Articles By
Sandy Eller
Sandy Eller is a writer on human interest stories for VosIzNeias.
- Brooklyn, NY - Hate Crimes Unit Called In After Chasidic Man Attacked By Man Spewing Death Threats In Crown Heights Today 09:00 PM | 0 Comments Brooklyn, NY - A midday attack that left a 52 year old Chasidic Crown Heights man bleeding and gasping for breath is being investigated by the NYPD as a hate crime. Menachem Moskowitz told VIN News that he was on his way home from Shabbos morning davening at Kingsbrook Jewish Medical Center when he said hello to a man that he passed at the corner of Schenectady and Rutland avenues who began an... Read more »
- Brooklyn, NY - Displaying Questionable Judgement For 2nd Time, FDNY Places Firefighter With Anti-Semitic Past At BP Firehouse Today 11:04 AM | 12 Comments Brooklyn, NY - Just six months after the FDNY assigned a rookie firefighter whose father was convicted of a plan to kill Jewish civilians to a Borough Park firehouse, the department has done it again, this time sending a new Fire Academy graduate who once tweeted his hatred for Jews to a second firehouse serving the Orthodox Jewish community. The New York Post (https://nyp.st/2HP7Ach) reported... Read more »
- Borough Park, NY - Rejecting Claim of Drunken Mistake in BP Attempted Rape, Judge Sets Bail at $50K April 20, 2018 10:33 AM | 13 Comments Borough Park, NY - A Brooklyn judge has set bail at $50,000 for the man who was arrested for breaking into a Borough Park home and climbing into bed with a teenage girl. Isaac Hernandez of Corona told police that he had had a few drinks and didn’t remember much of what happened on the morning of April 17th, reported The Daily News (https://nydn.us/2HPgoz4.) The 38 year old, who cooperated... Read more »
- Bodrogkeresztúr - In Photos-Video: Thousands Mark Yahrtzeit Of Reb Shayele Kerestir In Hungary April 19, 2018 10:00 AM | 11 Comments Bodrogkeresztúr - Thousands made the trip to the northeastern Hungarian countryside on Wednesday to the village of Bodrogkeresztúr to mark the 93rd yahrtzeit of Rabbi Yeshaya Steiner, known to his followers as Reb Shayale Kerestir. Known as a miracle worker and the scion of the Keristerer dynasty, people traveled from miles around to visit with Reb Shayale and obtain his blessings during... Read more »
- Borough Park, NY - BP Bed Intruder Arrested By Police, Charged With Attempted Rape April 18, 2018 07:23 PM | 15 Comments Borough Park, NY - Just one day after a 10 year old Borough Park girl awoke to find a semi-clothed man in her bed, a suspect has been arrested by the NYPD. Police said that 38 year old Isaac Hernandez of Queens was arrested at 1:40 this afternoon and charged with attempted rape, two counts of burglary and endangering the welfare of a child. As previously reported on VIN News... Read more »
- Passaic, NJ - Massive Fire Destroys Beloved Passaic Kosher Restaurant April 18, 2018 05:26 PM | 0 Comments Passaic, NJ - A four alarm fire that broke out in the early morning hours in Passaic injured several firefighters and shuttered a popular kosher eatery. NorthJersey.com (https://njersy.co/2vqC2Hk) reported that smoke alarms went off at 5:30 AM in the basement of the three story building on Main Avenue that was home to King of Delancey, a well loved kosher restaurant that was known for both its... Read more »
- Brooklyn, NY - NYPD Interviewing Person Of Interest In BP Bedroom Invasion April 18, 2018 02:24 PM | 9 Comments Brooklyn, NY - The NYPD has confirmed that a person of interest is being questioned in connection with yesterday’s home invasion that had a ten year old girl waking up to find a partially dressed man in her bed, with his hands covering her face. Police said that no official charges have been filed at this time and that they could not say if an arrest was imminent in the incident which took... Read more »
