Feed aggregator

Two infants have lost their lives in a devastating incident at a daycare facility on HaMagid Street in the Romema neighborhood of Yerushalayim. They have been identified as

Leah Tzipporah Goleventzitz a”h, approximately 3-½ months old, and Aharon (Ari) Katz a”h, an infant of about four months.

Authorities are continuing to investigate the precise cause of death amid mounting questions surrounding a suspected poisoning and revelations that the facility was operating without the required license.

Both infants were evacuated from the scene and transferred to the Abu Kabir Forensic Institute, where external medical imaging tests, including CT scans, are expected to be conducted without autopsy in an effort to determine whether a toxic substance entered their bodies.

At this stage, officials say the exact cause of death and the source of the suspected poisoning remain unknown.

In total, 55 infants were evacuated from the daycare following the incident. Two were pronounced dead, while the remaining 53 were taken to hospitals across the city for medical evaluation.

Health officials said all hospitalized infants are under observation and that their conditions are currently described as good.

Leah Tzipporah Goleventzitz was the daughter of Rabbi Mordechai Goleventzitz, a talmid of Yeshiva Ateres Yisrael and the son of Rabbi Binyamin Goleventzitz of the Ramot Shlomo neighborhood. Her mother, Mrs. Bracha Goleventzitz (née Rolnik), is from Romema. After their marriage, the family lived in Pisgat Ze’ev and had recently relocated to Romema. Leah is survived by her parents and a younger brother.

Leah’s father, Motti, works as a driver and was in the middle of a route at the time of the incident. He was unreachable for nearly two hours until relatives managed to contact him and convey the devastating news.

Leah’s mother later posted a brief message expressing her grief: “My Leah, thank you for being mine. Your soul will be within me forever. Baruch Dayan HaEmes.”

The second infant, Aharon (Ari) Katz, had begun attending the daycare that very day for the first time. He was the son of Rabbi Yaakov Katz. His mother, Mrs. Chana Katz (née Eisenbach), works at the Tachshik jewelry store on Rechov Shamgar. A relative of the family wrote that this was the first and only time since Ari’s birth that his mother had left him for several hours with a caregiver she knew personally and trusted, adding: “We do not know the calculations of Heaven.”

As the investigation continues, enforcement and health authorities are focusing on multiple possible scenarios. During the afternoon hours, a concern was raised that a gas leak from heating systems may have caused the incident. However, Fire and Rescue officials ruled out that possibility.

Fire Commissioner Shmulik Friedman, commander of the Jerusalem District, said no heating devices were found in the room where the infants were located other than an air conditioner, and a gas leak from that unit was definitively excluded.

Police forensic teams collected evidence from two apartments in the building in which the daycare operates. Three caregivers who were present at the time of the incident were detained for questioning and are being interrogated regarding the daycare’s daily routine, the care provided to the infants, and whether any unusual substances or materials had entered the facility in recent days.

Adding to the severity of the case, the Education Ministry confirmed this evening that the daycare was a private framework operating without the license required by law. The ministry described the incident as “grave and deeply tragic” and said it is maintaining close contact with law enforcement authorities as additional details emerge.

Residents of the neighborhood, however, said the daycare has operated in the building for roughly three decades and was widely regarded as an established institution within the community.

In the political arena, members of the Knesset faction of United Torah Judaism expressed profound shock at the opening of their faction meeting and placed responsibility on government decision-makers.

Faction members sent condolences to the bereaved families and wished a speedy recovery to the infants who were injured. They sharply criticized government policy in recent years, arguing that the cancellation of daycare subsidies for working mothers imposed crushing financial pressure on families and led to severe overcrowding in remaining facilities.

“We warned again and again, in real time, about the cancellation of the subsidies,” the faction said. “We said clearly that the harm is not only to working mothers, but first and foremost to the infants themselves— to their safety and to their health.”

United Torah Judaism members said those responsible for setting policy bear heavy responsibility for the events and called for an urgent reassessment of daycare subsidy structures and oversight mechanisms to prevent similar tragedies in the future.

Umacha Hashem dimah me’al kol ponim.

{Matzav.com}

New York City’s push to require residents to use official city-issued trash containers as part of an effort to curb the rat population is colliding with a basic problem: many people can’t actually get the bins.

