Trial Of Malka Leifer Opens In Australia

 

The trial of Malka Leifer, a former chareidi girls’ school principal accused of abusing her students in Melbourne, commenced Tuesday, two years after she was extradited to Australia from Israel, where she fled in order to evade prosecution 15 years ago.

A court in Israel initially declared her unfit to stand trial but after a long period in which she lived an apparently normal life in the town of Emmanuel, she was rearrested after media and police scrutiny of her behavior and, after numerous delays and court cases regarding her mental state, extradited in January 2021.

Since then, several preliminary hearings have been held and a Melbourne court deemed Leifer fit to stand trial. She is charged with 70 sexual offenses with accusations from at least eight alleged victims, and has remained jailed without bond for the past two years.

The initial session Tuesday focused on jury selection, with some 80 potential jurors being presented to both sides. The list was then whittled down to 15 permanent members.

The case is being heard before Victoria County Court Judge Mark Gamble and is expected to last roughly six weeks.

On Wednesday the opening statements will be made and on Thursday the first complainants, sisters Dassi Erlich, Nicole Meyer and Elly Sapper, will be in the witness box.

“I’m relieved and delighted that this day has finally arrived and we look forward to some semblance of justice being served,” said Manny Waks, head of Voice Against Child Sexual Abuse, an Israeli-based organization fighting child abuse in the Jewish community.

“We stand in support of all those impacted by this trial,” he said.

The Leifer affair strained ties between Israel and Australia, with frustration peaking after it was revealed that Israel’s deputy health minister, Yaakov Litzman, was questioned by police on suspicion that he had been using his position to prevent Leifer’s extradition.

It was alleged that Litzman pressured doctors to falsify psychiatric evaluations that deemed Leifer unfit to stand trial, thereby preventing her extradition. Litzman claimed that everything he did was legal, and that he was acting “for the good of the public”. Like Leifer, Litzman is a Gur Hassid; it was revealed that Leifer had previously held a position at a school run by Gur in Israel

In April 2021, Israeli police recommended prosecution of Litzman for his actions to protect Leifer. In June 2022, Litzman resigned from the Knesset after he signed a plea agreement admitting breach of trust in January that year.

Yeshaya Diveroli Instigates A Goy In Miami Dunkin Donuts and Gets him Fired

 

Anti semitism and jew hatred is alive and well in America today, this happened to me in broad daylight today at Dunkin doughnuts in Miami Beach Florida pic.twitter.com/eN0t6WMy5X

— Yeshaya Diveroli (@DiveroliYeshaya) February 2, 2023

This "farikta" Meshiginar that calls himself Yeshaya should be ashamed of himself, instead of offering him some kind words he keeps instigating him. What a huge Chillul Hashem!

 An employee of Dunkin Donuts in Miami Has been fired, after he was caught on camera hurling anti-Semitic insults against a Jewish customer.

Yeshaya Diveroli said he’s a regular at the shop on Alton Road but said on Feb. 1 an employee verbally attacked him because he’s Jewish.

In cellphone video shot by Diveroli the employee can be heard hurling a religious slur at him and repeatedly yelling profanities.

In a statement Tuesday, to NBC 6 Miami, Dunkin’ said the worker had been fired.

“We have zero-tolerance for any type of discrimination, and the language used by the former employee is unacceptable and not reflective of our brand,” the statement read. “The franchised employee was terminated.”

Making History Again, Rachel Freier Ascends To State Supreme Court Bench

Judge Rachel Freier, the first Hasidic individual to be elected a Civil Court judge in New York, has made history once again, this time by being appointed New York’s first Hasidic Acting New York State Supreme Court justice.

Freier had previously thrown her hat in the ring this past summer in the hopes of being nominated as a candidate to fill one of ten open seats in Kings County Supreme Court.

While a judicial screening committee gave Freier’s candidacy their stamp of approval, Brooklyn district leaders chose not to include her on their list of nominees whose names ultimately appeared on the Democratic ballot for last November’s general elections.

Understanding that there are also opportunities for Civil Court judges to be appointed as Acting State Supreme Court justices on a merit basis when a determination is made that additional judges are needed at that level, Freier submitted her resume to the Supreme Court supervisor to be considered for one of those additional positions.

