Yeshiva World News

Rav Yehudah Grami, the Chief Rabbi of Teheran, attacked Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu and “the Zionists” on state television in Hebrew to millions of Iranians on Friday. The speech was delivered for the anti-Israel Quds (Jerusalem) Day, marked every year on the last Friday of Ramadan. “We, the Jews of Iran, want to send this message to Zionists, first and foremost to Netanyahu,” Rav Garmi began his speech in Hebrew on Channel 3, Iran’s state TV channel. “Know that you don’t represent the Jewish people. You represent only the idea of a political movement whose ideas and values are opposed to the ideas and values of our Torah ha’Kedosha and the Jewish religion.” “We strongly condemn your aggression and emphasize in front of the whole world – there’s a big difference between Yahadus and Zionism.” Rav Grami then repeated his words in Farsi. Rav Grami was interviewed together with Iran’s only Jewish member of Parliament, Siamak Moreh Sedgh, who also attacked Zionism and its leaders and even called on Jews worldwide to rise up against Israel, according to a report on Friday on the Iran Front Page news website, the Jerusalem Post reported. Sedgh said that opposing Israel is a humanitarian and religious obligation and that Israel is “the catastrophe of Zionism.” This is not the first time that Rav Grami has caught the attention of Israeli media. Following the assassination of Quds Force commander Qassem Soleimani by US forces in Iran, Rav Grami and a delegation of Jews visited the Soleimani family to offer his condolences for the death of the “the martyr.” The video of the encounter was widely spread on Israeli media. “It’s very important for minorities, especially Jews [to comfort Soleimani’s family],” Rani Amrani of “Radio Ran” a Farsi-speaking Israeli radio station, said at the time. “They are afraid of anti-Semitism and they don’t want to be harassed. During the protests on Quds Day, the Jews often go out and protest as well because they don’t want to be harassed.” “In their hearts, they love Israel. They’re in a situation in which they’re obligated to prove that they have no connection to Zionism. If they don’t do this, their blood will be on their heads.” There are about 8,000 Jews living in Iran, under the constant tension of balancing their loyalty to their religion and the Islamic Republic’s dire hatred of their national homeland. Iran’s supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei called Israel a “cancerous tumor” that “will undoubtedly be uprooted and destroyed” in his annual speech in support of the Palestinians on Quds Day on Friday, adding that the Jewish state is the creation of “Westerners and Jewish corporation owners.” Khomeini also called Zionism “a virus” that “must be eliminated as soon as possible.” Israel sent a request to Twitter on Monday to suspend Khamenei’s account for “anti-Semitic and genocidal messages.” Twitter has not yet responded to the request. (YWN Israel Desk – Jerusalem)

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U.S. new home sales ticked up 0.6% in April, a surprising gain amid the coronavirus outbreak that hints at the relative health of potential buyers. The Commerce Department reported Tuesday that sales of new single-family homes rose slightly to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 623,000 last month. This followed a decline of 13.7% in March as businesses and schools were closed in an effort to contain the virus. Over the past 12 months, sales are down 6.2%. COVID-19 disrupted what appeared to be signs of growth in the housing market as low mortgage rates attracted buyers. Stuck in social isolation, they chose last month to purchase homes that have yet to be constructed — a category that surged 26.5% from March and accounted for all of the sales growth in April. Sales of homes already under construction fell slightly, while sales those already completed declined 13.6% from a year ago. Realtor.com senior economist George Ratiu suggested that the shelter-in-place orders might have encouraged more people to search for homes to meet their needs in a post-coronavirus economy. “(T)hey discovered the value of additional space and updated kitchens,” he said. “As remote work policies are being extended into 2021 by a growing number of companies, and likely to become permanent in some cases, demand for home offices is projected to grow. If homebuilders can respond to these shifting preferences, sales of new homes may see a swifter rebound in the months ahead.” The median price for a new home sold last month was $309,900, dropping 8.6% from a year ago. Prices appeared to dip because fewer homes sold last month in the range of $300,000 to $399,999 and the range of $750,000 and above. The government report has a high margin of error, so the April figures could be revised in the coming months. New-home sales rose in the Northeast, Midwest and South, but slumped in the West. (AP)

