A group of Meah Shearim women gathered close to ‘chatzos’ Tuesday night in a shul in the heart of their community along with their daughters. The Aron Kodesh was opened for them as they began to be mispallel that Avigdor Lieberman should not give in and accept the current version of the draft law. They were also mispallel against the formation of a new coalition government. The group is called “Women of Meah Shearim” according to the Kikar Shabbos News report, and the group arrived in the shul and davened that Yisrael Beitenu party chairman MK Avigdor Lieberman does not give in to the demands of chareidi parties regarding the amended draft law. The women stood in the shul, at the steps of the Aron Kodesh, and were mispallel opposite the Sifrei Torah that a new Israeli government should not be established. It is pointed out that the special tefilla was done with the utmost secrecy, near midnight, with the shul locked, so as to prevent others from entering the shul. The tefilla was held amid news reports that Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu was to decide if he was going to dissolve the Knesset on Wednesday and declare new elections rather than giver another party an opportunity to attempt to form a coalition government. Talks between Likud were deadlocked as Yisrael Beitenu refused to acquiesce to the demands of the chareidi parties vis-à-vis the draft bill and their insistence that the bill be amended. (YWN Israel Desk – Jerusalem)

Hundreds of mispallalim visited the kevarim of Natan HaNavi and Gad, located inside the PA (Palestinian Authority) village of Halhul, known to be a hostile village located south of Gush Etzion, along Route 60 towards Hebron. The mispallalim were escorted by the IDF and border police, and B’chasdei Hashem, the visit passed without incident. The actual kevarim are located inside a mosque, so the mispallalim remained outside, next to the mosque. (YWN Israel Desk – Jerusalem)

(VIDEO IN EXTENDED ARTICLE) The yahrzeit of Shimon HaTzaddik is on 29 Tishrei, Monday. Thousands of mispallalim visited the tziyun beginning on Sunday night, located in the eastern portion of the capital. A large police presence as visible, ensuring mispallalim coming to and from the site did so in safety. (YWN Israel Desk – Jerusalem)

In what many view as an action aimed at graining dati leumi support in the Jerusalem mayoral race, chareidi candidate for mayor in Jerusalem Yossi Deutsch visited and was mispallel at the Har HaZeisim kever of HaGaon HaRav Avraham Yitzchak HaKohen Kook ZT”L on his yahrzeit, 3 Elul. “It’s a great privilege to be mispallel here,” Deutsch said. “Rav Kook was a guide to hundreds of thousands of Jews, religious and non-religious. “Rabbi Kook was a thread connecting the sectors of the Jewish people in general and Jerusalem in particular,” he added. The visit of the so-called “chareidi candidate” to his kever stands out against the background of the fact that Rav Kook is not mentioned in the chareidi community. His seforim are not in on the bookshelves of yeshivos in the chareidi world, nor are they quoted. This may be because many chareidi Gedolim including the Chazon Ish and the Brisker Rov opposed his Zionist views, despite being acknowledged as a great talmid chacham. Rav Kook was also attacked by rabbonim in Hungary before the war, who took an extreme position against his hashkafa, and after WWII, the Satmar Rebbe disagreed with his views publicly. (YWN Israel Desk – Jerusalem)

(PHOTOS IN EXTENDED ARTICLE) Following are photos of HaGaon HaRav Simcha HaKohen Kook Shlita, the mora d’asra of Rehovot as well as the Churva Shul in Jerusalem’s Old City. In the photos, the rav is seen on erev Rosh Chodesh Menachem Av being mispallel in Har Chotzvim, overlooking Har Habayis. (YWN Israel Desk – Jerusalem)

A mispallel in a shul, 40, from Bat Yam, was taken into police custody after he is believed responsible for stealing tzedaka funds. Ayalon district police have arraigned the suspect in the Tel Aviv Magistrate Court, asking to extend his remand in light of the evidence against him linking him to the theft of tzedaka money from a pushke (charity box) in a shul on Yosef Tal Street in Bat Yam. Police say the man is alleged to have broken into the shul during the morning hours, on more than one occasion, emptying all the pushkes. He was taken into custody and arraigned on Wednesday. (YWN Israel Desk – Jerusalem)

(VIDEO AND PHOTOS IN EXTENDED ARTICLE) Thousands came to be mispallel at the tziyun of the Baal HaTanya on 24 Teves, beginning in the afternoon hours of Wednesday and through Thursday for the yahrzeit. Chabad askanim headed by Rav Schneur Deutsch prepared for the guests, as food and hot drinks were distributed. There were also minyanim at the “Heichal HaAdmor” adjacent. (YWN – Israel Desk, Jerusalem/ צילום: אומן אקספרס)

(PHOTOS IN EXTENDED ARTICLE) Thousands of mispallalim davened shachris at the Kosel on Wednesday, the second day of Rosh Chodesh Elul, with many joining a tefilla led by Tzefas Chief Sephardi Rabbi Shmuel Eliyahu Shlita. The initiative for the tefilla led by the rav was to show unity and highlight Kedushas HaKosel at a time when Women of the Wall R”L and their supporters are interested in provocations and Chilul Hashem. The presence of the Women of the Wall did create a disturbance to put it mildly, but these mispallalim, together with Rav Eliyahu, continued their rosh chodesh tefilos without interruption. (YWN – Israel Desk, Jerusalem)

(PHOTOS IN EXTENDED ARTICLE) 400 mispallalim visited the tziyun of Otniel ben Knaz in Hebron on Tisha B’Av. Soldiers from the Yehuda Brigade provided security for the mispallalim as they are in charge of protecting the site year-round. (YWN – Israel Desk, Jerusalem/Photo Credit: IDF Spokesman Unit)

A Jerusalem police spokesman reports three minors are in custody for an attack that took place against a mispallel who left the tziyun of Shimon HaTzaddik on a Shabbos morning. The attack took place on the morning of Shabbos Shelach. The Arab youths saw the man walking with a tallis on as he was leaving the area after davening. Police learned that after spotting him, the three crossed the street and began hurling rocks at the victim. The victim began running from the area. police spotted the man running and headed to him, fearing something was wrong. After learning what occurred they headed out in search of the suspects. The victim sustained light injuries. The suspects were found in the yard of an area home. They were arrested and being charged in a hate attack. They were arraigned and their remand extended until last week. They have since been indicted. (YWN – Israel Desk, Jerusalem)

(VIDEO AND PHOTOS IN EXTENDED ARTICLE) Thousands traveled to the tziyun of the Tana R’ Yonasan ben Uziel in Amuka on Tuesday, 27 Sivan, for the yahrzeit. Mekubal Rav Yechiel Abuchatzera was among the mispallalim, conducting Tikkunim with rabbonim of the yeshiva and kollel who maintain a presence at the tziyun year-round. (YWN – Israel Desk, Jerusalem/Photo Credit: מוסדות ישועות בעמוקה)