Yeshiva World News

NY-17: Catskills Hatzolah and other emergency personnel were on the scene of an MVA involving an overturned vehicle on Route 17 westbound, between exits 116 and 115. Two individuals sustained injuries and were transported to Orange Regional Medical Center for treatment. (Via Catskills Scoop)

Commuters in downtown Barcelona have been able to ride the bus for free this week. There’s just one catch: this mini-bus has no one at the wheel. The bus pulls away from the stop with its passengers on its own, brakes before changing lanes and eases down one of Barcelona’s most fashionable boulevards. Renault is testing a new driverless mini-bus in Barcelona this week. The autonomous vehicle is running on a 2.2-km (1.3-mile) circular route with four stops in the center of the Spanish city. Adventurous commuters can jump on free of charge. The French carmaker has teamed up with WeRide, a company specializing in autonomous vehicles, to make the prototype. It unveiled the driverless bus at the French Open venue last year, but now it is testing it on the open road in Barcelona. It also has testing projects going in Valence, France, and at the Zurich airport. Pau Cugat was one of the curious to step aboard for a short ride along Passeig de Gracia boulevard. “We just passed by a regular, combustion-engine city bus, and I thought, ‘Look, there is a bus of the past, and right behind it you have the bus of the future,’” the 18-year-old student said. Driverless taxis and buses are being tried out by companies in other cities, from San Francisco to Tokyo. But Renault’s initiative comes as Europe generally lags behind the United States and China in driverless vehicle technology, where companies are fiercely competing to get ahead. “The US is doing a lot of experimentation with autonomous vehicles, the same thing in China,” Patrick Vergelas, head of Renault’s autonomous mobility projects, told The Associated Press. “Until now we don’t have a lot in fact in Europe. And this is why we want to show that this works and prepare Europe to this route in public transportation.” The electric bus can run for 120 kilometers without a recharge and reach 40 kilometers per hour (25 mph). It is equipped with 10 cameras and eight lidars (sensor arrays) to help it navigate the streets filled with cars, motorbikes and pedestrians. The company says the bus is able to drive safely on a given course through a busy downtown like that of bustling Barcelona. Carlos Santos, of Renault’s autonomous driving group, said that he has seen all types of reactions from riders. “We’ve seen a lot of behaviors of people. Some of them were smiling, (while) other people just start crying, taking photographs or even try to open the doors,” Santos said before he insisted that the bus ride was a safe one. Barcelona’s city officials said that they have had no reports of accidents caused by the experimental bus. (AP)

Looking for a structured program that will give you the tools and resources you need to get Smicha? Hilchos Shabbos? Dayanus? Chuppah v’Kiddushin? Join Machon Smicha, the premier halachah institute serving the English-speaking Torah community. Machon Smicha is a unique, online, halacha-learning program that makes learning, getting tested and receiving smicha possible. We offer rigorous and structured learning programs in halachah across a broad spectrum of topics, which enables learners to grow and succeed in their Torah learning, from the novice to the scholar. Be empowered to learn Shulchan Aruch like never before, from the Mishnah and Gemara all the way to contemporary Poskim and Minhagim. Our programs include:  Smicha: Achieve your dream of finally receiving smicha in a program that will empower you to succeed, Shabbos: Learn and master Hilchos Shabbos, from the original sources down to their practical application Chuppah v’Kiddushin: Become proficient in the halachos of weddings and marriage, and become equipped to be a mesader kiddushin. Dayanus: Dive deep into the halachos of beis din, halachic litigation, business, and interpersonal responsibility. Machon Smicha offers each student a complete curriculum, consisting of: Online portal with access to all the program content. Flexible schedule. Shiurim. English Study Guide, containing introductions, overviews, translations, and in-depth summaries of every halachah. Access to forums and teachers for questions, discussions, etc. Rabbi and teachers available to answer questions and aid in the learning. Quizzes, review material, and mock tests. Tests with prominent rabbis. Signed certificate for those who successfully complete the program. Machon Smicha’s next semester begins on March 23rd, 2025 (23 Adar )To learn more, or to apply, visit onlinemachon.com.

