As reported by YWN earlier this week, a disturbing video surfaced showing two individuals on a motorcycle swiping a yarmulke off the head of a Jewish man crossing a Staten Island street. The footage, initially shared by Staten Island Shomrim, captured the brazen act, with the riders speeding away after their offensive behavior. The Shomrim group posted the video on X (formerly Twitter), calling on the public to assist in identifying the suspects. “Help us apprehend these individuals. Wanted for a despicable act of pushing a Kippah off a Jewish man’s head,” their statement read. They urged anyone with information to contact the NYPD’s 121st Precinct Detective Squad or the Shomrim hotline.

YWN regrets to inform you of the Petira of Reb Dovid Pitterman Z”L. He was approximately 74. The Niftar was one of the original first 5 members of Flatbush Hatzolah (known by his unit number “F-8”),  when it was founded in the Mirrer Yeshiva. He was an active member for around 50 years, responding to emergency calls until just a few years ago. He saved thousands of lives over the decades. Reb Dovid was the son of Reb Moshe, who was an “Alter Mirrer”, and grew up in Boro Park, where his father was a fixture of the famed “Mirrer Minyan”. He learned in Bais Medrash in the Mirrer Yeshiva, under Hagaon HaRav Shmuel Brudny ZT”L and other Gedolim in the Mir.

On Thursday morning, Boro Park Shomrim responded to a report of a burglary at the Viznitzer Shul on 53rd Street. The call to the Shomrim hotline launched a swift response from volunteers, who immediately began collecting video evidence and tracking the suspects. Footage revealed a surprising scene: three perpetrators, including one in a wheelchair, another pushing the wheelchair, and a third walking nearby. The trio was seen breaking into the Shul and stealing a significant amount of money and checks before fleeing the scene. Their plan included a getaway car stationed approximately a mile away, which they reached on foot. Shomrim volunteers meticulously tracked the vehicle’s movements, leveraging high-tech surveillance cameras installed throughout Boro Park.

On Tuesday afternoon around 12:30 PM, the NYPD 71st Precinct’s Detective Squad reached out to Crown Heights Shomrim, seeking assistance with a suspected mailbox theft case. The precinct flagged multiple vehicles suspected of involvement in recent USPS mailbox thefts in the area. Upon receiving the request, Crown Heights Shomrim’s operations team coordinated with their rapid response units to locate the suspects. Within three hours, they successfully identified the primary vehicle linked to the thefts. Detectives were alerted to the vehicle’s location, swiftly intercepting it and apprehending the driver. During the arrest, authorities recovered multiple packages, stolen mail, a USPS jacket, and a master key used for opening mailboxes.

Former U.S. Rep. Michael Grimm, a New York Republican who resigned from Congress following a tax fraud conviction, is paralyzed from the chest down after being thrown from a horse during a polo tournament, according to friends who are raising funds to pay for the ex-lawmaker’s medical care. Grimm, 54, suffered the devastating injury in September and is now being treated at the Kessler Institute for Rehabilitation in New Jersey, where the late actor Christopher Reeve was treated after a similar equestrian accident in 1995, according to Vincent Ignizio, a friend of Grimm’s who is a former New York City Council member. Grimm had been an avid polo player for years, Ignizio said.

In a historic political shift, Daniel Norber, a 45-year-old former IDF officer and dual US-Israeli citizen, has become the first Republican elected to a state assembly seat in northern Hempstead, Long Island, in over half a century. Norber narrowly defeated two-term Democratic incumbent Gina Silitti in the Nassau County district that includes Great Neck, Manhasset, Port Washington, and several other communities bordering Queens. The district, which has a significant Jewish population, leaned Republican in this election cycle, partly due to President-elect Donald Trump’s success at the top of the ticket. Trump carried the 16th Assembly District by more than 2,000 votes, giving Norber a boost in his campaign.

A disturbing incident captured on video shows two people on a motorcycle swiping a yarmulka off the head of a Jewish man as he was crossing a street in Staten Island. The video, shared on social media by Staten Island Shomrim, depicts the riders approaching the man and knocking off his kippah before speeding away. Shomrim posted the footage on X, urging the public’s assistance in identifying the individuals involved. “Help us apprehend these individuals. Wanted for a despicable act of pushing a Kippah off a Jewish man’s head,” the Shomrim’s statement read. Shomrim encouraged anyone with information to contact the NYPD’s 121st Precinct Detective Squad at 718-697-8712 or the Shomrim hotline directly at 718-370-2121. (YWN World Headquarters – NYC)

Williamsburg Hatzolah has added 11 new members to its team. This strategic expansion is designed to meet the community’s growing needs, reinforcing the organization’s commitment to safeguarding the health and well-being of Williamsburg residents. The new members joining Williamsburg Hatzolah are: Mordchai Stein (W300) Mendy Rosner (W301) Menachem Moskowitz (W302) Avrum Duvid Binik (W303) Duvid Launda (W304) Hershi Hirsch (W305) Avrumi Lefkowitz (W306) Ari Schwartz (W307) Hershi Deutch (W308) Isumer Tovia Schwartz (W309) Yosef Yitzchok Biener (W310) With these additions, Williamsburg Hatzolah strengthens its ability to provide rapid, reliable emergency care, ensuring residents that help is always close by.

On Thursday morning, thanks to the swift actions of Flatbush Shomrim and the NYPD’s 63rd Precinct, two suspects were apprehended at Avenue R and East 31st Street. The arrests followed a spree of vehicle break-ins, scooter thefts, and identity theft, including the grand larceny of a wallet containing $1,200. The incident began when Flatbush Shomrim received a report of two individuals matching the suspects’ descriptions on scooters near Quentin Road and Burnett Street in Marine Park. Witnesses described the suspects going from car to car, breaking into multiple vehicles. Shomrim volunteers responded and managed to track the suspects, eventually spotting them at Avenue P and East 31st Street. The suspects had reportedly stolen a scooter and continued to break into vehicles along the way.

A frightening incident unfolded in Crown Heights on Shabbos afternoon when a masked man attempted to grab a young child from his father. At approximately 3:30 PM, a Crown Heights resident was walking with his two children when an unknown man crossed the street and suddenly attempted to take one of the children. The father quickly reacted, confronting the man, who immediately released the child and retreated into a nearby building at 451 Kingston Avenue. The suspect’s motive remains unclear, but authorities are taking the incident seriously, particularly as it follows a recent string of antisemitic attacks in the area over the past two weeks. Crown Heights Shomrim and the NYPD are collaborating to identify the suspect. Investigators believe they are close to locating the man involved.