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The future of hundreds of new orphans in our own communities are hanging in the balance, the support and guidance for them to be able to cope with their new reality, is currently in jeopardy. For many years Ohr Chodosh has been a beacon of light for people going through their darkest times -children who lost a parent. No one will ever understand the pain, the anguish and the sense of loneliness of a child losing his or her parent, except for one who actually experienced it. It’s like the ground has been taken from underneath them, their safety net has simply vanished, the person who would do anything in the world for their protection is gone. Now what? Ohr Chodosh who has been founded by people who actually experienced that pain and forlornness, and has undertaken the massive responsibility of providing support and guidance to our little sisters and brothers who have been orphaned. From support and guidance leading up to the Levaya, throughout their entire difficult childhood, to a designated mentor – an individual who was also orphaned as a child, for every orphan, who stands at his or her side whenever needed, care packages are being sent to these children upon every Yom Tov, the family’s simchas, Shabbos packages in camp, Yurtzeit, etc. A 24 hour Support hotline to offer guidance with any issue that may arise, tutoring services to help these orphans academically, social gatherings, and Shabbos retreats are also offered to these families free of charge. However due to the enormous influx of forty new orphaned families totaling one hundred and twelve new orphans, Ohr Chodosh’s financial resources have been depleted, they cannot continue providing these vital services to those desperately needing them, unless they can manage to raise the necessary funds to cover the enormous costs of these programs. An emergency campaign has been launched to help them raise the required funds to be able to continue, but they need Klal Yisroel to pitch in, they cannot do it on their own. They already took on the tremendous responsibility of providing the services, but they need our help covering the cost. Let’s all express our deepest gratitude to Hashem for sparing us from the worst of the Coronavirus, by stretching out a hand to those who were less fortunate, we know, that people are currently having a hard time financially, but at least we are alive, lets help those who had it a lot worse. Put a smile on the faces of hundreds of orphans by contributing generously here.   In this Z’chus may we all merit the promise of Hashem to those helping orphans and widows “If you will bring joy to my children, I will bring joy to yours.” CLICK HERE TO DONATE

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Congress is at a crossroads in the coronavirus crisis, wrestling over whether to “go big,” as House Speaker Nancy Pelosi wants for the next relief bill, or hit “pause,” as Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell insists. It’s a defining moment for the political parties heading toward the election and one that will affect the livelihoods of countless Americans suddenly dependent on the federal government. Billions of dollars in state aid, jobless benefits and health resources are at stake. As questions mount over Washington’s proper role, it’s testing President Donald Trump and Congress. “These are the eternal debates in American history,” said Richard Sylla, a professor emeritus of economic and financial history at New York University. “It’s a bit like what Alexander Hamilton was facing in 1790,” he said, describing the plan to have the new federal government assume the Revolutionary War debts of the states, despite protests of a bailout. It was, he said, as Hamilton framed it, “the price of liberty.” As negotiations develop on Capitol Hill, the coronavirus response offers Congress an opportunity to shape the country’s post-pandemic future but also carries the risk of repeating mistakes of past crises, including the 2008-09 recession, that history does not easily forget. Trump and McConnell huddled late last week on next steps after rejecting Pelosi’s plan. The Democratic speaker set the table with passage of the sweeping $3 trillion coronavirus relief bill, which includes $1 trillion to shore up states and cities to avert municipal layoffs, $1,200 stipends to Americans and other aid. “We could have done bigger,” Pelosi told The Associated Press in a recent interview. With more than 38 million unemployment claims, the Republican response centers on kick-starting the economy to reduce the need for more federal intervention. Republican priorities are to wean Americans off unemployment benefits to nudge people back to work and provide liability protections for businesses that reopen. Republicans want to eliminate the $600 weekly unemployment benefit boost, arguing it “handcuffs” some employees with higher pay than they earn at their jobs. McConnell also wants to protect doctors, schools and others from COVID-19-related lawsuits — a “red line,” he says, for any deal. “There’s a high likelihood we will do another rescue package,” McConnell said on Fox News. “We need to work smart here.” The political and economic debate stretches beyond the halls of Congress as wary Americans await Washington’s next move. It was Federal Reserve Board Chairman Jerome Powell who counseled Pelosi to rely on historically low interest rates to “go big,” while Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin warned of “permanent damage” to the economy unless businesses reopen. Washington has been here before. Staring down the 2008-09 financial crisis forced the House and Senate into a historic debate over the size and scope of government that still resonates today. Then, like now, countless Americans fell swiftly into the ranks of the newly unemployed, while the very foundations of the American dream — home ownership then, health now — hung in the balance. Then, banks needed a federal lifeline; today, businesses look to Washington for help. Pelosi told the AP the biggest lesson learned was to be “very prescriptive” in how the money would be spent after facing a backlash that the rescue benefited Wall Street over Main Street. But perhaps another lesson from the earlier […]

