Week of March 28, 2025
Week of March 28, 2025
Over 60 arrested in counter-terror ops in Judea and Samaria (JNS) — Over the past week, units from the IDF Commando Brigade, including the Duvdevan, Egoz and Maglan units, have carried out operations targeting terrorists across Judea and Samaria, the Israel Defense Forces reported on Saturday. During these operations, more than 60 individuals wanted for security-related offenses were arrested. Israeli forces also confiscated a substantial cache of weapons, including firearms, explosives and ammunition. The operations are part of the IDF’s...
(JTA) - After running as a candidate last time, Abraham Silberstein will not even be voting in this year's election for the World Zionist Congress. In 2020, Silberstein had joined a liberal slate from the United States vying for representation in the congress, a unique legislative body that lets Jews from all over the world have a say in Israeli affairs. A critic of Israel, he agreed to join the Reform movement's list of candidates. Serving in the congress, he felt, meant having a seat at the...
(JNS) - In a groundbreaking achievement for Israel's space program, a constellation of nine research nanosatellites-built entirely by high school students-was launched into space from Cape Canaveral in Florida aboard a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket. Dubbed Tevel 2, this project marks the largest Israeli satellite constellation ever deployed, the Tel Aviv University Spokesperson's Department said on Sunday. Gila Gamliel, Israel's Minister of Innovation, Science and Technology, hailed the launch as a...
(JTA) — Immigration authorities have arrested a second Palestinian involved in protests at Columbia University, the Department of Homeland Security announced on Friday. A third person who was involved in pro-Palestinian protests at the school, a current graduate student, “self-deported” earlier this week after having her visa revoked, according to the department. The announcement comes as Columbia reels from both the arrest of Mahmoud Khalil, a Palestinian protest leader with a green card, and the loss of $400 million in federal funding...
(JNS) — Israel’s Defense Minister Israel Katz warned on Tuesday that Hamas will face intensified military action unless it releases all remaining hostages. “The murderous Hamas needs to understand: If they do not release all our hostages, our blows will intensify,” Katz stated in remarks released by his office. The statement came during a high-level security assessment held at the Kirya military headquarters in Tel Aviv, led by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. The meeting was attended by Israel Defense Forces Chief of Staff...
(JNS) — Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu gifted Sen. John Fetterman (D-Pa.) with a silver-plated beeper in reference to Israel’s September 2024 detonation of thousands of pagers carried by Hezbollah terrorists in Lebanon. Meeting at the Prime Minister’s Office in Jerusalem, Netanyahu explained the difference between the commemorative pager and the genuine article. “The real beeper is like one-tenth the weight—it’s nothing,” the Israeli prime minister told the senator from Pennsylvania. “But it changes history....
(JNS) — Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said last Wednesday that security officials are aware that a “more intense front” could open in Judea and Samaria amid the resumption of heavy fighting with Hamas in Gaza. “Because while we are waging an intense war against Hamas in the Gaza Strip, we are aware of the possibility that a larger and more intense front could open here in Judea and Samaria,” the premier said during a visit to the Border Police’s undercover “Mista’arvim” special forces unit. “They are simply...
(JNS) — The family of freed hostage Yarden Bibas has raised more than $1.7 million via a public fundraising campaign since its launch on Saturday night, exceeding its initial $1,371,086 goal within 24 hours. The campaign, which was launched via the Lehosheet Yad (Lend a Hand) foundation, aims to help Yarden Bibas’s recovery and establish a memorial for his wife, Shiri, and two young sons, Ariel and Kfir, who were murdered in captivity in the Gaza Strip. As of Monday morning, 30,979 people from all over the world had donated to the...
On the morning of March 13, the Jewish Pavilion Senior Services hosted a successful and engaging Sponsors Breakfast at Grand Living. The event brought together dedicated board members, sponsors, and supporters of the Jewish Pavilion, all gathered to share ideas and discuss the future of the organization's impactful work in senior services. One of the key highlights of the meeting was a suggestion made by Jason Mendelsohn, a Jewish Pavilion board member and sponsor from Ashar Group. He proposed...
(JTA) — Yeshiva University has approved a new club for LGBTQ students, reversing a policy that it has spent years defending in court. The school’s announcement on Thursday marks a significant shift for the Modern Orthodox flagship in Manhattan. For years, and particularly during a stretch of fall 2022, the school fought to avoid recognizing the Pride Alliance, a support group for LGBTQ students that launched unofficially in 2009 but had not received formal recognition as a student club. The dispute revolved around Orthodoxy’s...
