During his packed trip to Israel, outgoing New York Mayor Eric Adams sat down with Arutz Sheva–Israel National News and delivered a forceful message about why he felt compelled to come. He said his presence carried a purpose: “It’s so important to be here, to send a very loud and clear message that Israel is still very much an ally of America and an ally of New York City. And as the outgoing mayor, I wanted to come here and send that clear message. We believe that Israel’s tech startups have helped the lives of New Yorkers—not only by making life easier in cities, but also through major health discoveries that have actually saved lives. We want that partnership to continue, and that’s the conversation I’m going to have with the governmental leaders.”
Adams noted that the rhetoric coming from the incoming administration deeply troubled him. He pointed to proposals calling for “divestments in Israel, not taking Israel investment into our pension funds,” a move he said ran counter to reality. “Mind you, those investments are doing very well for our pension funds,” he emphasized.
He voiced further alarm over efforts being floated to weaken the city’s tools to fight hatred. “It’s troubling to hear about the dismantling of the IHRA definition of antisemitism,” Adams said, noting he was also disturbed by “the thoughts of removing our office to combat antisemitism, all of the things we put in place to go after the steady increase in antisemitism in our city. We started to see and notice a decline because of what we have done. So to dismantle those initiatives is moving us in the wrong direction.”
Turning to incoming mayor Zohran Mamdani, Adams criticized statements signaling hostility toward Israel. “I think that when you talk about not doing business with Israel, not willing to acknowledge that you’re going to march in an Israel Day Parade, not being willing to state you’re going to come and visit Israel and other countries—it sends a wrong message.”
He tied that message to the extreme elements of the city’s political fringe. “I know those who are part of the Democratic Socialists of America (DSA),” Adams said. “And those who marched in our streets saying horrific things; that is a clear sign of antisemitism to me. When you look at some of the signs, some of the Nazi stickers, when you talk about ‘from the river to the sea,’ these are all code words and buzzwords that are indicators of antisemitism. And we have to be honest about what’s in front of us.”
Adams said his stance was consistent across all communities. “I stood up against racism. I stood up against hate against our Chinese community and Asian violence, and I’m going to continue to stand up for the people of the city of New York.”
Responding to growing anxiety among Jews in the city, Adams urged them to remain rooted. “I don’t think they should. I think that we should stand our ground and fight for our right to exist. New York City has the largest Jewish population outside of Israel, and they have contributed so much to the city in arts and science and public protection and innovation. They should remain, but they should have situational awareness.”
He added that the sheer volume of hatred in public discourse requires vigilance: “There are far too many people out there who are spewing hate, and they have actually contributed to the antisemitic sentiment that’s out there. There are far too many, and they should have situational awareness, as I would tell anyone if I believe that there’s a high level of hate pointed toward them.”
Reflecting on his administration, Adams highlighted the groundwork he believes must not be undone. “Because of the implementation of some of the things that we have done around the IRA definition, around combating antisemitism, putting the first Jewish advisory council in place, and just visiting synagogues and interacting with our Jewish brothers and sisters and others, in our ‘Breaking Bread, Building Bonds’ initiative, we were proactive and reactive. We also sent a loud message to the police department that we will investigate every act of hate in general, but specifically antisemitism. You saw that we started to see the numbers move in the right direction, seeing a decrease in antisemitism. We need to continue that. That’s why it’s important as we hand off the baton to the next administration. They must be as aggressive as we have been around this topic.”
Even so, he acknowledged the fear gripping the community. “We’re seeing what’s playing out across the globe, and if Jews don’t feel safe in Israel and don’t feel safe in a city with the largest Jewish population, then how could we state that they don’t have a concern of being fearful? And I understand their fear. I would have that same fear.”
Still, his visit left him energized about what lies ahead. “I’m really excited about being here and seeing what innovations we could continue to share with New Yorkers. We saw some amazing innovations yesterday as we visited several companies, and I’m going to encourage the next administration to look at some of these innovations and to encourage them to partner with the tech startups. I started that at the beginning of my administration. It has been a successful collaboration. We need to continue to do so, and we must allow Israel to continue to invest our pension funds because that helps working-class people.”