- New Jersey - Fighting Back Against Crime, Lakewood PD Asks Public To Join Security Cam Registration Program April 17, 2018 09:00 PM | 1 Comments Lakewood, NJ - Hoping to provide greater safety and service to area residents, the Lakewood Police Department is launching a new initiative that would have the local community partnering with law enforcement in an ongoing effort to deter and fight crime. Launched today, the Register Every Camera program would have Lakewood residents and businesses voluntarily registering their video... Read more »
- Brooklyn, NY - Suspect Sought After BP Girl Awakes To Find Intruder In Her Bed April 17, 2018 04:45 PM | 11 Comments Brooklyn, NY - Police in the Borough Park area are on the alert after a ten year old Orthodox Jewish girl woke up this morning to find a stranger in her bed. The incident took place this morning on 39th Street near 15th Avenue shortly after 3 AM. The NYPD reported that the girl and her 14 year old sister were both sleeping in their shared first floor bedroom when the ten year old woke up... Read more »
- New York - OK And Star K Weigh In On Beer Controversy On Talkline Program April 15, 2018 09:00 PM | 8 Comments New York - With members of the Jewish community busying themselves with food-related matters after Pesach, rushing out to restock their bare pantries, standing on lengthy lines for fresh pizza and sharing photos of their shlissel challahs with friends and followers, it was an unusual culinary item that stole the post-holiday spotlight this year: beer. Just hours after Havdala had been made, a... Read more »
- New York - NY Post Blasts NYC Public Schools For Dismal Test Scores April 15, 2018 04:22 PM | 5 Comments New York - With the alleged failures of yeshivos gleefully trumpeted by the media, a new report from a national agency reported underwhelming results from all New York state schools, particularly those in the New York City public school system. Under the auspices of the United States Department of Education, the National Assessment of Educational Progress has been testing fourth and eighth... Read more »
- Long Island, NY - Judge Accepts Blame For Being Too Lenient With Driver Who Killed Engaged Jewish Couple April 14, 2018 11:31 PM | 14 Comments Long Island, NY - Less than two weeks after a newly engaged Orthodox Jewish couple lost their lives in a deadly car crash, the Supreme Court judge who chose not to send one of the two drivers arrested in the fatal collision to jail on an earlier conviction said that he regrets his decision. Judge Matthew Sciarrino admitted that going easy on 25 year old Zakiyyah Steward, who had been convicted... Read more »
- Washington - No Anti-Semitism Here Says White House, After Reports Emerge Of Trump Allegedly Calling Fire Victim “Crazy Jew” April 9, 2018 12:35 PM | 37 Comments Washington - Two days after a Jewish art dealer who had fallen on hard times died in a four alarm fire in his Trump Tower home, a friend of the victim is reporting that the president had once referred to the dead man as “a crazy Jew.” As previously reported on VIN News (http://bit.ly/2Hm9XD9) 67 year old Todd Brassner died on Saturday after a fire broke out in his 50th floor Trump Tower... Read more »
- Kiryas Joel, NY - A Key Figure In The State Education Debate, Satmar Rebbe Heaps Praise On Felder For Standing Tall (audio) April 9, 2018 10:47 AM | 37 Comments Kiryas Joel, NY - Just days after New York State narrowly made its annual fiscal deadline, approving a $168 billion budget that included modifications acknowledging the academic standards of the yeshiva system, the Satmar Rebbe Rabbi Aaron Teitelbaum lauded Senator Simcha Felder for his diligent efforts on behalf of yeshiva children statewide. Speaking to his followers Chol Hamoed last week... Read more »
- Brooklyn, NY - Assemblywoman Offers Lukewarm Apology For Anti-Jewish Rant April 5, 2018 02:21 PM | 9 Comments Brooklyn, NY - An assemblywoman whose constituents include many Jewish New Yorkers is coming under fire after reportedly making anti-Semitic comments at a community board meeting this past week. The New York Post (https://nyp.st/2GAjglU) reported that Assemblywoman Diana Richardson, whose district includes Crown Heights and parts of Flatbush, went into a lengthy outburst at a Monday night... Read more »
