Aug 24, 2026
The Altalena
The Altalena was a ship off the cost of Israel bringing weapons for the War of Independence, immigrants and Irgun fighters. Menachem Begin was on the ship and he and David Ben Gurion had a disagreement as to what to dow itht he weapons brought on the ship. Ben Gurion insisted that all the weapons be handed over to the IDF, saying there can only be one military in the fledgling newly founded State of Israel, while Begin wanted most of the weapons distributed among the different Irgun groups so they could continue fighting as militias. After fighting broke out between the two groups, Ben Gurion ordered his forces to sink the ship. Begin decided to stand down and told his people to not shoot back so as to prevent a possible civil war. The ship was shelled and sunk with 16 Irgun fighters being killed (not on the ship but fighting on land with IDF troops), along with 3 IDF soldiers.
 |
| no new picture of the wreckage has yet been released |
In 1949 the ship was towed further out to sea, about 15 kilometers off the coast, and sunk, to clear the coast of the remianing debris.
People have since been searchign for remains of the Altalena. The Ministry of Heritage today announced, via Ministers Amichai Eliyahu and Itamar Ben Gvir, that the Altalena has been discovered fully intact, at a depth of 503 meters and about 20km off the coast.
Minister Eliyahu said new technology made the discovery possible, saying "
Minister Eliyahu said new technology made the discovery possible, saying "
"We have been dealing with this issue secretly for many years, and today – the fruits of the intelligence and operational effort have borne exciting fruit for the sake of historical truth, the memory of the fallen, and unity with Israel."
I assume they are going to see if it is viable to recover the wreckage and bring it ashore. There is a question as to what is meant by finding it fully intact as eye witnesses from the days of when the Altalena was sunk have said it was not intactw hen it sank as part of the ship had separated and went up in flames, but these are details that will be worked out when historians get to analyze it more thoroughly.
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Halacha Headlines: 8/22/26 – Shiur 573 – Correct Him - or Let It Go? When Should Mistakes in Shul Be Corrected? (audio)
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Jonathan Pollard joins Israel First with MK Sharren Haskel (video)
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Modern Tel Aviv 🌴 From the Sarona Neighborhood to Dubnov Garden. (video)
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Shlomo Lipman - Soldiers Of Truth [ Official Music Video]
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Aug 23, 2026
Interesting Psak: Ketuba Value
The Religious Council of the Chief Rabbinate of Israel convened to come to a consensus regarding the value of the ketuba, the marriage document.
As it is, there is no accepted value. Maybe people simply write in the original text of 200 zuz, which has no specifically accepted value today, while other people write in large, and even astronomical, sums that nobody expects will actually be pad out in case of divorce or death but they are put in as an expression of love and committment and value.
The Rabbanut sees the above as a problem. Not having a real known value to the ketuba, or putting in an astronomical amount nobody expects will be actually paid out creates halachic problems with the contract.
After discussing and debating the matter, the Rabbanut has determined the value of the ketuba will be valued at a minimum of 36000nis, and at a maximum of no more than 360000nis.
The Rabbanut thinks that putting a real value on the modern ketuba will serve its purpose in proviing the woman with some financial security, and it will put the ketuba back in its deserved place as a real halachic document and not just as an empty declaration that will be ignored when it needs to be applied.....
source: Kipa
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Pollard ignores death threats and re-enters politics
Just about three months ago Jonathan Pollard announced he was going to be running for Knesset, and a few days later announced he is not going to be running for Knesset due to the death threats he received.
Today, Pollard reversed again, announcing that he has joined a political party and will be running for Knesset.
I guess the death threats stopped after he cancelled his initial bid. I wonder if they will start up again now that he is back to running...
Surprisingly, to me, the party Pollard is joining for his Knesset bid is the new party recently formed by Sharren Haskel. Haskel was a member of Gideon Saar's party. Saar went back to the Likud with a gauranteed slot for himself. Zeev Elkin ran in the Likud primaries and acheived what is considered an unrealistic slot (though rumors are swirlign he might get a designated slot from Benjamin Netanyahu as a counterbalance to Avigor Lieberman for the Russian and Olim vote. Haskel was the third main personality of that party and she left the Likud and formed her own new party (Yisrael Techilla - Israel First). I happen to like Sharren Haskel and find her to be a responsible, well intentioned, good positioned, even measured, politician.
So what is surprising to me about Pollard joining Haskel's new party is that I am surprised he considers her extreme enough for his positions. And I ams urprised she does not consider him too extreme for her party. If you heard any of his interviews in recent years you would likely consider him more extreme right than Itamar Ben Gvir, at least that's what it seems to me. He did say that he joined her party because of her loyalty to him throughout his years in American prison and that she is a responsible politician...
The only way to prevent another October 7 is to put people like you in positions of responsibility, because I know where your heart is. You fought for me without boasting about it. You were quiet, loyal and effective. And that is what we need in the new Knesset.