She underwent an interview, and was told that decisions would be made before the end of the year by the chief administrative judge in consultation with the deputy chief administrative judge for New York City, without actually expecting to be chosen.

“But then lo and behold, as I was preparing my Shabbos candles on December 30th, I got a phone call from someone saying ‘Mazel tov, you’ve been appointed,’”  “It was ten minutes before Shabbos and I checked my email and saw that it had really happened.”

Freier began her work as an Acting Supreme Court Judge on January 3rd. She has the ability to remain in that position at her supervisor’s discretion for the remaining four years of her term as a Civil Court judge, or can choose to run in the August primary in the hopes that she will make it onto the November ballot and be elected a Supreme Court justice, a position that comes with a 14 year term.

Becoming New York’s first Hasidic Supreme Court justice has been a surreal experience for Freier who is grateful to her supervisor for giving her the opportunity to sit on the Brooklyn Supreme Court bench.

“Trailblazing comes in many shapes and forms,” said state court spokesperson Lucian Chalfen. “Justice Rachel Freier clearly has been a trailblazer throughout her life and career and the Judiciary is fortunate to have someone with her knowledge, awareness and compassion represent it to the people of New York State.”

Netanyahu Caves Under Pressure from Biden and Agrees to 'pause' settlement construction, demolition of illegal Arab homes

 

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has agreed to a Biden administration request that Israel dramatically reduce construction in Jewish towns in Judea and Samaria, and the demolition of illegal Arab buildings, Axios reported Tuesday afternoon.

According to the report, which cited both US and Israeli officials, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken made the request while meeting with Netanyahu during his Middle East visit last week.

The request is part of a broader plan by the Biden White House to deescalate tensions between Israel and the Palestinian Authority.

Under the plan pushed by Blinken, Israel will “pause” construction in Israeli towns in Judea and Samaria, as well as the demolition of illegal Arab buildings in Judea, Samaria, and Jerusalem.

Blinken made the request as National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir launched his building code enforcement program, demolishing illegal Arab homes with pending eviction orders in eastern Jerusalem.

On Monday, Netanyahu intervened to delay the demolition of an illegal building in the Qadi Qadum neighborhood of eastern Jerusalem which houses about 100 people.

The home had been slated for demolition Tuesday.

In exchange, Blinken has pressed Palestinian Authority chairman Mahmoud Abbas to shelve planned resolutions targeting Israel in the United Nations.

The Netanyahu government reportedly said Israel is willing to significantly reduce settlement construction and demolitions of illegal Arab buildings, but said neither will be halted completely.

Officials from the Palestinian Authority were quoted as saying that Ramallah is prepared to accept the “pause” if Israel agrees to the American request.

After Blinken’s meetings with Netanyahu and Abbas, US Assistant Secretary of State of Near East Affairs, Barbara Leaf, met with Tzachi HaNegbi, Netanyahu’s national security adviser, and Abbas’ adviser Hussein al-Sheikh, to iron out the details of the Secretary of State’s plan.

The Biden White House is still in talks with both Israel and the PA regarding the “pause,” officials cited by the report said.

Russia asks Israel to send aid to Syria after devastating earthquake

 

Israel has received a request to provide Syria with humanitarian aid, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu revealed Monday afternoon, after a massive earthquake devastated southern Turkey and northwestern Syria.

The request reportedly was made by Russia on Syria’s behalf.

In a statement released Monday afternoon, the Israeli premier said that Israel will be sending rescue workers and emergency medical responders to Turkey to offer assistance in areas hit by the earthquake.

“There has been a very severe earthquake in Turkey – which was also felt in other areas – in the past day. In accordance with the request of the Turkish government, I have directed the dispatch of search and rescue, and medical teams.”

“This is what we do around the world and this is what we do in areas close to us.”

The prime minister briefly mentioned that Israel has also been asked to assist in Syria, and noted that Israel will comply with the request.

“Since a request was also received to do this – for the many who were injured in the earthquake in Syria, I have instructed that this be done as well.”

According to a report by Channel 13, the request for Israeli aid to Syria was delivered via Moscow.