The FBI and the U.S. Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency are warning against a dangerous ransomware scheme. In an advisory posted earlier this week, government officials warned that a ransomware-as-a-service software called Medusa, which has launched ransomware attacks since 2021, has recently affected hundreds of people. Medusa uses phishing campaigns as its main method for stealing victims’ credentials, according to CISA. To protect against the ransomware, officials recommended patching operating systems, software and firmware, in addition to using multifactor authentication for all services such as email and VPNs. Experts also recommended using long passwords, and warned against frequently recurring password changes because they can weaken security. Medusa developers and affiliates — called “Medusa actors” — use a double extortion model, where they “encrypt victim data and threaten to publicly release exfiltrated data if a ransom is not paid,” the advisory said. Medusa operates a data-leak site that shows victims alongside countdowns to the release of information. “Ransom demands are posted on the site, with direct hyperlinks to Medusa affiliated cryptocurrency wallets,” the advisory said. “At this stage, Medusa concurrently advertises sale of the data to interested parties before the countdown timer ends. Victims can additionally pay $10,000 USD in cryptocurrency to add a day to the countdown timer.” Since February, Medusa developers and affiliates have hit more than 300 victims across industries, including the medical, education, legal, insurance, technology and manufacturing sectors, CISA said. (AP)

•Very flexible schedules •Excellent pay •Many interesting subjects  •Little prep time •High-end digital presentations Visit LifePrepEdu.org

President Donald Trump on Saturday invoked the Alien Enemies Act for the first time since World War II, granting himself sweeping powers under a centuries-old law to deport people associated with a Venezuelan gang. Hours later, a federal judge halted deportations under Trump’s order. The act is a sweeping wartime authority that allows non-citizens to be deported without being given the opportunity to go before an immigration or federal court judge. Trump repeatedly hinted during his campaign that he would declare extraordinary powers to confront illegal immigration and laid additional groundwork in a slew of executive orders on Jan. 20. His proclamation on Saturday identified Venezuela’s Tren de Aragua gang as an invading force. U.S. District Judge James E. Boasberg, who was appointed by President Barack Obama, blocked anyone from being deported under Trump’s proclamation for two weeks and scheduled a Friday hearing to consider arguments. What is the Alien Enemies Act? In 1798, with the U.S. preparing for what it believed would be a war with France, Congress passed a series of laws that increased the federal government’s reach. Worried that immigrants could sympathize with the French, the Alien Enemies Act was created to give the president wide powers to imprison and deport non-citizens in time of war. Since then, the act has been used just three times: during the War of 1812, World War I and World War II. During World War II, with anti-foreigner fears sweeping the country, it was part of the legal rationale for mass internment in the U.S. of people of German, Italian and especially Japanese ancestry. An estimated 120,000 people with Japanese heritage, including those with U.S. citizenship, were incarcerated during the war. What brought this to a head on a Saturday? The American Civil Liberties Union and Democracy Forward preemptively sued Trump late Friday in federal court in Washington, D.C., saying five Venezuelan men being held at an immigration detention center in Raymondville, Texas, were at “imminent risk of removal” under the Alien Enemies Act. Boasberg blocked their deportation, prompting an immediate appeal from the Justice Department. Almost simultaneously, the Trump administration agreed to pay El Salvador $6 million to imprison about 300 alleged members of the Tren de Aragua gang for one year. The agreement with El Salvador followed discussions between that country’s president, Nayib Bukele, and U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio about housing migrants in El Salvador’s notorious prisons. Bukele’s government has arrested more than 84,000 people, sometimes without due process, since 2022 in a crackdown on gang violence. ACLU attorney Lee Gelernt said two flights Saturday may have carried people deported under Trump’s proclamation, one to El Salvador and one possibly to Honduras. Boasberg said any such flights would have to be returned midair to the United States. The US isn’t at war, is it? For years, Trump and his allies have argued that America is facing an “invasion” of people arriving illegally. Arrests on the U.S. border with Mexico topped 2 million a year for two straight years for the first time under President Joe Biden, with many released into the U.S. to pursue asylum. After hitting an all-time monthly high of 250,000 in December 2023, they plunged to less than 8,400 this February — the lowest levels since the 1960s. The act, Trump said in his inaugural address, would be a key tool in his immigration crackdown. “By […]

