Week of June 5, 2026
Week of June 5, 2026
(JNS) — Israel controls approximately 60% of the Gaza Strip, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Thursday. He added that he has instructed the Israel Defense Forces to expand that figure to 70% as part of its ongoing campaign against Hamas. Speaking at the Jordan Valley Conference, Netanyahu said Israel was continuing to increase pressure on the terrorist organization nearly three years after the Hamas-led massacre in southern Israel on Oct. 7, 2023. “Israel controls 60 percent of the Gaza Strip,” the prime minister said. “My...
IDF strikes 100-plus Hezbollah sites in Southern Lebanon By JNS Staff (JNS) — The Israel Defense Forces overnight on Monday struck more than 100 Hezbollah sites and terrorist operatives in Lebanon’s Beqaa Valley and across the country’s south. In several strikes in the Beqaa Valley, the IDF targeted Hezbollah terrorist infrastructure sites, including a weapons storage facility, the military stated on Tuesday. One operation in the Beqaa Valley town of Machghara consisted of several strikes carried out within seconds. The aerial assault...
(JNS) - Hundreds of New Yorkers filled the normally quiet and bucolic Upper East Side street adjacent to Gracie Mansion, the official home of New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani, on Tuesday evening, chanting "Hey, hey, no, no, Mayor Mamdani's got to go" and "stop Mamdani." Lilly Icikson was among the demonstrators-a group of mostly Jews with a few Muslims and Christians-and handed out stickers, which she prints at home and affixes to light poles and other surfaces outside Gracie Mansion and in...
(JNS) — The UJA-Federation of New York said that it purchased 20,000 bags of Bamba in response to the Park Slope Food Coop’s recent decision to boycott Israeli products. The UJA, the largest Federation in the world, which distributes $275 million in grants annually, described the co-op boycott as “divisive and hate-driven.” Food co-op members voted 67 percent to 31percent to boycott Israeli products. Some 8,400 members, out of 17,000, reportedly voted at the meeting, which was moved online due to security concerns. The Federation said...
(JNS) — Members of NGO Monitor, an Israel-based research institute, signed an open letter on Sunday calling for an independent investigation of The New York Times following its publishing of an opinion column alleging Israeli authorities sexually assaulted Palestinian security prisoners. The column, penned by Nicholas Kristof, drew a flurry of criticism worldwide, culminating in the recent United Nation’s decision to place Israel on a list of parties suspected of committing sexual violence in conflict. The members of NGO Monitor’s...
(JNS) — During a visit with Defense Minister Israel Katz to the IDF’s 96th Division along Israel’s eastern border on Wednesday, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu warned that Israel’s enemies are seeking to infiltrate the country. “We take into account that our enemies want to invade the State of Israel, and therefore we rely on you,” Netanyahu told commanders and soldiers stationed in the area. Netanyahu and Katz toured one of the upgraded “water-line outposts” along the Jordan frontier and received briefings from IDF...
By Andrew Bernard (JNS) — Sex therapist Maureen Galindo lost her bid to be the Democratic nominee in the primary runoff on Tuesday for Texas’s 35th Congressional district after she was denounced by leaders of her own party for making incendiary comments about Jews. The Associated Press called the race for Johnny Garcia, a Bexar County sheriff’s deputy, after polls closed. At press time, Garcia had about 62 percent of the vote to Galindo’s 38 percent with 74 percent of votes counted. The race to represent the 35th district, which...
(JNS) — New York lawmakers rolled a proposal for a 50-foot “buffer zone” around Jewish day schools and community centers into the state budget on Tuesday. Sam Sutton, a Democratic state senator who is Jewish, stated that “after the horrific incident outside Park East Synagogue, I became the first legislator to introduce this proposal.” “Today, buffer zone protections were included in the final state budget,” he said. Noam Abrahams, Sutton’s communications director, told JNS that the proposal was included in the budget bill... Full story
Almost half of American Jews under 35 say the Israeli-Palestinian conflict should be solved by creating a single country in Israel, the “West Bank” and Gaza with a government elected by both Israelis and Palestinians, according to a poll conducted by the Jewish Voter Resource Center. The findings signal a generational shift in U.S. support for a binational state in Israel, reflecting a core demand of anti-Zionist protests on college campuses and beyond — even as most major Jewish organizations classify calls for a single state as an...
(JNS) — The Israel Day on Fifth parade in Manhattan on May 31 made a statement both for who was and was not present, according to Ofir Akunis, Israeli consul general in New York. “To all our enemies all around the world, but specifically here in New York City, we are here to stay, we are strong, we are proud and my suggestion to all of these elected officials, who are thinking that we will disappear, the answer is ‘no,’” Akunis told JNS after the parade. “The opposite is the...