Under the new rules, buildings with one to nine residential units must begin using the official “NYC Bin” for garbage pickup by this summer or face fines. Yet homeowners across the city report widespread difficulty locating the containers, while city officials point the finger at a private vendor responsible for producing and distributing them.

The Department of Sanitation itself cautions residents on its website: “Online ordering and the call center are currently unavailable. Select NYC Bins are available at all NYC Home Depot locations.”

That option hasn’t helped everyone. A Brooklyn resident told The Post they went to Home Depot only to discover that the bins were completely sold out.

“How can we not find a consistent supply of these cans without using a Home Depot and an out-of-state manufacturer who can’t even supply them?” the homeowner fumed to The Post.

On Staten Island, 76-year-old Michael Monopoli said he placed an order back in October but never received the bin. When he tried to follow up, he said, he found no way to get answers from the city.

“I sort of got a little tired, and I felt like, to tell the truth, I’m really annoyed with sanitation,” Monopoli said. “I never got the pail. And when I went to call you, the Department of Sanitation, you close down your phone and your website. So how am I supposed to get a ticket from you?”

City officials have blamed the problems on the outside company that manufactures the bins, citing “ongoing issues with the outside vendor that makes and delivers the bins failing to fulfill some orders.” The city advised residents seeking refunds to contact the manufacturer, Otto Environmental Systems, directly.

Otto Environmental Systems, however, told The Post that residents should continue trying to buy the bins through Home Depot.

“We are committed to restoring home delivery as quickly as possible to ensure the success of this important program,” a spokesperson for Otto Environmental Systems said.

Another Brooklyn homeowner, who asked not to be identified because their job occasionally involves working with the city, said the situation is particularly maddening given that similar programs have worked elsewhere.

“It seems like only in New York can you try to match a standard idea from across the country and struggle so much to accomplish it,” they said.

Some residents have eventually succeeded, though not without delays. Brad, a 42-year-old Brooklynite, said he ordered his bins early, when the program was first announced and demand was still relatively low.

“It took like two months or something. And that was early on,” Brad said. He also noted that sanitation crews appear to be having trouble adjusting to the new system.

“It has a latch. They have to drag it over to the truck, flip it up, and then take the bags, throw them out, and then they have to just throw it back where it went and then move on,” he said.

“Before they had a flow,” he went on. “They just grabbed the bags from the curb, tossed them and kept going. It’s like a whole extra step. It’s a lot.”

Containerized trash collection was a major priority of Mayor Eric Adams’ administration as part of his highly publicized “War on Rats.” The City Council later passed legislation to reimburse middle-class homeowners for the roughly $50 cost of the new bins.

Currently, buildings covered by the rule are required to place trash in any lidded 55-gallon container. Beginning in June, however, residents who fail to use the official NYC-branded bins could face fines starting at $50, with repeat violations climbing as high as $200.

A spokesperson for the Department of Sanitation told The NY Post that homeowners who have already ordered a bin but are still waiting for delivery will not be fined.

{Matzav.com}

A truck and a school minibus were in collision in South Africa’s Gauteng province Monday, killing at least 13 children, authorities said. Preliminary reports indicated at least 11 schoolchildren died at the scene, with two others succumbing to their injuries in the hospital. The private vehicle was transporting students to various primary schools and high […]

The disaster that claimed the lives of two infants at a private daycare in Jerusalem’s Romema neighborhood on Monday is first and foremost an unfathomable human tragedy. But if we limit our response to tears, grief, and outward-directed anger alone, we risk missing the difficult and uncomfortable responsibility now facing all of us — and […]

President Donald Trump has sent a written message to Norway’s prime minister declaring that he no longer feels obligated “to think purely of Peace,” while again pressing his demand that the United States take control of Greenland, according to people familiar with the correspondence.

The letter, which U.S. officials circulated to several governments, was Trump’s response to a short message from Norwegian Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Stoere and Finnish President Alexander Stubb. In their note, the two leaders objected to Trump’s decision to impose tariffs on European allies after they rejected his push for U.S. control over Greenland, Stoere said in a statement.