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Mayor Bill de called President Donald Trump’s push to reopen in the middle of the coronavirus pandemic “dangerous.” Trump said Friday the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention would start to issue guidelines for faith communities on how to safely begin reopening. The president also threatened to “override” any governor who did not deem places of worship essential, but did not say how he would do so. STAY UPDATED WITH BREAKING UPDATES FROM YWN VIA WHATSAPP – SIGN UP NOW Just click on this link, and you will be placed into a group. Mayor: Yeah, no, the ten people – thank you for the question Gloria, because I always want to make sure I’m clear. The ten people maximum gathering, absolutely we can work with that. We can make that work. And that makes sense, whether it’s a religious gathering or just people gathering for another purpose. Remember what the State has said clearly is that still comes with the need to socially distance. And if there’s any chance that people may be closed for any period of time they need to wear the face covering. So I think the State has it right there. We will work with that in a religious setting and in a nonreligious setting. Absolutely, fine with that. What I’m talking about is that big traditional religious services where you’re talking about hundreds, even thousands of people gathered together. I know there’s a deep yearning to restart. What I’m saying is it is not time. With all due respect to the President, the President left the impression on Friday that any and all religious services should just start again. I’m saying very clearly that is dangerous. It is not time to restart large gatherings of any kind. Even though we deeply, deeply value faith. The key faith leaders of this city are saying it’s not time, across the board. I spent much of the last few days talking to faith leaders. And I’d say, what do you feel about this moment? What’s right for your faith, for your congregation, for your people? To a one, they said, it is not the time for large gatherings. It is not the time for traditional large services again. So I just want to make sure there’s no misinterpretation of what the President said. From the point of view of the faith leaders of New York City, it’s not time yet to go back to traditional large services. From the point of view of the City of New York. It’s not time yet. And so we’re all going to keep working together to keep people safe. (YWN World Headquarters – NYC)

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Georgia’s governor is offering his state and its “world-class facilities” as host of the Republican National Convention — a day after President Donald Trump threatened to pull the convention out of North Carolina if that state’s Democratic governor didn’t assure Trump that the August gathering can go forward despite coronavirus fears. Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp, a Republican, sent an open plea to Trump on Tuesday to consider his state as an alternate site for the quadrennial convention, which is set to gather more than 2,500 delegates and thousands more guests, press and security officials. Plans have been underway for more than a year to hold the convention in Charlotte, but Trump and national Republican officials have expressed concerns that local officials may not allow gatherings of that size during the pandemic. “With world-class facilities, restaurants, hotels, and workforce, Georgia would be honored to safely host the Republican National Convention,” Kemp tweeted Tuesday. “We hope you will consider the Peach State, ⁦‪@realDonaldTrump⁩!” Over the weekend, Trump complained that North Carolina Gov. Roy Cooper was “unable to guarantee that by August we will be allowed full attendance in the arena.” He added that Republicans “must be immediately given an answer by the Governor as to whether or not the space will be allowed to be fully occupied. If not, we will be reluctantly forced to find, with all of the jobs and economic development it brings, another Republican National Convention site.” GOP officials say a determination is needed in the coming weeks in order to begin final preparations for the convention. Republican National Committee Chair Ronna McDaniel said the president “is right to ask for assurances from North Carolina” about the convention. “We want to have it in North Carolina, the president wants to have it in North Carolina,” she told Fox News on Tuesday morning. “It’s just the governor. He has to work with us. Every state we talk to says we want to nominate the president here, but this governor is up for reelection and hasn’t given us the reassurances we need. We need to be able to move forward in a concrete way. We are going to have those discussions.” David Shafer, chairman of Georgia’s state Republican Party, said in a text message that he spoke to Kemp on Tuesday morning. “We have reached out to Republican National Committee Chairman Ronna Romney to let her know that, if North Carolina falls through, Georgia is ready to help,” Shafer told The Associated Press. “Under Governor Kemp, Georgia has led the nation in safely reopening its economy,” Shafer said. “We have first class facilities, a skilled workforce and a reputation for hospitality second to none. We would be proud to host the Republican National Convention.” Kemp spokeswoman Candice Broce declined to answer questions about the hasty bid and instead referred questions to Shafer. Georgia became a lightning rod for both criticism and praise when it was one of the first states in the nation to allow businesses including tattoo parlors and bowling alleys to reopen in late April. Trump criticized Kemp’s decision at the time, saying “It’s just too soon,” but later said he was only expressing concern about certain places, like tattoo parlors, being reopened, adding: “I think it’s wonderful.” As it tried to nail down convention plans, the Trump […]

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During the terrible pandemic that is currently plaguing our world, we are all looking for ways to protect those who are not infected and find zechusim for refuos shleimos for those who unfortunately are. As per Rav’ Chaim Kanievsky, one of the greatest zechusim for health is saying Asher Yotzar with kavanah and reading it rather than reciting it by heart.   What a simple segulah! Yet it can make a world of difference during these tumultuous times. It is because of the great power of this segulah and with R’ Chaim’s message in mind, that the Asher Yotzar project was born.   Geared to help the klal take advantage of this segulah and zechus, almost 5000 of the Asher Yotzar program’s beautiful lucite plaques already hang in various schools, shuls, mikvaos, and other such organizations around the world, including R’ Chaim’s own home.   If you have a shul, school, yeshiva or any other organization and wish to reserve your own Asher Yotzar plaques completely free of charge, please text or email the following information to 718.781.8479 or asheryotzarproject@gmail.com:   Name of your organization Contact name Phone number Address Number of Plaques needed Your preferred Nusach of Asher Yotzar (plaques are available in Nusach Ashkenazi, Sefardic, & Ari)         Together, we can spread the zechus of Asher Yotzar.

