Week of September 26, 2025
Week of September 26, 2025
U.S. President Donald Trump told reporters five times on Sunday aboard Air Force One that Qatar, which has long housed Hamas leaders, is a “great ally.” Asked if he had a message for the prime minister of Qatar, Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim Al Thani, who is also the state’s foreign affairs minister, Trump said, “look, we’re with them. They’ve been a great ally.” “A lot of people don’t understand about Qatar. Qatar has been a great ally. They also lead a very difficult life, because they’re right in the middle...
(JNS) — A memorial mural featuring angel wings in a prominent city square in Israel. A sand sculpture on the Tel Aviv beach. An Israeli tank shell inscribed with a commemorative message. Spontaneous Israeli public tributes that have poured in since last week’s assassination in Utah of American conservative activist Charlie Kirk, 31, who was admired in Israel for his staunch support of the Jewish state and had a large following across the Atlantic. “If the world is divided into good and...
(Israel Hayom via JNS) - Within six weeks, eight emergency distribution centers will operate in the Gaza Strip to provide food for the population expected to gather in the southern Strip as part of "Operation Gideon's Chariots II," during which Israel intends to evacuate hundreds of thousands of Palestinians currently in Gaza City, Israel Hayom has learned. Currently, three distribution points operate in the Gaza Strip (following the closure of one): in Gaza City's Saudi neighborhood; near the...
(JNS) — The U.S. Postal Service dedicated a new, two-ounce stamp honoring Elie Wiesel, the Holocaust survivor and Nobel Peace Prize laureate, during a first-day-of-issue ceremony on Tuesday at the 92nd Street Y on New York City’s Upper East Side. The 18th which the Postal Service has issued in its distinguished Americans series, the stamp features a black-and-white portrait of Wiesel. It will serve as a permanent rate stamp for two-ounce mail. The half-hour ceremony drew about 100 people,...
(JNS) - Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Sept. 15 reopened the Pilgrimage Road in Jerusalem, a first-century route linking the City of David to the Temple Mount. The Pilgrimage Road, a broad stone route used during the Second Temple period, connected the Pool of Siloam, where pilgrims purified themselves in ritual baths, to Judaism's holiest site, the Temple Mount. Jerusalem "is forever our city," Netanyahu declared at the ceremony in the City of...
By Jonathan D. Salant (JNS) — American policy towards Israel is increasingly viewed along party lines, and more Americans now say that Washington is providing too much support for the Jewish state as its war with Hamas continues, according to a survey released on Thursday. The findings revealed a “strong and growing partisan factor in American views of U.S. support for Israel in its war against Hamas,” according to the Chicago Council on Global Affairs and Lester Crown Center on U.S. Foreign Policy. In the survey, 37 percent of...
(JNS) — Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu welcomed to Jerusalem what his office described as the largest-ever bipartisan delegation of American lawmakers to ever visit the Jewish state. “We value and cherish your support,” Netanyahu told the delegation of some 250 U.S. state legislators gathered at the Foreign Ministry, noting that there was an “active effort” ongoing to erode the ties between the two countries. These efforts are “orchestrated by the same forces that supported Iran,” he continued, accusing China and...
(Israel Hayom via JNS) - A shop owner in Flensburg, northern Germany, has sparked outrage after hanging a sign in his store window reading "Jews are forbidden here." He claimed it was a protest against Israel's military operations in the Gaza Strip. Despite police arriving at the scene on Wednesday night, the sign remained in place, according to German media reports published Thursday. The sign, written in large letters, read "Jews" with "forbidden here" underneath, followed by four exclamation...
(JNS) — According to Lara Burns, a former FBI agent who spent years tracking Hamas in the United States, the terror organization has for decades had a detailed strategy for both fundraising and winning the propaganda war, especially on American campuses. One of the targets of the recent Israeli strike on Hamas leaders in Qatar, which apparently failed, was Musa Abu Marzouk, who served as the first chairman of the Hamas political bureau from 1992 to 1996 and then as deputy chairman from 1996 until 2013, when he was succeeded by Ismail...
(JNS)— Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Thursday invoked the memory of the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks on the United States as he defended Israel’s strike in Qatar targeting Hamas leaders behind the Oct. 7, 2023, massacre. “We remember September 11. On that day, Islamist terrorists committed the worst savagery on American soil since the founding of the United States,” Netanyahu said. “We also have a September 11. We remember October 7. On that day, Islamist terrorists committed the worst savagery against the Jewish people...
