Yeshiva World News

VP Vance: “While our side of the aisle certainly has its crazies, it is a statistical fact that most of the lunatics in American politics today are proud members of the far left.”

American high school seniors are leaving classrooms less prepared than at any point in recent history, according to sobering national test results released Tuesday that show steep declines in math and reading skills. Just 22% of 12th-graders scored proficient in math — the lowest level since the exam was first administered in 2005 — while only 35% reached proficiency in reading, the worst showing since the test began in 1992, according to the National Assessment of Educational Progress, known as the Nation’s Report Card. Education Secretary Linda McMahon called the results a “devastating trend,” warning that nearly half of seniors are now testing below basic levels in both subjects. “The achievement gap is widening, and more high school seniors are performing below the basic benchmark in math and reading,” McMahon said. The latest findings reflect a three-point drop in average math and reading scores since 2019 and confirm a downward trajectory that predates the COVID-19 pandemic. The steepest declines came among the nation’s lowest-performing students, with record lows posted in the 10th and 25th percentiles. By contrast, scores among top-tier students largely held steady. Beyond academics, the assessment revealed troubling patterns in attendance: nearly one-third of 12th-graders admitted to missing three or more school days in the month leading up to the exam, a 26% jump from 2019. The National Report Card has tracked student performance since 1969, testing fourth- and eighth-graders every two years and high school seniors every four. The latest results, officials said, underscore the urgency for reforms ranging from classroom cell phone bans to new federal “tool kits” on reading and emerging technologies. “This is a wake-up call,” said Matthew Soldner, acting commissioner of the National Center for Education Statistics. “Students are leaving high school unable to read and unprepared for the workforce. The system is failing children and families — and the consequences will reverberate far beyond the classroom.” (YWN World Headquarters – NYC)

Palestinian media report heavy Israeli airstrikes targeting northwest Gaza City.

Vice President JD Vance on Monday hosted the radio program of Charlie Kirk, the influential conservative activist who was assassinated last week, telling listeners that the best way he knows how to honor his friend is to be a better husband and father. Vance hosted “The Charlie Kirk Show” from his ceremonial office in the Eisenhower Executive Office Building next to the White House. The livestream of the two-hour program was broadcast in the White House press briefing room and featured a series of appearances by White House and administration officials who knew the 31-year-old Kirk. Vance, who transported Kirk’s body home to Arizona aboard Air Force Two last week, opened by saying he was “filling in for somebody who cannot be filled in for, but I’ll do my best.” The Republican vice president, 41, was especially close to Kirk, founder of Turning Point USA, one of the nation’s largest political organizations with chapters on high school and college campuses. The two began a friendship nearly a decade ago, and Kirk advocated for Vance to be Republican Donald Trump’s choice for vice president last year. Vance spoke Monday about sitting with Kirk’s widow, Erika Kirk, and being at a loss for words. But he said she told him something he’ll never forget, which was that her husband had never raised his voice to her and was never “cross or mean-spirited to her.” Vance allowed that he could not say the same about himself. “I took from that moment that I needed to be a better husband and I needed to be a better father,” the vice president said on the program, which was streamed on Rumble. “That is the way I’m going to honor my friend.” After Kirk was fatally shot last Wednesday at Utah Valley University, Vance tore up his schedule for the next day — he was scheduled Thursday to attend the 24th annual observance in New York of the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks — to fly instead to Orem, Utah, with his wife, second lady Usha Vance. The two accompanied Erika Kirk and Charlie Kirk’s casket to Arizona aboard Air Force Two. (AP)

