The Agudah, today, has released the attached letter signed by three senior members of the Moetzes Gedolei HaTorah, Rabbi Shmuel Kamenetsky, Rabbi Dovid Feinstein, and Rabbi Aharon Feldman, for purposes of clarification. ENGLISH TRANSLATION We write in response to slander and to publicly declare that the Guidelines released by the leadership of Agudath Israel of America – on the subject of how and when to reopen the doors of our shuls and batei medrash for tefillah in a way that is in accordance with the law and in which there is no danger of the further spread of coronavirus – were fully accepted by us and were with the approval of the Moetzes Gedolei HaTorah. The rumors that the leadership of Agudath Israel acted on this of their own discretion are complete fabrications.

The condition of a yeshivah bochur from Neve Yaakov who was bitten by a poisonous snake on a hike last week and was hospitalized in extremely critical condition has improved. The bochur regained consciousness for the first time on Tuesday night and even mumbled a few words. The doctors removed his ventilator and he is now breathing on his own. “Mazel Tov, Mazel Tov,” his father, R’ Dovid Fogel, said. “A new son was born to me. Baruch Hashem, Menachem woke up.” According to a B’Chadrei Chareidim report, a relative checked the bochur’s tefillin and it was found that the word “ye’meichem” in the passuk “l’ma’aan yirbu ye’meichem” was passul. Apparently, after the parshiya was folded, it created a space in the letter “mem” which invalidated the word.

One of the leading physicians in Kiryas Joel, Dr Zev Zelenko, has announced that he is leaving the Village of Kiryas Joel where he has been practicing medicine for nearly two decades. Zelenko made national headlines recently by promoting Hydroxychloroquine as a treatment for COVID-19. YWN began publishing videos of Zelenko in mid March as the COVID-19 pandemic began raging in the United States. Dr Zelenko stated in his videos that he had given the medication to hundreds of patients and was seeing tremendous positive results. Shortly after the release of his videos, the political leadership released public letters stating that Dr Zelenko was not one of the leading doctors in Kiryas Joel, and was just one of many. No reason for the release of this letter was ever given.

Amid reports of an Israeli cyberattack on an Iranian port earlier this month, thousands of Iranians have been turning to Israel for asylum in Israel, Israel’s Foreign Ministry stated on Tuesday night. Since the coronavirus pandemic began, there has been a sharp increase in the number of Iranian citizens appealing for asylum to Israel. “I grew up in a politically mixed family,” one Iranian wrote to the Foreign Ministry on one of the digital platforms that the ministry runs in Farsi. “Two of my uncles were executed by the Ayatollah regime. My father sat in prison for eight years and three of my other uncles – who were also imprisoned – escaped and live today in Australia.” “I am also in and out of prison for political reasons. I want to escape this slow death. Israel is my dream.

Lawrence NY – A teenager is lucky to be alive after he took his fathers car for a high-speed joyride early this morning. Sources tell YWN that the teenager lost control of the vehicle traveling at a high rate of speed on Washington Avenue. The vehicle slammed into an electric pole breaking it in half, and then crashed into Mesivta Ateres Yaakov. Bichasdei Hashem he walked out unharmed. Police were investigating the incident. STAY UPDATED WITH BREAKING UPDATES FROM YWN VIA WHATSAPP – SIGN UP NOW Just click on this link, and you will be placed into a group. (YWN World Headquarters – NYC)

The NYPD visited a Satmar (Williamsburg) Shul on South 8th Street on Wednesday morning, and emptied hundreds of people out during Shacharis. In viral social videos you can see the crowd and the NYPD cordial with each other as the people walked out. Sources told YWN that police eventually allowed everyone back inside as long as there was proper social distancing. YWN was unable to confirm with the NYPD if this was in fact the case. As can be seen in the attached videos, nearly everyone was wearing masks. STAY UPDATED WITH BREAKING UPDATES FROM YWN VIA WHATSAPP – SIGN UP NOW Just click on this link, and you will be placed into a group.

26 Iyar 5780 May 20, 2020 To Our Beloved Community, We hope this letter finds you and your family safe, secure, and healthy. We appreciate your strength and fortitude during these difficult times. For the last 9 weeks we have shut down and sequestered all with the hope of flattening the curve and saving lives. B’H our community has been spared the sadness and loss that so many others have experienced. We thank the Ribbono Shel Olam for watching over us and we thank the members of this community for making the necessary sacrifices. We feel that it is time to begin reopening the community. We have consulted with doctors, nurses, and health policy experts to come up with an appropriate and measured plan. It is important to remember that we cannot reopen everything at once.

Religious services and ceremonies of 10 or less people will be permitted across the state starting on Thursday. NY Governor Cuomo suggested drive-thru services and ceremonies as an alternative. Senator Felder issued the following statement for immediate release: “Prayer services are integral to every religious community. We worked diligently to allow minyanim in our shuls. I want to thank Governor Cuomo for announcing today that religious services are permitted.” DEVELOPING STORY – REFRESH FOR UPDATES STAY UPDATED WITH BREAKING UPDATES FROM YWN VIA WHATSAPP – SIGN UP NOW Just click on this link, and you will be placed into a group. (YWN World Headquarters – NYC)

Rockland Chaveirim had launched a search for two missing girls in a wooded area near Monsey, on Tuesday night. Both girls were B”H found a short while later. Sources tell YWN that the girls contacted Chaveirim that they were lost while hiking. They later lost phone communication. They are around 18 years of age, and were lost for at least four hours. At least a dozen specially-trained Chaveirim volunteers were in the forest searching. STAY UPDATED WITH BREAKING UPDATES FROM YWN VIA WHATSAPP – SIGN UP NOW Just click on this link, and you will be placed into a group. (YWN World Headquarters – NYC)

As the Jewish community awaits with anticipation on a decision if Upstate NY summer camps will be permitted to open this coming summer, at least one camp has reportedly received the green light. Camp Oraysa, located on Todd Road in Woodbourne, NY, sent an email to the parent body of the camp stating that they have been given a permit from the Health Department. YWN was unable to confirm if any other camps received a permit as well. The letter sent to the parents is attached below: STAY UPDATED WITH BREAKING UPDATES FROM YWN VIA WHATSAPP – SIGN UP NOW Just click on this link, and you will be placed into a group. (YWN World Headquarters – NYC)