From Haskel's perspective she says this gives her a big boost and I am sure she appreciates the name recognition he brings to the party, and perhaps some hero celebrity power to some. Still, it does not seem like a good fit to me.
Good luck to them. I don't care much for Pollard but if he is her ticket to getting back into the Knesset, it will have been a good move.
Will I vote for this party? I consider myself undecided still and am waiting to see how thigns play out closer to the elections with several parties under consideration. Haskel's party was oen fo the parties I was considering. This partnership pushes it down the list a bit for me at this time, but we'll see what happens.
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Aug 20, 2026
not to speak against
it'll be a relief to get to election day so we can start ragging on people again... 😂
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Hakahal primaries spam doesn't win votes
One of the new Haredi political parties that have recently been formed, HaKahal, held its primaries yesterday. Their primaries were held via their website and over the telephone.
I hardly know anything at all really about the party or its positions, but based on the website more than a handful of the candidates are from Bet Shemesh, including a friend of mine. It looks like no women were included, which is always an issue that comes up when talking about new Haredi parties (seemingly as a way of trying to differentiate them from the mainstream Haredi parties).
Personally they called me more than twenty times yeterday throughout the day to encourage me to vote in the primaries. I never signed up as a member of the party nor as someone interested in voting int heir primaries, so I am not sure how they got my number (not that it is a top military secret) or why they called me to vote. maybe they just called everyone in all haredi towns and neighborhoods or something like that. I answered a few times (because the calls came in from a few different numbers) and ignored most of the calls. I was not interested enough (and frankly was busy with work when they initially called) in listening to the long message or in the voting process so after hearing what they wanted I just hung up.
I get that they are a new party and are trying to encourage people to participate in their process and gather support, but spamming people with 20+ calls over the course of a day is not a way, at least I don't think it is, to create endearment or support.
Haredi news groups and media are reporting that the heads of Hakahal are disappointed with the level of participation in the primaries yesterday. With only little effort required, voting was to be done via telephone and internet with no need to go anywhere for physical voting, only about 14000 people voted. They had claimed leading up to the primaries that 90000 had registered to vote.
Personally, for a new Haredi party where it can be socially and communally dangerous for people to participate in such a thing, I think 14000 is pretty impressive, though that is still a far cry from having any realistic chance of getting into the Knesset. Maybe people were frustrated by all the calls (I personally was upset at the chutzpah) or didnt like listening to long lists of names over the phone and figuring out how to vote for them. Or maybe not enough people are really interested in this.
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Moti Leitner: 'Israel is doing Satmar's work for it' (video)
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Manischewitz Babka - Nosh with Josh (video)
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August 18th. I invite you to Jerusalem from the Western Wall through the tourist districts. (video)
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Atah Zocher | Mendy Portnoy | ELUL (A Live Piano Album) (video)
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Aug 18, 2026
Baruch Hatov Vehametiv
Baruch Hatov Vehameitiv!
The bracha of Hatov Vehamitiv is said for good things but is different than Shehecheyanu in that it is intended to be said when the news or event is good for not just myself but for other people as well.
The brqcha of Hatov Vehameitiv was established as part of Birkat Hamazon (aka bentching) to thank God for the allowance we received to bury the many people of Beitar who were killed in the Bar Kochba revolt, who's bodies had been miraculously preserved from decomposing during the time they remained unburied.
I think this bracha is appropriate today as the remains of Yehuda Katz, fallen soldier from the battle of Sultan Yacoub in Lebanon 1982, have finally been breought back to Israel for Jewish burial. Katz's remains were the last remains outstanding from that battle after those of Zachary Baumel and Zvi Feldman were brought back in 2019 and 2025 respectively.
It took 44 years, but Israel kept looking and did not give up. Another painful chapter has been closed.
Rest in peace Yehuda.
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Quote of the Day
So offensive that in some Israeli religious schools, the plus sign is not used in math. The plus sign, you know, that connotes addition. Why? Because it looks like a cross, and that's considered too offensive for the eyes of schoolchildren, and so an inverted T is used. That's a fact, you can look it up
Tucker Carlson:
— 𝕊𝕡𝕣𝕚𝕟𝕥𝕖𝕣 𝕻𝕣𝕖𝕤𝕤 (@SprinterPress) August 17, 2026
In the eyes of some Israelis... In the eyes of a significant number of Israelis, Christian symbolism is offensive. Extremely offensive. So offensive that in some educational institutions, the plus sign "+" is not used in mathematics. What? Yes. The plus sign,… pic.twitter.com/DYj0htAbXW
1. who told him? that was supposed to be a sevcret. whoever told him needs to be kicked out of the Elders....
2. It is true. Not all schools, but many, especially in the religious and Haredi school systems. We really should switch from using a deformed plus symbol to a star of david0
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Smotrich: '1.8 million Nazis won't live on our borders' (video)
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