Friday Features – September 26, 2025
As we welcome year 5786, history-making decisions are being made. Last night, Prime Minister Netanyahu and his most trusted advisor, Ron Dermer, met with President Trump’s most trusted advisors, Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner. On Monday, Netanyahu will meet with President Trump in the Oval Office, with Trump’s 21-point Gaza Peace Plan on the table. Visit JewishNewsWire.com 24/7 to catch-up and keep-up.
Beyond these history-shaping headlines, there are many fascinating, in-depth stories you may have missed. Let’s take a look at three: (1) the high-risk Mossad operation behind Nasrallah’s assassination; (2) the human side of the IDF’s reserve system; and (3) the world’s largest Jewish baseball card collection.
1. In the Heart of Dahieh, Beirut: The Daring Mossad Operation That Led to the Assassination of Nasrallah
Source: Yedioth Ahronoth, by Ron Ben-Yishai
“We assessed our chance of survival at 50/50.”
The Mossad team crept through narrow alleys, hugging walls, hoping their handler had coordinated with the IDF so the air force would not bomb the very path they were taking. Their destination was a high-rise apartment block. Beneath it sat Hezbollah’s most sensitive secret — the underground bunker serving as its main command headquarters.
It took years of preparation, new science fiction-like technologies, and many hundreds of moving parts. But in the end, success or failure rested with this small team of Mossad agents, tasked with planting highly-classified devices to guide airstrikes, at just the right time, on-the-ground in the most hostile place imaginable.
Preparations for the famous Pagers Operation were simple compared to the planning that went into the assassination of Hassan Nasrallah and Hezbollah’s top commanders.
- The danger zone: The operatives slipped into Haret Hreik, a densely-built Shiite neighborhood in Dahieh, Beirut (“Hezbollah Land”), carrying carefully disguised packages. They knew full well that if Hezbollah men caught them, death was certain. And if the devices in their hands were discovered, Israel’s security would face a devastating blow.
- Why there? Why then? Intelligence delivered to Unit 8200 and Military Intelligence indicated that Hezbollah’s leader Hassan Nasrallah was scheduled to meet there with Iran’s Quds Force commander in Lebanon, Gen. Abbas Nilforoushan, and Hezbollah’s southern front chief, Ali Karaki, who was viewed as a possible successor to Nasrallah. Only a handful of Hezbollah’s security guards and inner circle even knew the bunker existed.
- So, what about these science fiction devices? Completed in 2022, the planted devices allowed precision strikes at varying depths underground. The Mossad had sought the technology not only for Lebanon but also for a potential strike on Iran’s nuclear program. Mossad operatives were to place these devices at pre-planned points inside the building above the compound in Dahieh.
- The project: The devices were part of a top-secret project involving the Defense Ministry’s weapons development unit, intelligence and technology specialists, the air force, and defense companies Rafael and Elbit. Together, they developed guidance systems and penetrating warheads for Israel’s bombs, ensuring they could strike precisely in rocky terrain. Precision was essential. Even a one-meter deviation could mean a bomb striking beside – rather than into – a tunnel. In that case, those inside might survive with only injuries.
- Dodging friendly fire: While hiding from Hezbollah, the Mossad team had to contend with Israeli bombs raining down nearby. The agents held a tense discussion with their handler – they asked for a pause of heavy bombardments during their infiltration. The handler insisted the opposite – the raids would not only continue but intensify, forcing Hezbollah guards to take cover and giving the team a chance to reach the bunker. It worked.
- The order: Even with intelligence pointing to Nasrallah’s planned meeting in the bunker, Israeli leaders remained divided, particularly over whether or not to risk alerting Washington. Mossad chief Barnea argued Israel must act immediately, without U.S. coordination. Netanyahu hesitated. Then, while en route to the UN General Assembly, he received updated intelligence suggesting the opportunity might not return. He gave the order mid-flight.
The rest, as they say, is history. Read the full story.