(JNS) — The Islamic Republic of Iran is likely to “double-cross” U.S. President Donald Trump in any agreement it reaches with Washington, and he will eventually retaliate, American evangelical leader Mike Evans said on Monday. The remarks by Evans, founder of Jerusalem’s Friends of Zion Museum, come amid high-stakes negotiations aimed at ending the war and addressing Iran’s nuclear ambitions. “If Iran double-crosses Trump and makes a fool out of him—and I believe they will—he will get his revenge and he will finish the job,...
(JNS) — Iranian Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei threatened the United States and Israel, calling on Muslims worldwide to chant for the destruction of the two nations during the upcoming Hajj pilgrimage. “In various parts of Iran and the world, and continuing well beyond these blessed days, ‘Death to America” and ‘Death to Israel’ shall become the common chants of the Islamic ummah [nation],” Khamenei said in a written statement issued on the occasion of the Hajj and published in English by the semi-official ISNA news agency. The...
(JNS) - "Obviously, the first thing you want to do is try to understand what she went through. I still don't know half of it. When she's older, I might be able to ask her." For Tom Hand, father of former Hamas hostage Emily Hand, the questions surrounding his daughter's 50 days in captivity remain largely unanswered. Yet nearly three years after the Oct. 7, 2023, Hamas massacre, he says the 11-year-old has shown remarkable resilience as she rebuilds her life and prepares to return home. On the...
By Gloria Green In response to the Oct. 7, 2023, Hamas attack from Gaza, Israel created a new intelligence task force called NILI — Netzach Yisrael Lo Yeshaker, Hebrew for The Eternal One of Israel Does Not Lie — involving Shin Bet internal security, military intelligence, and Mossad, Israel’s foreign intelligence agency. Its mission was, and continues to be, to track down and kill or capture those responsible for the massacre — from direct attackers to senior planners — while also preventing future attacks. More than a century...
(JNS) — No rabbinic seminary has a future in the United States if it ordains anti-Zionist clergy, Rabbi Ammiel Hirsch, senior rabbi at the Stephen Wise Free Synagogue, a Reform congregation in New York City, said at the third “Re-Charging Reform Judaism” conference. “We have an obligation to discuss what we mean by ‘Zionism,’” the rabbi, who is president of the New York Board of Rabbis, said in a keynote address opening the two-day conference on Wednesday. “We have an interest to establish the biggest possible tent. I am a...
(JNS) - The House Judiciary Committee said that it has uncovered new funding links between the Biden administration and left-wing groups that oppose the Israeli government, as well as groups with ties to terrorist organizations A May 29 committee memorandum, which JNS obtained exclusively, and which was addressed to committee members from the Republican-led committee staff, addresses "new information about the Biden-Harris administration helping to fund protests against the Netanyahu...
(JNS) — Reported anti-Jewish hate crimes in Chicago declined from 79 in 2024 to 47 in 2025, and so far this year, there have been nine recorded in the Windy City, per Chicago Police Department data. In 2023, the year Brandon Johnson became mayor, Chicago had 50 anti-Jewish hate crimes, and the prior year, before Oct. 7, there were 39, according to a city crime dashboard. In 2026 so far, there has been one anti-Muslim hate crime—the same number as in 2025. In 2024 there were six, and in 2023, 16, according to police data. In 2022, there...
(JNS) — “All I wanted was to dance. I went dancing and almost didn’t come home to my son,” Rita Yedid told JNS on Monday. On Oct. 7, 2023, as Hamas terrorists stormed the Supernova music festival near Kibbutz Re’im on the Gaza border, Yedid hid in a ticket-booth caravan with her sister Eden; her husband, Guy; and three other partygoers. Guy was shot and wounded while shielding her from Hamas gunfire. Around 11:30 a.m., a terrorist looked through the caravan window, threatened the group and stole their phones and money. All six were...
I have been watching reports of negotiations between President Trump’s administration and the Islamic Republic of Iran with an anguish that is difficult to put into words. I want to believe that my president understands what he is dealing with. I want to believe that this time will be different. I want to believe that he understands what I know as the truth about the Islamic Republic: that you can never negotiate with them, and they will always lie and do anything to stay in power, and in control of more than 90 million Iranians. I have...
(JNS) — Jewish American Heritage Month was celebrated by New York City’s Mayor Zohran Mamdani at a reception he hosted, with food supervised by Tarnopol Kashrus services, at Gracie Mansion on May 18. There were speeches galore. The mayor took advantage of the event to announce that he will be adding $26 million in funding to prevent hate crimes to his proposed 2027 fiscal year budget. Of course, many believe that if Mamdani had come out more strongly against anti-Jewish groups these past few months, such as those threatening and...