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By Rabbi Yair Hoffman for 5TJT.com Shavuos is called Z’man Matan Toraseinu. Originally, this event occurred in the Hebrew year 2448 (3,332 years ago). Rav Dessler in his Michtav M’Eliyahu explains that time does not flow as a straight line, but rather as a circle. The day of Shavuos, which is the 6th of Sivan every year, is, therefore, the very day that we receive the Torah. Similarly, the Nesivos Shalom explains that just as the Torah is eternal, so too is Kabbalas HaTorah eternal. Each and every year there is a new Kabbalas HaTorah. In other words, Shavuos is not just a commemoration of our receiving the Torah; we are receiving it once again. Receiving the Torah is monumental. The entire essence of the nation of Israel is only for Torah (Sefer HaChinuch 273). The entire universe, heavens and earth, were only created for the sake of the Torah (ibid). Receiving the Torah, therefore, requires much preparation. Indeed, the Torah tells us in Parashas Yisro that we needed to prepare for three days: “Heyu nechonim l’shloshes yamim (Shmos 19:15).” One of the preparations that we make for receiving the Torah is that we learn Pirkei Avos on every Shabbos between Pesach and Shavuos. The Midrash Shmuel explains, “One who will be learning Torah must first know its method of study and how to treat Torah. Therefore, so that the heart of each member of K’lal Yisrael will be ready to accept Torah with a complete heart and to properly observe it, they enacted the learning of Pirkei Avos.” Let us also recall that Shavuos represents the zenith of our spiritual growth. When we left Mitzrayim we were on the lowest level of tumah, impurity. In a matter of 49 days we experienced record spiritual growth to the point where the nation of Israel was the greatest generation that ever lived. We should also be aware that there is no limit to the heights and growth we can accomplish in our ruchniyus, indeed in any mitzvah. This can be seen from a passage of the Targum Yonasan on Sefer Rus. Boaz tells Rus that he is aware of both how she came and joined the nation of Israel and also of all the chessed that she had performed with her mother-in-law. The Targum Yonasan explains that because these two things were said in the same breath, the two mitzvos were equal to each other. This is fascinating. Rus was a princess of Moav, a very powerful nation. It is remarkable that one of the top women in society would give it all up to become a lowly member of the Jewish nation who had to take tzedakah. Is this lofty mitzvah equal to the mere chessed that she does for her mother-in-law? The answer, according to Rav Henoch Leibowitz, zt’l, is that there is no spiritual limit to any mitzvah that we perform. If we do a chessed, any chessed, with the right intentions, it can be equal to the greatest of mitzvos. Preparing For Shavuos The Shla HaKadosh explains that Erev Rosh Chodesh Sivan is a special time of preparation in terms of teshuvah, tefillah and tzedakah. This may be based upon the Rashi in Parashas Yisro (19:1–2) that the nation of Israel did teshuvah on this day when […]

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Tonight: EMET Outreach Presents Gad Elbaz & Charlie Harary Join Emet Outreach tonight for an evening of music and inspiration. International music sensation, Gad Elbaz, will be live in concert at 8 p.m. Charlie Harary, renowned motivational speaker, will deliver words of chizuk at 10 p.m.. Click here to experience this amazing evening live! EMET is a campus and community outreach organization based in Queens, NY that has introduced over 3000 local college students to a life of Torah and Mitzvos. Tonight’s program is sponsored by Caring Professionals, a leading home healthcare company servicing the five boroughs of New York City. Caring Professionals is committed to providing professional and compassionate home health aides to treat every patient and family with dignity. Caringprofessionals.com/emet