As he prepares to leave office, Adams said he is looking forward to pursuing long-delayed personal goals. “I’m excited. You know, many people know I want to write my book. I want to also go back to school to get my PhD, and I have a few business interests that I’m going to be announcing in the upcoming weeks.”
WATCH:
{Matzav.com}
A man from Grand Rapids who happens to share the same name as Vice President JD Vance has been sentenced to two years in federal prison after admitting he issued violent threats toward the vice president, President Trump, Elon Musk, and Donald Trump Jr.
Prosecutors said that James Donald “JD” Vance Jr., 67, used the alias “Diaperjdv” while posting a series of alarming messages on the BlueSky platform. The US Attorney’s Office for the Western District of Michigan said he acknowledged in court that his posts targeted national leaders with explicit threats.
Investigators highlighted a message he posted on April 1, one that prompted immediate federal attention. “If tRump, Vance, or Musk ever come to my city again, they will leave it in a body bag,” he allegedly wrote. The same post included his fatalistic comment: “I will either be shot by a secret service sniper or spend the rest of my life in prison. I’ve only got about 10 years of life left anyway so I don’t … care either way.”
Authorities said his threats were not limited to those figures. On March 7, he posted about Donald Trump Jr. in response to an article titled “Donald Trump Jr. Considering a Run for President in 2028.” In that message, Vance declared, “I will murder that stupid f—ker before he gets secret service protection,” according to federal agents.
The Michigan resident ultimately pleaded guilty to two felony charges: threatening to kill or harm the president and vice president, and transmitting interstate threats. Officials said those admissions left no doubt about the seriousness of the case.
United States Attorney Timothy VerHey condemned Vance’s conduct, noting that online threats of this nature strike at the core of democratic safety. VerHey said such behavior creates “fear and damages our democratic ideals.” In his statement, he added, “When Vance said he planned to kill our President and the Vice President simply because he disagreed with them, he crossed a line we all understand and so had to be punished.”
Authorities clarified that the defendant has no connection to the actual vice president. The VP was born as James Donald Bowman before legally changing his name to James David Vance.
The Secret Service’s Grand Rapids office has been dealing with a surge of similar cases. Officials noted this was the second such federal prosecution in recent weeks.
Just last month, prosecutors secured an 18-month prison sentence for Richard James Spring of Comstock Park. Court documents show Spring threatened online to sexually assault a woman in front of President Trump and then kill him. Investigators said he also posted menacing messages on TikTok, including, “You’re going to watch your god DIE.”
Secret Service officials said the agency treats these threats with maximum seriousness. William Shink, Special Agent in Charge of the Detroit Field Office, issued a pointed warning: “Threats against our nation’s leaders and their families will not be tolerated.” He continued, “Individuals who threaten the President, Vice President or any U.S. Secret Service protectee will be investigated and held accountable for their actions.”
{Matzav.com}
President Donald Trump and Saudi Arabia’s Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman take questions from reporters as they work to negotiate terms for the Abraham Accords, F-35 fighter jets and more.
WATCH:
{Matzav.com}
Speaking at an event in Toronto, Rav Yaakov Bender, rosh yeshiva of Yeshiva Darchei Torah in Far Rockaway, NY, delivered a sharp warning about the growing culture of alcohol consumption in frum communities, singling out Friday afternoon toameha gatherings as a dangerous and destructive trend.
Rav Bender opened his remarks with a stark assessment. “The drinking is a shrecklich problem. It’s a terrible, terrible problem. I blame the parents for that. I really do. Very heavily.”
He then shared a tragic example to underscore the consequences. “There was a boy that, I’ll explain to you, a boy was in a car accident, Rachmana litzlan, and he killed somebody, in one of our prominent communities, and he’s looking at jail time of a very, very, very long time. You know where he got it from?”