(JNS) — The Tikva Forum of Hostages’ Families on Tuesday called for “all or hell”—meaning the return of all the remaining hostages held by Hamas at once, or the resumption of “massive” Israel Defense Forces pressure on the terrorist group. “The past weeks have proven what we have been saying all along—Hamas will never return all the hostages willingly,” the group said, referring to the terror group’s refusal to agree to a U.S. proposal to extend the first phase of the Israel-Hamas ceasefire through Ramadan and Passover....
(JNS) — Over the last several years and particularly since Oct. 7, 2023, Israel has felt isolated diplomatically. Perhaps most painful for the Jewish state has been waning support among American Democrats, once stalwart defenders of Israel. A near-lone voice from the left flank of the party has been Pennsylvania Senator John Fetterman. A towering giant easily recognized by his hooded sweatshirt attire, Fetterman has stood up for Israel time and again when other members of his party refused to do so. When it comes to Israel, Fetterman is...
(JTA) - Bruce Pearl, whose Auburn men's basketball team advanced to the Sweet Sixteen this weekend, opened his postgame press conference by calling to "bring the hostages home." Auburn is one of three No. 1 seeds in the NCAA Division I men's basketball tournament with a Jewish coach. All three made the tournament's round of 16, as has the biggest Jewish star on the court, Danny Wolf. Pearl is known for his outspoken support for Israel, which he put on display Saturday after the Tigers beat...
(JNS) — The Israeli-American Council announced on Monday that it had been unanimously voted into the Conference of Presidents of Major American Jewish Organizations, calling it a “historic milestone for our community.” “Of the hundreds of Jewish organizations in the United States, fewer than 50 are officially labeled ‘major’ and allowed to sit at that table where policy is fashioned for the entire Jewish world,” stated Elan Carr, the CEO of the Israeli-American Council. “Whether addressing our shared challenges, combating...
The Kinneret Council on Aging, an area nonprofit that provides life enhancing resources to the over 300 residents of Kinneret Apartments and to the aging population outside its walls, has formed a partnership with the Rosen JCC to provide engaging programming to seniors in Southwest Orlando. Coined “KCOA on the Road,” the speaker series expands the programming that KCOA provides in the community to a senior population that is currently underserved. Started in January 2025, programming has...
By JNS Staff (JNS) — Nearly three in five Israelis back the resumption of fighting in the Gaza Strip in the wake of Hamas’s rejection of a U.S. proposal to extend the ceasefire in exchange for the release of more hostages. According to a survey carried out by Israel’s Direct Polls Institute and published by Channel 14 on Monday night—before the Israel Defense Forces launched a campaign of extensive airstrikes in Gaza—59 percent of Israelis support the resumption of hostilities. Some 38 percent said they opposed it, while 3 percent...
At the heart of inclusion is RAISE — a work and social skills training program offered by Shalom Orlando for adults with disabilities. This program matches adults with disabilities with local businesses and organizations. RAISE — Recognizing Abilities & Inclusion of Special Employees — is accepting applications for employees and job coaches for the fall. RAISE employees earn a paycheck with the guidance of one-on-one job coaches, and helps employees build self-esteem and independence at home and in the workplace through its training...
(JNS) — Critics of the U.S. plan for rebuilding Gaza say that the idea of residents relocating to other countries is part of a plot by the Israeli right to carry out “ethnic cleansing.” But it turns out that it was the Israeli left, and not the Israeli right, which was the first to organize emigration from Gaza. A leading Israeli daily newspaper, Israel Hayom, recently revealed that between 1968 and 1969, the Israeli government quietly assisted Arabs in the Gaza Strip who wanted to emigrate abroad. Who was in charge of the Israeli...
(JNS) — The Republican Party led by President Donald Trump is launching an unprecedented fight to stamp out the outrageous rise in antisemitism on college campuses. The actions taken by the administration have been significant as they include ending $400 million in grants and contracts to Columbia University and putting 60 universities on notice that they are not protecting Jewish students and could lose federal funding if they don’t address that concern. The administration’s most recent action was the arrest and planned deportation of...
(JNS) — With all of the controversies surrounding President Donald Trump, it’s astonishing that something as trivial as a hyphen in “anti-Semitism” has caused umbrage. Yet some Jewish leaders, including Deborah Lipstadt, former President Joe Biden’s special envoy to monitor and combat antisemitism, have found the change in spelling from “antisemitism” concerning. Lipstadt, a leading proponent of removing the hyphen, expressed dismay: “This decision makes no sense. I cannot fathom why there would be this reversal.” For those...
(JNS) — As the conflict in Gaza enters yet another critical phase, Israel faces a daunting question: Will this war lead to the release of hostages and a genuine security achievement, or will it be remembered as another cycle of violence with no tangible gains? The Israeli government, led by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, is at a crossroads where the outcomes of its military operations will shape not only its political future but also the broader regional dynamics involving Iran and its proxies. Israel’s leadership has framed this war...
