Assemblyman Simcha Eichenstein joined yeshiva leaders and administrators in a meeting to thank State Senate candidate Sam Sutton for his critical contributions to a bill supporting yeshiva education. The gathering focused on the legislation’s importance, which aims to bolster and protect a proud and esteemed education system within the yeshiva community—a priority for many stakeholders. Eichenstein, participating via Zoom from Albany, emphasized Sam Sutton’s collaborative efforts that helped drive the bill’s success. Sutton’s role was a focal point of the discussion.

In a late-night vote, New York lawmakers passed the FY2026 state budget, delivering a win for yeshivos and nonpublic schools across the state. The budget includes significant increases in funding and expands key programs that support thousands of students in Jewish day schools and other nonpublic institutions. One of the most significant achievements is a $10 million increase to the state’s innovative STEM reimbursement program, bringing the total allocation to $85.5 million. This boost will enable more nonpublic school students to access high-quality instruction in science, technology, engineering, and math. Additionally, nonpublic schools will now be included in the state’s newly created Universal Free Meals program.

A Manhattan man with alleged ties to anti-Israel terror groups has been indicted on federal hate crime charges after authorities say he violently assaulted three visibly Jewish victims at pro-Israel demonstrations over a nine-month span. Tarek Bazrouk, 20, was arrested Wednesday morning and now faces three counts of hate crimes, each carrying a potential 10-year prison sentence. The indictment was unsealed in the Southern District of New York, with Bazrouk set to appear before U.S. Magistrate Judge Stewart D. Aaron later today. According to prosecutors, Bazrouk carried out a campaign of targeted violence between April 2024 and January 2025, repeatedly attacking Jewish individuals at public protests related to the Israel-Gaza war.

Police officers in helmets streamed into Columbia University Wednesday evening to remove a group of mask-clad protesters who staged a Pro-Palestinian demonstration inside the school’s main library. Videos shared on social media show a long line of NYPD officers entering the library hours after dozens of protesters pushed their way past campus security officers, raced into the building and then hung Palestinian flags and other banners on bookshelves in an ornate reading room. Some protesters also appear to have scrawled “Columbia will burn” across framed pictures. Other videos show campus security officers barring another group of protesters from entering the library, with both sides shoving to try and force the other group aside.

A wild con game came to a crashing end Wednesday afternoon when Boro Park Shomrim and the NYPD caught two scammers red-handed—right in the middle of trying to pull off the same fake Dubai jewelry scam that had already cost another victim $7,000. It began Monday evening on New Utrecht Avenue, when a well-dressed duo in a luxury vehicle flagged down a Yungerman. Claiming to be visitors from Dubai who had been robbed, they spun an elaborate tale—saying they had valuable jewelry but no cash, and begged for a loan, offering the “jewels” as collateral until they could repay. Convinced by their smooth story and appearance, the victim actually got into their car, rode with them to a bank on 13th Avenue, and withdrew $7,000 in cash.

Rep. Rashida Tlaib, who sports a long track record of incendiary anti-Israel rhetoric, is now throwing her weight—and donor list—behind Zohran Mamdani’s quixotic campaign for New York City mayor. In a fundraising text blast reported by the New York Post, Tlaib rallied support for the New Yorkers for Lower Costs super PAC, a group aligned with Mamdani, a self-proclaimed Democratic Socialist currently serving in the New York State Assembly. Both Tlaib and Mamdani are vocal advocates of the anti-Israel Boycott, Divestment, and Sanctions (BDS) movement—a campaign widely condemned as antisemitic by mainstream Jewish organizations. Mamdani, who has roots in Indian and Ugandan heritage, has made headlines in recent months for his inflammatory attacks on Israel.

A Utah man who declared himself the reincarnation of Adolf Hitler and threatened to carry out a massacre at a Manhattan synagogue has been indicted on terror charges, Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg announced Tuesday. Luis Ramirez, 23, was arrested on February 14 after allegedly posting a series of disturbing threats on X, including a chilling message aimed at Central Synagogue in Midtown: “The Jews killed me in my past life. If you try to kill me again today in NYC when I pull up to Shabbat, I will kill you first.” Just hours after the posts, law enforcement intercepted Ramirez as he drove toward the Lincoln Tunnel in New Jersey, apparently en route to the synagogue.

The community is reeling after learning of the tragic and untimely passing of Yitzchak Alishayiv Z”L (Yitzchak ben Mazal Z”L), a beloved former custodian and dear friend to many, who was murdered during a trip to Turkey. He was just 45 years old. Yitzchak, formerly the gabbai at Heichal Moshe (Vorhand Shteibel) on Manhattan’s Upper West Side, was well known for his warm heart and quiet passion for wildlife photography. He had traveled to Turkey after Pesach to pursue his love of capturing animals in their natural habitat. According to reports from Turkish media, the trip ended in tragedy when Yitzchak was fatally stabbed by the host he was staying with. He was rushed to a local hospital but tragically succumbed to his injuries.

A fugitive wanted for one of New York’s most chilling unsolved murders – the killing of an Iranian-Jewish man – has been captured and returned to the city after more than eight years on the run. Michel Patrick Desalles, now 54, has been extradited from the island nation of Mauritius and charged with the brutal 2017 murder of his boss, Omid Gholian, inside a Tribeca jewelry store. Prosecutors say Desalles viciously beat Gholian hy”d, 43, inside the back room of World of Gold N Diamond at Church and Duane Streets, before tightening two zip ties around his neck, leaving him to die in a pool of blood. Hours after the savage assault, Desalles boarded a flight at JFK Airport and vanished halfway around the world. Gholian’s disappearance initially puzzled his loved ones.

Yehuda Shaffer, a lifelong Crown Heights resident and veteran Hatzalah member (CH-97), has announced his candidacy for New York City Council in District 41, a diverse area that includes Remsen Village, Brownsville, and parts of Crown Heights and East Flatbush. Shaffer, a proud Lubavitcher, brings 12 years of emergency response experience to the campaign trail and a message: it’s time for the Jewish community to take its place at the table. “Recent events have shown us that we cannot depend on others to speak up for us,” Shaffer wrote in a letter addressed to local residents. “We must stand up for ourselves—and now is that time.” With hundreds of new Lubavitch families settling in the district in recent years, Shaffer’s campaign emphasizes both representation and collaboration.