Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky met with 32 Chabad shlichim and Rabbanim in his office on Thursday in a special event ahead of Rosh Hashanah. It was the first time such a meeting took place since the Russian invasion of Ukraine began. Fifteen Jewish soldiers from various cities also attended the event and received special medals of excellence from Zelensky for their bravery at the front. At the beginning of the meeting, Zelsneky warmly praised the assistance of the Federation of Jewish Communities in Ukraine (FJCU), which organized the event, as well as the devotion of the Chabad shlichim who remained with their communities in Ukraine despite the travails of the war.

Aviad, a safety and service manager at Arkia Airlines, spoke with Channel 14 News about the video featuring him singing “Uman Uman Rosh Hashanah” aboard a flight with Breslover chassidim, which quickly went viral. Thousands of viewers were touched by Aviad’s genuine joy and connection to the passengers, despite their differences in lifestyle. “It was very spontaneous,” Aviad said. “We bring thousands of chassidim to Uman every year. I grew up in a religious home, and without any connection to beliefs, it’s a zechus to rejoice. I began to sing the song, they started waving their arms – I was very happy that it became something very joyous and connected people – that’s the most important thing.” (YWN Israel Desk – Jerusalem)

Mexican politicians on Tuesday were shown two mummified corpses which a self-proclaimed UFO expert asserted were “a clear demonstration” of extraterrestrial beings not of this world. The two enigmatic bodies, characterized by their three-fingered hands and elongated heads reminiscent of typical depictions of extraterrestrial beings, were prominently displayed in windowed containers during a public congressional hearing dedicated to the discussion of unidentified anomalous phenomena (UAPs). According to ufologist Jaime Maussan, who addressed the hearing, these cadavers have been dated to be between 700 and 1,800 years old. X-ray scans of one of the bodies unveiled the presence of mysterious “eggs” within it, adding to the intrigue of the discovery.

An amusing video circulated on Israeli social media on Wednesday of a flight attendant enthusiastically singing “Uman Uman Rosh Hashanah” with Breslover passengers on the way to Uman. The chassidim, who had boarded an Arkia flight from Israel to Kishinev in Moldova, burst into song and the flight attendant followed suit. Moldovan government officials and members of the Jewish kehilla in Kishinnev have made extensive preparations to assist the huge influx of travelers who are crossing the border into Ukraine from Moldova ahead of Rosh Hashanah. (YWN Israel Desk – Jerusalem)

Florida Governor Ron DeSantis says the ages of both President Joe Biden and former President Donald Trump are worrisome as they pertain to the 2024 presidential campaign. In an interview with CBS Evening News, anchor Norah O’Donnell engaged Governor DeSantis in a discussion about the age factor in presidential politics. O’Donnell queried, “Should voters be apprehensive about the ages of President Biden and former President Trump?” Governor DeSantis responded unequivocally, stating, “It’s absolutely a legitimate concern. The presidency is not a role suited for an individual who is 80 years old!” Governor DeSantis went on to argue that if the Founding Fathers were revisiting the criteria for presidential candidates, they might have considered imposing age limits.

MSNBC morning host Joe Scarborough offered an intriguing glimpse into the disconnect between private Democratic conversations about President Joe Biden and their public stance. His comments  came in response to a Washington Post column by David Ignatius, who called for President Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris to reconsider their plans to run in the 2024 election, citing worrisome poll numbers regarding their ability to defeat former President Donald Trump. During the discussion, co-host Mika Brzezinski expressed skepticism and challenged Ignatius to propose an alternative candidate to Biden. Ignatius admitted that he couldn’t identify a better-suited individual, emphasizing the critical decision President Biden must make regarding his potential candidacy.

The tail end of Storm Daniel which brought severe flooding to Greece and Libya – where the death toll from severe flooding has surpassed 5,100 – reached Israel on Wednesday morning, leading to unseasonal rainfall and a significant drop in temperatures across the country. Heavy rain fell in the Gush Dan area, the Sharon, and in the south of the country. Sinkholes opened on streets in the central cities of Holon and Hertziliya due to the rain but Baruch Hashem, no one was injured. The police closed the roads and diverted traffic from the area. In Bnei Brak, a large tree fell and the road was blocked to traffic, and in Ramat Gan, near the Ayalon Mall, a traffic light bent and almost collapsed. In Kfar Qassem, a car sank in a flood and the passengers had to be rescued.

The Peleg Yerushalmi (Eitz) sector held protests in three cites on Wednesday evening over the arrest of a yeshivah bochur from Ponevezh due to draft dodging. Following the arrest, Peleg Yerushalmi issued an announcement that it will be holding protests in three cities. “In light of the criminal arrest of the prisoner of the Torah world, Rabbeinu Maran HaGaon Harav Asher Deitsch has instructed us to go out and protest and make noise around the world about the arrest of a talmid yeshivah who did not show up at the conscription office as a protest against the conscription law.” “The protests are planned for today at 4:30 p.m.

An escaped murderer was captured Wednesday after eluding hundreds of searchers for two weeks, bringing relief to anxious residents of southeastern Pennsylvania who endured sleepless nights as he hid in the woods, broke into suburban homes for food, changed his appearance, and fled under gunfire with a rifle pilfered from a garage, authorities said. Authorities used thermal imaging from aircraft to pinpoint a possible location and then used ground forces to capture escaped inmate Danelo Souza Cavalcante, a law enforcement official told The Associated Press on Wednesday on condition of anonymity to discuss the operation, which played out over several hours. State police announced Cavalcante’s capture on social media on Wednesday, as the search entered its 14th day.

Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu, who had a years-long friendship with Dedi Graucher, z’tl, who was niftar on Monday, was maspid him at the levaya. “We’re parting today, in deep pain, from Dedi, a warm Jew, a loving husband, a loving father, a loving grandfather, a talented singer, a close and beloved friend of mine and my wife Sara and our two sons, a close and beloved friend of everyone here and of many many others here and around the world,” Netanyahu began. “Dedi lit up our lives with his light, he had a sharp sense of Jewish humor, a great neshama, and all these attributes touched us. Dedi knew how to bring laughter to the world. Dedi would enter the room and before he said a word, I would smile.