When Israeli warplanes roared into Iranian skies in June, striking Tehran’s nuclear and ballistic missile programs, they were not alone. Dozens of Mossad women were already on the ground, embedded deep inside the Islamic Republic, a Jerusalem Post report reveals. Their roles remain classified, but Israeli officials now acknowledge their contributions were central to one of the most ambitious covert operations in the agency’s history. According to sources familiar with the matter, Mossad Director David Barnea considers the involvement of female operatives “very substantial.” Their missions spanned everything from intelligence gathering to direct support for kinetic strikes — a far cry from the stereotypical image of espionage painted in novels and films. The prominence of female agents in the Iran campaign underscores a generational shift within Israel’s storied spy service. In 2024, a senior Mossad officer known only as “G” — an Iranian-born expert in human intelligence and recruitment inside hostile states — was honored with the torch-lighting at Israel’s Independence Day ceremony. Her appearance signaled recognition, but also a message that women are now indispensable players in Israel’s shadow wars. The role of women in the Mossad is not new. Author Michael Bar Zohar’s 2021 book The Mossad Amazons chronicled female operatives who manipulated officials, planted surveillance devices, and in some cases carried out targeted attacks. But insiders say the 2025 operation went further. Today’s Mossad women, they stress, are integrated into every aspect of the mission set — from cyber to sabotage to directing strikes from the ground. Barnea oversaw a sweeping offensive, deploying hundreds of operatives — both Israelis and recruited Iranian dissidents — in tandem. The network’s targets included radar installations, missile sites, and the country’s three most critical nuclear facilities: Natanz, Fordow, and Isfahan. By the time Israeli fighter jets moved in, Mossad operatives had already cleared the path. The results were devastating for Tehran. Iran managed to launch a counterstrike only on the second day of fighting, evidence, officials say, of how thoroughly its defenses had been penetrated. Yet even as Israel celebrated tactical success, a dangerous ambiguity lingers. Roughly 400 kilograms of 60% enriched uranium — just shy of weapons-grade — survived the operation. In theory, that stockpile could be further refined into enough fissile material for half a dozen nuclear warheads. Critics in Israel warn that the survival of the uranium meant Iran could sprint to a bomb within months. Defense officials have pushed back, arguing that without the destroyed infrastructure, Tehran would still need years to reconstitute a functioning weapons program. Still, the Mossad has made clear it knows where the uranium is — and is prepared to act if the regime attempts to weaponize it. Western governments have tied looming sanctions decisions to Iran granting International Atomic Energy Agency inspectors access to that stockpile, a condition that will test Tehran’s willingness to de-escalate. (YWN World Headquarters – NYC)

Tesla’s stock is climbing Monday as CEO Elon Musk disclosed the purchase of more than 2.5 million shares worth approximately $1 billion. Shares of the electric vehicle maker rose more than 5% in morning trading. Musk purchased various amounts of shares at different prices on Friday, according to a regulatory filing. The move may be viewed by the markets as the billionaire remaining confident in the company’s future. Earlier this month Tesla released a proposed pay package for Musk that would possibly make him the world’s first trillionaire if he hits a series of extremely aggressive targets for the company over the next decade. Tesla said in a regulatory filing that it will hand Musk shares worth as much as 12% of the company in a dozen separate packages if the company meets certain performance targets, including massive increases in car production, share price and operating profit. If approved by shareholders, the new pay package could make Musk the world’s first trillion dollar executive, and would mark a new level of outsized pay in a country already known for extreme compensation. But the payoff is in shares, not cash, and the goals are extreme as well. To get his first package of shares equivalent to 1% of the company, Musk would have to convince investors in the stock market that Tesla is worth $2 trillion in total, double what they value it today, and also hit several other milestones. To receive all the shares offered and make him the world’s first trillion-dollar man would require that market value to then rise to $8.5 trillion, double that of the world’s most valuable company now, chipmaker Nvidia. Tesla has seen a plunge in sales this year, largely due to blowback over Musk’s affiliation with President Donald Trump. Tesla also faces intensifying competition from the big Detroit automakers and particularly from China. Investors have grown increasingly worried about the trajectory of the company after Musk had spent so much time in Washington this year, becoming one of the most prominent officials in the Trump administration in its bid to slash the size of the U.S. government. Tesla is set to hold its annual shareholders meeting on Nov. 6, where investors will vote on the new pay package. (AP)

Vice President JD Vance: “If it weren’t for Charlie Kirk, I would not be the Vice President of the United States.”

The closing statement of the Arab-Islamic emergency summit in Doha declared “absolute support” for Qatar’s security, stability, and sovereignty, but despite strong language, the 25-point declaration stopped short of outlining concrete measures against Israel.

