Kiryas Joel, Monroe, NY - KJ Housing Gets Federal Help

Kiryas Joel, Monroe, NY - The Kiryas Joel Housing Authority is one of 34 New York agencies sharing $3.2 million in federal funds meant to help home renters become owners, the Department of Housing and Urban Development announced said.

The cut for Kiryas Joel was $63,630. Those funds underwrite the salaries of employees who enroll recipients of Section 8 rent subsidies in job training, child care and other programs.

Kaluga, Russia - Jewish Gravestones Desecrated

Kaluga, Russia - Ten gravestones in a Kaluga Jewish cemetery were vandalized.
A local Jewish leader, Vladimir Feldman, and the cemetery's watchman, Sergey Gorbunov, were speculating that the attack may have been the work of a neo-fascist organization. An investigation is said to be underway.

Hackensack, NJ - Teen Girl Arrested in Bloomberg's Car Theft

Hackensack, NJ - Police have arrested a 17-year-old girl involved in the assault on one of Mayor Michael Bloomberg's personal employees and carjacking.

A male suspect is still at large, according to Capt. Frank Lomia of the police department in Hackensack, New Jersey, where the carjacking took place Wednesday morning.    A member of Bloomberg's personal staff, Gradimir Bosnjak, was beaten and forced out of the mayor's Lexus while parked in the car, waiting to pick up another employee.
Police say the girl approached Bosnjak's window, and moments later the male jumped into the passenger seat and punched him in the face.    After a scuffle, the pair of carjackers then sped away. Police found the vehicle about two hours later, abandoned in nearby Fair Lawn.    The girl, whose name was not released because she is a juvenile, was described as a recent runaway from her home in Phillipsburg, New Jersey. Police said she had been reported missing days earlier.    She is said to be cooperating with the investigation and was charged with aggravated assault and carjacking last night.

The teen was also charged with theft because a briefcase, cell phone and digital camera belonging to Bloomberg's employee are still missing.    Lomia said Friday that the suspects initially approached Bosnjak because they needed money to get to Paterson, New Jersey, where they were staying, but then decided to steal the car.    The mayor's spokesman today said the mayor thanks the Hackensack Police Department for their hard work.

Lakewood, NJ +Large Power Outages+

Lakewood, NJ - There are alot of power outages through out Lakewood, NJ. due to a big storm that quickly hit the area for about a 1/2 hour with winds as much as 25 to 30 miles per hour.
JCP&L said that they are working as quick as possible to get all the power back on.

Arkansas - Jewish Organizations Offended by Comments made by Governor Huckabee

Arkansas - The National Jewish Democratic Council said that governor Mike Huckabee, a likely contender for the 2008 Republican presidential nomination, ought to think about the people he offend when he makes his insensitive comments.

At issue is an interview the governor gave on a national media form, where he was joking that he lost weight at a concentration camp.
Governor Huckabee bantered on a national radio talk show about his weight loss; Huckabee, a Republican, has advertised his diet as a health model for obese Americans. "I have just come from six weeks at a concentration camp held by the Democrat party of Arkansas in an undisclosed location, making a hostage tape," Hucakbee said. "That's why I look that way.".

Jewish Democrats slammed the Arkansas’ governor for this joking commentsn and said that at the very least, he owes all of us an apology and explanation for his tasteless words.

Prague, Czech Republic - Security Eases After Threat on Jewish Sites

Prague, Czech Republic - Heightened security measures in Prague are being relaxed because the danger posed by a terrorist threat to Jewish interests in the Czech capital has subsided, the city's mayor said.
"Apparently, the security risks have decreased," Pavel Bem said in a statement. "For us, it means we are returning to normal."

Authorities have yet to give details of the threat that has had the capital on high alert since Sept. 23 after foreign intelligence sources warned of an imminent threat.
Bem was the first politician to provide any details about the alleged plot. "Apparently the security threats were linked to the celebration of the Jewish holiday Rosh Hashanah and the following Yom Kippur," Bem was quoted as saying. "It is also evident that they were aimed at Jewish sites not only in the central part of the city," he was quoted as saying. Bem did not elaborate.

Melbourne ,Australia - Police Officer Involved in Attack on Man on Simchas Torah

Melbourne ,Australia - Police have launched an internal affairs investigation after learning an officer was at the centre of a vicious, racially motivated bashing of an Orthodox Jew on Simchas Torah as was reported on VOS IZ NEIAS.

A spokesman said the Ethical Standards Department had launched the investigation after learning the officer was with a group who bashed Menachem Vorchheimer in Caulfield last Saturday as he was walking near his synagogue.
Mr Vorchheimer, who was given a black eye in the attack as he tried to protect two children aged six and three, said he was racially abused. He said the perps yelled "Go the Nazis", and they also stole his hat, and punched him as passers-by attempted to help.
"This is Melbourne. This shouldn't happen. They stole my religious items, which are very important to me. It was in front of my children," he said.

Mr Vorchheimer said he approached their bus driver, an off-duty police officer, to ask where they were from. "The driver never assaulted me or yelled any abuse but he wouldn't tell me where they were from. I would have thought an officer of the law had a duty to behave in a more ethical manner," Mr Vorchheimer.
Internal affairs have launched parallel investigations into the assault after learning the bus driver was an officer.

Brooklyn, NY - Construction Worker Arrested After Beating Up Boss

Brooklyn, NY - A construction worker was arrested for beating up his boss at an East New York work site.

James Bradley, 21, was charged with assaulting his 51-year-old boss after their argument escalated into violence.
Bradley and five cohorts attacked their boss on a job site on Cleveland Street near Hegeman Avenue. The angry workers punched him in the face, tossed him on the floor and jumped on his ribs and hand. Bradley then took a piece of wood and beat him with it.
After that they tied him up and roughing him up with a hose, Bradley ordered his buddies to let him go when he saw him turning blue.

The victim managed to make it into a nearby train station where he reported the assault to two transit cops before being taken to Brookdale Hospital, where he was treated for a broken left knee, broken rib and facial swelling.
It was not immediately known if charges would be leveled at the other attackers.

Tehran, Iran - Israel Will Disappear Says Iranian President

Tehran, Iran - Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad called Israel's leaders a "group of terrorists" and threatened any country that supports the Jewish state.
"You imposed a group of terrorists ... on the region," Ahmadinejad said, addressing the U.S. and its allies. "It is in your own interest to distance yourself from these criminals... This is an ultimatum. Don't complain tomorrow." "Nations will take revenge," he told a crowd of thousands.

Ahmadinejad said Israel no longer had any reason to exist and would soon disappear. "This regime, thanks to God, has lost the reason for its existence," he said. "Efforts to stabilize this fake (Israeli) regime, by the grace of God, have completely failed... You should believe that this regime is disappearing," he said.

Brooklyn, NY - Owner of Shuttered Adult Home Sued at 2nd Facility

Brooklyn, NY - The operator of the Canarsie adult home Seaport Manor, that was shut down by state officials after residents died from negligent care and some of the patients committed suicide, is profiting from another problem-plagued facility.