Prime Minister Netanyahu later confirmed that he had been asked “by a diplomatic official” to extend Israeli aid to Syria.

“I received a request from a diplomatic official to assist Syria, and I approved it.”

The earthquake, which struck at 3:17 a.m. in the Kahramanmaras province near the Syrian border, measured 7.8 on the Richter scale and was felt as far away as Romania, devastating towns on both sides of the border.

Dozens of powerful aftershocks were recorded Monday, including one which measured 7.5 on the Richter scale.

Over 1,800 fatalities have been reported thus far, including 1,121 in Turkey and at least 783 in Syria.

Thousands more have been injured, with hundreds more believed to be buried under buildings toppled by the quake.

“Because the debris removal efforts are continuing in many buildings in the earthquake zone, we do not know how high the number of dead and injured will rise,” Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said, according to The Associated Press. “Hopefully, we will leave these disastrous days behind us in unity and solidarity as a country and a nation.”

Ultimatum: Zelensky Threatens Israel.. Wants Over Half- Billion Dollars and Condemnation of Russia

 

Ukraine threatens to cancel diplomatic meeting with Zelensky unless Jerusalem forks over a half-billion dollars to Kyiv and issues formal condemnation of Russia.

By Lauren Marcus, World Israel News

Ahead of a long-awaited visit by Israel’s Foreign Minister Eli Cohen to Kyiv, Ukrainian officials have reportedly prepared a list of demands for Jerusalem, including a $500 million loan and that Israel publicly condemn Russia.

A Ukrainian official told Hebrew-language outlet Walla News that if Jerusalem refuses Ukraine’s demands, Cohen will not be allowed to meet with President Volodomyr Zelensky.

Ari & Zahava Oberlander Die in Fatal Boca Crash

 

 A Jewish couple from Valley Stream, New York died last week, victims of a devastating crash in West Boca Raton that flipped their car multiple times, sending it rolling across a busy intersection.

82 year old Arie Oberlender and his wife, 79 year old Zahava Oberlander, both died on February 1st after their Nissan Rogue was slammed by a Jeep Grand Cherokee as it drove through the intersection of U.S. 441 and Kimberly Boulevard.

According to NBC 5 (bit.ly/3wWhEuz), the Rogue was headed west on Kimberly at approximately 10:30 AM when the southbound 2016 Jeep ran the red light on U.S. 441 and slammed into the Rogue’s passenger side with enough force to send both cars careening out of control.

The Oberlenders, who have a home in the Boca Raton area, were both pronounced dead before being extricated from the wreckage. An unidentified passenger in their car was removed from the car by Palm Beach County Fire Rescue and taken to Delray Medical Center with life-threatening injuries.

The driver of the Jeep, 35 year old Boca Raton resident Jamie Josue Gomez Escobedo, was also taken to a nearby hospital. The Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office accident report did not list any injuries for Escobedo but did indicate that drugs and/or alcohol played a role in the accident.

Police closed the roadway for five hours as they conducted their investigation.

No charges have been filed yet against Escobedo, but vehicular homicide investigations often take several months, or as long as a year, in Palm Beach County.

The real reason Biden waited so long to shoot down the Chinese spy balloon

 

The Chinese spy balloon fiasco is a microcosm of everything that is wrong with the Biden administration.

First, President Biden sat around and did nothing while a Chinese balloon casually traversed thousands of miles in the U.S., likely collecting sensitive nuclear and military secrets.

Then to Biden’s dismay, a civilian spotted the balloon and alerted the media, at which point the Pentagon insisted that they could not shoot it down, lest they endanger civilians, but they assured us they neutralized the balloon’s spying capability, with no explanation of how that’s even possible.

They acted as though the experts suggesting to shoot it down knew nothing about spies, balloons, or the military in general.

When that claim was debunked by even more experts, they shot the thing down, and the same people who acted like we were crazy suddenly praised Biden for his courage and leadership.

When Both the Pope and a US President Bowed Down to a Chareidie Mother of 12

 

Urgent call to save man missing in Be'er Sheva

 Yehuda Udi Dana, 52 years old, left Soroka Hospital in Be'er Sheva to an unknown address on Sunday, February 5, after he was told that his life would be in danger if he did not undergo treatment immediately. He has not been heard from since.

