| Letters |
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Upholding School Admission Standards I would like to take a moment to express my thoughts regarding yesterday’s letter on school admissions. I deeply empathize with parents facing the difficult reality of having their child rejected from a school. Having personally experienced this with one of my own children, I understand the pain and frustration that come with it. In our case, the rejection was not due to academic or behavioral concerns but rather for reasons beyond our control—specifically, financial status. It was an incredibly difficult period for my wife and me, and I fully relate to the distress that parents in similar situations feel. However, I would also like to share an incident that highlights why schools have the full right to uphold their admission policies. At a recent simcha, I sat near a yingerman who was openly discussing his struggles in getting his child accepted into a Moised. He had faced multiple rejections and, of course, placed the blame on the Moised. However, as I observed him, it became clear that his lifestyle choices were not in line with the school’s values—he used an unfiltered smartphone, dressed in a way that did not reflect the school’s standards, and maintained an open-minded household that significantly differed from the school’s educational approach. As the conversation progressed, his friend gently asked whether he would consider making certain changes—such as filtering his smartphone—to align more closely with the school’s values. His response shocked me: he firmly refused, insisting that Moisdes should accept his child regardless of his personal choices. Hearing this made me realize that, in such cases, schools are entirely justified in their decision to reject an applicant. Moisdes have the responsibility to maintain their educational and moral standards, and they should not be expected to compromise their values. They must ensure an environment that aligns with their principles, not only for themselves but also for the families who entrust their children to them. If a parent openly disregards the school’s fundamental expectations, it is understandable that the administration may hesitate to accept their child. Moreover, other parents may feel uncomfortable sending their children to a school that lowers its standards and may even restrict their children from interacting with families whose values significantly differ from the school’s. I firmly believe that if parents want their children to be accepted into a particular school, they should, at the very least, respect and uphold its rules and values. Name Withheld |
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| Community News |
| Boro Park Bochur Returns Bag with Over $100,000 in Diamonds and Cash Left in Uber, Making a Kiddush Hashem |
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In a profound display of honesty, a yeshiva bochur from Boro Park returning home from Eretz Yisroel for Pesach Bein Hazmanim made an extraordinary Kiddush Hashem by returning a bag containing valuables worth over $100,000 that had been mistakenly left in his Uber. After landing at Newark Airport following an overseas flight, the bochur was handed a backpack by the Uber driver while retrieving his own luggage. Assuming it belonged to a fellow passenger, he took it along without a second thought. However, upon realizing that none of his companions claimed ownership, he opened the bag to investigate. To his astonishment, inside was a collection of high-value items, including Rolex watches, loose diamonds, cash, and a custom diamond-encrusted pendant—altogether worth well over $100,000. Faced with an enormous test of integrity, the bochur did not hesitate. Determined to return the belongings, he searched for clues and eventually found a phone number linked to a man working in New York City’s Diamond District. When he reached out, the owner—a Spanish-speaking individual—was overcome with relief and gratitude. Though preferring to stay out of the public eye, he expressed deep appreciation for the young man’s honesty. This incident serves as a powerful reminder of the values instilled in yeshiva students and the everyday opportunities for Kiddush Hashem that arise—even in the most unexpected circumstances. |
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| British News |
| Heathrow substation fire not suspicious, police say |
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There is no evidence to suggest the substation fire that shut down Heathrow airport was suspicious, police say. The fire, which broke out in Hayes on Friday, resulted in the closure of Britain’s busiest airport for a day. Counter-terrorism officers were briefly drafted in to investigate. However, the Metropolitan Police said on Tuesday that the incident was no longer being treated as a “potentially criminal matter”. Officers continue to support the London Fire Brigade, the National Grid and “other partners” to investigate the cause of the blaze. Police say they will consider “any relevant new information or evidence” should any come to light. While investigations into the cause of the blaze are ongoing, it has been reported the fire started in a transformer within the substation in Hayes around midnight. |
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| World News |
| Outrage after White House accidentally texts journalist war plans: ‘Huge screw-up’ |
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A catastrophic security leak is triggering bipartisan outrage after the Atlantic revealed that senior Trump administration officials accidentally broadcast highly sensitive military plans through a Signal group chat with a journalist reading along. On the Senate floor on Monday, the minority leader, Chuck Schumer, called it “one of the most stunning breaches of military intelligence I have read about in a very, very long time” and urged Republicans to seek a “full investigation into how this happened, the damage it created and how we can avoid it in the future”. “Every single one of the government officials on this text chain have now committed a crime – even if accidentally,” the Delaware senator Chris Coons wrote on Twitter/X. “We can’t trust anyone in this dangerous administration to keep Americans safe.” The New York representative Pat Ryan called the incident “Fubar” (an acronym for “fucked up beyond all recognition”) and threatened to launch his own congressional investigation “IMMEDIATELY” if House Republicans fail to act. |
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| Dozens in Khan Younis call for Hamas’s downfall, as protests appear to spread |
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Dozens of residents in west Khan Younis rally and chant “Hamas out,” the third incident of that kind in hours in the Gaza Strip. In the last few hours, there have been demonstrations in the Beit Lahiya and Jabalia refugee camps in northern Gaza against Hamas and the ongoing war. |
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| Israel News |
| Israeli officials say no decision made on military rule in Gaza |
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Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar said on Monday that Israel had not yet come to a decision on whether it would impose military governance in Gaza. “It has not yet been decided by our cabinet,” Sa’ar said during a Jerusalem press conference, responding to a question from The Times of Israel. Another Israeli official told The Times of Israel later Monday that the government had not yet decided on what it will do “on the civilian side” in Gaza, including on the question of instituting military rule. Jerusalem has until now avoided pushing for military rule of the Strip, but with a new IDF chief of staff and defense minister — not to mention a new president in the White House — Israel’s thinking appears to have changed, The Washington Post reported, citing current and former Israeli officials, as well as others briefed on the developments. During a visit to Washington, DC, this week, Strategic Affairs Minister Ron Dermer will discuss with senior US officials a plan for Israeli military control over Gaza, an Israeli official told The Times of Israel on Sunday. Last September, Netanyahu asked the IDF to examine the possibility of taking over aid distribution, to prevent Hamas from pilfering supplies, but both then-defense minister Yoav Gallant and then-IDF chief of staff Herzl Halevi opposed the idea. However, by February, Israeli officials were telling international aid agencies of plans for humanitarian resources to be screened in “logistic hubs” set up by Israel, some agency officials told the US newspaper. Standing alongside European Union foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas at a Monday press conference, Sa’ar said that when Israel once again allows aid into Gaza, “it will be done in a different way than it happened during the first 17 months of this war. “I will not elaborate how, but in a way that will not empower Hamas, will not give [it] the opportunity to use it as a financial agent, and the financial engine that is helping [its] military efforts,” said Sa’ar. Israel accuses Hamas of stealing aid intended for Gazan civilians. |
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| IDF says troops attacked in southern Syria, returned fire; local officials say 5 dead |
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Israeli troops operating in southern Syria came under fire Tuesday from a group of gunmen, the Israel Defense Forces said, while local media reported that several Syrians had been killed in the exchange of fire. Israeli soldiers were unharmed. The military said that at least seven gunmen opened fire on Israeli forces operating in southern Syria, close to the border. The IDF said the troops returned fire, including with tank shelling, and an Israeli Air Force drone carried out an airstrike against the gunmen. The military was investigating which armed group they belonged to, if any. Syrian officials reported that at least five people were killed in the incident that took place near the village of Kuwaya in the Daraa Governorate in south Syria, not far from the Israeli border. There were also reports of ground forces operating in the area. |
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