Baruch Mappa, who owned the Seaport Manor adult home before it was shuttered in 2003, owns the nearby New South Shore Manor's building and Mappa's two children and three grandchildren operate the new home, the state Health Department said.
Mappa pocketed $120,000 in rent from New South Shore in 2004, and residents have sued the home for allegedly stealing their money.
New South Shore Manor has been "targeting individuals with mental disabilities" to "steal money and personal property from them," and retaliating against residents who sought an attorney's help, according to the federal lawsuit filed.
In addition, Seaport administrator Elizabeth Rosenberg has recently begun working there, said a New South Shore Manor source. Rosenberg was removed from her job at Seaport by state officials after the facility was probed for unsafe conditions.

"The problem is Health Department doesn't hold operators accountable," said MFY Legal Services lawyer Jean Philips, who represents the Manor residents in the lawsuit. "They just close them down ... and residents are moved to another place where they are treated the same."

Cherry Hill, NJ - Man Convicted of Having His Wife Killed Wants a Third Trial

Cherry Hill, NJ - A man convicted of having his wife killed wants a third jury to consider his case.
Fred Neulander says it was unfair that his lawyers in his 2002 murder trial were not allowed to delve more deeply into how the hit man he was convicted of hiring was once a suspect in a second murder.

Neulander's public defender will make that and other arguments Monday before a state appellate court in Trenton. It will be the first court appearance for Neulander since January 2003, when he was sentenced to life in prison for murder.
He was convicted by a jury in 2002, one year after an earlier jury deadlocked on the case.

New York, NY - New Restrictions on Teenage Smoking Are Opposed by the Mayor and by Council Member Simcha Felder

New York, NY - Mayor Bloomberg, who won a reputation as an anti-tobacco activist, is now vowing to veto two anti-teen-smoking proposals that are before the City Council.

City Council members expressed surprise at the mayor's position. "I'm speechless. I am speechless," said Council Member James Gennaro, a Queens Democrat who is the sponsor of a bill to increase the minimum legal age to buy cigarettes in the city to 19 from 18. Mr. Gennaro pronounced himself "flabbergasted."
A second proposal, sponsored by the Democratic leader, Joel Rivera, would go further, banning the sale of cigarettes to anyone younger than 21.

Mr. Bloomberg and his health advisers say similar restrictions on cigarette sales to teenagers in places like Nassau and Suffolk counties haven't proved effective.
An assistant health commissioner for tobacco control, Sarah Perl, said increasing the minimum age would increase cigarettes' "forbidden fruit" appeal, which she said tobacco-industry documents suggest could make smoking more alluring to young people. "Sending the message that ‘smoking is an adult choice' may paradoxically play into the hands of the tobacco industry and attract more children to tobacco," Ms. Perl said.

The only council member during the bulk of the hearing who also questioned the wisdom of the bans was Simcha Felder of Brooklyn. "It's not popular to say anything against a bill that would be prohibiting smoking," Mr. Felder said, adding, "Take a census, certainly from the 18-, 19-, 20-, 21-year olds, and they'll say to you, ‘if we can go out to war and potentially be killed we should have the right to buy a pack of cigarettes.'"

New York, NY - City's Unemployment Rate Lowest In 20 Years

New York, NY - The city's unemployment rate is the lowest it's been in almost 20 years, announced Mayor Michael Bloomberg today, and the number of New Yorkers without jobs is the lowest it has been since February 1988.

Also, more than three-million New Yorkers are employed, compared the 169,000 who are not.

Lakewood, NJ - Man Indicted on Kidnapping Charges

Lakewood, NJ - An Ocean County grand jury has handed up a nine-count indictment charging a 21-year-old Lakewood sprinkler installer with the kidnapping of a 20-year-old Lakewood woman, abducted in May after leaving a Lakewood gym.  

The grand jury handed up an indictment charging Brandon J. Fritz of Delaware Trail with two counts of kidnapping, two counts of aggravated assault, and robbery of the Lakewood woman on May 7. 
He abducted the victim after she left the TrimGym Fitness Center on Madison Avenue, in the rear of ShopRite Plaza in Lakewood. She was driven around for about seven hours, assault in a wooded area and dropped off in the same place where she was abducted while investigators were still on the scene.

Fritz is being held in the Ocean County Jail in Toms River to await trial. His bail is set at $1,450,000.

Douglas, UK - Appeal to Find Swastika Vandals

Douglas, UK - Devastated Tracey McIver is appealing to anyone who can help police track down vindictive vandals who daubed swastikas and foul language on her brand new car.  
 
The 22-year-old dry cleaning manager was distraught to discover her wrecked Renault Megane, now a write off, outside her home in Port-e-Chee Avenue, Douglas. 'I'd not had it long,' said Tracey. 'It was my pride and joy.'
The offensive symbols were drawn on the windows of the car using silver spray paint, abusive language was also sprayed on the vehicle and the near side tires were slashed.
Paint stripper was poured over the car roof and dripped down onto the panels.

Anyone with any information about the vandalism, should contact Willaston police.

New York, NY +Dow Jones Closed Close to 12,000 Milestone Mark+

New York, NY - Due to strong corporate earnings, the Dow Jones industrial average has closed about the 12,000 mark for the first time, according to preliminary calculations.

Israel - Rabbi of Belz Okays Internet Use - But Only for Business

Israel - The leader of the Belz community recently took the unusual step of explaining to his followers conditions for using the Internet.  

Rabbi Yissachar Dov Rokeach warned of the dangers of the Internet, while allowing its limited use. "Today there is a modern invention... called the Internet," the Rabbi said at his speech to followers at the Belz Beis Midrash. "It brings with it great stumbling blocks, and there are many questions in this regard... It may be necessary for one's livelihood and impossible to get along without it. One must not bring it into the home, and it must be kept in a closed place where children cannot access it. Of course, it must be used only in order to earn a living and not for other things."

Manhattan, NY - Famous Kosher Bakery Being Desplaced

Manhattan, NY - The widely known Gertel's Bakery, the last renowned kosher bakery on the Lower East Side, is about to being displaced and make way for condominiums on that place.

Located at 53 Hester Street, Gertel's has been in business since 1914. Although an e-newsletter from the Lower East Side Tenement Museum warns that Gertel's will be closing next year, a call to the shop elicited a clarification: "We're just moving," but no new location yet.

Brooklyn, NY +Fire in Nursing Home+

Brooklyn, NY +Fire in Nursing Home+ Fire Department is on the scene of a fire in the basement laundry room of a 7 story nursing home at 2340 Cropsey Avenue between Bay 34th and 35th Streets, sprinkler was activated and knocked out main of fire, fire is D/W/H.

South Korea - Scientists Have Developed Cancer-Killing Virus

South Korea - South Korean scientists have said they have developed a new genetically altered strain of virus which is highly efficient in targeting and killing cancer cells.

The new therapy developed by the team from Yonsei University uses a genetically-engineered form of the adenovirus, which normally causes colds.
The adenovirus when injected into cancerous tumors, the virus quickly multiplies in the cancer cells and kills them, they can only target cancer cells and does not harm normal cells, the team said. Following three rounds of injections, more than 90 percent of cancer cells in the brains, liver, lungs and womb of mice disappeared within 60 days, the team said.

