Rabbi Menachem (Mendy) Raitport z”l, a beloved Crown Heights figure known both for his presence in the local food industry and his efforts in klal engagement, tragically lost his life in a fatal accident Tuesday night. He was 57 years old.
Rabbi Raitport was the father of eight and the husband of Esther. He once operated the Crown Kosher Meat Market on Kingston Avenue, a cornerstone of the community for many years.
More recently, he served as a menaker in the shechitah process, providing his expertise under several prominent hechsherim, including CHK and Skver, among others.

The man accused of carrying out a deadly shooting at Florida State University last Thursday had a documented history of neo-Nazi sympathies and white supremacist rhetoric, according to findings released by the Anti-Defamation League (ADL). Phoenix Ikner, the 22-year-old alleged gunman, is accused of killing two people and injuring six others in a campus attack. While the motive behind the shooting remains under investigation, the ADL has identified alarming ties between Ikner and far-right extremist ideology based on his online presence and digital footprints. According to the ADL’s Center on Extremism, Ikner was “an avid gamer and YouTuber” who used aliases and screen names referencing Nazi imagery and white supremacist groups.

President Trump sharply criticized Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky on Wednesday, accusing him of obstructing diplomatic efforts to reach a resolution with Russia. The comments came after Zelensky reiterated that Ukraine would never accept Russia’s seizure of Crimea, stating that it remains sovereign Ukrainian land.
Using his Truth Social platform, Trump dismissed Zelensky’s assertion regarding Crimea, writing that the region was “lost years ago” and “is not even a point of discussion.”
According to reports, Trump has floated a plan offering U.S. recognition of Russia’s 2014 takeover of Crimea as part of a broader peace framework. That proposal was reportedly shared separately with both Moscow and Kyiv last week.

Family getting up: Friday (4/25/25)Morning R’ Moshe LondinskiBrother R’ Yisroel Dovid LondinskiBrother

Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent leveled harsh criticism at the operations of the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund on Wednesday even as he tried to reassure nervous investors that the United States would maintain its global leadership role. “America first does not mean America alone,” he said in a speech to the Institute of International Finance. “To the contrary, it is a call for deeper collaboration and mutual respect among trade partners.” Although Bessent said the IMF and the World Bank are “falling short,” he stopped short of calling for the U.S. to withdraw from the institutions as some conservatives have advocated.

Iran has agreed to allow in an International Atomic Energy Agency technical team in the coming days to discuss restoring camera surveillance at nuclear sites, the head of the U.N. nuclear watchdog said Wednesday, calling it an encouraging signal of Iran’s attitude toward nuclear talks with the United States. Rafael Mariano Grossi, speaking to reporters in Washington after meeting with Iranian officials in Tehran last week, joined the American and Iranian sides in projecting optimism after a second round of negotiations Saturday over the Islamic Republic’s rapidly advancing nuclear program. Technical-level talks were expected this week. Iranian leaders were engaged “with a sense of trying to get to an agreement,” Grossi said. “That is my impression.” The U.S.

Senator Dick Durbin, Democrat of Illinois and the second-ranking Democrat in the Senate, announced Wednesday that he will not be running for re-election in 2026.
Durbin, who has served in the Senate since 1996, shared the news in a video message posted to X. At 80 years old, he reflected on the weight of the decision.
“The decision of whether to run for re-election has not been easy,” Durbin stated.
“I truly love the job of being a United States Senator. But in my heart, I know it’s time to pass the torch. So, I am announcing today that I will not be seeking re-election at the end of my term.”

Family getting up: Friday (4/25/25)Morning R’ Moshe GrossSon R’ Shmiel NeumanBrother Sitting at 172 St Nicholas Ave in Lakewood Mrs. Miri LandesmanSister Mrs. Kayla BaschSister R’ Yaakov Gershon GrossSon Mrs.

Former White House Chief Strategist Steve Bannon launched a blistering critique of the Trump administration’s Justice Department during an interview Monday with conservative commentator Jack Posobiec, warning that inaction against entrenched political enemies could spark a major backlash from the MAGA base. Bannon, a longtime Trump ally and one of the leading voices of the populist right, expressed frustration over what he sees as the administration’s failure to deliver on promises of accountability, particularly against high-profile figures tied to past controversies. “We’re not doing anything over at the Justice Department,” Bannon fumed.

Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. is reportedly considering a move that would mark a major shift in national vaccination policy: removing the Covid-19 vaccine from the federal list of recommended childhood immunizations, according to two individuals briefed on the matter who spoke with POLITICO.
If implemented, this change would take the Covid vaccine off the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s official childhood immunization schedule — a guide that many pediatricians use to determine which shots to administer and when. It would be the most consequential alteration Kennedy has pursued so far in his efforts to challenge mainstream vaccine protocols.

The IDF has released footage of the elimination of Hussein Ali Nasr, the deputy commander of Hezbollah’s Unit 4400, who was working to rebuild Hezbollah’s terror capabilities.

Last night, Minister Itamar Ben Gvir was given a warm welcome at Mar-a-Lago.

President Trump accuses Zelenskyy of prolonging ‘killing field’ after Ukrainian leader pushes back on ceding Crimea to Russia.

FDA Commissioner: “I don’t think we appreciated the potential risks to human health and child health when they were first introduced… the studies have caught up with the introduction of these petroleum-based chemical food dyes and the data doesn’t look good… we are erring on the safe side and moving to remove these from the U.S. food supply.”

Colombian President Gustavo Petro stated that he suspects that the Trump administration has canceled his travel visa to the United States.
Petro, who had earlier relented to pressure from President Trump to accept deported migrants, made this assertion during a Cabinet meeting in Bogota, where he explained why he would be unable to attend the spring meetings organized by the International Monetary Fund and the World Bank in Washington, DC.
“I can no longer go because I believe they took away my visa,” Petro remarked.
“I didn’t need to have one, but anyway, I’ve already seen Donald Duck several times, so I’ll go see other things,” the Colombian president continued, taking a jab at Trump.

Walter Frankenstein, who survived the Holocaust by hiding in Berlin with his wife and infant children and spent his later years educating young people to keep the events alive in memory, has died. He was 100. Klaus Hillenbrand, a close friend who wrote a book about Frankenstein, confirmed the death on Tuesday. He said Frankenstein died on Monday. The foundation that oversees Berlin’s Holocaust memorial also confirmed that he died Monday in Stockholm. Frankenstein was born in 1924 in Flatow in what is now Poland but was then part of Germany. Three years after the Nazis came to power, in 1936, he was no longer allowed to attend the town’s public school because he was Jewish.

Pages