Wednesday 24 Kislev – Satmar Philanthropist Grants 30% Salary Increase for Rabbeyim – Dutch court sentences 5 in Amsterdam Jew hunt, topping out at 6 months in prison – Former Hamas hostage Hanna Katzir, whose health declined in captivity, dies at 78

Thousands of Chassidim gathered with the Satmar Rebbe of Williamsburg at the Barclays Center to celebrate the 80th anniversary of “Chof Alef Kislev.” Amidst this momentous occasion, R’ Yoel Landau, a renowned philanthropist and pillar of Chesed, unveiled a transformative initiative.

In partnership with philanthropist R’ Yaakov Schwimmer and the dedicated leadership of Satmar institutions in Williamsburg, R’ Yoel announced a remarkable 30% salary increase for the hundreds of devoted Rabbeyim and educators serving in Satmar mosdos.

This groundbreaking development was finalized during a pivotal meeting last week at the residence of the Satmar Rebbe of Williamsburg, attended by prominent philanthropists and institutional leaders.

The initiative underscores the immense value placed on Rabbeyim and Torah education, setting a new standard in supporting those who dedicate their lives to the future of Klal Yisroel.

With a total investment worth tens of millions of dollars, this historic undertaking represents the largest and most significant salary increase in the history of Torah education in America. It is a testament to the extraordinary support of Satmar’s philanthropic community and the unwavering commitment of its institutional leadership to achieving this noble goal.

A giant menorah in Trafalgar Square had to be dismantled due to high winds,

Since 2007 the Mayor of London has sponsored the menorah in Trafalgar Square and has described how it has become “a beacon for everyone in London.

But high winds have meant the structure had to be taken down ahead of the festival’s first day, which begins on Christmas Day this year.

The Jewish Leadership Council said in a statement: “The JLC and the Mayor of London are proud to work together each year to ensure a Chanukiah stands proudly in Trafalgar Square.

“The Chanukiah was constructed on Wednesday well ahead of the first night of Chanukah.

“Unfortunately, wind speeds are predicted in the coming days to exceed the maximum permitted for the structure so the Chanukiah had to be removed to ensure the safety of those in and around Trafalgar Square.

“Despite all efforts being made by all parties, it will regretfully not be possible to rebuild the Chanukiah in time.

“The JLC and the Mayor are working together to explore options to ensure Chanukah is still able to be prominently recognised in Trafalgar Square.”

A smaller menorah will be placed in the square and a projection of “Happy Hanukkah” will be beamed onto Nelson’s Column, according to the BBC.

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American Airlines has resumed flights after suspending its services for around an hour on Tuesday due to a technical issue that impacted the systems needed to release its planes.

The nationwide halt was cancelled just before 13:00 GMT, according to the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA).

The disruption came during one of the busiest travel days of the year as passengers made journeys on Christmas Eve.

In a statement, the airline said a “vendor technology issue” had caused the issue and it was “all hands on deck” to minimise further disruption.

“We sincerely apologise to our customers for the inconvenience this morning,” the airline said.

“It’s all hands on deck as our team is working diligently to get customers where they need to go as quickly as possible.”

Departure boards at major US airports are still showing delays of up to two hours for some flights as the airline recovers from the nationwide issue, but real-time tracking website Flightradar24 shows planes taking off again at a number of major US travel hubs and most flights are departing on time.

A Dutch court on Tuesday convicted five men for their part in last month’s violence against Israeli soccer fans in Amsterdam that shocked the world and sparked accusations of antisemitism.

The Amsterdam district court found them guilty of a range of crimes, from kicking fans of Maccabi Tel Aviv in the street to inciting violence in chat groups.

The heaviest sentence imposed was six months in prison, for a man identified as Sefa O. for public violence against several people.

Israeli officials said 10 people were injured in the violence, while hundreds more Israelis huddled in their hotels for hours, fearing they could be attacked. Many said that Dutch security forces were nowhere to be found, as the Israeli tourists were ambushed by gangs of masked assailants who shouted pro-Palestinian and anti-Israel slogans while they hunted, beat and harassed them.

Police said they were investigating at least 45 people over the violence. Some social media posts had included calls to “hunt Jews,” according to police. The attacks followed two days of skirmishes that also saw Maccabi fans chant anti-Arab songs, vandalize a taxi and burn a Palestinian flag.

Images of the violence went around the world and sparked a furious reaction in Israel, including accusations of a “pogrom.”

The most serious case under consideration Tuesday was that of O., who prosecutors said played a “leading role” in the violence.

