Thousands of people from around the world seeking a uniquely messy thrill spent one wild hour flinging bushels of overripe tomatoes at each other during Spain’s “Tomatina” celebration Wednesday. The mother of all food fights painted a packed central street in the eastern town of Buñol deep red as revelers squished, smashed and hurled 120 tons of the overripe fruit. Tarps covered the building fronts as an estimated 20,000 people showed no quarter amid screams and laughter. Every article of clothing and pretty much every inch of bare skin and hair ended up covered in a pulpy mush, with many wearing white shirts that quickly were stained pink. Thumping music gave the event the vibe of a rave. Organizers wearing green shirts slowly opened a path for trucks loaded with the tomatoes to bring in the ammunition. Buñol, with a population of around 10,000, was one of the towns affected by devastating floods in eastern Spain beginning Oct. 29, 2024. That is why this year’s slogan is “Tomaterapia,” or “Tomato Therapy” in English. This year marks the 80th anniversary of the tomato tossing that party lore says began in 1945 for local children. Since then “Tomatina” has grown to an eye-catching event that now draws a significant international crowd and only has been skipped twice due to the pandemic. A left-wing political party backed an initiative by local residents to fly Palestinian flags and a banner against Israel’s military campaign in Gaza during this year’s “Tomatina.” The only guideline during the free-for-all is to squash each tomato before throwing to reduce its impact. Even so, some participants opt to wear protective goggles and earplugs. For those worried about the waste, organizers say the tomatoes are grown specifically for “Tomatina” and not edible anyway. This year’s supply hails from a town over five hours away. A cannon shot tells participants the battle is over. As the adrenaline drains, partiers use communal showers to clean up while workers hose the crimson slurry off the streets. (AP)
Mike Burgess, head of the Australian Security Intelligence Organisation (ASIO), addressed a press conference on Tuesday after Prime Minister Anthony Albanese revealed that Iran was behind at least two antisemitic attacks in Australia: the arson attack on a Melbourne synagogue and the burning of a kosher café in Sydney. A Sky News Australia reporter asked Burgess whether Israel’s Mossad had a hand in exposing Iran’s involvement in the attacks. “We work with foreign partners,” Burgess responded and refused to elaborate. Sky News anchors later speculated, “Well, who else would it be? Certainly Israel, maybe the U.S. There aren’t many others. No doubt they tipped off our intelligence service.” Mossad has previously provided intelligence to numerous countries, particularly in Europe, about Iran’s role in antisemitic attacks on their soil. In the wake of the findings, Australia expelled Iranian Ambassador Ahmad Sadeghi—its first expulsion of a foreign ambassador since World War II—and closed its embassy in Iran. Following the decision, the government urged Australians in Iran to leave immediately. “Foreigners in Iran, including Australians and dual Australian-Iranian nationals, are at a high risk of arbitrary detention or arrest,” the warning stated. The government also issued its highest-level travel advisory for Iran: “Do not travel.” (YWN Israel Desk—Jerusalem)
Over 50 consultants at Children’s Health Ireland (CHI) have called on Ireland to stop using medicines manufactured by Israel if “viable alternatives” exist due to Israel’s alleged “genocide,” The Irish Times reported over the weekend. According to the report, Israel’s Teva Pharmaceuticals, which is one of the world’s largest manufacturers of generic and specialist drugs, is one of the largest suppliers of generic medications to the Health Service Executive (HSE), Ireland’s publicly funded healthcare system. Rep. Randy Fine (R.-FL) responded to the report by stating, “If Ireland wants to start treating their people with Palestinian medicines, that’s their right.” “Oh, wait…” Last week, a furor arose in Italy after a doctor and nurse, employees of a public hospital, filmed themselves throwing Teva drugs in the garbage. The video, published on social media, drew outrage from Italians. Ynet quoted the comments of several Italian social media users, with one calling the video “a national disgrace,” writing: “This is not free expression—it’s fanaticism. Anyone who throws away life-saving drugs should not wear a medical uniform.” Another added, “I hope you never need one of Israel’s life-saving medical inventions.” A third wrote, “We pay taxes for these drugs, and they treat them like garbage for social media likes.” In the wake of the public ire, the Southeast Tuscany Health Authority said that it opened an internal inquiry and “reserves the right to take all necessary steps to protect its reputation and the professionalism of its staff.” It stressed that the filming of the video was carried out in the public hospital without approval. The doctor and nurse later published a second video apologizing for their actions and claiming that they didn’t actually throw out any medications but had placed free samples, including supplements and wipes, in the garbage can and then immediately removed them. “It was a symbolic gesture for peace,” they said. “We never intended to hurt anyone or involve our employer. We are truly sorry.” (YWN Israel Desk—Jerusalem)
