New York
Thousands of Chabad-Lubavitch Shluchim from 111 countries converged on Brooklyn’s Eastern Parkway on Sunday for the annual group photo,
the signature event of the 42nd International Conference of Chabad-Lubavitch Emissaries. Representing over 6,000 communities worldwide, the emissaries stood shoulder to shoulder in front of 770 Eastern Parkway, the Lubavitcher Rebbe’s headquarters, forming a vast display of black-hatted rabbis under rainy skies. Rabbi Motti Seligson, Chabad’s media director, described the gathering as “the largest annual assembly of Jewish leaders anywhere,” emphasizing its role in showcasing Jewish continuity amid global challenges. The tradition, initiated in 1984, draws participants from remote outposts in Laos and Angola to major capitals, uniting them in a moment of collective strength. Security was heightened with barriers and NYPD presence, reflecting post-October 7 vigilance. Organizers noted the photo’s emotional weight this year, following the Rebbe’s directive for such unity. The conference concluded with a gala dinner for 6,500 attendees, the world’s largest kosher sit-down event.
Yisroel Meir Freeman, a 35-year-old father of three from Monsey, was killed Sunday morning when a tree fell on his car amid high winds exceeding 50 mph from a post-storm front. Freeman, driving to kollel at Yeshiva of South Shore, suffered critical injuries when the tree crushed the vehicle’s roof around 9:15 a.m. Emergency responders, including Ramapo Police, Chaverim of Rockland, and Rockland Hatzolah volunteers, extricated him within minutes and rushed him to Westchester Medical Center for emergency surgery, but he succumbed to his injuries hours later. Originally from Boro Park, Freeman was the son of longtime East Side Hatzolah volunteer Yaakov Freeman, who helped coordinate the response. His funeral drew hundreds to Monsey’s Viznitzer Cheder, with Rabbi David Okunov eulogizing him as a devoted learner and family man.
New York City Councilmember Inna Vernikov, a Republican representing Brooklyn’s heavily Jewish 48th District, sent a formal letter to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, inviting him to visit the city on January 1, 2026—the exact day Democratic Mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani is scheduled to be sworn in. Vernikov, born in Ukraine to Jewish parents, explicitly framed the invitation as a political rebuke to Mamdani’s campaign pledge to enforce an International Criminal Court arrest warrant against Netanyahu for alleged war crimes in Gaza, should he enter New York City. In her letter, Vernikov wrote that despite Mamdani’s “irresponsible and frankly absurd statements” and “vile rhetoric of unashamed Marxist radicals,” Netanyahu’s presence would reaffirm the “deep and enduring bond” between Israel and New York, home to the largest Jewish population outside Israel. She added that Israel “stands as a beacon of hope, freedom, western values, resilience, and strength in a region surrounded by tyranny and terror.”
New York state attorneys filed a stipulation in U.S. District Court in Albany agreeing to suspend implementation of the All-Electric Buildings Act until the Second Circuit U.S. Court of Appeals rules on its legality. The 2023 law, enacted as part of the state budget to combat climate change, bans gas hookups in new buildings under seven stories starting January 1, 2026, and extends to taller structures by 2029, promoting electric appliances like heat pumps. Secretary of State Walter T. Mosley cited the delay as a means to avoid further litigation and reduce uncertainty during the appeals process, which plaintiffs argue is preempted by the federal Energy Policy and Conservation Act.
New York City Mayor Eric Adams visited Israel on November 17, marking his second trip in three years amid his final weeks in office before Zohran Mamdani’s inauguration. Adams prayed at the Western Wall in Jerusalem, placing a note in the ancient stones and declaring, “I’m your brother,” to underscore solidarity with the Jewish community. He met President Isaac Herzog at the President’s Residence, where Herzog hailed Adams as a “dear friend of Israel and the Jewish people,” expressing concerns over Mamdani’s anti-Israel stance and potential risks to New York’s Jewish residents. Later, Adams conferred with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu at the Kirya military headquarters in Tel Aviv, where Netanyahu thanked him for steadfast support during the Gaza conflict and against rising antisemitism. Adams contrasted his pro-Israel record with Mamdani’s pledge to enforce an ICC warrant against Netanyahu, stating 49 percent of New Yorkers rejected such views.
