Boro Park, Brooklyn +Auto Burglary's+

Borough Park, Brooklyn, NY +Auto Burglary's+ NYPD Detm Squad of the 66th Pct are doing an investigation on numerous auto burglary's over Shabbos in the Boro Park section of Brooklyn, NY. Over 40 vehicles were broken into over Friday night and Shabbos in the area of 17th Avenue and 55th Streets, numsrous Det. are on the scene.

Gaza City, Gaza Strip - Palestinian Prime Minister's Office Attacked

Gaza City, Gaza Strip - Israeli warplanes attack Prime Minister Ismail Haniyeh's office in Gaza City.

Baghdad, Iraq - Market Blast Kils Dozens

Baghdad, Iraq - At least 62 people have been killed and 114 wounded in a car bombing attack of a market in the Iraqi capital, Baghdad.

Ellenville, NY - Storm Knocks Out Power To 1,000

Ellenville, NY - A severe storm with high winds struck the Village of Ellenville, damaging homes, downing power lines and trees, and depriving electricity to more than 1,000 Central Hudson Gas & Electric customers.

The storm, which struck around 5:15 a.m. yesterday, left most of its damage in Ellenville, Paul Tesoro, a Central Hudson spokesman, said.Utility repairmen were still at work restoring power to about 1,250 affected customers yesterday afternoon, he said.
The majority of those customers had power back by 1 p.m., Ellenville police said. The crews expected to restore power to all homes by the evening, Tesoro said.

Chief Philip Mattracion said the storm had downed tree limbs and wires throughout the village, no one was injured.

Washington - Doctors More Likely To Recommend Anesthesia For Circumcisions

Washington - Due to a new study, doctors are more likely to use anesthesia for newborn circumcisions than they were eight years ago.  
At one time, doctors believed that infants were too young to experience the pain of circumcision or did not remember it, but more recent medical research has shown that babies are no different than adults in this regard, said Dr. Daniel Yawman, lead author of the anesthesia study.  

About 1 million newborns are circumcised in U.S. hospitals every year, making it the country's most common operation.

Spring Valley, NY - Amendment Would Allow Bigger Homes

Spring Valley, NY - Larger houses could be built without zoning variances under new regulations being considered.

The village Board of Trustees will conduct a public hearing next month on an amendment to increase the ratio between the lot size and the square footage for single- and two-family homes. "There has been a significant demand for larger houses," said Village Attorney Bruce Levine. "We want to make it simpler for people to get that zoning, but we still want to have some regulations and guarantee to the village and the neighbors that nothing bad is being caused by these changes."

The current Village Code allows for a landowner to build on 30 percent of the lot area. Anything more requires permission from the village's Zoning Board of Appeals.
The proposed law would increase the percentage to 55 percent of the lot area, as long as the construction remained within the "footprint" that maintained required distances between the house and the road, as well as side and rear boundaries.

It's a trend seen in villages throughout Rockland County. Earlier this year, Wesley Hills accommodated the construction of larger homes by abolishing lot size- square-footage ratios.

Patricia Caldwell, chairwoman of the ZBA, applauded village officials for the proposed law. She said an influx of ethnic groups with more children needed more space, but landowners still would be required to do studies and be in compliance with state and county regulations. "You're not going to be able to build a castle," she said.

New York - Monsey Ruv's Vehicle Involved In Major Accident, Escapes Injury

New York - On his way home early this morning from the Satmar Monsey Camp in Montreal, the Satmar Monsey ruv's vehicle had a major accident near Saratoga Springs, after his driver fell asleep and lost control of the vehicle, the vehicle was totaled, but B"H with no injuries to any of the three travelers.

Williamsburg, Brooklyn, NY +Bias Crime+

Williamsburg, Brooklyn, NY +Bias Crime+ Swastikas were found in the apartment building of 80 Ross Street on the 6th Floor, NYPD Detective Squad and Bias Crime Unit are all responding.

Cuba - Kosher Chicken Now Available

Cuba - A educational organization has begun slaughtering kosher chickens for the Cuban community on an ongoing basis.

"From now on every few weeks we'll have another few shochtim go down," said Rabbi Simon Aisenbach, executive director of the Canadian Friends of Cuban Jewry (CFCJ). "Every two to three weeks, a team goes down there to slaughter chickens, and we'd love to do more, but it’s based on how much we can put together. It’s a very costly project, but the more money we get the more we can do."

The organization pays $6.80 for each chicken.

Rabbi Aisenbach said it’s difficult for the average Cuban to access poultry or meat on a regular basis. "It’s very costly and the average individual makes very little there," he said. "They have a few dollars that they accumulate, they'll spend it on something else, like vegetables and eggs, which you can get more of for that same price."

Two hundred and twenty families receive the 500 kosher chickens. The number of chickens distributed to each family varies according to need, said Aisenbach.
Cuba's only Orthodox synagogue, Adas Israel, serves as a distribution center
Sent from my Verizon Wireless BlackBerry

Queens, NY +MVA Involving Hatzolah Member+

Queens, NY +MVA Involving Hatzolah Member+ A motor vehicle accident in Queens on 75th Avenue and 167th Street, Hatzolah members responding with backup.

Amherst, NH - Swastikas Painted At Amherst Golf Club

Amherst, NH - Swastikas and other markings were discovered painted on the grounds of the Souhegan Woods Golf Club.

Graffiti and swastikas were discovered painted on doors, fencing, and further markings were found on the pavement. The damage has been cleaned up, said Bill Meier, the head professional at the golf club. Such incidents, he said, are "very rare indeed."

Police are investigating the incidents, though it is difficult to apprehend vandals when they have not been caught in the act, the department cautioned.

Brooklyn, NY - The Sweet'N Low Talk

Brooklyn, NY - Arthor Cohen will discuss "Sweet and Low" about his family that invented the sugar packet and then Sweet'N Low.

Cohen is a grandson of Benjamin Eisenstadt, the founder of the company that once produced 50 million packets of the artificial sweetener a day at its Brooklyn factory. 
The talk will take place at the Leonard Branch Library, in the Williamsburg section of Brooklyn, NY.

Los Angeles, CA - Court of Appeal Allows Suit Over Rabbi’s Alleged Attack on Writer

Los Angeles, CA - A Jewish writer who claims that a local rabbi attacked and injured her after they argued about Middle East politics can sue the organization he works for, the Court of Appeal for this district has ruled.

Reversing a contrary ruling by Los Angeles Superior Court Judge James A. Bascue, the panel said there was sufficient evidence for a jury to decide whether Chaim Seidler-Feller was acting in the role and scope of his employment when he allegedly attacked Rachel Neuwirth three years ago.

Neuwirth sued Seidler-Feller, saying that in results of an argument outside Royce Hall on the Westwood campus, following an address by Harvard Law School’s Alan Dershowitz, Feller “flew into a rage,” called her “a liar,” grabbed and twisted her right hand and scratched her thumb and index finger with his fingernails. Neuwirth said she was shocked and outraged, causing her to exclaim that Seidler-Feller was a "kapo".
The rabbi had to be pulled off Neuwirth by "three or four large college men," Neuwirth claims.

The plaintiff asserted that the organization that Feller works for was a co-sponsor for the Dershowitz event; and the rabbi was doing his duties, engaging in public discussion on issues of Jewish interest. She also contended that the organization should have been aware of Seidler-Feller’s tendency towards violence.

Justice Fred Woods, in an unpublished opinion for the Court of Appeal wrote. “It is not clear from the allegations whether the attack was personal or business-related. Consequently, whether the attack was attenuated from Seidler-Feller’s work, i.e., whether the attack arose out of Seidler-Feller’s employment or whether he substantially deviated from his duties for personal purposes, and whether the attack was unusual or startling given this rabbi’s duties and his prior history are fact issues which cannot be determined at the demurrer stage.”

Brooklyn, NY +Pedestrian Struck+

Brooklyn, NY +Pedestrian Struck+ A serious motor vehicle accident with a pedestrian that was struck on Kings Highway and East 26th Street, Hatzolah on the scene requesting Medics on a rush for aided that is unconscious.

U/D: 15:54
Aided was pronounced D.O.A. NYPD Highway A.I. Team responding for the job.

Monsey, NY +Child Struck+

Monsey, NY +Child Struck+ A serious accident with a van that struck an 11-year-old girl - from the Riverdale section in the Bronx who was visiting family in Monsey - while crossing Saddle River Drive in front of Bais Rachel School for Girls on Route 59 and Saddle River Road, Ramapo PD and Hatzolah BLS on the scene requesting ALS on a rush, child is in respiratory arrest in very serious condition with head and chest injuries, Stat Flight Air-1 on stand by.

U/D 15:34
Hatzolah transporting to Nyack Hospital via ground and Stat Flight Air-1 has been launched to Nyack Hospital, child is in very likely condition.

U/D: 15:43
L/Z will be across the street of the Nyack Hospital at the field of the Nyck High School, Fire Department enroute to set up the L/Z.