Steep U.S. tariffs on a range of Indian products took effect Wednesday, threatening a serious blow to India’s overseas trade in its largest export market. President Donald Trump had initially announced a 25% tariff on Indian goods. But earlier this month he signed an executive order imposing an additional 25% tariff due to India’s purchases of Russian oil, bringing the combined tariffs imposed by the U.S. on its ally to 50%. The Indian government estimates the tariffs will impact $48.2 billion worth of exports. Officials have warned the new duties could make shipments to the U.S. commercially unviable, triggering job losses and slower economic growth. India–U.S. trade relations have expanded in recent years but remain vulnerable to disputes over market access and domestic political pressures. India is one of the fastest-growing major global economies and it may face a slowdown as a result. Sectors to be impacted by US tariffs Estimates by New Delhi-based think tank Global Trade Research Initiative suggest labor-intensive sectors such as textiles, gems and jewelry, leather goods, food and automobiles will be hit hardest. “The new tariff regime is a strategic shock that threatens to wipe out India’s long-established presence in the U.S., causing unemployment in export-driven hubs and weakening its role in the industrial value chain,” said Ajay Srivastava, the think tank’s founder and a former Indian trade official. The U.S. has for now exempted some sectors such as pharmaceuticals and electronic goods from additional tariffs, bringing some relief for India as its exposure in these sectors is significant. Exporters fear losses Puran Dawar, a leather footwear exporter in northern India’s Agra city, says the industry would take a substantial hit in the near term unless domestic demand strengthens and other overseas markets buy more Indian goods. “This is an absolute shock,” said Dawar, whose business with the U.S. has grown in recent years. Dawar’s clients include the major fashion retailer Zara. Dawar, who is also the regional chairman of the Council for Leather Exports — an export promotion body — said the U.S. should understand that the steep tariffs will hurt its own consumers. Groups representing exporters warn that new import tariffs could hurt India’s small and medium enterprises that are heavily reliant on the American market. “It’s a tricky situation. Some product lines will simply become unviable overnight,” said Ajay Sahai, director general of the Federation of Indian Export Organizations. Modi vows not to yield to US pressure The tariffs come as the U.S. administration continues to push for greater access to India’s agriculture and dairy sectors. India and the U.S. have held five rounds of negotiations for a bilateral trade agreement, but have yet to reach a deal. That’s largely because New Delhi has resisted opening these sectors to cheaper American imports, citing concerns that doing so would endanger the jobs of millions of Indians. Prime Minister Narendra Modi has vowed not to yield to the pressure. “For me, the interests of farmers, small businesses and dairy are topmost. My government will ensure they aren’t impacted,” Modi said at a rally this week in his home state of Gujarat. Modi said the world was witnessing a “politics of economic selfishness.” A U.S. delegation canceled plans to visit New Delhi this week for a sixth round of trade talks. India plans local reforms to cushion the blow from […]
Immigration advocates gather like clockwork outside Seattle’s King County International Airport to witness deportation flights and spread word of where they are going and how many people are aboard. Until recently, they could keep track of the flights using publicly accessible websites. But the monitors and others say airlines are now using dummy call signs for deportation flights and are blocking the planes’ tail numbers from tracking websites, even as the number of deportation flights hits record highs under President Donald Trump. The changes forced them to find other ways to follow the flights, including by sharing information with other groups and using data from an open-source exchange that tracks aircraft transmissions. Their work helps people locate loved ones who are deported in the absence of information from U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, which rarely discloses flights. News organizations have used such flight tracking in reporting. Tom Cartwright, a retired J.P. Morgan financial officer turned immigration advocate, tracked 1,214 deportation-related flights in July — the highest level since he started watching in January 2020. About 80% are operated by three airlines: GlobalX, Eastern Air Express and Avelo Airlines. They carry immigrants to other airports to be transferred to overseas flights or take them across the border, mostly to Central American countries and Mexico. Cartwright tracked 5,962 flights from the start of Trump’s second term through July, a 41% increase from 1,721 over the same period in 2024. Those figures including information from major deportation airports but not smaller ones like King County International Airport, also known as Boeing Field. Cartwright’s figures include 68 military deportation flights since January — 18 in July alone. Most have gone to Guantánamo Bay, Cuba. The work became so demanding that Cartwright, 71, and his group, Witness at the Border, turned over the job this month to Human Rights First, which dubbed its project “ICE Flight Monitor.” “His work brings essential transparency to U.S. government actions impacting thousands of lives and stands as a powerful example of citizen-driven accountability in defense of human rights and democracy,” Uzrz Zeya, Human Rights First’s chief executive officer, said. The airlines did not respond to multiple email requests for comment. ICE is part of the Department of Homeland Security, which would not confirm any security measures it has taken. La Resistencia, a Seattle-area nonprofit immigration rights group, has monitored 59 flights at Boeing Field and five at the Yakima airport in 2025, surpassing its 2024 total of 42. Not all are deportation flights. Many are headed to or from immigration detention centers or to airports near the border. La Resistencia counted 1,023 immigrants brought in to go to the ICE detention center in Tacoma, Washington, and 2,279 flown out, often to states on the U.S.