2. Israel’s Citizen-Army Responds to the Call – Even After Two Years
It’s well known that the IDF depends on its reservists in the event of war – its standing army is relatively small. But the reserve system was never meant for a two-year war, which has inflicted immense personal sacrifices upon reservists and their families. Nonetheless, reservists have responded with aplomb, showing they are the heart and soul of Zionism. A few examples:
- Reporting back for duty – older reservists step-up: Israelis over 50 have voluntarily returned to service in large numbers to ease manpower strain and mentor younger troops. “There was a sense that this was the time to drop everything in order to save the country … I didn’t want to watch from the sidelines,” says a 55-year-old hi-tech manager. Another volunteer adds: “People are watching us, our children are watching us … and they understand that every person must step up.” As one veteran put it: “Many of us felt that we still have something to give. We may not be in the same physical shape, but we bring a maturity to the service.” (Times of Israel.)
- Mother of five joins husband & sons in Gaza: Shlomit, 48, a nurse, left her hospital post to enlist with the 401st Armored Brigade medical corps, serving alongside her sons: “I saw that they had been fighting for a long time, and I felt I wanted to be part of it too … I have all the tools – why not give what I can?” Even after grievous losses in her sons’ unit, her resolve only deepened: “This is our mission – if we’re needed, we’ll be there. It’s a duty that is also a privilege – to be here, to protect and to fight.” (Yedioth Ahronoth.)
- Father & Son on the Lebanon border after a twin’s fall: Following the death of Sgt. Ori Locker on Oct. 7 – found with empty magazines after holding off terrorists – his twin Tamir and their father Eyal now serve side by side. “My stomach turns … but there’s immense pride to have my son beside me,” says Eyal. Tamir adds: “Grief does not exempt us from defending the state … I still have two legs and two arms, and I can keep going.” (Yedioth Ahronoth.)
- Wife of wounded officer returns to reserves – while pregnant: After her husband “Pitsi” was shot at close range on the northern front, Roni Raffeld Bluth re-enlisted as an operations officer, serving through pregnancy and after giving birth. “I called each of his brothers and said, ‘Take me to reserve duty,’” she recalls, later launching a podcast for wounded soldiers’ wives. “When the voices of wounded soldiers’ wives are heard, something in our society changes.” (Yedioth Ahronoth.)
- Wounded reservist marries on time — Ziv was severely injured by a Hezbollah drone during preparations for his wedding; he and fiancée Rotem never wavered. “Did you consider postponing the wedding?” Rotem: “Absolutely not … Postponing the wedding didn’t even cross our minds.” Ziv set a simple rehab goal: “At the very least, I want to break the glass at the wedding.” He did – released from rehab one week before the ceremony. (Yedioth Ahronoth.)
3. A Fascinating Look at the World’s Most Complete Jewish Baseball Card Collection
Source: Sports Collectors Digest, by Greg Bates
This is from an article back in 2020. Subsequently, the collection was set to be auctioned by Sotheby’s on January 25, 2025 – but it appears to have been withdrawn without it being sold. The collector, Dr. Seymour Stoll of Beverly Hills, appears in this 20-minute video with Rabbi Pini Dunner, promoting the collection ahead of the auction.
- How it started & how it grew: At 14, Stoll bought a Sandy Koufax card; his dad challenged him to “collect all of the Jewish players.” What he thought would take “a couple of weeks,” took “45 years.” Today he has 500+ cards covering 191 players, roughly 1% of all MLB players through 2019. “It was a labor of love… you have to collect what you love, not for the money.”
- The hunt for rarities (and the stories behind them): Stoll’s white whales include an 1867 Levi Meyerle tintype – one of only two known, later appraised at $250,000–$300,000 – and a scarce 1936 Philip Weintraub World Wide Gum card he finally found at a show: “The last card that I looked at was it.” He also unearthed the tale of Harry Chozen, who played in just one MLB game, in 1937.
- From vault to museums—why it matters. Stoll’s collection has appeared in 11 museums (plus pop-ups nationwide), and, by his count, generated nearly $10 million in ticket sales. He keeps it in a bank vault between exhibitions, but his goal is simple: “I want to share this with everybody,” because “it gives you a sense of pride of what the baseball players did to integrate Jews into society.”