U/D: 15:49
Saddle River Road will be shut down between Route 59 and Old Nyack Trpk, due to A.I. job.

U/D: 15:53
Medivac has been canceled due to severity of injury's.

U/D: 16:27
Child has been pronounced at Nyack Hospital.

U/D: 06/30/06 08:49
The driver whose van struck and killed the girl was drunk at the time, Ramapo police said today.

New York, NY +Mafia Cops Convictions Thrown Out+

New York, NY +Mafia Cops Convictions Thrown Out+ A judge threw out a racketeering murder conviction against two
detectives accused of moonlighting as hitmen for the mob including a Jewish man, saying the statute of limitations had expired on the slayings.

New York State Thruway +4 Car MVA+

New York State Thruway +4 Car MVA+ A motor vehicle accident involving 4 vehicles on the northbound of the New York State Thruway at M/M 37.2 is causing some traffic, aided have minor injuries, Hatzolah on the scene.

U/D: 13:19
Traffic is backed up about 10 miles from the area of Exit 15 to Exit 16.

Bronx, NY - Kerik Pleads Guilty in Case Involving Gifts and a Loan

Bronx, NY - Bernard B. Kerik, the former New York City police commissioner, pleaded guilty to two misdemeanor charges as the result of accepting tens of thousands of dollars of gifts and a loan while a city official in the late 1990's.

He entered the pleas in a Bronx courtroom and was sentenced to a total of $221,000 in fines. He was accompanied by three lawyers and three supporters for the proceeding, which lasted about 10 minutes.

The plea completed a stunning fall from grace for a public official who rose in a decade's time from a third-grade police detective to police commissioner and a nomination as secretary of the federal Department of Homeland Security.

Hollywood, FL - Synagogue Is Given New Offer

Hollywood, FL - Commissioners offered a last-ditch offer to settle the religious discrimination case with the Orthodox synagogue.

As with a settlement proposed earlier in the week, the new offer calls for the city to pay $2 million to the Hollywood Community Synagogue, while the synagogue would be able to continue to remain in two homes in a residential neighborhood.

But compared to the previous proposal, the new offer would place stricter limits on the synagogue's right to expand in its current site without seeking city approval. The congregation could expand into no more than three additional lots in the neighborhood without seeking city approval.

Berlin, Germany - Swastikas Sprayed At Jewish Cemetery

Berlin, Germany - Vandals sprayed two swastikas on signs at a Jewish cemetery in western Germany.

The vandals also daubed with paint the wall of the cemetery in the town of Alsbach-Haehnlein, south of Frankfurt. Police in nearby Darmstadt said it was the fifth time the cemetery has been desecrated in the past two years. Prosecutors were investigating the incident.

Boynton Beach, Florida - Synagogue To Open Modern Mikvah

Boynton Beach, Florida - A $400,000 mikvah is expected to be ready by the beginning of July at the synagogue, of Greater Boynton Beach, at 10655 El Clair Ranch Road.

"The Jewish community in Boynton Beach has been steadily growing over the last decade," said one resident in the area, 31. "In recent years, we have seen a large influx of young families. Having our own mikvah will not only serve the needs of all these new families, but it will help to sustain our growth as a community." The mikvah will be open to local and visiting Jewish women, and it will feature "every amenity known to a woman in the most exquisite spa."

Boca Raton Synagogue also has a dish mikvah.

New York, NY - Complaints Against The NYPD Spike But Police Punish Fewer Officers

New York, NY - As the number of complaints made against the police department reaches record levels, police officials are imposing harsh punishment on fewer officers, Civilian Complaint Review Board data shows.

The board received 6,796 complaints in 2005, an increase of 600 from the prior year, according to the board's status report. The number of substantiated cases against police officers, however, dropped to 260 from 399 in 2004. Police and board members have consistently said the rising number of complaints is in part a product of citizens' ability to make complaints through 311, a feature started by the city in March 2003.

Of the substantiated cases in 2005, the police department chose to let off 199 officers, or 59% of the cases, with a verbal warning or instructions. In 2004, the department let off 108 officers with a warning or instructions, or about 28% of the cases.
A spokesman for the police department, Deputy Chief Michael Collins, said the change was attributed to a drop in the number of substantiated cases that required stronger punishment. "The vast majority of cases are the type of case that should be handled at the precinct level," he said.

Also did the board report, that the number of abuse of power accusations has increased at an even faster rate than the number of complaints in general. Between 2001 and 2005, the number of allegations that a police officer improperly questioned or stopped a civilian has risen 462%. Chief Collins said only 78 cases were substantiated over the five years.

Lakewood, NJ - Tributes Paid To Parkway Crash Victim

Lakewood, NJ - Artur Issakov of Lakewood was killed Sunday morning in a motor vehicle accident on the Garden State Parkway in Galloway. He was 21.
People come into the store "Dollar Ron's" in Neptune City, where the young store manager greeted everyone with an accented English, and ask where he is, and they're crying, said Ron Kleiman, who worked with Issakov. "Everyone loved him."

Issakov, who came from a close-knit family of 12 brothers and sisters, was buried Sunday in Lakewood. Some 3,000 mourners crowded the Sons of Israel Chapel.

About 6:30 a.m., Issakov was driving north in a 2006 Mazda when the car spun off the roadway, crashing into several trees, State Police reported.
Issakov was extricated from the car by firefighters and transported to AtlantiCare Regional Medical Center in Atlantic City, where he was pronounced dead.
A 31-year-old passenger, Issakov's brother-in-law, was treated for a minor head laceration, police said. It's unclear what caused the vehicle to lose control, according to police. However, a family member said Issakov was cut off by another driver.

About eight years ago, the Issakov family immigrated to the United States from Azerbaijan.

Lakewood, PA - Flooding Delays Camp Openings

Lakewood, PA - Camps Lavi and Morasha were scheduled to open Wednesday, June 28, however, it had become evident that things are not going as planned.  According to Camp Lavi Director David Fischberger, the relentless rains were making roads impassable, the local access roads from both Route 17 and Route 247 were shut down.

Both camps went into a state of lockdown, with staff members prohibited from leaving the grounds.  There was enough food and supplies to go around and, according to Mr. Fischberger, morale was good. .
Based on weather forecasts and road openings the decision was made to have campers come up on Sunday, July 2. 

As of today, the sun is shining and deliveries of food and supplies had begun to arrive at the camps.

Blooming Grove, NY - Voters Approve Creation Of South Blooming Grove

Blooming Grove, NY - In a landslide decision last night, residents voted 856-89 to incorporate a 4.98-square-mile section of the town into a village, the first one in the county since Kiryas Joel was created nearly three decades ago.
"We worked hard for this," said Garry Dugan, member of the South Blooming Grove Homeowners Association, which spearheaded the movement. "We've been around for 20 years, and we haven't failed at anything yet."
It came down to one thing, voters say: control. They wanted it. And with an overwhelming approval, they got it.

About 1,000 residents signed a petition two years ago seeking to create the village so they could have more control over zoning, growth and to preserve the area the best they can. But it wasn't an easy road.
Opponents, including Hal Greene, former owner of the 800-plus-acre Lake Anne Country Club, filed an appeal earlier this month and fought this week to stop the vote, a move that also failed. "I think they're going to incur a lot of liability and costs they hadn't anticipated," Greene said. "I don't think they've done anything positive for themselves except increase the complexity, adding on another layer of bureaucracy."

The next step is to appoint a village clerk and send the certified results of the vote to the state.

Manhattan, NY +Senators Arrested+

Manhattan, NY +Senators Arrested+ Senator Kevin Parker who is senator in Crown Heights, Brooklyn, NY and Senator Tom Duane of Manhattan and a few other people from Local 32BJ, were arrested yesterday for disorderly conduct, blocking the entrance and trespassing into 350 5th Avenue at the Empire State Building, while protesting for higher salarie for security employees at the building.

Freehold, NJ - Talks Fail; Dwek Case Remains Unsettled

Freehold, NJ - A three-hour effort by a judge to negotiate a major settlement in the Solomon Dwek bounced-check case failed, pushing PNC Bank closer to deciding whether to force Dwek into bankruptcy, according to two participants who asked not to be identified.

The effort began after the judge agreed to postpone a hearing into whether HSBC Bank should put aside $22.2 million that PNC says it wrongly received from Dwek in April.
If the judge had ordered HSBC to put the money into escrow pending a final decision, PNC would have been able to avoid reporting to investors and federal regulators a loss in the Dwek matter at the end of the current financial quarter, June 30. Unless a settlement is reached by Friday - which the two participants said wasn't likely - PNC must decide if it can get a better shot in federal bankruptcy court than in Lehrer's courtroom in Freehold.

Participants in the negotiations included Dwek, 33, of Ocean Township, and lawyers representing HSBC, PNC and two Brooklyn residents who say Dwek owes them a total of $80 million - Isaac S. Franco and Dwek's uncle, Joseph Dwek, 54. In all, more than 60 other claimants are suing Dwek for more than $320 million. Dwek's assets are being managed by court-appointed fiscal agent Donald M. Lomurro of Freehold Township.
Dwek has also been charged by the FBI with bank fraud.

