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[Video below.] At a White House Chanukah celebration held this evening, President Donald Trump invited several families of American-Israeli hostages to join him before the assembled guests, turning the festive gathering into a deeply emotional moment.

Among those brought to the stage were Ronen and Orna Neutra, whose son, Captain Omer Neutra, was killed after being taken hostage, and Adi and Yael Alexander, parents of Edan Alexander, an American-Israeli lone IDF soldier who was held captive, later freed, and has since returned to military service.

During his remarks, Trump told attendees that the remains of all 28 deceased hostages had been recovered. He spoke at length about the determination shown by families whose loved ones did not survive captivity, drawing a comparison to parents fighting for the return of living children.

“We got all of them…and we did something that was an amazing thing to me, because the parents of those that had died….they had the same intensity as people that wanted to get their living child. The same exact intensity. In some cases, they even said more than they wanted to get their son home. And you are the best example of all,” Trump said. “And we got all 28 of them out, every single one of them.”

Following those remarks, Ronen Neutra gently corrected the record, noting that one deceased hostage has not yet been brought home from Gaza. Addressing the president directly, he expressed gratitude while underscoring the unfinished task.
“I just want to say one thing. You did an amazing job for us, for Israel, for the Jewish people. We are so, so thankful. There’s so many people here, including our friends, that we owe so much. But your amazing leadership brought us to the point where we got our kid back. There’s still one left. Ran Gvili, he’s still there. I want to say thank you to everyone. We know you’re going to bring him back.”

WATCH:

{Matzav.com}

ZAKA Search and Rescue has deployed an international team to Australia following the deadly terror attack that targeted a Chanukah gathering in Sydney, with the goal of assisting authorities and the Jewish community in ensuring proper kavod hameis. ZAKA, Israel’s volunteer emergency response and disaster victim recovery organization, said it was sending approximately a dozen […]

British counterterrorism authorities have charged two men living in London with membership in the Iran-backed terrorist organization Hezbollah and with attending military training camps in Lebanon. The suspects, Annis Makki, 40, and Mohamed Hadi, 33, were first arrested at their home addresses in London in April and were rearrested last week after prosecutors authorized terrorism […]

A federal advisory committee selected by Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. recommended earlier this month that routine hepatitis B vaccination at birth be limited to specific cases, advising that newborns receive the shot only if their mothers are infected with hepatitis B or if the mother’s status cannot be confirmed.

Acting on that guidance, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention announced Tuesday that it has changed its national policy, no longer requiring all newborns in the United States to receive the hepatitis B vaccine at birth. Under the revised approach, parents may now decide, together with a healthcare provider, whether infants born to mothers who test negative for hepatitis B should receive the vaccine, including the birth dose.

The agency also updated its timing recommendations for infants who do not receive the vaccine shortly after birth, stating that the first dose should be given no earlier than two months of age.

Public health experts have cautioned that the shift could increase the risk of hepatitis B exposure among children, but the decision represents a significant victory for Kennedy, a longtime critic of vaccine mandates, who has pursued sweeping changes to U.S. vaccination policy since taking office.

{Matzav.com}

A federal judge said Tuesday he’s leaning toward denying a preservationist group’s request to temporarily halt President Donald Trump ‘s White House ballroom project, saying the organization failed to show that “irreparable harm” would be caused if the project moves forward. U.S. District Judge Richard Leon said he could issue a final decision on the […]

Jews are among the religious groups in the United States most likely to retain their childhood faith, according to a new Pew survey.

Among Americans who say they were raised Jewish, 76% continue to identify with the religion. That number is similar to the percentage of Hindus, Muslims and Protestants who remain in their childhood faith (82%, 77% and 70%, respectively) and substantially higher than the retention rate among Catholics at 57% or Buddhists at 45%.

Jews also give different reasons than Catholics or Protestants for why they continue to observe their faith. According to the survey, respondents said they are more likely to cite tradition, a sense of community and Judaism’s teachings on social and political issues, and less likely to credit belief in the religions’ teachings, spiritual needs or giving meaning to their lives than Christians.

“Among U.S. adults who were raised Jewish and still identify as Jewish by religion, 60% say liking the traditions is an extremely or very important reason they are Jewish, and 57% cite liking the sense of community,” the survey authors write. “About half of Jews say they are Jewish because it’s their family religion and/or because it’s something they’re familiar with.”

