A court in El Salvador has granted the request of Israel’s State Prosecution to extradite Lev Tahor leader Elazer Rompler to Israel to face serious charges of child abuse, Kan News reported on Thursday. Rompler, who fled Guatemala after local authorities raided the cult’s complex, was arrested in El Salvador in January as he attempted to enter the country, unaware that an international arrest warrant had been issued against him by Interpol at Israel’s request. Israel filed an extradition request for Rompler to El Salvador in February. Rompler fled Israel in 2020 after being indicted for severe child abuse while serving as a principal of the Lev Tahor school in Canada. (YWN’s Jerusalem desk is keeping you updated after tzeis ha’Shabbos in Israel)

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Family getting up: Rabbi Moishe Handler Father Mrs.

In a new update, the Orthodox Union has officially ended its kosher certification of all Beech-Nut baby food items, effective immediately.
According to a public kashrus notice issued today, the OU clarified that although some jars and packages currently in stores may still display the OU symbol—indicating they were produced while certification was in place—any Beech-Nut baby food lacking the symbol should no longer be considered under their kosher oversight.
The presence of both certified and uncertified products on shelves is expected for a limited time due to existing stock.
The OU strongly advises shoppers to examine each label individually to confirm the OU symbol before making a purchase or feeding the product to a child.
{Matzav.com}

Russia and Ukraine carried out a massive prisoner exchange on Friday, marking the most significant swap since the war between the two nations began more than three years ago. President Trump remarked that the exchange “could lead to something big.”
A total of 390 individuals from each country were returned home, including both military personnel and civilians, with officials indicating that additional transfers are anticipated in the coming days.
This exchange followed a rare direct dialogue between Russian and Ukrainian representatives last week, during which both sides agreed to release 1,000 prisoners each—marking their first face-to-face peace discussion since the early phase of Russia’s invasion in 2022.

An emergency asifas tehillim is taking place now at the Pine River shul for Refoel ben Sara (Faham) who is in extremely critical condition following this morning’s tragic accident. Another asifas Tehillim for Refoel will be taking place at 4 pm at Ohr Mattisyahu, 953 E. County Line Road.  

In a powerful and unanimous show of support, the Florida Legislature recently passed an impactful bill backing Hatzalah South Florida and its critical mission to deliver rapid, life-saving emergency medical services. The legislation passed with a 115-0 vote in the House and a 37-0 vote in the Senate, solidifying overwhelming bipartisan recognition of Hatzalah’s vital role in public safety. Today, Friday, May 23, 2025, Governor Ron Desantis signed that important lifesaving legislation into law.

It is with great sadness that Matzav.com reports the petirah of Rav Avrohom Meir Lichtenstein z”l, the devoted gabbai of both the Vizhnitzer Beis Medrash in Yerushalayim and the Magdanos Eliyahu shul in the Tenuva neighborhood. He was just 47 years old.
Rav Avrohom Meir was a son of Rav Chaim Yaakov Lichtenstein zt”l, the Gaavad of Batehlan and son of Rav Yehuda zt”l, Av Beis Din of Batehlan, and his mother, Mrs. Yocheved Perl.

Adi Alexander, the father of Edan Alexander—one of the hostages recently released from captivity in Gaza—has revealed disturbing details about what his son endured while being held by Hamas.
Speaking to Channel 12 News, Adi recounted that Edan had to conceal his identity during his time in a Hamas-run holding site where multiple hostages were being detained. “They put a ski mask with a green ribbon on him, and he walked between the cells, serving and clearing plates,” Adi said. “The other hostages didn’t even know who he was.”