Stoere and Stubb urged a cooling of tensions and asked to speak directly with Trump by phone, according to the Norwegian prime minister. Trump replied shortly after receiving their message.

“Dear Jonas: Considering your Country decided not to give me the Nobel Peace Prize for having stopped 8 Wars PLUS, I no longer feel an obligation to think purely of Peace, although it will always be predominant, but ⁠can now think about what is good and proper for the United States of America,” Trump wrote in his response, which was seen by Reuters.

Trump has repeatedly voiced frustration over not receiving the Nobel Peace Prize, an award that last year went to Venezuelan opposition leader Maria Corina Machado.

“I have several times explained clearly to Trump the well-known fact that it is an independent Nobel Committee, and not the Norwegian government, which ⁠awards the prize,” Stoere said.

Machado presented Trump with her gold medal during a White House meeting last week, even though the Norwegian Nobel Committee has stated that the prize cannot be transferred, shared, or withdrawn. The committee did not immediately respond Monday to a request for comment.

In the same message to Stoere, Trump again challenged Denmark’s claim to Greenland, questioning its ability to defend the territory and the basis for its sovereignty. “Denmark cannot protect that land from Russia or China, and why do they have a ‘right of ownership’ anyway?”

“There are no written documents, it’s only that a boat landed there hundreds of years ago, but we had boats landing there, also.”

Denmark’s sovereignty over Greenland, a vast island rich in minerals, is established through a series of binding legal agreements, including a treaty reached in 1814, and the United States has repeatedly acknowledged Greenland as part of the Kingdom of Denmark.

Trump also linked the issue to NATO, asserting that the alliance owes the United States for his contributions. “I have done more for NATO than any other person since its founding, and now, NATO should do something for the United States,” Trump added. “The World is not secure unless we have Complete and Total Control of Greenland. Thank you! President DJT.”

{Matzav.com}

Kibbutz Be’eri has decided to keep as is one of the homes burned in the Oct. 7, 2023, Hamas-led assault on southern Israel as a testimony to the horrors of the worst single-day attack on the Jewish people since the Holocaust.

The move by the community, located five miles from the Gaza Strip, to move on and demolish the rest of the homes destroyed in the attack is opposed by some bereaved families, but is seen as an attempt to move on and rebuild.

The house selected is on the edge of the community and belongs to a family that was abroad at the time of the terrorist invasion.

“My position was that we should destroy everything and leave no trace, not turn the kibbutz into Auschwitz or a pilgrimage site for visitors,” owner Yogev Dvori told Ynet. “Simply erase everything and commemorate beloved people, not buildings.”

The Dvoris, who have not yet moved back to Be’eri, plan to return to a new house currently under construction.

After residents voted to demolish all but one of the destroyed homes, Heritage Minister Amichai Eliyahu said that he was considering designating some of them as national heritage sites.

The kibbutz was the hardest-hit community in Hamas’s Oct. 7 onslaught. One hundred one civilians—or nearly 10% of its residents—and 31 security personnel were murdered, and 32 hostages were taken to the Gaza Strip.

At least 100 Gazan terrorists were also killed and 18 were captured by the Israel Defense Forces and the kibbutz security force. JNS

{Matzav.com}

The death toll from a massive fire at a shopping plaza in Karachi rose to 23 on Monday as rescuers recovered more bodies from the badly damaged building, police said. Dozens remain missing. Firefighters extinguished the blaze at the multistory plaza late Sunday, nearly 24 hours after it erupted, allowing rescue teams to enter the […]

In every industry- nonprofit, retail, real estate, healthcare, education- brands are fighting for one thing: attention. But attention alone has never built a business. It’s the brands people remember, the ones that stay in their minds long after the scroll, swipe, or click, that truly grow. This is exactly what Jewish Ad Group (JAG) focuses […]

Former House Speaker Newt Gingrich said President Donald Trump’s public threats regarding Greenland are more likely a negotiating strategy than a genuine plan to seize the territory, expressing skepticism while conceding he might be mistaken.

In a radio interview Sunday with John Catsimatidis on “The Cats Roundtable,” Gingrich said he doubts Trump intends to follow through militarily, though he acknowledged uncertainty. “I think he’s making a lot of noise to set up a negotiation to get what he wants, which is tourist rights, economic rights, mineral rights and national security rights,” Gingrich said.