Pearl Dwek, Solomon Dwek's wife appears to be the recorded owner of at least eight of the properties, certain public records show that Solomon Dwek or his companies own the properties, PNC claimed.
Pearl Dwek, 29, mother of a newborn baby, the couple's fifth child, was not at the hearing.

Cairo, Egypt - New Tape From Osama Bin Laden

Cairo, Egypt - Osama bin Laden has praised slain al-Qaida in Iraq leader Abu Musab al-Zarqawi as the "lion of holy war" and as a martyr, he vows al Qaeda will continue to fight the US. and he is demanding the body of al-Zaqarwi to be turned over to his family. All in a new videotape.

Gaza City, Gaza Strip - Israel Hits Ministry; Hamas Offers Soldier

Gaza City, Gaza Strip - Israeli warplanes struck the Palestinian Interior Ministry early Friday, setting it ablaze as Arab leaders tried to forge a deal that would halt the Israeli offensive and free a 19-year-old soldier held by gunmen allied with the ruling Islamic Hamas.

The bombing was one of more than a dozen across the Gaza Strip after midnight, though Israel called off a planned ground invasion of northern Gaza on Thursday in order to give diplomacy another chance.

Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak said militants agreed to a conditional release of the kidnapped soldier but that Israel had yet to accept their terms, which he did not specify. Israel said it was not familiar with any such offer.

New York +Flash Flood Warning+

New York +Flash Flood Warning+ A flash flood warning was issued by the National Weather Service for northwestern queens, western Brooklyn & southern Manhattan Until 21:30 pm, rainfall rates are 1 to 2 inches per hour, The storm is also producing nickel sized hail and damaging winds with cloud-ground lightning.
Do not drive your vehicle into areas where the water covers the roadway, take extreme caution.

U/D:
Southbound F.D.R. Drive from 96nd Street to 71st Street has been shut down due to severe flooding.

New York, NY - City Considers Raising Smoking Age from 18 to 21

New York, NY - A move to raise the smoking age from 18 to 21 could have the support of the Bloomberg administration, the city's health commissioner said.

The chair of the City Council's health committee, Joel Rivera, recently introduced a bill that would make it illegal for anyone younger than 21 to buy cigarettes.

Commissioner Thomas Frieden, who helped push for Mayor Michael Bloomberg's citywide smoking ban in bars and restaurants, said he was open to anything that helps curb the habit. "It's certainly something that should be looked at,'' Frieden said. "We need to think about ways that we can further reduce smoking.''

Postville, Iowa - Kosher Meat Plant Expanding Into Nebraska

Postville, Iowa - The kosher meat packing plant in Postville that revitalized the job picture in a part of northeast Iowa has expanded into the neighboring state. This week is a grand opening celebration for Local Pride, a packing plant in Gordon, Nebraska. The Local Pride plant opened last July, but plant manager Gary Ruse says they wanted to wait until it was in full operation before holding a grand opening.

Attending will be members of the Rubashkin family, who opened the Postville plant in Iowa more than ten years ago. Some of the owners live in Iowa, some in New York. Some of the family members will be on hand for the opening of their second plant and see the changes that have taken place.

This week's grand opening in Nebraska includes a kosher barbecue.

Kosher Meat Suppliers Served With Federal Subpoenas

The world’s largest kosher slaughterhouse and several other major kosher meat suppliers have been served with federal subpoenas in connection with a criminal antitrust investigation

AgriProcessors of Postville, Iowa, received its subpoena for documents and not for testimony, from a federal grand jury and at least two other kosher meat suppliers have also received subpoenas in connection with the probe, according to Washington, D.C., attorney Nathan Lewin, who represents the Iowa slaughterhouse. “AgriProcessors is in the process of cooperating with the investigation,” said Lewin in a written statement. “It has been told that neither the corporation nor any corporate officer or employee is presently a target of the investigation.”

One industry insider, who would speak only on condition of anonymity, said the unique certification process involved in producing kosher meats made the industry particularly vulnerable to potentially illegal market allocation. “There is an unwritten agreement not to traipse on each other’s hechsher's,” he explained, referring to the rabbinic kosher certifiers who give their stamp of approval to the ritual processes by which meat must be slaughtered under religious law.

The power of custom and sectarian loyalty to particular kosher certifiers among various Jewish religious groups means “if you have a certain hechsher, you have a lock on a certain part of the market geographically and religiously,” this insider said. Lubavitch and Satmar chasidim, for example, have separate certifiers to which they are each exclusively loyal. The meat companies, understanding this, effectively divide up the market by agreeing not to use each other’s certifiers, the source explained.

Multiple sources within the industry said that the Justice Department’s probe appeared to begin seven to nine months ago, when several companies were contacted and questioned on a non-subpoena basis. “They wanted to know about communications we might have had with other companies,” said an official from one of the firms contacted. “Who we talked to and what we talked about.” AgriProcessors, Alle, Globex and Empire Poultry are among the firms said to have been contacted then.

Conservative and Orthodox rabbinic organizations are currently examining the allegations.

Brooklyn, NY - 3 Charged With Bribing Inspector

Brooklyn, NY - Investigators arrested three Brooklyn men and charged them with trying to bribe a city building inspector.

The arrests of the men, David Safir, Gennadiy Bronsteyn and Arkadi Shapiro, came after Mr. Safir offered a building inspector $3,000 to revoke a stop-work order on construction at a Brooklyn property he owned.
The Department of Investigation, which worked on the case with the Department of Buildings, said Mr. Safir then referred the inspector to Mr. Bronsteyn and Mr. Shapiro. The two men later offered the inspector $10,000 to erase citations for violations on a pair of adjoining properties they owned, investigators said.

Brooklyn, NY - Reopining Of Nellie Bly Park Adjourned

Brooklyn, NY - The reopening of Brooklyn's Nellie Bly amusement park has been stalled until mid-July - more than a month after the kiddie park was expected to open, the reason due to difficulty's obtaining a city permit and getting a new Tilt-a-Whirl ride delivered.

"We're in a crisis stage," said Community Board 11 District Manager Howard Feuer, who raised concerns in April that thrill rides would replace attractions such as the carousel.
"If that park doesn't open quickly, I don't know," said Feuer, "It's had many, many years of wholesome family entertainment, and I dont know if that will ever come back."

But the parks owner insisted he could have "most of the stuff ready," adding that two new rides are expected to be delivered by Sunday.

Brooklyn, NY - Ground Breaking At Williamsburg Rezoned Waterfront Site

New housing is in the works for a section of Brooklyn waterfront. Mayor Bloomberg said it'll give lower-income families the chance at a good home, but some say the plan doesn't go far enough. It doesn't look like much now, but a former industrial site in Greenpoint-Williamsburg, Brooklyn, will soon be the location of mixed-income housing, now that the city's expanded rezoning program has turned it into a residential area.

The mayor and other city and state leaders broke ground on the project at 164 Kent Avenue. In the first phase, almost 300 residential units will be built, and a third will be affordable.
The two developers behind Palmer's Dock will receive almost $20 million in state and city tax breaks. But one local community group is against the plan, saying the city gave too much and is getting too little in return. “If the city is going to give land for free, that's worth hundreds of million dollars now due to the rezoning, we felt there should have been a much higher degree of affordable housing,” said Philip Depaolo of the People’s Firehouse.

Officials say construction should be wrapped in four years. By the time it's finished, nearly 1,000 units will be built.

Albany, NY - Bush Nominates New York Lt. Gov. for Bench

Albany, NY - Lt. Gov. Mary Donohue, a former state judge who has served as Gov. George Pataki's runningmate in the last two elections, has been nominated for a federal judgeship by President Bush.

Donohue's nomination, announced by the White House late yesterday, is subject to Senate confirmation. She would replace the retired Frederick Scullin Jr. as a U.S. District judge for the Northern District of New York. The post, a liftetime appointment, pays $165,200 a year.
Donohue's nomination had been expected. She had been recommended for the judgeship by Pataki.

Sullivan County, NY +Children and Adults From Local Camp Into Shelter Due To Flooding+

Sullivan County, NY - Children and adults, approximately 450 children and 150 adults from a local Jewish camp, where severe weather and flooding have occurred, are all being set up at 600 Route 55 at the Eldred High School for shelter.

The American Red Cross is responding to this site, and it is scheduled to become a Red Cross staffed and supplied shelter, providing cots, blankets, kosher meals and other supplies.

U/D: 06/30/06
The staff and campers of Tel Yehudah spent all of Wednesday and part of Thursday in the Red Cross shelter, but by later that afternoon they were on their way back to camp.

Hollywood, FL - City & Synagogue Deal Maybe in Limbo

Hollywood, FL - Commissioners were poised late last night to reject a settlement with an Orthodox Jewish Hollywood synagogue, after an emotional debate, with several residents opposed to the deal breaking down in tears at the podium. Even Mayor Mara Giulianti stumbled over words as she fought her emotions while trying to express her views on developments in the case. But after hours of emotional debate decided to give mediation one last try.

