Trump to headline fair for US’s 250th anniversary after artists drop out

 https://www.timesofisrael.com/trump-to-headline-fair-for-uss-250th-anniversary-after-artists-drop-out/

As some performers back away from ‘Great American State Fair’ due to ties to president, he calls their music ‘boring’ and claims he gets ‘larger audiences than Elvis in his prime’

“I understand Artists are getting ‘the yips’ having to do with their performance,” Trump posted to his social media platform Truth Social Saturday, adding that he was thinking of bringing “the man who some say is the Greatest President in History (THE GOAT!), DONALD J. TRUMP, to take the place of these highly paid, Third Rate ‘Artists.“The fact is that I am, according to many, the Number One Attraction anywhere in the World,” Trump wrote. He added that he gets “much larger audiences than Elvis in his prime” and “does so without a guitar.”

“We should have a giant MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN RALLY, for 250, instead of having overpriced singers, who nobody wants to hear, whose music is boring, and yet who do nothing but complain,” Trump said on social media.

Michaels and other artists have said that they were misled about the theme of the shows or were otherwise wary of being caught up in a political fight. McBride, in a statement on Instagram, said she had been “presented with an opportunity to perform at a nonpartisan event but that turned out to be misleading.”

Cancer jab can eradicate entire tumours in patients, trial shows

 https://www.theguardian.com/science/2026/may/30/cancer-jab-can-eradicate-entire-tumours-in-patients-trial-shows

Doctors have hailed “unprecedented” trial results that show a triple-action cancer jab can eradicate entire tumours in patients.

In an international trial spanning 11 countries, the injection was offered to patients whose cancer had spread or come back and whose disease had failed to respond to other treatments.

The jab, called amivantamab, shrank the tumours of more than a third of patients, with dramatic changes seen within weeks. In 15 of them, doctors found the drug had melted away their tumours altogether.

Kevin Harrington, professor in biological cancer therapies at the Institute of Cancer Research, London (ICR), said: “These are unprecedentedly strong responses in patients whose disease has become resistant to both chemotherapy and immunotherapy.

Trump tells agencies to align with study calling for narrower childhood vaccine recommendations

 https://apnews.com/article/childhood-vaccine-schedule-trump-rfk-hhs-d04ba53d6820cc7194a4885e2418d132

Trump tells agencies to align with study calling for narrower childhood vaccine recommendations

Secretary of Health and Human Services Robert F. Kennedy Jr., listens during a Cabinet meeting at the White House, Wednesday, May 27, 2026, in Washington. (AP Photo/Jacquelyn Martin)

Secretary of Health and Human Services Robert F. Kennedy Jr., listens during a Cabinet meeting at the White House, Wednesday, May 27, 2026, in Washington. (AP Photo/Jacquelyn Martin)

President Donald Trump on Friday gave his endorsement to a January study by the Department of Health and Human Services that calls for cutting the number of vaccines recommended for every American child.

An executive order from Trump directs federal agencies to align their policies behind the study, which recommended an overhaul long called for by Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. The study found that the United States recommends more childhood vaccines than many peer nations.

The Trump administration previously moved to narrow the number of recommended childhood vaccines in response to the report, but the move was blocked by a federal judge in Massachusetts. The administration is appealing the decision.

The study recommends vaccinating all children against 11 diseases. Several others would be recommended only for high-risk groups or when doctors recommend them in what’s called “shared decision-making.” That includes vaccines for flu, rotavirus, hepatitis A, hepatitis B, some forms of meningitis and RSV.

Pentagon’s $9B Dell deal sparks Trump conflict of interest concerns

 https://thehill.com/policy/technology/5901889-pentagon-dell-deal-trump-conflict-of-interest/?tbref=hp

The Pentagon’s new $9.7 billion contract with Dell is raising questions about potential conflicts of interest after President Trump touted the company’s products and purchased significant amounts of its stock.

“Awarding a nearly $10 billion contract to a company closely associated with a friend and donor to the president seems like an obvious conflict of interest,” Greg Williams, the director of the Center for Defense Information at the Project on Government Oversight, told The Hill on Friday.

Margaret Dylus-Yukins, senior legal counsel for ethics at Campaign Legal Center, echoed those worries, adding the contract raises conflict of interest concerns for Michael Dell, “who is subject to the federal ethics rules as a member of the President’s Council of Advisors on Science and Technology (PCAST).”

Trump decries ‘rigged’ court system after Kennedy Center, tariff rulings

 https://thehill.com/homenews/administration/5902534-donald-trump-criticism-court-system-kennedy-center-tariff-rulings/

President Trump described the U.S. court system as “rigged” on Saturday in the wake of recent decisions blocking a cornerstone of his economic policy agenda and the addition of his name to the renowned Kennedy Center.