"I believe we have found a way to overcome one of the great obstacles to finding a genetically altered viral cure for cancer," Yun Chae-Ok, one of the researchers said.
Clinical tests will be carried out early next year and last 18 months, Yun said.

Manhattan, NY +Serious MVA+

Manhattan, NY +Serious MVA+ A serious motor vehicle accident in Midtown Manhattan on 47th Street, Hatzolah on the scene are requesting back up and an ambulance to respond code-1.

Asbury Park, NJ +Schools Closed Down after Shooting on the Street

Asbury Park, NJ - Public and private schools in Asbury Park have closed down after a high school student was shot on a street corner.

Police say Tylik Pugh was placed on life support to save his organs. Bus school authorities issued a release saying the 18-year-old was shot to death.
Schools will be closed Thursday and Friday because officials aren't sure if the shooting was gang-related.

Lakewood, NJ - NAACP Leader Wants Audit

Lakewood, NJ - A local NAACP leader delivered a letter to school board members during their board meeting, in which he called for a state investigation into district finances.
"A full audit of questionable business practices should be demanded, leaving no stone left unturned," wrote James Waters, in a letter to the state commissioner of education. The letter went on to state that: "The minority cultural experience is not embraced or understood by this politically driven insensitive school board."

Not all of the school board members received a copy of Waters' letter before the meeting, though. "I've been spending a lot of money on OPRA (Open Public Records Act) requests," Waters quipped, explaining to the board why he only handed out two copies.
The board members did not address Waters' letter during its meeting.

The local NAACP chapter in September called on the state to take over the school district's special-education program, claiming it discriminates against minorities. Meanwhile, school board President Chet Galdo declined to comment on Waters' letter after the meeting.

Monsey, NY - Meat Market Fined for Sanitary Violations

Monsey, NY - The Rockland Board of Health took action against a local meat market that violated the county's sanitary code.

They fined Main Street Take Out Inc. operator, Meal Mart, 41C Main St., with $2,000 for 19 health code violations, including dirty kitchen conditions, food kept at unsafe temperatures and employees handling food without gloves.
The amount was based on the severity of the violations and the number of previous violations, among other factors.

London - Mayor Wins Appeal in Case Sparked by His Anti-Semitic Comments

London - London Mayor Ken Livingstone won an appeal against a disciplinary panel ruling that said he had brought his office into disrepute by comparing a Jewish reporter to a Nazi camp guard. 

High Court Justice Andrew Collins, who had already quashed a four-week suspension from office the panel imposed on Livingstone, said the remark was offensive but that the mayor had the right to express his views "as forcibly as he thought fit."  "Surprising as it may perhaps appear to some, the right of freedom of speech does extend to abuse," Collins said in overturning the Adjudication Panel for England's finding. 
The panel ruled in February that the two-term mayor was guilty of making remarks that were "unnecessarily insensitive and offensive" and ordered him suspended from his job for four weeks.

Justice Collins also said that Livingstone should have apologized for the hurt he had caused and could probably have avoided disciplinary action had he done so.  However, Collins said that since Livingstone had been off duty when he made the remarks, the panel was wrong to rule that they had reflected on his office.

Livingstone said after the verdict that he was not anti-Semitic and would have apologized if the Board of Deputies of British Jews, which filed a complaint about his comment, had asked him to.

Staten Island, NY - Ex-Cop Arrested for Fake ID

Staten Island, NY - A former cop who carried a fake badge and a fake police ID card in his wallet faces criminal charges after he left the wallet in a grocery store.

Walter Clemens, 56, found himself under arrest when he tried to retrieve his wallet at the 120th Precinct station.
Clemens told a detective that he was a retired police officer, and had made a copy of his ID card and locked away the original because he had lost it once in the past. But the ID looked nothing like a retired cop's credentials, it had the words "police officer" hand-written underneath Clemens' photo.
Also did the detective learn that Clemens didn't actually retire from the NYPD, he was dishonorably discharged.

Clemens was arraigned on a single count of second-degree criminal possession of a forged instrument, a felony punishable by a maximum two and a third to seven-year prison term. He was ordered held on $2,500 bail and is scheduled to return to Stapleton Criminal Court.

Sommerville, MA - Naturei Karta Rabbis Urge Yes Vote on Human Rights Questions

Sommerville, MA - Some Naturei Karta rabbis came to Somerville to announce their campaign on behalf of a public policy which will be on local ballots in November. They aim to persuade Somerville citizens to affirm solidarity with Palestinians’ right to return to their homes and homeland.

The rabbis travelled from New York City to be in Somerville for the announcement, which they hoped would be “the beginning of an awakening.”
Rabbi Yisroel Dovid Weiss said, "People really want to do good. Unfortunately, there is tremendous propaganda" that distorts the truth and prevents Americans from understanding what is good and what is evil.
“I pray to God that we should be able to convey this truth to you,” he said.
One of the greatest distortions, he said, was that Jews were for centuries being massacred in the Muslim world, that Islam is a “terrible philosophy” that makes its followers intolerant of other religions.

Rabbi Weiss also said that his parents died in Auschwitz, “so I am not a man who does not understand Auschwitz.” “They died a physical death,” he said of his parents and other holocaust victims, but we must throw off Zionism, or “they will die twice, die a spiritual death,” as well.

Brooklyn, NY +Garage Fire+

Brooklyn, NY +Garage Fire+ Fire Department on the scene for a garage fire at 2507 Avenue "J" Hatzolah also responding.

Brooklyn, NY - Driver Arrested After Leaving Child on Bus

Brooklyn, NY - A four-year-old boy was left unattended on a Brooklyn school bus, when the bus driver dropped his classmates off at the Ysdhiva Chaim Berlin in Midwood and parked the bus on Avenue "Z" and left without inspecting it.
A passerby who noticed the boy left inside called police.

The driver 55-year-old man was arrested by NYPD of the 60th Pct and charged with endangering the welfare of a child.

Manhattan, NY +Major Delays on Amtrak & LIRR+

Manhattan, NY +Major Delays on Amtrak & LIRR+ Due to a smoke condition in one of the Amtrak's East River tunnels under NY, on Amtrak & LIRR is currently experiencing major delays in and out of Penn Station.
In addition, numerous trains out of Penn Station are being canceled and combined.

Brooklyn, NY +Pedestrian Struck+

Brooklyn, NY +Pedestrian Struck+ A motor vehicle accident with a female that was struck by the Williamsburg bus on Dahil Road and 38th Street, Hatzolah on the scene requesting medics and the NYPD to respond.

Hinsdale IL - Teens Who Painted Swastikas on School Walls Sentenced

Hinsdale IL - Two Hinsdale teens who spray-painted swastikas and an anti-Semitic slur on a wall at their school were sentenced to one year of probation and ordered to perform 30 hours of community service work.