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A large shipment of kosher meat was sent recently from the United States to the Jewish community in the United Arab Emirates, B’Chadrei Chareidim reported. Members of the Jewish community in the UAE told Kan News that the state of Israel has no connection with the delivery from the US, adding that this is the first time that such a large amount of meat was delivered to the community. Last year it was reported that a kosher catering company was established in Dubai but the company mainly prepares food that is not meat-based. The meat delivery may be a result of the growth of the Jewish community in the UAE. In the capital city of Abu Dhabi, there is a small community and a few months ago, a mohel from Beitar traveled to the city to perform a bris on the son of one of the community’s members, the first bris ever performed in Abu Dhabi. According to a Ynet report, there is also a small Jewish community in the city of Dubai which established a small shul and officially inaugurated it about nine months ago. The community is estimated to number about 150 families or up to 2,000 – 3000 people, with most residents originally stemming from the US, Europe and South Africa. There are also many Jews who visit the city for business reasons. #EidMubarak #KosherUAE #KosherDubai #KosherMeatUAE pic.twitter.com/TajgtxTtSn — Jewish Community of the UAE (@JewishUae) May 24, 2020 (YWN Israel Desk – Jerusalem)

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A Central Bureau of Statistics (CBS) study entitled Civil Resilience During the Coronavirus Crisis was published this week, the first state survey since the lockdown has been lifted. According to the survey, one out of seven Israelis, about 14% of the population, fear losing their home due to economic issues caused by the coronavirus pandemic. A full 46.5% of Israelis fear they won’t be able to cover all their expenses in the wake of the coronavirus crisis and 14.1% have decreased their food purchases to save money since the crisis began. Not surprisingly, one-third of Israelis over the age of 21 also reported a decrease in their emotional well-being, with feelings of stress and anxiety due to the coronavirus crisis. About 18% of Israelis said they are lonely and 16% are depressed, with depression being reported at higher levels among Arab-Israelis (31%) than Jews (18%). (YWN Israel Desk – Jerusalem)

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First came a high fever, drenching sweats and muscle aches. Then, almost a month later, a weird numbness that spread down the right side of her body. Darlene Gildersleeve thought she had recovered from COVID-19. Doctors said she just needed rest. And for several days, no one suspected her worsening symptoms were related — until a May 4 video call, when her physician heard her slurred speech and consulted a specialist. “You’ve had two strokes,” a neurologist told her at the hospital. The Hopkinton, New Hampshire, mother of three is only 43. Blood clots that can cause strokes, heart attacks and dangerous blockages in the legs and lungs are increasingly being found in COVID-19 patients, including some children. Even tiny clots that can damage tissue throughout the body have been seen in hospitalized patients and in autopsies, confounding doctors’ understanding of what was once considered mainly a respiratory infection. “I have to be humble and say I don’t know what’s going on there, but boy we need to find that out because unless you know what the pathogenic (disease-causing) mechanism is, it’s going to be tough to do intervention,” Dr. Anthony Fauci, the nation’s top infectious disease expert, remarked during a medical journal interview last month. Doctors and scientists at dozens of hospitals and universities around the globe are seeking answers while trying to measure virus patients’ risks for clots and testing drugs to treat or prevent them. Gildersleeve said health authorities “need to put out an urgent warning about strokes” and coronavirus. Not knowing the possible link “made me doubt myself” when symptoms appeared, she said. Some conditions that make some COVID-19 patients vulnerable to severe complications, including obesity and diabetes, can increase clot risks. But many authorities believe how the virus attacks and the way the body responds both play a role. “COVID-19 is the most thrombotic (clot-producing) disease we’ve ever seen in our lifetime,” said Dr. Alex Spyropoulos, a clot specialist and professor at Feinstein Institutes for Medical Research in Manhasset, New York. Clotting has been seen in other coronavirus infections, including SARS, but on a much smaller scale, he said. Scientists believe the coronavirus enters the body through enzyme-receptors found throughout the body, including in cells lining the inside of blood vessels. Some theorize that it may promote clotting by somehow injuring those vessels as it spreads. That injury may cause a severe immune response as the body tries to fight the infection, resulting in inflammation that may also damage vessels and promote clotting, said Dr. Valentin Fuster, director of Mount Sinai Heart hospital in New York. It’s unclear how many COVID-19 patients develop clots. Studies from China, Europe and the United States suggest rates ranging from 3% to 70% of hospitalized COVID-19 patients; more rigorous research is needed to determine the true prevalence, the National Institutes of Health says. Prevalence in patients with mild disease is unknown and the agency says there isn’t enough evidence to recommend routine clot screening for all virus patients without clotting symptoms, which may include swelling, pain or reddish discoloring in an arm or leg. Some hospitals have found 40% of deaths in COVID-19 patients are from blood clots. Spyropoulos said that’s been true at his 23-hospital system in the New York City area, Northwell Health, which has treated over […]

