Week of October 16, 2026
Week of October 16, 2026
TikTok removes 45,000 election-related videos, citing Iran-linked influence network (JNS) — TikTok on Tuesday said it removed more than 45,000 videos that violated its election-integrity policies between June and September 2026, as well as 1,431 accounts impersonating Israeli candidates and elected officials ahead of the Oct. 27 Knesset election. The social media company also said it dismantled a five-account network in June that it assessed was operated from Iran and targeted audiences in Israel and the United States using fictitious...
If civilization jihad has a map inside the United States, Jim Hanson pointed to ground zero in local government, and the Islamist infiltration of American elections in general. Dearborn and Hamtramck, Michigan, he said, function as Moslem enclaves whose city halls are run overwhelmingly by Islamists even when the population is not uniformly Moslem. The “suburbs” of these Islamist strongholds include Paterson, New Jersey, Minnesota with Ilhan Omar, and of course New York City with an Islamist mayor. Virginia also has an Islamist lieutenant...
(JNS) — The United States on Wednesday urged Americans in Saudi Arabia to exercise heightened vigilance following Houthi threats against airports and airspace across the kingdom. The U.S. Mission to Saudi Arabia warned that the military conflict could escalate, leading to flight cancellations, airspace closures and other travel disruptions. Americans were advised to check their flight status directly with airlines and...
(JNS) — In an interview that aired on Wednesday, Errol Louis of Spectrum News NY1 asked Zohran Mamdani, mayor of New York City, about the lessons of the day. “This is going to air on Oct. 7, the anniversary of the worst massacre of Jews since the Second World War,” Louis said. “What do you think are the lessons from that day?” “I think when we’re talking about the third anniversary of Oct. 7, we’re talking about the third anniversary of a horrific war crime, where Hamas killed more than 1,000 people, kidnapped hundreds...
(JNS) — U.S. Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee early on Thursday sharply criticized New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani over the mayor’s statement marking the third anniversary of the Oct. 7, 2023, terrorist attacks, accusing him of sending “loves & kisses to Hamas.” Writing on X, Huckabee mocked the mayor as “Jihad Mandami” and “Mayor Mayhem,” contrasting Mamdani’s message with that of U.S. President Donald Trump. The president marked the anniversary on Wednesday by honoring victims and taking credit for securing the...
(JNS) — Jewish New Yorkers were the targets of 245 of 463 confirmed hate crimes in New York City in the first nine months of 2026, or 53 percent, according to official city statistics released on Tuesday. That represented a 1.2 percent increase over the 242 anti-Jewish confirmed hate crimes in 2025 in that span, according to the New York City Police Department. The NYPD has said that Jews represent about 10 percent of New Yorkers, meaning that Jewish New Yorkers are about 10 times likelier to be targets of hate crimes in the Big Apple than...
(JNS) - Last week's Ambassador Summit brought together 1,200 Christian pastors and leaders from 123 countries to counter antisemitism and "the big lie" that the Jewish people are isolated, Friends of Zion founder Mike Evans told JNS on Friday. "We brought every nationality, and they all came out to say, 'We're with you. You're not alone,'" said Evans, speaking to JNS at ancient Shiloh in Samaria. His organization has mobilized to fight ideological battles and counter anti-Israel narratives in...
Congregation of Reform Judaism has welcomed Audrey Hochstetter as their rabbinic intern from October through Feb. 28, 2027. Hochstetter, a fourth-year rabbinical student at Hebrew Union College and a CRJ congregant of more than 20 years, chose CRJ as the congregation where she is completing her Clinical Pastoral Education training. Hochstetter was born in Miami and discovered her calling to the rabbinate at age five, inspired by her synagogue, Bet Breira. She moved to Orlando to attend the...
