Guatemalan officials reported on Friday that they rescued 160 children and 40 women from a farm linked to the extremist, radical Lev Tahor group comprised of people who dress like chareidi Jews, following an investigation into allegations of child abuse. The Attorney General’s Office in Guatemala released a statement on X, detailing the discovery of what are believed to be the remains of one child.
Dimas Jimenez, a public prosecutor, shared in a press briefing that the operation was prompted by suspicions of “mistreatment of minors” and other allegations of inapproriate and dangerous behavior.

The Chief Rabbis of Israel, Rav Dovid Yosef and Rav Kalman Ber, have called upon President Yitzchok Herzog to grant a pardon to Soldier A, who was responsible for leaking classified information to Eli Feldstein, a spokesperson for Prime Minister Bibi Netanyahu.
“The difficult decision made in his case is causing division within the nation. We see the presidency as a symbol of peace and unity. The soldier deeply regrets his actions. We join many others in urging you to use your authority to grant him a pardon,” the chief rabbis stated.

Renowned Jewish music composer Yossi Green has released a new song in memory of slain UAE shliach Rabbi Zvi Kogan Hy”d.
Green writes:
A few years ago, my wife and I had occasion to visit Dubai. And as is usual for us, we only travel to a destination where we can be within walking distance to a Chabad House. This gives us the opportunity to meet and get to know a precious and Lechtig Chabad Shliach and his Family among other Yidden who are traveling, as well as the local Yidden who are getting closer as a result of the beautiful work by the Shliach.

A shooting at Bais Chaya Mushka Elementary School early on Friday morning marks the third time that shots have been fired at the Chabad girls school in Toronto in recent months.
There was a shooting at the school on May 25 and another, on Oct. 12 on Yom Kippur, in October, which Canadian parliamentarian Kevin Vuong, who represents Toronto, referred to at the time as “domestic terrorism.”
The Toronto Police Service stated on Friday that there was “evidence of firearm discharge” at the school, where no injuries were reported. It added that the Integrated Gun and Gang Task Force and the Hate Crime Unit were investigating.

In a well-coordinated effort and thorough investigation, authorities have taken a suspect into custody on Thursday in connection with a recent stabbing incident in Crown Heights. Crown Heights Shmira confirmed that the man, wanted for attempted murder, is now under arrest following the attack that nearly ended in tragedy.
The attack occurred on December 9th, as the victim was walking while carrying a suitcase. Without warning, the suspect launched an assault, stabbing the man on the steps of Rubashkin’s residence on President Street. According to reports, the assailant chillingly declared, “There’s no one here to help you,” before stabbing the frum man in the neck in a completely unprovoked act of violence.

The New York City Council voted today to rename a section of President Street, located between Brooklyn and New York Avenues in the Crown Heights area of Brooklyn, as “Lubavitcher Rebbe Way.”
“Rabbi Menachem Mendel Schneerson, known as the Lubavitcher Rebbe, was the seventh leader of the Chabad-Lubavitch movement and one of the most transformative figures in modern Jewish history,” remarked Democratic Council Member Crystal Hudson, who was responsible for introducing the legislation.
The stretch of President Street being renamed includes the address 1304 President Street, the former residence of the Rebbe and his Rebbetzin, Chaya Mushka Schneerson.

WATCH:

For the first time, new information about the “Exploding Beepers” operation targeting Hezbollah has been disclosed by former Mossad operatives.
The operatives who orchestrated this daring mission shared details with CBS’s “60 Minutes,” revealing aspects of the covert planning and strategy that led to the operation’s execution. These insights shed light on the extensive groundwork laid years in advance.
The episode is scheduled to air Sunday night on CBS, corresponding to Israel time.

Over 15 thousand additional Yeshiva students in New York City will now be eligible for city funded security guards at their schools following a new bill passed by the New York City Council today. The bill, Intro 532, expands upon a 2016 law that reimbursed nonpublic schools for the cost of security guards, recognizing that all students deserve a safe school environment, whether they attend public or nonpublic school.
However, with rising antisemitism the law needed critical updates. The current law was limited to schools with at least 300 students, leaving smaller schools vulnerable. Today’s legislation, long championed by the Agudah and other nonpublic school advocates, reduces that threshold to 150 students, enabling many more schools to seek reimbursement.

A small aircraft crashed at Lakewood Airport on Cedar Bridge Avenue in Lakewood, NJ, a short while ago, leaving three people from a local frum family shaken but largely unharmed.
The occupants, a couple and their child, were aboard the four-seater Cessna 172M, which is owned by a Lakewood resident.
First responders, including fire, EMS, and police personnel, quickly arrived at the scene. They found one person in critical condition, requiring urgent medical attention. The other two family members sustained only minor injuries.
Initially, a Medevac helicopter was requested to transport the critically injured patient to a trauma center, but the flight was canceled, and the patient was instead taken by ambulance in stable condition.