YWN regrets to inform you of the Petirah of R’ Avraham Yaakov Maybloom Z”L, who was Niftar early this morning following an illness. Born and raised in Brooklyn, R’ Avraham was a talmid of Yeshivas Chaim Berlin, where he was deeply connected to his Rebbe, HaRav Shlomo Carlebach ZT”L. He went on to serve as a beloved rebbe for over 35 years, including many years at Breuers in Washington Heights, impacting generations of talmidim with his warmth and dedication. Several years ago, he relocated to The Enclave in Lakewood, where he became a cherished member of the kehilla. He was known as a devoted husband, father, grandfather, and great-grandfather. R’ Avraham leaves behind his devoted wife, Mrs. Devorah Maybloom yb”l, and nine children, along with grandchildren and great-grandchildren: Mrs. Yocheved (Sholom) Kramer – Brooklyn Mrs. Avigail (David) Bakst – Great Neck R’ Shabsai Maybloom – Monsey Mrs. Hudi (Yossi) Gelbman – Lakewood Mrs. Rochi (Yisroel) Zlotowitz – Lakewood R’ Pinchas Maybloom – Lakewood Mrs. Chana Lieberman – Lakewood Mrs. Michal (Ari) Orlofsky – Lakewood R’ Moshe Maybloom – Lakewood The Levayah is scheduled to take place today, Tuesday, at 2:00 PM, at the Lakewood Chapel, 613 Ramsey Avenue, followed by Kevurah in Lakewood. Baruch Dayan Ha’Emes. (YWN World Headquarters – NYC)
A driver rammed a car into a security gate at the FBI building in Pittsburgh early Wednesday, then removed an American flag from the back seat and threw it over the gate before leaving, authorities said. The car crashed into the gate at about 2:40 a.m., the FBI said, and authorities were searching for the man. Investigators, including a bomb squad, were at the scene. No explosives were found, the FBI said. “We look at this as an act of terror against the FBI,” Christopher Giordano, assistant special agent in charge of the FBI in Pittsburgh, told reporters. “This was a targeted attack on this building. Thankfully no one was hurt, but we are going to exhaust every ability we have under the federal law to find, apprehend and prosecute this subject to the fullest extent.” Giordano said he had no information on a motive. He said the FBI was familiar with the man, a former member of the military. “He did come here to the FBI field office a few weeks ago to make a complaint that didn’t make a whole lot of sense,” Giordano said. Giordano said the car appeared to have some sort of message on one of the side windows, but did not elaborate. (AP)
Georgia’s Brad Raffensperger, the Republican secretary of state who rejected Donald Trump’s call to help overturn the state’s 2020 election results, said Wednesday that he’s running for governor in 2026. The wealthy engineering entrepreneur might appeal most to business-oriented Republicans who once dominated GOP primaries in Georgia, but he is pledging a strongly conservative campaign even while he remains scorned by Trump and his allies. Raffensperger’s entry into the field intensifies the primary in a state with an unbroken line of Republican governors since 2002. “I’m a conservative Republican, and I’m prepared to make the tough decisions. I follow the law and the Constitution, and I’ll always do the right thing for Georgia no matter what,” Raffensperger said in an announcement video. Raffensperger defied Trump’s wrath to win reelection in 2022, but he will again test GOP primary voters’ tolerance for a candidate so clearly targeted by the president. His first challenge may be to even qualify for the primary. Georgia’s Republican Party voted in June to ban Raffensperger from running under its banner, although the party chairman said that attempt might not go anywhere. Two other top Republicans are already in the race — Lt. Gov. Burt Jones and Attorney General Chris Carr. Jones swore himself to be a “duly elected and qualified” elector for Trump in 2020 even though Democrat Joe Biden had been declared the state’s winner. Carr sided