The president has made a habit of lashing out at legal decisions he disagrees with throughout his second term, often leveling personal attacks against federal judges and conservative Supreme Court justices when they rule against him.

Trump also railed against the Supreme Court’s February decision that struck down the bulk of his sweeping tariffs, which the court said exceeded his constitutional authority.

How much does Orthodox life cost? Increasingly, more than US families can afford

 https://www.timesofisrael.com/how-much-does-orthodox-life-cost-increasingly-more-than-us-families-can-afford/

“If you do the math, a religious family has to effectively be among the top 3-4 percent of earners in the United States in order to keep up with the costs of living,” said Zvi (not his real name), an activist for financial education in the Orthodox world. “Basic Jewish needs cost a lot of money.”

A seminal 2024 survey of nearly 3,000 Orthodox Jews in the US, conducted by Langer’s podcast, offered a detailed look at the scope of the problem. Some 78% of respondents said finances were a major source of stress for them, and only about half of the respondents earning $250,000 to $300,000 said they felt like they were “making it.” Even above $300,000, more than 30% said they felt financially strained.

At the heart of the financial challenge is Jewish day school tuition, by far the single largest and most defining expense for most Orthodox families.

“We’re not talking about a situation where you can simply tell people to spend less to live within their means,” Zvi said. “You can always point to someone taking a nicer vacation or making a more expensive wedding. But even if you strip all of that away, you’re still left with a very high baseline.”

Insatiable personality cult: Trump administration pushes bill bearing his face

 https://www.ynetnews.com/business/article/sjcrokuxze

Since returning to the White House for a second term, U.S. President Donald Trump has devoted much of his time to leaving a physical, personal mark on Washington and on American history in ways no sitting president before him has dared to attempt.

From plans for a new White House ballroom to renaming the Kennedy Center and building an “Arc de Triomphe,” Trump is acting as president much as he did as a real estate developer: attaching his name, in giant letters, to buildings and symbols. The difference is that these buildings and symbols do not belong to the president of the United States.

The legal restrictions on living people appearing on U.S. currency date back to 1866, after the image of a mid-level Treasury official appeared on a 5-cent note. Congress responded by passing a law requiring that only deceased individuals appear on U.S. banknotes, a rule intended to prevent practices associated with monarchs and dictators.

Iran is quickly unearthing its huge missile arsenal, CNN analysis shows

 https://edition.cnn.com/2026/05/27/world/video/investigates-iran-unearths-missile-arsenal-digvid?iid=cnn_buildContentRecirc_end_recirc&recs_exp=most-popular-article-end&tenant_id=popular.en

Iran is regaining access to vast quantities of missiles stored in underground facilities, new satellite imagery analyzed by CNN shows, casting doubt on US President Donald Trump’s claims of having all but obliterated Tehran’s arsenal. During the war, Israeli-US strikes put many of these complexes out of commission by blocking their entry points, trapping a large portion of Iran’s launchers and crippling its ability to fire missiles. Now, using just bulldozers and dump trucks, Iran is undoing the effects of a strategy that involved an enormous amount of Israeli-US firepower. The Pentagon stands by the success of its campaign. CNN’s Tamara Qiblawi reports, with analysis from Thomas Bordeaux.

