By Rabbi Yair Hoffman for 5TJT.com Everyone pretty much knows the routine already: Yeshiva elementary (finish at 13 or 14), then Yeshiva high school (finish at 17 or 18), followed by two years in a good post high school yeshiva (finish at 19 or 20), then two years in Eretz Yisroel (finish at 21, or […]

Interior Minister Aryeh Deri made a statement on Sunday at a campaign launch party for Shas, that claimed that Yisrael Beitenu party chairman Avidgor Lieberman has cut a deal with the Blue and White party. According to the claim, Lieberman has agreed to help form a left-wing government after the March 2nd Knesset election with the Blue and White party that would see the Arab Joint-List Arab party in the government. The accusation came as Deri explained that this is what Lieberman meant by his recent comments where he stated that he has a plan to prevent Israel from heading to a fourth election. “So now Lieberman is telling the truth this time.

A Palestinian Arab brandishing a knife was apprehended by Israeli soldiers near Highway 60 by the Efrat North intersection on Sunday evening. The incident took place just after 5:00 p.m. when an 18-and-a-half-year-old approached a group of soldiers while holding an exposed knife in his hand. Soldiers, who saw the young man approaching with the knife ordered him to stop and drop his weapon while they aimed their guns at him. One soldier from the lookout radioed for backup and security forces as well as the police, and emergency medical forces from MDA and United Hatzalah in the area were dispatched to the scene. The Palestinian man saw the weapons and adhered to the soldiers’ orders and dropped the knife. He was taken into custody and brought in for questioning.

YWN regrets to inform you of the sudden Petira of R’ Shlomie Pinchas Ritterman Z”L of North Miami Beach, Florida (previously of Flatbush). He was 58. R’ Shloime was on a flight with his wife at Forth Lauderdale Airport, when he suffered a massive heart attack. He was rushed to the the closest hospital (Broward Hospital) where he was R”L Niftar. The Niftar Grew up in Flatbush on East 3rd Street near Avenue M, and lived on East 10 between Avenue’s N-O before moving to North Miami Beach. He was one of the original members of Flatbush Shomrim, and was a member of the Chevra Kaddisha in Flatbush. He leaves behind his wife Mrs. Leah Dini and children Chesky, Moshe, Eli, Tzvi and Gitti. Chesed Shel Emes was instrumental in ensuring proper Kavod Hames and a timely Levaya.

A second person in New York City is being tested for coronavirus, the Health Department reports. Officials say the 60-year-old, who is currently hospitalized at Flushing Hospital Medical Center, had recently been in mainland China, and displayed fever symptoms and shortness of breath. Meanwhile, New York City health officials are awaiting test results on a possible first case of coronavirus as the TSA issues new travel restrictions for people coming to the U.S. from China and the number of cases continues to climb. Gov. Andrew Cuomo announced a hotline Sunday for New Yorkers to call about the coronavirus. The hotline, staffed by Health Department experts, is 1-888-364-3065.

It’s a heart stopping moment. A toddler, barely 2 years of age, has gone missing. The family is frantic, and for good reason. A two year old child roaming the city streets is a recipe for disaster. “After the waves of panic made way for hysteria, I picked up the phone and called Shomrim. That was the smartest phone call I’ve ever made. Within minutes, my house was flooded with volunteers and within the hour, my baby was back home safe and sound. I shudder to think of what could have been. “ Without fanfare or commotion, Shomrim saved a child’s life and a mother’s sanity. The calls don’t stop. “Someone is in my basement. He’s carrying a knife.” “My vehicle was stolen.” “My elderly parent is lost.” Shomrim is ready for every call. Shomrim is ready to help every Jew.

Yisrael Beiteinu chairman Avigdor Liberman posted yet another provocative video on social media on Sunday, blasting all yeshivos due to the Peleg protestors who caused traffic jams in Jerusalem last Sunday. Liberman, knowing very well that the protests were carried out by a tiny minority of the Chareidi community, claimed that just as the protests are intolerable, the “Chareidi committee” in the Finance Committee is intolerable, referring to the fact that Degel H’Torah chairman Moshe Gafni is the head of the Finance Committee. Liberman went on to make false statements that the “Chareidi committee” allots huge sums to yeshivos, taking the money from other areas like welfare, education and health and leaving no money to pay lone soldiers.

President Donald Trump used a Super Bowl pregame interview to rail against Democrats, accusing them of hatred and offering schoolyard insults about his potential 2020 rivals. “I see the hatred. … They don’t care about fairness, they don’t care about lying,” Trump said in a taped interview with Fox News Channel’s Sean Hannity, which aired on Fox hours before sports’ biggest night of the year. Trump spent his weekend in Florida as most of the political world has been focused on Iowa, where Democrats on Monday will cast their first votes to choose the party’s nominee. Prompted by Hannity, Trump went through most of the major candidates one by one, deriding “Sleepy Joe” Biden, the former vice president, accusing Massachusetts Sen.

Chabad Shluchim are on the front line in China as fear mounts in face of the quickly spreading coronavirus and fatalities number in the hundreds. Dozens of Chabad houses across China have been serving as clearinghouses for information and assistance for Jews in the country when the crisis hit, as tourists and businessmen tried to arrange flights out of China. But as the situation grows worse and the fatalities mount, the world is isolating China completely, with flights to and from the country being stopped by airlines around the world and border crossings sealed. Soon, it will be too late to leave the country. At least two Chabad Shluchim and their families have already left China, according to Chareidim10, one of them being Rabbi Dovi Henig, his wife Sarale and their children.

A man has beenLondon’s Metropolitan Police said it is investigating a terror-related incident after “a number of people” were stabbed and officers shot a man Sunday. The police force said the incident happened in the London’s Streatham neighborhood. The Metropolitan Police tweeted details of the incident on Sunday afternoon, saying “The circumstances are being assessed; the incident has been declared as terrorist-related.” The BBC said that witnesses reported hearing two gunshots just after 2 p.m. on Sunday. Social media showed multiple ambulances on the scene and helicopters in the air as helicopters responded to the incident. DEVELOPING STORY – REFRESH FOR UPDATES