The boys, both 15, were acquitted earlier this year of felony hate crime charges but were convicted of felony criminal defacement of property for drawing the graffiti at the Hinsdale Central High School football field. Each of the teens also was ordered to pay $56 in restitution.

New York - O&R Gas Rate Increase Approved by State

New York - If you live in Orange and Rockland Utilities territory and are a natural gas user, your residential rate will be going up by an average of $1.36 per month beginning on November 1.

The state Public Service Commission approved the three-year plan totaling $14.8 million and designed to expand the gas delivery system in Orange and Rockland counties. Utility spokesman Michael Donovan said a number of improvements are needed for Middletown, Monroe, Chester and Washingtonville as a result of a “high growth rate” and a “substantial demand for gas service to improve and expand the communities.”
In the second year of the hike, the average ratepayer will see a $4.21 per month increase. In the third year, $3.53 will be tacked onto the customer’s monthly bill.

O&R had asked the state for a total of about six percent increase; 3.9 percent was approved.

George Soros Takes Aim at Israel

Billionaire investor George Soros is leading a move to stitch together an American Jewish political lobby that is "anti-Israel.”

Soros, who spent millions attempting to defeat President Bush in 2004, is one of some American Jews who have played a role in undermining support for Israel in the Democratic Party, and they now seek "to undermine Israel’s position in the U.S. in general.”
Soros has invited another American Jewish billionaire, Peter Lewis, along with "North American Jewish plutocrats” like Charles and Edgar Bronfman, to join forces with him and Jewish American organizations – including American Friends of Peace Now, the Israel Policy Forum and Brit Tzedek v’Shalom – to construct a political lobby that will weaken the influence of the pro-Israel lobby.

Flatbush, Brooklyn, NY +MVA+

Flatbush, Brooklyn, NY +MVA+ A motor vehicle accident on Coney Island Avenue and Avenue "O" Hatzolah responding.

Swan Lake, NY - Skulener Rebbe In The Catskills

Swan Lake, NY - After undergoing specialized surgery in Los Angeles, Rabbi Yisroel Avrohom Portugal, revered Skulener Rebbe, returned to New York, after three months of recuperation, but instead of returning to his home in Boro Park, the Rebbe was brought to the Satmar Divrei Yoel boys camp in Swan Lake in the Catskills.
At his home, he would have been beleaguered, from early in the morning to late at night, by the thousands of petitioners who stream to his door in the days preceding and during the Yomim Noraim, many chassidim can not rest until they have the blessing of the Rebbe for the New Year.
So instead the decision was made to have the Rebbe continue his recuperation in a more relaxed pastoral setting far from the city.

Nevertheless, hundreds of his dedicated chassidim tended to him during the Yomim Noraim. Dozens assumed the roles of managers, waiters and attendants to facilitate and accommodate the larger-than-expected number of people who sought to be with the Rebbe. As one bus after another arrived through the gates, passengers were welcomed with food and drink, their luggage sent to their assigned sleeping quarters.

Throughout the holidays, delicious, plentiful food was supplied by Avrohom Shlomo Deutsch of Royal Manor. Each meal was graced by a d’var Torah from one of the Rebbe’s sons.

Israel - Tour Guide to Cemetery to Find Your Spouse

Israel - Izhar Hess, runs the Derech Halev Company, and he organizes tours of the resting place of Rabbi Yonosson Ben Uziel, which has tours to the tomb with singles.
Tradition has it that unmarried persons visiting Rabbi Yonosson Ben Uziel's resting place would be guaranteed marriage within a year, the tomb located in Amuka nestled in the hills near Tzafes has become a preferred pilgrimage site for singles.

Hess blends the activities such as card and awareness games, in which each of the participants discloses another character trait. This is a good way to learn about the participants' backgrounds.
The tour also includes group meditation, coffee and tea around a bonfire while Hess unfolds stories relating to traditional and historic relations. Later Hess holds prayer sessions where each participant can have a heart to heart talk with Rabbi Yonosson Ben Uziel and himself. Hess explained that this gives participants an opportunity to think about what they really want from life.
As a bonus, the special relationship that is created between the participants serves as a good basis for a future intimate relationship.
 
You may very well end up having to tell your grandchildren that you met your spouse at a cemetery.

Hackensack, NJ +NYC's Mayor's Vehicle Carjacked+

Hackensack, NJ Hackensack police report New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg's vehicle was carjacked with the mayor's driver in it Wednesday morning.
Police said the carjacking took place at the corner of Herman and Willow streets in Hackensack.

Authorities said the driver was picking up someone who works for Bloomberg. A woman with a nose ring approached the driver, in the gray 2001 Lexus, asking for directions. A different person jumped into the passenger side of the vehicle and punched the driver in the face.
The car was stolen and eventually recovered around 11 a.m. in Fairlawn, New Jersey.
Police are still investigating.

Moscow, Russia - Jewish Communities Outraged by Ukrainian Nationalist Decree

Moscow, Russia - The Jewish Communities in Russia has harshly criticized Ukrainian President Viktor Yushchenko's decision to recognize the members of the Organization of Ukrainian Nationalists - Ukrainian Insurgent Army as fighters for Ukraine's independence during WWII. "Equating the Bandera men [Stepan Bandera was one of the UPA's founders] and WWII veterans is just another attempt to rehabilitate Nazi henchmen and to rewrite history. It is especially regrettable that this was done by the leader of a country that has been in brotherly union with Russia for centuries,"they said.

"It is obvious that this decision by the Ukrainian president fully contradicts the declared course toward European integration and pushes Ukrainian society toward an even deeper split than that we have seen during the political battles during the past several years."

Edgware, London - Eruv To Go Live This Shabbas

Edgware, London - Edgware’s Jewish community is this week preparing for an extra special Shabbas after it was announced that the long-awaited eruv catering for the area would go live this weekend.

Subject to final inspections before Shabbas, a packed meeting was told that London’s second religious boundary was just hours from becoming a reality, enabling Orthodox Jews to carry out activities including pushing wheelchairs or buggies and carrying house keys and siddurim. 
Sara Levy is among many in the community keenly anticipating an enhanced Shabbas experience. The 30-year-old – who has been unable to go to shul on Shabbas with husband Dov since the couple had their first child four years ago - said: “I’m very excited. The eruv means I can go to shul and bring my baby along as well. In a Shabbas afternoon we can go out to friends for lunch or to the park as a family. We will be able to socialize instead of being stuck indoors which is horrible.”

Rabbi Lieberman, under whose supervision the eruv was constructed - said: “I am overwhelmed by the cross-communal support I have received from the other Rabbonim in our community.” He insisted people must check each Friday that the eruv is kosher for that Shabbos.  
Councillor Brian Gordon said: “I am pleased that, unlike the Golders Green eruv, the Edgware one has not proven controversial between the religious communities. Even though there are some who may choose not to use it, there is a consensus between local rabbis that this eruv is halachically acceptable.”  

Meanwhile, estate agents were this week predicting a hike in house prices in the area. Steven Kersh, of Harvey Jacobs, said: “With the increase of synagogue, restaurants and kosher shops within the perimeters of the eruv, properties there will be in greater demand. As a result, there will be a significant rise on house prices within that area.”