Search authorities fear that even if he returned safely home, he may have collapsed and lost consciousness. Police and other authorities have not been able to find out what his current address is so far.

His family and the Israel Dog Unit (IDU), a nonprofit specializing in search and rescue, are looking for him in cooperation with the Israel Police. and have issued an urgent appeal to the public to assist in locating him. Anyone who has seen him is asked to immediately notify police at 100 or the IDU hotline at 0544876709

Bags of Beans??

 

I don't need exotic superfoods. The humble legume is super enough. by  SHMUEL CHAIM NAIMAN Warning: Today’s column will discuss, among other things, beans. I’m aware that some readers of The Healthy Jew will never ever, under any conditions, even if their life depended on it, eat beans outside of cholent. I respect that. For compensation, I’m sending out soon a short photo essay from Israel this week that will also update what I wrote about in two earlier articles. Watch your inbox. Superfoods are more popular than ever. Gogi berries, hemp seeds, and even blueberries are touted as foods that aren’t simply nutritious but deliver specific healthy effects. Some add energy and vitality, others will prevent or even cure diseases such as cancer and diabetes.

BEN SHAPIRO: ‘Pfizer Lied. If I knew what I know now, I would not have taken’ the vaccine

 

In a series of bombshell tweets, popular radio host Ben Shapiro accused Pfizer and the federal government of “lying about their stats”, and he appeared to express remorse for recommending the Covid vaccine too “broadly”, including to people who are not high-risk. He also said that had he known then what he knows now he “wouldn’t have taken it” himself.

Shapiro, a conservative podcast host and Orthodox Jew, was responding this past week to critics of his apparent reversal of position on the Covid vaccine.

One critic tweeted “Didn’t you tell everyone to get the vaccine? And called the ones who haven’t gotten it “dopes”?”

Shapiro replied, “I broadly recommended the vaxx when Pfizer and the feds were lying about their stats. As data emerged, I recommended it for the elderly and obese. I opposed vaxx mandates the whole time. My company spent millions and risked millions in fines to sue the feds to stop vaxx mandates.”

That same critic replied, “Yes that is true. But honestly you should have known they were lying. It was common sense and logic. Basic human history has proven time and time again that government and big pharma lie and manipulate every chance they get. So why blindly believe their stats?”

That same critic replied, “Yes that is true. But honestly you should have known they were lying. It was common sense and logic. Basic human history has proven time and time again that government and big pharma lie and manipulate every chance they get. So why blindly believe their stats?”

Arab Schoolchildren Hold Sickening Ceremonies Honoring Neve Yaakov Terrorist

 

Elementary schools under the PA held ceremonies to honor the terrorist who carried out the recent massacre of Jews

Such genocidal programming where murderers of Jews are idolized is nothing but the standard

🧵

Boys school in Shechem [for foreign colonizers: NeoPolis/Nablus]: pic.twitter.com/mnAMWyEtaG

— Adam Albilya - אדם אלביליה (@AdamAlbilya) February 5, 2023

  Following the unspeakable massacre of 7 Jews by a terrorist in Neve Yaakov, elementary schools throughout the Palestinian Authority have held ceremonies to honor the terrorist who carried out the attack.

Sadly, this type of indoctrination of students to glorify the murder of innocent Jews R”L and brainwash them to aspire to become terrorists is a scene that we have come to expect.

Many of the children in the photos above are holding up pictures of the monstrous terrorist murderer along with his name, and are openly praising his depraved subhuman actions. These photos are from multiple different schools throughout the PA.

Massive 7.8 Magnitude Earthquake Shakes Central Turkey, Felt In Beit Shemesh & Yerushalyim

 

A 7.8 magnitude earthquake shook southeast Turkey early Monday and was followed by another strong temblor. It was felt in several provinces in the region and knocked down a number of buildings, reports said.

The U.S. Geological Survey said quake was centered about 33 kilometers (20 miles) from Gaziantep, a major city and provincial capital. It was about 26 kilometers (16 miles) from the town of Nurdagi.

