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Don’t Judge Others’ Tefillah We are all familiar with the mitzvah of being dan l’chaf zechus (judging others favorably). In response to recent letters and statistics regarding people arriving late to shul, I would like to point out a few important considerations. Many individuals attend a shiur or learn before davening, and therefore say much or all of birchos hashachar at home. Others may not be as prompt as they would like, but the reality of their busy (and sometimes chaotic) household circumstances does not always allow them to be machmir on jenem’s pleitzas (their wives’ needs). It is also the widespread minhag in most shuls to begin pesukei d’zimra around ten or eleven minutes after the official starting time. Therefore, someone arriving five minutes after the scheduled start can put on their tallis and tefillin and still begin pesukei d’zimra with the tzibbur. Those who wish to emulate the chasidim harishonim and arrive an hour early are welcome to do so. However, they should be cautious not to criticise those who may be mehader in other areas, even if not in this particular one. On a different note: Regarding the British Government’s hypocrisy in criticising Jews in Eretz Yisroel who are merely trying to protect themselves from murderous terrorists — let us not forget that, were it not for the determination of Winston Churchill (and the ratzon Hashem), the British Parliament was ready to surrender in June 1940 after France had capitulated to the Nazis. That surrender would have included handing over hundreds of thousands of Jews to the Nazis to be murdered. Churchill only managed to defeat his parliamentary opponents by a narrow vote, late at night. This is not to mention the millions of innocent civilians Britain massacred in cold blood in India, South Africa, Australia, Kenya and elsewhere, in a desperate attempt to maintain control over their rapidly crumbling empire. (All of this is well documented and even filmed.) Nor should we forget their treacherous abandonment of the Jews of Eretz Yisroel in 1948, when they led the Jordanian army in a war against the Jewish people — many of whom were Holocaust survivors. Boruch Hashem, the British Empire has long since been relegated to the dustbin of history. Let’s see what happens when Mr. Lammy can’t get his medical help — one-seventh of all medications used in the UK are manufactured in Israel — or even his mobile phone to work, since many of the vital components are made in Israel. That should be fun. Rabbi Michoel Fletcher Shul Is for Tefillah — Not Reading Material Thank you for responding to my letter. While I appreciate your perspective and agree that many Torah publications contain valuable content, I still feel strongly that shul is not the appropriate place to read them. These news sheets might include an inspiring vort or an interesting halachah — but would a teacher allow a student to take one out during a lesson? Would a rov tolerate someone reading one in the middle of a shiur? We all know the answer. So why should we view davening any differently? Shul is a makom tefillah. That should be our focus. Reading, even if it’s Torah content, distracts us from our conversation with Hashem — the very reason we’re in shul to begin with. Let’s honour the kedushah of the beis haknesses and give Tefillah the attention and respect it deserves. D. L. Understanding Latecomers: A Call to Deepen Our Connection in Shu I believe Mr. Y.P.’s assessment of the current crisis misses an essential point. While I agree that these beautiful Torah publications provide meaningful opportunities to bring divrei Torah and interesting halachot to the Shabbos table, the time for such preparation is not during davening itself. I also doubt that reading these papers during services encourages people to arrive early, as they are often read after davening has already started. To properly address the problem, we must first understand its root causes; otherwise, we risk proposing the wrong solutions. One major issue is why people arrive late to shul. There are several possible reasons. Many find the prayers repetitive and distant from their personal lives, feeling disconnected from the words they recite. Some see Dovid Hamelech’s tefillos as inspiring but feel they themselves are not really “in that moment.” This disconnect can cause people to mumble prayers quickly or rush through them, aiming merely to “get it over with.” To minimize this discomfort, some choose to come late. I do not blame them entirely, as we have rarely discussed how one can daven the same Shemoneh Esrei three times daily (sometimes back-to-back) with real emotion and involvement. Because of this, people seek distractions during davening—reading Torah newspapers or opening a sefer—rather than facing the difficulty of connecting to Hashem directly. Shouldn’t we foster open, honest conversations about our challenges in connecting to Hashem, instead of focusing on what others do during tefillah? We must strengthen our tefillah, for it is our direct connection to Hashem. The Anshei Knesses HaGedolah established tefillah so that we could communicate openly with Hashem and ask Him for what we truly need. S. L London |
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| World News |
| Two Israeli diplomats shot, killed during event at Capital Jewish Museum in Washington, DC |
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A pro-Palestinian man is in custody after allegedly killing two Israeli embassy staff members who were leaving an event at the Capital Jewish Museum in Washington, D.C., on Wednesday night, authorities confirmed. Metropolitan Police Department Chief Pamela Smith said during a news conference that officers responded to multiple calls of a shooting near the museum at around 9:08 p.m. on Wednesday. When authorities arrived at the scene, a man and a woman were found unconscious and not breathing. Despite life-saving efforts from first responders, Smith said both were pronounced dead. A 30-year-old man identified as Elias Rodriguez, of Chicago, is believed to have committed the act alone and is in custody, Smith said, adding that his gun was also recovered. |
