A flight that had just taken off from LAX reportedly dumped jet fuel on an elementary school playground in Cudahy, California, after it needed to make an emergency landing back at the airport, Tuesday.. First responders were called to the scene in the 8000 block of Park Avenue around 12:30 PM local time. It is believed the school is Park Avenue Elementary. Fire officials said they were ‘assessing multiple patients’ as children were on the playground. Delta Flight 89 was en route from Los Angeles to Shanghai when it reported engine failure, made an emergency fuel dump and then returned safely to Los Angeles International Airport, according to initial social media reports. (Source: Breaking911.com)

Rav Shmuel Binyamin Sofer, z’l, was killed in a head-on collision with a commercial vehicle overnight Monday on his way home from a family wedding in Beit Shemesh, Kikar Hashabat reported. Two of his children, ages 12 and 13, were injured in the accident, which occurred close to Tzfat, and were evacuated in moderate condition to Ziv Hospital in Tzfat. A man in his 60s from the other vehicle involved in the accident was also evacuated in moderate condition. R’ Sofer, z’l, 51, a member of Tzfat’s Breslover community, was a melamed in the Breslover cheder for many years and was respected as someone who devoted himself to the children’s chinuch. Four years ago he left his position and joined the Kollel Chatzos in Meron.

Please be advised that a number of fake legislative memos have been sent out in the name of Agudath Israel, some even on what appears to be its letterhead. Some of these fraudulent documents have been sent to the media, others to legislators, and still others have been posted in public areas. These memos are COMPLETE FORGERIES and Agudath Israel disavows any association with them. Any authentic public communication sent from Agudath Israel will always have the name and contact of a staff member for easy authentication. They will also be posted on our website, Agudah.org, and on Twitter @AgudahNews.

While YWN has been at the forefront of reporting nearly every single anti-Semitic incident, onee “incident” this morning is raising lots of eyebrows. In a press release submitted to YWN, Dov Hikind says that the following occurred: This past Friday night, a Hasidic father and his 17-year old son were walking home after spending time at a tisch, a rabbinical event in Boro Park. As they were crossing the street at 15th Avenue and 50th Street a police car with its lights on drove by and the police officer who was driving the car rolled his window down and yelled “you [EXPLETIVE REMOVED]’ Jews” at them. The officer laughed and drove off, leaving them shocked and stunned.

Rav Kalman Weinfeld, the OK’s Rabbinic Coordinator for the Food Service Department and the Rav of Manhattan Beer, flew to the Bahamas on Monday to supervise the kashering of a restaurant that is hosting a frum group soon. As he was about to disembark the plane, Rav Weinfeld stopped to thank the pilots and was quite surprised when one responded with “zei gezunt!” Of course, Rav Weinfeld, a Chabad chassid, asked him if he would like to put on Tefillin. The pilot was happy to have the opportunity to put on Tefillin for the second time in his life and as he was wrapping the Tefillin in the cockpit, the co-pilot walked in and remarked that he is Jewish also. The co-pilot was familiar with Shema and said he recited it sometimes but at age 44, he had never put on Tefillin.

A fire erupted in an apartment building on Manhattan’s Upper East Side early Tuesday, injuring 22 people, two of them critically, according to the Fire Department of New York. The fire was reported at around 2 a.m. on the 24th floor of a building on East 72nd Street. A newborn baby was among those hurt, according to WABC. The critically injured patients were found unresponsive in a doorway, where they appeared to have collapsed while trying to escape, WABC reported. A door was left open in the apartment where the fire started, allowing the flames to spread into the hallway. “We had numerous phone calls from apartments above, complaining about smoke, people trapped, all due to the fact that that door was left open,” said FDNY Assistant Chief Joseph Ferrante.

Saudia Arabia has long been known for its lack of tourist visas, allowing entrance to the kingdom to only Muslim pilgrims, businessmen and foreign workers. But that all changed in a dramatic policy shift in September 2019, when Saudi Arabia completely transformed its tourism laws and Crown Prince Mohammad bin Salman introduced electronic tourist visas to 50 different countries, including Israel. The Crown Prince set a goal of increasing tourism revenue to 10% of the country’s GDP by 2030, a move spurred by low oil prices and the Saudi Vision 2030 reform plan, which aims to reduce the kingdom’s dependence on oil and diversify its economy.

Iran’s judiciary said Tuesday arrests have been made for the accidental shootdown of a Ukrainian passenger plane that killed all 176 people on board just after takeoff from Tehran last week. The announcement came amid an upswell of anger and protests by Iranians in recent days over the downing of the jetliner last Wednesday and apparent attempts by senior officials in Iran to cover up the cause of the crash. Iran, which initially dismissed allegations that a missile had brought down the plane, acknowledged only on Saturday — three days after and in the face of mounting evidence — that its Revolutionary Guard had shot down the plane by mistake as the force braced for a possible military confrontation with the United States.

In light of the recent rise in hate crimes against Jews in the Tri-State area, a high-level security meeting took place in Connecticut. Connecticut Governor Ned Lamont, who has a close relationship with the Waterbury Jewish community, met with the Rosh Yeshiva, Rabbonim, and community Askonim from Waterbury regarding safety and security for the Waterbury Jewish community. The Governor made it clear that he would not tolerate any hate against Jews in the State, and that extra security and additional measures have already been taken to ensure the safety of the Jewish communities around the state. The Waterbury Jewish Community has more than 300 families living in it.

Rabbi Yitzy Hurwitz, the tzadik from California, has been suffering with ALS for years. He has been a source of inspiration to thousands despite his tremendous challenges. Tall and trim, with broad shoulders and a wide smile, Yitzy Hurwitz, the 42 year-old Chabad rabbi, was nursing big plans for his community in Temecula when he began having trouble speaking. It took months of tests to rule out other possibilities before a diagnosis of ALS was confirmed. Also known as Lou Gherig’s disease, ALS is a progressive neurodegenerative disease that affects nerve cells in the brain and the spinal cord. This evening at Reb Yitzi bedside singers Abie Rottenberg and Shlomo Simcha will be having an amazing Kumzits – which will be streamed right here – live on YWN!