(JNS) — A federal judge denied an emergency request from the Council on American-Islamic Relations and its Florida chapter on Tuesday to block being designated as domestic terrorist organizations under Florida law. Mark Walker, a judge on the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Florida, ruled on Oct. 6 that the designations do not take effect until Nov. 5, allowing time to hear the state’s arguments before deciding whether to intervene. Walker scheduled an Oct. 8 conference to arrange further proceedings. CAIR and...
There is something special about gathering together in the fall. The weather begins to change, the holidays are behind us, and there is a wonderful opportunity to pause, reconnect with friends and make new connections. That spirit was very much alive at the Jewish Pavilion Senior Services Fall Networking Festival, held Tuesday, Oct. 6, at Watercrest Winter Park. Over 100 people from the Central Florida healthcare and senior-care community gathered for an afternoon filled with food, drinks, jazz...
(JNS) — The British Consulate General in Jerusalem ended its operations, and the consul general and 20 diplomats will leave Israel, Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar said on Thursday. “Accordingly, the sign of the British Consulate in Jerusalem has been removed,” the Jewish state’s top diplomat wrote in a post on X. “The consul general and 20 diplomats (including the consul general) are ending their assignments and will leave Israel,” according to Sa’ar. He had given the British government until Thursday to close the mission...
(JNS) — Israeli Ambassador to the United States Yechiel Leiter said on Wednesday that his son Neriyah, who was critically wounded in a Palestinian car-ramming attack on Route 443 on Sept. 24, has begun breathing on his own but remains unconscious. “Neriyah sustained very serious head injuries. Until this morning, actually, he was on a ventilator. They’re slowly removing the sedation and the ventilation. He’s beginning to breathe on his own,” Leiter said in a video message for a Friends of Zion memorial event in Jerusalem marking the...
(JNS) - Yechiel Leiter, Israeli ambassador to the United States, was so put off by the statement that New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani released on the third anniversary of Oct. 7 that the envoy decried it from the hospital in Israel, where he is at the bedside of his son, who is on life support after a Palestinian terrorist hit him with a car. "It's actually hard to find a sentence in Mamdani's post that isn't a lie," Leiter stated. "Paying lip service to the victims of Oct. 7 just to spread...
Jewish Family Services has launched a new full-service program, Kesher Senior Services, for all Jewish seniors over 60 who live in Orange or Seminole counties. The program is supported by a grant from the S’firot Foundation. A Kesher life-care professional case manager can help senior citizens with insurance questions, in-home health care, doctor’s appointments, Medicare/Medicaid assistance, technology assistance; transportation; and help navigating the system. These services are free and available by calling 407-644-7593, ext. 301. Even...
(JNS) - Before I crossed the threshold of the first house, the smell of burnt wood and human flesh had already begun to unsettle whatever confidence I had that I was prepared for what I would see. Above us came the constant hum of drones and the roar of jets, occasionally broken by the deep boom of bombs falling somewhere in Gaza. I had arrived in Israel in the days after Oct. 7, 2023, but this was not yet a place of remembrance. It was still an active combat zone. It was my first time...
(JNS) — Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu reiterated on Wednesday that he received no advance warning of the Hamas-led Oct. 7, 2023, attack, saying that security chiefs had repeatedly assessed the terrorist organization as deterred in the months and days before the assault. In a Likud statement posted to his X account on Wednesday, Netanyahu said he was first informed of the attack at 6:29 a.m. that morning. The statement alleged that officials who saw warning signs overnight did not alert him, police, local security teams,...
The White Rose Tribute Event, now in its 38th year, is a cornerstone of the Holocaust Memorial Resource and Education Center of Florida's mission to build a just and caring community free from antisemitism, prejudice, and bigotry. This annual event celebrates visionary leaders whose actions and commitments reflect the principles of inclusivity, respect, and moral courage exemplified by the White Rose resistance group-a student-led movement that opposed Nazi tyranny during World War II. This...
Jewish Chamber of Commerce Networking Breakfast will be held on Oct. 20 at 8:30 a.m. this event is hosted by Shalom Orlando. The cost is $5 for members and $10 for nonmembers. Please RSVP and location to...