Americans who say they are “atheist, agnostic or ‘nothing in particular’” account for some 29% of the U.S. population, despite 86% of American adults reporting that they were raised in a particular faith.

Childhood religious experiences appear to be a key predictor of whether children retain their faith as adults. The survey found that 84% of adults who say they had a positive religious experience as a child report being in the same faith today, while 69% of those who say they had a negative experience are no longer affiliated with any religion.

Among adults who switch religions, including to no religion at all, 85% report doing so before the age of 30, with 46% switching during childhood.

In line with previous surveys, Pew also found substantial differences in the religious lives of Republicans and Democrats.

“Among U.S. adults who were raised in a religion, 73% of Republicans and independents who lean toward the Republican Party still identify with the religion in which they were raised, compared with 56% of Democrats and Democratic leaners,” Pew writes. “Meanwhile, Democrats who were raised in a religion are more likely to be religious ‘nones’ today compared with Republicans who were raised in a religion.”

The poll also found that among those who were not raised in a religion, Republicans were more likely than Democrats to identify with a faith as an adult. JNS

{Matzav.com}

An IDF soldier was killed by gunfire earlier today at a military base in northern Israel, the DF confirmed, as authorities opened a Military Police investigation into the circumstances surrounding the incident. The army said the soldier was critically wounded in the shooting and rushed to a hospital, where he later succumbed to his injuries. […]

A senior delegation from the federal Otisville Correctional Facility paid a visit to the Satmar Chassidic community in Monroe, New York, following an initiative led by the Satmar Rebbe on behalf of Jewish inmates.

The visit came in the wake of the Rebbe’s appearance several weeks ago at the Otisville federal prison, where many Jewish inmates are currently incarcerated. During that visit, the Rebbe met personally with the prison’s warden and extended an invitation for him to visit Kiryas Yoel in Monroe to observe firsthand the fabric of Jewish communal life and gain insight into the community’s strong social structure and notably low crime rates.

That invitation was realized when the prison warden arrived together with senior prison officials for an extensive tour of Satmar institutions. The delegation visited the yeshiva ketana, the central kollel complex, and the Bais Rochel girls’ school. At Bais Rochel, the warden addressed the students directly, expressing deep admiration for the educational standards, discipline, and atmosphere he encountered.

The highlight of the visit took place at the Rebbe’s residence, where the federal officials were received with marked respect. During a roughly 40-minute meeting, the Rebbe devoted his full attention to advocating on behalf of Jewish inmates, pressing two central issues.

First, the Rebbe reiterated a proposal he had raised during his prison visit: that Jewish inmates nearing the end of their sentences be granted temporary release for Shabbos or for rare family celebrations, as part of existing reintegration and rehabilitation programs designed to ease the transition back to normal life.

Second, the Rebbe forcefully addressed concerns regarding kosher food, emphasizing the urgent need to ensure that inmates receive food that fully meets halachic standards—an area that, he noted, has been neglected in recent times.

According to those present, the meeting concluded with a dramatic and encouraging commitment. The prison warden assured the Rebbe that concrete steps would be taken to implement these requests, including significant improvements in kosher food provisions and progress toward facilitating temporary releases under appropriate conditions.

{Matzav.com}

Sales at U.S. retailers and restaurants were unchanged in October from September as consumers moderated their spending amid worries about higher prices and other economic uncertainties after splurging over the summer. But a big factor dragging down the figure was a 1.6% drop in sales at motor vehicles and auto parts dealerships, hurt by the […]

A Jewish man was stabbed in the chest by a man shouting antisemitic slurs in Brooklyn’s Crown Heights neighborhood on Tuesday. The victim was attacked near the intersection of Kingston Avenue and Lincoln Place and stabbed in the chest. He was transported to Kings County Hospital, where he was treated for his injuries and is […]

All are asked to daven for the renowned mekubal Rav Dovid Batzri, who has been hospitalized and is in need of rachamei Shomayim.

Rav Batzri, 85, rosh yeshiva of Yeshivas HaShalom in Yerushalayim, was admitted to Hadassah Ein Kerem Hospital in Yerushalayim. He was transferred from Bnei Brak to Yerushalayimso that he could be treated at the medical center where his full medical records are on file, following a serious medical episode in the past from which he recovered with siyata d’Shmaya.