Torah law is used as long as society functions properly/Igros Moshe

Igros Moshe(C.M. 2:68): … The Torah reserves capital punishment for those sins which are very serious such as murder, kidnapping, sexually prohibited relations and idolatry. The perpetrator in these cases is unrestrained and is capable of doing whatever disgusting and cruel acts in the world that are in his heart that he thinks are for his benefit. However the death penalty is not administered out of hatred to evildoers or fear for the welfare of society because Bava Metzia (83b) tells us that G‑d will punish transgressors. That in fact is the halacha as poskened by the Rambam (Hilchos Chovel u’Mazik 8:9) as well as all other poskim. So on the one hand the purpose of capital punishment is to let people know the severity of these prohibitions so that they will not transgress them. On the other hand the laws of capital punishment emphasize the importance of each soul and other concerns. Therefore we are commanded that only the Sanhedrin with proper semicha can judge these cases. Only the greatest people in Torah scholarship and other knowledge receives this semicha. In addition to their knowledge they also need to have perfected their character and be very humble as well as G‑d fearing people. They also need to hate money and love the truth as well as wonderful people who are beloved by all…They don’t have any imperfections or bad reputations and they are very merciful. That is why very old people are not appointed judges because they have forgotten the stress of raising children. Also people without children are not appointed because they lack mercy to some degree and they will be too angry at those who have committed sins. Even these great and good people cannot judge unless they constitute a Sanhedrin of 23 people. However it is not enough there are 23 such people to make a Sanhedrin. They also need to have before them 3 rows of very great Torah scholars who are not yet great enough to be part of the Sanhedrin – but are almost great enough. This is to protect the Sanhedrin from making a mistake in judgment. That is because when these three rows of scholars think that the Sanhedrin is mistaken in their ruling of innocence they will protest and will not listen at all to their words. Another safeguard against making a mistake is that they do not convict based on circumstantial evidence – no matter how convincing. They only convict a person based on two valid witnesses who have not the slightest bias in the matter... Furthermore the witnesses are warned concerning the severity of the sin of false testimony as well as the seriousness of the sin of murder so that they are very afraid of mistakenly convicting or mistakenly declaring the suspected murderer innocent. Even with all of this the witnesses also have to warn the person against murder and the suspected murderer has to acknowledge the warning by saying that even though he is aware of the seriousness off the crime he is still doing it. As a consequence of all these safeguards, only once in many years would someone be convicted of murder. In addition it was impossible to judge capital cases unless the Temple existed and that the Sanhedrin of 71 of the greatest scholars was in session on the Temple Mount. In fact capital cases were not judged even in those countries where the king gave the Jews permission to judge their own people according to the law of the Torah. As a consequence of these two factors there were almost no Jewish murderers because of the awareness of the severity of the prohibition of murder and because they were educated by means of the Torah and the punishments of the Torah to understand the seriousness of the crime. They were not simply afraid of punishment in the sense of getting caught but were afraid of the crime itself. However this use of the Torah system to run society was only when the crime of murder was not common but was simply the result of someone’s great lust or some quarrel concerning money or honor. But when people killed simply because it was viewed as an insignificant thing and the murderer was simply a callous and cruel person or similarly if there was a great deal of murders and wickedness – then a different system of law was utilized that was concerned with the pragmatic question of stopping killing and the goal became saving the society

Tzadik HaDor - Importance of Attatchment

 Likutei Moharan (123) The essence and foundation on which everything depends is one’s binding oneself to the tzaddik of the generation:accepting his word in whatever he says, “This is how it is,” in matters small and great; not deviating, God forbid, from his word “to the right or the left”, as our Sages teach: even if he tells you that right is left…  ;casting off from oneself all pseudo-wisdoms;and dismissing one’s knowledge as if one had no intelligence other than what one receives from the tzaddik and rav of the generation, because as long as one retains some of one’s own intellect, one lacks completion and is not bound to the tzaddik. 

Tzadik suffers for sins of Generation

 Rav Kook (Shemoneh Kevatzim 02:99) The tzadik hador sometimes takes it upon himself to suffer pain to purify the sins of the generation.

Trump Family SPIRALS! 'Nepo-deal' for over half a BILLION from Pentagon busted by receipts

Trump’s ‘snake’ story is coming back to bite America

Abortion/transgender-tyranny in NJ Assembly

 בס"ד

ע"ש פרשת נשא, תשפו

May 29, '26

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Tefillah request, for expeditious recovery of:

Rav Yehuda Ben Masha HaLevi;

Shimon Ben Masha; and

Lea Bas Freeda

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Linked below is this week's LevinAt11 Radio broadcast, of May 28, '26, including a vital update regarding the antireligious abortion/transgender-tyranny edict looming in NJ Assembly.

Please share with anyone living in NJ, today.

 מצורף: תכנית ראדיו רב יהודה לעוין, שליט"א, פרשת נשא, תשפו

--------

Selected Topic Highlights:

Quarter 1:

• Looking in the wrong direction;

• Discerning authentic Bitachon from narcissistic obliviousness, and a quest for the superficial tranquility of shedding responsibilities;

• Distinguishing between authentic Emunas Chachomim and the desire to fit in to the local clique by subscription to their placebo Gedolim;

• Desensitization to Bloodshed & Murder in our communities;

• Distorted Priorities Beget Distorted Advocacy;

• Partisanism begets blindness to critique of associates, and impedes succeeding in combating the anti-Torah edicts that abound; including an insight from my paternal great- grandfather Rav Nosson Nota Leiter זצ"ל, HY"D (see Kuntrus Divrei Chaim Ve'Emes, page 85).

• Authentic Da'as Torah from the Brisker Rov, ZY"A, regarding priority levels. As stridently as he opposed drafting boys, his opposition to drafting any girl - especially non-frum girls - overrode his opposition to drafting boys - and even Yeshiva bochurim - even when it translated into an existential threat to Torah, at the time. How much more so would he stridently oppose today's frum political elements caving in to the Left's agenda to legalize Marriage De-definition ("Mabul-Marriage") to secure an exemption for Yeshiva boys/men.

