Gilyonos for Shabbos to Download

Austria has officially opened a police station inside the building where Adolf Hitler was born, in a decisive effort to prevent the property from becoming a pilgrimage site for neo-Nazis and other far-right extremists.

The building, located in Braunau am Inn near the German border, underwent a €20 million renovation after years of public debate over its future. The Austrian government expropriated the property in 2017 following a lengthy legal dispute with its former owner.

Officials rejected proposals to demolish the building or transform it into a museum, fearing either option could increase its symbolic attraction. Instead, it will now house the local police command and a specialist unit focused on combating drug trafficking.

A granite memorial stone from the former Mauthausen concentration camp remains outside. Its inscription calls for peace, freedom and democracy, warning that the millions murdered under fascism must never be forgotten.

Advert

New York City landlord groups have launched a legal challenge against Mayor Zohran Mamdani’s rent freeze covering nearly one million rent-stabilised apartments.

The Rent Guidelines Board voted 7–1 to impose a zero per cent increase on both one- and two-year renewal leases beginning between October 1, 2026, and September 30, 2027.

The lawsuit argues that the board’s decision was predetermined and that Mamdani undermined its independence by appointing members committed to fulfilling his campaign promise. Landlords claim the process disregarded evidence showing rising expenses, including property taxes, insurance, fuel and maintenance costs.

Property owners warn that freezing rents while operating costs continue to rise could leave them unable to repair and maintain ageing buildings, eventually harming the city’s housing stock.

City officials have defended the decision as lawful and necessary relief for working families struggling with New York’s affordability crisis. The court challenge now threatens to reopen one of the city’s most contentious housing battles.

A political storm erupted in Israel after former Prime Minister Naftali Bennett outlined a sweeping proposal to reshape government support for the Chareidi community. Writing in an opinion piece, Bennett argued that state benefits should be linked to military service and employment, proposing to end subsidies such as daycare assistance, housing benefits and municipal tax discounts for families that do not meet those criteria.

He also called for major changes to the education system, suggesting that all schools be required to teach a core curriculum, with funding tied to compliance.

The proposals prompted an immediate and strongly worded response from senior Chareidi political figures, who accused Bennett of launching an economic campaign against yeshiva families and attempting to pressure the community into abandoning its values. They insisted that the independence of yeshiva education and the commitment of lomdei Torah would not be compromised, regardless of financial pressure.

Bennett said his plan is intended to strengthen Israel’s future, while Chareidi leaders argued it unfairly targets families devoted to Torah study and deepens divisions within Israeli society.

A wave of emotion swept through the Gur community on Thursday night after bochur Yisrael Yehuda Fein, a student at the yeshiva Sfas Emes in Yerushalayim, was released from military prison following the completion of a 20-day sentence.

He was welcomed by thousands of family members, friends and fellow students in a joyous reception that began at the yeshiva and continued in a procession to his parents’ home. The celebrations featured singing and dancing in honour of Torah, with senior Rav Dovid Alter, son of the Gerrer Rebbe, taking part in the reception.

Fein’s arrest drew widespread attention after he reported to the military recruitment office to arrange a medical exemption but was later declared a draft evader and sentenced to prison. His case prompted massive protest rallies outside Military Prison 10, led by the Gerrer Rebbe and attended by tens of thousands from the tzibbur, who gathered for tefillos and demonstrations calling for his release.

Following intensive efforts by community representatives, Fein was released on Thursday night and has now returned to the yeshiva to resume his studies.

An important advisory has been issued for overseas yeshiva students who hold Israeli citizenship and are planning to study in Eretz Yisroel, warning that recent legal changes have made it essential to arrange their status before travelling.

The notice follows the cancellation of the law that previously regulated the status of yeshiva students in relation to the military authorities. As a result, organisers say students must ensure they fully comply with the current regulations to avoid unnecessary legal complications.

Particular emphasis has been placed on arranging recognition as a “child of emigrants” (Ben Mehagrim) where applicable. According to the announcement, failing to do so could lead to difficulties with the authorities, including the possibility of being prevented from leaving Israel.

Students are advised to complete the process through their local Israeli consulate before travelling or to contact the organisers for guidance before or immediately after arriving in Eretz Yisroel.

For further information, call 02-538-5340 or email [email protected].

The announcement was signed by Rav Chaim Ahron Kaufman, who urged students to seek advice before making travel arrangements.

Kozo Okamoto, who carried out a deadly terror attack on an Israeli airport on behalf of the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine, has died in Beirut aged 78, the group says.

In a statement, the PFLP mourns “militant comrade Kozo Okamoto… who passed away today” in Beirut’s southern suburbs, a stronghold of Iran-backed Hezbollah terror group.

He was part of a three-man terrorist squad from the Japanese Red Army that killed 26 people on May 30, 1972, at Lod airport — now known as Ben Gurion — near Tel Aviv in an attack planned by the PFLP.

The other two attackers died, but Okamoto was wounded and captured, and eventually sentenced to life in prison in Israel.

He was released in a 1985 prisoner exchange and had long lived in Lebanon.

For the UK Jewish Orthodox Community
Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Erev Shabbos

To advertise click here or [email protected]:Subscribe to our news

Unsubscribe

The email was sent to [email protected]