It was centered 18 kilometers (11 miles) deep, according to the U.S. Geological Survey. A strong 6.7 temblor rumbled about 10 minutes later.

Turkey’s Disaster and Emergency Management agency, AFAD, said the quake measured 7.4 and was centered in the town of Pazarcik, in Kahramanmaras province.

Several buildings tumbled down in the neighboring provinces of Malatya, Diyarbakir and Malatya, HaberTurk television reported. There was no immediate reports on casualties.

Turkey sits on top of major fault lines and is frequently shaken by earthquakes.

The earthquake was also felt in Lebanon and Syria, and Israel.

Syria’s state media reported that some buildings collapsed in the northern city of Aleppo and the central city of Hama.

In Syria’s rebel-held northwest that borders Turkey several buildings collapsed, according to the opposition’s Syrian civil Defense.

There was no immediate word on casualties.

In Beirut and Damascus, buildings shook and many people went down to the streets in fear.

I just felt a powerful earthquake in Jerusalem, Israel.

The entire building was shaking, chandeliers swinging back and forth.

Seems to be aftershock from a much larger earthquake in Southern Turkey.

— Shloime Zionce | שלומי זייאנץ (@Chusidel) February 6, 2023

Costco in Israel?

 

Israel Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich wants to bring the Costco Wholesale chain to Israel, according to a report by Yehuda Shlezinger in Israel Hayom. Costco is the largest wholesale chain in the US, and the ninth largest in the world, and is considered the second largest food chain in the world after Walmart.

In a letter that Smotrich sent to the managers of the chain, he wrote that “the Israeli government has set itself the goal of increasing Israeli competition in the food market in Israel. It would be a great achievement if international players like your company enter. We want to interest you in entering the Israeli market, we have an opportunity and shared goals.”

Smotrich said he hopes to meet with the heads of the company during his next visit to the US.

Costco’s entry into the Israeli market could cause a major shakeup and reduction in prices.

Its entry into Israel would also be one less excuse for not making Aliyah.

Florida community in shock after Jewish Lyft driver Gary Levin kidnapped and murdered

 

The Jewish community of Palm Beach Gardens, Florida, is in shock after a Jewish Lyft driver was kidnapped and murdered while working.

Police believe that Gary Levin, 74, was kidnapped and murdered by an angry passenger he had picked up. His family reported him missing on Tuesday. He was last seen alive on Monday.

Human remains were found on Saturday in a wooded area Okeechobee County, Florida, near where Levin had dropped off a passenger right before his disappearance. The remains were later identified as Levin.

His daughter, Lindsay DiBetta, told reporters: "There's no way he would pick someone up in Miami and drive all the way to Okeechobee without letting his partner know. They had dinner plans that day, but he never came home."

A suspect, Matthew Scott Flores, was arrested after a police chase in North Carolina while driving Levin's car. Flores is wanted for an unrelated murder in Florida.

Roselee Moskowitz has squatted in 90-year-old Rabbi Meyer Leifer's home for years

 

Rabbi Leifer and Bloomberg 

Roselee Moskowitz 

This couch potato isn’t kosher.

A 90-year-old rabbi’s life has been turned upside down by a brazen squatter who moved into his living room two years ago — and shows no signs of making her exodus any time soon.

Accused agi-tater Roselee Moskowitz, 67, allegedly took advantage of the kindness of Rabbi Meyer Leifer and his family, who gave her a place to stay in his two-bedroom West 28th Street apartment when she had nowhere to go at the dawn of the pandemic, according to his daughter Daniella and court records.

But the mensch’s mitzvah was repaid with unimaginable chutzpah.

Squatter, Roselee Moskowitz crouches down when approached by The Post.

Ben-Gvir will consider resigning if demands are not met

 

National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir harshly criticized his government's policies, the response to the attacks from Gaza, which he calls weak, and the postponement of the evacuation of Khan al-Ahmar.

In heated conversations behind closed doors, Ben-Gvir claimed that if within eight months he won't manage to change these issues significantly, he will not hold on to his seat and will consider resigning.