• Why was it that the tiny Yishuv in Israel in the early days of the State won against the dominant anti-Torah establishment, while the powerful political frum voting blocs fail nowadays?

Quarter 4:

• Update on S2260/A2218*: a virulent, toxic, antireligious abortion/transgender-tyranny edict looming in NJ Assembly as early as June 4.  This wicked bill is similar to the evil decrees of the Greeks against which the Maccabees fought to the death.  (Will Rabbonim raise vital awareness via the Adirei Torah event this coming Sunday, May 31?)

* addressed previously on our pre-Shavous broadcast: https://daattorah.blogspot.com/2026/05/nj-amalekism-looming-levinat11.html, and updated here prior to passage in the NJ Senate: https://daattorah.blogspot.com/2026/05/antireligious-edict-in-nj-senate.html.

~~~~~~ ~~~~~~   ~~~~~~ ~~~~~~  ~~~~~~ 

Parshas Behar Bechukosai, '86:

https://daattorah.blogspot.com/2026/05/authentic-torah-priorities-levinat11.html

Parshas Emor, '86:*

https://daattorah.blogspot.com/2026/05/chillul-hashem-root-causes.html

~~~~~ ~~~~~~ 

Good Shabbos,

Rabbi Noson Shmuel Leiter,

Executive Director,

Help Rescue Our Children

845.642.1679

Direct: 771.215.8892

Israeli Helpline: 03.721.3337

torahjewsfordecency@gmail.com

Tomim Tih'yeh [countering "New-Age" infiltration]: 

