A complete replica of Anne Frank’s secret annex was unveiled in New York City on Monday at the Center for Jewish History, coinciding with International Holocaust Remembrance Day. This marks the first full-scale reconstruction outside of Amsterdam, depicting the annex as it was during the time the Frank family hid there.
A confrontation occurred on Monday morning in the Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee between families of hostages and Otzma Yehudit chairman Itamar Ben Gvir. Relatives of the hostages demanded that Ben Gvir express his support for the hostage deal but Ben Gvir responded: “This is a reckless deal and it will cost us blood.” After thousands of Gazans crossed the Netzarim Corridor on Monday morning and returned to the northern part of the Strip, where they were greeted by Hamas terrorists, Ben-Gvir stated: “This is not what ‘complete victory’ looks like – this is what complete surrender looks like… Heroic IDF soldiers did not fight and give their lives in the Strip (only for Palestinians to return north) and make these images possible. We must return to war – and destroy!” Eli Albag, the father of Liri, who returned from Gaza on Shabbos, held a press conference on Sunday evening during which he slammed anyone who opposed the hostage deal, threatening: “The nation will hold you accountable.” Albag was criticized for his statement in turn by Israelis who opposed the deal, especially since many bereaved families who lost their children in battle in Gaza or whose sons are even in captivity in Gaza are included among them. Tzika Mor, whose son Eitan is being held hostage in Gaza, responded to Albag, saying: “My dear friend Eli. We were delighted to see that Liri was returned to you and wish her and you a swift recovery and return to normalcy, as much as possible. Opponents of the hostage deal include many families of soldiers who fell and were injured during the Gaza war in order to bring Liri home as well as many families who lost loved ones to terrorism. All of these families want to bring the hostages home already but wish for these to be the last hostages so that their sacrifice in the war should not have been in vain – for a deal that puts Hamas back in power and allows murderers of their loved ones, who have been released from prison to laugh at them on the way to the next terror attack.” “We, the families of the hostages, do not live here alone. There is a whole nation here that wants to live, and therefore we requested that the release of the hostages take all these families who have suffered and sacrificed so much into account.” Itzik Bonzel, the father of fallen IDF soldier Amit Bonzel, H’yd, responded to Albag by saying: “Eli Albag, you are no longer the father of a hostage daughter. How fortunate you are that you merited to change your title. I also wish I would merit to change my title – of bereaved father. I will not be able to fly in a helicopter on Shabbat to the southern border to pick up my Amit.” “Eli, this is the time to bow your head, say thank you to all those who worked to free your beloved daughter, and certainly, not to threaten to ‘come to terms’ with those who voted against the deal. For your daughter’s release (something that was ethically and morally required), many Jew will pay with their lives in the coming years. Those same murderers will do everything to murder Jews again. It is clear to everyone […]
Gov. Abbott announced the deployment of more than 400 soldiers from the ‘Texas Tactical Border Force’ to the border for coordination with the U.S. Border Patrol under the Trump Administration.
