Tens of thousands of Chasidic Jews are expected to gather on Sunday outside the Israeli Consulate on Second Avenue in Manhattan to protest the Israeli government’s plan to draft yeshiva students into the army. The event will mark a rare show of unity between the rival Satmar factions led by brothers Reb Aharon Teitelbaum, the Satmar Rebbe of Kiryas Joel and the Satmar Rebbe of Williamsburg, Reb Zalman Leib Teitelbaum. The rally comes just weeks after a anti-draft gathering in Lakewood, New Jersey, led by prominent roshei yeshiva, and attended by a few thousand people. It will be the first time since 2013 that both Satmar factions appear together at a joint demonstration against the Israeli government. The last such rally, held that year in Foley Square, drew tens of thousands in opposition to similar draft proposals. Organizers said the timing of the Manhattan rally reflects a longstanding Satmar policy not to hold public protests against Israel while the country is at war. With fighting in Gaza now paused following the ceasefire brokered by President Donald Trump, they said the time has come to voice their opposition to the gezeiras hagiyus — the decree of conscription. The planned demonstration follows months of debate in Israel’s Knesset over how to implement the Supreme Court’s ruling that the decades-long exemption for Charedi men from military service must end. Many Charedi leaders view the draft decree as an existential threat to their religious way of life. The Knesset is expected to resume debate on the matter in the coming weeks. (YWN World Headquarters – NYC)
Iranian Jews danced with enthusiasm at Hakafos Shniyos in Tehran, the capital of the Islamic Republic. The hakafos took place at the Yosef Abad shul in Tehran. During the dancing, the mispallelim carried the Rav of Tehran, HaRav Yehuda Gerami, on their shoulders to the tune of “מי שמאמין לא מפחד.” (YWN Israel Desk—Jerusalem)
Zohran Mamdani vowed to “stand up to Donald Trump” while discussing sanctuary cities, recounting a story about undocumented immigrants being secretly moved around New York to evade ICE enforcement.
During tonight’s New York City mayoral debate, Zohran Mamdani pledged that anti-Trump and pro-Palestinian demonstrations would continue under his leadership. His comments come just days ahead of the nationwide “No Kings” protest organized by anti-Trump, pro-Hamas, and Antifa-affiliated groups.
President Donald Trump is redoubling his efforts to end the war in Ukraine, announcing a second meeting with Russia’s Vladimir Putin one day before sitting down with Ukraine’s Volodymyr Zelenskyy at the White House. Trump’s announcement came shortly after finishing a call with Putin on Thursday. A date has not been set, but Trump said the meeting would take place in Budapest, Hungary, and suggested that it could happen in about two weeks. “I believe great progress was made with today’s telephone conversation,” Trump wrote on social media. The two leaders previously met in Alaska in August, which did not produce a diplomatic breakthrough, a source of frustration for the U.S. leader who had expected that his longstanding relationship with Putin could pave the way to resolving a conflict that began nearly four years ago. Yuri Ushakov, Putin’s foreign affairs adviser, said the Russian president initiated the call, which he described as “very frank and trusting.” He said Putin emphasized to Trump that selling long-range Tomahawk missiles to Ukraine, something the U.S. president has publicly discussed, would “inflict significant damage to the relations between our countries.” Trump was already scheduled to meet Friday with Zelenskyy, who has been seeking weapons that would allow Ukrainian forces to strike deeper into Russian territory. Zelenskyy has argued such strikes would help compel Putin to take Trump’s calls for direct negotiations to end the war more seriously. Trump previously said that the U.S. has “a lot of Tomahawks,” but on Thursday he said stockpiles were limited and may not have missiles to spare. “We have a lot of them, but we need them” he said. “I mean, we can’t deplete for our country.” Trump tries to turn campaign promises into reality Trump’s renewed focus on the war in Ukraine comes after forging a ceasefire that could end the war between Israel and Hamas in Gaza, a diplomatic accomplishment that he celebrated with a whirlwind trip to Israel and Egypt on Monday. Ending the wars in Ukraine and Gaza was central to Trump’s campaign pitch last year, when he persistently pilloried President Joe Biden for his handling of the conflicts. Although there has been fragile progress in Gaza, Trump has been stymied by Putin, unable to persuade the Russian leader to hold direct talks with Zelenskyy. Earlier this week in Jerusalem, in a speech to the Knesset, Trump predicted the truce in Gaza would lay the groundwork for the U.S. to help Israel and many of its Middle East neighbors normalize relations. Trump also made clear his top foreign policy priority now is ending the largest armed conflict in Europe since World War II. “First we have to get Russia done,” Trump said, turning to his special envoy Steve Witkoff, who has also served as his administration’s chief interlocutor with Putin. “We gotta get that one done. If you don’t mind, Steve, let’s focus on Russia first. All right?” Trump weighs Tomahawks for Ukraine Friday’s meeting with Trump and Zelenskyy will be their fourth face-to-face encounter this year. After their initial Oval Office conversation devolved into recriminations, they’ve forged a more amicable relationship. Trump has said he’s considering selling long-range Tomahawk missiles to Kyiv, something Putin has said could further damage relations between Moscow and Washington. Although such a sale would be a splashy move, […]