Tomim1679@gmail.com

Presentations on New-Age dangers: 605-313-6831 ext. 2

Heard weekly on New Jersey's WSNR Radio 620AM, co-hosting the renowned Levin At Eleven program, every Thursday evening, 11pm to midnight (ET).

~~~~~~  ~~~~~~  ~~~~~~ 

A letter relevant to next Sunday's Adirei Torah event:

BS"D

Rav Shraga,

Thank you again. That selection of the Shaarei Teshuva (1:148) has some exceedingly relevant points, if one is medayek in the language and its contemporary relevance, perhaps as deep as it is broad.

For one prominent example, from this Rabbeinu Yonah 

והמבזים לתלמיד חכם ויראתו מבטלים הידיעה הזאת, ומראים ההפך בהנהגתם, וכאילו אומרים אמור כי אין העבודה עיקר, וכי שורש הדבר נמצא מבלתי עבודת השם יתברך. והם מחללים את התורה

one can see the imperative of the proper identification of authentic Torah authority, and rejection of imposters.

Furthermore, the model of the authentic Ben Torah is sorely needed in the age of entitlement, superficiality and self-focus, as emphasized by Rav Dovid Soloveitchik ZY"A (Droshos) - that much of Torah is being learnt nowadays for selfish reasons: Money, kovod and Shidduchim.

A true Ben Torah will stand up for the Torah and Kovod HaTorah when needed, especially when it's unpopular and not politically correct, and especially when the assault on the Torah emanates from within, under the guise of Torah sanction; see Mishnas Reb Aharon 1:2:3:6 (I think I sent you a copy this week).  

I urge you to publicize that Mishnas Reb Aharon - on occasion of the celebration of the legacy of Rav Aharon ZY"A, namely honoring and emulating Omlei Torah.

הצלחה מרובה והערת עינים תמיד!

Rabbi Leiter

---------

Davidzon Radio: davidzonradio.com  718) 303-8000

 Levin 05-28-2026_HQ.mp3

5 things to know about tentative US-Iran ceasefire deal

 https://thehill.com/policy/international/5900355-us-iran-ceasefire-extension-deal/

A tentative agreement has been reached between the U.S. and Iran to extend a fragile ceasefire in the three-month conflict by 60 days, reopen the Strait of Hormuz and establish a framework for broader talks on Tehran’s nuclear program, according to U.S. sources.

If approved, the agreement would mark the biggest breakthrough on a permanent deal to end hostilities since the war began in late February. However, it falls well short of Trump’s stated goals in the war.

The proposed memorandum leaves some open questions about the fate of Tehran’s nuclear program and stockpiles, which has long been a sticking point in the negotiations.

Sources said the MOU would include a pledge from Tehran that it will not seek to develop a nuclear weapon, while opening a new round of talks to negotiate the matter further.

Demons are like Doves

 Netziv (Devarim 32:17) They will sacrifice to demons who are not God. All the idolatry of the first generations had a known power that God had allotted to them, and that was true also of the heavenly realm including the sun. But the demons have no power at all, and they are created from the foundation of the spirit, and their place is in the desolate wilderness, and they feed as other creations on what God, their Creator, has determined for them. They also have a food of desire, which is the spirit of animal blood. The demons also have an internal power to fly up and hear behind the veil what will be as is memtioned in Chagiga (16a). In fact they are like a dove which has an internal power to perform a mission as is mentioned in the story of Noah. However not all doves have this ability but only those specifically trained and this is rare and their owners get great benefit. This is also true of demons and they are rewarded by animal sacrifices. The Torah says they have no real power only the information which they hear, The sacrifices made to them motivates them to gather information and is sometimes done solely to anger G-d 

Trump looks for a way down from the Iran tree and a photo op, too

 https://www.ynetnews.com/opinions-analysis/article/hybjoy7lzg

U.S. President Donald Trump wants a deal with Iran. More than he wants a deal, he wants a victory photo. Trump is not only negotiating over the nuclear issue, Hormuz and sanctions. He is fighting a war over the narrative. Against the backdrop of growing criticism of the details of the emerging agreement, Trump needs to prove that the deal he brings, if he brings one, will be far better than Obama’s nuclear deal. For him, that is the heart of the problem.

That is why the issue of enriched material has become the central test, though here too there is uncertainty. Opening the Strait of Hormuz could provide Trump with an important achievement, but not a sufficient one. To claim he won the argument with Obama, he needs something tangible: the removal of enriched material from Iran, its destruction, or at least a credible inspection mechanism that would allow him to say the threat was not postponed but addressed. But it is unclear whether the gap between destruction, removal and dilution translates for him into a strategic diplomatic difference, not just a technical one. Diluting the material, an option the Iranians may be willing to discuss, is not the same as removing it from the equation.

But that is precisely where the danger of deterioration lies. The more Trump wants a deal, the more he may find himself on a path toward escalation. If he accepts a weak Iranian formula, he will be accused of bringing an agreement worse than Obama’s. If he rejects it, he will have to prove that American pressure still works. And if Iran continues to apply pressure on the ground, especially in Hormuz, he may be pushed into another military action to preserve his credibility. The U.S. strike overnight against Iranian vessels that Central Command said were trying to lay mines illustrates that the negotiations are not taking place alongside the military reality but inside it.

Reported terms of Trump’s Iran deal would confirm the war as an epochal failure

 https://www.timesofisrael.com/reported-terms-of-trumps-iran-deal-would-confirm-the-war-as-an-epochal-failure/

US president claims to have almost finalized a ‘Memorandum of Understanding pertaining to PEACE’ with Iran; he’s also mused that Iran might ‘perhaps’ join the Abraham Accords. Wishful thinking cannot mask an unfolding catastrophe for Iranians, the free world and Israel

On February 28, the US and Israel opened a military campaign against Iran’s murderously rapacious Islamic extremist regime, aiming to destroy its nuclear weapons program, crush its ballistic missiles industry, halt its support for proxy terrorist armies Hezbollah and Hamas, put an end to its decades of global terrorism, and create the conditions for the Iranian masses to oust it from power, once and for all.

Apparently over-confident after their 12-day war last June battered Iranian military targets, eliminated numerous key nuclear scientists, and bombed three key underground nuclear facilities, however, the US and Israel, it has become evident, underestimated the regime’s tenacity, and failed to carry out even basic strategic steps to ensure the success of the operation.

To state the blindingly obvious: wishful thinking, disconnected from reality, cannot replace coherent policymaking and strategic planning.

Antireligious Edict in NJ Senate

 BS"D 

May 27, '26/ Parshas Nosso, 5786

EMERGENCY: NJ Bill S2260/ A2218 Would Criminalize Lo Sa'amod, Endanger Children

S2260 criminalizes Torah-mandated efforts to save kids and others from "transforming" their "gender" - and from committing abortion.

We addressed a slightly earlier variant of this bill on our weekly radio broadcast before Shavuos, see https://daattorah.blogspot.com/2026/05/nj-amalekism-looming-levinat11.html.

Proponents also try to hide the true nature of this bill (https://www.njleg.state.nj.us/bill-search/2026/S2260/bill-text?f=S2500&n=2260_R1).  A reading of the Definitions clarifies that "Reproductive Health Care" is to include transgender "medical" procedures (" to support a person’s alignment with their gender identity or expression") - and abortion-on-demand.  However, if you miss the definition - you wouldn't know about the transgender component by reading other parts of the bill.   So, every time the bill uses the term "Reproductive Health Care" - it's actually including "transgender" as well.

Action Needed:

1) Urge Every NJ Senator to (a) VOTE NO against S2260/ A2218 - and (b) to EXPOSE this as an Antireligious Edict - similar to those evil Greek decrees against which the Maccabees fought to the death to defeat.

Please act NOW, before this THU., May 28.

2) Please share this immediately with anyone you know in NJ.

3) Help get the message out ASAP to every NJ Kehillah (by early next week) - contact us at torahjewsfordecency@gmail.com or call/text 845-642-1679.

