A massive fire erupted at Savon Shoes, located at the corner of 13th Avenue and 39th Street in Boro Park, early Monday morning, at 2:00 a.m. FDNY firefighters responded swiftly, but the blaze escalated quickly, with heavy smoke billowing from the store. The fire was upgraded to a third alarm as crews worked tirelessly to extinguish the flames. One firefighter sustained injuries during the operation, and Boro Park Hatzolah was on scene to provide medical support. The cause of the fire was unknown. (YWN World Headquarters – NYC)

I love Eretz Yisroel with every fiber of my being. I daven for its safety, rejoice in its nissim, and cry over its tzaros. I am mechanech my children from the youngest age to say, “V’sechezena eineinu b’shuvcha l’Tzion b’rachamim.” In our shuls, our yeshivos, our homes — there is nothing more precious than the kedusha of Eretz HaKodesh and the situation of our brothers and sisters living there. And that’s exactly why I have no patience — not an ounce — for the chaos that Itamar Ben Gvir brought to our streets this week. He came to America under the banner of an “official visit.” To meet with who? Nobody. There were no real meetings scheduled. Not in Crown Heights. Not at Essen. Not at Shaarei Zion. Not at the Young Israel of Woodmere. Not anywhere.

On Sunday, Hatzolah of Mill Basin-Canarsie held a ribbon-cutting ceremony at Tiferet Ovadia to dedicate the new “Beitel Family Ambulance,” generously donated by Mr. Ben Beitel and his family. The event drew a large crowd of community members, local leaders, elected officials, and emergency personnel, all gathered to honor the Beitel family’s commitment to lifesaving services in the Mill Basin and Canarsie communities. The new ambulance was dedicated in memory of Avraham and Chaya Sarah Altah Rosenthal, with the generous donation made by the Beitel family. The ceremony celebrated the addition of a state-of-the-art ambulance to Hatzolah’s fleet, enhancing the organization’s ability to provide rapid, expert medical response in the region.

Following a tense confrontation on Thursday night, in Crown Heights, where hundreds of Lubavitcher bochurim stood up to pro-Hamas supporters, Crown Heights Shomrim has issued an urgent community alert about a planned pro-terror demonstration scheduled for Monday, April 28, at 7:00 p.m. The protest is set to begin at the Barclays Center and move toward Crown Heights, prompting heightened vigilance from local authorities and residents. The Thursday night incident saw pro-Hamas agitators met with strong resistance from the Chabad community, resulting in the protesters being driven out of the area. Additionally, members of Neturei Karta were chased out of Crown Heights during the same evening. It remains unclear whether Neturei Karta plans to return for Monday’s demonstration.

What began as a high-profile visit by Israeli National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir has descended into chaos, as hundreds of pro-Palestinian protesters converged outside the iconic Chabad-Lubavitch headquarters at 770 Eastern Parkway this evening, triggering confrontations, shouting matches, and reports of physical altercations with Lubavitcher bochurim. The unrest follows a whirlwind 24 hours for Ben-Gvir, a polarizing figure in Israeli politics known for his hardline views, whose presence has ignited fierce backlash across multiple New York City stops. On Wednesday night, Ben-Gvir was met with loud protests and jeering at Yale University, where demonstrators interrupted his address with chants and disruptions.

The federal prosecutor’s office in Manhattan accidentally filed an internal memo that poked holes in the Trump administration’s strategy to kill New York’s toll on driving in Manhattan — arguing the government should change tactics if it wants to block the nascent program. The memo, intended for a U.S. Department of Transportation attorney, was inadvertently filed Wednesday night in New York’s lawsuit against the administration over its efforts to shut down the fee. The blunder came days after the Trump administration gave New York a third ultimatum to stop collecting the toll, which started in January and charges most drivers $9 to enter the most traffic-snarled part of the borough. In the memo, three assistant U.S.

A fast-moving wildfire engulfing part of New Jersey’s Pine Barrens was expected grow Thursday, with smoke affecting the air quality in the New York City area before rain arrives this week, authorities said. Higher-than-normal pollution levels were expected Thursday in New York City, Rockland and Westchester counties, and in Long Island’s Nassau and Suffolk counties, the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation advised Wednesday. The fire is roughly 54 miles (87 kilometers) south of New York City. It said “going indoors may reduce exposure” to problems such as eye, nose and throat irritation, coughing, sneezing and shortness of breath.

Barnegat, NJ – A rapidly spreading wildfire, dubbed the “Jones Wildfire,” erupted in Barnegat Township, Ocean County, on Tuesday, afternoon, consuming 1,200 acres in the Greenwood Forest Wildlife Management Area and prompting mandatory evacuations, road closures, and the shutdown of a significant portion of the Garden State Parkway. As of 5 p.m., the blaze remained 0% contained, threatening 16 structures and casting thick smoke across the Jersey Shore region, according to the New Jersey Forest Fire Service. The Garden State Parkway, a major artery along the Jersey Shore, is closed in both directions between Exit 63 in Stafford Township and Exit 80 in South Toms River, with additional closures at Exit 69 in Waretown.

House Republicans are renewing calls for criminal charges against former New York Governor Andrew Cuomo, accusing him of making “criminally false statements” to Congress regarding the underreporting of COVID-19 deaths in nursing homes. In a letter to U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi, the House Oversight Committee, led by Chairman James Comer (R-Ky.), cites “overwhelming evidence” that Cuomo misled Congress during a June 2023 interview about his role in drafting and editing a July 2020 report that allegedly undercounted nursing home deaths by 46%.

A Hamas supporter was seen wearing a mock suicide vest at an anti-Israel protest in Manhattan. The vest is reminiscent of the suicide vests worn by terrorists to murder and maim Israelis during the Second Intifada in the early 2000s. And of course, the 9/11 attacks on the Twin Towers in New York City were also carried out by suicide attackers. The video shows the would-be suicide bomber with other pro-Hamas supporters arguing with counter-protesters. (YWN Israel Desk – Jerusalem)