In a wide-ranging interview marking the halfway point of his term, Israeli President Isaac Herzog hosted Kikar HaShabbat at the Presidential Residence for a frank conversation with journalist Yishai Cohen. The discussion covered some of the most urgent and divisive issues in Israeli society today, including the chareidi draft law, judicial reform, the ongoing hostage crisis, and Herzog’s role as a unifying figure in a fractured nation.

In a powerful address delivered this week at the Ponovezh Kollel in Bnei Brak, Rav Tzvi Drebkin, Rosh Yeshiva of Grodno in Be’er Yaakov, offered words of chizuk for Shavuos, focusing on the challenges of our generation, particularly the overwhelming flood of information confronting all of us.
Rav Drebkin spoke about Klal Yisroel’s elevated capacity to receive the Torah, before turning to the modern reality of non-stop news and information flowing from every corner of the globe. He warned that the constant exposure to media, current events, and chatter can dull one’s spiritual senses.

In an interview with Kan, singer and actor Shuli Rand opened up about the emotional toll of instability, the power of music to soothe the soul, and his thoughts on chareidi enlistment and fostering meaningful discussion.
“I see myself as part of the broader Jewish community here in Israel,” Rand explained. “I’m involved with the chareidi community, the religious-national community—really, all segments. I’m part of it all.”

Over 600 guidance counselors from chareidi schools throughout Israel have successfully completed an intensive training course designed to equip them with the knowledge and skills to detect domestic violence and identify warning signs of troubled relationships.
The curriculum, crafted by Bat Melech’s team of therapists, was created in collaboration with the Chareidi Department of the Education Ministry and the Drawing the Lines initiative, a project founded by the nonprofit Sheatufim.
The sessions covered how to spot patterns of abuse, offer support to women trapped in harmful domestic situations, and understand the toll these experiences take on children raised in such homes.

Russian President Vladimir Putin has stationed approximately 50,000 troops along the northern edge of Ukraine, even as Washington and Kyiv urge Moscow to engage in substantial ceasefire discussions.
Speaking on Wednesday, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy cautioned that Putin is assembling forces for a sweeping summer campaign aimed at pushing Ukrainian soldiers out of Russia’s Kursk region and initiating a fresh assault into Ukraine’s Sumy region, located just 200 miles from Kyiv.
Zelenskyy repeated his willingness to meet with Putin directly, and added that if a one-on-one meeting is not acceptable to the Russian leader, he would be open to a three-way summit involving President Donald Trump.

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At the holy kever of the Shelah HaKadosh in Tverya, on erev Rosh Chodesh Sivan—the most mesugal time for tefillos on behalf of our children—Gedolei Yisrael and Ziknei Hador gathered for an unprecedented tefillah gathering, organized by Vaad HaRabbanim L’Inyanei Tzedakah B’Eretz HaKodesh.

When HaGaon Rav Elimelech Biderman Shlit”a Spoke, Hearts Were Transformed

The United States delivered a clear message of opposition at the United Nations Security Council on Thursday, pushing back against France’s stance by declaring it would “firmly reject any attempt to unilaterally recognize a Palestinian state.”
French Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot had spoken a day earlier, reaffirming France’s advocacy for a two-state resolution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. He further revealed that France, together with Saudi Arabia, would host an upcoming United Nations conference on the matter, scheduled for June.

Hamas has voiced objections to the current version of the ceasefire and hostage deal being advanced by US envoy Steve Witkoff, according to insiders familiar with the talks, and is pushing for modifications before offering its approval.
While Hamas has not formally rejected the plan, it has raised numerous concerns and has made clear that it will not accept the proposal without revisions.
Sources told The Jerusalem Post that Hamas believes it was misled by Washington and now views the deal as unfairly tilted toward Israeli interests. One source said the group feels it has been “screwed over” and sees the proposal as lacking any solid commitment to ending the war.

United Airlines is preparing for a return to New York’s JFK International Airport for the first time since 2022, thanks to a new partnership with JetBlue.
The deal allows United to operate up to seven daily round-trip flights out of JFK starting in 2027 by utilizing takeoff and landing slots provided by JetBlue, which currently handles about 180 departures each day from the airport.
This move comes after a lengthy absence from JFK by United, which had previously pulled out of the airport three years ago.
The timing of the announcement coincides with the FAA’s decision to extend flight reductions at Newark Liberty International Airport through June. The decision was prompted by a continued shortage of air traffic controllers and persistent technical setbacks.

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Over the last 16 years, a new approach and method of limud Hashas has been nurtured and developed in Eretz Yisroel at Reshet Kollelei Shas Yiden. This phenomenon has captured the imagination and electrified lomdei Hatorah throughout the world, and has earned the avid support of Gedolim across the Torah spectrum. 
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