When a crisis or tragedy strikes, timely help can make all the difference. Misaskim and Yedid’s new Flatbush Division brings that help straight to the community, ensuring families in Flatbush, Mill Basin, and Belle Harbor receive the support they need without delay. Until now, Flatbush was served through Misaskim’s larger Brooklyn Division alongside Boro Park. With the community’s needs growing, the new division enables Misaskim to deliver comfort, dignity, and support quickly, when families need it most. The division was inaugurated with a ribbon-cutting ceremony for a newly dedicated delivery van, donated by Mike Arje and the Ethel Peres–Gordon Foundation. The vehicle, inscribed in memory of Ruth Peres A”H, her mother Ethel Peres Gordon A”H, and her brother Paul Gordon A”H, will carry their legacy forward as it brings comfort, eases pain, and shoulders the burdens of countless families. “This isn’t simply about opening another division,” said Matis Soffer, Misaskim CEO. “It’s about making sure no family faces tragedy alone—and no family is left waiting for help in their darkest hour. Thanks to the generosity of our donors, we can respond faster and serve our communities even better.” The new Flatbush Division will provide Misaskim and Yedid’s full range of services, from setting up shiva homes and delivering essentials in times of loss to supporting yesomim and almanos within the Flatbush community. With this new chapter, Misaskim renews its commitment to standing beside every Flatbush family in their time of need. (YWN World Headquarters – NYC)

This is not just another video. It is three minutes worth setting aside. What you will see is a story told through time, spanning from the 1980s until today. A vision cast by Rabbi Moshe Sherer, Zichrono L’vracha, brought to life decades later with school choice victories. Communities cross-country. Shuls and schools stamped for approval. Buses on the road, laws rewritten, and security grants delivered — alongside the many other ways the Agudah serves Klal Yisroel, including its vast Torah projects. The video’s artistic treatment brings these decades together in a seamless timeline, a visual time-lapse of small acorns growing into towering oaks. A glimpse of what happens when visionaries plant and invest, fully knowing they may never sit in the shade of the trees they nurture. This is the Agudah story.  A timeline of doing. And a reminder of what your support makes possible. Take a few moments to watch. You will see the impact of the Agudah, and the impact on you. CLICK HERE TO JOIN CAMPAIGN Stand with us and support the Agudah today, ensuring that Klal Yisroel always has a voice tuned in to the details that matter most. In 1987, Rabbi Moshe Sherer, Zichrono L’vracha, set a vision for school aid that he knew might only come in his grandchildren’s time. That time is now. Fifty-three years later, a federal scholarship tax credit unlocks billions for tuition support. A so-called “overnight victory,” but fifty-three years in the making. Real shtadlanus takes akshanus: planting trees knowing you might never enjoy their shade. That is the Agudah. When you see thriving communities in Linden, Jackson, Blooming Grove, or New City… when you see shuls, mikvaos, and schools under construction… chances are the Agudah was involved. When zoning issues hit home, you know who to call. Because cranes don’t do the heavy lifting. Doers do. As antisemitism surges globally, threats strike our streets, shuls, schools, and campuses. From slurs and bricks hurled, to shots fired and harassment. We are there — in councils, in courts, in Congress — securing millions in grants, defending yachidim in the workplace, and holding hate to task. The child tax credit. Special education. Security for our schools. Rewriting the substantial equivalency law. Taking on the New York Times. Nothing escapes their forensic eyes. No shortcuts. No skimming. Flagging the one word that makes a world of difference. Because for them, there is no TL;DR. School busing doesn’t just happen. It takes tireless advocacy to keep our kids moving. Day in, day out. In Washington. In statehouses. At zoning boards. In classrooms. In courtrooms. Just doers, doing. When you support the Agudah, you invest in futures — where every dollar yields the highest returns. Asei L’maancha V’hoshienu. Caring for Klal Yisroel. Doing for Klal Yisroel. That’s who we are. That’s what we do. Please join us. Do what you can, and enable us to do so much more on your behalf. CLICK HERE TO JOIN CAMPAIGN

The IDF and Shin Bet on Monday released the names of 21 senior operatives of Palestinian Islamic Jihad, part of what they say are “hundreds” of members of the terror group eliminated during the past six months of fighting in Gaza. According to the joint statement, the list includes commanders responsible for key combat and weapons systems across the Strip. Among them: Muhammad Mashtaha, in charge of “military specialization” in northern Gaza. Amir Wadi, commander of the sniper array in Islamic Jihad’s Khan Younis Brigade. Jamal Maamar, head of rocket artillery in Rafah. Fadl Abu al-Ata, a sector commander in Gaza City. Abdullah Abu Tir, commander of the eastern sector in Khan Younis. Waam Abu Hajaj, commander of the eastern sector in northern Gaza. Samir Abu Shawish, commander of the Yabna sector in Rafah. The agencies also highlighted the deaths of Islamic Jihad’s weapons manufacturing experts, including Muntasir Salah, Ahmad Qadi, Fuad Ghanam, Khaled Bana, and Saeed Mashraoui. Additionally, the statement names several terrorists tied directly to attacks on Israeli forces: Basem al-Kheir, head of a sniper cell; Youssef Kassab, deputy commander of Rafah’s eastern sector; and Murad Abu-Jarad, deputy commander of the Beit Hanoun sector in northern Gaza. Israeli officials said several other lower-ranking operatives were also killed but were not publicly identified. Their details were instead included in an infographic distributed alongside the statement. (YWN World Headquarters – NYC)