-Mexico border. “ICE is doing everything in its power to make it as hard as possible to differentiate their contractors’ government activities from other commercial endeavors,” organizer Guadalupe Gonzalez told The Associated Press. Airlines can legally block data The Federal Aviation Administration allows carriers to block data like tail numbers from public flight tracking websites under the Limiting Aircraft Data Displayed program, or LADD, said Ian Petchenik, a spokesman for FlightRadar24. “Tail numbers are like VIN numbers on cars,” Gonzalez said. Planes with blocked tail numbers no longer appear on websites like FlightRadar24 or FlightAware. The tracker page identifies these them as “N/A – […]
SpaceX launched the latest test of its mega rocket Starship on Tuesday night and completed the first-ever deployment of a test payload — eight dummy satellites — into space. After just over an hour coasting through space, Starship splashed down as planned in the Indian Ocean. Starship blasted off from Starbase, SpaceX’s launch site in south Texas, just after 6:30 p.m. It was the 10th test for the world’s biggest and most powerful rocket, which SpaceX and NASA hope to use to get astronauts back on the moon. NASA has ordered two Starships to land astronauts on the moon later this decade, and SpaceX CEO Elon Musk’s ultimate goal is Mars. No crew members were aboard the demo launch. The test also included the successful return of the craft’s Super Heavy Booster, which splashed down in the Atlantic after testing a landing-burn engine sequence. The Starship itself continued to orbit the Earth — passing from daylight in Texas through night and back into daytime again — ahead of the planned splashdown. Before the craft hit the waves, its engines fired, flipping its position so it entered the water upright with the nose cone pointed upward. The successful demo came after a year of mishaps. Back-to-back tests in January and March ended just minutes after liftoff, raining wreckage into the ocean. The most recent test in May — the ninth try — ended when the spacecraft tumbled out of control and broke apart. SpaceX later redesigned the Super Heavy booster with larger and stronger fins for greater stability, according to a company post on the social platform X this month. The first Starship exploded minutes into its inaugural test flight in 2023. SpaceX’s first batch of Starlink satellites were launched in 2019 from a Falcon rocket that lifted off from Cape Canaveral. (AP)
As armed National Guard troops patrol the nation’s capital as part of an unprecedented federal takeover of Washington’s police department, handling crime is now a relative strength for President Donald Trump, according to the latest AP-NORC poll. Americans are generally not happy about the Republican president’s handling of issues like immigration and the economy but are more positive about his tough-on-crime approach, according to the survey from The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research. Indeed, the vast majority of Americans, 81%, see crime as a “major problem” in large cities — a concern Trump has seized on as he has deployed the National Guard to the District of Columbia and threatened to expand that model to cities across the country. And his overall approval rating has increased slightly, from 40% in July to 45% now. But the poll shows there is less public support for federal takeovers of local police departments, suggesting opinions could shift over the coming weeks or months, depending on how aggressively Trump pursues his threats. For now, many Republicans in particular feel extreme action needs to be taken, even as statistics show violent crime is down in Washington and across the nation following a coronavirus pandemic-era spike. “About damn time that somebody did something,” said Charles Arnold, 87, a lifelong Republican who lives in San Diego. Arnold, a retired electronics technician and veteran who served in the Navy, said that it had been jarring to see the National Guard being used for domestic law enforcement on U.S. soil but that the action seemed to be necessary. “That’s not what the armed forces are for. They shouldn’t be there. They shouldn’t have to be there. The police should be allowed to police,” he said. “I detest the thought that it needs to be done.” Handling crime is a strength for Trump About half of U.S. adults, 53%, say they approve of Trump’s handling of crime, the poll finds. That’s higher than his approval rating on the economy, immigration and the conflict between Russia and Ukraine — which are in line with his overall approval rating. Trump’s approach on crime is similarly popular among white and Hispanic adults, with roughly half in each group saying they approve of the way he’s handling the issue. Black adults, however, are substantially less likely to say they’re on board with Trump’s approach to crime, with just 27% in favor. Trump also garners much stronger support from independents on crime than on other issues. Roughly half of independents approve of his handling of crime, compared with about 3 in 10 who approve of his handling of the economy, immigration and the Russia-Ukraine war. Most think crime is a ‘major problem’ for large cities There’s broad agreement among Americans that crime is a significant issue in large cities, even with incident numbers in decline. That belief is especially pronounced among Republicans, nearly all of whom see crime as a significant problem in large cities. Roughly 7 in 10 independents and Democrats agree. Americans who live in urban areas are also more likely to say crime is a “major problem” in their own communities. They include Tiana Parker, 30, a liberal Democrat who lives in the suburbs of Seattle. Parker is dismayed by what Trump is doing in Washington, D.C. — and his presidency overall — but nonetheless calls crime “a major problem.” “I […]