with Raffensperger in rejecting challenges to the results. Other Republicans include Clark Dean, Scott Ellison and Gregg Kirkpatrick. On the Democratic side, top candidates include former Atlanta Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms, state Sen. Jason Esteves and former state Labor Commissioner Michael Thurmond. Geoff Duncan, who like Raffensperger spurned Trump’s push to overturn the 2020 election as Republican lieutenant governor, entered the governor’s race Tuesday as a Democrat. Raffensperger pledges what he calls a “bold conservative agenda,” including eliminating the state income tax, capping property taxes for seniors, banning drugs that block puberty from gender-affirming care and purging “woke curriculums” from schools. He also promises to work with Trump to increase jobs, deport immigrants with criminal records and “restore law and order.” An introvert in the national spotlight Although he starts later than other candidates, Raffensperger benefits from an electorate that already knows him, plus an ability to finance his own campaign. The 70-year-old sold his concrete reinforcement company, Tendon Systems, for an undisclosed amount in 2023. Raffensperger, was securely inside the conservative fold before his insistence on honoring the 2020 election results turned the introverted engineer into an unlikely national figure. He opposed abortion and pushed tax cuts as a state legislator, running for secretary of state in 2018 on a platform that emphasized managerial competence. During that race, one of his three sons, Brenton Raffensperger, died at age 27 from a fentanyl overdose. He spent most of his first two years in office battling lawsuits filed by Democrats that fruitlessly alleged Georgia, under then-Secretary of State Brian Kemp, engaged in illegal voter suppression in 2018 in Kemp’s victory over Democrat Stacey Abrams. Raffensperger also was tasked to roll out new Dominion voting machines for a 2020 election thrown off-kilter by the coronavirus pandemic. Biden’s narrow win in Georgia changed things. Raffensperger said publicly that he wished Trump had won, but firmly held that he saw no evidence of widespread fraud or voting irregularities. Trump and his partisans ratcheted up attacks. In his 2021 book, “Integrity Counts,” Raffensperger recounted death threats […]
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğa responded to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s stating that “Jerusalem is our city,” declaring that Muslims will never give up their rights over East Jerusalem.
Reports say a driver rammed the gate of the FBI’s Pittsburgh field office in what authorities are calling a targeted “act of terror,” with a manhunt now underway for the suspect.
The U.S. State Department on Wednesday designated four Iran-backed Iraqi militias — Harakat al-Nujaba, Kata’ib Sayyid al-Shuhada, Harakat Ansar Allah al-Awfiya, and Kata’ib al-Imam Ali — as foreign terrorist organizations.
The IDF estimates that about 400,000 Palestinians have evacuated Gaza City, which previously housed around one million people, ahead of its major offensive against Hamas. Palestinians were ordered to move to a designated humanitarian zone in the south, and with heavy traffic on the Rashid coastal road since the offensive began Monday night, the military announced a second evacuation route along Salah a-Din highway.
The IDF released new footage of airstrikes in Gaza City, saying it hit a Hamas weapons workshop on Monday where operatives making explosives were present, causing secondary blasts. Over the past two days, the Israeli Air Force and Artillery Corps have struck more than 150 targets in the city as part of a new ground offensive against Hamas.
WATCH: Carriages for President Trump, First Lady and Their Majesties arrive at Windsor Castle in a remarkable welcome for the unprecedented second state visit of President Donald J. Trump.