It’s 3am, Motzei shabbos, after Purim. I’m sitting and trying to process the last 48 hours. So much to say. So much to write. I feel compelled to write on behalf of myself but more so on behalf of the many people I’ve spoken to and supported before and on Purim. Purim is beautiful. It’s a day so full of joy and excitement. The unbelievably joyous atmosphere permeates through the walls of every Jewish home, every shul, ever passing car along with the most creative and fun costumes! Purim is a day when we let go and let loose of our pains, stresses and worries. To most that is. We can drink away our pain but not all can. We can block it all away, but not all can. We can pretend to be happy and full of life, but not all can. For myself and the many countless others who’ve been hurt, broken and abused in the most horrific of ways, our pain is not “drinkable”, or “bury-able”. The very thin mask we’d wear on Purim isn’t nearly strong enough to cover our deep inner wounds, bleeding souls and broken hearts. I’ve had a complex surgery several weeks ago. It stopped me from doing many household and work chores. It was all so  simple and easy. I physically wasn’t able to do it regardless of how much effort I put in. There were no expectations. No disappointments. No judgements of “just get over it”. I couldn’t help but think “if only”. If only mental health would be on the same caliber as physical health. If only fighting and winning an intense suicidal battle would be celebrated in the same ways as fighting a physical illness. If only, we can be open in regard to shul, a wedding, a family simcha or party and simply say, I have too much trauma to attend for now and that would be considered an acceptable response. If only, people would realize the non human amount of strength it takes to get up each and every morning. If only, people would realize how hard it is to show up at work after yet another sleepless night, another panic attack or a brutal trauma flashback. If only, people would know the amount of energy, bravery and courage it takes to face your worst inner demons every week at therapy. The world would look so different. My world and the worlds’ of so many others of who’m I’ve spoken to would look different. Purim would’ve looked so different. I can’t begin to describe the enormous feelings of absolute panic and anxiety Purim brings on to so so many. It’s a day of intense joy to some but a day of the most horrific and awful pain to others. The direct contrast, staring us in the face at every turn is so incredibly painful. It’s as though we’re living in a different world while desperately trying to remain on this planet for our families. That painful contrast makes us feel so incredibly lonely. Like I always say, I’m not angry nor am I bitter. It’s not a place I naturally go to. I’m just hurting. Hurting for myself and hurting for the many hundreds and thousands of people out there who by no fault of their own, […]

Just over a day after blasting off, a SpaceX crew capsule arrived at the International Space Station on Sunday, delivering the replacements for NASA’s two stuck astronauts. The four newcomers — representing the U.S., Japan and Russia — will spend the next few days learning the station’s ins and outs from Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams. Then the two will strap into their own SpaceX capsule later this week, one that has been up there since last year, to close out an unexpected extended mission that began last June. Wilmore and Williams expected to be gone just a week when they launched on Boeing’s first astronaut flight. They hit the nine-month mark earlier this month. The Boeing Starliner capsule encountered so many problems that NASA insisted it come back empty, leaving its test pilots behind to wait for a SpaceX lift. Wilmore swung open the space station’s hatch and then rang the ship’s bell as the new arrivals floated in one by one and were greeted with hugs and handshakes. “It was a wonderful day. Great to see our friends arrive,” Williams told Mission Control. Wilmore’s and Williams’ ride arrived back in late September with a downsized crew of two and two empty seats reserved for the leg back. But more delays resulted when their replacements’ brand new capsule needed extensive battery repairs. An older capsule took its place, pushing up their return by a couple weeks to mid-March. Weather permitting, the SpaceX capsule carrying Wilmore, Williams and two other astronauts will undock from the space station no earlier than Wednesday and splash down off Florida’s coast. Until then, there will be 11 aboard the orbiting lab, representing the U.S., Russia and Japan. (AP)