~~~~~~~~  ~~~~~~~~  ~~~~~~~~  ~~~~~~~~  

Sample email to legislators to actively oppose  NJ's transgender/abortion-at-whim-tyranny Gezeira al-HaDas S2260/ A2218

Here's a medium-length sample email, for the NJ Senate vote tomorrow:

~~~~~~~~  ~~~~~~~~  ~~~~~~~~  ~~~~~~~~  

"BS"D

May 27, '26

Senator Bob Singer

732-987-5669

sensinger@njleg.org

Dear Senator Singer,

As a voter living in Lakewood, I urge you to please:

(a) VOTE NO against S2260/ A2218 - and 

(b) to EXPOSE this evil bill - which criminalizes Torah-mandated efforts to stop abusive and barbaric "transgender" procedures and abortion-at-whim - as an Antireligious Edict - similar to those evil Greek decrees against which the Maccabees fought to the death to defeat.

A Yeshiva Rebbe, Rov, Rosh Yeshiva, Principal, Teacher/Morah, Social Worker, mental health professional, therapist, chevrusa, mentor - perhaps even a parent - could potentially face massive fines - and hefty jail time - for merely:

• trying to verbally convince a girl or boy out of getting drugs or surgery to "become" (sic) that which they are not, or

• convince a young woman not to murder her preborn infant (and pursue adoption if need be), or even for just 

• saving her/him from remaining under the influence of evil parties (e.g. predatory therapists, "eductors," social workers, coaches, "medical" staff, mental health professionals, "friends") - grooming susceptible, often disadvantaged victims into their anti-Torah, heretical transgender/abortionism worldview.

Whether this evil decree passes or not, we cannot allow our representatives to remain on the sidelines in this governmental war being waged against our youth and against our Torah.

Thank you in advance for employing genuine leadership when truly needed."

Name,

Town,

Email Address

~~~~~~~~  ~~~~~~~~  ~~~~~~~~  ~~~~~~~~  

Contact Info for Lakewood:

Call & email Assemblyman Avi Schnall today at:

848-245-9486 / Asmschnall@njleg.org.

Email Assemblyman Sean Kean:

asmkean@njleg.org.

State Senator Bob Singer: 

732-987-5669 / sensinger@njleg.org

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Passaic residents, and others, are asked to urge Assemblyman Gary Schaer to vote NO - and to use his influence to lead on this issue:

973-249-3665 / asmschaer@njleg.org

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

To identify, or get contact info on your rep:

 

NJ Legislative Info For Senate & Assembly:

v: 609-847-3905 or (800) 792-8630 

e: LegInfo@NJLeg.org 

w: www.NJLeg.state.nj.us 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Even if the bill would pass regardless of what we do, our silence - and worse - provides it the moral cover needed to pass as an acceptable form of legislation.

In the merit of such a communal Kiddush HaShem, may we merit to be saved from unrelenting tzoros.

Rabbi Noson Shmuel Leiter,

Executive Director,

Help Rescue Our Children

For more information:

Direct: 771.215.8892

torahjewsfordecency@gmail.com

Trump risks losing Senate as 'Colbert Dem' surges

Antisemitic House Democratic candidate loses Texas race

 https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/427659

Texas Democrat Johnny Garcia wins primary runoff, defeating rival Maureen Galindo who threatened to jail Zionists.

A highly volatile intra-party conflict concluded in Texas on Tuesday, with mainstream Democrats successfully blocking an extremist congressional hopeful who sparked national outrage with overt antisemitic threats.

The rejection of Galindo's candidacy resonated across the full spectrum of the Democratic Party, uniting both establishment figures and prominent left-wing progressives in disgust.

Did Donald Trump Just Hand Texas to Democrats?

 https://www.newsweek.com/donald-trump-ken-paxton-john-cornyn-democrats-james-talarico-11994199

President Donald Trump got another endorsement win under his belt when Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton defeated incumbent Senator John Cornyn in the state's U.S. Senate primary on Tuesday, but it could deliver a defeat Republicans haven’t seen in over 30 years.