(JNS) - The Hostages and Missing Families Forum Headquarters on Wednesday highlighted three birthdays of Israelis still being held captive in Gaza after being abducted during the Hamas-led massacre in southern Israel on Oct. 7, 2023. Twin brothers Gali and Ziv Berman, kidnapped from Kibbutz Kfar Aza, marked their 28th birthday. Their family lamented a "second birthday in hell" in a message shared by the Forum. "Our beloved Gali and Ziv, how we feared this day would come-a second birthday in...
(JNS) — The Israel Defense Forces launched the main phase of its ground operation into Gaza City in recent hours, a military official stated on Tuesday, initiating the final series of battles of the war to dismantle Hamas’s last remaining military and governing stronghold. The start of the offensive was reportedly marked by one of the most intense and widespread aerial and ground bombardments in recent months, with massive “belts of fire” reported across multiple neighborhoods throughout Gaza City, including Sabra, Daraj, Sheikh...
(JNS) — New York Gov. Kathy Hochul, a Democrat, wrote in The New York Times on Sunday that she is endorsing Zohran Mamdani, a state representative with a long history of denouncing Israel, for New York City mayor, giving the Democratic socialist his most high-profile backing to date. “I didn’t leave my conversations with Mr. Mamdani aligned with him on every issue,” she wrote. “But I am confident that he has the courage, urgency and optimism New York City needs to lead it through the challenges of this moment.” Mamdani beat Andrew...
The first Party for the Pavilion, hosted at One Senior Place, was a huge success. Jason Mendelsohn, board member and long-time Jewish Pavilion Senior Services supporter, chaired the event. Guests enjoyed food, drinks, liquor tastings, music, and schmoozing. Attendees also had the opportunity to honor a special senior in their lives with a tribute on the scroll of...
Netanyahu defends strike on Hamas terrorists in Qatar Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Saturday night defended Israel’s strike on Hamas leaders in Doha, Qatar, arguing that the terror group remains the main obstacle to ending the conflict. “The Hamas terrorist chiefs living in Qatar don’t care about the people in Gaza. They blocked all ceasefire attempts in order to endlessly drag out the war,” said Netanyahu. “Getting rid of them would rid the main obstacle to releasing all our hostages and ending the war,” he added....
This past Sunday, Sept. 14, marked a historic and heartfelt milestone, as Chabad of Altamonte Springs celebrated the completion and welcoming of its very first Torah scroll. The Siyum Sefer Torah, a celebration that drew families and friends from across the community, was filled with joy, music, and pride as participants danced with the new scroll in the streets before bringing it into the synagogue. The idea for commissioning a Torah began about a year ago. Until now, Chabad of Altamonte...
(JNS) — Although I oppose boycotts in principle, I’ve nevertheless been driven to consider launching one of my own. I will no longer rent a film that stars an actor or an actress who has signed a petition or delivered an unexpected shout-out at their award ceremony that condemned Israel for committing an alleged “genocide.” Quite frankly, I hereby denounce all Hollywood stars who have lip-synched a version of “Heil Hitler” by extemporaneously calling out: “Free Palestine.” This happened the other night at the Emmy Awards...
(JNS) — “You can say the earth is flat a hundred times from the U.N. podium in New York, and that will still not make it real.” — Arsen Ostrovsky, human-rights attorney At the U.N. General Assembly on Sept. 12, a handful of prominent Western nations, desperate to show they still have global influence, joined the overwhelming support of a resolution recognizing the “State of Palestine.” Their gesture is absurd, of course, since no such state exists. Indeed, for 78 years, the Palestinians have proven incapable of accepting, let...
In many ways, Israel has never been stronger, winning military victories over enemies and creating new friends through economic partnerships. Internally, while there are still societal divisions, the Israeli public is largely united around the mission of eradicating the threat of Hamas and other terrorists from inside and outside Israel’s borders. At the same time, Jewish communities around the world have been convinced by mainstream media that Israel and world Jewry are weak and are facing an existential threat from worldwide antisemitism....
(JNS) — Charlie Kirk was only 31 years old when he was cut down by an assassin’s bullet while speaking at Utah Valley University. A husband, father, voice for freedom and unapologetic defender of Western values, he was murdered in cold blood—his life stolen not because of anything he did wrong, but because of what he stood for. His killing was not just the silencing of a man. It was an attack on the principles that bind free nations together: faith, courage and the determination to speak the truth, even when it is unpopular. Utah Gov....
(JNS)— I was never a mega-fan of Charlie Kirk. I never met him. I had some work-related contact with Turning Point USA, but, like many pro-Israel, pro-American pundits, I mostly followed his social-media feeds, where he voiced opinions others were often too afraid to share, particularly about the dangers of Islam and illegal immigration. I disagreed with him about when human life begins in the womb, his isolationist stance on the 12-day war this June between Israel and Iran, and his belief that women find ultimate happiness in...
