In a deeply moving moment, a 104-year-old Holocaust survivor participated in a menorah lighting ceremony at Ohalei Yoseph Yitzchak, a shul in Toronto where – remarkably – she still davens every Shabbos. The ceremony, led by Rabbi Yirmi Cohen, brought together members of the community and dignitaries to mark the fourth night of Chanukah. Among those in attendance were Minister Ya’ara Saks, Canada’s Minister of Mental Health, and Toronto City Councilor James Pasternak, one of the few Jewish representatives on the city council. The survivor’s presence and active participation in shul life serve as a testament to the enduring strength of the Jewish spirit. Despite her age and the hardships she has endured, she continues to find solace and connection within the walls of her shul.

Israeli Defense Minister Yisrael Katz held high-level discussions on Tuesday with senior IDF officials to address the integration of more Charedim into military service. Katz met with Deputy Chief of Staff Major General Amir Baram, Personnel Directorate Chief Major General Dado Bar Kalifa, and Military Advocate General Major General Yifat Tomer-Yerushalmi to review proposals aimed at increasing enlistment within the Charedi community. “We must create a framework that respects the values of the Charedi community while ensuring their contribution to national defense,” Katz said.

Hamas has rejected Israel’s demands for the full release of 34 hostages as part of a ceasefire deal, agreeing to release only 22 of the individuals Israel insists must return home during the first phase, according to reports by Kan public broadcaster. Instead, Hamas reportedly offered to hand over 22 living hostages and 12 bodies – a proposal Israel swiftly rejected, reiterating that only the release of living hostages would be acceptable in the initial stage of negotiations. Israel has remained steadfast in its position, saying that securing the safe return of its citizens is a non-negotiable priority.

A potentially devastating fire was narrowly averted in Kew Gardens Hills, Queens, on Monday night after an unattended menorah ignited flames inside a residence on Veligh Place. Sources tell YWN, that a vigilant neighbor heard a smoke detector going off in a nearby apartment and immediately called the FDNY. Firefighters arrived promptly and quickly contained the fire, preventing significant damage to the home. Queens Hatzalah also responded to the scene. Fortunately, no injuries were reported. Authorities are urging the public to use this incident as a reminder to ensure working smoke detectors are installed in their homes and to never leave a menorah unattended. Fire safety remains critical, especially during the Chanukah season. (YWN World Headquarters – NYC)

In this Damascus suburb, the handful of remaining Jews in Syria can again make pilgrimages to one of the world’s oldest synagogues where people from throughout the region once came to pray. Syria’s 13-year civil war left the synagogue partially destroyed. Walls and roofs have collapsed. Some artifacts are missing. A marble sign in Arabic at the gate says it was first built 720 years BC. Since insurgents overthrew President Bashar Assad in early December, people have been able to safely visit the widely destroyed Jobar suburb that was pounded for years by government forces while in the hands of opposition fighters. Syria was once home to one of the world’s largest Jewish communities. Those numbers have shrunk dramatically, especially after the state of Israel was created in 1948.

The Chareidi Hamodia newspaper, the mouthpiece of the largest party in Agudas Yisrael [Gerrer], declared on its front page on Monday morning that Agudas Yisrael MKs may vote against a critical part of the budget bill that is scheduled for a vote in the Knesset later on Wednesday. The report stated: “There is no point in voting in favor of a specific tax when the most important thing for the Charedi community, lomdei Torah – has not yet been legislated.” The implication is that if the government does not pass a Chareidi recruitment law, Agudas Yisrael will not commit to voting with the coalition on key bills needed to pass the state budget.

Jimmy Carter, the peanut farmer who won the presidency in the wake of the Watergate scandal and Vietnam War, endured humbling defeat after one tumultuous term and then redefined life after the White House as a global humanitarian, has died. He was 100 years old. The longest-lived American president died on Sunday, more than a year after entering hospice care, at his home in the small town of Plains, Georgia, where he and his wife, Rosalynn, who died at 96 in November 2023, spent most of their lives, The Carter Center said. Businessman, Navy officer, evangelist, politician, negotiator, author, woodworker, citizen of the world — Carter forged a path that still challenges political assumptions and stands out among the 45 men who reached the nation’s highest office.

The advanced US anti-missile THAAD system was used for the first time in Israel overnight Thursday to intercept a missile launched at Israel from Yemen, a source told Reuters on Friday. The source said that the US military plans to carry out an analysis of the interception, which will determine the system’s success.

Hassan Nasrallah, Hezbollah’s leader for decades, reportedly underestimated the extent of Israel’s intelligence capabilities, believing himself safe in his underground bunker in Beirut until his death in an Israeli Air Force airstrike on September 27. According to a report by The New York Times, Nasrallah dismissed warnings from his aides and resisted moving to a more secure location, confident that Israel sought to avoid a direct war with Hezbollah. The airstrike followed 20 years of deep intelligence penetration into Hezbollah by Israeli operatives. The report revealed that Israel recruited agents to plant listening devices in Hezbollah bunkers, enabling them to monitor leadership discussions and movements.

President Joe Biden has privately expressed regret about withdrawing from the 2024 presidential race, reportedly insisting he could have secured victory over President-elect Donald Trump had he not been pressured by his own party. According to a report by The Washington Post citing multiple anonymous sources, Biden and his aides have recently confided that the president felt he should have remained in the race, believing he could have won a second term. Biden, 82, ended his campaign in July after mounting pressure from Democratic leaders, driven by poor polling numbers and a widely criticized debate performance on June 27, where Biden appeared incoherent and stumbled over his words.