Trump wants allies in the Senate, and he’s used his platform and power to persuade voters to kick Cornyn out of office for being “very disloyal.” But Cornyn voted with Trump over 99 percent of the time, according to his campaign, and now, Trump risks losing a Republican in the Senate—however disappointed he may be with them—because an open seat is much easier for Democrats to flip than ousting an incumbent.

But Republicans are nervous about the upcoming election.

"I think the chances of the Democrats winning in Texas are better now than they've been in 25 years," Republican strategist Mike Madrid previously told Newsweek. "You have to have a favorable political environment for the Democrats. You have to have a remarkable Democratic candidate with crossover appeal, and they have that. And the third is you have to have a remarkably damaged Republican candidate, and they have that."

Trump demand for Gulf countries to recognise Israel reportedly met with stunned silence | ABC NEWS

A ruse, a brave gamble or a fantasy? Why Trump’s most puzzling Iran move yet is unlikely to work

 https://edition.cnn.com/2026/05/26/politics/trump-iran-war-peace-deal-analysis

If Donald Trump’s search for a way out of the Iran war was not difficult enough, he’s added a new goal that threatens to vastly complicate the Middle East’s already splintered politics.

The president said Monday he’d asked Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Pakistan, Turkey, Egypt and Jordan to join his first-term legacy deal, known as the Abraham Accords, which is designed to forge historic ties with Israel.

Trump envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner have longed grasped for huge goals in the Middle East and Ukraine and have so far fallen short, leading critics to question the wisdom of sending two business tycoons to unpick knotty diplomatic problems. Their relative lack of success has undermined the central conceit of Trump’s presidency: that he’s a masterful negotiator and historic dealmaker who can nail breakthroughs that would have been beyond past presidents.

“It’s not entirely clear what President Trump himself has to show for, by way of his track record in running or managing this war, that he feels able to impose such a demand on, on regional countries,” Alhasan said.

Blessing G-d

 Berachos (07a) I once entered into the innermost part [of the Sanctuary] to offer incense and saw Akathriel Jah, the Lord of Hosts, seated upon a high and exalted throne. He said to me: Ishmael, My son, bless Me! l replied: May it be Thy will that Thy mercy may suppress Thy anger and Thy mercy may prevail over Thy other attributes, so that Thou mayest deal with Thy children according to the attribute of mercy and mayest, on their behalf, stop short of the limit of strict justice! And He nodded to me with His head. Here we learn incidentally that the blessing of an ordinary man must not be considered lightly in your eyes.

After four years: Famous personality who refused divorce, gives in to ultimatum

 https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/427574

The Tel Aviv Rabbinic Court has ordered a get (divorce document) to be given to S. after a long struggle with her husband, a famous personality, who refused to divorce her for four years.

The decision came after the court posed an ultimatum to the husband, that if he did not grant the get, harsh legal and financial sanctions would be considered. Among the sanctions on the table were the termination of his employment with his employer and the publication of his name in public.

Attorney and rabbinic advocate Tehila Cohen, who represents the woman in the process, asked the court to apply direct pressure on the get refuser.

She asked that his place of work fire him and that his identity be cleared for publication to end his refusal. Later in the hearings, the husband's employer appeared before the court to consider the possible steps.

The judge, Rabbi Shlomo Shtessman, notified the husband that he was to issue the get by April 30th. The judge made clear that if he did not do so, he would consider the attorney's request for sanctions positively.

Following uproar: Amshinov hassidic court clarifies Temple Mount ruling

 https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/427582

An official statement published by the Rebbe's son, Rabbi Moshe Milikowsky, stressed that the interpretation given to the halachic words spoken in the Rebbe's house was totally distorted.

According to Rabbi Milikowsky, "We were amazed by how the Rebbe's words about the Temple Mount were taken out of context. The Rebbe did not, G-d forbid, allow the ascention to the Temple Mount in opposition to the opinions of all the halachic scholars. They took an internal halachic discussion held at the Rebbe's home a year ago, which was published in an internal publication of the hassidic court, and was meant for those who understand the Rebbe's style of answers, and dishonestly published it as if the Rebbe permits or instructs to visit the Temple Mount in practice, something that would never cross his mind."

The Rebbe's son further clarified that the Rebbe's position is in line with that of all halachic scholars, that it is currently forbidden to enter the Temple Mount in practice, an action that, according to the statement, could easily lead to sins bearing the punishment of "Kareth."