As the United States gears up to celebrate its 250th anniversary, I have watched with growing alarm as the freedoms we cherish have been systematically exploited by those who despise these very freedoms and use them to destroy America and American values. The chief offender of this systematic invasion is the Moslem Brotherhood. The “Brotherhood” motto declares “Allah is our objective; the Koran is our constitution; the Prophet is our leader; Jihad is our way; and dying in the way of Allah is our highest hope.” It has been executing a...
Some readers may remember that U.S. Marine Lt. Col. Oliver North testified at televised congressional hearings on the Iran-Contra scandal in 1987. At one point, Sen. Daniel Inouye (D-Hawaii) suggested that North speak for himself, admonishing his lawyer, Brendan Sullivan, for constantly objecting to questions posed to the colonel. “Well, sir,” Sullivan responded, “I’m not a potted plant. I’m here as the lawyer. That’s my job.” The line has endured because it captures something fundamental: People in positions of power are not...
Rooted in the Hebrew word "Chaim," meaning "life," the Chaim Society is dedicated to supporting healthcare professionals while fostering connection, compassion, and service both locally and abroad. The Chaim Society continues to grow as a vibrant network connecting Jewish healthcare professionals throughout Central Florida. Founded by Dr. Daniel Layish and Dr. Solomon "Shlomo" Saul in early 2025, the organization has evolved from a simple WhatsApp group into a thriving professional and...
Would I observe Shabbat? That was the first major test of my faith, some four decades ago, soon after I had joined the ranks of the baalei teshuvah, newcomers to an Orthodox lifestyle. Thor Heyerdahl, the famed Norwegian explorer and writer, who had been my favorite author since while high school I had read his best-selling “Kon-Tiki” seafaring memoir, was coming to town. For the first time in my life. I could finally see, and maybe meet, the man I so admired. Heyerdahl was to speak at the local Museum of Science. On a Friday. When Yom...
Submitted by the Jewish Pavilion Senior Services A cancer diagnosis can turn life upside down in an instant. One moment, everything feels routine. Next, you’re sitting in a doctor’s office trying to absorb life-changing news and wondering what happens next. For spouses and family members, those first few weeks of caregiving can feel overwhelming — filled with uncertainty, emotion, and more questions than answers. At the Orlando Senior Help Desk, a program of Jewish Pavilion Senior Services, we often hear from caregivers navigating this...
Chicken with Thick Breading For moist chicken, marinate 1 1/2-2 lbs. chicken breasts for six hours or overnight in 1/3 cup olive oil, 2 T. soy sauce, 2 T. lemon juice, 2 T. balsamic vinegar, and 1/4 tsp. brown sugar. Mix 1 cup flour with 1 tsp. salt, 1/2 tsp. pepper, 1/4 tsp. paprika and 1/2 tsp. granulated garlic in a bowl. Mix in two tablespoons of vegetable or chicken stock to make a moist, lumpy mix. Slightly beat two eggs in another shallow dish. Pound chicken breast between two sections...
Part Two of a Six-Part series On May 15, as has been done for decades, Palestinian Arabs, their supporters and Israel detractors observed the “Nakba” or the catastrophe of Israel’s birth in 1948. In order to understand the veracity of that narrative and how it’s been conflated in modern dialogue and reporting, it’s important to understand what lies behind that. A core element of the Nakba narrative is the notion that there was an independent entity known as “Palestine,” that was occupied, and a “Palestinian” people that were...
Burton Lawrence Lieberman, affectionately known to his grandchildren as "Puppy," passed away peacefully on May 15, 2026, at the age of 100 years and 3 months. Born in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, in 1926, Burton was preceded in death by his parents, Manny and Dina (Rogow) Lieberman; his beloved wife, Barbara (Bluestone) Lieberman, who passed away in 2003; and his sisters, Greta Katz and Marilyn Schwartz. Burton proudly served in the United States Navy during World War II in both the Atlantic and... Full story
MORNING MINYANS Chabad of Altamonte Springs — Sunday morning minyan, 8 a.m. Weekday morning minyan 6:30 a.m., 407-720-8111. Chabad of South Orlando — Monday - Friday, 8 a.m. and 10 minutes before sunset; Saturday, 9:30 a.m.; Sunday, 8:15 a.m., 407-354-3660. Congregation Ahavas Yisrael — Monday - Friday, 7:30 a.m.; Saturday, 9:30 a.m.; Sunday, 9 a.m., 407-644-2500. Congregation Chabad Lubavitch of Greater Daytona — Monday, 8 a.m.; Thursday, 8 a.m., 904-672-9300. Congregation Ohev Shalom — Sunday, 9 a.m., 407-298-4650. GOBOR Community...
