NEW YORK (JTA) — Albert Bourla, the chief executive officer of Pfizer, was named the winner of the 2022 Genesis Prize, the award sometimes called the “Jewish Nobel.” The award, which “honors extraordinary individuals for their outstanding professional achievement, contribution to humanity, and commitment to Jewish values,” was announced early Wednesday morning. The award will […]

BNEI BRAK (VINnews) — At a schmooze last week at a Mesivta in Bnei Brak, Rabbi Yehuda Aryeh Diner told a fascinating story about an American bochur attending Rav Dovid’s Brisk. Rav Diner said, “The bochur was visiting the Kosel, and saw an American goy writing a kvittel and placing it into a crack. The […]

ISRAEL (VINnews) — A columnist for Haaretz is being sued for making offensive comments about the Chomesh Yeshiva and its students. The Yeshiva has now filed a defamation lawsuit against Gideon Levy, asking for half a million NIS in damages. In addition to a series of on-the-record public comments which were demeaning, hateful and anti-religious, […]

JERUSALEM (AP) — Israeli lawmakers on Tuesday called for a parliamentary inquiry into the police’s alleged use of sophisticated spyware on Israeli citizens, including protesters opposed to former Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, following a newspaper report on the surveillance. Hebrew-language business newspaper Calcalist reported that in 2020, police used the NSO spyware Pegasus to surveil […]

NEW YORK (VINnews) — A new vaccine mandate requiring all Canadian truckers travelling in and out of Canada to be vaccinated, has taken effect this week. In the coming days a similar mandate will require US truckers going in and out of Canada to be vaccinated against COVID as well. The new requirements have led […]

JERUSALEM (VINnews) — An embarrassing incident took place, in which the Minister in charge of the Israeli police seemed to be unaware of a well-known matter–the recent arrest and alleged beating of a Charedi. As reported in B’Chadrei Charedim, on Monday, Minister of Public Security Omer Bar Lev was asked by a journalist what he […]

COLLEYVILLE, Texas (AP) — The rabbi of a Texas synagogue said Monday that he threw a chair at the gunman and then escaped with two other hostages after a 10-hour standoff, crediting past security training for getting himself and his congregation out safely. Rabbi Charlie Cytron-Walker told “CBS Mornings” that he let the gunman in […]

BROOKLYN (VINnews) — A large two-alarm fire erupted in the heart of Borough Park on Sunday afternoon, during a busy shopping session on Erev Tu B’shvat.  The fire began around 4:30 pm at the Professional Colorist in Wigs salon on 50th street off 13th avenue, and quickly spread to the Grand Sterling House of Fine […]

JERUSALEM (VINnews) — The family of Nissim Shitrit, who was murdered as a young man, held a memorial service in his memory on Sunday. Although it was the 36th yahrtzeit of Nissim’s death, this was the first memorial service ever held for him, following the unequivocal determination by police that Mr. Shitrit was indeed murdered. […]

COLLEYVILLE, Texas (AP) — A rabbi who was among four people held hostage at a Texas synagogue said Sunday that the British man who held them captive became “increasingly belligerent and threatening” toward the end of the 10-hour standoff. Rabbi Charlie Cytron-Walker of Congregation Beth Israel, near Fort Worth, credited security training that his congregation […]