The uproar follows statements first published on Arutz Sheva, which included quotes from the Amshinov court's newspaper, Yirah Vesimcha

Trump says ‘mandatory’ for Muslim nations involved in Iran deal to join Abraham Accords

 https://www.timesofisrael.com/trump-says-mandatory-for-muslim-nations-involved-in-iran-deal-to-join-abraham-accords/

US President Donald Trump insisted on Monday that six Muslim-majority countries join the Abraham Accords normalization agreements with Israel ahead of any deal between the US and Iran to end the war, negotiations on which he said were “proceeding nicely.”

“It may be possible that one or two have a reason for not doing so, and that will be accepted, but most should be ready, willing, and able to make this Settlement with Iran a far more Historic Event than it would, otherwise, be,” he added.

If countries do not sign, he said, they should not be involved in any deal with Iran as “it shows bad intention.”

Trump’s post suggested that he was seeking to offer Israel an upside in the nascent deal to end the war with Iran, whose reported terms have set off alarm bells in Jerusalem. Channel 12 reported on Sunday that senior Israeli officials have warned that, “As it seems, [the agreement] does not serve Israel’s interest.” Other officials have been quoted as calling it a bad deal and highly problematic for Israel.

Israeli officials are concerned that the deal, which would reportedly begin with a 60-day extension of the ceasefire, does not address Tehran’s nuclear and ballistic missile programs or its support for regional proxies, delaying negotiations on these and other key war goals. According to the report, officials fear the deal would grant Iran time for economic and military recovery, after which “it will be hard for the Americans and us to go back and fight.”

Trump demands Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Pakistan join Abraham Accords as part of Iran deal

 https://www.jpost.com/international/article-897249

"By copy of this TRUTH, I am asking my Representatives to begin, and successfully complete, the process of signing these Countries into the already Historic Abraham Accords," Trump posted on his Truth Social account.

The request was directed at Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Turkey, and Pakistan, with Trump noting that the other countries involved were already parties to the accords.

"It should be mandatory that all of these countries, at a minimum, simultaneously sign onto the Abraham Accords," said Trump

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's office did not immediately respond to a request for comment on Trump's post. The other countries cited by Trump did not immediately respond to the Abraham Accords post.

The hasidic rebbe's surprising ruling

 https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/427564

The Amshinov hasidic newspaper Yirah Vesimcha, published a conversation between the Amshinover Rebbe and his son, regarding the issue of ascending the Temple Mount during the current period.

During the conversation, the Rebbe was asked whether it is forbidden today to ascend the Temple Mount, and he replied, "A person who is impure from contact with the dead is permitted to enter the Temple Mount itself. Only the cheil, which is beyond the Temple Mount, is forbidden."

"Can someone who immerses in a regular mikveh (ritual bath) enter the Temple Mount?" his son asked. The Rebbe answered: "Yes, but again, only the beginning of the Temple Mount."

The Administration noted that police currently also allow a short route for those who wish to enter only the area near the entrance to the Mount from the gate at the wooden bridge by the Kotel, walking close to the Western Wall from the inside and immediately exiting through the exit gate used by all those leaving the Temple Mount, without completing the full circuit around the Mount.

Why one Trump critic says latest Iran deal feels like "surrender is the endgame"

Israel alarmed as Iran deal takes shape

 https://www.israelhayom.com/2026/05/24/israel-alarmed-as-iran-deal-takes-shape/

Following reports of progress in talks in Pakistan, concern is mounting in Israel, as the Israeli leadership has been almost completely cut off from updates on what is happening behind closed doors in the critical negotiations. Security officials and coalition faction leaders took part in the meeting.

Two Israeli security sources told Israel Hayom that the Israeli leadership had been almost completely cut off from updates on what was happening behind closed doors in the critical talks. They added that, because of the lack of information, Israel had to rely on diplomatic sources as well as intelligence sources within the Iranian regime.

The US has no victory image, and that is bad news for Israel

 https://www.israelhayom.com/2026/05/24/the-us-has-no-victory-image-and-that-is-bad-news-for-israel/

The only real news in the emerging deal at this stage is the mutual reopening of the Strait of Hormuz to maritime traffic. All the other disputed issues are being deferred to negotiations that are supposed to begin between the sides at an unknown date. The Iranian regime achieved the goal it set for itself and survived. By contrast, the US administration has not achieved any of its declared objectives.

All the other disputed issues between the countries, which are large, far-reaching and of critical importance to Israel's security, are being deferred to negotiations that are supposed to open between the sides. No one knows whether such negotiations will actually t place. It is even more doubtful that they will mature into any agreement, let alone within two months.ake

In other words, realistically speaking, the result we are likely to reach is the reopening of the straits and a return to the conditions that prevailed before Operation Rising Lion and Operation Epic Fury. Beyond that, it can be assumed that the sides will tread water until further notice.