According to a report by Channel 13 News, Ben-Gvir will wait no more than nine months to see if he is receiving support for the changes he wishes to make. Ben-Gvir believes he has partners and that he is not alone. The same sources claim that the Netanyahu government is ready and willing to make changes and that Ben-Gvir is not alone in the fight.

"If they cut me off in the next budget, that means I'm alone. In such a case, if I feel like I don't have an influence, I will return the keys and will go fight in the opposition," Ben-Gvir recently told people in his inner circle, emphasizing that he expects to "fight to the end, even at the cost of a crisis." Yet, Ben-Gvir clarifies that this is not an ultimatum for his partners in the coalition.

On the other hand, Ben-Gvir is indeed happy with the moves and steps being taken, and according to him, they would not have happened in a different government. Among them: sealing the homes of terrorists, closing the prison bakeries, demolishing houses in eastern Jerusalem, and making it easier for citizens to receive weapons permits.

Musk wins Didn't Deceive Tesla Investors with 2018 tweets, jury rules

 

 A jury on Friday decided Elon Musk didn’t deceive investors with his 2018 tweets about electric automaker Tesla in a proposed deal that quickly unraveled and raised questions about whether the billionaire had misled investors.

The nine-member jury reached its verdict after less then two hours of deliberation following a three-week trial. It represents a major vindication for Musk, who spent about eight hours on the witness stand defending his motives for the August 2018 tweets at the center of the trial.

Musk, 51, wasn’t on hand for the brief reading of the verdict but he made a surprise appearance earlier Friday for closing arguments that drew starkly different portraits of him.

Not long after the verdict came down, Musk took to Twitter — the bully pulpit he now owns — to celebrate.

“Thank goodness, the wisdom of the people has prevailed!” Musk tweeted.

BIDEN'S HOT AIR BALLOON

 

Biden administration tried to hide Chinese spy balloon from American public

President Biden and his administration knew for nearly a week that a Chinese spy balloon was hovering in U.S. airspace — but kept the incursion secret, fearing it would derail Secretary of State Antony Blinken’s planned meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping in Beijing.

Republicans expressed “outrage” over the president’s refusal to act.

“Communist China’s surveillance balloon violates international law and threatens our homeland,” Rep. Nicole Malliotakis (R-Staten Island) told The Post.

Ezra "the Capo" Friedlander Running for Santos's Congressional Seat?

 So who is the bigger liar?

Announcing my candidacy for Congress....in front of the office.... pic.twitter.com/UJD5uv6hFb

— Ezra Friedlander (@EzraFriedlander) February 1, 2023

Florida Woman Arrested for Ripping Off Holocaust Survivor for 2.8 Million Dollars

 

 Damian Williams, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, and Michael J. Driscoll, the Assistant Director-in-Charge of the New York Field Office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (“FBI”), announced charges against PEACHES STERGO with engaging in a years-long scheme to defraud an 87-year-old Holocaust survivor of his life savings.  STERGO was arrested and will be presented in the Middle District of Florida.  The case has been assigned to U.S. District Judge Edgardo Ramos.

U.S. Attorney Damian Williams said: “As alleged, for years, Stergo deceived an 87-year-old Holocaust survivor, maliciously draining his life savings so she could become a millionaire through fraud.  Stergo forged documents and impersonated a bank employee in exchange for a life of fancy trips, Rolex watches, and luxury purchases.”

Zera Shimshon Paeshas Be'Shalach

Jewish Population in Judea and Samaria Tops Half a Million

 

he Jewish population in Judea and Samaria has surpassed half a million people, according to a report compiled by former MK Ya’akov Katz.

There were 502,991 Jews living in Judea and Samaria as of Jan. 1, according to the document, which culled data from the Israeli Interior Ministry’s Population Registry.

That does not include the nearly 350,000 Jews living in the eastern part of Jerusalem, which the Palestinians claim despite the area being by law a part of Israel’s unified capital.

The Jewish population in Judea and Samaria is up 15.5% from January 2018, when 435,159 Jews lived in the territories captured after Arab states initiated what became known as the Six-Day War.

The report projects the Jewish population in Judea and Samaria to exceed 600,000 by 2030, 700,000 by 2035 and one million by 2047.

The 500,000-plus Jews living in Judea and Samaria account for 12% of all Jews in Israel, according to the report.