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Imagine a Jew who has never heard of Shavuos. There are thousands in New York City alone. This reality is shattering for the future of the Jewish people. Enter Emet Outreach. For the past 16 years, this dynamic, Queens-based kiruv organization has been on the spiritual frontlines — helping unaffiliated Jews reconnect with Judaism, embrace Torah and mitzvos and ultimately build strong Jewish families. Emet offers multifaceted programming to guide and support individuals through every stage of their religious journey. Initiatives start at the college level and continue with young professionals and young couples.  Right now, Emet is in the final stretch of a critical Charidy campaign to continue their life-changing, transformative work. At Emet, Matan Torah is happening in real-time each and every day. Thanks to the solid relationships and guidance from Emet’s dedicated staff, thousands of young adults, who grew up with limited Jewish background, are receiving daily spiritual direction and embracing a Torah lifestyle. Most notably, at Emet a true Torah education transcends challenges. Over the past few months, Emet’s educators quickly transitioned their college fellowships, men’s Beit Midrash program and women’s seminary classes to virtual seminars. They expanded their offerings to provide the larger community with uplifting, informative and relevant classes. Since March, Emet has reached more than 850 students each week and has hosted an astounding 230 Zoom Torah classes. And the numbers grow daily… Emet’s Charidy campaign is designed to showcase the “Real Emet,” and allow the community to experience the organization first-hand with three evenings of inspiring and entertaining programming – livestreamed from Kaykov Media Studios. During the first two evenings, viewers were enthralled by words of Torah from Rabbi Eli Mansour, Rabbi YY Jacobson and other Emet educators. There were also amazing musical performances by Avi Perets and DJ Alex and a fun gameshow. Most importantly, there were uplifting interviews with Emet students about the transformative impact Emet has had on their lives. Tonight, Gad Elbaz will bring his world-renowned vocals to Emet’s stage at 8 p.m., and Charlie Harary will provide words of inspiration at 10 p.m.   “At Emet, we are one family. Our devoted staff are committed to providing unaffiliated young adults with the spiritual tools and Jewish foundation to guide them through life and ensure the Jewish future,” said Rabbi Akiva Rutenberg, Emet Co-founder and Director. “With G-d’s help, and the support of Klal Yisroel, we will continue to empower our students with the education and love for Judaism to remain strong in their observance.” Charidy.com/emet Matan Torah demonstrates the power of achdus – where the Jewish people unified and acted as 1 person, 1 heart and 1 community. Today, you can make a difference and help ensure that Torah is eternalized for ALL Jews. Take a quick moment and CLICK HERE to experience Emet and learn more about this impactful organization. Emet would like to thank the many corporate sponsors of this campaign, including Caring Professionals. Caring Professionals, a leading home healthcare company servicing the five boroughs of New York City, is committed to providing professional and compassionate home health aides to treat every patient and family with dignity. Caringprofessionals.com/emet

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It’s a day the community unites in full support of those who have been on the front lines saving lives. It’s a day to show appreciation to those who enter the lines of exposure time and again in order to save another Yid. It’s the day we unite for our units. Today, is the Hatzoloh of Rockland campaign. Every time the phone rings at Hatzoloh, there’s a life hanging in the balance. There’s a panic stricken family afraid of losing the life of a loved one. And every time the phone rings, there is a member who stops his life and runs. He leaves his family midsentence and he runs to save a generation. He will never say no. He will never refuse a call. Because he knows the importance of saving a life. And so do you. Nothing we can do will ever be enough to express appreciation for what Hatzoloh does. But there’s a window of opportunity now. By donating to Hatzoloh of Rockland in time of their campaign you are expressing the admiration and appreciation you’ve always dreamed of conveying.  Especially now. When Hatzoloh has risen to the occasion in time of crisis. We owe it to them. Let’s unite for our unstoppable units. Lets Unite Together TODAY!

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Shavuos is upon us, kabbolas haTorah is here once again. This Sefiras Ha’Omer has been a different countdown to Shavuos but, despite everything Yidden from around the world are slowly emerging from various stages of lockdown and cautiously returning to life. At this time of kabbolas haTorah, we remember with profound nostalgia another microcosm of kabbolas haTorah that Klal Yisrael enthusiastically accepted upon themselves just a mere few months ago, with the Dirshu World Siyumim held around the world. Whether it was the massive, sold-out event in the Prudential Center and NJPAC in Newark, or unprecedented events in London, Manchester and other locales around the world, the chizuk haTorah and remarkable, wall-to-wall achdus and inspiration have remained with is. In honor of Shavuos, we are providing Chizuk HaTorah nuggets culled from the poignant, inspirational addresses of Dirshu’s Nasi, Rav Dovid Hofstedter, shlita. Torah inspiration for the Yom Tov of Zeman Matan Toraseinu.