SPEAKER JOHNSON: “We are going to win and grow the House majority in 2026. Historically when the president takes the Oval Office, then his party then loses on average a number of seats in the House in that first midterm. That won’t happen this time around…”
Robert F. Kennedy Jr. has said vaccines are not safe. His support for abortion access has made conservatives uncomfortable. And farmers across the Midwest are nervous over his talk of banning corn syrup and pesticides from America’s food supply. The 71-year-old, whose famous name and family tragedies have put him in the national spotlight since he was a child, has spent years airing his populist — and sometimes extreme — views in podcasts, TV interviews and speeches building his own quixotic brand. A son of a Democratic political dynasty, Kennedy is seeking to become the nation’s top health official under President Donald Trump. To get there, he’s softening those long-held beliefs, hoping to win approval from the Republican Party. At stake is Kennedy’s control of the nation’s sprawling $1.7 trillion U.S. Health and Human Services agency, which oversees food and hospital inspections, health insurance for roughly half of the country and vaccine recommendations. The job would finally give him the kind of political power Kennedys have wielded for decades. He made a long-shot bid for the presidency last year, following uncles John, who won the White House in 1960, and Edward, who lost his bid in 1980, along with his father, Robert, a leading contender who was assassinated after winning the California primary in 1968. With a strong resemblance to his father and lawyer credentials to match, he found ardent followers who embrace the critiques he’s lodged against unhealthy foods, pharmaceutical companies and chemicals. But he couldn’t get Democrats on his side, with some of his relatives shunning him over his vaccine views. His has been a flexible ideological journey, part liberal Democrat, part libertarian, and now, an adherent of the MAGA agenda after dropping out of the race last year to back Trump. The president has since directed him to “go wild” on health. Together, they’ve even hatched a new slogan: “Make America Healthy Again.” Kennedy’s aspirations now rest with the Republican-controlled Senate, where he can lose only three GOP votes if all Democrats oppose him. As Kennedy’s confirmation hearings approach this week, he faces a coordinated effort to stop his nomination. A television and digital ad campaign is highlighting his anti-vaccine work. And former Vice President Mike Pence, a stalwart of the conservative anti-abortion movement, is lobbying against him, too. Kennedy’s closest supporters believe he’ll prevail. He plans to focus on issues that have bipartisan consensus, like reducing food additives and increasing access to healthier foods. When concerns about his views on conservative priorities like abortion come up, he’s promised to follow Trump’s lead. Then there is Kennedy’s biggest advantage — and maybe, too, his biggest liability for someone working under Trump — his star power. “Bobby K. is coming in with a bigger microphone than any HHS Secretary,” said Calley Means, a close adviser to Kennedy. Kennedy’s biggest hurdles: Anti-vaccine statements and tragedy in Samoa Kennedy’s numerous remarks, anti-vaccine nonprofit and lawsuits against immunizations are likely to haunt him. He’s rejected the anti-vaccine label, instead casting himself as a crusader for “medical freedom” who wants more research. He and Trump have vowed not to “take away” vaccines. To defuse criticism, he resigned from the Children’s Health Defense, his nonprofit that has filed dozens of lawsuits against vaccines, including the government authorizations of some of them. But critics […]
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is scheduled to visit Washington D.C. next week to meet with U.S. President Donald J. Trump and other senior officials, marking his status as the first foreign leader to visit since Trump’s inauguration on January 20th.
A Polish woman and her son have donated a remarkable collection of over 500 artifacts recovered from the Auschwitz death camp, including a child’s ragdoll, a prisoner’s uniform, and suitcases belonging to camp victims. The items, hidden for decades, were handed over last week to the Foundation of Memory Sites Near Auschwitz-Birkenau. The donors, who wish to remain anonymous, explained that the woman’s father collected the items shortly after the camp’s liberation in 1945, before Auschwitz became a museum. He had helped with cleanup efforts and stored the objects in an attic, where they remained untouched for more than 80 years. Dagmar Kopijasz, a member of the foundation’s council, described the cache as one of the most extraordinary finds in recent years. “We couldn’t believe what we were seeing. The van she and her son drove to us was full of things,” Kopijasz told TVP3. The cache includes clothing, dishes, a prisoner’s striped uniform, and Judaica items, as well as artifacts that may have belonged to SS guards at Auschwitz. Among the items is a suitcase marked “Ungermann” and “transport 3262.” The objects are in varying states of preservation and are now being cataloged by the foundation. Select pieces were displayed at the Auschwitz museum during the 80th anniversary commemorations of the camp’s liberation on Monday, Jan. 27. The commemoration was attended by dignitaries and heads of state, including Israel’s Education Minister Yoav Kisch. More than 1.8 million people visited Auschwitz in 2024, and the site received approximately $8 million in funding from Poland’s government to preserve its history. Yacov Livne, Israel’s ambassador to Poland, highlighted the significance of the donation, noting that Holocaust-related sites near Auschwitz have often been neglected or destroyed. “I hope that on the 80th anniversary of its liberation, a solution will be found to preserve what remains,” Livne tweeted. (YWN World Headquarters – NYC)