Tucker Carlson reveals that he initially struggled to take Charlie Kirk seriously but eventually found himself “learning from him.”

Illinois Governor JB Pritzker called on Trump to condemn political violence following Charlie Kirk’s assassination, saying, “I would like to hear the President… simply say that political violence has no place in this country.”

Sen. Rubio says he will revoke visas for foreigners who celebrated Charlie Kirk’s “execution,”: “Why would we want to bring people into our country who are going to engage in negative and destructive behavior?”

The United States, South Korea and Japan opened an air and naval exercise off a South Korean island Monday in their latest joint drill condemned by North Korea as a “reckless show of strength.” The exercise called Freedom Edge is aimed at strengthening the countries’ combined operational capabilities in the sea, air and cyberspace and is necessary to counter North Korea’s growing nuclear and missile threats, South Korea’s Defense Ministry said. The U.S. Indo-Pacific Command said the exercise will include U.S. Marine and Air Force aerial assets and feature enhanced ballistic-missile and air-defense drills, medical evacuations and maritime operations training, making it “the most advanced demonstration of trilateral defense cooperation to date.” The exercise off South Korea’s southern Jeju Island runs through Friday. The powerful sister of North Korean leader Kim Jong Un earlier condemned the drills in state media, saying they show the countries’ confrontational stance toward the North. “The reckless show of strength made by them in real action in the vicinity of the DPRK, which is the wrong place, will inevitably bring bad results to themselves,” Kim Yo Jong said, using the initials of North Korea’s formal name, the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea. She also criticized the United States and South Korea over their latest Iron Mace tabletop exercise, which aims to explore ways to integrate Washington’s nuclear and South Korea’s conventional capabilities to bolster deterrence against North Korean threats. The U.S. and South Korean militaries did not confirm details of the exercise that was reported to be coinciding with Freedom Edge. North Korea in the past has carried out its own military demonstrations or weapons tests in response to joint military exercises of its rivals. Kim Jong Un’s government has repeatedly dismissed calls by Seoul and Washington to restart negotiations aimed at winding down his weapons programs, as he continues to prioritize Russia as part of a foreign policy aimed at expanding ties with nations confronting the United States. Since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, Kim has sent thousands of troops and large shipments of weapons, including artillery and ballistic missiles, to help fuel President Vladimir Putin’s warfighting. Kim also visited China earlier this month, and shared center stage with Chinese President Xi Jinping and Putin at a massive military parade, in another step aimed at strengthening his diplomatic leverage. (AP)

Thanks to the joint efforts of the Igud of Yeshivas and Seminaries and Chaim V’Chessed, an important improvement has been introduced to ease the entry of student visa holders into Israel. Until now, all foreign passport holders arriving in Israel were required to stop at passport control, even after using the automatic scanning machines. By contrast, Israeli citizens were able to simply scan their passports at the machines and walk directly out, bypassing the counters. This policy has now changed. Border Control has announced that holders of valid student visas will now be able to enjoy the same streamlined process as Israeli citizens. Upon scanning their passport at the automatic machines, student visa holders will receive a printed slip identifying them as visa holders. If the slip also says “VIP”, they may proceed directly to the exit gates, along with Israeli passport holders, without stopping at the counter. Chaim V’Chessed welcomes this development, which is expected to significantly improve the arrival experience for thousands of yeshiva and seminary students. As with any new policy, there may be some initial confusion about the process. Travelers should check their printed slip carefully upon arrival. If it is marked “VIP,” simply present it to the agent at the exit and proceed via the Israeli passport holder line. This improvement will make arrival in Israel smoother, faster, and far more pleasant for student visa holders. (YWN World Headquarters – NYC)

NOW: Vice President JD Vance is currently hosting the Charlie Kirk Show from the White House.