Newton, MA - Crystal Lake Property Will Not Become A Summer Camp

Newton, MA - The city is negotiating with Crystal Lake property owner Patrick Hannon to purchase his beachfront property, and negotiations with a Jewish organization to make it into a summer camp is over. "I’m getting the hell out of Dodge," Hannon said, saying he is not only offering his property at 20 Rogers St. to the city, but is also selling his nearby home at 21 Floral St. and moving to Maine.
City spokesperson Jeremy Solomon confirmed that Newton officials are in the "preliminary stages" of negotiations with Hannon.

Hannon has been constantly bickering with city officials and neighbors. A few months ago, he tried to sell the property to a Hasidic-Jewish organization that wanted to turn the beachfront into a 200-member summer camp. "It was a cleverly crafted deal and when unraveled, it wasn’t the deal I was looking for," said Hannon in explaining why he ended negotiations.

Clinton Townshim, MI - U.S. Frees Ex-Nazi Camp Guard

Clinton Townshim, MI - Federal authorities freed a former Nazi concentration camp guard after failing to find a country willing to take the 81-year-old man, who had been stripped of his U.S. citizenship.

The U.S. 6th Circuit Court of Appeals in January upheld a decision to revoke Johann Leprich's citizenship.
In September, Leprich's lawyer asked a federal judge to order his client released, citing a 2001 U.S. Supreme Court decision requiring the freeing of those still held for deportation six months after a removal order.
The Justice Department said it released Leprich because Romania, Hungary and Germany refused to accept him, despite high-level meetings with officials from those countries, "What country is going to accept an 81-year-old man who is in declining health?" said Leprich's attorney, Joseph McGinness.

Leprich was released to his wife and son, he must report weekly to ICE and the agency will continue to seek his deportation.
Leprich was arrested in 2003 when authorities found him hiding behind a panel under the basement stairs at his family's home about 20 miles northeast of Detroit.

Washington, DC - Appeals Court Upholds Terrorist Label for a Jewish Group

Washington, DC - A militant Jewish group and two of its affiliates were designated as terrorist organizations by the State Department, a federal appeals court ruled.

The group, Kahane Chai, is a spinoff of the radical Kach movement of Rabbi Meir Kahane, an Israeli politician who was assassinated in New York in 1990. Kahane Chai, advocates the expulsion of Arabs from Israel. The United States State Department declared Kahane Chai a terrorist organization in 1997.
In a 2003 letter to the State Department, a lawyer for Kahane Chai, Samuel Abady, said it and its affiliates were “legitimate Jewish activist organizations,” none of which “practices, supports or advocates terrorism.” The group’s current lawyer, Kenneth Klein, did not respond to messages seeking comment.

The unanimous decision upholding the terrorist designation, from a three-judge panel of the United States Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit, ruled that the State Department's decision had “substantial support in the administrative record.” That standard, from a 1996 antiterrorism law, is a relaxed one, said Chief Judge Douglas H. Ginsburg, who wrote the opinion.

A 1996 law authorizes the secretary of state to designate groups as foreign terrorist organizations if they, among other things, use conventional or unconventional weapons with the intent to endanger people or harm property or to engage in, among other activities, assassinations.
The law provides that the assets of groups designated as terrorist organizations can be frozen or seized; the groups’ representatives may be barred from the United States; and providing money or other support to the groups can be a crime.

Borough Park, Brooklyn, NY +Suspicious Synagogue Fire+

Borough Park, Brooklyn, NY +Suspicious Synagogue Fire+ A suspicious fire in a synagogue in the Boro Park section of Brooklyn, NY at 1237 53rd Street and New Utrecht Avenue, Fire Department and Hatzolah responding.

U/D: 10:18
Fire Department marked the fire a 10-41 Code-1 (suspicious) requesting the Fire Marshals, fire u/c.

Monsey, NY - Wal-Mart Proposal Subject of Hearing

Monsey, NY - Wherever you stand on the issue of a proposed Wal-Mart Supercenter at the site of the former Rockland Drive-In Theater, you'll get a chance to hear from both proponents and critics in the coming weeks.

A public information session regarding the impact on the proposed store on Route 59 will have on traffic, safety, crime, the environment and the local economy will be held Thursday, Oct. 26 at Spring Valley Village Hall.
The developer of the 215,000-square-foot store on the 22-acre site, National Realty & Development Corp. of Purchase, plans to hold it's own information session at the start of November, they claim that extra weekend traffic would not affect the notoriously congested corridor because many in the orthodox Jewish community do not drive on Saturdays.
A date and place for the session have not been set.

Manhattan, NY +FDR Drive Closed+

Manhattan, NY +FDR Drive Closed+ All lanes are shut down on the FDR Drive northbound at 119th Street with all traffic diverted at 96th Street due to a multi vehicle accident.
Delays are back all the way to the 40's

Eureka, CA +Earthquake Rattles West Coast+

Eureka, CA - A 4.9 magnitude earthquake rattled off the Northern California coast. According to the US Geological Service, the quakes' epicenter was located 89 miles west/southwest of Eureka, California.
No tsunami warnings for Oregon or California were issued by the National Weather Service.

Officials say the quake had a depth of just over 11 miles.
No injuries or damage were reported, but the quake was felt as far away as San Francisco and San Jose.

Williamsburg, Brooklyn, NY +Supermarket Fire+

Williamsburg, Brooklyn, NY +Supermarket Fire+ A large fire in a 100X75 one story supermarket at 96 Rutledge Street between Bedford and Wythe Avenue's Fire Department using all hands, trucks opening up now, 2 lines stretched 1 operating.

U/D: 04:43
Fire has been knocked down, All searches are negative.
Requesting two additional trucks.

U/D: 05:17
Fire is under control.

Manhattan, NY +Unusual Rescue+

Manhattan, NY +Unusual Rescue+ Fire Department on the scene at 2756 Broadway in Manhattan, NY requesting Rescue and Truck to the scene for a 500 lb. male that is wedged between his bed and the wall and can't get up and out.

Queens, NY - Elmhurst Hospital Claims Birth of 300 Millionth American

Queens, NY - Emanuel Plata slept peacefully through his 15 minutes of fame in his father's arms next to his mother's bedside in Elmhurst Hospital Tuesday morning all through a press conference about his birth and significance to the United States.

The hospital claims Emanuel is the 300 millionth American baby, and making him as much a symbol of immigration, the changing face of Queens, the city and the nation, as he is just a baby whose existence is measured in ounces and inches like every other newborn.
At 6 pounds, 15-ounces and 18.5-inches, Emanuel was born by scheduled Caesarean section at 7:46 a.m. to Brooklyn residents Gricelda Plata and Armando Jimenez, who are both natives of Mexico.

Emanuel is their third child and third son, but their first child born in the United States, according to Chris Constantine, executive director of Elmhurst Hospital.

Brooklyn, NY +Pedestrian Struck+

Brooklyn, NY +Pedestrian Struck+ A motor vehicle accident with a child pedestrian that was struck on Coney Island Avenue and Avenue "P" Hatzolah on the scene requesting medics on a rush to respond to the scene.