Dear Editor, As an Orthodox Jewish Woman, a mother of 8, a grandmother of 4 and a professional, who shops, cooks, serves and cleans up on and for Yom Tov, I take extreme offense at the excessive amount of Simchas Bais Hashoevas with full videos that are featured on YWN. I, and my fellow frum women, am not invited to any of these events with their pseudo famous singers and lavish buffets. I am not even remotely represented at any of the pre or mid Yom Tov festivities, nor is any thought given to the women and our integral role in bringing in the Yom Tov and running the whole operation. Tznius is not only (if at all) about elbows and knees. Showing off events that are exclusive and not at all inclusive all day, every day, without end is insulting – to say the least. We’re at home feeding the family, putting the kids to bed and planning the next 55 meals! Be respectful and thank us, include us, show us and the next generation that the beauty of Yiddishkeit is for all to enjoy! Esther Miller. 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.
Recently, there has been discussion among some Jews that since Zohran Mamdani is a frontrunner for the mayoral election, perhaps we should work with him. Some feel that he won’t be so bad and that his extreme views and rhetoric against Israel will not impact New York Jews. Is there a historical precedent that can predict where Mamdani’s election may lead? The answer is yes – in the city of Vienna. Vienna of 1900 and New York City in 2025 share several similarities. Both Vienna’s population then and New York’s now is approximately 10% Jewish, both with thriving frum populations. In 1900, Jews had lived in Vienna for generations, just as they do in New York City today. In Vienna, Jews had achieved significant roles in finance and politics, as they do in New York today. Yet, all it took was one mayor to change things completely for Vienna’s Jews. Karl Lueger, a vicious antisemite, was elected mayor of Vienna five times, serving from 1897 to 1910. His antisemitic views were so extreme that the Austro-Hungarian Emperor Franz Joseph refused to support him. Ultimately, after Lueger’s fifth reelection, the Emperor conceded and offered his support. With Lueger in power, it became socially acceptable to be an antisemite. He would give speeches, blaming the Jews for Vienna’s financial problems, rousing crowds with his antisemitic fervor. He normalized antisemitism and successfully poisoned the minds of Vienna’s population against the Jews, which explains why Austria has one of the lowest rates of gentiles protecting Jews during the Holocaust. Adolf Hitler, y” sh, credited Lueger as someone who helped shape his views on Jews, and he wrote in Mein Kampf that he became an antisemite in Vienna. Lueger was not Hitler. But he created an environment in Vienna where antisemitism was socially acceptable, and violence against Jews was the inevitable outcome. What does this have to do with Mamdani? Zohran Mamdani is heading in the same direction. His anti-Israel statements will affect New York Jews by poisoning the well of public opinion against Jews through his criticism of Israel and its supporters. He openly supports Within Our Lifetime (WOL), a radical New York-based pro-Palestinian organization, which openly equates Jews in New York and Jews in Israel. On WOL’s website, they recommend chants at protests like “Occupation is a crime, From New York to Palestine!” Or “From New York to Gaza, Globalize the Intifada!” These statements can reasonably be interpreted as a call to violence against Jews in New York. WOL also posted maps online revealing locations of Jewish organizations in New York, stating “they have blood on their hands,” by their natural association with the “genocidal” Israel. This is a direct threat to New York Jews. Yet Mamdani continues to support them. During his college years, Mamdani co-founded a chapter of Students for Justice in Palestine (SJP). This organization is infamous for its intimidation of Jewish students, and it is so damaging that it faces bans on multiple campuses. Yet Mamdani continues to support them. Antisemites don’t differentiate between anti-Zionist and Zionist Jews, chareidi or secular. We have already seen this in Manchester, Melbourne, Montreal, and London. Once antisemites are attacking, all Jews are the same to them. Ultimately, our yeshua comes from Hashem. Yet, recognizing the danger that Mamdani and his views pose […]