(JNS) — With U.S. President Donald Trump now back in the White House, a Middle East policy shaped by former President Barack Obama and his foreign-policy advisers, who also served under former President Joe Biden, comes to a close. In between these two Democratic leaders, Trump launched of the Abraham Accords peace policy and set a new course that many hope will be the new direction of the Middle East. Throughout his eight years of presidency and later, in the background, hidden behind Biden, Obama sought to exert his influence in the...
(JNS) — There was quite a buzz in Damascus the other week with the visit of a Jewish delegation that included members of the venerable Hamra family, whose members have served as chief rabbis of Syria. Even more remarkable was that it was openly cheered and welcomed by Syrians from all walks of life. This is not the first time that Syrian Jews have been welcomed back. In 2004 and again in 2021, during the Syrian civil war, then-President Bashar Assad allowed a group of New York Jews of Syrian origin to return publicly. The fall of the...
(New York Jewish Week) - Opening a kosher restaurant in New York City wasn't always in the cards for Raif Rashed, a Druze from the village of Usfiya in northern Israel. But as Rashed, the owner of Taboonia - a new Druze restaurant in the Garment District that's currently seeking kosher certification - will be the first to tell you, sometimes life can take an unexpected turn, especially after a tragedy. An engineer by trade, Rashed, 40, moved to Hackensack, New Jersey, in 2019 to take a job at...
(JTA) - As the most exciting time in college basketball begins, Jewish coaches are in the spotlight. For much of the season, four coaches - Auburn's Bruce Pearl, Duke's Jon Scheyer, Florida's Todd Golden and USC's Lindsay Gottlieb - have been at or near the top of the game. And on Sunday, all of them were rewarded with No. 1 seeds in the NCAA Division I men's and women's college basketball tournaments. Each tournament has four regions, with sixteen teams each. And in this year's men's...
(JNS) — There have been many powerful films about the Holocaust, so if one opts to create a new one, one must “bring something new to the conversation,” according to the Israeli-American director Lior Geller. Geller told JNS that the new film “The World Will Tremble,” which he wrote and directed, “is a story that wasn’t told before, and I think it’s important to make it as accurate as possible.” The film centers on Michael Podchlebnik and Solomon Weiner, who fled the Nazi death camp Chelmno in German-occupied western Poland...
March 18th was a warm summer-like day in the Southern Hevron Hills. When Pastor Roger Diaz of Fellowship Church in Winter Springs, Fla., called me telling me the group had just left Kiryat Arba, I got myself into gear and packed up my water and gun. My son drove me to the Ancient City of Susya, which is a mere five-minute drive from modern Susya, my home. I arrived just in time. The bus was beginning to unload passengers and I recognized Roger Diaz and a few other congregants, too. For the past...
How can I manage medications from multiple doctors? Managing medications from various healthcare providers can be challenging, especially for seniors who often visit multiple physicians and specialists. This situation, known as polypharmacy, involves the use of multiple medications simultaneously and can lead to potential issues such as unnecessary medications or harmful drug interactions. Here are some strategies to help you manage your medications effectively and ensure your doctors are well-informed. Maintain a Comprehensive Medication...
(JNS) — The Islamification of the West began long ago with Arab and Islamic attacks against infidels, especially the Jews. By the beginning of this century, anti-Zionism characterized the new antisemitism. Israel became the scapegoat of the world for the crimes of their persecutors. In the last quarter-century, Israel and the Jews have faced large armies, as well as well-funded and relentless propaganda. It has simultaneously been defamed and sanctioned in every language; anti-Israel resolutions and reports have been issued by student...
(JNS) - U.S. Jewish groups and national and state leaders released statements marking the death on Saturday of Nita Lowey, a Democrat who represented New York for 32 years in Congress. The former congresswoman, who died at 87, "embodied the highest ideals of both the American Jewish community and the American nation," stated Harriet Schleifer and William Daroff, chair and CEO respectively of the Conference of Presidents of Major American Jewish Organizations. The Conference of Presidents...
MORNING MINYANS Chabad of South Orlando — Monday - Friday, 8 a.m. and 10 minutes before sunset; Saturday, 9:30 a.m.; Sunday, 8:15 a.m., 407-354-3660. Congregation Ahavas Yisrael — Monday - Friday, 7:30 a.m.; Saturday, 9:30 a.m.; Sunday, 9 a.m., 407-644-2500. Congregation Chabad Lubavitch of Greater Daytona — Monday, 8 a.m.; Thursday, 8 a.m., 904-672-9300. Congregation Ohev Shalom — Sunday, 9 a.m., 407-298-4650. GOBOR Community Minyan at Jewish Academy of Orlando — Monday – Friday, 7:45 a.m. – 8:30 a.m. Temple Israel — Sunday,...
