Vandals broke into the Jewish cemetery in Damascus overnight Wednesday and vandalized the kever of Hamekubal HaRav Chaim Vital, Z’tl, one of the talmidim of the Ari, z’tl. The intruders dug a pit near the kever to look for remains. Bachour Simantov, one of the few remaining Jews in Syria, told Kan News that he informed local authorities about the incident and they promised to find those responsible for the incident. The Alliance of Rabbis in Islamic Countries issued a statement saying: “We are shocked and saddened by the desecration of the tomb of Rabbi Chaim Vital, z”tl this Thursday in Damascus.” “Jews have lived in Syria for thousands of years and are an integral part of its history.

JERUSALEM (VINnews) — A powerful explosion occurred at the Port of Shahid Rajaee in southern Iran, leaving several people dead and hun

A Border Police commando and an IDF officer were killed on Friday in intense battles with terrorists in the Shijaiyah neighborhood in eastern Gaza City. The Border Police officer was named as Sgt. Neta Yitzchak Kahane, H’yd, 19, a commando in the elite Yamas undercover unit from Moshav Eitan, a religious moshav in south-central Israel. The IDF officer was named as Cpt. Ido Voloch, H’yd, 21, from Jerusalem, a platoon commander in the 401st Armored Brigade’s 46th Battalion. The incident began when Hamas terrorists opened fire on soldiers engaging in efforts to expand the buffer zone along the Gazan border, sparking a fierce gun battle, during which Kahane, H’yd, was killed.

A massive explosion and fire rocked a port Saturday in southern Iran linked to a shipment of a chemical ingredient used to make missile propellant, killing eight people and injuring around 750 others. Helicopters dumped water from the air on the raging fire hours after the initial explosion, which happened at the Shahid Rajaei port just as Iran and the United States met Saturday in Oman for the third round of negotiations over Tehran’s rapidly advancing nuclear program. Iranian Interior Minister Eskandar Momeni gave the casualty figure in an interview on state television. But there were few details on what sparked the blaze just outside of Bandar Abbas, which burned into Saturday night, causing other containers to reportedly explode.

Disgraced former U.S. Rep. George Santos was sentenced Friday to over seven years in prison, sobbing as he learned his punishment for the crimes that led to his expulsion from Congress. Santos, who pleaded guilty last summer to federal wire fraud and aggravated identity theft, appealed for mercy. In a federal court a short drive from his old congressional district, he said through tears that he was “humbled” and “chastised” and realized he had betrayed his constituents’ trust. “I offer my deepest apologies,” he said, adding: “I cannot rewrite the past, but I can control the road ahead.” U.S. District Court Judge Joanna Seybert evidently wasn’t convinced. “Where is your remorse? Where do I see it?” she asked as she sentenced him to 87 months behind bars.

The U.S. Department of Education opened an investigation Friday into allegations of “race-based discrimination” by New York state officials after President Trump spoke out in support of the Massapequa School District’s use of its “Massapequa Chiefs” nickname, The Post has learned.
Federal officials will examine whether the New York State Board of Regents is violating Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, which prohibits racial and national origin discrimination by any institution receiving federal funding, by enforcing its ban on Native American-related school mascots and symbols.

Democrat Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-NY) boasted about his party’s success in blocking initiatives aimed at ensuring that only American citizens are allowed to vote in federal elections.
Speaking about President Donald Trump’s March 25 executive order, titled “PRESERVING AND PROTECTING THE INTEGRITY OF AMERICAN ELECTIONS,” Jeffries commented, “So-and-so signed the so-called executive order. It was a voter suppression Executive Order, trying to do all of the things that the so-called SAVE Act is trying to do, but trying to do it through executive action.”

Israel bid farewell on Thursday to Nechama Grossman, the nation’s oldest Holocaust survivor, who passed away at the remarkable age of 109. Her passing coincided with Holocaust Remembrance Day, a day devoted to memorializing the six million Jews who perished. Grossman’s funeral was held the next day in Arad, the southern city where she had made her home for most of her life.
Born in 1915, Grossman survived the horrors of Europe during the Holocaust and eventually made her way to Israel, settling in Arad and raising a family there. Her resilience became a living testament to the strength of the Jewish people in the aftermath of unimaginable suffering.

The U.S. Department of Justice officially notified the Southern District Court of New York that it no longer recognizes the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA) as enjoying legal immunity, a dramatic shift from Washington’s earlier stance, according to a JNS report.
This announcement marks a pivotal moment in a lawsuit filed last year by families of victims who were murdered or kidnapped during the horrific Hamas onslaught in southern Israel on October 7, 2023. The plaintiffs accuse UNRWA of playing a role in the massacre, while Israel has disclosed that at least 18 UNRWA employees allegedly took part in the atrocities.