Officials from the city and the Hollywood Community Synagogue, will sit down face to face today to try to avoid a federal religious discrimination trial. U.S. Justice Department attorneys plan to attend to help negotiate.

Brooklyn, NY +Pedestrian Struck+

Brooklyn, NY +Pedestrian Struck+ A motor vehicle accident on Avenue "N" and Ocean Parkway, Hatzolah on the scene requesting ALS units to respond.

Gaza - Militants Say Fired Chemical Warhead

Gaza - A spokesman for gunmen in the Gaza Strip said they had fired a rocket tipped with a chemical warhead at Israel.
The Israeli army had no immediate comment on the claim by the spokesman from the al-Aqsa Martyrs Brigades, an armed wing of Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas's Fatah movement.

The group had recently claimed to possess about 20 biological warheads for the makeshift rockets commonly fired from Gaza at Israeli towns. This was the first time the group had claimed firing such a rocket.

"The al-Aqsa Brigades have fired one rocket with a chemical warhead" at southern Israel, Abu Qusai, a spokesman for the group, said in Gaza. An Israeli military spokeswoman said the army had not detected that any such rocket was fired, nor was there any report of such a weapon hitting Israel.

Brooklyn, NY +Hatzolah Bus Held up By PD+

Crown Heights, Brooklyn, NY +Hatzolah Bus Held up By PD+ A Hatzolah member on an emergency call in front of 770 Eastern Parkway, is being held up by multiple NYPD officers for unknown reasons, Hazloah members on the scene are requesting a coordinator an additional BLS member with ambulance to respond to the front of 770 Eastern Parkway.

Freehold, NJ - Wife Of Solomon Dwek Ordered To Relinquish Properties

Freehold, NJ - The wife of a real estate developer accused of cheating a Pittsburgh-based bank of about $22 million through a bounced check was ordered to relinquish 50 of her properties in her husband's name.

The ruling by state Superior Court Judge Alexander D. Lehrer is the latest in the case of developer Solomon Dwek, who faces federal bank fraud charges and is being sued by PNC Bank and others.

Brooklyn, NY +Motorcycle accident+

Boro Park, Brooklyn, NY +Motorcycle accident+ A motorcycle accident on 16th Avenue and 66th Street, Hatzolah on the scene requesting Medics to respond.

Gaza City +Israeli Settler Executed+

Gaza City, Gaza Strip +Israeli Settler Executed+ Palestinian militants say they have executed an Israeli settler abducted in the West Bank.

U/D: 20:37
Israeli tanks begin moving into northern Gaza Strip.

U/D: 10:44
Israeli security sources say a body found near Ramallah with gunshot wounds, appears to be the 18-year-old West Bank settler abducted by Palestinian militants, and he most likely was shot on Sunday the day he got captured.

Monticello, NY +Route 17 Esit 105B Closed+

Monticello, NY +Route 17 Esit 105B Closed+ The ramp at Exit 105B on east bound of Route 17 is closed due to an overturned tractor trailer. Minor injuries to T/T driver.

New York - Legislature Approves 50 More Red-Light Cameras

New York - The Legislature has approved a measure that will double the number of red-light cameras in the city from 50 to 100.

And while more cameras will likely enhance safety on the road, the devices also will help put more money in city coffers. Queens Assemblyman Ivan Lafayette says the cameras will yield an estimated $13 million in revenue from fines.

Ramallah, West Bank +Cabinet Minister Arrested+

Ramallah, West Bank +Cabinet Minister Arrested+ Israeli military forces have arrested Hamas Cabinet Labor Minister, deputy prime minister, two other cabinet members and four other lawmakers in the West Bank.

Williamsburg Bridge +Traffic Alert+

Williamsburg Bridge +Traffic Alert+ A serious 4 car motor vehicle accident on the Brooklyn bound of the Williamsburg Bridge, FDNY on the scene reporting entrapment of aided but no serious injuries to anyone, Jaws going to work.

Woodbury, NY - Development Gets New Vote

Woodbury, NY - Bill Brodsky's proposed 451-home development and the zoning changes enacted to move it forward will go back before the Town Board next week, with all eyes on the board member who voted against them seven months ago.

A state judge ruled last week that the board voted prematurely on the proposals in November, forcing a second vote on an explosive issue that dominated town politics for a year and led to the unseating of then-Supervisor Sheila Conroy. she and her allies said the project offered Woodbury abundant benefits, including 120 acres of open space and expensive improvements to a nearby sewage treatment plant.

But critics - including now-town Supervisor John Burke, who defeated Conroy on Nov. 8 - denounced the proposal as "high-density housing" and a misguided effort to prevent Kiryas Joel developers from getting the land.

Brodsky's firm issued a statement arguing that the project's benefits outweigh "any of the negatives" and expressed hope for a "favorable outcome."

Woodridge, NY +Fire+

Woodridge, NY +Fire+ Fire Department on the scene at Wood Lake Village in Woodridge, NY Hatzolah also responding with BLS and ALS units.

New York, NY - City Health Commissioner Criticize State Health Commissioner On Deal OF Metzitah B'Peh

New York, NY - A letter sent by the city's Health Commissioner, Thomas Frieden, to his counterpart on the state level, Antonia Novello, criticizing the state's protocol on Metzitah B'Peh, to prevent the transmission of herpes from a mohels to an infants.

Frieden, who has circulated advisories in Yiddish warning of the dangers of the practice, notes in the letter that the state's protocol "does not mention any role for local health officers" and makes clear that his department "does not intend to cede its authority to investigate disease incidence occurring in New York City and to intervene when appropriate."

According to the letter, Frieden isn't backing down and is still on the case. He takes issue with language in the state's protocol that suggests that a community could by justified in not cooperating with an investigation into an alleged transmission of the disease. "There is absolutely no justification for not cooperating in an investigation surrounding a potentially life-threatening illness in an infant."

Israel - Yeshiva On A 4-Wheel Drive

Israel - Rabbi David Samson, is launching an innovative project for youth who find it difficult to sit in one place: A mobile Yeshiva high school - in Jeeps.

Rabbi Samson's new vision takes his concern for disenfranchised young Jewish youth across Israel, literally. Beginning in September, 36 twelfth-graders will attend class each day in one of 6 jeeps. The chalk board is the dust and sand of the Judean Desert.

Stamford Hill, London +Person Stabbed+

Stamford hill, London +Person Stabbed+ Aided a father of seven children was stabbed 5-6 times during a robbery in Staford Hill and is in critical condition, in the hospital undergoing surgery.

U/D: 16:32
Condition has been up grated to Stable, and is recovering in hospital.

Warsaw - Police Detain Perp That Attacked Poland's Chief Rabbi

Warsaw - Polish police have detained a perp for last month’s attack on the country’s Chief Rabbi Michael Schudrich. “We have detained a young man who is responsible for this act,” police spokesman Zbigniew Matwiej said. He declined to give further details.

Rabbi Schudrich, a New Yorker, was attacked in the center of Warsaw in May. According to the Rabbi the man yelled “Poland is for Poles”, and hit and sprayed him with what appeared to be pepper spray after Schudrich asked him why he was insulting him.

After the attack the Jewish community and Poland’s EU partners accused the conservative-led government of not doing enough to counter anti-Semitism and xenophobia.

New York +NYS Thruway Shut Down+

New York +NYS Thruway Shut Down+ The New York State Thruway is closed from exit 25 to exit 36 due to to flooding.

A State of Emergency has been declared in Broome, Chenango, Cortland, Madison, and Oneida counties and at least two deaths have resulted from flooding in Central New York today.
Although rain has subsided in most areas, Flash Flood Warnings are still in effect unitl
3pm and most roads are still closed.

In Westbrookville (Sullivan County) a water search by the Fire Department is going on at Pine Kill Road for two missing children possibly in water, one child was tied off to a rope but was since lost in the water, the rope and their bicycles were recoverd by PD with out them.

U/D: 13:53
In Livingston Manor a house at Finch Street had collapsed on top of teenagers, PD and FD are searching for a 15-year-old girl Jamie Bertholf.
An evacuation has been ordered in parts of Sullivan and Orange Counties due to numerous towns are in water, assistance from surrounding towns and counties have been requested to go street by street to assist people with evacuation also is there some reports of mud slides in some areas.

Boro Park, Brooklyn, NY +Pedestrian Struck+

Borough Park, Brooklyn, NY +Pedestrian Struck+ A motor vehicle accident with a pedestrian that was struck at 48th Street and 15th Avenue, Hatzolah on the scene requesting 2 ALS units to respond with a rush.

Syria +Israeli Warplanes Over Syrian President's Home+

Damascus, Syria +Israeli Warplanes Over Syrian President's Home+ Israeli warplanes flew over the home of Syrian President Bashar Assad.