The court saw images of a man identified as O. kicking a person on the ground, chasing targets, and punching people in the head and the body.

The prosecutor said the beatings had “little to do with soccer” but added that “in this case, there was no evidence of… a terrorist intent and the violence was not motivated by antisemitic sentiment.”

“The violence was influenced by the situation in Gaza, not by antisemitism,” claimed the prosecutor, referring to Israel’s war against Palestinian terror group Hamas, sparked by the latter’s October 7, 2023, onslaught in Israel in which attackers killed 1,200 people and abducted 251.

Another man identified as Umutcan A., 24, received a sentence of one month for assaulting fans and violently ripping a Maccabi scarf from one of them.

A 22-year-old identified as Abushabab M., 22, faces a charge of attempted murder but his case has been postponed while he undergoes a psychiatric assessment.

He was born in the Gaza Strip and grew up in a war zone, his lawyer told the court, while M. sat sobbing as his case was being heard.

A further six suspects are set to appear at a later stage.

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Hanna Katzir, who endured seven weeks of Hamas captivity in the Gaza Strip last year, has died at age 78 after months of struggling with medical complications from her time as a hostage, her hometown of Kibbutz Nir Oz announced Tuesday.

Katzir was kidnapped from her home in the kibbutz during the Hamas onslaught of October 7, 2023. She was released on November 24 as part of a Qatar-negotiated temporary ceasefire deal, just days after the Palestinian Islamic Jihad terror group falsely claimed she had been killed in an IDF airstrike.

Her family reported soon after her release that she had returned in extremely poor health and needed to be hospitalized for heart issues that she hadn’t had before she was kidnapped, adding that “difficult conditions and starvation” had caused the deterioration.

On Tuesday, she became the first former hostage from the October 7 assault to die after her release. She was scheduled to be buried at Kibbutz Nir Oz cemetery at 4 p.m.

Katzir’s husband, Rami, 79, was killed during the attack and her son Elad was taken hostage and later killed. According to the IDF, Elad was likely killed by his captors in January. His body was recovered in April.

Hanna Katzir only learned about her husband’s murder and her son’s abduction after returning from captivity.

Palty Katzir noted that those still in captivity were also in extreme danger, urging leaders to reach a deal with Hamas to free them.

Hanna Katzir was born to a family of Holocaust survivors and worked in the kibbutz laundromat.

She is survived by three children and six grandchildren.

A mid-level Israeli negotiating team that has been in Qatar for several days working on a potential hostage-ceasefire deal with Hamas in the Gaza Strip was to return to Israel Tuesday evening, the Prime Minister’s Office said, adding that it had been a “meaningful week” of talks.

“The team is returning for internal deliberations in Israel regarding the continuation of negotiations to bring our hostages home,” the PMO said in a statement.

Qatar’s foreign ministry said negotiations were ongoing in Doha, in cooperation with Egyptian and American mediators.

“We will not leave any door unopened in pursuit of reaching an agreement,” Qatari Foreign Ministry spokesperson Majid al-Ansari said at a press conference.

The proposed ceasefire is reported to envision a three-phase implementation. The first stage would see Hamas release “humanitarian” captives — female hostages, any remaining children, the elderly and the sick.

Younger male hostages would only be released at a later stage, if the truce holds.

Amid the recent swirl of reports that a deal was within reach, 10 families of hostages who are fathers of children sent a letter to the cabinet citing legal reasons why those captives should be included in the first phase, Channel 12 reported.

Under the title “Israel’s commitment to children whose fathers are hostages,” they argued that considerations on which hostages should be released first are governed by international law. These, they said, had not been taken into account when Israel defined who is considered a humanitarian hostage.

There is concern among hostages’ families that any captives not released in the first stage of a truce could remain held for a further prolonged period, as many fear the deal will collapse before further phases are reached.

Among those who signed were former hostage Sharon Aloni Cunio, whose husband David Cunio is still being held; Bat-Sheva Yahalomi, wife of hostage Ohad Yahalomi; and Avital Dekel Chen, wife of Sagui Dekel-Chen.

“Israel is required to recognize and implement the rights of children whose fathers are held by Hamas,” they wrote, adding that the welfare of such children was being “abandoned and damaged” as long as their fathers were still held captive.

Channel 12 reported Tuesday that officials in Washington had been in contact with the families of American Israelis held in Gaza, telling them that while there has been progress, no major development was expected in the coming days, and the process would take time. There are seven US-Israeli citizens among the hostages.

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