President Donald Trump granted a full pardon of Joseph Schwartz, a 72-year-old Orthodox Jewish former nursing-home executive from Monsey, who was serving a 36-month federal prison sentence for a $38 million tax fraud scheme. Schwartz, once the architect of the Skyline Healthcare chain that collapsed in 2018, leaving 95 facilities in 11 states in disarray and endangering 7,000 residents and 15,000 employees, pleaded guilty in April 2025 to underreporting income and misallocating funds across his operations. The clemency, which voids his conviction and restitution obligations, drew praise from community advocates who highlighted Schwartz’s health struggles, including diabetes and heart issues, and called the sentence a “death penalty” for an elderly man.
U.S.
The U.S. House of Representatives voted to end the government shutdown 222-209 with six moderate Democrats—Reps. Henry Cuellar (TX), Don Davis (NC), Adam Gray (CA), Jared Golden (ME), Marie Gluesenkamp Perez (WA), and Tom Suozzi (NY)—crossing the aisle, while Republicans Thomas Massie (KY) and Greg Steube (FL) voted no in protest of spending levels. President Trump signed the bill aboard Air Force One, calling it a “great deal” that prioritizes stability without Democratic concessions like Affordable Care Act subsidy extensions. Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer vowed continued fights on health care, while Rep. Adam Schiff, who opposed 15 prior reopening attempts, stated Democrats “got nothing from this” beyond a promised December vote on subsidies. The shutdown furloughed 800,000 workers and disrupted services, with agencies reopening Wednesday and back pay processed by Friday.
The U.S. Mint struck its final circulating pennies at the Philadelphia facility, ending production of the one-cent coin after 232 years since its 1793 debut. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent and Treasurer Brandon Beach attended the ceremonial pressing of the last batch, confirming the phaseout ordered by President Donald Trump in February. Each penny cost 3.69 cents to produce in fiscal 2024, resulting in an $85.3 million annual taxpayer loss for 3.2 billion coins minted. The decision, recommended by the Department of Government Efficiency, saves $56 million yearly by halting new blanks, though limited collector versions will continue. Existing pennies remain legal tender, with retailers expected to round cash transactions to the nearest nickel as supplies dwindle.
Senator John Fetterman was hospitalized after falling during a morning walk near his Braddock, Pennsylvania, home, suffering a ventricular fibrillation flare-up that caused lightheadedness and facial injuries. The 56-year-old Democrat, who has a history of cardiac issues including a 2022 stroke, was transported to UPMC Presbyterian in Pittsburgh for evaluation and treatment. Doctors performed emergency surgery to address the heart episode and closed a deep laceration on his face with 20 stitches. Fetterman remained under observation overnight to fine-tune his medication regimen, with no other complications reported. He was released and returned home to his wife, Gisele, and their three children, posting a smiling photo on X showing the stitches and stating, “20 stitches later and a full recovery, I’m back home.” His office emphasized that Fetterman is doing well and grateful for the medical care, adding a lighthearted note from the senator: “If you thought my face looked bad before, wait until you see it now.”
California plans to revoke 17,000 commercial driver’s licenses issued to noncitizen immigrants after a Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration audit identified violations where expiration dates extended beyond the holders’ legal U.S. stay, potentially allowing unauthorized operations of semitrucks and school buses. The action affects licenses granted under the state’s non-domiciled program, with notices sent for revocation within 60 days. Governor Gavin Newsom emphasized the revocations stem from state law infractions predating federal changes, stating, “This is about compliance with California rules, not external pressure.” Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy hailed the outcome as exposing “17,000 illegally issued trucking licenses,” crediting the Trump administration’s nationwide audit launched after fatal crashes involving undocumented drivers in Florida, Texas, and Alabama.
Seattle Mayor Bruce Harrell conceded the city’s mayoral race acknowledging progressive challenger Katie Wilson’s decisive lead after a week of ballot counting. Wilson, a community organizer and co-founder of the Transit Riders Union, secured 50.19 percent of the vote to Harrell’s 49.48 percent—a margin of nearly 2,000 votes in the closest contest in modern Seattle history. The upset victory, mirroring Zohran Mamdani’s win in New York, reflects voter frustration with Harrell’s opposition to taxing the wealthy for housing and transit initiatives. Wilson, a self-described socialist entering politics for the first time, advanced from the August primary with 50.8 percent and focused her campaign on affordability, renter protections, and public safety reforms.