New York, NY - Guide from a Judge to Beat Tickets

New York, NY - Never pay a parking ticket - without a fight.  
That's the advice of former parking-violations Judge Haskell Nussbaum, who offers inside tips on getting summonses tossed out.  

Most New Yorkers don't bother contesting tickets, which they tend to view as an infuriating but unavoidable cost of city life.
Nussbaum, 37, disagrees. "Every ticket is worth fighting," he said.  Sob stories will get you nowhere, Nussbaum says. Technicalities are far more effective. "Argue some sort of legal or rational reason," he said, and show up in person. 

Judges are told to be careful about the repercussions of their rulings. Our decisions always have to pass the 'front page of the media, a senior judge told Nussbaum. "Every guilty verdict has the potential to embarrass us."
Nussbaum also recommends to leave the ticket itself at home. That's because the digital scans the city takes of each ticket are often too unreadable - grounds for instant dismissal.
And mistakes, such as incorrect plate numbers and locations, are common - and judges are often happy to help you find them, Nussbaum said. "Judges have a kind of incentive to find a defect, because we can get through so many more tickets in any given day if we only have to spend 20 seconds on a ticket that's easily thrown out," he said.  
Pleading poverty won't help, Nussbaum said, because "the Parking Bureau's attitude is that if you can't afford to pay the fine, you shouldn't be driving."

Albany, NY - Lawmakers Press DOT for Route 17 Barriers

Albany, NY - State transportation officials said they couldn't "justify" building a potentially life- saving barrier along the Route 17 median three years ago, but a half-dozen recent head-on fatalities has some political leaders calling for action.  

Area lawmakers whose districts include Route 17 say they are putting pressure on the state Department of Transportation to finally install barriers along the highway's median in Orange County. 
Six people have lost their lives in the past 15 months because vehicles crossed the grassy median and plowed into oncoming traffic. In the past 12 years, 12 people have been killed in such crossover wrecks in Orange and Sullivan counties.

New York, NY - Mayor Bloomberg Gave $144 Million to Charities Last Year

New York, NY - Billionaire Mayor Michael Bloomberg contributed $143.9 million in charitable donations to 987 organizations in 2005.

The mayor's office releases information on his charitable giving each year as part of his financial disclosures. The list does not detail the individual amounts given to each charity.

Forbes magazine recently estimated Bloomberg's fortune at $5.3 billion.

Monroe, NY - Alarm Leads to Pot Bust

Monroe, NY - State troopers responding to a tripped house alarm didn't found a burglar, but they discovered a cache of pot plants.

ADT Security Services notified NY State Police of an alarm going off at 481 Orchard Hill Road, when troopers arrived they found the back door unlocked and they entered, looking for possible intruders, but were overcome by the smell of marijuana. Black plastic covered all the windows in the house and hung over the doorway to a room that led to a hydroponically grown pot crop.
While authorities went to court to get a search warrant, the renter, Leon Rosenthal, 31, came home and was arrested, state police said.

With a search warrant, authorities have confiscated about 127 pot plants, measuring between 4 and 5 feet tall, $7,400 in cash and Rosenthal's computer.
Rosenthal was charged with first-degree criminal possession of marijuana, a felony. He was released on $15,000 bail from Orange County Jail.

Manhattan, NY +Tunnel Closure+

Manhattan, NY +Tunnel Closure+ Due to a vehicle fire at the New Jersey bound of the Lincoln Tunnel, all lanes will be closed down, expect major traffic delays.

Uman Ukraine - Breslov Chassidim Use Look-Alike Passports to Impersonate Each Other With Criminal Backgrounds

Uman Ukraine - Breslov Chassidim lent their passports for colleagues who had a criminal background, to visit the tomb of Rabbi Nachman in Uman.

During the Rosh Hashanah Holiday period, 12 thousand Breslov Chassidim left Israel on 80 flights to visit the tomb of Rabbi Nachman of Breslov. While passengers were going through passport control, border police noticed that several passengers were using passports that didn't belong to them. Police investigations revealed that the holders of the passports had a criminal background and were banned from leaving.
Apparently, the suspects had contacted their friends who resembled them physically and asked to use their passports. "There was a mass exit of Breslov Hassids and they all looked alike," said Yigal Duchan, director of the Population Administration office at Ben Gurion Airport.

The alleged imposters were apprehended and it was reported that they would stand trial for impersonation.

Manhattan, NY - Synagogue Buys Genealogical Society Building

Manhattan, NY - The New York Synagogue has signed a contract to buy a Midtown building belonging to the New York Genealogical and Biographical Society, Rabbi Marc Schneier of the New York Synagogue said. The synagogue, which has been renting space in the six-story building at 122 East 58th Street since 2003, will pay $24 million and plans to spend $11 million on renovations, he said.

The synagogue, which is affiliated with the Hampton Synagogue, plans to expand from off-season services to year-round services, the rabbi said.

Bnei Brak, Israel - Separate Lines for Men and Women in Bank

Bnei Brak, Israel - Following the example of "kosher" bus lines that initiated separate seating for men and women, the First International Bank of Israel introduced a separate "teller for women only" at its Bnei Brak branch at the PAGI Bank.

The bank's management said that the separation of men and women was done as per the request of the bank's clients, and in light of the fact that men and women already stood in separate lines naturally.
However, the bank pointed out that the separation would be cancelled during rush hours, and that the "women only" tellers would serve male clients during these times.

PAGI Bank was not the first public service to separate men and women in Israel. A Bnei Brak synagogue turns the outside pavement into two separate sidewalks, one for men and one for women, and a Jerusalem coffee shop called "Shani" is for "women only."

Monsey, NY - Synagogue Expects OK to Remodel

Monsey, NY - A Jewish congregation that was fined last year for converting a single-family home in a residential neighborhood without any permits is expected to receive final approval from the Ramapo Planning Board tonight.

Congregation Ateres Yisroel, led by Rabbi Chaim Rottenberg, plans to remodel a two-story home on Forshay Road into a synagogue to be used by about 25-30 young men for religious services, prayers and study.
The property, which is owned by Chaim Rosenberg of Monsey and is just less than a half-acre, would include three parking spots in the front and 11 in the rear. The inside of the building would be renovated for religious worship.
Work on the home began last year, and the congregation was cited by the town on Nov. 23, 2005, for building without a permit. In addition, Town Engineer Paul Gdanski said some neighbors complained the home was being used as a yeshiva, but visits by town officials have not confirmed that.

John Lange, the town's planning consultant, said he was at first concerned by the lack of parking spaces, but the matter appeared to be settled with the addition of spaces in the rear.

Orange County, NY - Commuters Have 2nd Longest Travel Time

Orange County, NY - The U.S. Census Bureau has tagged the county as having the second highest percentage of workers in the country who commute more than 90 minutes to their jobs. Only Richmond County - Staten Island - has more, 11.8 percent to Orange County's 10 percent, in the census. The majority of these so-called extreme commuters work in New York City and clock the door-to-door trip at two hours.

