As we celebrate Chanukah, it’s important to stay vigilant about safety. This video, courtesy of Flatbush Hatzolah, is a critical reminder regarding safety measures.

The man accused of burning a woman to death inside a New York City subway train used a shirt to fan the flames, a prosecutor said Tuesday at his arraignment on murder charges. Sebastian Zapeta, 33, who federal immigration officials said is a Guatemalan citizen who entered the U.S. illegally, was not required to enter a plea and did not speak at the hearing in Brooklyn criminal court. Zapeta, wearing a white jumpsuit over a weathered black hooded sweatshirt, will remain jailed at the city’s Rikers Island complex and is due back in court on Friday. His lawyer did not ask for bail. Zapeta is charged with two counts of murder, accusing him of intentionally killing the woman and killing her while committing arson. He is also charged with one count of arson.

A man and a woman were injured in separate knife attacks at Grand Central-42nd Street Station in New York City on Tuesday night, police reported. The violence began around 10:15 p.m. when the suspect slashed a 42-year-old man across the left wrist during an argument on the stairs of the station’s southbound entrance, police and law enforcement sources said. Moments later, the attacker fled upstairs and confronted a 26-year-old woman near a turnstile, cutting her on the neck following a brief altercation. Both victims were transported to Bellevue Hospital and are in stable condition. After the second assault, the suspect attempted to escape via an escalator, but bystanders alerted nearby officers, leading to his arrest. A knife was recovered at the scene.

GOP New York Rep. Mike Lawler, known for his sharp critiques of state Democrats, recently hinted at a possible run for governor during his annual “Festivus” airing of grievances. The Hudson Valley congressman used the occasion to skewer Governor Kathy Hochul and her administration’s policies while suggesting he might be the one to challenge her in 2026. “No doubt she’s going to face a real challenge in 2026. I wonder who could beat her. Hmm. I might know a guy,” Lawler said with a wink in the video, leaving little doubt about his aspirations. “Anyway, that’s a video for another day.” Lawler didn’t hold back in his critique of Hochul, blasting her for increasing state spending by more than $50 billion in under four years and allocating significant funds to support migrants.

Hunter College, part of the City University of New York (CUNY) system, has been slapped with a lawsuit by The Lawfare Project, accusing the institution of fostering an environment where antisemitism thrives unchecked. The legal action specifically criticizes Hunter College for its “failure to take meaningful action” against the rising tide of hate on its campus. Brooke Goldstein, the founder and executive director of The Lawfare Project, condemned the college’s inaction, saying, “CUNY Hunter failed to protect Jewish students, faculty, and staff by allowing antisemitism to flourish on campus.

A Guatemalan man accused of fatally setting a subway rider on fire in New York City had been deported in 2018 but later reentered the U.S., evading federal authorities and eventually staying in city-funded shelters, sources revealed. The suspect, who has yet to be formally charged, was first apprehended at the Arizona border in 2018 after entering the U.S. illegally. He was deported just days later under the Trump administration. However, he managed to cross the border again under the Biden administration and made his way to New York City. By April 2023, he was living at a Days Inn hotel on 36th Street, which had been converted into a migrant shelter. Records indicate he stayed at several other taxpayer-funded shelters, including one on Randall’s Island, according to sources.

On Sunday afternoon, the Satmar Rebbe held his annual “Chuf Alef Kislev” event, attended by thousands upon thousands of Satmar Chassidim. The event was held at the Barclay’s Center in Brooklyn. Chof Alef Kislev is the day Hagon HaRav Yoel Teitelbaum ZATZAL, the founder of Satmar Chassidus in America, escaped from the Nazis during the Holocaust in 1944. The Satmar Rebbe, known as the Divrei Yoel, was among 1600-plus people who were transported out of Hungary by train thanks to the efforts of Rudolf Kastner, one of the leaders of Budapest’s Vaadat Ezra V’Hatzalah, who brokered a deal with Adolph Eichmann to let the passengers leave in exchange for a large sum of money, diamonds and gold.

As thousands of Chassidim joined the Satmar Rebbe of Williamsburg in the Barclay’s Center to mark the 80th anniversary of “Chof Alef Kislev”, a historic initiative was announced by the renowned philanthropist and pillar of Chesed, R’ Yoel Landau. R’ Yoel announced that together with philanthropist R’ Yaakov Schwimmer, and in collaboration with the dedicated administration of Satmar institutions in Williamsburg, they will giving a stunning 30% salary increase to the hundreds of devoted Rabbeyim and teachers in Satmar Mosdos! This groundbreaking development was finalized during a meeting last week at the residence of the Satmar Rebbe of Williamsburg, attended by prominent philanthropists, and institutional leaders.

On Motzei Shabbos, the Satmar Rebbe held his annual “Chuf Alef Kislev” event, attended by thousands upon thousands of Satmar Chassidim. The event was held in Brooklyn at the waterfront near Williamsburg. Chof Alef Kislev is the day Hagon HaRav Yoel Teitelbaum ZATZAL, the founder of Satmar Chassidus in America, escaped from the Nazis during the Holocaust in 1944. The Satmar Rebbe, known as the Divrei Yoel, was among 1600-plus people who were transported out of Hungary by train thanks to the efforts of Rudolf Kastner, one of the leaders of Budapest’s Vaadat Ezra V’Hatzalah, who brokered a deal with Adolph Eichmann to let the passengers leave in exchange for a large sum of money, diamonds and gold.

The NYPD announced Sunday they have in custody a “person of interest” in the early morning death of a woman who they believe may have fallen asleep on a stationary subway train before being intentionally lit on fire by a man she didn’t know. The suspect is a migrant from Guatemala. Sources identified the person of interest to YWN as 33-year-old Sebastin Zapeta, saying he entered the U.S. from Guatemala approximately a year ago, but whether he did so legally or illegally was unclear. Transit police apprehended the suspect after receiving a report from three high school students who had recognized the man. They had seen images of the suspect taken from surveillance and police body cam video and widely distributed by police.