During a conversation with reporters today, President Donald Trump shared that he had recently discussed the situation in Gaza with Israeli Prime Minister Bibi Netanyahu.“I told him to be good to Gaza,” Trump stated, mentioning that he had encouraged Netanyahu to ensure the provision of medicine and food to the residents of the area.
Addressing Iran, Trump was clear and to the point, saying, “The Iran deal is simple. They can’t have a nuclear weapon.” He also noted that ongoing discussions between the United States and Iran were “going very well.”
Earlier this week, Trump revealed that he and Netanyahu had spoken and touched upon several important topics. He emphasized that the United States and Israel were fully aligned on each matter they discussed.

In an interview released Friday, President Donald Trump stated that “Crimea will stay with Russia,” marking another moment where he urged Ukraine to concede territory in hopes of ending the ongoing war.
“Zelenskyy understands that,” Trump said, referencing Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. “And everybody understands that it’s been with them for a long time.”
Trump’s remarks came during a conversation with Time magazine earlier in the week. He has consistently accused Zelenskyy of prolonging the war by refusing to negotiate with Russian President Vladimir Putin.

NEW YORK (AP) — A man was stabbed to death during the morning rush hour in the New York City subway system Friday after a dispute with an

In a newly published interview with Time magazine, President Donald Trump revealed that he has already secured “200 deals” related to tariffs and predicted that all of the arrangements will be finalized within the coming month.
The interview, part of a feature marking his first 100 days in office, followed a question referencing trade adviser Peter Navarro’s earlier assertion that “90 deals in 90 days” would be achieved. The interviewer challenged that claim, pointing out, “We’re now 13 days into the point from when you lifted the reciprocal, the discounted reciprocal tariffs. There’s zero deals so far. Why is that?”

Rabbi A.D. Motzen, Agudath Israel’s national director of government affairs with executive director of the Indiana Nonpublic Education Association John Elcesser and associate director Chris Bunson, outside House chambers just prior to the vote.
A high res version of the image above is available for download here or by clicking on the image.
In the early hours of Friday morning, the Indiana General Assembly voted in favor a budget that provides school vouchers to all students in the state regardless of their income. This victory for families comes sixteen years after Indiana passed its first school choice program in 2009.

As previously reported by Chaim V’Chessed, a significant travel update took effect at the start of 2025: all travelers to Israel are now required to complete an Electronic Travel Authorization (ETA) before departure. Without an approved ETA, airlines will not permit passengers to board flights to Israel—with the exception of Israeli passport holders. Even Israeli citizens need an ETA – if traveling on a foreign passport. With the conclusion of the busy Pesach travel season, many are now returning to Israel after the holiday, while others are arriving for the first time. Whether you’re a seasoned visitor or a newcomer, it is absolutely vital to confirm that you have a valid ETA in hand before traveling. Do Student Visa Holders Need an ETA?


George Santos, once a rising figure in New York politics who rapidly fell from grace, was sentenced on Friday in his wide-ranging federal corruption case—and broke down in tears as the judgment was delivered.
U.S. District Judge Joanna Seybert sentenced Santos, the ex-congressman from Long Island, to seven years and three months in prison. He was also ordered to pay $373,000 in restitution. Santos had built his campaign on a foundation of fabrications and deception, and his lies eventually caught up with him in court.

A long-serving judge in Wisconsin has been taken into custody for allegedly assisting a Mexican national in the U.S. illegally to elude federal immigration officers inside her courtroom, the FBI chief said on Friday.
Judge Hannah Dugan, who has presided in Milwaukee County courts for close to ten years, faces an obstruction charge for allegedly preventing the arrest of Eduardo Flores Ruiz during an incident last week.
“We believe Judge Dugan intentionally misdirected federal agents away from the subject to be arrested in her courthouse, Eduardo Flores Ruiz, allowing the subject — an illegal alien — to evade arrest,” FBI Director Kash Patel said in an X post.

BREAKING: George Santos, a former U.S. Representative for New York’s 3rd district, was sentenced to 7 years in prison on April 25, 2025, for fraud, including wire fraud and aggravated identity theft, following a 13-count indictment unsealed in 2024 by the Eastern District of New York.

Crown Heights activist Yaakov Berman blasts Hamas protestors who gathered in Crown Heights on Thursday night.

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