I once criticized a Jewish friend of mine for verbally attacking other Jews with the offhand comment that he was an anti-Semite. “If so, I come by it honestly,” replied this educated, observant man. And his reply gave me pause—a pause I’ve returned to again and again. Honest anti-Semitism—what does that mean? After saying modeh, I skim the headlines. Especially during the pandemic, there’s an aspect of doom-scrolling, but the changing nature of COVID makes being informed a component of remaining safe. I check to see what’s occurring with my brethren around the globe. Lockdowns and restrictions in various Jewish communities concern most of us and we also seek to see how our leaders are responding.

Behind all of the false bravado & chest thumping of ineffective rabble rousers, aggressive Covid testing campaigns have been ongoing. These efforts led by well known community leaders & organizations under the guidance of Rabbonim with the stated goal of reducing the covid positivity rate, thus freeing orthodox neighborhoods in South Brooklyn from the Iron grip of the Cuomo RedZones. Unfortunately, despite the continuous testing, community leaders & politicians remain extremely frustrated with State & City authorities for their refusal to share pertinent and timely data that can assist these frantic efforts.

Once a gleaming symbol of early 20th-century ambition and prosperity, Hoboken’s grand rail terminal now sits as a somber reminder of the daunting challenges facing mass transit in the New York region. Eight years ago Thursday, Superstorm Sandy pushed the Hudson River over its banks, sending 8 feet of water onto underground tracks and leaving the main waiting room unusable for months. Today, seating in the ornate, Greek Revival-inspired room is again prohibited, this time by concerns over the new coronavirus. The storm is a dimming memory for many, pushed aside now by more pressing concerns brought on by the pandemic. Yet some repairs still aren’t completed.

A dangling crane shut down several streets in Midtown on Thursday evening. It happened at 111 West 57th Street near 6th Avenue. The FDNY received a report of debris falling from a building just after 6:40 p.m. The building is an 84-story condo tower on what is referred to as “Billionaires Row.” The city is shut down 55th to 59th streets from Madison to 8th avenues. #BREAKING: huge construction crane swinging wildly at top of mega high rise under construction on 57th and 6th. Reports of debris in street. Lots of streets closed. #abc7ny pic.twitter.com/fwWS21E8h7 — Josh Einiger (@JoshEiniger7) October 29, 2020 JOIN THE TENS OF THOUSANDS WHO ALREADY ARE ALERTED OF BREAKING NEWS LIKE THIS IN LIVE TIME: YWN WHATSAPP STATUS UPDATES: CLICK HERE to join the YWN WhatsApp Status.

It appears the Boro Park community really wants to show the MAGA support. Residents woke up on Thursday morning to find flags draped all across many street corners of 13th Avenue – in the heart of the Jewish community. Flags hanging included Trump2020, American flags as well as the NYPD “back the blue” flags. The Orthodox Jewish community overwhelmingly voted Trump in 2016, and will be doing the same next Tuesday. JOIN THE TENS OF THOUSANDS WHO ALREADY ARE ALERTED OF BREAKING NEWS LIKE THIS IN LIVE TIME: YWN WHATSAPP STATUS UPDATES: CLICK HERE to join the YWN WhatsApp Status. YWN WHATSAPP GROUPS: CLICK HERE to be added to an official YWN WhatsApp Group. See the videos and photos (by Heshy Rubenstein) below: (YWN World Headquarters – NYC)

NYC will be getting its first ever female Chief of Patrol, YNW has learned. Mayor DeBlasio is expected to announce on Thursday that NYPD Chief Juanita Holmes has been promoted to the position. Holmes is the highest-ranking black women in the NYPD history. She is a Brooklyn native with 16 immediate family members also in the NYPD, including her own son. JOIN THE TENS OF THOUSANDS WHO ALREADY ARE ALERTED OF BREAKING NEWS LIKE THIS IN LIVE TIME: YWN WHATSAPP STATUS UPDATES: CLICK HERE to join the YWN WhatsApp Status. YWN WHATSAPP GROUPS: CLICK HERE to be added to an official YWN WhatsApp Group. (YWN World Headquarters – NYC)

Avi Cyperstein, who has been instrumental in providing volunteer services to the Queens community for over a decade announced his candidacy for NYC Council District 29 in front of Queens Borough hall amongst family, friends, and a long line of early voters. As a healthcare professional assisting seniors and those struggling with mental health, Avi has been able to effectively help so many people all over the city. As a small business owner he knows the challenges businesses face, especially as they navigate the overwhelming challenges brought on by the Coronavirus. He is also a volunteer first responder for a local ambulance company. His experience has prepared him to be the type of leader our community can depend on.

Brooklyn, NY – State Senator Andrew Gounardes, Congressman Max Rose, State Senator Simcha Felder, Assemblyman Steven Cymbrowitz, Councilman Chaim Deutsch, Councilman Kalman Yeger and other elected officials stood side by side with Sephardic community leaders to denounce a vile and hateful instance of antisemitic vandalism at the popular Very Juice Cafe in Gravesend. The group of leaders condemned the rise of antisemitism and hatred across the country. In 2019, the ADL found that antisemitic incidents had hit an all-time high. The hateful vandalism was found on the day of the two-year anniversary of the shooting at the Tree of Life synagogue in Pittsburgh. “As we have seen from the rise in violent antisemitic incidents in recent years, rhetoric has consequences.

Yesterday, The Satmar Rebbe of Kiryas Yoel, Hagaon HaRav Aaron Teitelbaum addressed the Boro Park community, where he slammed the recent protests that were held in the community. “We don’t make any protests in the streets. And you are not permitted to make protests in the streets. This doesn’t accomplish any good, and only does the opposite!”, the Rebbe stated. “Yidden are in Galus. We have to know we are in Galus.

New Yorkers streamed into early voting locations for the fourth straight day Tuesday, also the last day to request an absentee ballot. State election officials said over 710,000 New Yorkers have voted at in-person polling stations Saturday through Monday, including nearly 400,000 in New York City. Among the people braving another day of long lines for early voting was New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio. The Democrat joined the end of a half-mile-long queue at his Brooklyn polling location in the early afternoon and then waited 3 1/2 hours to cast his ballot. “I’m a little tired like everyone else, but it’s important. Nothing more important than voting this year,” he told reporters after emerging.