U/D: 14:34
Syria says its air defenses fired at Israeli jets flying over the president's house, forcing them to flee.

Jerusalem, Israel - Two Charedi Men Arrested For Attacking Tourists In Mea Shearim

Jerusalem, Israel - A group of Christian tourists, wearing t-shirts were assaulted in Jerusalem's Mea Shearim neighborhood by a crowd of charedim. The group of 50, came under attack while walking through the neighborhood by about 100 charedim who congregated in the area and started to hit them. Police forces rushed to the scene to break up the attack.

Three of the tourists were lightly injured in the attack as was a police officer, they were all treated on the scene by Magen David Adom paramedics.
Police arrested two of the charedi men suspected of attacking the members of the group, and they are waiting for the tourists to file a complaint so that they can press charges against the suspects.

After police dispersed the crowd of attackers, haredi residents set a garbage bin on fire in the area, forcing police to briefly close off the street to traffic in the area.

New York, NY +Suspicious Package 1 PP+

New York, NY +Suspicious Package 1 PP+ A suspicious package was found at One Police Plaza, PD are requesting Bomb Squad, ESU and additional units for an investigation.

U/D: 11:21
Package was properly ID't.

Brooklyn, NY - NYPD Precinct In Egg Fight

Brooklyn, NY - A veteran sergeant at the Brooklyn precinct that leads the city in shootings was suspended without pay for organizing an on-duty water balloon and egg fight.

Sgt. Salvatore R. Carola, 38, was punished after the Internal Affairs Bureau got a videotape from an East Flatbush resident who witnessed it.
Carola, an 11-year veteran, decided to have a little fun. For 10 to 15 minutes, Carola and the rookies, all in uniform, hurled water balloons at each other and pelted NYPD vans, on Nostrand Avenue near Farragut Road, with eggs.
No one was hurt and no property was damaged, but one annoyed citizen recorded the "fun" and turned over the videotape.

The timing of all this, could not have been worse. It came after a five-hour period that saw 10 people shot or stabbed in the precinct.
One veteran police supervisor said, "This was an incident of some cops letting off some steam while they were dealing with the stress of keeping the public safe. "It wasn't dangerous and, while it may appear unprofessional, it was hardly the worst thing in the world."

Boro Park +MVA+

Borough Park, Brooklyn, NY +MVA+ A motor vehicle accident at the intersaction of 16th Avenue and 40th Street, Hatzolah on the scene requesting an additional ambulance to respond.

Sullivan County +Major Traffic Alert+

Sullivan County +Major Traffic Alert+ Eastbound and Westbound of Route 17 is closed down from Exit 99 80 miles all the way to Binghampton, numerous people trapped in their vehicles due to extensive flooding in the area, M/A from Orange, Ulster and Sullivan with boats to assist.

U/D: 09:01
Town of Livingston Manor is requesting help for numerous water rescues for people trapped in town which is mostly under water, and some structure that has collapsed with people trapped.
Any available boat from the surrounding counties and divers are requested to the scene immediately for saving rescues.

U/D: 10:47
Town of Livingston Manor and Parksville and all structures close to the Delaware River are submerged under water, requesting immediately life saving duty to the scene from Orange and Ulster Counties with man power and boats.

Lakewood, NJ - Head Of Shomrim Arrested On Bribery Charges

Lakewood, NJ - Chaim Burech Rubin head and founder of Lakewood Shomrim, was charged with two counts of bribery, and posted $20,000 bail.

Rubin, 25, the township man behind the new Lakewood Shomrim Patrol - one police officials have yet to endorse because of concerns over how well it would work with law enforcement - has been charged with two counts of attempting to bribe a police officer, - predate his forming of Shomrim - He was trying to bribe Officer Erik Menck to help resolve a traffic summonses involving Rubin's wife, each count is carrying a potential jail term of five to 10 years if he's convicted.

According to his arrest warrant: Rubin's wife, Raizel, was stopped last fall by Lakewood Officer Michael Ruiz. Rubin showed up at Menck's father's house and asked to speak to Menck, and he told Ruiz that he and Menck were friends.
When Menck and Rubin were finished talking, Rubin handed him an envelope and stated "I appreciate you talking to the other officer."
Rubin left, and when Menck opened the envelope, he found four $100 bills.
Menck talked with Ruiz to confirm Rubin's account and then reported the incident to his superiors in the Police Department.

Rubin and Menck met again Sept. 30. Rubin handed Menck $200 and "discussed that the money would go to Patrolman Ruiz." Rubin said another $100 could be paid, if needed. Later Menck called Rubin to meet again. When they did, Rubin gave him $100.

Rubin would not say what effect his arrest would have on Shomrim.

Las Vegas +Police Shooting In Airport+

Las Vegas +Police Shooting In Airport+ Police shot a man inside the Las Vegas Mccarran International Airport after he pulled a knife on a child while attempting to go through a checkpoint.

Gaza City, Gaza Strip +Air Strikes By Israel+

Gaza City, Gaza Strip - Israeli heavy air strike attacking a bridge in northern Gaza, and ground troops are on the move in northern Gaza, signaling the start of a military operation.

Israel has been massing troops and armor around Gaza since Sunday, when Palestinian militants tunneled under the border and attack an Israeli army post at a Gaza crossing, killing two soldiers and abducting a third.


U/D: 18:16
Palestinian security officials have reported a total of three Israeli airstrikes on three bridges in Gaza.

U/D: 18:49
Also have the Palestinian security officials reported of an Israeli airstrike near a power station in southern Gaza, leaving the electricity out in most of Gaza City.


U/D: 19:48
Israeli tanks and troops enter southern Gaza Strip and taking up positions around southern Gaza town of Rafah.

U/D: 20:22
Palestinian militants have threatened to kill abducted Jewish settler if Israel doesn't stop Gaza raid.

Brooklyn, NY +Attempted Bank Robbery+

Brooklyn, NY +Attempted Bank Robbery+ NYPD of the 63rd Pct and Major Case Detectives on the scene of the HSBC bank in the Georgetown Shopping Center at Ralph Avenue and Avenue "L" where a hole in the roof of the bank was found in an attempted burglary, requesting Evidence Collation, ESU, K-9 and Aviation all to respond to the scene.

Boro Park +Fire At Private Dwelling+

Borough Park, Brooklyn, NY +Fire At Private Dwelling+ Fire Department on the scene at 1631 43rd Street for a fire on the first floor of a frame three story 20x40 private dwelling, fire is K/D searches are in progress.

U/D: 17:04
Fire is K/D all searches are negative, requesting PD to respond to the scene.

Lakewood, NJ - Man Due In Court For A Simple Assault But NAACP Claims Bias Allegations

Lakewood, NJ - A township man charged with simple assault of a 15-year-old teenager - a case that has spurred bias allegations from the NAACP - has a court hearing scheduled for next week.

Elchonon Zimmerman, 43, of Lawrence Avenue, is scheduled to appear in Lakewood Municipal Court at 9:30 a.m. July 6, according to Carol Jenkins, court administrator.
The court date will be Zimmerman's first public appearance since he was charged May 17. As reported by VOS IZ NEIAS.

The case began when the teen, Jamarr Dickerson, cut through an alley on Lawrence Avenue, Zimmerman, a private school teacher, told Dickerson that he was on private property and tried to take the teen's picture with a cell phone camera. A scuffle ensued and when a patrolman arrived, he found Zimmerman kneeling on Dickerson's back.
Zimmerman was charged with simple assault, but the Ocean County/Lakewood branch of the NAACP has called for bias crime charges to be filed.
Dickerson told Warren A. Sherard, branch president, that several men who appeared to be Orthodox Jews surrounded him and Zimmerman and uttered racial slurs. Several mentioned that a black youth should not be in a predominantly Orthodox neighborhood, Dickerson told NAACP officials.

Lakewood police and the Ocean County Prosecutor's Office investigated, but declined to press bias charges. Investigators say they cannot find any of the men who allegedly said racial slurs.

Brooklyn, NY +MVA+

Brooklyn, NY +MVA+ A motor vehicle accident on Ocean Avenue and Avenue and Avenue "O" Hatzolah on the scene requesting backup Medics and additional BLS units to respond to the scene.

Franklin Lakes, NJ - Man Guilty Of '04 Beating Death

Franklin Lakes, NJ - After deliberating for less than two hours, a Common Pleas Court jury found Nader Ali guilty but mentally ill in the public beating death of medical student Lea Sullivan on South Street in 2004.

Ali, 28, showed no emotion as the jury foreman announced the verdict at the Criminal Justice Center. He faces life in prison for first-degree murder. But first, he will get a hearing in September to determine what psychiatric treatment he might need.

Ali's mental state contributed to the brutal afternoon attack outside the Whole Foods Market at Ninth and South Streets on Nov. 7, 2004. Ali, wearing a ski mask, approached Sullivan, 25, a third-year student at Jefferson Medical College, from behind and hit her repeatedly with a Louisville Slugger baseball bat. She died the next day.