(JNS) - Raised in a Hasidic home in Jerusalem, Ayelet Raymond was taught that women's beauty should be concealed "like a precious diamond kept inside its box." Life, she explained, centered on good deeds and prayer, with no exposure to television or fashion. "Pageants were foreign to me-I never imagined stepping on a stage," she told JNS. Raymond was recently crowned Miss World Influencer 2025, competing against contestants from 71 countries. She described the pageant as an "incredible...
(JNS) - Holocaust survivor Elie Wiesel won the Nobel Peace Prize, received a Congressional Medal of Honor, along with a slew of other awards, and his book Night has sold millions of copies read by students across the globe. Wiesel, who died in 2016 at the age of 87, will go down as one of the most famous Jews of all time, who encouraged other survivors to find their voice and speak out. He represented a community that had to grapple with survivor's guilt for the rest of their lives and went on...
(JNS) - One word that enters into untold numbers of post-Oct. 7 conversations is "resilience." Notwithstanding the constantly hovering shadow of the brutality committed against Israelis that day, the word speaks to their seemingly innate ability to get up each morning and go about the task of living their lives in the Jewish state. New high-tech start-ups appear, new medical advances are announced, restaurants open, artists continue to paint and even comedians have found their way to break the...
(JNS) — As antisemitism surges worldwide and international criticism of Israel intensifies, mostly the result of the fallout from its war with Hamas in Gaza following the terrorist invasion of Oct. 7, 2023, Israeli scholar Yisrael Ne’eman has warned that it’s not only Jews who should be concerned. Ne’eman, a historian who taught for more than three decades at the University of Haifa and the Technion-Israel Institute of Technology, also in Haifa, argues that an alliance between the far left and radical Islamist movements—what he...
(JNS) — Jason Stahl, 47, of Hank Schwartz’s Delicatessen and Appetizing in Jersey City, N.J., launched a Rosh Hashanah-inspired sandwich this year called “sweet new year.” Error! Filename not specified. A Jersey Jew tomato sandwich from Hank Schwartz’s Delicatessen and Appetizing in Jersey City, N.J. Credit: Courtesy of Jason Stahl. The $18 sandwich, which consists of slow-cooked brisket, horseradish mayonnaise and caramelized onions on challah, is available for preorder. Customers can pick it up on Sept. 21 at Riverview Farmers...
Working with seniors, the Jewish Pavilion Senior Services staff and volunteers experience a lot of loss. When we hear of a family member who has passed, we send a card and the book “When You Lose Someone You Love” to the bereaved. We also invite the bereaved to participate in a free six-week grief support group. There are many other ways to memorialize a loved one. Here are a few suggestions that may be meaningful and help in the grieving process: • Create your own thank you card: Include a picture of your loved one on the cover of the...
“Guns & Moses.” It sounds like a Jewish movie. Nu? The main character is a rabbi who reluctantly becomes a gunslinger after his community is attacked. Naturally, it piqued our interest, but we were torn. On the one hand, we wanted to show our support for those who worked hard to produce and present a film with Jewish content. But, in a time of much antisemitism, divisiveness, and violence we were hesitant about going to the movie theater. Could some crazed fanatic attack the audience?...
In a quiet Maitland neighborhood just outside of Orlando, a determined entrepreneur is making national waves - not for business this time, but for advocacy. Francine Fox, who moved to Central Florida in 1998, has called Maitland home for over two decades with her husband, Bruce. She's best known professionally as the founder of Fox Adjusters LLC (foxadjusters.com), a residential and commercial claims advocacy company. As a seasoned public adjuster, she has built a respected name fighting for...
Mr. Joel Robert Stern (Zusha), 80, passed away Friday, Sept. 12, 2025, at Orlando Health, Lake Mary following a brief illness. Mr. Stern was born April 29, 1945, in Brooklyn, New York to the late Morris and Florence (Kislefsky) Stern of blessed memory. Mr. Stern was a retired antique dealer and a United States Army Veteran. Mr. Stern is survived by his loving wife of 56 years, Edna (Golcman) Stern of Longwood, Florida; devoted children, Mark (Idy) Stern of Ft. Lauderdale, Florida, Barry (Andrea) Stern of Longwood, Florida and Debra Stern of...
Congratulations to Yoel and Reut Tzobel on the birth of a baby girl named Ashira Tzobel. The family lives in South...
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,...