Denmark’s foreign minister had the top U.S. diplomat in the country summoned for talks after the main national broadcaster reported Wednesday that at least three people with connections to President Donald Trump have been carrying out covert influence operations in Greenland. Trump has repeatedly said he seeks U.S. jurisdiction over Greenland, a vast, semi-autonomous territory of Denmark. He has not ruled out military force to take control of the mineral-rich, strategically located Arctic island. Denmark, a NATO ally of the U.S., and Greenland have said the island is not for sale and condemned reports of the U.S. gathering intelligence there. Danish public broadcaster DR reported Wednesday that government and security sources which it didn’t name, as well as unidentified sources in Greenland and the U.S., believe that at least three Americans with connections to Trump have been carrying out covert influence operations in the territory. One of those people allegedly compiled a list of U.S.-friendly Greenlanders, collected names of people opposed to Trump and got locals to point out cases that could be used to cast Denmark in a bad light in American media. Two others have tried to nurture contacts with politicians, businesspeople and locals, according to the report. An influence operation is an organized effort to shape how people in a society think in order to achieve certain political, military or other objectives. DR said its story was based on information from a total of eight sources, who believe the goal is to weaken relations with Denmark from within Greenlandic society. DR said it had been unable to clarify whether the Americans were working at their own initiative or on orders from someone else. It said it knows their names but chose not to publish them in order to protect its sources. The Associated Press could not independently confirm the report. “We are aware that foreign actors continue to show an interest in Greenland and its position in the Kingdom of Denmark,” Danish Foreign Minister Lars Løkke Rasmussen said in a statement emailed by his ministry. “It is therefore not surprising if we experience outside attempts to influence the future of the Kingdom in the time ahead.” “Any attempt to interfere in the internal affairs of the Kingdom will of course be unacceptable,” Løkke Rasmussen said. “In that light, I have asked the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to summon the U.S. chargé d’affaires for a meeting at the Ministry.” Cooperation between the governments of Denmark and Greenland “is close and based on mutual trust,” he added. The U.S. Embassy in Copenhagen did not immediately respond to a request for comment. The Danish Security and Intelligence Service responded to a request for comment by saying it believes that “particularly in the current situation, Greenland is a target for influence campaigns of various kinds” that could aim to create divisions in the relationship between Denmark and Greenland. It said it “assesses that this could be done by exploiting existing or fabricated disagreements, for example in connection with well-known individual cases, or by promoting or amplifying certain viewpoints in Greenland regarding the Kingdom, the United States, or other countries with a particular interest in Greenland.” The service, known by its Danish acronym PET, said that in recent years it has “continuously strengthened” its efforts and presence in Greenland in cooperation with […]
A man who posed for years as a Chareidi Rav in Israel, officiating at chasunos and conversions and selling mezuzos, was exposed as a Christian missionary by the Yad L’Achim organization on Tuesday. The organization issued a statement that a man calling himself Ariel Katzenberg has been serving as a Rav for years while simultaneously performing Christian baptism ceremonies and converting Jews to Christianity. Katzenberg, who also delivered Torah shiurim, regularly marketed himself to newcomers to Israel, offering to produce documents proving their Judaism or “conversion” to Judaism for tens of thousands of shekels. He managed to produce documents with forged seals of well-known Batei Din, some claiming that the newcomers had undergone giyur in Israel approved by the Rabbanut. According to Yad L’Achim, Katzenberg first began posing as a Rav in Bnei Brak but was exposed as a fraud and fled to northern Israel, to Migdal HaEmek, Harish, and Tiveria. Yad L’Achim finally exposed Katzenberg by obtaining video footage showing him performing baptisms and presenting it to the police along with the forged documents he presented to Batei Din and demanding an investigation. “We demonstrated to the courts that the documents had been forged, and they were shocked,” says Rabbi Shimon Abergel, field coordinator for the organization’s counter-missionary department. Yad Achim did not provide details of Katzenberg’s background, but from past reports, it appears that his original name is Gonzalo Cabral and he grew up in Argentina. He moved to Israel as a young man and formed a relationship with an elderly Jewish woman, telling her (falsely) that his parents cut him off and he’s all alone in the world. The woman took him into her house and treated him like a son. Cabral took advantage of his relationship with the woman to portray himself as a Jew, using her distinctly Jewish name. He later changed his name again to Ariel Katzenberg. His background of infiltrating the Chareidi community many years ago explains how he was capable of posing as a Rav and delivering shiurim. Yad L’Achim did not explain why it took so long to expose Katzenberg, but it is possible that he underwent giyur in Israel, and until now, they lacked evidence that he was acting as a Christian missionary on the side. (YWN Israel Desk—Jerusalem)