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The husband of a woman who died accidentally in an office of then-GOP Rep. Joe Scarborough two decades ago is demanding that Twitter remove President Donald Trump’s tweets suggesting Scarborough, now a fierce Trump critic, murdered her. “My request is simple: Please delete these tweets,” Timothy J. Klausutis wrote to Twitter CEO Jack Dorsey. The body of Lori Kaye Klausutis, 28, was found in Scarborough’s Fort Walton Beach, Florida, congressional office on July 20, 2001. Klausutis said in the letter, sent last week, that his wife had an undiagnosed heart condition, fell and hit her head on her desk at work. He called her death “the single most painful thing that I have ever had to deal with” and said he feels a marital obligation to protect her memory amid “a constant barrage of falsehoods, half-truths, innuendo and conspiracy theories since the day she died.” Klausutis said Trump is among the conspiracy theorists spreading “bile and misinformation” on Twitter “disparaging the memory” of his wife and their marriage. Trump’s tweets violate Twitter’s community rules and terms of service, he said. “An ordinary user like me would be banished,” Klausutis wrote. In a statement, Twitter said it was “deeply sorry about the pain these statements, and the attention they are drawing, are causing the family.” But the company did not say it would do anything about Trump’s Tweets or mention them directly. “We’ve been working to expand existing product features and policies so we can more effectively address things like this going forward, and we hope to have those changes in place shortly,” Twitter said. In general, Twitter has taken a hands-off approach to political leaders, contending that publishing controversial tweets from politicians helps hold them accountable and encourages discussion. It modified those rules last year to say that world leaders “aren’t entirely” above the rules and some tweets violating its policy could be slapped with warning labels. Trump has long feuded with Scarborough, now a host of MSNBC’s “Morning Joe” show, and has repeatedly tried to implicate him in the death even though Scarborough was in Washington, not Florida, at the time. Trump tweeted this month: “When will they open a Cold Case on the Psycho Joe Scarborough matter in Florida. Did he get away with murder? Some people think so. Why did he leave Congress so quietly and quickly? Isn’t it obvious? What’s happening now? A total nut job!” He echoed that “cold case” allegation in a new tweet on Tuesday, Trump also has asked via Twitter if NBC would fire the political talk show host based on the “unsolved mystery” years ago in Florida. “Investigate!” he tweeted in 2017. But there is no mystery. Medical officials ruled that Lori Kaye Klausutis, who had a heart condition and told friends hours earlier that she wasn’t feeling well, had fainted and hit her head. Foul play was not suspected. Scarborough has urged the president to stop his baseless attacks. (AP)

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The verbal dispute between a white woman walking her dog and a black man bird watching in Central Park might normally have gone unnoticed in a city preoccupied by the coronavirus pandemic. That changed when birdwatcher Christian Cooper pulled out his phone and captured Amy Cooper calling police to report she was being threatened by “an African-American man.” The widely watched video — posted on Facebook by Christian Cooper and on Twitter by his sister — has sparked accusations of racism. The confrontation began early Monday morning when Christian Cooper said he noticed Amy Cooper had let her dog off its leash against the rules in the Ramble, a secluded section of Central Park popular with birdwatchers. In a Facebook post, he claimed the dog was “tearing through the plantings” and told her she should go to another part of the park. When she refused, he pulled out dog treats, causing her to scream at him to not come near her dog. Amy Cooper also warned him she would summon police unless he stopped recording. “I’m going to tell them there’s an African American man threatening my life,” Amy Cooper is heard saying in the video as she pulls down her face mask and struggles to control her dog. “Please call the cops,” Christian Cooper says. “There’s an African American man, I’m in Central Park, he is recording me and threatening myself and my dog. … Please send the cops immediately!” she says during the call before he stops recording. Woman in viral Central Park video apologizes. She has been put on leave by her employer. She has "voluntarily surrendered" her dog after calling cops on black bird watcher who asked her to leash her dog, as required by law – WNBC pic.twitter.com/JvEVTqxk1c — Breaking911 (@Breaking911) May 26, 2020 Police say by the time they responded, they were both gone. Messages were left Tuesday with Christian Cooper and his sister. “I videotaped it because I thought it was important to document things,” Christian Cooper told CNN. “Unfortunately we live in an era with things like Ahmaud Arbery, where black men are seen as targets. This woman thought she could exploit that to her advantage, and I wasn’t having it.” New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio said the video exemplified hatred that has “no place in our city.” “The video out of Central Park is racism, plain and simple,” de Blasio tweeted. “She called the police BECAUSE he was a Black man. Even though she was the one breaking the rules. She decided he was the criminal and we know why.” In the fallout, investment firm Franklin Templeton announced it was putting Amy Cooper on administrative leave while it investigates the confrontation. She told CNN that she wanted to “publicly apologize to everyone,” adding, “I am not a racist.” “I think I was just scared,” Amy Cooper said. “When you’re alone in the Ramble, you don’t know what’s happening. It’s not excusable, it’s not defensible.” (AP)