Gingrich pointed to Greenland’s vast reserves of natural resources and noted that major powers—including China, Russia, and the United States—are all eyeing access to its minerals as well as its oil and gas potential.

“It’s a huge economic opportunity,” he said.

His remarks came as lawmakers from both parties traveled to Denmark to discuss the issue with Danish officials. The delegation includes Sens. Thom Tillis of North Carolina and Lisa Murkowski of Alaska as the Republican participants.

Tillis said any attempt to use force to take control of Greenland would face strong resistance on Capitol Hill, warning that such a move “would be met with pretty substantial opposition in Congress.”

Ahead of the trip, Tillis criticized those encouraging the idea, saying: “Right now, people are trying to be deferential, but this is just an example of, whoever keeps on telling the president that this idea is achievable should not be in Washington, D.C.”

Trump escalated the dispute on Saturday by announcing plans to impose 10 percent tariffs on Denmark and several other European countries in response to their opposition to his Greenland proposal.

In a Truth Social post, Trump said the tariffs could rise to 25 percent if negotiations for the United States to buy Greenland are not completed by June 1.

Danish officials sharply criticized the proposed tariffs. Danish Chamber of Commerce CEO Brian Mikkelsen dismissed the move, saying, “Trump’s farce continues.”

“The American president is once again using tariffs as a threat,” Mikkelsen wrote in a translated post on X. “As so many times before, it is damaging to confidence in world trade and damaging to the American and European economies.”

Gingrich also argued that Trump’s leverage in Europe is strengthened by structural weaknesses in European economies, which he said have favored regulation over growth and innovation.

“[The U.S.] made the opposite decision,” Gingrich said. “We decided we wanted to maximize innovation and then regulate lightly but not have enough regulation to crush what we were doing. That has been a disastrous decision for the Europeans.”

{Matzav.com}

Trump has invited Belarusian President Lukashenko to join the Gaza Board of Peace, following a similar invitation extended to Putin.

BREAKING: Congress is moving to make Daylight Savings Time permanent.

Eight Democratic-led states have been found to have spent at least $1.8 billion on healthcare for illegal aliens.

Russia is preparing for a potential attack on the power lines serving Europe’s largest nuclear power plant, a move that could take place within days, according to a source with direct knowledge of the situation.

Ukrainian officials had previously indicated that Moscow was focusing on high-voltage electricity transmission systems rather than striking nuclear reactors themselves. However, a source now says the true target is the external power lines supplying the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant, known as ZNPP.

In a statement issued January 17, Ukraine’s Defense Ministry intelligence directorate warned that Russia was considering strikes on critical energy infrastructure tied to nuclear power operations.

“In order to force Ukraine to sign unacceptable surrender demands to end the war, the aggressor state Russia is considering the option of attacking strategic facilities of our state’s energy system — we are talking about electricity transmission substations that ensure the operation of Ukrainian nuclear power plants.”

“The threat is at ZNPP,” a source told Fox News Digital. “There are talks of a massive attack either tonight or in the coming nights,” the source said, speaking anonymously. The source added that “the talks within the Ukrainian government are about ZNPP and the lines, and these talks have not been for the first time.”

Ukraine’s Emergency Service said Russia also struck energy infrastructure in the Odesa region overnight Sunday, according to The Associated Press.

The Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant, located in southern Ukraine, has six VVER-1000 pressurized water reactors and has been under Russian control since March 2022, according to reports.

While the reactors are currently shut down and not generating electricity, the facility still depends on outside power to operate cooling mechanisms and essential safety systems.

The International Atomic Energy Agency has repeatedly cautioned that any disruption to external power lines represents a severe nuclear safety threat.

Earlier this month, Russia and Ukraine agreed to a limited ceasefire on January 16 to allow repairs to one damaged backup power line at ZNPP under IAEA supervision.

In a statement that day, IAEA Director General Rafael Mariano Grossi said: “The IAEA continues to work closely with both sides to ensure nuclear safety at the ZNPP and to prevent a nuclear accident during the conflict. This temporary ceasefire, the fourth we have negotiated, demonstrates the indispensable role that we continue to play.”