A forensic psychiatrist testified that Ali believed that the Ar"i HaKadosh, a 16th-century Kabbalistic sage, had possessed Sullivan and forced him to do battle. Ali was a student of Kabbalah, an aspect of Jewish mysticism.
After the attack, Ali "ripped off his mask and stared directly at me with a huge grin on his face." Ali was arrested in New Jersey the day after the attack.

New York, NY - Rats Are Swift, but Response to Them Is Sluggish

New York, NY - A program that targets the city's most rodent-infested neighborhoods - notably North Central Brooklyn, the South Bronx, and East Harlem - needs to change its procedures to make sure pest complaints are handled quickly, an audit by the city comptroller, William Thompson Jr., stated.

The health department said that the agency is evaluating auditors' suggestions.

Kiryas Joel, Monroe, NY - Chief Of Nonprofit Organizations Rakes In Triple The Salary

Kiryas Joel, Monroe, NY - The executive director who runs the nonprofit organizations Hamaspik for the disabled in Kiryas Joel and in Monsey, made $452,000 in total compensation in 2004, by collecting $283,000 that year in separate salaries for the two organizations, - almost triple the pay of one industry peer with a much larger operation to run. An other $169,000 spent that year on him, is less clearly defined; he is claiming that that money is set aside for retirement.
While the pay is unusually high, there is no indication that it violates any government rules.

Hamaspik runs group homes and provides other services for disabled children and adults in three Orthodox Jewish communities, in Kiryas Joel, Monsey and Brooklyn. It has no connection to the Kiryas Joel public school for students with mental and physical disabilities. Almost all of the combined $13 million that the Rockland and Orange County Hamaspiks collected in 2004 came from Medicaid and Medicare.

The executive director declined an interview requests, but answered some questions via e-mail. In one message, he explained his two salaries by saying he works full-time hours - meaning 40 hours a week - at each of the two Hamaspik operations. "I work for each agency as hard as or harder than any counterpart," he said.
In another note, he justified his deferred compensation as a pension that makes up for "many previous years not being compensated."

Crown Heights, Brooklyn, NY +Child Struck+

Crown Heights, Brooklyn, NY +Child Struck+ A motor vehicle accident in front of 770 Eastern Parkway with a child that was struck, Hatzolah responding.

Brooklyn, NY +Suspicious Package+

Brooklyn, NY +Suspicious Package+ NYPD of the 66th Pct are calling for a level one mobilization for a suspicious package in Transit at 18th Avenue and McDonald Avenue, ESU and Bomb Squad are all requested.

Brooklyn, NY +MVA+

Brooklyn, NY +MVA+ A motor vehicle accident in the Boro Park section of Brooklyn at 14th Avenue and 57th Street, Hazolah responding with two ambulances.

Nassau County, NY - Contaminated Water Alert+

Nassau County, NY - Thousands of residents are being advised not to drink the water in Nassau County after the chemical compound MTBE was discovered in the water supply.

MTBE is used as a fuel additive in motor gasoline.

Blackberry Was Experiencing Problems

Yesterday, Research in Motion, parent company of Blackberry, was experiencing problems of infrastructure with their Blackberry Internet Service that was inhibiting Blackberry's from receiving e-mail's.
According to T-Mobile customer service the issue was resolved at 2am EDT this date.

If you are still experiencing issues receiving e-mail, please reset your device, (ALT-CAP-Backspace will reboot your BB)

Israel - Police Take Reports Of Another Kidnap Seriously

Israel - Police said they are taking "very seriously" reports that a Jewish settler was abducted by Palestinian militants in the West Bank.
Relatives of a Breslev Chassid who went to visit Kaver Yosef, were saying he did not return home on Monday night, and that he had been hitchhiking. "We're looking into reports of a missing person and we're relating to them very seriously," said a police spokesman.

In the Gaza Strip, a spokesman for the Popular Resistance Committees claimed his group had abducted the settler in the Shechem region. The PRC was involved in the abduction of an Israeli soldier near the Gaza border earlier this week.

Queens, NY +Throgs Neck Bridge Closed+

Queens, NY +Throgs Neck Bridge Closed+ All lanes of the Bronx bound of the Throgs Neck Bridge is closed due to a cement truck that dropped its load of cement across the span of the bridge blocking all lanes.

New York, NY - Mayor Bloomberg Calling On "Congressman Yassky"

New York, NY - City Councilman David Yassky, who is locked in a racially charged congressional race, was all smiles as Mayor Bloomberg introduced him as "Congressman Yassky."

Speaking at the first groundbreaking to come from last year's Williamsburg-Greenpoint re-zoning, the mayor praised Yassky - but press secretary Stu Loeser insisted there was no endorsement, just "a slip of the tongue."

Yassky is the only white in a four-person Democratic primary.

Blooming Grove, NY - Judge Won't Halt Voting For Village

Blooming Grove, NY - A last-ditch effort to stop Thursday's vote on the creation of a new village failed, but a landowner opposed to the election is still fighting it. "I'm disappointed and surprised," said Hal Greene. "I don't know that there's too much I can do at this point. Let the people decide ... I think they're making a big mistake."

An Appellate Court judge denied Greene's request to stop Thursday's vote on whether roughly 2,800 people want to incorporate as the Village of South Blooming Grove. Greene hoped to halt the election until after his appeal is heard next month.

Supporters of the village-creation are pushing for it, to promote more local control of zoning and protect the 4.98-square-mile area from annexation by the nearby Village of Kiryas Joel.
"They can go ahead with the election, but if the Appellate Division decides the petition isn't sufficient, then the election is invalid," said Terry Rice, Greene's lawyer.

The polls will be open from noon to 9 p.m. Thursday at the South Blooming Grove firehouse, Route 208. Only residents who live within the proposed village boundaries are eligible to vote.

Gaza City, Gaza Strip - Palestinians On Plan To Recognize Israel

Gaza City, Gaza Strip - Palestinian negotiators say the rival Fatah and Hamas factions have agreed on a plan calling for implicit recognition of Israel.

U/D 14:04
Hamas negotiators say a deal with rival Palestinian faction Fatah does not mean they will recognise Israel.

Frankfort, KY - State Blocks Jewish And Journalism Web Sites For It's Employees

Frankfort, KY - A site dedicated to Torah studys was included on a government blacklist of Internet pages blocked to state employees in an effort by administrators to boost workers' efficiency.

State officials of the Commonwealth Office of Technology, also blocked government employees' access to other Web addresses including at least three other Jewish-related Web sites and newspaper blogs.
Last week, officials blocked state employees from surfing various Internet categories including entertainment and humor, and the state also blocked employees from viewing a website after its operator Mark Nickolas was quoted in a New York Times article being critical of Governor Fletcher's administration, and he has used his site to criticize various politicians, and has blasted the governor during the ongoing personnel investigation.

Manchester, England - Anti-Semitism Increased

Manchester, England - Anti-Semitic incidents increased by 40 percent from 2004 to 2005, the city’s police superintendent said.
In an address to a synagogue in Manchester, Leor Giladi said the increase came even as there was a 30 percent drop over the same period in the Greater London area. Giladi reported that two or three incidents were reported weekly -- mostly anti-social behaviors such as throwing water balloons or eggs as people walked to synagogue -- though some incidents involved physical attacks.

Giladi, also founder of the 30-member Manchester Shomrim, said many incidents go unreported, and urged community members to report all incidents so more resources would be devoted to fighting hate crimes.

Monsey, NY +Serious Assault+

Monsey, NY +Serious Assault+ Male was assaulted by three Hispanic males at 4 Bluavely Road and Maple Avenue, perps fleed scene in small vehicle, Hatzolah requested.

Siberia, Russia - Synagogue Damaged by Anti-Semites

Tomsk, Russia – The city’s Great Synagogue was vandalized again by anti-Semites with anti-Semitic graffiti.

“This is not the first occurrence of vandalism in our city,” said Chief Rabbi of Tomsk Levy Kaminetsky. “But it is the first time vandals dared to leave their signature on the walls of the synagogue.

Three years ago, anti-Semites put up a poster saying “Death to Jews” on the road near the entrance to the city. When police tried to remove it, the poster exploded causing injuries to several people. In this case, the criminals were detained and punished by 25 years of prison, but, unfortunately, anti-Semites are still continuing their filthy actions, while the authorities do not always display the required severity towards the criminals. We have just repaired the walls in the synagogue, and, it seems that the fact that the synagogue looks so good now disturbs local anti-Semites.”

Rabbi Kaminetsky forwarded an official appeal to the police. The law-enforcement agencies have begun the investigation.

Ventura, CA +Suspicious Bananas Close Down Port+

Ventura, CA - Port Hueneme has been closed down because of a suspicious terrorist message.
Authorities investigate a possible terrorist threat on a cargo ship that arrived at the Port Hueneme is in Ventura County, northwest of Los Angeles, when a worker discovered a threat written in the cargo hold of a ship carrying bananas from Guatemala.