Ahead of its inauguration, Prime Minister Bibi Netanyahu’s government published a list of policy guidelines that includes a vow to promote settlement throughout the country.

“The Jewish people has an exclusive and inalienable right to all parts of the Land of Israel. The government will promote and develop the settlement of all parts of the Land of Israel—in the Galilee, the Negev, the Golan Heights and Judea and Samaria,” a clause in the document states. JNS

Southwest Killed my Daughter, Says frum Mom

 

Chaya Gabrielle Messouda Assouline, is seen with her brother Simon Shimon Eliyahou Assouline in the Hospital

The mother of an Orthodox Jewish woman who was paralyzed after being thrown out of her wheelchair while attempting to board a Southwest flight 11 months ago is demanding justice for her daughter, who passed away nearly two weeks ago.

 Gaby Assouline was on her way to Denver on February 25th, 2022 when the incident occurred.

Ms. Assouline was afflicted with a rare musculoskeletal condition known as FOP that made it difficult for her to walk long distances, but was fully ambulatory and led a full life, pursuing a degree in business and advocating for her fellow FOP sufferers.

Mother Sandra Assouline said that Gaby did considerable research when planning the trip to Denver to visit her older sister Ariella, choosing Southwest because she felt that they were more accommodating of special needs passengers.

“Gaby wanted to be like anyone else who could travel,” said Mrs. Assouline.  “She contacted them and she did everything, planning out the whole trip and making sure they knew what she was bringing.”

Ms. Assouline had never flown alone before and her mother secured a buddy pass to take her through the airport until the gate.

NYC DOE Cuts Off Million in Special Ed Funding for Yeshiva Students

 

20 companies that provide special education services to private school students are being blocked by the New York City Department of Education amid concerns of industry fraud.

The New York Times (nyti.ms/3xb6qTb) on Thursday, reported that recent emails sent by the DOE instructed its employees to avoid hiring employees of the 20 companies when providing services to private school students with disabilities.

That change will have the city fighting requests for payment from private school parents whose children were approved by the DOE for services through the 20 companies that were singled out.

Those 20 companies, which primarily serve yeshiva students, provided $60 million in special education services last year alone.

While officials have said that all 20 firms have ties to an individual arrested last month in connection with special education funding, some have disputed that claim, including Special Edge, a large Borough Park company that received nearly $30 million in funding last year from the DOE, most of which was for private school students.

A statement released by Special Edge and EvalCare, an education company, accused the DOE of acting unfairly, saying that the agency’s “refusal to engage in conversation with us and restore Special Edge and EvalCare Inc. as providers in good standing is only harming deserving students who need special education services.”

Adira Koffsky 19 Seminary Girl from Long Island Killed in Yerushalyim in Car Accident

 

A 19-year-old from Long Island was killed in a car accident in Jerusalem on Wednesday night.

Adira Koffsky was hit by a car whose driver lost control in a rain storm. A 2022 graduate of Yeshiva University Girls High School, Koffsky was studying in a gap-year program for Orthodox women called Midreshet Amudim, located just a few blocks from the accident site in the German Colony neighborhood.

“The entire Amudim family is shattered, our hearts are broken and we are in shock and pain over the loss of our beloved student,” the seminary wrote in a statement. “All words of wisdom or comfort are empty at this moment.”

Koffsky’s death sent shockwaves throughout the Modern Orthodox communities in the New York area, where she grew up. A Yeshiva University rabbi lamented Koffsky’s death during his morning talk and noted that a local Orthodox high school had canceled a planned trip because of it.

Koffsky attended Hebrew Academy of Nassau County until eighth grade before moving on to Yeshiva’s girls high school, located in Queens.

“Adira was one of the happiest, friendliest, and most creative individuals,” the school posted on Facebook. “She was kind, giving, and down to earth. She was one of us, and we are devastated by this news.”

Koffsky’s funeral was set for Young Israel in West Hempstead. She is survived by her parents, Ann and Mark, and two older brothers.

The driver of the car that hit Koffsky was a 76-year-old woman, according to Israeli media reports. She was seriously injured, and her passenger, a 78-year-old man, was also killed.