A judge has denied a preliminary injunction to a group of Jewish sleepaway camps seeking to overturn New York’s ban on overnight camps during summer 2020 due to the coronavirus pandemic.Cick here to read the decision
WASHINGTON (AP) — The Supreme Court on Monday upheld a 1991 law that bars robocalls to cellphones. The case, argued by telephone in May because of the coronavirus pandemic, only arose after Congress in 2015 created an exception in the law that allowed the automated calls for collection of government debt. Political consultants and pollsters were among those who asked the Supreme Court to strike down the entire 1991 law that bars them from making robocalls to cellphones as a violation of their free speech rights under the Constitution. The issue was whether, by allowing one kind of speech but not others, the exception made the whole law unconstitutional. Six justices agreed that by allowing debt collection calls to cellphones Congress “impermissibly favored debt-collection sp...
Sefiras Haomer is a time for growth and inspiration. Unfortunately, in today’s virtual world that inspiration can be hard to tap into. Which is why Mrs. Chana Baila Hass, Director of Bnos Agudath Israel, came up with a unique and interactive Shmiras Halashon sefirah program. “I wanted to give the girls a different experience” she said, “I didn’t want the girls to just call in to a hotline and listen to a halachah; I wanted it to be captivating.”   And captivating it was. The program was easy to follow, every day the girls called the hotline, listened to a halachah and story pertaining to Shmiras Halashon t...
Agudath Israel of America hosted a virtual event for its Board of Trustees, National Officers, Vaad Hanhalah and nationwide contacts. The purpose of the meeting was to update Agudath Israel’s key contacts across the country on the efforts and successes the organization has had throughout the COVID-19 pandemic. The event, which featured Divrei Bracha from Rabbi Yaakov Horowitz, Chaver Moetzes Gedolei HaTorah and Rosh Yeshiva, Yeshivas Beis Meir, also included presentations from directors of various Agudah divisions who reported on their activities. The session was chaired by Rabbi Labish Becker, Executive Director of Agudath Israel of America. You can view the full recording here:                 &...
NEW YORK (VINnews) — New York City saw a troubling spike in violent crime this July 4th weekend. From Saturday through Sunday night, nearly 50 people were shot, 8 of them fatally. These troubling numbers also follow a record violent month of June in NYC. While it has been obvious to most New Yorkers that de Blasio’s controversial bail reform has been destroying any hope for relative calm in this city, the Mayor himself seems to want to blame the recent criminal activity on something entirely different: Coronavirus. De Blasio addressed the issue during his daily City Hall press briefing, saying that over July 4th weekend, “a lot of people out there, very peacefully celebrated our nation’s birthday … but we also saw too much violence this weekend.” In ...
The number of people shot in New York City more than tripled last week compared to the same period in 2019, police sources said Monday morning. Between Monday, June 29, and Sunday, July 5, the city saw 74 shooting incidents with 101 victims, the sources said. That’s compared to 26 shootings with 33 victims during that time last year. Meanwhile, 18 people were murdered in the city last week — six more than during the same period last year. Sunday alone, there were 30 shooting incidents with 48 victims — nine of whom were killed, the sources said.  Read more at THE NY POST.
(JERUSALEM, Israel – July 6, 2020) On Sunday, July 5, ALEH (www.ALEH.org), Israel’s network of care for individuals with severe complex disabilities, hosted a virtual memorial ceremony and dedication to honor the life and legacy of Rhoda Fischer a”h, who advocated passionately for the advancement of disability care and inclusion as the Honorary President of ALEH Negev-Nahalat Eran from 2008-2013, while her husband, Stanley Fischer, served as Governor of the Bank of Israel. As the sun set in Israel, the ALEH leadership gathered at the renowned residential and rehabilitative village in the Negev to conclude the initial 30-day mourning period with moving words of tribute and the dedication of a garden that pays homage to Rhoda’s love of natural beauty and belief ...
U.S. equity markets continued the July 4th celebration, rallying across the board as the Nasdaq notched a fresh record. Investors focused on the government's disclosure of Paycheck Protection Program fund recipients and the successful stimulus program as New York City began Phase 3 of its COVID-19 reopening. Also, Warren Buffett's Berkshire Hathway put its cash pile to work which was viewed as another sign of optimism. The Dow Jones Industrial Average gained 459 points, or 1.78 percent, while the S&P 500 and the Nasdaq Composite were higher by 1.59 percent and 2.21 percent, respectively. The Nasdaq, helped by Amazon crossing the $3,000 level for the first time, hit its 24th record-high close th...
The National Weather Service has issued a flash flood watch plus severe thunderstorm watch for most of Maryland. Much of Maryland is under a flash flood watch from 3 to 9 p.m. Monday. During the watch period, up to 3 inches of rain could fall in some areas, according to the National Weather Service. The region is also under a severe thunderstorm watch until 11 p.m. Forecasters expect thunderstorms to develop Monday afternoon and evening with potentially heavy rain along the Interstate 95 corridor, from Harford County to Fairfax County, Va. Some areas could see multiple thunderstorms with 1 to 2 inches of rain possible and up to 3 inches of rain in some cases, according to the flash flood watch. The watch from 3 to 11 p.m. applies to Allegany, Anne Arundel, Baltimore, ...
Iranian hardline lawmakers are reportedly planning to summon the country’s President Hassan Rouhani to a parliamentary grilling, which could ultimately lead to impeachment. There is evidently growing discontent in the country as it struggles simultaneously with a number of issues, particularly over the Islamic Republic’s economic outlook. Iran is facing an increasingly deep economic crisis exacerbated by rising inflation, a slump in the value of the local currency – not dissimilar from what is occurring in Syria and Lebanon – and growing unemployment. These pressures are partly down to US President Donald Trump’s administration’s efforts to levy harsh economic sanctions on Iran as punishment for its opacity about its nuclear ambitions and funding of i...