According to an official the message read, "This nitro is for you Mr. George W. Bush and your Jewish cronies."

Monterey, CA +F-18 Jets Collided Midair+

Monterey, CA +F-18 Jets Collided Midair+ Two Navy F-18 jets collided midair and started a fire over the Army base at 79 Infantry Road at Fort Hunter Liggett, The jets were from Lemoore Navel Air Station, unknown if any casualties at this time.

U/D: 06/27/06 08:35
One pilot is dead and the other pilot ejected, suffering just minor injuries.

Montevideo, Uruguay - Holocaust Memorial Defaced

Montevideo, Uruguay - The Montevideo Holocaust memorial was vandalized several times, and the Uruguayan Jewish community denounced it.

Also did the mayor of Montevideo, Ricardo Ehrlich, order city workers to erase the graffiti and organized a demonstration at the memorial as workers cleaned the area.

Brooklyn, NY - Isac Is Sporting Councilwoman Clarke In The Congressional Campaign

Brooklyn, NY - Isac called the media, to relay news from an event late yesterday of the "United Satmar" citywide organization honoring Ed Towns, at which Carl Andrews, who was also in attendance, received the group's endorsement in his much-discussed congressional race.

But on the topic of the race for the Shirley Chisholm-Major Owens congressional seat, which has come to be dominated by a philosophical discussion about what it means to represent a Voting Rights district, he couldn't help suggesting a proposition of his own:

Instead of focusing on the controversial prospect of the white candidate David Yassky beating out three black candidates to occupy the seat once occupied by a black woman, he suggested, perhaps local political leaders could solve everyone's problems by urging the three male contenders to drop out of the race and clear the way for Councilwoman Yvette Diane.

Said Isac: "Why they shouldn't let her have the seat?"

Brooklyn, NY +MVA+

Brooklyn, NY +MVA+ A motor vehicle accident on Ocean Avenue and Avenue "X" NYPD and EMS are on the scene requesting ESU to respond, Hatzolah on there way in to the scene.

Hollywood, FL - City and Synagogue Come To A Last Minute Two Million Dollar Deal

Hollywood, FL - The city of Hollywood and an Orthodox Jewish synagogue have agreed on a last-minute deal that will allow the religious group to continue to operate out of two residential houses despite nearby residents' complaints. The settlement was announced at the U.S. Courthouse in Miami, where the two sides were originally scheduled to begin pick the jury that would decide the religious discrimination trial.

Instead, city commissioners agreed to pay the Hollywood Community Synagogue $2 million to stay out of court and will allow them to stay permanently at their current location, and they are also allowed to expand anywhere in the neighborhood without applying for a special permit that other religious groups are required to have to operate in a single-family residential zone.

The city also agreed to revamp its special permit requirements, and city employees, including commissioners, are required to attend religious sensitivity training.

In return, the synagogue and the U.S. Justice Department will drop its lawsuit against Commissioner Sal Oliveri. The agreement must be approved by the City Commission July 5 or the trail will resume July 6, U.S. District Judge Joan Lenard said.

U/D:
The Commissioners are expected to vote Wednesday on the settlement.

Israel - First Time In 12 Years, That An Israeli Soldier Has Been Captured

Israel - For the first time in 12 years Palestinian militants have kidnapped an Israeli soldier, raising tenions in Israel. Corporal Gilad Shalit was kidnapped when militants attacked an army tank.

Israel's Ambassador to the United Nations, has called for the international community to help in the efforts to release the soldier.
Speaking in Ramallah, Palestinian Deputy Prime Minister Nasser Shaer called for Corpora Shalit's captors called for his release.

U/D: 06/26/06 10:09
Anonymous phone caller called: " We're holding him and he's OK."

U/D: 10:44
A faxed statement from groups purportedly holding the Israeli soldier demands release of women and children held in Israeli jails.

Brooklyn, NY - Yiddish Mama-Loshen Alive And Well

Brooklyn, NY - The former mama-loshen, or mother tongue, of Jewish New York is alive and well in Brooklyn - because of the efforts of people who love the language.

People such as Amanda Miryam-Khaye Seigel, who relocated from Wisconsin to Brooklyn three years ago - and received $1,000 from Yugntruf, a young adult organization that awards funds to people who move near other Yiddish speakers. "It seemed like a good fit," said Seigel, 30, who started out in Midwood and now lives in downtown Brooklyn. "Brooklyn seemed to be a good place to live because there are a lot of Yiddish speakers."

Despite declining census numbers - in 1990 there were 68,474 Yiddish speakers in Brooklyn; by 2000, the number was down to 46,074 - Yiddishists say the language is on the rise in Kings County.
"One reason it's thriving here is that there's half a million Jews living in Brooklyn," said Robert Shapiro, assistant professor of Judaic studies at Brooklyn College.
In Orthodox communities such as Crown Heights, Borough Park and Williamsburg, Yiddish is spoken on the streets and taught in schools.

New York, NY - Eye In The Sky for the Buildings Department

New York, NY - City Buildings Department inspectors have been hitching rides on NYPD helicopters in the past five months - the better to zero in on illegal-development activities escaping ground-level enforcement.

Already, stop-work orders have been issued for illegal demolition behind a fenced property in Williamsburg, Brooklyn.

The city is seeking better enforcement techniques amid a building boom that has seen formal complaints for "priority A" emergencies, the most serious, go up each year since 2002. In fact, 13,210 such complaints were filed between July and March - exceeding all of 2004's 10,919.

The choppers take off from Floyd Bennett Field about once a month. Availability depends on the weather and NYPD needs. Inspectors compare sharp camera images with work permits already on record.

New York, NY - Childbirth Deaths For Moms 2-1/2 Times The National Rate

New York, NY - Mothers are dying during childbirth in New York City hospitals at two and half times the national rate.

The startling statistics show there were 8.9 deaths per 100,000 childbirths here, according to preliminary reports from researchers at the New York chapter of the American College of Obstetrics and Gynecology. The numbers are even more shocking statewide, with 21.2 deaths per 100,000 in 2004.

Researchers blame the deadly trend on obesity and diabetes, commonly found in recent immigrants and those living in communities lacking proper prenatal care. At least 28 mothers died in New York City while giving birth in 2004, most at public Health and Hospitals Corp.

State health officials have set a goal to reduce the rate to three deaths per 100,000.

Brooklyn, NY +Perp Search+

Brooklyn, NY +Perp Search+ NYPD of the 90th Pct are doing a perp search, K-9, Aviation and ESU Adam-8 all requested for a perp that's wanted for a burglary of a computer at Keap Street and South 3rd Street.
90 Squad also responding, following some foot prints from the windowsill.

U/D:
NYPD of the 83rd and 94th Pct's were requested.

Baghdad, Iraq - Saddam Ends Hunger Strike

Baghdad, Iraq - Saddam Hussein ended his hunger strike in the U.S.-run prison.

The former Iraqi leader had refused lunch Thursday in protest at the killing of one of his lawyers by gunmen, but he ate his evening meal.
The former Saddam aides being held in the same prison had refused to eat three meals since Wednesday evening but ended their fast with the ex-president. "They all took their dinner meal," a spokesman said.

Brooklyn, NY +Large Fight+

Brooklyn, NY +Large Fight+ Racial fight at South 9th Street and Berry Street, NYPD on the scene for a large dispute involving Hispanics and Jewish residents of the area after an MVA between a vehicle and a bicyclist.

Monsey, NY - More Roadwork On Route 59

Monsey, NY - Workers for the State Department of Transportation will begin road repaving and will put down a fresh layer of asphalt on a mile-long stretch of Route 59 - between Route 306 in Monsey and New County Road in Airmont - after filling in joints and cracks and raising the manholes.

The work will start at 9 p.m. and will wrap up by 6 a.m., DOT spokeswoman Colleen McKenna said. "It'll be done by the end of July," she said. "If the weather stays really nice, they should be able to motor through there."
Drivers should expect delays, as lanes will be closed at times, and are advised to seek alternative routes.

Rienzo, who lives in Regency Village in Monsey, said congestion on Route 59 had "increased so much" that it paid to find other routes.
"The traffic, at times, is bumper to bumper," Rienzo said.

Brooklyn, NY +Child Struck+

Brooklyn, NY +Child Struck+ Fire Department on the scene at 16th Avenue and 41st Street with a child that was struck by a vehicle, PD and emergency medical services are requested.

Jerusalem, Isreal - Charedim Damage Internet Café

Jerusalem, Isreal - A group of charedim smashed the windows of an internet café on Hazvi Street, after noticing yeshiva students in the establishment.

The act came in the framework of the ultra-Orthodox community’s efforts to fight the exposure of charedim to the internet. Over the weekend photos of yeshiva students who frequented internet cafes were distributed in neighborhoods in Yerushalayim.

New York, NY - Murder Rate Is Up

New York, NY - The murder rate in New York is up nine percent from last year.
Police say 239 people have been killed so far this year, up from 219 last year. But major crime is down five percent across the five boroughs.