A new poll by Schoen Cooperman Research reveals strong American support for Israel’s efforts in the ongoing conflict with Hamas, even as many express skepticism about the long-term outcomes of the current U.S.-brokered ceasefire agreement. The deal, which exchanges 33 Israeli hostages for nearly 2,000 Palestinian prisoners in the first phase, has widespread approval among Americans, with 78% backing the arrangement. However, only 15% are “very optimistic” that both sides will honor their commitments, and just 34% believe the agreement will lead to lasting peace. The poll highlights a key concern: the absence of a clear post-war plan for Gaza. Fifty-seven percent of respondents believe any “final deal” should require the removal of Hamas from power, with only 10% supporting its continued rule. Additionally, a majority (56%) would support Israel resuming military operations in Gaza if Hamas violates the ceasefire, underscoring broad recognition of the threat Hamas poses to Israel. The findings contradict perceptions of widespread anti-Israel sentiment fueled by high-profile protests on U.S. college campuses. Instead, 70% of Americans agree that Hamas is a terrorist organization, and bipartisan support for Israel remains strong, with 70% of adults affirming Israel’s right to self-defense. The poll also reveals significant concern about rising antisemitism, particularly on campuses, where majorities across party lines support tighter regulations on protests. (YWN World Headquarters – NYC)
In the second bus accident in Laos in 24 hours involving Israelis, 50 passengers, including 18 Israelis, were injured in an accident overnight Sunday when a bus overturned in northern Laos near the Chinese border. Fortunately, the passengers sustained relatively minor injuries. Another bus was sent to the scene to transport the victims to the city of Luang Prabang and from there to the hospital for further medical treatment. Nadav, who is traveling in Laos and was injured in the bus accident on Motzei Shabbos, said: “I’ve been traveling in the East for four months, including a month in Laos. Out of all the countries in the world, you don’t want something to happen to you here because they don’t know how to handle it. It was at the level of stopping locals driving by to take them to the hospital.” Thirteen Israelis were injured, several seriously, in the bus accident overnight Motzei Shabbos. Due to the poor quality of medical care in Laos, one of the poorest countries in the world, the Magnus International Search & Rescue team and representatives from Israel’s Foreign Ministry in Vietnam transferred the injured Israelis to a hospital in Thailand. (YWN Israel Desk – Jerusalem)
A Bulgarian shipping company on Monday denied that one of its ships had intentionally damaged an underwater fiber optic cable connecting Latvia and the Swedish island of Gotland. Swedish prosecutors announced on Sunday night that they had launched a preliminary investigation on suspicion of sabotage, after the ship was detained in the Baltic Sea Navibulgar CEO Alexander Kalchev said in a statement it was possible that the Vezhen ship had caused a cable to break but dismissed any possibility of sabotage or any other action on the part of the crew. Kalchev cited information obtained from the crew that the ship was sailing late on Sunday in extremely bad weather. Eventually, the crew discovered that the left anchor was apparently being dragged along the seabed. He added that the automatic ship identification system clearly showed that the Vezhen passed over the cable, and that it was not clear when exactly it was cut. “I hope that the investigators will quickly establish that this is not a matter of any intentional action, but a technical incident due to bad weather, and that the ship will be released,” Kalchev said. The Maltese-flagged Vezhen was sailing to South America, loaded with fertilizer. The 32,000-ton vessel was launched in 2022, Kalchev said. The Swedish public prosecutors’ office said it was now carrying out a number of specific investigative measures. Authorities including the National Police Operations Department, the Coast Guard and the Armed Forces are involved in the investigation, senior prosecutor Mats Ljungqvist said in a statement. (AP)
A major police crackdown is underway on the Brooklyn side of the Hugh L. Carey Tunnel, targeting vehicles without plates, registration, and other violations. Hundreds of officers are present, along with representatives from the mayor’s office. Towing operations are in full effect.
According to several law enforcement sources, in the past hour, Border Patrol agents near Fronton, Texas, were shot at from Mexico by suspected cartel members while attempting to cross a group of illegal immigrants over the river. It’s reported that the agents returned fire, with no injuries on either side, and the immigrants did not succeed in crossing.