In a dramatic move, Prime Minister Netanyahu called Shin Bet chief Ronen Bar to an emergency meeting in his office, notifying him that the cabinet will hold a vote this week to remove him from his position, according to a statement from Netanyahu’s office. Hebrew media outlets report that the vote is slated to occur during a special cabinet session on Wednesday. Netanyahu has been maneuvering for months to push Bar out, allegedly aiming to pin the blame for the October 7 security lapses entirely on the intelligence and security leadership, while deflecting responsibility from the political echelon. STATEMENT FROM PM NETANYAHU: “Citizens of Israel, We are in the midst of a war for our very survival – a war on seven fronts. At any time, but especially during such an existential war, the Prime Minister must have complete confidence in the Director of the ISA. Unfortunately, however, the situation is the opposite: I do not have that confidence. I have a continuing lack of confidence in the Director of the ISA. Distrust that only grew with time. Due to this continuing lack of confidence, I have decided to submit a draft decision to the Government this week on concluding the service of the Director of the ISA. I wish to clarify: I have nothing but appreciation for the men and women of the ISA. They are doing important and dedicated work for the security of us all. As Prime Minister, who is responsible for the ISA, I am convinced that this step is crucial in order to restore the organization, to achieve all of our war objectives, and to prevent the next tragedy.” (YWN World Headquarters – NYC)

Rav Avrohom Gurwicz, Rosh Yeshiva of Gateshead, has thrown his full weight behind the Eretz HaKodesh movement, urging Shomrei Torah u’Mitzvos to sign up and take an active role in the World Zionist Organization (WZO) – countering baseless rumors that he is not supporting voting. One of the Ziknei Roshei Yeshiva of our generation, HaRav Gurwicz spent time learning by and being Meshamesh the Brisker Rav zt’l. The Rosh Yeshivas masterful Sefarim on the most complex Sugyas in Shas are considered staples amongst the Bnei Hayeshivos worldwide. This latest endorsement comes after Gedolei Yisroel—HaGaon Rav Chaim Kanievsky, zt”l, and HaGaon R. Shmuel Kaminetsky, shlita—paskened that Torah’dige Yidden can no longer afford to sit on the sidelines while decisions affecting Yidden in Eretz Yisroel are being made by others. Rabbi Gurwicz had originally issued this call in 5782, but in his latest letter, dated Parshas Ki Sisa 5785, he’s making it clear that he holds voting in the WZO election is a chiyuv. Rabbi Gurwicz writes that just like Yidden need a say in the Israeli government, they also need a shtikl koach in the WZO, which plays a major role in determining policies affecting Torah, chinuch, and funding for mosdos ha’Torah. “It is necessary that the Government of the State of Israel should hear the opinion and the will of the Shomrei Torah u’Mitzvos public, and the same applies to the leaders of the World Zionist Organization,” the letter states. Simply put: if we’re not in the room, they’ll make decisions without us—l’raah. Of course, not everyone is on board. The idea of participanting in a Zionist organization—has been a matter of great debate. Some hold that any connection to the WZO is off-limits, no matter what. Others, though, say that if frum Yidden don’t step up, the anti-Torah crowd will have full control. The Eretz HaKodesh movement, which was created to bring a Torah’dige voice into the WZO, has already been making waves. Many rabbanim, roshei yeshiva, and dayanim are behind it, saying it’s necessary hishtadlus. But there are those who hold that it’s a chillul Hashem to even give the WZO a second glance. “As something almost superfluous, I join my view to theirs, and I issue a public request to the Tzibbur of Shomrei Torah U’Mitzvos that they should make every effort to register as members of the Eretz HaKodesh movement,” Rav Gurwicz writes. [Disclaimer: YWN does not take a position on this matter but is presenting the discussion for informational purposes.] (YWN World Headquarters – NYC)

Ordnance from Syria’s 13-year conflict exploded in the coastal city of Latakia, collapsing a building and killing more than a dozen people, the Syrian Civil Defense said Sunday. The paramedic group, known as the White Helmets, said it worked overnight, searching through debris and recovered 16 bodies, including five women and five children, and that 18 others were injured. The group and residents said the explosion occurred in a metal scrap storage space on the ground floor of the four-story building. The United Nations said in February that about a hundred have been killed from exploding ordnance during the last 13 years, adding that since the ouster of Bashar Assad in December, over 1,400 unexploded devices across Syria have been safely disposed of and 138 minefields and contaminated areas identified in Idleb, Aleppo, Hama, Deir-ez-Zor and Lattakia. Latakia, a key port city, and Syria’s coastal province recently witnessed a surge in violence, after gunmen loyal to Assad ambushed a security patrol. While the government’s counter-offensive, alongside allied factions, crushed the insurgency, it led to widespread destruction and numerous cases of retaliatory attacks against members of the Alawite community, which the Assad family is part of. The clashes and revenge killings led to the deaths of more than 1,000 people. (AP)