With the Federal Reserve widely expected Wednesday to reduce its key interest rate by a quarter-point to about 4.1%, economists and Wall Street investors will be looking for signals about next steps: How deeply might the Fed cut in the next few months? There are typically two different approaches the central bank takes to lowering borrowing costs: Either a measured pace that reflects a modest adjustment to its key rate, or a much more rapid set of cuts as the economy deteriorates in an often-doomed effort to stave off recession. For now, most economists expect it will take the first approach: What many analysts call a “recalibration” of rates to keep the economy growing and businesses hiring. Under this view, the Fed would reduce rates as many as five times by the middle of next year, bringing its rate closer to a level that neither stimulates or slows the economy. Wall Street traders expect three reductions this year and then two more by next June, according to futures pricing tracked by CME Fedwatch. A rate cut Wednesday would be the first in nine months. The Fed, led by Chair Jerome Powell, reduced borrowing costs three times last year. But it then put any further cuts on hold to evaluate the impact of President Donald Trump’s sweeping tariffs on the economy. As recently as their last meeting in late July, Powell described the job market as “solid” and kept rates unchanged as officials sought to take more time to see how the economy evolved. Since then, however, the government has reported a sharp slowdown in hiring, and previous government data has been revised much lower. Employers actually cut back slightly on their payrolls in June, shedding 13,000 jobs, and added just 22,000 in August. The government also said last week that its estimate of job gains for the year ended in March 2025 would likely be revised down by 911,000, a sharp reduction in total employment. Powell and other Fed officials had previously pointed to a robust job market as a key reason that they could afford to keep rates unchanged. But with businesses pulling back on hiring, the economic case for a rate cut — which can spur more borrowing and spending — is stronger. The downward revision of nearly a million jobs is a “huge downgrade,” said Talley Leger, chief market strategist at the Wealth Consulting Group. “If that doesn’t light a fire under the Fed just from an economic perspective I don’t know what will.” Still, inflation remains stubbornly elevated, partly because tariffs have lifted the cost of some goods, such as furniture, appliances and food. Prices rose 2.9% in August from a year earlier, the government said last week, up from 2.7% a month earlier. Persistent inflation could keep the Fed from cutting too rapidly. The central bank will release its quarterly economic projections after the meeting Wednesday, and many economists forecast they will show that officials expect three total reductions this year and at least two more next year. Five reductions would bring the Fed’s key rate down to just above 3%. Many economists think that is roughly the rate that would neither stimulate nor slow the economy. If Fed officials began to worry the economy would slip into recession, they would likely cut rates more […]
Democratic Socialist Zohran Mamdani has opened a commanding 21-point lead in New York City’s mayoral race, according to a new Marist University poll released Tuesday — cementing his position as the frontrunner just weeks before Election Day. The 33-year-old Queens assemblyman captured 45 percent of likely voters in the four-way contest, compared to 24 percent for former Gov. Andrew Cuomo, 17 percent for Republican nominee Curtis Sliwa and just 9 percent for incumbent Mayor Eric Adams. Five percent remain undecided. Mamdani’s surge has been fueled by a dramatic shift among Black voters, who were largely with Cuomo during the June Democratic primary. In the general election, 47 percent now back Mamdani, compared to 26 percent for Cuomo, 11 percent for Adams and 5 percent for Sliwa. Even if Adams were to drop out, Mamdani would still hold a double-digit edge, leading Cuomo 46 percent to 30 percent, with Sliwa at 18 percent. In a head-to-head matchup, Mamdani’s advantage narrows to 10 points — 49 percent to Cuomo’s 39 percent — as Sliwa voters shift toward the former governor. The poll shows Mamdani’s dominance among young and progressive voters. Sixty-two percent of voters under 45 support him — a nearly 50-point advantage over Cuomo. Among very liberal voters, Mamdani commands an overwhelming 86 percent, while moderates break for Cuomo, 35 to 31 percent. Sliwa maintains strength among conservatives, drawing 42 percent to Cuomo’s 24 percent, Adams’ 16 percent and Mamdani’s 14 percent. Still, Mamdani leads across every major demographic: he wins 51 percent of nonwhite voters overall, 39 percent of white voters, and a majority of Latinos at 52 percent. Jewish voters remain split between Mamdani and Cuomo at 35 percent each. Mamdani also leads in every borough, including a 33-point edge in Brooklyn, the city’s largest. Pollster Lee Miringoff, who