In recent years, Rav Batzri has resided on Rechov Harav Landau in Bnei Brak.

Shas chairman MK Aryeh Deri visited Rav Batzri at Hadassah Ein Kerem on Tuesday, accompanied by former Health Committee chairman MK Yoni Mashriki. Deri has been closely involved in overseeing the rov’s medical care since his hospitalization, working to ensure that senior physicians and department heads are directly involved in his treatment in order to provide the best possible care. A statement from Shas indicated that there has been a slight improvement in Rav Batzri’s condition.

All are asked to daven for Rav Dovid Shalom ben Victoria.

{Matzav.com}

President Donald Trump said Tuesday he is ordering a blockade of all “sanctioned oil tankers” into Venezuela, ramping up pressure on the country’s authoritarian leader Nicolás Maduro in a move that seemed designed to put a tighter chokehold on the South American country’s economy. Trump’s escalation comes after U.S. forces last week seized an oil […]

Medical staff at Yerushalayim’s Shaare Zedek Medical Center were left astonished this week after an 11-year-old boy emerged completely unharmed following the accidental swallowing of a pair of scissors, an incident that ended without surgery or injury in what doctors described as an extraordinary occurrence.

The boy, identified only as Y., was brought late at night to the pediatric emergency department at Shaare Zedek after ingesting scissor blades measuring approximately three centimeters in length. An initial X-ray revealed the scissors inside his stomach, with the blades visibly open, raising immediate concern over the risk of serious internal injury.

Specialist teams in pediatric surgery and pediatric gastroenterology were urgently summoned, and preparations were made to take the child into surgery to remove the object. However, while Y. was already under full anesthesia in the operating room, a follow-up X-ray produced a startling development.

The imaging showed that the scissors had somehow closed on their own, passed safely through the stomach, and advanced deep into the small intestine—significantly reducing the immediate danger.

“There was a real concern that the open scissors could cause damage to the esophagus or stomach, which is why we planned to locate and extract them,” explained Dr. Esther Orlinsky-Mayer, a pediatric gastroenterology specialist at Shaare Zedek. “Miraculously, and for reasons we cannot explain, we saw that the scissors had closed by themselves, dramatically lowering the risk of injury to the digestive tract.”

Following consultation among all relevant medical teams, doctors decided against surgical intervention. Instead, Y. was transferred to the pediatric surgery ward for close monitoring.

Over the next two days, the medical team closely tracked his condition. Ultimately, the scissors exited his body naturally, without causing any internal damage. The boy remained in very good condition throughout and required no further treatment.

The child’s mother described the outcome as nothing short of miraculous. “It’s one huge miracle,” she said. “By incredible Divine mercy, my son wasn’t harmed at all.” She added words of gratitude to the medical staff, praising the pediatric emergency team for their immediate response and the gastroenterology and surgical teams for their professionalism and swift decision-making during the late-night hours.

Shaare Zedek officials noted that while foreign-object ingestion is not uncommon in children, the safe passage of a sharp object of this kind without injury is exceptionally rare.

{Matzav.com}

Rome opened two subway stations on Tuesday — one deep beneath the Colosseum — that mix the modernity of high-tech transport with artifacts from an ancient era. Commuters and tourists entering the station beside the iconic amphitheater can view displays of ceramic vases and plates, stone wells and suspended buckets, as well as the ruins […]

On the second day of Chanukah, the Sullivan County Sheriff’s Office hosted a menorah lighting and Chanukah celebration at the Sullivan County Government Center, bringing together members of the Jewish community and law enforcement from across the county. The event was attended by representatives of the New York State Police, along with the police chiefs […]

Newly released internal FBI records show that agents did not believe they had established probable cause to search Donald Trump’s Mar-a-Lago residence in August 2022, raising fresh questions about one of the most controversial law-enforcement actions in modern U.S. political history. The documents, made public Tuesday by Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa), reveal […]

Israeli military police on Tuesday evening arrested a yeshiva student at his home in Ramat Gan, weeks after an earlier attempt to detain him was blocked by mass protests.

