A violent stabbing targeting a Jewish man unfolded Tuesday evening in Crown Heights, as police launched a manhunt for the suspect amid growing concern over antisemitic attacks in the neighborhood.
According to the victim, the assault occurred around 5:00 p.m. while he was walking along Kingston Avenue near Lincoln Place. He reported that a man approached him, pulled out a knife, and made antisemitic remarks before attacking him.
The assailant stabbed the 35-year-old victim multiple times in the chest and then ran off along Kingston Avenue, authorities said.
Emergency responders transported the victim to Kings County Hospital, where he was treated for injuries that were not considered life-threatening.
The suspect is described by police as a Black male, approximately 5 feet 10 inches tall and weighing about 170 pounds. At the time of the attack, he was wearing a black varsity jacket, blue jeans, and white sneakers. NYPD officials said the search for the suspect is ongoing.
The stabbing came against the backdrop of heightened anxiety within the Crown Heights community over a recent increase in violent antisemitic incidents. Earlier Tuesday, Rabbi Chanina Sperlin and representatives of the Crown Heights Jewish Community Council met with NYPD Commissioner Jessica Tisch at an event in New York City to raise those concerns.
Following the meeting, Shmuel Rosenstein relayed the commissioner’s response, saying, “The Commissioner said that she takes this very seriously.” He added, “She said that there will be extra security added in Crown Heights.”
{Matzav.com}
[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}
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}
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}
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}
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}