“A deterioration of Ukraine’s power grid from persistent military activity has direct implications on the nuclear safety of its nuclear facilities,” Grossi said.

“Russia is said to be going to do this strike, maybe even tonight,” the source said, referring to a possible operation targeting ZNPP.

“Information also from the Ukrainian Parliament and Ukrainian Security Service, or internally, is that the Russian army told the Ukrainian army that if they don’t stop shelling their tankers in the sea or shelling their oil refineries, as well as their electric stations like power stations,” the source said, “then they will fully destroy Kyiv energy facilities aswell.”

“The parliament knows this. But we keep shelling,” the source added.

“This is a very difficult situation,” the source continued, saying Ukraine’s leadership, parliament, and “obviously the office of the president” understand that “if we keep shelling Russian tankers and oil refineries, then they will destroy everything that we have.”

President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has recently appealed to NATO allies to urgently send additional air-defense missiles, warning that some Ukrainian systems are running dangerously low on ammunition, according to reports.

“To actually preserve the energy in the country when it is minus 20 outside and people are literally suffering hugely,” the source said. “People don’t have electricity, don’t have warmth and some don’t even have water.”

“And this is a very controversial situation,” the source added, “particularly for the Ukrainian people sitting inside, hungry and freezing, and overall being in this disastrous humanitarian situation.”

{Matzav.com}

Following the tragedy at the Chareidi daycare in the Romema neighborhood of Jerusalem early Monday afternoon, former Interior Minister MK Moshe Arbel of Shas was the first Knesset member to note that “the writing was on the wall.” The incident occurred at a private Chareidi daycare in Romema, which was operating without a license. Arbel […]

Iran’s president issued a sharp warning on Sunday, saying that any American military strike would draw a “harsh response,” and that targeting Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei would be “tantamount to a full-scale war on the Iranian nation.”

The remarks by President Masoud Pezeshkian came as Iran’s judiciary signaled it may proceed with executions of detainees arrested during recent nationwide unrest, protests that appear to have subsided following a violent government crackdown.

On Sunday, limited internet service briefly resumed in parts of Iran before being cut off again, after reports emerged that the head of Irancell, the country’s second-largest mobile phone operator, was fired for failing to enforce the shutdown.

Because of the communications blackout, the true scope of casualties during the protests remains difficult to verify. The demonstrations initially erupted over economic distress but quickly escalated into widespread demands for the overthrow of the regime.

A report published by The Sunday Times, citing Iranian medical sources, claimed that more than 16,500 people were killed and over 330,000 injured during the unrest. An Iranian official, however, said authorities had confirmed at least 5,000 deaths linked to the protests, including roughly 500 members of the security forces.

In a post on X on Sunday, Pezeshkian wrote: “An attack on the great leader of our country [Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei] is tantamount to a full-scale war with the Iranian nation.” He also accused the United States and its allies of being responsible for the hardships facing the Iranian population.

His statement followed comments made a day earlier by US President Donald Trump, who described Khamenei as a “sick man” in an interview with Politico and said, “It’s time to look for new leadership in Iran.” The remarks appeared to mark the first time Trump openly called for an end to Khamenei’s rule.

Although Trump has repeatedly warned that the United States would respond forcefully if Iran began killing protesters, he has so far refrained from launching military action. While US forces have been repositioned in the region, the president has not detailed what steps he might take.

According to Iran International, a media outlet aligned with opposition groups, Iranian state television was hacked on Sunday, briefly airing opposition material, including a speech by exiled crown prince Reza Pahlavi.

The report said footage of anti-regime demonstrations was shown on several channels, apparently as a result of satellite broadcast interference.

Pahlavi was shown urging Iranians to take to the streets and calling on members of the security forces to support the protesters.

Trump has cited Tehran’s alleged decision to halt “the hanging of over 800 people” as a reason for holding back, saying: “I greatly respect the fact that they canceled.”

However, Iranian judiciary spokesman Asghar Jahangir said at a press conference on Sunday: “A series of actions have been identified as Mohareb, which is among the most severe Islamic punishments.”

Under Iranian law, Mohareb—an Islamic legal term meaning waging war against God—is punishable by death.