- Long Island, NY - Arrested On Drug And Alcohol Charges, Driver Blames Engaged Jewish Couple In Deadly Lawrence Crash April 5, 2018 12:58 PM | 21 Comments Long Island, NY - The father of one of the two people arrested in yesterday’s devastating crash on the Nassau Expressway that took the lives of an engaged couple is pointing the finger of blame at the driver of the car that the choson and kallah were in at the time of the fatal collision. 25 year old Zakiyyah Steward of Bedford Stuyvesant in Brooklyn, was arrested by the Nassau County Police... Read more »
- Long Island, NY - Two Arrested With Drunk Driving In Accident That Killed Recently Engaged Choson And Kallah April 4, 2018 10:11 PM | 26 Comments Long Island, NY - Two arrests have been made in the horrific crash that took the lives of an engaged Orthodox Jewish couple early this morning in the Five Towns. Nassau County police said that the five car collision took place at 1:40 AM in Lawrence on the Nassau Expressway between Burnside Avenue and Peninsula Boulevards, with one of the vehicles involved bursting into flames. The... Read more »
- New York - Blamed By Heastie For Budget Delay, Felder Wins Support Of Jewish Community March 30, 2018 03:52 PM | 5 Comments New York - With the clock ticking down to both the New York State budget deadline and to Passover, a Brooklyn lawmaker is being blamed as the final roadblock to the passage of a $168 billion package. A statement released by Assembly Speaker Carl Heastie said that 99.9 percent of the details have been worked out, with just one hurdle left to be cleared: educational policy regulating... Read more »
- Warsaw - Polish Consulate Denounces “Provocative” Hikind Video Blaming Citizens For WWII Horrors March 29, 2018 12:32 PM | 9 Comments Warsaw - Just hours after Assemblyman Dov Hikind made a public pronouncement blaming Poland for its role in the atrocities of the Holocaust, Poland’s consul general in New York City returned fire, slamming Hikind for his remarks, categorizing them as inflammatory and erroneous. Hikind launched the PolandMurderedJews.com website on Wednesday with a deliberate goal of defying Poland’s newly... Read more »
- Orlando, FL - Hoping To Make Life-Saving Matches, Bone Marrow Drives To Be Held At Pesach Hotels Coast To Coast March 29, 2018 11:30 AM | 0 Comments Orlando, FL - While there are those who view spending Pesach at a hotel as a prime example of conspicuous consumption, a Rhode Island man is seizing the opportunity to engage guests in a mitzvah with life-saving potential. Matnas Chaim works in conjunction with the Gift of Life Registry and will be holding bone marrow drives at 35 Pesach hotels throughout the United States during Chol Hamoed... Read more »
- New York - From Slavery To Sunshine? Record Breaking Pesach Has 100,000 Jews Heading On Vacation March 28, 2018 11:20 AM | 9 Comments New York - Pesach, the defining moment of the Jewish nation, is a celebration of freedom from slavery, but this year’s holiday will be an exodus of another sort for a record number of people who will be packing their bags, leaving their homes and enjoying an eight day long vacation. According to Menachem Lubinsky, president and CEO of Lubicom Marketing & Consulting, an estimated 100,000... Read more »
- Queens, NY - NYC Councilman Ulrich Praises Yeshiva Education, Questions Detractors’ Motives March 27, 2018 03:44 PM | 28 Comments Queens, NY - A Queens councilman, himself the product of a private school, called out critics of the yeshiva system, saying that attacks on religious schools are unfounded and could have widespread effects that could be devastating to faith-based communities throughout New York State. Councilman Eric Ulrich made his case in an op-ed that appeared in today’s Gotham Gazette. Having attended... Read more »