The Trump administration finalized a rule revoking Biden-era restrictions on oil and gas drilling in Alaska’s National Petroleum Reserve, reopening approximately 13 million acres—including 10.6 million previously banned from leasing—to commercial development. The 23-million-acre reserve on the North Slope, the largest undisturbed public land tract in the U.S., had been partially protected in April 2024 to safeguard tundra habitats for caribou, grizzly bears, and migratory birds. Interior Secretary Doug Burgum stated the rollback aligns with the 1976 Naval Petroleum Reserves Production Act, emphasizing responsible extraction to bolster energy security and create jobs in Alaska Native communities.
Israel
The Shin Bet announced the arrest of approximately 40 Hamas operatives in the Bethlehem area over recent weeks through 15 coordinated raids, dismantling a terror network poised for imminent shooting attacks on Israeli civilians and security forces. Interrogations uncovered the group’s formation of multiple cells, acquisition of firearms and explosives, and advanced planning for assaults, with one cell in its final preparation phase. Security forces seized several weapons, including an assault rifle, ammunition, and bomb-making materials during the operations. The agency stated that the swift interventions prevented major attacks that could have inflicted significant casualties and escalated tensions in Judea and Samaria.
Israeli forensic experts confirmed that remains returned by Hamas via the Red Cross are those of Meny Godard, a 73-year-old resident of Kibbutz Be’eri murdered during the October 7, 2023, attack. Godard, a former professional soccer player, Yom Kippur War veteran, and kibbutz economist who managed its mini-market and pool, was killed alongside his wife Ayelet, 63, an educator known for bringing nature into classrooms. Before her death, Ayelet called one of their four children from hiding in the bushes, reporting Meny’s murder and her fear of approaching terrorists; her body was later found in the kibbutz. The couple’s safe room was set ablaze, forcing them to flee into waiting gunmen. Godard’s body, abducted by Palestinian Islamic Jihad terrorists, was one of three deceased hostages remaining in Gaza prior to the handover under phase one of President Trump’s 20-point peace plan.
A combined ramming and stabbing terror attack at the Gush Etzion Junction in the West Bank killed one Israeli man in his 30s and wounded three others. The assailants accelerated their vehicle into pedestrians at the busy intersection near Jerusalem before two terrorists exited and attempted to stab additional victims, prompting IDF troops to neutralize both on site. Explosive devices were discovered in the attackers’ car and safely defused by border police bomb disposal units. The victims, including a 58-year-old woman in serious condition from stab wounds and a teenage boy in moderate condition, were evacuated to Jerusalem hospitals for treatment.
President Donald Trump sent a formal letter to Israeli President Isaac Herzog urging him to grant a full pardon to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu amid his ongoing corruption trial involving charges of bribery, fraud, and breach of trust. Trump described the case as a “political, unjustified prosecution,” echoing his own claims of being targeted by a “witch hunt” in U.S. courts, and praised Netanyahu as a “formidable and decisive War Time Prime Minister” leading Israel toward peace through initiatives like expanding the Abraham Accords. The request, which formalizes Trump’s off-the-cuff October 13 plea during a Knesset address—”Give him a pardon, come on”—adds significant diplomatic pressure, though Herzog’s office emphasized that any pardon requires a formal application from the accused or family under established procedures.
Israel’s Water Authority launched the “Reverse Carrier” project on October 23, marking the world’s first instance of pumping desalinated seawater into a natural freshwater lake to restore the Sea of Galilee, or Kinneret. The initiative reverses the flow of the National Water Carrier—originally built in the 1960s to transport water southward from the lake—now channeling surplus desalinated water northward from Mediterranean coastal plants in Ashdod, Hadera, and others via a 90-mile network of upgraded pumps, pipelines, and reservoirs. Severe droughts from 2013 to 2018 pushed the lake below its lower red line, nearing irreversible ecological damage, prompting the reversal as the optimal solution. The current flow stands at 1,000 cubic meters per hour, expected to rise to 1,500–2,000, potentially raising the lake’s level by 0.5 centimeters monthly and fulfilling commitments to Jordan for shared resources.
Elbit Systems, Israel’s leading defense technology company, announced the signing of its largest-ever contract worth approximately $2.3 billion with an undisclosed international customer for a comprehensive strategic weapons solution. The eight-year agreement encompasses advanced systems including munitions, electronics, and integrated defense platforms, providing long-term revenue visibility amid global demand for enhanced military capabilities.
