim that the government and media that "brought the variant" are the same that "allow and encourage homosexuality.

Dad banned from leaving Israel for 8,000 years in bizarre divorce law

 https://nypost.com/2021/12/24/dad-banned-from-leaving-israel-for-8000-years-in-bizarre-divorce-law/

A dad has reportedly been banned from leaving Israel for nearly 8,000 years under a bizarre divorce law after his ex-wife filed a child support claim.

Noam Huppert, 44, is barred from leaving the country until December 31 in the year 9999 unless he forks out more than $3million in future child support payments.

It means the Australian dad has effectively been slapped with an 8,000-year prison sentence.

He moved to Israel in 2012 to be nearer to his two young children after his ex-wife returned to the country and filed a divorce case against him in an Israeli court, news.com.au reports.

In 2013, the court issued a so-called “stay-of-exit” order against Huppert.

It bans him from leaving the country even for holiday or work until he pays “future debt” for the child maintenance of his two kids – until they turn 18.

Understanding Haredi society: Eda Haredit and Peleg Yerushalmi

 https://www.jpost.com/israel-news/article-689531

The haredi newspapers and websites, which usually refrain from criticizing actions of the Eda, go out of their way when it comes to Sikrikim, in order to clarify how much their actions infuriate the haredim themselves. The work in the area, led by the Jerusalem Municipality and the Ministry of Transportation through the Mass Transportation program and carried out by the Moriah Company, will be built between the intersections of Eretz Hefetz and Harel Brigades streets, and to the end of Bar-Ilan Street at the corner of Eli HaCohen. However, strong and violent attacks perpetrated by the Sikrikim have already caused a significant delay in the plan.

Rabbi Rakeffet misunderstands the Epstein-Friedman annullment

https://www.yutorah.org/rabbi-dr-aaron-rakeffet-rothkoff/

listen at about 40 minutes

https://www.yutorah.org/sidebar/lecture.cfm/941665/rabbi-dr-aaron-rakeffet-rothkoff/rabbi-rackman/ 


left the following on the webpage

 listened to your misunderstanding of the Epstein Friedman case
i would suggest you read the relevant documents including the many halachic analyses- especially Rav Feldman

your understanding is contrary to the common understanding including that expressed by Rav Kaminetsky himself 

 Rabbi Rakkefet-Rothkoff is mistaken in comparing Mr. Friedman to the insane husband described by Iggerot Mosheh, Even ha-Ezer I, no. 80. In the case adjudicated by Iggerot Mosheh, there was a confirmed psychiatric report - published by known psychiatrists at an accredited hospital (already established in 1919; see here: https://www.maryland.va.gov/about/PPhistory.pdf ) - that the husband was insane even before the marriage, so insane in fact that the husband was unable to find employment or live with his wife. This report was investigated by the Baltimore Beth Din of the time, and it merely asked R. Moshe Feinstein to confirm its conclusion of mekach ta'ut, which R. Moshe Feinstein did. By contradistinction, in the case of Mr. Friedman, (a) nobody knows who has written the psychiatric report on Mr. Friedman, a report which is incongruous with Mr. Friedman's continued employment in Congress; (b) the husband was capable of living with his wife after marriage (-the daughter born to Ms. Epstein was not conceived in a mikveh), and even as of today would be delighted to return to shelom bayit with her, and (c) the Baltimore Beth Din has clearly ruled on multiple occasions that Mr. Friedman is the husband of Ms. Epstein.

Florida’s second COVID Christmas marred by 320% infection hike

 https://www.tampabay.com/news/health/2021/12/24/floridas-second-covid-christmas-marred-by-320-infection-hike/

In just two weeks, Florida’s seven-day average has gone from 4,200 cases a week to 17,800, according to the data released Friday. The Sunshine State has already surpassed the 16,000 daily cases recorded at the peak of last year’s winter wave and could soon surpass the summer delta wave, which peaked at 25,000 daily cases.