According to Rav Bender, the boy’s first exposure to drinking came through a toameha group. “He went to a Toameha, I think, in a very chashuva city. Toameha should be stopped.”
Rav Bender then described the gatherings bluntly. “Those who don’t know, Toameha means you get together, seven, eight men get together, and they drink, they buy very fancy— not the women, they’re wonderful. Erev Shabbos, when a wife should be going home to his wife, helping her out, unless the wife doesn’t want you home, you know— helping her out and doing what you got to do, they go to a party, AND they call it Toameha.”
With biting irony, he added: “It’s a mitzva d’oraisa. And they eat kugel and they fress cakes and zachen, and they drink to their hearts content.”
Rav Bender said the fallout reaches the home. “I have mothers who have told me, again, not many, but [some] have told me that the husband comes drunk to the Friday night, to the Friday night Shabbos table. And Toameha is a mitzva? You got to ban it.”
He urged communities to take action. “If you find out that there’s a Toameha in your neighborhood, go and protest against the family. Put up signs. The kids are going to kill a kid afterwards.”
Parents, he said, often complain about their children drinking, without acknowledging the source. “They come to me complaining about, my kid is drinking. I said, Daddy, do you drink? And Daddy says — that means you’re drinking.”
Rav Bender broadened the critique to communal norms. “We have a society, why do we have Kiddush clubs? Kiddush clubs is bad because in the middle of davening. Why should we serve anything at a Kiddush on Shabbos? Why? You want to give beer by a Shalom Zachar? …We have made a society where drinking is chashuv.”
He expressed astonishment at the luxury liquor culture that has become common. “I don’t believe it. I haven’t gone into a liquor store maybe 30, 40 years. I haven’t ever went in also. There’s bottles today that sell for five to ten thousand dollars, and people are buying it.”
He described the status culture surrounding these bottles as hollow. “The gadlus by a Toameha club is the guy who knows he could tell the difference between a $10,000 bottle and a $5,000 bottle. I don’t believe him for a second. He thinks he can tell the difference. And we glorify these things.”
Rav Bender then made a bold proposal. “There should be no kiddushim in shuls, I’m sorry. You’re very quiet. I liked it better when we talked about the kids. So I’m telling you the kids are seeing this.”
He insisted the drinking problem among teenagers is learned behavior. “I’m telling you right now, the kids by us in yeshiva who drink, let’s say on a Friday night sometimes, there are a few, right? On a Friday night or during the Shabbos and they put them together, they’re getting it from home. They’re seeing it by their parents.”
The problem then spreads socially. “Then other kids do it, other kids see it, they also become, yeah, it spreads from kid to kid. I blame the parents.”
Rav Bender emphasized that his criticism was not directed at the host community. “I’m not talking about this shul right now. I think you don’t know, you don’t know me, you do know what you have over here. You have a posek acharon. You have someone I hope should become the posek acharon in this town for all yeshivas. He should be that. Don’t let him get away with it. He should be doing it.”
He then added, “We glorify drinking. I blame it on the parents, I’m sorry.”
Rav Bender described the calls he receives. “Am I wrong? The kids who drink, I have parents who call me, my kid is drinking.”
Often, he said, the problem begins at home. “The mother calls me and her husband gets shikker every week. I can’t tell it to the wife, you know why? I’m causing shalom bayis problems. I’m sure the wife is already screaming at the husband already. That’s why he’s drinking, because she’s screaming at him.”
WATCH:
{Matzav.com}
The Agudah National Action Summit: Turning Ideas into Action
Join us for two days of meaningful dialogue, collaboration, and impact. Professionals and leaders come together to learn, connect, and take action on Klal Yisroel’s most pressing challenges.
Featuring a slate of distinct professional and communal specialized tracks, the Summit ensures that every participant can gain relevant insights tailored to their area of influence. Tracks will include:
Click here or see below to view the speaker lineup.
December 1-2
Marriott, Newark Airport
Register at https://www.agudahaction.com/
For more information email actionsummit@agudah.org, or call 212-363-8941.
CLICK HERE TO JOIN