Despite the increase, things are a lot better in New York than they were in the 1980s and early '90s. The city had more than twenty-two-hundred homicides in 1990 -- making it the country's undisputed homicide capital. But since then, the homicide rate has steadily declined.

Brooklyn, NY +MVA+

Brooklyn, NY +MVA+ A motor vehicle accident involving an 70th Pct RMP on Foster Avenue and East 5th Street has Hatzolah sending multiple units and two ambulances.

U/D: 15:41
Hatzolah members treating two injured officers, ESU requested to the scene.

Brooklyn, NY - Let Me See Confession, Says Judge On The Case of Greenpoint 10 Alarm Fire

Brooklyn, NY - Concerned that cops may have the wrong man, a judge said he'll view the videotaped "confession" of a homeless Polish immigrant charged with starting the city's biggest fire since 9/11.
Justice Albert Tomei said he'll decide whether accused arsonist Leszek Kuczera should be allowed to post bail after he watches the tape with a Polish interpreter.

Kuczera, who speaks little English, claims cops misunderstood him when he described a smaller fire that erupted a year ago at the Greenpoint Terminal Market - leading detectives to wrongly believe he was referring to the May 2 inferno that ravaged the historic warehouses.
Prosecutors, at a bail hearing in Brooklyn Supreme Court, raised no objections to Tomei's request and insisted again that Kuczera was the culprit. "Several witnesses place the defendant in Brooklyn during the week of the fire," Assistant District Attorney Gavin Miles said. "These witnesses saw him in Brooklyn on May 1, May 3, May 4 and April 30."

Scotland - Two Nazi War Crime Suspects Being Investigated

Scotland - Two suspected Nazi war criminals living in Scotland are being investigated by police.
Officers from the Metropolitan Police’s Crimes Against Humanity Unit, have been passed details of two men who may have been involved in atrocities against Jews during the second world war.
The police investigation into the two men, both of whom are believed to live in the central belt, signals one of the most significant developments in the hunt for war criminals in Scotland.

It is thought that they may have served in the Hungarian gendarmerie, responsible for rounding up thousands of Jews and deporting them to the Auschwitz death camp.
The man had been heard “openly bragging” about his part in the deportations and had given “vivid descriptions” of the trains to Auschwitz.

Jerusalem, Isreal +Chaver B'Datz Collapsed+

Jerusalem, Isreal +Chaver B'Datz Collapsed+ H'Rav R' Mier Brandsdorfer (Mier ben Frimet) Chaver B'Datz D' Yerushalayim, was hospitalized after collapsing at his home, might have suffered a light stroke.

Suderve, Lithuania - Cemetery Desecrated

Suderve, Lithuania - A Jewish cemetery near the Lithuanian capital was desecrated, with 19 tombstones toppled and some smashed.

Simonas Alperavicius, head of the country's Jewish community, said the attack at the cemetery in Suderve, 26 kilometers (16 miles) east of the capital, Vilnius, probably took place sometime on Saturday night. "This is an act of vandalism and those who did it must be found and prosecuted," Alperavicius said. Alperavicius said he did not know the motive behind the attack, but speculated that it could be linked to the 65th anniversary of the June 23, 1941 uprising of Lithuanian nationalists against the Soviet Union. Police did not immediately comment on the attack.

Lake County,FL - Casino Night To Help Secure Synagogue Loan

Lake County,FL - Congregation Sinai, is having a fundraiser, "Casino Night" to benefit the needy families in south Lake County and help secure a construction loan for the synagogue of Congregation Sinai. The night includes casino games, a buffet, raffles and auctions.

Donations are still being accepted for the fundraiser.

Tickets cost $39.95 until July 1; after that, they will cost $50.

Hollywood, FL - City Officials Voting To Allow Synagogue In Residential Neighborhood

Hollywood, FL - City officials voted to allow an Orthodox Jewish synagogue to stay at its current location in a residential neighborhood in return for the group dropping its religious discrimination lawsuit against them.

The last-minute proposal does not include the city paying any money to the Hollywood Community Synagogue, which currently operates out of two residential houses on North 46th Avenue in Hollywood Hills.

The settlement also stipulates that the synagogue leaders drop their lawsuit against City Commissioner Sal Oliveri, who was specifically named in the discrimination lawsuit.

Vienna Austria - Meeting Between Clergymen To Protect Jerusalem

Vienna Austria - A conference of solidarity with the Palestinian people was in the Austrian capital Vienna.

The conference, organized by the Palestinian community, included high ranking Muslim, Christian and Orthodox Jewish clergymen. All who participated in the conference, stressed the Palestinians' right to establish their own state with Jerusalem as its capital.

Dr. Zuhair al-Wazeer, Palestine Ambassador to Austria was making mention of the dire economic hardships faced by the Palestinian people.

Chief Rabbi of the Orthodox Jewish Community in Vienna, Rabbi Moshe Freidman said "we are here to organize a united work by Muslim, Christian and Orthodox Jewish clergymen to protect Jerusalem." He added that "we have come here to show solidarity with the Palestinian people. It is very encouraging to draw a future in which the Palestinians will be joyful after long suffering."

Freehold, NJ - HSBC Bank Accused BY PNC Bank Of Helping To Hide Dwek's Assets

Freehold, NJ - One of the nation's largest financial institutions, PNC Bank, accused HSBC Bank, the world's third-largest, in a lawsuit of helping Solomon Dwek fraudulently hide his assets.

The suit could allow the publicly traded PNC Bank to escape having to report a $25 million bounced check as a loss on its second-quarter financial reports if, as it has asked in this case, a judge to order HSBC to put most of that amount in escrow next week. HSBC's lawyer, William E. Goydan, would not comment.

The PNC lawsuit filed in Superior Court says HSBC refused to reverse the $22.2 million in bank wires, and that Dwek, HSBC, have refused to return its money. PNC asked the judge to order that the money be placed in escrow next week.
In the suit, PNC also accuses unidentified lawyers who it says helped Solomon Dwek transfer the 129 properties, saying they "conspired" and "aided and abetted" both Dweks to secretly defraud PNC.

Long Island, NY - Police Capture Unusual Suspect

Lindenhurst, NY - Police in a Long Island village nabbed an unusual suspect today -- an alligator.

The alligator was sitting on a Lindenhurst man's front lawn when he went out to get his paper this morning. At the sight of the homeowner, the gator ran to hide in the hedges.

Suffolk County police officers used a dog-catching noose to collar the animal. The homeowner helped police, grabbing the 3-foot-long gator by its tail and pulling it out of the hedges. Its mouth was then duct-taped shut. The alligator was taken to the BTJ's Jungle Pets & Aquarium in West Islip for safekeeping, but authorities later removed.

BTJ owner Tom Niehoff said the gator was healthy and docile, and was probably somebody's pet. Authorities don't know where it came from, but owning an alligator violates state law, said Roy Gross, chief of the Suffolk County Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals. He said its owner, if found, could be charged with allowing a wild animal to endanger the public, a misdemeanor.

Queens, NY +MVA With Overturned+

Queens, NY +MVA With Overturned+ A motor vehicle accident in Queens with vehicle overturned on 108th Street and Jewel Avenue, NYPD of the 112th Pct and Hatzolah BLS and ALS units responding.

U/D: 10:04
ESU to upright the vehicle.
Aided has minor injuries, RMA

Sydney, Australia - Anti-Semites Attack Synagogue and it's Safer Torah

Sydney, Australia - Vandals broke into the Coogee Synagogue in Sydney's eastern suburbs, badly damaging the Oren Kodesh inside and the Safer Torah, also was curtain from the Oren Kodesh stolen.

New South Wales Jewish Board of Deputies chief executive Vic Alhadeff said the synagogue's members believed the attack was carried out by anti-semitics. "They specifically went for the Oren Kodesh, which is the holiest place in the synagogue, where the Safer Torah's are held," he said. "Those were specifically smashed."
Mr Alhadeff said the break-in had occurred just a week before the synagogue was due to reopen after undergoing a major refurbishment.

The board's president David Knoll said police responded quickly to the break-in and he had every confidence the perpetrators would be arrested.

Williamsburg, Brooklyn, NY +Bedford Avenue Traffic Alert+

Williamsburg, Brooklyn, NY +Bedford Avenue Shut Down+ Due to an earlier motor vehicle accident with a SUV that overturned on Bedford Avenue corner Flushing with the vehicle crashing into an utility pole with wires hanging down, Bedford Avenue at Flushing is completely closed down by NYPD of the 90th Pct.
All occupants of the SUV were self extricated, no serious injuried reported.

Quenns, NY +Altercation On Plane+

Quenns, NY +Altercation On Plane+ PAPD are requested to J.F.K. Airport te wait for an incoming plane JetBlue Flight 561 which was diverted to J.F.K. airport, after taking off from Newark Liberty Airport with some reports of an altercation in the cabin, plane is due any min. at Gate 16.

U/D: 02:01
Two combatants have been removed from the plane and are in custody, flight will be depating shorly to its original destination.