Allison Burk’s teenage daughter struggled with uncontrolled emotions, a shrinking attention span and a growing tendency to procrastinate. A family doctor suggested ADHD testing, which led to an unexpected discovery: The teen had ADHD, and Burk did too. During her daughter’s evaluation, Burk thought, “Wait a minute. This sounds familiar,” she recalled. “I was able to piece together that this might be something I was experiencing,” said Burk, of Columbus, Ohio. She subsequently underwent her own testing and was diagnosed with ADHD — at age 42. More adults are being diagnosed with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder. Diagnoses have been rising for decades but seem to have accelerated in the last few years. A recent study suggested that more than 15 million U.S. adults — roughly 1 in 17 — have been diagnosed with ADHD. The condition always starts in childhood, but about half of adults with it are diagnosed when they are 18 or older. Some doctors say the number of people coming in for evaluation is skyrocketing. “Just in our clinic, requests for assessments have doubled in the last two years,” said Justin Barterian, a psychologist based at Ohio State University. Here’s a look at the phenomenon, and how to know if you might have the condition. ADHD symptoms in adults ADHD makes it hard for people to pay attention and control impulsive behaviors. It can be inherited, and is often treated with drugs, behavioral therapy, or both. “It’s like there’s an engine in you and you feel like it’s always running, and you can’t turn it off except with medication,” said Judy Sandler, a 62-year-old Maine woman who was diagnosed in her 50s. ADHD has been called the most commonly diagnosed mental health disorder in U.S. children, with more than 7 million kids diagnosed. Historically, it was thought to mainly affect boys (perhaps because boys with ADHD were seen as more disruptive in school) and to be something that kids grew out of. But experts believe many people aren’t diagnosed as kids and live with symptoms into adulthood. Adults with the condition talk about having trouble focusing on tasks, juggling responsibilities, and planning and managing their time. Some talk about not putting things away, and straining personal relationships with their restlessness, mood swings and impulsiveness. Burk said she was grouped with talented and gifted students in grade school but didn’t complete college until her 30s because, “when I was 19, I hitchhiked across the country on a whim” and ended up a single mother in her early 20s. She now works in marketing and media relations for Ohio State University’s College of Veterinary Medicine. Diagnoses have been rising Diagnoses have been climbing in both kids and adults, and the recent government report found adult ADHD was more common than earlier estimates. “We haven’t had (federal) adult ADHD data in a long time,” said one of the study’s authors, Angelika Claussen of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. There were indicators of the rise, she added. Increasing demand for ADHD medication led to widespread shortages after the COVID-19 pandemic hit in March 2020. A 2023 study showed the rise in prescriptions was particularly notable in adults — especially women. ADHD diagnoses and prescriptions were increasing before the pandemic, due partly to a change in general diagnostic criteria in 2013 that […]
FAMILY OF ISRAELI HOSTAGES: “Thank you President Trump for everything you are doing for our hostages.” “If anyone can bring world peace, it’s definitely you.”
It is with great regret that YWN informs you of the petirah of Rav Shlomo Isaacson Zt”l, the rav of K’hal Beis Dovid in Passaic and Rav Hamachshir of KOA. Rav Shlomo’s leadership and dedication to his kehillah and klal Yisrael left an indelible mark on all who knew him. Rav Shlomo zt”l is survived by his wife, Rebbetzin Rochel Isaacson (née Eichenstein), their eight children—all of whom are married—and numerous grandchildren. His legacy of Torah, chesed, and avodas Hashem will continue to inspire the many lives he touched. The levayah will take place today, at 5:00 PM, at K’hal Beis Dovid, located at 72 Ascension Street in Passaic. Kevurah is scheduled for approximately 8:00 PM at Floral Park Cemetery, Bobo Chelka, 104 Deans Rhode Hall Road, Monmouth Junction, NJ. Baruch Dayan Ha’Emes. (YWN World Headquarters – NYC)
Dr. Yechiel Leiter has officially taken up his role as Israel’s ambassador to the United States, succeeding Michael (Mike) Herzog, who held the position for approximately three years.