Senate Democrats rejected for the 10th time Thursday a stopgap spending bill that would reopen the government, insisting they won’t back away from demands that Congress take up health care benefits. The vote failed on a 51-45 tally, well short of the 60 needed to advance with the Senate’s filibuster rules. The repetition of votes on the funding bill has become a daily drumbeat in Congress, underscoring how intractable the situation has become. It has been at times the only item on the agenda for the Senate floor, while House Republicans have left Washington altogether. The standoff has lasted over two weeks, leaving hundreds of thousands of federal workers furloughed, even more without a guaranteed payday and Congress essentially paralyzed. “As we are positioning as two sides that are seemingly dug in on this 16th day of a shutdown, real people are wondering is their government going to be there for them?” said GOP Sen. Lisa Murkowski of Alaska. The shutdown is on track to surpass the 16-day closure in 2013, which was also a debate over the Affordable Care Act. The longest shutdown ended in 2019, after 35 days. While the military was paid this week, it’s unclear how long that will last. The White House budget office told Congress that it cost $6.5 billion to cover this one pay period. The next one is two weeks. Senate Majority Leader John Thune again and again has tried to pressure Democrats to break from their strategy of voting against the stopgap funding bill. It hasn’t worked. And while some bipartisan talks have been ongoing about potential compromises on health care, they haven’t produced any meaningful progress toward reopening the government. “The Democratic Party is the party that will not take yes for an answer,” Thune, a South Dakota Republican, said in an angry speech on the Senate floor. He had also offered to hold a later vote on extending subsidies for health plans offered under Affordable Care Act marketplaces, but said he would not “guarantee a result or an outcome.” Democrats say they won’t budge until they get a guarantee on extending the tax credits for the health plans. They warn that millions of Americans who buy their own health insurance — such as small business owners, farmers and contractors — will see large increases when premium prices go out in the coming weeks. Looking ahead to a Nov. 1 deadline in most states, they think voters will demand that Republicans enter into serious negotiations. “The ACA crisis is looming over everyone’s head, and yet Republicans seem ready to let people’s premiums spike,” said Senate Democratic leader Chuck Schumer in a floor speech. Meanwhile, Thune tried a different tack Thursday with a vote to proceed to appropriations bills — daring Democrats to vote against funding legislation for the Department of Defense. They also voted that down. A deadline for subsidies on health plans Democrats have rallied around their priorities on health care as they hold out against voting for a Republican bill that would reopen the government. Yet they also warn that the time to strike a deal to prevent large increases for many health plans is drawing short. When they controlled Congress during the pandemic, Democrats boosted subsidies for Affordable Care Act health plans. It pushed enrollment under President […]
Some of the Hamas operatives who guarded Israeli hostages in Gaza were not hardened militants but teachers, doctors, and university professors who had been radicalized, according to a former captive who spent nearly 500 days underground in Hamas tunnels. In a chilling account following this week’s latest hostage release, Tal Shoham, one of the Israelis freed in February, said his experience exposed how deeply Hamas’ ideology had penetrated Gaza’s civilian society. “One of the guards was a first-grade teacher, another was a lecturer at a university, and another was a doctor,” Shoham told The Times of Israel. “These are normal people becoming terrorists.” Shoham described a chaotic and fractured command structure within Hamas, where guards alternated between fanatical cruelty and flashes of compassion. “There was no real order,” he said. “Some wanted to hurt everyone. Others tried to treat us well. It depended on who was on duty.” He recalled one horrific incident in which a Hamas operative shot a Palestinian man in the knees because he “looked suspicious.” When medics arrived, the man was executed on the spot. “They decided he should die,” Shoham said. Moments of decency were rare. Once, a guard smuggled him extra food and a note from his wife. “That was the only human act I saw in 500 days,” Shoham said. While Hamas presents itself as an Islamist resistance movement, Shoham said many of its members appeared motivated by power and survival rather than religion. “Most weren’t religious,” he said. “They joined because it was the popular thing to do.” Israeli officials estimate that more than 20,000 Hamas fighters have been killed since the war began, yet the group continues to replenish its ranks — a fact U.S. analysts attribute to the desperation and devastation in Gaza. Hamas, they warn, has been recruiting civilians with promises of food, money, and revenge. Shoham said he personally witnessed Hamas operatives looting humanitarian aid shipments meant for civilians. “I saw with my own eyes that they stole boxes and boxes and boxes of aid from Egypt, Turkey, the Emirates,” he said. “But they didn’t give us any food in the tunnels. They celebrated it like a victory.” His account paints a stark picture of a society where Hamas’ reach extends beyond its military wing — turning classrooms, hospitals, and universities into potential breeding grounds for extremism. “Hamas isn’t just an army,” Shoham said. “It’s an idea that’s infected a generation.” (YWN World Headquarters – NYC)