The number of U.S. workers commuting at least an hour to work by car has increased by 50 percent since 1990, New Yorkers (those living near New York City) have some of the longest car commuting times in the country. New Yorkers dominate the "extreme commuter" category, that is, traveling more than 90 minutes one way to work.
According to the TRB, 5 percent of all New Yorkers travel more than 90 minutes to get to work. At least 10 percent of all New Yorkers spend at least an hour commuting, according to the data.
Washington and Baltimore have the next longest average commute times, but pale when compared to the Empire State or, as the TRB data summary put it: "The entire nation's data is affected by New York."

On average, New Yorkers spend nearly two weeks in their cars every year commuting.
Overall, Americans are spending an average of 25.5 minutes in their cars one way, up from 21.7 minutes in 1980, according to the TRB.

Brooklyn, NY - NYPD Officer Arrested Over Walfare Fraud

Brooklyn, NY - A rookie cop broke the law by collecting $7,000 in welfare benefits while on the job.

Officer Julie Sullivan, 32, assigned to downtown Brooklyn's 84th Precinct, was arrested, because she collected about $7,000 in welfare benefits for herself and her two daughters while being an employ of the NYPD.
She was receiving public assistance before joining the NYPD last year - but never told welfare officials about her job, said a spokesman for the Brooklyn district attorney's office.
Sullivan has been suspended from the force, police said.

Ekaterinburg, Russia - Jewish Community Protest Hitler Restaurant

Ekaterinburg, Russia - Jewish leaders in a Russian region are protesting against the use of Adolf Hitler’s name by a new pub. The pub, set to open soon, is named Hitler Kaput.
In a letter to the mayor of Ekaterinburg, leaders of the Jewish community said that any use of Hitler’s name to attract public attention is unacceptable. Authorities haven’t yet responded to the Jewish community.

The letter also referred to a similar development in India where a restaurant initially named after Hitler changed its name after protests from the Jewish community around the world.

Washington, DC - U.S. Population Hits 300 Million

Washington, DC - The nation's population officially hit 300 million. The Census Bureau recorded the moment at 7:46 a.m. EDT. Census Bureau workers will enjoy cake and punch.
The Census Bureau has a "population clock" that estimates a birth every seven seconds, a death every 13 seconds, and a new immigrant every 31 seconds.

The 200 millionth American was born in 1967, and the United States adds about 2.8 million people a year.

West Nyack, NY +NYS Thruway Traffic Alert+

Rockland County, West Nyack, NY +NYS Thruway Traffic Alert+ Traffic on the southbound lanes of the New York State Thruway is backed up a few miles due to a motor vehicle accident with injuries in the left lane near Exit 12. Police on the scene shut down the left lane, use caution in the area.

Lakewood, NJ +Car Into Lake+

Lakewood, NJ +Car Into Lake+ Police, Fire Department and Hatzolah all responded to a vehicle that drove into the lake on Central Avenue with aided in the vehicle, all occupants were extricated no one has any serious injuries.

Randolph, NJ - Holocaust Survivor to Donate Special Gift

Randolph, NJ - A Parsippany man who survived the Holocaust in Poland will donate a survivor Torah to the Mount Freedom Jewish Center. It's one of nine holy scrolls once hidden from the Nazis that he found.

Edward Mosberg, an 80-year-old developer and philanthropist, has been collecting memorabilia associated with concentration camps for about 15 years.
The survivor Torah is kosher and has no textual flaws.

Mosberg and his wife have previously donated holy scrolls to other New Jersey institutions, including schools.

Wesley Hills, NY +Synagogue Vandalized+

Wesley Hills, NY - Police are investigation the defacing of a synagogue on Lime Kiln Road. Congregation Kehillas Bais Yehudah had been vandalized with swastikas that were spray-painted on the building.
Police say there were also additional scrawlings down the road from the synagogue in front of Sikorsky Park. "Support Israel" was spray painted on the wall of the Abraham and Sarah Speiner building at 23 Lime Kiln Road, Ramapo Police Sgt. Brian Corbett said. "All the Arabs Die" was spray painted at the park, police said.

Five Towns, NY +Worker at Kosher Meat Market Arrested for Identity Theft+

Five Towns, NY - A 31-year-old woman from Springfield Gardens, Queens, was arrested for identity theft, possession of a forged instrument and criminal possession of computer material at the Five Towns Kosher Meat Market on Peninsula Boulevard. 

While working as a cashier at the market, she used a device to illegally take credit card information from customers, then forged credit cards and made purchases with them. The defendant allegedly made more than $6,000 in fraudulent charges.

Borough Park, Brooklyn, NY +Fire at Yshivah+

Borough Park, Brooklyn, NY +Fire at Yshivah+ A fire in the 4 story brick Beis Yakov Yshivah building at 5610 12th Avenue between 56th and 57th Street's Fire Department on the scene reporting fire is D/W/H.

U/D: 14:22
Fire is P/W/H all searrches are cmplete and negative.

Acco, Israel - Yeshiva Under Arab Siege at Simchas Torah Celebration

Acco, Israel - Hundreds of rioting Arabs surrounded a yeshiva in Acco while Yeshiva students were holding Simchat Torah processions in the area, the Arabs were preventing the students from leaving the building.

Local police were called in to break the Arab siege on the Hesder yeshiva, located in the Wolfson neighborhood of Acco. Large forces of police streamed to the neighborhood, accompanied by the mayor to try to calm the waters in the mixed Arab-Jewish coastal city. Police officers took control of the volatile situation and the crowd began to disperse. There were no injuries reported, but one person was arrested for discharging a firearm.

Accounts from the scene indicate that the riot and subsequent siege was preceded by verbal and possibly physical attacks on several yeshiva students by local Arabs as the students were dancing with Torah scrolls through the streets, at that time a yeshiva student, an active-duty soldier and the yeshiva's security guard, fired his weapon in the air when he believed that there was a threat to himself and the other students, who were dancing and singing in traditional post-Simchas Torah celebrations.

The gunfire led an Arab mob to surround the yeshiva, with the shooter and several dozen students retreating inside, until police came and took control.

Washington, DC - U.S. Confrims on N. Korea Nuke Test

Washington, DC - Air samples confirm that North Korea conducted an underground nuclear test, National Intelligence Director John Negroponte's office said.

Lawrence, NY - School Bus Plays Favorites

Lawrence, NY - Every school day, thousands of students living in the Lawrence district board buses heading to six local public schools and 69 private ones, some as far away as Crown Heights, Brooklyn.

More than half of the 5,921 students who ride the buses attend private schools, said district Superintendent John T. Fitzsimons. State law mandates that districts provide transportation to all students, as long as their schools are within 15 miles from the student's home.
But in a revelation that has roiled the already divided district, it turns out that for years, in violation of district policy, some 300 stops were in front of homes of private school students and that some parents were bribing drivers with gifts and cash. All the while, most public school kids have had to walk to corner stops.

The issue has been colored by the already touchy politics in the community. Orthodox Jews there, who in general do not send their children to public school, now constitute a school board majority. They have been among the sharpest district critics for years.