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| Turkey’s Public BMI Checks Spark Backlash Amid Rising Economic Hardship |
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Turkey’s new public health campaign to measure citizens’ Body Mass Index (BMI) in public spaces has faced widespread backlash. Launched by Health Minister Kemal Memişoğlu, the “Learn Your Ideal Weight, Live Healthy” program aims to screen 10 million people by July 10 across all 81 provinces. Health workers stop passersby in public squares to measure height, weight, and BMI. Those with a BMI of 25 or higher are referred to state health centers for free nutritional counseling and follow-up care. Officials say the initiative is part of a national fight against obesity. However, many citizens and experts criticize the program as invasive and out of touch with Turkey’s worsening economic conditions. With inflation around 38 percent and food prices soaring, many struggle to afford nutritious food. Critics argue the government targets individuals rather than addressing broader economic causes of unhealthy living. Social media users mock the campaign’s approach, pointing out the irony of some health workers being overweight themselves. Psychiatrist Gökben Hızlı Sayar humorously shared her experience being stopped for a BMI check in a public square. Turkey has one of Europe’s highest obesity rates, with 32 percent of adults obese. The campaign’s lack of clarity on consent and data protection has also raised concerns. |
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| Israel News |
| EL AL Changes policy |
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Starting Wednesday, passengers holding Lite-class tickets, the most basic fare on El Al flights to Europe and the United Arab Emirates, will no longer be allowed to bring trolley bags on board. Instead, they will be required to check bags weighing up to 8 kilograms (17.6 pounds) into the aircraft hold. This change will apply even to small cabin suitcases and will not incur additional charges. The move marks a significant shift from current practices and has sparked frustration among many travelers. “We bought our tickets under certain terms, and now the airline suddenly changes the rules,” one passenger told Israel Hayom. “It was really upsetting and frustrating to receive the message. It feels like the airline is doing whatever it wants because of the current situation. They’re making unilateral changes as they please and mistreating captive customers. |
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Netanyahu: Trump told me ‘I have absolute commitment to you’; US deepening ties with Arab states can expand Abraham Accords |
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In his press conference this evening, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu argues that Israel’s relations with the United States are positive and reports of a rift between him and US President Donald Trump are false, adding that Trump’s warming of relations with Arab states in the Middle East won’t sideline Israel. He says he spoke with Trump and with US Vice President JD Vance in recent days and was assured that America has Israel’s back. “Let me give you some details that perhaps haven’t been made public. A few days ago — I think around 10 days ago, maybe a little more — I spoke on the phone with President Trump. And he said to me, literally: ‘Bibi, I want you to know — I have absolute commitment to you. I have absolute commitment to the State of Israel.’ “Just a few days ago, I spoke with Vice President Vance. He said to me… ‘Listen, don’t pay attention to all this fake news about this rupture between us… It’s all spin. This isn’t the truth, you know it’s not true, and I’m telling you, from our side, it’s not true.’” “We’re coordinated with the [Trump] administration,” continues Netanyahu, “We speak with each other. We respect their interests, and they respect ours — and they overlap. I won’t tell you they align completely — obviously not — but they align almost completely.” Netanyahu also expresses his support for Trump’s objectives of tightening relations with Gulf nations in the Middle East, demonstrated by his visit to Saudi Arabia, Qatar and the United Arab Emirates last week, saying Trump’s moves may serve Israel by facilitating more Abraham Accords normalization agreements. “I have no objection to the United States deepening its ties in the Arab world. That’s absolutely fine. And I’ll tell you even more — I believe that can actually help expand the Abraham Accords, which I’m very invested in. I’m interested in that.” During the roughly two-and-a-half years in which he and Trump prepared the Abraham Accords, says Netanyahu, Gulf states were speaking very harshly about Israel. “But beneath the surface, something very different was happening. And I think there’s a possibility that this could happen again. I would be very happy if it does, because it’s one of my goals,” he says. “I’ve always wanted to expand the circle of peace, to extend a hand to our friends and push back the sword of our enemies. I’m very determined in this, and I’m focused on it.”
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| IDF: 3 rockets fired from northern Gaza at Israel; all fell short inside Strip |
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Three rockets were launched from the northern Gaza Strip a short while ago, setting off sirens in the border communities of Zikim and Netiv Haasara, the IDF says. All three projectiles fell short in Gaza, the army adds. No injuries were caused.
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