directed the survey, said Mamdani’s momentum is reinforced by a clear likeability advantage. Fifty-two percent of likely voters view him favorably, compared to 40 percent unfavorably. Cuomo, meanwhile, is underwater at 39 percent favorable and 59 percent unfavorable. Adams fares worse, with 68 percent viewing him negatively, while Sliwa is at 51 percent unfavorable. “Mamdani is running up the score,” Miringoff said. “It’s getting late early.” Cuomo has tried to blunt Mamdani’s rise by hammering his opponent’s support for the anti-Israel movement. But the attacks have yet to peel away voters beyond a divided Jewish electorate. Miringoff said Cuomo may need to highlight his progressive record to break into Mamdani’s stronghold with younger and liberal voters. With debates looming ahead of the Nov. 4 election, Cuomo and other rivals will have limited opportunities to alter the trajectory of the race. Guardian Angels founder Sliwa has vowed to stay in despite calls from President Trump to step aside and consolidate opposition to Mamdani. For now, a solid majority of New Yorkers — 63 percent — say they expect Mamdani to be the city’s next mayor. (YWN World Headquarters – NYC)
London witnessed a remarkable display of kavod haTorah this week as Gedolei Eretz Yisroel traveled to the city to bolster support for Keren Olam HaTorah — the fund established to sustain the budgets of yeshivos and kollelim in Eretz Yisroel, following the devastating cuts imposed by the Israeli High Court. Among those who undertook this special journey were Harav Dov Landau, Harav Moshe Hillel Hirsch, Harav Yaakov Hillel, Harav Avraham Salim, Harav Shimon Galay, Harav Dovid Cohen, and Harav Nisan Kaplan, shlit”a. The delegation began their mission with a distinguished gathering at the home of the French philanthropist R’ Paul Basnino. Many benefactors traveled from France especially to participate, underscoring the broad international scope of this campaign. At the event, Harav Dov Landau shlit”a opened with powerful words: “This historic endeavor, Keren Olam HaTorah, has succeeded with siyata dishmaya in upholding the yeshivos and kollelim in Eretz Yisroel. You know well that everything is being conducted in the most proper manner. And now we come with a heartfelt plea: continue to strengthen Keren Olam HaTorah for the sake of the lomdei Torah.” His words concluded with a heartfelt call: “Ana sh’moru al lomdei haTorah — Please, protect those who learn Torah.” Following him, Harav Avraham Salim shlit”a emphasized the zechus of joining in this endeavor: “Chazal teach us that Torah, Eretz Yisroel, and Olam Haba are acquired through suffering. Now you have the opportunity to be zocheh to all three together — by partnering in the support of Torah in Eretz Yisroel, the highest level of all.” Later, a gathering was hosted at the home of R’ Yisroel Ples, where Harav Moshe Hillel Hirsch shlit”a addressed the gathering, speaking passionately about the unparalleled privilege of mesirus nefesh for Torah. The evening concluded with the entire assemblage singing stirring zemiros of preparation for the Yomim Nora’im. Further events were held throughout the day. At the home of R’ Dovid Halpern, Harav Dovid Cohen shlit”a delivered divrei chizuk, while the gedolim spoke privately with prominent baalei batim about the extraordinary zechus of supporting lomdei torah in Eretz Yisroel. The highlight of the day was a grand dinner at the Pillar Hotel b’hishtatfus Harav Avrohom Gurwicz shlit’a, Rosh Yeshivas Gateshead, with hundreds of leading philanthropists from across London in attendance. The campaign in London was not limited to the philanthropists alone. Thousands of children from across the city gathered for a massive atzeres tefillah on behalf of the lomdei Torah in Eretz Yisroel. The gedolim led the tefillos, reciting kapitlach Tehillim with the tzibbur. Harav Dov Landau shlit”a addressed the gathering, highlighting the unique capacity of tinokos shel beis rabban to sense the mesikus hatorah. Harav Moshe Hillel Hirsch shlit”a then told the assembled: “Our entire tachlis in this world is to give kavod to HaKadosh Baruch Hu — through heartfelt tefillah, through each word spoken as befitting a ben Torah, and above all, through constant hasmodah in Torah learning.” The event concluded with brachos from the gedolim to the children for a shana tova u’mesukah. Additional gatherings were hosted by renowned philanthropists including R’ Binyomin and R’ Shlomo Frischwasser, R’ Gabi Ackerman, and R’ Mordechai Landau of Stamford Hill. At each venue, significant commitments were made toward the continued success of Keren Olam HaTorah. The gedolim departed London on Tuesday, returning to […]