Russia’s invading forces have broken into an eighth region of Ukraine, a Ukrainian military official said Wednesday, seeking to capture more ground in their three-year war of attrition as U.S.-led peace efforts struggle to gain traction. Some Russian troops have entered the villages of Novoheorhiivka and Zaporizke in the eastern Dnipropetrovsk region, a major Ukrainian industrial center next to the Donetsk region where fierce fighting has been taking place, Victor Trehubov, spokesman for local ground forces, told The Associated Press by phone. Russia’s Defense Ministry claimed earlier this month that its forces had taken the two villages. But the Russians have not entrenched or built fortifications there, and fighting is continuing in the villages, Trehubov said. Ukrainian troops are under severe strain as they try to hold back Russia’s bigger army. Military analysts say there is no sign of a looming collapse of Ukrainian defenses and note that Russian forces have been unable to take major towns and cities, but their slow slog through rural areas keeps Ukraine under pressure. The front line, where tens of thousands of troops on both sides have been killed, snakes along roughly 1,000 kilometers (620 miles) of eastern and southeastern Ukraine, which borders Russia. Russian forces are already in the Sumy, Kharkiv, Luhansk, Donetsk, Zaporizhzhia, Kherson and Mykolaiv regions. Russia illegally seized the Crimean Peninsula from Ukraine in March 2014, and now occupies about a fifth of Ukraine. Western leaders have accused Russian President Vladimir Putin of dragging his feet in peace efforts and avoiding serious negotiations while Russian troops move deeper into Ukraine. U.S. President Donald Trump bristled Tuesday at Putin’s stalling on an American proposal for direct peace talks with Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. Trump said Friday he expects to decide on next steps in two weeks if direct talks aren’t scheduled. Ukraine has accepted U.S. proposals for a summit with Putin and a ceasefire. Russia has also balked at U.S. and Western plans to establish postwar security guarantees for Ukraine, which fears another Russian invasion in the future even if a peace deal is clinched now. The possible security guarantees being worked out by Western officials could include the deployment of European troops in Ukraine. But Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov reiterated Wednesday that soldiers from NATO member countries would be unacceptable for Moscow. Ukraine is trying to disrupt Russia’s war effort by striking infrastructure behind the front line with ling-range drones. Gas stations have run dry in some regions of Russia after they struck refineries and other oil infrastructure in recent weeks. Russia, meanwhile, is continuing its campaign to cripple Ukraine’s energy supply ahead of the bitter winter by wrecking the power grid with repeated attacks. Ukraine’s Energy Ministry said Wednesday that Russia struck energy and gas infrastructure in six regions of the country. (AP)
Police arrested seven anti-Israel activists after they occupied Microsoft President Brad Smith’s office in Redmond, Washington on Tuesday and refused to leave. “Obviously, when seven folks do as they did today—storm a building, occupy an office, block other people out of the office, and plant listening devices in the form of telephones and cell phones hidden under couches and behind books—that’s not okay,” Smith told reporters. “When they’re asked to leave and they refuse, that’s not okay,” he said. “Police literally had to take them out of the building.” The No Azure For Apartheid protest, only two of whom are Microsoft employees, was protesting over Israel’s alleged use of Microsoft’s Azure cloud platform in its war in Gaza. According to a Bloomberg report on Tuesday, Microsoft asked the FBI to investigate certain current or former employees connected to the protests. The group has been protesting against the company for months, demanding it cut ties with Israel and pay reparations to Palestinians. A week ago, 18 pro-Hamas rioters were arrested at the Microsoft headquarters after they “resisted and became aggressive.” (YWN Israel Desk—Jerusalem)