(JNS) — As hundreds of wounded poured into Soroka Medical Center in Beersheva on Oct. 7, 2023, doctors, nurses and other medical personnel fought to save lives as the Hamas massacre unfolded across southern Israel. Now, previously unreleased security-camera footage from inside the Clalit health fund hospital provides a stark view of what those teams faced during the first hours of the war. The footage is featured in “The Shift” (“HaMishmeret”), a new documentary aired as a special episode of state broadcaster Kan 11’s...
Gather with the Holocaust Memorial Resource & Education Center at The Roth Family JCC on Sunday, Nov. 8, 3 p.m., to observe Kristallnacht (the “Night of Broken Glass”), also known as the November Pogrom, marking the escalation of terror against Jews in the Third Reich. The event will feature a special performance by internationally acclaimed violinist, educator, and recording artist Ilana Zaks-Nederlander. A former first violinist with the Seattle Symphony and Seattle Opera, Ilana combines music, storytelling, and history to create...
UCF Hillel at the University of Central Florida memorialized Oct. 7 by baking 40 challahs in memory of the 1200 victims. The challahs were donated to Jewish Pavilion Senior Services to distribute for Shabbat. The supplies for the challah bake were generously funded by Stand With Israel, making the project even more meaningful. Michelle Silver coordinated the event and delivered challahs to the Pavilion. Each challah was accompanied by a special note made by Michelle’s mother, remembering the...
(JNS) — In summer 2025, I worked for a Palestinian Christian-run reconciliation organization and lived in Beit Sahour, a town near Bethlehem. While there, I met Palestinian scientist Mazin Qumsiyeh, who was nominated for the 2025 Nobel Peace Prize. I asked him: “How long has your family lived here [in Beit Sahour]?” He replied that his family had resided there for “thousands of years.” I was initially skeptical but didn’t investigate further. Later, I found that Beit Sahour’s records date his family’s arrival in the town to...
(JNS) — Brazil’s presidential runoff on Oct. 25 will decide whether it joins Latin America’s turn toward Israel. In last Sunday’s first round, Sen. Flávio Bolsonaro took 47.03 percent to President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva’s 45.16 percent. Flávio Bolsonaro has pledged to move Brazil’s embassy to Jerusalem within six months of taking office and to join the Isaac Accords. In contrast, Lula recalled Brazil’s ambassador to Israel in 2024, compared Israeli operations in Gaza to the Holocaust and joined the case against Israel at...
(JNS) — When the Hamas terrorists broke through the fence to enter Israel on Oct. 7, 2023, the strategic message they were meant to carry out was clear. Then-Hamas senior leader Yahya Sinwar had set out the plan in his own handwriting. The message was: Go and destroy the Jews. In doing so, you will not win the war, but you will win history. You will destroy Israel; the Islamic umma, dar al-salam, will devour dar al-harb. And this first conquest will precede the destruction of Jewish history and, with it, the entire Judeo-Christian...
I perused. The book was too slow for my liking. I was in a hurry. Most of us have a streak of overconfidence, “Oh, I can grasp the essence of this thing because I am smart and I will get through it fast, two birds with one stone.” But then I found myself missing story. Reluctantly I had to go back to the very beginning to absorb every expression without concern about saving time. Good writing requires good reading. A few years ago, actually in 2010, someone sent me a book newly released. It was “The Invisible Bridge” by Julie...
(JNS) — Adi Zakuto, 27, and Liad Zakuto, 21, have accomplished a lot since terrorists murdered their father, Avi Zakuto, in Ofakim on Oct. 7, 2023. But the pain and the difficulties that have come with losing a parent that day never go away, the siblings told JNS. “We try during our life to move on,” Adi said. “We try to be okay, and we try to continue our life and be happy for ourselves and also for our father.” The third anniversary of Oct. 7 is a hard day for the siblings. “It’s important to us to get a chance to also feel...