- Brooklyn, NY - Heroism, Not Hatred, To Be Honored In Brighton Beach Street Renaming March 26, 2018 09:00 PM | 7 Comments Brooklyn, NY - A years-long battle to give a new identity to a Brooklyn street named for a virulently anti-Semitic 19th century railroad and banking magnate is finally coming to an end, with an official ceremony to be held next month marking the change. Corbin Place is a half mile long stretch in Brighton Beach named for Austin Corbin, president of the Long Island Railroad and owner of... Read more »
- New York - Newly Enacted NYC Law Broadcasting Identifying Info On Hit And Run Drivers May Be Expanded Statewide March 19, 2018 06:00 PM | 0 Comments New York - A recently enacted law that releases identifying information to the public about drivers involved in serious hit and run accidents in New York City may be just the first step towards an effort that would provide greater safety to residents throughout the state. The Hit and Run Alert System, which became law in December, was sponsored by City Councilman Ydanis Rodriguez and was named... Read more »
- Boca Raton, FL - Support And Inspiration For Jewish Substance Abuse Users At 7th JRC Shabbaton March 19, 2018 11:42 AM | 0 Comments Boca Raton, FL - It was a record turnout for Florida’s Jewish Recovery Center at its annual shabbaton this past weekend, with 270 adults who are recovering from, or struggling with, substance abuse joining together for three days of inspiration and support. Held at the Doubletree by Hilton Hotel in Deerfield Beach – Boca Raton, Florida from March 16th through 18th, the weekend was the... Read more »
- Monsey, NY - Vizhnitzer Rebbe Of Monsey Passes Away At 96 March 16, 2018 09:31 AM | 9 Comments Monsey, NY - The Vizhnitzer world has been plunged into mourning following the death of Rabbi Mordechai Hager, the Vizhnitzer Rebbe of Monsey. The fifth rebbe of the Vizhnitzer dynasty, Rabbi Hager was born in 1922. Rabbi Hager and his brother took over the leadership of Vizhnitz after the passing of their father, Rabbi Chaim Meir Hager, the Imrei Chaim, in 1972, with Rabbi Mordechai... Read more »
- Miami - Florida’s Proposed Change To Permanent Daylight Savings Time Could Create Halachic Problems For Jewish Community March 13, 2018 08:02 PM | 13 Comments Miami - A recent push by Florida lawmakers to stick with daylight savings time all year long could end the confusion of having to change the clock twice a year but could cause multiple problems for the state’s Orthodox Jewish residents. As previously reported on VIN News (http://bit.ly/2FEXdFW), the Sunshine Protection Act would create an extra hour of daylight before nightfall by both... Read more »
- New York - The Jewish Press Slaps DOE With Lawsuit For Failing To Respond To FOIL Requests March 13, 2018 10:55 AM | 7 Comments New York - Frustrated by a lack of response to a request to review documents relating to allegations or complaints of religious discrimination, The Jewish Press has filed a lawsuit against the New York City Department of Education, charging the agency with violating the state’s Freedom of Information laws. Attorney Joseph Aron of Aron Law which filed the petition said that the issue arose... Read more »
- Glen Spey, NY - Lengthy Upstate Power Outages Have Locals Flocking To Jewish Camp March 9, 2018 10:00 AM | 7 Comments Glen Spey, NY - Residents of a small upstate town who have been without electricity for nearly a week have been enjoying homestyle Jewish warmth as a local sleepaway camp has opened its doors with offers of overnight accommodations, heat, showers, food and recreational facilities. The Town of Lumberland was one of many in Sullivan County that was hit hard by a nor’easter that knocked out... Read more »
- Brooklyn, NY - Chasidic Father Lauds DA For Groundbreaking Program That Lets Drug Users Choose Rehab Over Jail March 8, 2018 10:30 PM | 4 Comments Brooklyn, NY - An Orthodox Jewish Brooklyn man who became an outspoken advocate for troubled children after sharing the story of his daughter’s lost battle with substance abuse had high words of praise for a new program launched by Brooklyn District Attorney Eric Gonzalez in conjunction with the NYPD and the City Council to give those charged with misdemeanor drug offenses the option of... Read more »
