New York Governor Kathy Hochul withered under intense questioning from veteran Hamodia reporter Reuvain Borchardt, who asked the governor questions regarding recently proposed regulations on private schooling standards that impact yeshivos, as well as apparently contradictory mask mandates. Hochul was at the Boro Park Y to speak to Holocaust survivors in commemoration of Yom Hashoah when she was questioned by Borchardt. Hochul provided a vague answer when asked about her take on private school regulations, in stark contrast to presumptive Republican nominee for governor Lee Zeldin, who has been an outspoken and staunch supporter of the freedom of yeshivos to determine what is appropriate to teach.

Conflicts broke out on Thursday at Meron between a group of yeshivah bochurim and police at the site. The bochurim arrived at the site for the last day of bein hazemanim, Erev Rosh Chodesh Iyar, and began dancing and singing on the roof of the tzion. For some reason, the police ordered the bochurim to leave and that’s when the conflict began. A police statement said: “Young Chareidi extremists came to Kever Rashbi in Meron and began violent riots that included an attempt to destroy the new infrastructure that was built for the upcoming Lag B’Omer while disturbing the public and the mispallelim who were present. The extremist youth forcefully violated the police officers’ instructions, threw objects at them, and refused to leave.

Renewal, a nonprofit organization that facilitates live donor kidney transplants, just helped facilitate a mind-boggling five kidney transplants in the past 36 hours. In the post-covid world transplants have been harder than ever to coordinate as patients are immunocompromised and a lot of covid restrictions must be adhered to. While Renewal has BH been able to have a hand in over 800 lifesaving transplants since its founding, they recognized a problem. Faced with the reality that there are many Jews outside the NY/NJ area who are in need of a kidney transplant and don’t have the ability to come to NY to receive one, Renewal decided it was time to meet them where they are. With that, their newest initiative Renewal National, was born.

The Israel Dog Unit issued an “urgent appeal to the public” in its search for a missing youth whose life may be in danger. Avraham Moshe Kleinerman, 16, of Modiin Illit was last seen over a month ago at Meron. He has a thin build, dark hair and eyes, and wears glasses. The unit requests that anyone who knows about his whereabouts or could be of assistance in finding him should contact Israel Police at 100, the Israel Police Modiin Illit station at 08-644-7200, or the Israel Dog Unit-Search and Rescue at 054-487-6709. In the heartbreaking video below, Avraham Moshe’s parents beg the public for help. (YWN Israel Desk – Jerusalem)

SpaceX launched four astronauts to the International Space Station for NASA on Wednesday, less than two days after completing a flight chartered by millionaires. It’s the first NASA crew comprised equally of men and women, including the first Black woman making a long-term spaceflight, Jessica Watkins. “This is one of the most diversified, I think, crews that we’ve had in a really, really long time,” said NASA’s space operations mission chief Kathy Lueders. The astronauts were due to arrive at the space station Wednesday night, 16 hours after a predawn liftoff from Kennedy Space Center that thrilled spectators. “Anyone who saw it realized what a beautiful launch it was,” Lueders told reporters.

An Israeli pilot of a crop duster plane miraculously survived after his aircraft crashed to the ground and went up in flames. The accident occurred early Wednesday morning in an open area in the western Negev, just outside Sderot. Fire and rescue teams from Sderot and Ashkelon rushed to the scene after receiving a number of calls from nearby residents and found the aircraft in flames. The pilot, who somehow survived the crash, was fully conscious and suffering from minor burns on his lower body. Paramedics pulled him from the wreck and administered emergency medical aid and evacuated him to Barzilai Hospital in Ashkelon in light condition. (YWN Israel Desk – Jerusalem)

Yeshiva Nezer Hatorah of Gateshead, England, led by Rav Naftoli Meir Lieberman, recently went on a trip to Morocco where they visited Jewish historical sites and kevarim. While singing and davening at the kever of Rav Amram ben Diwan, a renowned 18th-century miracle worker, in the town of Ouazzane, the bochurim were joined by a group of Canadian tourists, one of whom told them he was Jewish and had not put on tefillin since his bar mitzvah – 55 years ago. The boys and tourist, who identified himself as Mark, struck up a conversation, during which the bochurim convinced him to lay tefillin for the first time in over five decades. (YWN World Headquarters – NYC)  

On a visit to the tziyon of Rabi Shimon bar Yochai in Miron on Pesach, former U.S. Senator Joe Lieberman – who spent the yom tov in Israel – was stopped by a a Chabad family from Miami who asked him regarding his experiences with the Lubavitcher Rebbe. Senator Lieberman replied with the message he delivered at the commemoration of the recent 120th anniversary of the Rebbe’s birth. “I read the lines from Devarim about when Moshe Rabeinu died at 120. His eyes were not dimmed, his natural forces were not reduced,” Senator Lieberman said.

What’s funnier than a nuclear attack on New York City? Not much, at least if you’re a Russian state-controlled TV broadcaster. WATCH THE DISTURBING VIDEO: (YWN World Headquarters – NYC)
The post TROUBLING: Russian TV Hosts Laugh as They Discuss Nuclear Strike on NYC [VIDEO] appeared first on The Yeshiva World.

The White House declined to directly address the takeover of Twitter by billionaire Elon Musk, who has vowed to bring free speech back to the platform, but said that President Biden is very concerned about the power social media platforms hold. “Our concerns are not new,” said White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki. “The president has long talked about his concerns about the power of social media platforms, including Twitter and others, to spread misinformation.” Despite Biden’s “concerns” about social media, Psaki said the administration would not comment specifically about Musk’s purchase of the platform. (YWN World Headquarters – NYC)