WORLD
University College London (UCL) dismissed and banned Dr. Samar Maqusi, a former fixed-term researcher at the Bartlett School of Architecture, from campus after she uncritically recounted the 1840 Damascus blood libel during a lecture titled “The Birth of Zionism” on November 11. Hosted by UCL’s Students for Justice in Palestine society, Maqusi claimed Jews in Syria kidnapped and murdered a Capuchin priest, Father Thomas, to use his blood in “holy bread” for the “Feast of Tabernacles,” omitting that the accusations were fabricated through torture, leading to two Jewish deaths and widespread violence. The medieval trope, prompted outrage from Jewish groups, including the Union of Jewish Students and Community Security Trust, who called it a “deep rot” in academia. UCL issued an unequivocal apology, launched an investigation, and removed Maqusi’s profile, stating such content violates their adoption of the IHRA definition of antisemitism. Maqusi, also a UNRWA architect, has a history of anti-Israel activism but no prior formal UCL affiliation at the time of the event.
A 25-year-old Pakistani man with a prior criminal record was arrested at Milan’s Central Station after violently assaulting a member of a group of Orthodox Jewish tourists from the United States. The suspect, who had just arrived by train, spotted the group checking the departure board near track 8 and launched an unprovoked attack, punching and kicking the victim while shouting antisemitic slurs including “dirty Jews” and “you kill children in Palestine, and I’ll kill you.” He struck the man in the head with a blunt object before train conductors and bystanders subdued him, allowing railway police to take him into custody. The injured tourist sustained minor wounds but was released after evaluation.
Violent anti-government protests erupted in Mexico City over the weekend, drawing thousands of young demonstrators to the National Palace and Supreme Court in response to rising cartel violence, corruption, and the assassination of Uruapan Mayor Carlos Manzo last month. The unrest, organized by Generation Z activists under the “For Peace” banner, saw clashes with riot police deploying tear gas and water cannons, resulting in over 120 injuries, including 100 officers, and 40 arrests as protesters breached security barriers. Amid the chaos, demonstrators spray-painted antisemitic graffiti targeting President Claudia Sheinbaum, Mexico’s first Jewish leader, including a crossed-out Star of David on the palace gates. Mexico’s Jewish community condemned the slurs as unacceptable, stating they had no place in legitimate political discourse.
Colombian President Gustavo Petro ordered security forces to suspend intelligence sharing with the United States, conditioning resumption on the Trump administration halting lethal strikes on suspected drug trafficking vessels in the Caribbean. The directive targets U.S. naval operations that have killed at least 70 individuals since August, including a Colombian fisherman whose family Petro met over the weekend. Petro, a leftist critic of U.S. drug policy, accused Washington of prioritizing peasant coca growers over major cartels and money launderers.
A Danish court placed two Swedish men, aged 18 and 21, on trial for terrorism and attempted murder after they allegedly threw two hand grenades at the Israeli Embassy in Copenhagen’s Hellerup district on October 2, 2024, causing explosions that damaged a nearby residential building but injured no one. The younger suspect admitted hurling the devices but denied targeting the embassy, claiming the blasts aimed elsewhere, while the older defendant pleaded not guilty to all charges. Prosecutors presented DNA evidence linking one grenade to the 18-year-old, who faces separate prosecution in Sweden for a shooting at the Israeli Embassy in Stockholm the previous day, and alleged the pair transported five grenades total before fleeing toward Amsterdam, where police arrested them at Copenhagen’s train station.
The BBC issued a formal apology to President Donald Trump on for misleading editing in its October 28, 2024, Panorama episode “Trump: A Second Chance?” that spliced excerpts from his January 6, 2021, speech, creating the false impression of a direct call for violent action at the Capitol. BBC chair Samir Shah sent a personal letter to the White House, acknowledging an “error of judgment” that unintentionally merged separate clips—omitting Trump’s calls for peaceful protest—while committing not to rebroadcast the program. The corporation rejected Trump’s $1 billion defamation demand from his lawyers, citing no malice, geographic restrictions limiting U.S. viewership, and Trump’s reelection negating harm claims. Shah stated, “We accept that our edit unintentionally created the impression... that President Trump had made a direct call for violent action.”