“All those who played a decisive role in these calls for violence, which led to bloodshed and significant damage to public finances, will not be spared,” Jahangir said.

Meanwhile, a relative of detained protester Erfan Soltani said Sunday that the 26-year-old is in stable physical condition and was able to meet with family members days after his scheduled execution was delayed.

A close family member living abroad told the Associated Press that relatives were informed Soltani’s execution had been set for Wednesday, but the plan was postponed when they arrived at the prison in Karaj, northwest of Tehran.

“I ask everyone to help in securing Erfan’s freedom,” said Somayeh, a relative who requested to be identified by her first name only out of fear of retaliation, in a video message.

Axios reported Sunday that US military forces were awaiting authorization from Trump to strike Iran last week, but that he ultimately decided against it following pressure from Israel and Arab partners.

The report cited four US officials, two Israeli officials, and two additional sources familiar with the matter.

According to Axios, initial US intelligence assessments concluded that the anti-regime protests were unlikely to threaten the survival of Iran’s leadership. That view shifted on January 8, when massive demonstrations erupted in Tehran and other major cities, raising new concerns about the regime’s stability.

{Matzav.com}

MATTRESSES INSIDE A BATHROOM: Footage from the daycare in Jerusalem’s Romema neighborhood reveals the harsh and disturbing conditions in which the toddlers were kept.

New and deeply disturbing details are emerging from the tragedy at a private daycare in Jerusalem’s Romema neighborhood, where two infants — aged 2 months and 4 months — died around midday, and an additional 53 toddlers were evacuated to local hospitals. First responders arriving at the scene described highly unusual and severe conditions. According […]

PRESIDENT HERZOG: I share in the profound sorrow of the parents of the infants and in the pain of the families following the terrible tragedy at the daycare in Jerusalem. The loss of the lives of such young children is a deep fracture beyond words, and my heart is with all the parents and children […]

DEEPLY DISTURBING: First responders arriving at the scene in Yerushalyim described finding infants sleeping inside closets, in hallways, and in bathrooms. According to their accounts, dozens of children were packed into a small apartment, sleeping on top of one another inside closets and next to a toilet in the bathroom. They further said that an […]

[Video below.] Sen. Ted Cruz of Texas said Sunday that he would support possible US military action against Iran, but only after every available nonmilitary option aimed at Iran’s leadership has been fully pursued.

Speaking in an interview on Fox News’ Sunday Morning Futures with Maria Bartiromo, Cruz, a member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, said the United States should intensify pressure on Tehran’s ruling regime. “I think the US should be taking every step possible to end this regime,” he said.

Cruz argued that Washington still has a wide range of tools at its disposal short of military force and called for increased American support for the widespread anti-government demonstrations currently gripping Iran. “I hope and believe that America is doing everything we can to support the protesters. There are lots of steps we can and should be taking short of a bombing strike,” he said.

His remarks followed comments made a day earlier by President Donald Trump, who told Politico that Iran needs “new leadership” and sharply criticized Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, calling him “a sick man who should run his country properly and stop killing people”.

Cruz said Trump’s remarks represented a significant turning point in US policy. “In the last two days a really important step occurred where President Trump came out unequivocally and said it is time for new leadership in Iran,” he said, describing the moment as “massively important.”

Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian responded Sunday to Trump’s statements, warning that any move against Khamenei would be treated as an act of war.

Writing on X, Pezeshkian said: “An attack on the great leader of our country is tantamount to a full-scale war with the Iranian nation.”

Relations between Washington and Tehran have been increasingly strained in recent weeks, as Iranian authorities carried out a deadly crackdown on protesters and Trump warned that Iran would face severe consequences if demonstrators were killed.

At one point on Wednesday, tensions appeared to peak, with the possibility of imminent US military action widely discussed. The situation later appeared to ease after Trump said the killings of protesters had stopped.

According to a report published over the weekend by The Washington Post, officials across the Middle East and in Washington believed late Wednesday morning that Trump was close to authorizing heavy US airstrikes against Iran. The report said Trump ultimately decided against the strikes after receiving a message through envoy Steve Witkoff that Iran had halted plans to execute 800 people.

{Matzav.com}