Feed aggregator

Dramatic body camera video captured the moment a Josephine Police officer rescued a child from a pond on Saturday in Josephine, Texas.

A well-known matzah bakery in Boro Park was completely destroyed in a major fire last week, drawing an extraordinary response from its owner that has since resonated across the neighborhood and beyond.

The blaze tore through the famous Boro Park Matzah Bakery on 14th Avenue, reducing the facility to ashes.

Firefighters battled the flames for nearly seven hours before finally bringing the inferno under control, according to local reports.

As firefighters worked to extinguish the fire, the bakery’s owner, R’ Chaim Bru, a chossid of Vizhnitz, stood nearby watching his livelihood go up in flames. Rather than reacting with anger or despair, he distributed sheets of paper to onlookers bearing the words “Ein Od Milvado,” and repeatedly called out the phrase, expressing his firm belief that everything comes from Hashem and is ultimately for the good, even amid enormous financial loss at the peak of the matzah-baking season.

In footage recorded at the scene, R’ Chaim can be heard explaining his outlook with striking clarity. When one bystander asked whether a malfunctioning oven may have sparked the fire, he replied that it was Hashem Above who caused it. “When Hashem gives a person a slap,” he said, “you don’t ask questions.”

True to his word, R’ Chaim later took his message a step further. A massive banner bearing the words “Ein Od Milvado” was hung prominently on the remains of the bakery, serving as a public declaration of faith and acceptance. The sign, now impossible to miss along the busy avenue, has become a powerful symbol of emunah.

{Matzav.com}

Belgium has formally joined South Africa’s case against Israel at the International Court of Justice, escalating a landmark legal challenge that accuses Israel of committing genocide in the Gaza Strip and deepening international pressure over the conduct of the war. In a statement, the ICJ — the United Nations’ highest court — confirmed that Brussels […]

French authorities have launched a criminal investigation after a disturbing video surfaced showing a man harassing and humiliating a young Jewish child inside a Paris airport, forcing the boy to repeat political slogans and mocking him. The footage, first posted Sunday by the X account The SwordOfSalomon, has been viewed more than 440,000 times. It […]

NYC Mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani on Tuesday named veteran FDNY leader Lillian Bonsignore as New York City’s next fire commissioner, tapping a longtime insider to take the helm of the nation’s largest fire department as the city prepares for a change in leadership at City Hall. Bonsignore, a 31-year FDNY veteran who retired in 2022, will […]

A Texas mayor appears to be the first to issue a proclamation banning Islamic Sharia law. Keller Mayor Armin Mizani signed a proclamation “affirming constitutional supremacy, American sovereignty, and rejection of foreign legal systems,” stating that the U.S. and Texas constitutions “alone define the lawful framework for governance, justice, and civil order within this city.” […]

It was on a quiet Motzoi Shabbos and the phone at the Refuah B’Halacha Center was quiet. That is, until the phone rang. On the other end was a man, speaking with a mix of urgency and hesitation. “A gut voch,” he began. “I… I need some guidance. I don’t know what to do.” The […]

Former prime minister Naftali Bennett launched a blistering attack on Israel’s current leadership on Tuesday, demanding that law enforcement and security agencies fully pursue the so-called “Qatargate” scandal — including questioning Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu himself — warning that the affair represents a grave national security breach at the highest levels of government. In a […]

A weeklong search ended with the arrest of a 23-year-old suspect accused of carrying out a violent antisemitic attack in Crown Heights during Chanukah. Armani Charles is charged in the stabbing of 35-year-old Elias Rosner, who was wounded in the chest outside a Chabad shul on the third night of the Yom Tov.

Rosner later recounted that the assailant was shouting threats and spewing antisemitic hatred moments before the attack. “I’m going to kill Jewish people, I’m going to kill a Jew today, I don’t give a ….,” the attacker allegedly said. “We wouldn’t be in this mess if the Holocaust had happened.”

According to Rosner, he was targeted after confronting the attacker rather than backing away. He said his belief in “standing up to bullies” drew the attacker’s focus amid a group of Yidden who were outside the shul at the time. Rosner added that his background in martial arts helped him avoid a fatal wound when he was stabbed.

Charles was taken into custody and is facing hate crime charges in connection with the incident.

The Crown Heights stabbing followed closely on the heels of another disturbing antisemitic episode in New York City, though police emphasized the two cases are not believed to be linked. One day earlier, a group of Jewish students were threatened on a subway train after participating in a Chanukah gathering in Union Square.

The students had spent several hours in Manhattan engaged in Chanukah outreach, sharing the light and message of the Yom Tov, before boarding a No. 3 train back toward Crown Heights. While riding the train, two men allegedly entered the car and began hurling antisemitic insults at the visibly Jewish group.

According to testimony from the students, the verbal abuse quickly escalated. One student began filming the encounter to document it for police. “That’s when everything changed,” the student said. “As soon as the younger one realized I was filming, he attacked me.”

Video taken by another member of the group shows the assailant striking the victim inside the subway car, while no other passengers appear to step in during the confrontation.