The issue came to a head at a recent public meeting to air out transportation concerns. Renee Freedman of Lawrence said the bus stopped in front of her house for the past 21 years, which brought hisses and groans from the public school crowd. After the meeting, she explained that her stop also served about 10 other children on her block. "It shouldn't be considered door-to-door pickup," she said. "It's a convenient stop for the kids who live in that area."
Private school parent Michelle Muehlgay of Cedarhurst, who complained of no longer having a bus stop in front of her home, said busing is a small privilege for the taxes she pays toward a school district she doesn't use. "I pay over $10,000 in taxes," she said, "and all I get is a little busing."

Israel - Ultra-Orthodox Spend Less Per Capita on Food

Israel - A new study shows that the expenditure per capita on food in the charedi ultra-orthodox sector is currently NIS 384 a month, 25% lower the NIS 509 spent on food by the general population, according to a new survey.
However, the average expenditure on food per charedi household was NIS 2,110, 23% higher than the average in the general Jewish population (NIS 1,882).

The haredi population in Israel numbers 630,000, or 115,000 families.

Brooklyn, NY +Hatzolah Member Involved in MVA+

Brooklyn, NY +Hatzolah Member Involved in MVA+ A motor vehicle accident involving an Hatzolah member on Coney Island Avenue and Avenue "N" Hatzolah ambulance transported one aided and FDNY treated one aided.

Brooklyn, NY +Suspicious Device on Brooklyn Bridge+

Brooklyn, NY +Suspicious Device on Brooklyn Bridge+ DOT on the scene with a suspicious package on the Brooklyn Bridge requesting ESU from Brooklyn and Manhattan to respond.

New York, NY - FAA Limits Flights Along New York City's East River

New York, NY - The federal authorities have baned low altitude flights along New York's East River in the wake of the small plane that crashed into a building on the upper East Side of the city killing two.

Manhattan, NY +Traffic A Mess with Manhattan Bridge Closure+

Manhattan, NY - Today is the first weekday in which traffic of the lower level of the Manhattan bridg is closed, officials are giving the lower roadway of the nearly 100-year-old bridge a facelift, that means, all lanes will be closed for the next year.

Traffic flowing into China Town and downtown Brooklyn on the four-lane upper-level is a nightmare. The New York City Department of Transportation suggests drivers use alternate routes to cross the East River for the next year.

Pedestrians and bikers will share access along the Manhattan Bridge's south walkway. The north walkway will be closed.

New York - Police Will Be Enforcing School Bus Rules

New York - Police will be watching school buses to ensure drivers stop when children are getting on or off.

The crackdown is part of the statewide "Operation Safe Stop" The state estimates that 50,000 drivers illegally pass school buses every day. In the past five years, more than 35 students have been hit by drivers passing school buses, with several fatalities.

Melbourne ,Australia - Man Assaulted on Simchas Torah

Melbourne ,Australia - AN ultra-Orthodox man spent the night in a Melbourne hospital after being physically and verbally assaulted in an antisemitic attack.

Menachem Vorchheimer who runs a textile company, was walking to Yeshivah shul with two of his children, when he was confronted by a group of young men in a mini bus shouting antisemitic slogans and motioning at him as if they were firing machine guns. When the bus stopped at the lights at the corner of Balaclava Road and Hotham Street, Vorchheimer, 33, approached the driver to inquire about the group, but the bus drove off, while two of the passengers reportedly leaned out the window and grabbed Vorchheimer's hat and kippa.
A passing car then pursued the bus, cutting it off down Carlisle Street. Vorchheimer ran towards the stationary bus, pleading for his hat, which was then thrown out of the window. But when he approached the bus window to plead for his kippa, he said two of the passengers grabbed him by the arms, while a third punched him in the eye. "I could feel the blood coming down my face ... I was in a lot of pain, but determined to ensure they were going to be made accountable."

To prevent the bus from leaving, Vorchheimer and others blockaded the vehicle until the police and ambulance arrived. He was later treated at Cabrini Hospital for facial injuries.

Gaza Strip - Israeli Troops Kill 7 Palestinian Gunmen in Response to Rockets Fired on Israel During Sukkah's

Gaza Strip - Israeli troops killed seven Palestinian gunmen in airstrikes in the Gaza Strip, part of an offensive and for rockets being fired on Israel during Sukkah's.

Aircraft fired three missiles at a car carrying two militants, the strike targeted militants with ties to the Fatah movement of Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, this men had launched rocket attacks at Israel.
Earlier, a missile strike killed six gunmen from the Islamic militant group Hamas, Fifteen people were wounded in those strikes east of Gaza City. More than a dozen Israeli tanks also moved in the area, and security officials reported exchanges of fire between the Israeli forces and Palestinian gunmen.
The army confirmed that troops hit a group of Palestinian gunmen.

Williamsburg, Brooklyn, NY +Burich Diyan HuEmas+

Williamsburg, Brooklyn, NY +Burich Diyan HuEmas+ How devastating it is to report to you, after such a beautiful Yom Tov, that R' Yoel Moshe Schwartz O"H, 24-years-old, (son-in-law of Simcha Weizenfeld) suddenly passed away while walking on the street Hewes Street in Williamsburg on this 2nd day of Yom Tov.
He left behind a wife and two children.

Kiryas Tosh, Montrela, Canada +Early Yom Tov Morning Fire in Multiple Dwelling+

Kiryas Tosh, Montrela, Canada - A major fire broke out at a multiple dwelling at 350 Beth Halive in the early hours of Shabbas/Yom Tov morning while 72 people were sleeping in the building.

Fire Department and Hatzolah did a great job with getting out everyone alive and well, the entire house with everything in it went up in flames.

Borough Park, Brooklyn, NY +Hatzolah MVA Saturday Night+

Borough Park, Brooklyn, NY - Hatzolah ambulance B06 got involved in a serious accident Saturday night on 52nd Street and 17th Avenue, with the driver of the other vehicle pinned in the vihicle and into a pole.

NYPD of the 66th Pct and ESU Trk-6 cut the vehicle and extricated the driver from the vehicle and was taken to local hospital, Hatzolah member was also injured.

Brooklyn, NY +MVA+

Brooklyn, NY +MVA+ A motor vehicle accident with a car into a pole on McDonald Avenue ant 47th street, Hatzolah on the scene requested two ambulances, aided was transported to the hospital.

Honolulu, Hawaii +Major Earthquake+

Honolulu, Hawaii - A magnitude 6.3 earthquake struck Hawaii, and two seperate quakes, 4.9 and 6.7 hit Maui and west side of the big island of Hawaii, with several after shocks, people were advised to stay home. No tsunami threat was issued.

Kona appears to have taken the brunt of the quake. Kona Community Hospital reported structural damage and multiple landslides were reported on the Hamakua Highway, officials said.

The quake knocked out power to all of Oahu. Residents reported feeling the shaking for more than a minute in some places. Residents in Niu Valley said the quake made items fall off shelves. "It was an unusually large magnitude and in an unusual location," one scientist said.