Hamekubal HaTzaddik Rav Altar Dovid Chaim Stern, Z’tl, was niftar early Wednesday morning at Laniado Hospital in Kiryat Sanz in Netanya at the age of 93. The niftar was born in Slovakia to his father, HaRav Yisrael Zecharia Stern, z’tl, a major supporter of Torah and chessed, the owner of the Dagan flour mill in Bnei Brak, one of the foremost talmidim of the Chazon Ish, and a close confidant of Rebbe Aharon of Belz, z’tl, and the Kretchnifer Rebbe, z’tl. The family fled from Europe to pre-state Israel, where, as a bochur, he learned at Ponevezh yeshivah, where he developed a close relationship with HaGaon HaRav Dovid Povarsky, z’tl, and HaGaon HaRav Yechezkel Levenstein, z’tl. He was also very close to the Chazon Ish, z’tl, who imparted to him a lifelong path in distributing tzedaka, as well as to the Steipler, z’tl, under whose instruction he eventually founded the Chazon Ish Kupas tzedaka, one of the first tzedaka funds established in Israel to distribute money to needy families. When he reached marriageable age, he married the tzadeikes Sora Gittel, a’h, the daughter of the renowned Mekubal HaRav Chaim Moshe Mandel, z’tl, of Bnei Brak, who was known as the Poel Yeshuos of Bnei Brak. HaRav Mandel lived on Raavad Street opposite the home of the HaGaon HaRav Elazar Menachem Shach, z’tl. Close associates relate that HaRav Shach would visit HaRav Chaim Moshe every year on Erev Yom Kippur to receive a bracha. From his youth, HaRav Stern was known as a tremendous ba’al chessed, and although he stemmed from a wealthy family, he lost all his money due to the vast amounts of tzedka he distributed. He was among the founders of the Ofakim Yeshiva, headed by his brother-in-law, HaGaon HaRav Yerachmiel Birnzweig, יבלחט”א. He established many mosdos Torah throughout the country, as well as the Be’er Yisrael Yeshiva. He became a central figure among the Mekubalim of our generation and a source of inspiration to many. Even in his advanced years, he remained active in Torah, continuing to lead his mosdos, receive visitors in his home, and attend public events where he encouraged the public to persevere in limmud Torah, particularly in the study of Mishnayos and in safeguarding kedushas machshavah. Over the years, as his fame grew for his extraordinary tzedaka, his unique segulahs, and his brachos that were fulfilled, people from Israel and abroad flocked to seek his counsel. He lived a humble life, devoting most of his days to limmud Torah. He was known for his deep learning in both the revealed and hidden Torah. His home on Sokolov Street in Bnei Brak became a spiritual beacon for the multitudes, where he offered his brachos, advice, and guidance while seated on a simple wooden chair. He strongly encouraged those who sought his bracha to memorize Mishnayos as a means of tikkun machshavah and urged his followers to place tzedaka boxes in their homes. He was connected with many Rabbanim and Mekubalim, especially lesser-known hidden tzaddikim (the 36 hidden tzaddikim). In this, he continued the unique path of his late father-in-law, whose court was similarly centered on the 36 hidden tzaddikim and their influence. Among those closely connected to him was the renowned Mekubal HaTzaddik Yehuda Ze’ev Leibowitz, z’tl. In recent years, despite his advanced age, he […]
“I wanted the State of Israel to lose money by paying for the damages,” said one of five arson suspects, a maintenance worker at a hospital in Jerusalem, who was arrested along with four other Arabs for two incidents of arson next to the hospital. The five are suspected of setting fire to a field next to the hospital and throwing fireworks out nationalistic motives about a month ago. Fortunately, there were no casualties, but damage was caused to the area. Jerusalem District police officers, Border Police fighters, and the Jerusalem District forensic identification team were called to the scene and, after collecting evidence, began efforts to locate the suspects. The investigators uncovered the identity of the five Arab youths who committed the crimes, two of whom were employees at the hospital. The suspects, residents of the eastern Jerusalem neighborhood of Issawiya, were arrested and transferred for questioning. Investigators determined that the suspects acted methodically, preparing multiple Molotov cocktails with flammable substances in advance and using them in two separate arson attempts near the hospital, endangering both passing motorists and the medical center. Indictments will be filed against them by the Jerusalem District Prosecutor’s Office. (YWN Israel Desk—Jerusalem)
President Donald Trump declared Monday that he intends to change the name of the Department of Defense back to the “Department of War,” reviving the title the agency carried until 1947. Speaking at the White House alongside South Korean President Lee Jae Myung, Trump said the new name better reflects America’s military posture. “We call it the Department of Defense, but between us, I think we’re gonna change the name,” Trump said. “It was called the Department of War. And to me, that’s really what it is. Defense is a part of that. But I have a feeling we’re gonna be changing.” Trump claimed the switch could happen “over the next week or so” and brushed aside concerns that renaming the Pentagon would require congressional action. “We’re just gonna do it,” he told reporters. “I’m sure Congress will go along if we need that. I don’t think we even need that.” The U.S. Department of Defense was created by the National Security Act of 1947, replacing the Department of War and consolidating the armed services under a single civilian secretary. Any formal renaming would almost certainly require legislation. Trump used the occasion of his bilateral meeting to reference America’s role in both world wars, and in an odd aside, reminded his South Korean counterpart of the sexual enslavement of Korean women by Imperial Japan during World War II. The president has increasingly invoked martial rhetoric, portraying himself as a commander restoring “peace through strength.” Renaming the Defense Department to the Department of War would be one of his most symbolic breaks with decades of post–World War II convention. (YWN World Headquarters – NYC)
