Menachem was once the pride of his yeshiva. A serious bochur and a child prodigy, everyone believed he was destined for greatness. But as time passed, his interests shifted. Slowly, he transitioned from the path of becoming a talmid chochom to settling into the life of a kovei itim baalebos. While the kehillah shook their heads at what they saw as wasted potential, they comforted themselves with the thought: “Baruch Hashem, at least his phone is filtered.” Chaim’s story is heartbreakingly different. Raised in a single-parent, low-income home, his challenges were apparent to all. His expulsion from one yeshiva after another barely raised an eyebrow. But when Chaim began wearing an earring and displaying a tattoo, the askanim who had tried to intervene felt defeated.

Passengers on El Al Flight LY10 departing John F. Kennedy International Airport on Wednesday experienced an extraordinary in-flight celebration when the flight transformed into an impromptu Sheva Brachos for a newlywed couple traveling to Eretz Yisroel. The flight was well underway when word of the couple’s presence began to spread among the passengers. By the time night fell, the festive spirit had taken over, and a large group of travelers gathered to celebrate the joyous occasion. A flight attendant provided complimentary wine for the brachos. Passengers joined together in heartfelt singing, creating an atmosphere of unity and joy, as the newlyweds embarked on their lifelong journey together.

Some New York Democratic lawmakers, led by State Senator Liz Krueger, are seriously considering seceding from the United States and becoming a province of Canada in response to President-elect Donald Trump’s immigration policies. Krueger’s suggestion—an apparent attempt to oppose Trump’s proposed deportation plans—includes the idea that New York’s secession could help alleviate Canada’s supposed burden of enforcing illegal border crossings. “It’s not unreasonable to think outside of the box,” Krueger said, though many might argue this particular box has fallen off its rocking chair. Adding to the spectacle, Krueger floated the idea of withholding federal taxes as a retaliatory measure against Trump’s threat to cut federal funding for states that resist his immigration policies.

Emergency responders were battling a residential structure fire at 29 Kaser Terrace, near Phyllis Terrace, in Monsey, on Wednesday morning. The Monsey Fire Department arrived on the scene, and promptly requested mutual aid from neighboring departments, due to the large fire. Amidst the chaos, Chaverim of Rockland displayed extraordinary heroism, ensuring all occupants of the home were safely evacuated. Chaverim also successfully removed a Sefer Torah from a neighboring residence, safeguarding it from harm, as there was fear that the fire was spreading No injuries were reported. The fire, which has been escalated to a second alarm, has drawn a robust response from multiple fire departments, including Hillcrest, Suffern, Tallman, South Spring Valley, Spring Valley, and New City.

The IDF issued arrest orders for 1,126 bnei yeshivos who ignored their draft orders, Army Radio reported on Tuesday. “Our target was for 1,110 Chareidim to show up for the first summons out of 3,000, and only 290 came,” said Brig. Gen. Shay Taib, the head of the IDF’s Manpower Division, at a meeting of the Knesset’s Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee. “We issued 1,126 arrest warrants to those who didn’t respond to the first and second orders.” “They will then receive a call to come to the induction centers and anyone who fails to appear will be declared a draft dodger.” Those who are declared draft dodgers will not be arrested immediately but will be taken into police custody if they try to leave the country and be prevented from receiving a driver’s license.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu delivered a pointed critique of the Biden administration’s policies during a speech in the Knesset on Monday, highlighting disagreements over major decisions in Israel’s ongoing war against Iran and its proxies. Netanyahu alleged that the United States had opposed Israel’s military actions at critical junctures in the conflict. “The US had reservations and suggested that we not enter Gaza,” he said.

In the aftermath of the November 5 presidential election, Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez pointed a finger at the pro-Israel lobbying group AIPAC, suggesting its influence might have played a role in the Democratic Party’s underperformance. The New York congresswoman, known for her frequent criticism of Israel, made her remarks in a post on the social media platform X. “If people want to talk about members of Congress being overly influenced by a special interest group pushing a wildly unpopular agenda that pushes voters away from Democrats, then they should be discussing AIPAC,” Ocasio-Cortez, commonly referred to as AOC, wrote on Sunday.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu told the Knesset Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee on Sunday that he would not allow Hamas to regain power in Gaza under any circumstances, according to Israel National News. “The only thing that Hamas wants is a deal that ends the war and for the IDF to leave the Strip in order to return to power,” Netanyahu said. “I am not ready to allow that under any circumstance.” Netanyahu reportedly insisted that Hamas interprets Israeli pressure as a sign it can hold out for a more favorable deal. Security officials have warned that this approach could jeopardize the lives of hostages held by the terror group.

Iran has reportedly urged Hezbollah to accept a ceasefire agreement with Israel amid ongoing U.S.-led efforts to end hostilities, The New York Times reported over the weekend. Ali Larijani, senior adviser to Iranian Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, conveyed Tehran’s support during a November 15 meeting in Beirut with senior Lebanese officials, including Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri and Prime Minister Najib Mikati. Larijani reportedly assured Hezbollah of Iranian assistance in rebuilding its forces and infrastructure after the war, while urging the group to retreat north of the Litani River in accordance with U.N. Resolution 1701.

Opposition leaders Yair Lapid and Avigdor Lieberman shamelessly besmirched Gedolei Yisrael and tried to incite anger against the Chareidi sector on Monday. Lapid spoke at a meeting of the Yesh Atid and Yisrael Beiteinu parties, saying: “The Israeli government is always trying to scare us and warn us about a civil rebellion. There is already a civil rebellion in Israel. When the Yated Ne’eman calls on the Chareidim to refuse to comply with recruitment orders – that is civil rebellion. When the demonstrators in Bnei Brak and Jerusalem shout ‘We would rather die than enlist,’ while IDF soldiers are dying every day, that is civil rebellion.