The detainee was identified as Yitzchak Rebibo, a talmid at Yeshivas Rabbeinu Chaim Ozer in Bnei Brak. According to reports, military police officers detained him outside his residence shortly after he had finished lighting Chanukah candles with his family.

Approximately three weeks ago, military police sought to arrest Rebibo on allegations that he failed to report to an induction office. That attempt was thwarted when hundreds of yeshiva bochurim and avreichim from across the chareidi community converged on the area following an emergency call circulated among activists. The demonstrators physically blocked the arrest, staging a protest against what they described as the unjust detention of a yeshiva student engaged in Torah study.

During the earlier confrontation, a military police vehicle was overturned amid the unrest. In the aftermath, police carried out arrests of individuals suspected of involvement in that incident.

The advocacy organization Notnim Gav has taken up Rebibo’s case and is providing support to him and his family. The group arranged legal representation, with attorney Shlomo Chadad handling the matter on his behalf.

{Matzav.com}

Campus and law enforcement officials confirmed Tuesday that a Jewish, pro-Israel professor at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology was killed in a shooting at his residence in Brookline, Massachusetts.

The victim was identified as Nuno F. Gomes Loureiro, 47, a nuclear science and engineering professor originally from Portugal. Authorities said he was shot at his apartment Monday night and later died from his wounds Tuesday morning at a Boston-area hospital.

Brookline police said officers were dispatched to the scene at approximately 8:30 p.m. following reports of gunfire. Investigators have not made any arrests, and the Norfolk County District Attorney’s Office said the matter remains “an active and ongoing homicide investigation.”

A neighbor told CBS News that they heard “three loud bangs” coming from the apartment, initially thinking someone was “kicking in a door.”

Loureiro joined MIT’s faculty after an extensive academic career in physics. He earned his undergraduate degree from Instituto Superior Técnico in Lisbon in 2000 and completed his doctorate at Imperial College London in 2005, according to his university biography.

Widely respected in his field, Loureiro was known for advanced research into plasma dynamics — the component of blood that carries platelets and cells throughout the body — as well as his work on developing clean fusion energy as a response to climate change. Earlier this year, he was appointed director of MIT’s Plasma Science and Fusion Center.

{Matzav.com}

The United States gained a decent 64,000 jobs in November but lost 105,000 in October as federal workers departed after cutbacks by the Trump administration, the government said in delayed reports. The unemployment rate rose to 4.6% last month, highest since 2021. The November job gains were higher than the 40,000 economists had forecast. The […]

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A SHATTERING ACT OF HATE has ripped through our community!

On Sunday December 14, 2025, a day of joy and light was brutally transformed into a scene of unimaginable horror at Bondi Beach. The annual Chanukah by the Sea celebration, a beacon of unity for the Jewish community, was mercilessly targeted in a DEADLY TERRORIST ATTACK!

THIS IS NOT JUST NEWS—THIS IS A CATASTROPHE!

At least two armed fanatics opened fire on innocent men, women, and children gathered to light the menorah, turning a celebration of faith into a massacre. Multiple lives were extinguished in a blaze of hate, and dozens more are fighting for their lives with critical injuries.

THIS WAS A STRIKE AGAINST US ALL!

This cold-blooded rampage is a vile act of antisemitic terror that has been condemned by every decent voice across Australia and the globe. But condemnation is not enough!

WE MUST ACT NOW!

 * Families are shattered!

 * Friends are grieving in shock!

 * Survivors need immediate, sustained support!

THE NEED IS CRITICAL. THE TIME FOR SOLIDARITY IS OVERDUE! We must rally immediately to support the victims, their families, and the wounded community. DO NOT let this act of hatred triumph!

ALL DONATIONS ARE TAX-DEDUCTIBLE IN BOTH THE USA AND AUSTRALIA

All fund distribution will be overseen by the campaign committee and The Jewish House, NSW

Rabbi Aycee Abrahams

Rabbi Menachem Aron

Rabbi Mendel Kastel

Rabbi Sender Kavka

Rabbi Aron Moss

Rabbi Mendy Schapiro

Rabbi Levi Wolff

Rabbi Mendy Kotlarsky

Endorsed by Merkos – Chabad World Headquarters and Chabad NSW

Donate to the general fund to support all the victims and their families.