A Wisconsin man who faked his own drowning while kayaking and left his wife and three children to meet a woman in the country of Georgia was convicted Tuesday of obstructing an officer and sentenced to 89 days in jail, which was the amount of time he successfully misled law enforcement about his whereabouts. The sentence given to Ryan Borgwardt was nearly twice as long as what was recommended under a plea deal reached with prosecutors. Borgwardt, 45, initially pleaded not guilty to the misdemeanor that stemmed from his elaborate escape from the country last August. But under the plea deal unveiled Tuesday, Borgwardt changed his plea to no contest and agreed to pay $30,000 in restitution to law enforcement to cover what was spent trying to locate him. A no contest plea isn’t an admission of guilt but is treated as such for the purposes of sentencing. “I deeply regret the actions I did that night and all the pain I caused my family, friends,” Borgwardt said in court before being sentenced. Prosecutors asked Green Lake County Circuit Judge Mark Slate to sentence Borgwardt to just 45 days in jail. But the judge nearly doubled it to 89 days. That is the number of days from when he was declared missing until the sheriff’s department made contact with him overseas, the judge said. “He obstructed law enforcement for a total of 89 days,” Slate said. The longer sentence can serve as a deterrent to anyone else who may be considering faking their death and misleading law enforcement, the judge said. Borgwardt was reported missing on Aug. 12, 2024, after telling his wife the night before that he was kayaking on Green Lake, about 100 miles (160 kilometers) northwest of Milwaukee. His disappearance was first investigated as a possible drowning. But after failing to find his body following a 58-day search, the investigation broadened. Subsequent clues, including that he obtained a new passport three months before he disappeared, led investigators to speculate that Borgwardt had faked his death to meet up with a woman from Uzbekistan he had been communicating with. Investigators made contact with Borgwardt in November and convinced him to return to the U.S. in December. He turned himself in and was charged with obstructing the search for his body. His wife of 22 years divorced him four months later. According to the criminal complaint, Borgwardt traveled 50 miles (80 kilometers) from his family’s home in Watertown to Green Lake on Aug. 11, 2024. During the night, he overturned his kayak on the lake, paddled back to shore in an inflatable raft that he brought with him — dumping his identification in the lake along the way — and rode an electric bicycle 70 miles (112) kilometers) to Madison. From there he caught a bus to Toronto, flew to Paris and then to “a country in Asia,” before he landed in the European country of Georgia, according to the criminal complaint. He told investigators that a woman picked him up and they spent several days in a hotel before he took up residency in Georgia, according to the complaint. “His entire plan to fake his death to devastate his family in order to serve his own selfish desires hinged on him dying in the lake and selling his […]
On Rosh Chodesh Elul one year ago, the sister of Hamas hostage Agam Berger cried at the kever of R’ Shayale in Kerestir, beseeching Hashem for a yeshua for her sister and fellow captives. Today, on Rosh Chodesh Elul, Agam Berger arrived at the kever of the tzaddik to bentch Gomel and recite Nishmas in gratitude to the Ribbono Shel Olam. She joined a special tefillah of families of the hostages, organized by renowned baal chessed Shai Graucher. (YWN World Headquarters – NYC)
More than 300 million Americans’ Social Security data was put at risk after Department of Government Efficiency officials uploaded sensitive information to a cloud account not subject to oversight, according to a whistleblower disclosure submitted to the special counsel’s office Tuesday. Whistleblower Charles Borges, who worked as the chief data officer at the Social Security Administration since January, said the potential sensitive information that risks being released includes health diagnoses, income, banking information, familial relationships and personal biographic data. “Should bad actors gain access to this cloud environment, Americans may be susceptible to widespread identity theft, may lose vital healthcare and food benefits, and the government may be responsible for re-issuing every American a new Social Security Number at great cost,” said the complaint. The complaint was submitted by the Government Accountability Project and addressed to House and Senate oversight lawmakers. It requests that authorities “take appropriate oversight action.” The whistleblower report is just the latest complaint against President Donald Trump’s DOGE and the unprecedented access it was given by the Republican administration to the vast troves of personal data across the government under the mandate of eliminating waste, fraud and abuse. Labor and retiree groups sued SSA earlier this year for allowing DOGE to access Americans’ sensitive agency data, though a divided appeals panel decided this month that DOGE could access the information. SSA said in a statement that it takes whistleblower complaints seriously but seemed to downplay Borges’ accusations. “SSA stores all personal data in secure environments that have robust safeguards in place to protect vital information. The data referenced in the complaint is stored in a long-standing environment used by SSA and walled off from the internet. High-level career SSA officials have administrative access to this system with oversight by SSA’s Information Security team. We are not aware of any compromise to this environment and remain dedicated to protecting sensitive personal data,” the agency wrote. Borges’ complaint says he disclosed to his superiors that he believed the upload was an abuse of authority and poses a substantial threat to public health and safety, and potentially violates the law. Andrea Meza, a lawyer representing Borges, said her client released the information “out of a sense of urgency and duty to the American public.” (AP)