{Matzav.com}

President Trump unleashed a late-night attack on The New York Times on Monday, branding the newspaper “a serious threat to the national security of our nation” in a post on Truth Social. “The Failing New York Times, and their lies and purposeful misrepresentations, is a serious threat to the National Security of our Nation,” Trump […]

CNN: “There’s 10 states where the average is below $2.50 a gallon… GasBuddy is projecting that the national average on Christmas day will be just $2.79 a gallon… and GasBuddy says this will save drivers about a half $1 billion over what they spent last year.”

UPDATE: Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro confirmed that at least two people were killed in today’s gas explosion at Silver Lake Nursing Home in Bristol, Pennsylvania, and that a number of individuals remain missing.

Belgium has formally joined South Africa’s case against Israel at the International Court of Justice (ICJ). Belgium filed a declaration of intervention, aligning itself with South Africa’s genocide case concerning Israel’s “conduct” in Gaza. The filing allows Belgium to present its legal position to the court as proceedings continue.

A new temporary Chabad House has opened at the site of the Bondi Beach terror attack. The center, named “Ohel Eli and Yaakov,” was set up at the exact location of the attack and commemorates Chabad shluchim Rabbi Eli Schlanger and Rabbi Yaakov Levitin Hy”d, who were killed in the attack.

Americans could be headed for what administration officials are describing as a historic tax windfall next year, with top economic leaders projecting unusually large refunds and higher take-home pay in 2026.

Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said recently that working households should expect a significant influx of cash early in the year. “There are going to be substantial refunds to working American households in the first quarter,” he told Maria Bartiromo. “We’re going to see very substantial, $100 to $150 billion of refunds in the first quarter go directly to Americans’ pockets.”

White House National Economic Council Director Kevin Hassett offered a similar forecast, calling the coming season unprecedented. “We are going to see the biggest refund cycle ever in the history of America, and people are going to get massive refund checks,” Hassett said during an appearance on “Varney & Co.” “We’re expecting just that part of it alone to be worth a couple-thousand-dollar refund,” he added. “The numbers are striking.”

The optimism follows President Donald Trump’s end-of-year address last week, when he predicted “the largest tax refund season of all time” next spring and said many families could save between $11,000 and $20,000 annually.

Backing up those claims, IRS CEO Frank Bisignano said the agency is preparing to deliver exactly what the president promised. “We should expect exactly what the president said, as always happens,” Bisignano said Tuesday on “Mornings with Maria.” “And the great leadership of the Treasury secretary has positioned us to be able to deliver in a whole bunch of ways for America.”

Bisignano, who also serves as commissioner of the Social Security Administration, said the benefits will be widespread. “You’re going to look at probably 94%—plus of middle-class Americans getting a boost, your tax rates coming down and getting the benefit going forward,” he said.

He added that seniors would also see major relief tied to changes in how benefits are treated. “You’ll see all our Social Security recipients getting up to a $6,000 benefit as [Trump] committed to the benefits of Social Security not being taxed,” Bisignano said. “It will be the biggest refunds that we’ve ever seen, and it’s all because of the president’s leadership and the Treasury secretary’s under ‘One [Big] Beautiful Bill,’ which is unparalleled.”

Beyond refunds, Bisignano highlighted a long-term savings initiative aimed at younger Americans. He said the newly branded “Trump accounts,” designed to help children build wealth over time, will open for contributions on July 4, 2026. Calling the plan transformative, he said, “It’s one of the most amazing pieces of tax work ever done. And if you think about it, $1,000 today will be worth $500,000 at age 60.”

The push comes as administration officials acknowledge that many Americans are still feeling squeezed by high prices, even as economic indicators show cooling inflation and rising real wages. Hassett and Bessent have both told FOX Business that the coming tax season is expected to deliver tangible relief, with larger refunds and stronger paychecks intended to ease ongoing affordability concerns.

{Matzav.com}

Louisiana Governor announces deployment of 350 National Guard troops to New Orleans.

PHOTO: Representatives of Kol Yisroel met with NYS Assemblyman Sam Berger to discuss key community issues, including support for proposed legislation by NYS Senator Sam Sutton and NYS Assemblyman Micah Lasher to create buffer zones around houses of worship. The sides agreed to continue discussions and reconnect in Albany.

As national education spending per pupil rises, student enrollment is dropping and test scores across the United States are falling, which raises concern over how effectively taxpayer dollars are being used in public schools. Since 2002, K-12 public school spending has increased by more than 35%, yet enrollment has dropped 2.1%, which is over a […]

5 DAYS LEFT!! Win $30,000!! Or a BRAND NEW MINIVAN!! ONLY $36!! CLICK HERE!! 5 DAYS LEFT!! Win $30,000!! Or a BRAND NEW MINIVAN!! ONLY $36!! CLICK HERE!! Join the Nitra Yeshiva Car Raffle   Enter today for your chance to win $30,000 towareds the car of your choice!   Every ticket supports the vital work of Nitra Yeshiva, […]