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The following are the latest updates for New York compiled by YWN following the daily press conferences of NY Governor Cuomo and NYC Mayor DeBlasio. – At least 73 people died from coronavirus yesterday – the lowest single-day total yet. Overall hospitalizations, new hospitalizations and intubations are all down in the state. – NY Governor Cuomo says the state’s focus will now be on reopening NYC’s economy. Officials will use data and tests to continue to pinpoint areas where coronavirus is still spreading. Those ZIP codes tend to be predominantly lower-income and minority communities, he said. In some areas, the infection rate is 40% – about double the rate in the city as a whole. Cuomo also said that the city needs to amp up its number of contact tracers. – Some of the first areas in New York to shut down due to the coronavirus finally get a chance to get back to business Tuesday, as the Mid-Hudson region starts to reopen. – Long Island will begin phase one of reopening tomorrow. That means construction, agriculture, curbside and in-store pick up retail and select other industries are allowed to reopen. – Cuomo said he’ll meet with President Trump tomorrow in Washington, DC. STAY UPDATED WITH BREAKING UPDATES FROM YWN VIA WHATSAPP – SIGN UP NOW Just click on this link, and you will be placed into a group. NEW YORK CITY HIRES 1,700 CONTACT TRACERS New York City has hired 1,700 contact tracers who will monitor people infected with the virus and reach out to their close contacts, Mayor Bill de Blasio said Tuesday. “This is a huge new piece of the puzzle,” de Blasio said at his daily coronavirus briefing. “This is when we go on the offensive and we put in place something that really changes our whole fight against the coronavirus.” Under Cuomo’s guidelines, the city would need 2,500 contact tracers to enter the first phase of reopening its economy. De Blasio said he expects to meet that target in the first two weeks of June. LEGISLATURE HEADS BACK TO WORK The state Legislature will be in session Tuesday for the first time since the coronavirus forced lawmakers home after they passed the state budget in April. A few members of the state Senate and Assembly were expected to travel to Albany to debate and vote on bills from their offices or the chambers while most lawmakers will participate from home through video and teleconference. (YWN World Headquarters – NYC)

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No Holds Barred. No Questions Off Limits! Do you have questions? They have the answers! Watch this entertaining and enlightening cast of Rabbinic all-stars tonight and tomorrow night at 9:00 pm EST at www.projectinspire.com/livestream. This week’s no holds barred, no questions off limits episodes of Mindflex presented by Project Inspire feature Rabbi Yitzchak Feldheim, Rav Gav Friedman and Rabbi Dovid Orlofsky. They will tackle the questions you’ve always wondered about from free will and understanding G-d to how we know Judaism is true. Now the only question left is… do you want to further your understanding of Judaism? Then join us at www.projectinspire.com/livestream.

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Coronavirus diagnoses among school staff members and students in Israeli schools continue to occur, sending hundreds of more students and staff members into quarantine before Shavous. On Tuesday morning, an eighth-grader in the Toras Yishayahu Talmud Torah in Bnei Brak tested positive for the virus and his rabbeim and classmates were sent into quarantine. Later on Tuesday, it was reported that about 60 students and nine teachers at the Hebrew Gymnasium school in the Rechavia neighborhood of Jerusalem were sent into quarantine after a 7th grade student was diagnosed with the coronavirus. Also on Tuesday, a caretaker in a daycare in north Tel Aviv tested positive for the virus. The entire daycare was closed at the instructions of the health ministry and anyone who had been inside or visited were instructed to quarantine for two weeks. The daycare will be re-opened on June 7. On Monday, a sixth-grader in the Avnei Shlomo Talmud Torah in Givat Shaul in Jerusalem tested positive for the virus, forcing his classmates and rabbeim into quarantine, Kikar H’Shabbos reported. The report added that a student in a Talmud Torah in Beit Shemesh tested positive for the virus on and a gannenet in a private daycare in Ramat Beit Shemesh Gimmel was also diagnosed with the virus. News reports on Monday said that an assistant in a girls’ school in the city of Yavne was diagnosed with the coronavirus, forcing six other teachers, who traveled to school together with her in a shared van, into quarantine. The assistant reportedly was only in the school for a few hours and did not come into contact with any students. And in the Yitzchak Navon school in Rechovot, where two staff members and two students were already diagnosed with the virus, sending dozens of students and staff members into quarantine, another staff member and student tested positive for the virus this week. YWN reported on Monday that almost a hundred Chareidi children were sent to quarantine after a kindergarten teacher who had been in contact with 60 children was diagnosed with the virus and a kindergarten teacher’s assistant in the Chachmas Shlomo cheder tested positive for the virus. (YWN Israel Desk – Jerusalem)

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