Harvard University will relinquish 175-year-old photographs believed to be the earliest taken of enslaved people to a South Carolina museum devoted to African American history as part of a settlement with one of the subjects’ descendants. The photos of the subjects identified by Tamara Lanier as her great-great-great-grandfather Renty, whom she calls “Papa Renty,” and his daughter Delia will be transferred from the Peabody Museum of Archaeology and Ethnology to the International African American Museum in South Carolina, the state where they were enslaved in 1850 when the photos were taken, a lawyer for Lanier said Wednesday.

The head of the United Nations’ atomic watchdog said Wednesday that “the jury is still out” on negotiations between Iran and the U.S. over Tehran’s rapidly advancing nuclear program, but described the continuing negotiations a good sign. Rafael Mariano Grossi, director-general of the International Atomic Energy Agency, described himself as being in near-daily conversation with Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi, as well as talking to Steve Witkoff, the U.S. Middle East envoy. Grossi acknowledged one of his deputies was in Tehran on Wednesday. Iranian officials identified the official as Massimo Aparo, the head of the IAEA’s safeguards arm.

The Trump administration is poised to unveil a new ceasefire proposal for Gaza and a possible long-term resolution to the conflict, U.S. Special Envoy to the Middle East Steve Witkoff revealed at a White House press conference Wednesday. But the announcement came alongside news of a parallel—and potentially explosive—development in U.S.-Iran diplomacy. “We are on the precipice of sending out a new term sheet,” said Witkoff, referencing ongoing talks involving Israel, Hamas intermediaries, and regional powers. The proposal is expected to lay the groundwork for both a temporary cessation of hostilities and a broader framework for peace.

As anticipation builds for this year’s Adirei HaTorah Ma’amad, taking place Sunday, June 8th, 2025 at the Wells Fargo Center in Philadelphia, Klal Yisrael prepares to witness a powerful display of kavod haTorah and achdus. At the heart of the Ma’amad will be a monumental Siyum HaShas—not only completed multiple times by the dedicated yungeleit in Yeshiva, but now, for the first time, opened to the broader public. This year’s communal siyum is being held l’iluy nishmas two cherished talmidim of the Yeshiva who were nifter in the past few months.

What began as a routine graduation trip nearly ended in disaster when a bus carrying 47 children and three adults from Rhode Island to Bais Shaindel on River Avenue in Lakewood became the scene of a reckless and terrifying ordeal. Lakewood Alerts reported the arrest of Xiao Lei Lei Tian, 41, of Philadelphia, PA, who was charged early Wednesday morning with 47 counts of child endangerment and multiple motor vehicle violations following a harrowing high-speed incident on the Garden State Parkway. According to police, Tian—behind the wheel of a commercial passenger bus—was seen driving erratically at high speeds, swerving between lanes, and using a cell phone while operating the vehicle.

The organizers of Daf Yomi have announced that the 14th Global Siyum HaShas will take place on Sunday, June 6, 2027, at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey. The Siyum, which marks the completion of the seven-and-a-half-year Daf Yomi cycle, will be a monumental celebration of the tens of thousands of Jews who have committed to daily learning of Talmud Bavli—early mornings, late nights, in hospital rooms, airport lounges, and everywhere in between. This moment belongs to them: the maggidei shiur who prepare each daf with precision, the learners who whisper a chazarah between meetings, and the countless wives and children who stood behind them with patience, sacrifice, and pride. It’s a tribute to every drop of sweat and every tear shed over a blatt Gemara.

The Toldos Aharon kehillah is mourning the petirah of one of its most revered elder chassidim, Rav Michoel Brizel z”l, at the age of 86.
Just days ago, Rav Michoel had shared joyous news with his fellow chassidim: the birth of a great-great-grandchild, marking the arrival of a fifth generation.
Rav Michoel, known fondly within the community as a dedicated member of “dem Rebbin’s minyan”—the daily Shacharis minyan held at the main Toldos Aharon beis medrash in Meah Shearim—was a fixture in the Tolsod Aharon beis medrash.