(JNS) - It was while studying at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem that Turku Avci's world turned upside down exactly three years ago, following the Oct. 7, 2023, Hamas-led attack on southern Israel. The 28-year-old Turkish Muslim undergraduate, who had been living an international student's dream life in Jerusalem for two years after growing up in a secular, left-wing family in a Mediterranean resort town along the Turkish Riviera, was shocked to see social media reports the day after the...
JACKSONVILLE, Fla, — For 80 years, the Cohen family safeguarded an extraordinary legacy: 13 handcrafted puppets created by their parents while hiding from the Nazis during the Holocaust. Now, their remarkable story of courage, creativity, and hope will be brought to life in the new documentary “Hope in Hiding,” currently in early production by Searching For Identity Films. The original puppets, which survived decades in storage, have been entrusted to the University of Florida’s Isser and Rae Price Library of Judaica, where they will...
(JNS) — Xbox and Nintendo video games may soon be used to teach children in Gaza about the Holocaust, David Hasan, founder and president of Gaza Children Village, said at an NGO Monitor-hosted panel on Thursday. “We have games that we’re going to take for after school, and for Xbox, Nintendo, and the kids will play on it,” Hasan, who is of Palestinian descent, said during a question-and-answer portion of the discussion, which Valop Group co-hosted with NGO Monitor. “The whole theme of it is, again, collaboration, empathy and, for...
I hope everyone had a wonderful Sukkot and an enriching Simchat Torah. Overheard at services: Why should you question the story about Noah's Ark? They say he took two of each animal. Everyone knew about it: The World's First Couples' Cruise! What our readers are reading: In the novel "Murray Isn't Going Out," Murray Tepper has a great parking spot available to no one else. Why? Because he's always sitting in it. That makes curious and frustrated onlookers subscribe to the philosophy of "if you...
(JNS) — On the third anniversary of the Oct. 7, 2023, Hamas-led attack—the deadliest against Jews since the Holocaust—Diaspora organizations in North America and Europe say they are working to ensure that the Jewish future is shaped by identity and unity rather than fear. Communal leaders described to JNS a long-term challenge that extends beyond protecting Jewish institutions: sustaining visible Jewish life, strengthening ties with Israel and empowering the next generation to lead. “External pressure tests us. Jewish renewal will...
Submitted by Jewish Pavilion Senior Services Caring for a loved one, especially when managing the challenges of chronic illness, can be physically and emotionally draining. Here are some ways to infuse joy into your caregiving journey: • Keep a Joyful Journal: Document uplifting moments, funny memories, or inspiring quotes to remind yourself of the joy in your life. • Create a Joyful Mantra: Post a positive mantra somewhere visible to boost your spirits daily. • Celebrate: Treat yourself occasionally with flowers, a spa day, or a fun...
Apple Fritters Fall is apple season. Honey crisp and Fiji apples keep their shape after cooking. Cooking them before frying the fritters will enhance the flavor. These fritters make a special treat for breakfast. 3 honey crisp or Fiji apples, 1 1/2 lbs. peeled cored and cut in 1/2 pieces, about 3 cups 1/4 cup plus 2 T. packed brown sugar 4T. butter 1/2 tsp. nutmeg 1 1/2 tsp. salt 1 tsp. cinnamon 2-3 cups vegetable oil for frying (If you have a wok, you can fry in less oil.) 2 large eggs 1/2 cup plus 2 T. whole milk ricotta or small curd...
On Friday, Sept. 18, 2026, our family lost, a father, a grandfather, and our family’s hero. Born July 15, 1940, in Queens, New York to the late Abraham and Rose (Wolkenfeld) Black of blessed memory, he grew up in an era of uncertainty — never losing the quality to love thy neighbor and treat others as you want to be treated. Lt. Colonel Black served in the United States Army as an Army Ranger for 30 years and retired from service as a Lieutenant Colonel of the 75th regiment. A graduate of Columbia University with both his undergraduate...
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...