More than three-quarters of Jewish students worldwide say they conceal their identity on campus as antisemitism continues to surge in higher education, according to a new global survey. The study — conducted by the Anti-Defamation League (ADL) and the World Union of Jewish Students (WUJS) during the 2024–2025 academic year — surveyed 1,727 students in more than 60 countries. It found that 78 percent of Jewish students hide their religious identity and 81 percent conceal their Zionist identity in academic settings. The findings underscore an escalating climate of fear and intimidation since Hamas’ Oct. 7, 2023 attack on Israel, which triggered the ongoing Gaza war. Other recent surveys have reported similar trends: B’nai B’rith International and the European Union of Jewish Students documented a sharp rise in antisemitic incidents across Europe, while ADL data shows 83 percent of Jewish students in the U.S. have personally experienced or witnessed antisemitism since the war began. “We are distressed and disappointed by the results of this survey, but not at all surprised,” WUJS president Josh Cohen said. “Since October 7th, Jewish students around the world have been speaking to the rise in antisemitism and ostracization in their regions. This survey only further highlights how striking the treatment of Jewish students is on campus.” One in three respondents said they knew Jewish peers who had been physically threatened, and nearly one in five knew peers who were physically attacked. Orthodox Jewish students reported twice the rate of discrimination compared to others, and Jewish women were more likely than men to conceal their identity. Nearly a third of students reported discrimination from classmates, while 9 percent said they faced it from professors or other university staff. At the University of Vienna, one Jewish Studies student recalled canceling a seminar after rumors circulated that protesters from an “Intifada Camp” on campus might confront “Zionists.” “For a moment, I felt like it was the 1930s, and Jewish students were being chased from their universities,” she said. The report urges universities to adopt the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance’s (IHRA) working definition of antisemitism, designate coordinators to address discrimination, and implement campus climate research, peer training, and clearer accommodation policies for religious observances. “This survey exposes a devastating reality: Jewish students across the globe are being forced to hide fundamental aspects of their identity just to feel safe on campus,” said Marina Rosenberg, ADL senior vice president of international affairs. “When over three-quarters of Jewish students feel they must conceal their religious and Zionist identity for their own safety, the situation is nothing short of dire.” (YWN World Headquarters – NYC)
Oded Ailan, a former senior official in the Mossad, spoke to Arutz Sheva about the two-faced “empire of Qatar.” “Qatar has developed a unique formula—almost like a global start-up—comparable to Charlie Chaplin sending a boy to break windows and then coming to fix them,” Ailam told Arutz Sheva-Israel National News. “They created a model that enables Qatar to be a dominant player on the world stage. Today Qatar is a diplomatic, economic, and media empire, deliberately built to become a central actor internationally.” Ailaam noted that Qarar’s formula has been extremely successful. “Qatar now mediates between the Taliban and the Americans, Jabhat al-Nusra in Syria, in Nigeria, and elsewhere. Qatar is the middleman – and the mediator always profits in influence, visibility, and power. It’s no coincidence they hosted the World Cup and now aspire to host the 2036 Olympics. They receive prestige and status as global peacemakers.” But the “global peacemakers” have been sponsoring terror groups for decades. “From al-Qaeda to ISIS to Hamas—all have benefited from Qatari support,” Ailan said. “In 2012, Syria expelled Hamas leaders, who then moved to Qatar, where they have lived in five-star conditions. Since then, Qatar has transferred some $1.8 billion to Hamas, money that built the terrorist organization. Qatar is the patron of Hamas’ agenda, with Al Jazeera serving as its mouthpiece.” “They are buying Europe,” Ailam noted. “They purchase anything that could provide leverage—real estate, corporations, football clubs. Reports say they own a third of London’s skyscrapers. They own part of the Empire State Building, a US symbol. Their airline is among the best in the world. And they have developed a very ‘interesting’ branch of buying politicians—by any means necessary, including cryptocurrency.” “Politicians have been caught, and some are on trial, in France and elsewhere. That’s only the tip of the iceberg. A whole system has been operating for years, with direct influence inside EU decision-making.” “Israel was somewhat enchanted by the Qatari charm offensive, and now we see the results,” Ailam warned, noting the current “Qatargate” scandal. “Our systems allowed this false dance to continue, permitting Qatar to pose as an honest broker when it is neither. Hostage releases came not from Qatari initiatives but from Israeli military pressure. Moreover, the hardest-line negotiators sit in Qatar, not Gaza. They harden positions—the opposite of what should have happened if Qatar really wielded moderating influence. There is reason to suspect Qatar itself is pushing intransigence.” (YWN Israel Desk—Jerusalem)