World Heritage Committee cancelled. In its place, 58 member-State Paris-based representatives convened with its biannual anti-Israel baggage This week, the UNESCO World Heritage Committee (WHC) was to have convened in Fuzhou, China. The Wiesenthal Centre, as the only Jewish organization accredited to that body, each year lobbies against "Palestinian" theft of Jewish heritage. Due to COVID-19 and financial strictures, the WHC was cancelled. In its place, the 58 member-State Paris-based representatives convened at the UNESCO Executive Board, bringing along its biannual anti-Israel baggage. In the absence of the United States and Israel, the Wiesenthal Centre reports from the field. As in all UN bodies, UNESCO decisions are subject to bloc solidarity, the largest being the 'Arab/Mu...
A video posted this afternoon is causing an uproar of revulsion and disgust on social networks. The video shows a 13-year-old Charedi girl walking a baby stroller detained by police for not wearing a mask. The police did not let up on the girl, even though she burst into tears and found it difficult to regain her calm. Deputy Education Minister Meir Porush responded to the video, saying, "It's a heartbreaking sight to see police looking to ticket a crying girl for not wearing a mask. "I ask the public to produce such a photo of a police officer giving a ticket to a secular girl. This, apart from the fact that the Knesset approved imposing a NIS 500 fine, which is disproportionate and scandalous according to all opinions," added Porush. United Torah Judaism MK Rabbi Yisrael Ei...
A former adjunct professor at the University of Texas at Austin recently tweeted that Israel should be bombed “until the sand turns to glass.” In the same Twitter thread, which has since been removed, Spencer Wells — whose describes himself as a “scientist,” “author” and “entrepreneur” — said, “I despise the Israelis. If you want to see the post-apocalyptic vision of what Apartheid in South Africa would have looked like in 2020, visit Israel.” After the thread came to light, the University of Texas at Austin distanced itself from Wells, stating, “Spencer Wells is no longer a faculty or advisory council member at UT. He previously had a courtesy, unpaid appointment as a part-time adjunct that did not involve tea...
The Palestinians have a right to confront Israel, and a third intifada may be on the way, senior Palestinian official Nabil Shaath said on Friday. Shaath, an adviser to Palestinian Authority leader Mahmoud Abbas, said in a July 3 interview by France 24 that Saudi Arabia’s King Abdullah had pledged $1 billion in support of the second intifada, which lasted from 2000-2005, and that today, the Arabs and the whole world would stand by the Palestinians if things continue as they have been. Europe will not tolerate an Israeli annexation of the West Bank, he said. Shaath, who claims to have been U.S. President Donald Trump’s professor at the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania, said that Trump had been a poor student and is unpredictable, specifically with regard to the...
Israeli aircraft struck targets in the northern Gaza Strip on Sunday following a barrage of rocket fire into southern Israel. No casualties were reported on either side. In a statement, the Israeli military said attack helicopters and fighter jets struck “underground infrastructure” belonging to Gaza’s ruling Hamas terrorist group. Earlier Sunday, the army said three rockets were fired by Gaza terrorists toward Israel, setting off air-raid sirens. It said one of the rockets was intercepted by Israel’s Iron Dome air defense system; according to Channel 12 TV the other two landed in open areas. There was no immediate claim of responsibility for the rocket fire. A number of armed terrorist groups operate in Gaza. Israel says it holds Hamas, as the control...
Israel launched a spy satellite into orbit early Monday morning, the Israeli Defense Ministry and Israel Aerospace Industries (IAI) said in a joint statement. “The Space Administration in the Directorate of Defense Research and Development … of the Israel Ministry of Defense … and Israel Aerospace Industries (IAI) have successfully launched the ‘Ofek 16’ reconnaissance satellite into space,” the statement said. The satellite was launched at 4 a.m. from a site in central Israel, according to the statement. According to the Defense Ministry, “Ofek 16” is an “optoelectronic reconnaissance satellite with advanced capabilities.” Engineers will now run a series of tests before the satellite enters full operation, according to the s...
Gov. Andrew Cuomo on Monday said no decision has been made about whether schools will be back in session but said the state had hit a pandemic low in new hospitalizations as the state continues opening businesses and easing restrictions. “What does that reopen school look like in the quote unquote new normal right,” the governor said at a Monday coronavirus briefing in Manhattan. “So we’ve asked every school district to come up with a plan on what reopening would look like in your district. New York City is coming up with a plan. Pursuant to that request on what it would look like to reopen the New York City School System in September. But there has been no decision yet, as to whether or not we are reopening schools. We obviously very much would like to,” he...
Israel recorded 691 new coronavirus infections since midnight and 818 new cases over the past 24 hours, according to the Health Ministry’s updated COVID-19 figures. Three more deaths were registered as well, bringing Israel’s tally since the outbreak of the pandemic to 334. There are currently 12,359 active cases throughout the country and 30,749 cases since the first confirmed carrier. Read more at i24NEWS.
BALTIMORE — An unknown substance has spread Monday afternoon in the water near the Canton Waterfront Park in Baltimore. The group Blue Water Baltimore said its scientists have alerted the Coast Guard and the city's Department of Public Works. Blue Water Baltimore said it has received reports that the substance could be linked to a water main break. The group said its waterkeeper team believes it could be heating oil. Read more at WBALTV
More articles