Along an industrial stretch of roadway in New Jersey’s biggest city, Newark Mayor Ras Baraka appeared with immigrants rights activists last week to protest the Trump administration’s deal with a private company to open the first new immigration detention center of the president’s second term. Voters, he said, “don’t believe that people should be rounded up simply because they try to become citizens of the United States.” In pushing back against construction of the 1,000-bed detention facility, Baraka, one of six Democrats running for governor in New Jersey this year, has staked out an aggressive approach on an issue that his party has struggled with recently. Other candidates have either moved closer to President Donald Trump, partly embracing his get-tough approach to immigration, or spent most of their time talking about the economy and the high cost of living. That range makes this year’s June primary for New Jersey governor something of a testing ground for Democrats as they struggle to find their footing on an issue that has long bedeviled them. If the get-tough policy wins in liberal-leaning New Jersey, Democrats running elsewhere may have to rethink how best to appeal to their most loyal supporters. The fight over the detention center represents the second time since Trump’s inauguration this year that Newark has surfaced in immigration headlines — the first came after ICE arrests in January— with the mayor capturing the spotlight and working to chart his own path forward. Baraka rejects the notion that most voters support cracking down on immigrants without documentation. He calls openly for defending constitutional rights against searches and seizures without due process and a viable pathway to citizenship. “If you ask people, are they opposed to criminals? They’re going to say yes,” he told reporters after the demonstration. “If you’re opposed to the murderers and rapists and all this other stuff? Yes. The reality is people want to be secure in their person and papers.” In his mind, that doesn’t lead to mass detention and deportation of people looking for a better life. Whether his calculus resonates with Democratic primary voters in the June election and into the general is a question a lot of Democrats want answered. ‘Boldness counts’ The Democratic field of six candidates features two sitting members of Congress, the mayors of the state’s two largest cities, the head of the state’s biggest teachers union and a former top legislator who touts his background as a blue collar ironworker. Not all of them are talking much about immigration, and what works with voters in a blue state’s primary won’t automatically translate as a blueprint for Democrats elsewhere. But immigration was top-of-mind for voters in 2024 and is a centerpiece of the president’s agenda, according to Micah Rasmussen, the director of the Rebovich Institute for New Jersey Politics at Rider University, which means Democrats willing to take a stand may benefit politically. “There is a penalty for seeming lost and not knowing what to say about something because the Democrats haven’t found their way yet,” he said. “Voters are not rewarding hesitation. They want boldness.” The field in New Jersey Not every Democrat in the contest to succeed term-limited Democrat Phil Murphy as governor is jockeying to the left of the president. Former state Senate President Steve Sweeney has called on the party to disavow sanctuary state policies […]

U.S. health officials are tracking a rise in injuries tied to the misuse of nitrous oxide, or laughing gas, including some brands that are sold in small canisters containing flavors like blueberry, strawberry and watermelon. The Food and Drug Administration on Friday warned consumers that inhaling the gas for its euphoric effects can cause dangerously low blood pressure, leading to loss of consciousness and injuries. The agency flagged a number products sold in colorful packaging at gas stations, vape shops and online including Cosmic Gas, Galaxy Gas and MassGass. Nitrous gas is traditionally used as a sedative for patients in dental offices and hospitals. It’s also found in pressurized cans of whipped cream. But teens and adults have long misused those products to get high. The gas can briefly disrupt oxygen flow to the brain. Companies selling the products cited by regulators advertise them “for culinary use only” and often include disclaimers on their websites warning against inhaling. But videos of young people using the products recreationally have circulated on social media platforms for years. The FDA said it has seen “an increase in reports of adverse events” with nitrous products. And poison control centers have also reported emergency calls from people who had to be rushed to the hospital after collapsing while misusing the products. There are no federal limits on who can purchase nitrous oxide, although some states have passed minimum age requirements. The FDA regulates the gas as a medical product when used by doctors and dentists, although it’s unclear how much oversight it would have of products marketed for culinary use. (AP)