In the ḥasidic enclave of Borough Park, Rabbi Shaul Shimon Deutsch presides over Torah Animal World, part of his Living Torah Museum, which was named “Best Museum in New York” by the Village Voice. The exhibits, all of which are interactive, include displays created from stuffed animals and ancient artifacts with varying degrees of connection to the Bible. Jamie Manelis writes:

[Deutsch’s] interest in using taxidermy animals . . . began with his innate need to teach. On realizing the important roles specific animals played in the Torah, [he] wanted to create a multi-sensory approach to teach children about them. Opening a zoo in Borough Park would be complicated at best. He found a loophole. “We did the next best thing using taxidermy animals. We’ve never killed an animal—I don’t believe in killing animals [other than for food]. I do believe that if they’re already dead and available, let’s use them for education.”

Rabbi Deutsch balances his creative needs with philanthropic endeavors. On top of maintaining [the museum] he runs Oneg Shabbos, a food program for the hungry and homeless. The largest food pantry in Brooklyn, [it] helps feed over 1,100 families on a weekly basis, [r]egardless of . . . religious affiliation. . . . He also runs a burial program for people who can’t afford proper funerals. . . .

Most museums are cold, bright, and almost sterile due to the fragility of art, handled with delicate hands and admired in silence. The Living Torah Museum feels just the opposite. It’s like walking inside of your eccentric grandfather’s living room. Deutsch’s hands-on approach doesn’t only satisfy a historical curiosity; it forces a new connection to items lost in the vacuum of time. Cradling a perfume bottle excavated from King Tut’s tomb cultivates a new sense of understanding—something you could never experience by simply peering through a glass barrier. “Perfume bottle.” Rabbi Deutsch inspects a brown withered object and shakes it. “You hear that? Dried perfume! Here, hold it,” he says, shoving it into my hands.

On Tuesday, a Hizballah drone attack injured three people in northern Israel. The next day, another attack, targeting an IDF base, injured eighteen people, six of them seriously, in Arab al-Amshe, also in the north. This second attack involved the simultaneous use of drones carrying explosives and guided antitank missiles. In both cases, the defensive systems that performed so successfully last weekend failed to stop the drones and missiles. Ron Ben-Yishai has a straightforward explanation as to why: the Lebanon-backed terrorist group is getting better at evading Israel defenses. He explains the three basis systems used to pilot these unmanned aircraft, and their practical effects:

These systems allow drones to act similarly to fighter jets, using “dead zones”—areas not visible to radar or other optical detection—to approach targets. They fly low initially, then ascend just before crashing and detonating on the target. The terrain of southern Lebanon is particularly conducive to such attacks.

But this requires skills that the terror group has honed over months of fighting against Israel. The latest attacks involved a large drone capable of carrying over 50 kg (110 lbs.) of explosives. The terrorists have likely analyzed Israel’s alert and interception systems, recognizing that shooting down their drones requires early detection to allow sufficient time for launching interceptors.

The IDF tries to detect any incoming drones on its radar, as it had done prior to the war. Despite Hizballah’s learning curve, the IDF’s technological edge offers an advantage. However, the military must recognize that any measure it takes is quickly observed and analyzed, and even the most effective defenses can be incomplete. The terrain near the Lebanon-Israel border continues to pose a challenge, necessitating technological solutions and significant financial investment.