Pinned News - December 31, 2007 Brooklyn, NY - A few days before New Year's, the racks at several haredi loungewear and hostess gown stores were still full of winter "Shabbos robes," elegant but practical velour robes worn by haredi women at home. Women were browsing, but they weren't buying. Most years, the secular new year comes and goes without the haredim noticing, as they are already...

Israel - A growing number of Israeli firms hold daily Gemara (the part of the Talmud that contains rabbinical commentaries and analysis of its predecessor, the Mishnah) classes. Sounds like fiction? Not really. Leading private and government firms including Bank Hapoalim, Bank Leumi, the Israel Electric Corp and the Israeli Diamond Exchange are responsible for the surprising trend. Fueling...

Borough Park, Brooklyn, NY +Bank Robbery+ NYPD of the 66th Pct are calling for a level one mobilization for a bank robbery of the Washington Mutual Bank at 4724 13th Avenue between 47th and 48th Streets in the Boro Park section of Brooklyn, NY. PD are looking for a male black 6'2" 150 lbs in his 30's that fled carrying a white plastic back with US currency...

Los Angeles, CA - The Spinka Rabbi and the six other defendants were in court today to face Magistrate Judge Alicia Rosenberg. Included in the group was also Moshe Arie Lazar, who has surrendered from Israel to FBI officials in Los Angeles, as reported here. All seven of them pleaded not guilty to charges of tax fraud and money laundering. All 7 men face lengthy terms in federal prison if...

New York, NY - There have been many rumors circulating the internet lately about the KAJ [K’hal Adas Jeshurun (Breuer’s)] organization removing its hechsher from the Rubashkin kosher meat company. Rabbi Zechariah Gelley, the KAJ Ba'al Machsher, has just spoken on the phone to VIN News, and he categorically denied any such charges. As of now, Rubashkin Meats is still fully certified under...

New York - A key ingredient of beer may contain a cancer-fighting substance, a German study indicated. Studies indicated xanthohumol, found in hops, inhibits a family of enzymes that can trigger the cancer process, as well as help the body detoxify carcinogens, science newswire Ivanhoe reported Monday. Preliminary studies at Oregon State University show that xanthohumol can kill breast, colon...

Monroe, NY - The State Police Troop F zone sergeant at the Monroe Barracks died at his home near New Paltz this morning. Sgt. Warner Hein, who was the zone sergeant at the Monroe Barracks, died inside his home this morning, state police said. Circumstances of Hein's death were not immediately available.Hein was said to be in his mid-40s. He had over 20 years on the job. He was well-liked and...

Russia - A unknown group is using Russian Orthodox churches in Ukraine to spread a call to murder Jews. The group, which calls itself the “Orthodox public organization of Odessa,” distributed anti-Semitic pamphlets last week at some Russian Orthodox churches in Odessa calling for pogroms and the murder Jews and expressing regret at the collapse of the Russian Empire. Berl Kapulkin, a...

Manhattan, NY - The owner of the World Trade Center site said it is at least a month behind on a deadline to turn over part of the site to a private developer and will pay at least $9 million in fines. The Port Authority had a Tuesday deadline to excavate foundations for two of five planned office towers and turn the land over to private developer Larry Silverstein, or pay Silverstein $300,000...

KYO Restaurant Update By: Rabbi Zushe Blech Monsey, NY - KYO Restaurant has successfully served the kosher community in Monsey for over six years. It has enjoyed great popularity, drawing a sophisticated clientele from all over the tri-state area. The restaurant has always been supervised by an eminently reliable kosher certification and has maintained impeccable kosher credentials. The...

Suffolk County, NY - It is now a crime for adults living on Long Island to let underage children drink in their homes.Suffolk County Executive Steve Levy has signed into law "social host" legislation that makes it illegal for homeowners or renters 18 and older to knowingly allow underage drinking. Nassau County enacted a similar law in July.Under the law, anyone caught doing so could...

New York , NY - If you're one of the millions of airline travelers who carry spare lithium laptop, cell phone and camera batteries with you, listen up: The government has some new rules which go into effect on New Year's Day. Fortunately, the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) is not worried about the batteries installed in your devices, be it an iPhone or laptop. Those are safe to...

New York - Will George Pataki finally get his revenge? When Pataki first ran for governor, in 1994, his fellow Republican Rudy Giuliani crossed party lines to endorse Mario Cuomo’s reelection. “It hurt terribly,” Pataki says now. With Giuliani’s poll numbers slipping as the primaries finally get under way, America’s Mayor needs all the help he can get in his 9/11-based campaign—and...

Israel - Intelligence information obtained by security establishment indicates global terror group's cells have infiltrated Turkey, planning attacks on sites affiliated with Israel, US The security establishment has received specific intelligence information according to which al-Qaeda cells that have infiltrated Turkey are planning to carry out terror attacks on Israeli targets and sites...

New York, NY - Times Square festivities for New Year's Eve will shut down a broad swath of Midtown beginning at 4 p.m. Police and city officials are stressing that drivers should avoid the area and that revelers should use mass transit. Starting at 4 p.m. - when crowds will already be vying for the best spots to party - all vehicles will be banned from Seventh Avenue between 42nd and 59th...