By any measure, a chasunah or aufruf is supposed to be among the holiest and happiest moments of a Jewish life. Chazal tell us חתן דומה למלך and כלה נאה וחסודה — a chassan and kallah are to be honored like royalty. The Shechinah itself rests at a chuppah. Yet in recent years, I’ve witnessed a disturbing trend that threatens to turn our simchas into spectacles of embarrassment: public mocking of the very people we’ve come together to celebrate. At simcha after simcha, what is billed as a “funny speech” or “lighthearted roast” quickly becomes a barrage of shame. I sat through an aufruf where a friend of the chassan spent 15 minutes dredging up humiliating stories from his youth. Only at the end did he throw in a line about how the chassan has matured into a fine young man. But by then, the damage was done. Every joke had landed like another bullet — not just at the chassan, but at his parents, his mechutan, and every family member listening in pain. At another simcha, a sibling of the kallah publicly joked that she was addicted to shopping with her father’s credit card. The room may have chuckled, but what remained was a lasting sting — a caricature of the kallah etched into the memory of her new in-laws. This is not harmless humor. It is lashon hara. It is onaas devarim — verbal abuse — which the Torah prohibits even more sharply than financial wrongdoing. It is a desecration of the simcha, an insult to the families, and a betrayal of the mitzvah of being mesameach chassan v’kallah. This corrosive “roasting” culture is a foreign import that has no place in a Jewish home, let alone at a Jewish wedding. It may masquerade as comedy, but in truth it’s cruelty, dressed up for the dance floor. It must stop. What must be done? Families need to take responsibility before the microphone ever gets handed over. Friends and siblings should be told explicitly: your words must uplift, not humiliate. If you cannot find the chassan or kallah’s virtues to highlight, then you have no business speaking. Even if the couple has their faults — and who doesn’t? — Chazal direct us to spotlight their maalos. A word of praise can inspire; a cheap jab can scar. We cannot afford to let “what’s funny” trump “what’s right.” Simchas are sacred. They must be filled with kavod, brachah, and simchah — not cruelty disguised as humor. It’s time we reclaim our simchas from the stand-up routine and restore them to their rightful dignity. If we truly care for our children, our families, and the sanctity of Jewish marriage, we will put an end to this mockery once and for all. Signed, B.H. Lakewood, NJ The views expressed in this letter are those of the author and do not necessarily represent those of YWN. Have an opinion you would like to share? Send it to us for review. (YWN World Headquarters – NYC)
A video that circulated on Israeli social media over the past day features an Arab openly admitting that he and his fellow Arab workers intentionally spit in and poke their fingers in the ice cream at the Israeli factory they work at. The video shows a Syrian interviewer speaking to an Arab who says he’s speaking from his workplace, an ice cream factory in Jerusalem where all the workers are Arabs. He said that he’s disgusted by the ice cream because “it’s for Israelis, not for Arabs.” In response to a question if the ice cream is clean, he said that it’s clean “but we make it dirty on a regular basis,” explaining that when the ice cream is still a liquid, he and his friends spit in it and put their fingers in it. The interviewer was greatly amused by the Arab’s description of his behavior, even laughing aloud at one point. But then he asked him if he thinks his behavior is moral. The Arab justified his behavior “against an enemy like the Jews.” When the interviewer asked if him about Arab-Israelis who may eat the ice cream, he claimed that the ice cream is not marketed to Arabs, and even if they do eat it, it’s okay for them since it is the “spit of their fellow Muslim.” In response to a request from Kipa News, Israel Police confirmed that they are aware of the video and, although no complaint has been filed by any party, the police are trying to locate the Arab worker. Another video is circulating on social media that allegedly shows an Arab who works at a hotel in southern Israel spilling dirt from a dustpan into a pot of soup. (YWN Israel Desk—Jerusalem)
A resident of east Jerusalem was arrested on suspicion of throwing a rock at a stroller holding a six-month-old baby at the shopping area in the French Hill neighborhood of Jerusalem on Monday evening. The Arab cursed at the baby’s parents following an argument that broke out between them, and at some point, threw a rock at the stroller and fled the scene. The parents reported the incident to the police, who arrived at the scene and collected evidence. With the help of surveillance personnel from the Jerusalem District Control Center, the suspect’s identity was revealed, and he was located and arrested by police officers at his home in the Issawiya neighborhood of east Jerusalem. The 17-year-old suspect was brought on Tuesday morning to a hearing in court, where his detention was extended until Thursday. (YWN Israel Desk—Jerusalem)
