Israel News Today

( JTA ) — Hersh Goldberg-Polin and Yuval Shoham were childhood friends, having grown up together in in Jerusalem’s Baka neighborhood, where both their families were involved in the egalitarian prayer community Hakhel. When Hersh, a 23-year-old American-Israeli, was taken hostage from the Nova music festival on Oct. 7, 2023, Yuval was among the soldiers tasked with finding him, shouting “Hersh” as he patrolled the Gaza Strip. When Goldberg-Polin’s family announced Hersh’s death over the summer, Yuval’s mother, Oshrat Shoham, spoke of her family and their community’s pain. “It really feels like he’s our son,” Oshrat said at the time . “The whole neighborhood is here with Hersh signs. We didn’t think it would end like this. Everyone was hoping that we would meet in the joy of liberation and not in this end. We didn’t imagine such an end.” On Sunday, the unimaginable befell the Shoham family, when the Israeli military announced that Yuval Shoham was killed in an operational accident in ...

Iraqi militias halt attacks on Israel following pressure from the Iraqi government, U.S., and Iran; Israeli threats and Syria’s instability also contributed to the pause, but the issue may be reignited should a full-scale war erupt between Israel and the Islamic Republic from ynet - News https://ift.tt/aC3iSUW

Prime minister begins operation following urinary tract infection, according to statement from his office; Justice Minister Yariv Levin to replace Netanyahu during surgery from ynet - News https://ift.tt/Ex6ILv1

He is the 9th graduate of Jerusalem's Himmelfarb High School to die in this war; His parents are close friends of Jon and Rachel, the parents of Hersh Goldberg-Polin, who was murdered in Hamas captivity from ynet - News https://ift.tt/rQieWpB

Video shared by local media showed the twin-engine aircraft skidding down the runway with no apparent landing gear before slamming into a wall in an explosion of flame and debris  from ynet - News https://ift.tt/XP0UnIw

ILTV and Ynet News are proud to present the Lights of Hope virtual event, streaming live on Monday, December 30 from ynet - News https://ift.tt/SyLYPWz

Once blocked by Hezbollah's 100+ missile batteries and Syria's dense air defenses, Israel overcame these challenges with decoys, advanced drones and precision strikes, restoring air dominance and reopening Middle Eastern skies for IDF operations from ynet - News https://ift.tt/1tA0aUN

401st Brigade encircles Kamal Adwan Hospital in an hour, arresting over 240 terrorists, including hospital director; some suspects try fleeing in ambulances; Unit 504 interrogations on-site leads to capture of additional Hamas and PIJ operatives from ynet - News https://ift.tt/eGKijXQ

One of Sultan Haitham of Oman's first actions upon taking office was ensuring his son would succeed him, securing his legacy; Oman’s strategic location forces the Sultan to navigate delicate diplomacy, maintaining good relations with both Iran and the US while offering medical aid to Yemen's Houthis; Could Trump’s entry pave the way for Israelis to visit Muscat? from ynet - News https://ift.tt/8rDN4W0

In this year, when the American Jewish community has been saddened and frightened by the deepening divides in our community since Oct. 7, the themes of Hanukkah are particularly resonant. Because hidden within the holiday is a profound story about moving from Jewish division to Jewish unity. The holiday of light ironically commemorates a very dark period in Jewish history, when divides between religious and secular Jews turned violent. While secular Hellenistic Jews appealed to King Antiochus for inclusion in Greek life, the Maccabean Jews built a revolt against him. Hellenized Jews who collaborated with the Assyrians became, to the Maccabeans, the enemy; the Maccabean leader Mattathias exerted cruelty upon those who were caught. But in their discussions of Hanukkah in the Talmud , the rabbis choose not to dwell much on this division‚ or really discuss the history of Hanukkah at all. Instead, they focus on the laws of candle-lighting, and in so prioritizing this ritual, they embed a...

Hamas has yet to provide the lists of hostages held for 448 days, as Jerusalem officials say 'Hamas needs to make a decision to finalize the deal'; US officials have presented hostage families with analyses suggesting that Hamas should agree to a deal before Trump takes office from ynet - News https://ift.tt/tGKjOHy

Maj. Hod Shriebman falls in battle in Jabaliya; another Multidimensional Unit soldier seriously wounded; unit has faced heavy losses, including its commander and 3 soldiers in Jabaliya; tank soldier severely wounded by sniper from ynet - News https://ift.tt/uw0qeEg

Teacher in his 40s under investigation for allegedly sexually abusing 2 elementary school students; educator reportedly committed indecent acts against one student in front of classmates; authorities probing whether other students victimized from ynet - News https://ift.tt/qj6NRMP

Israel’s Air Force launches largest Yemen strike yet, targeting Sanaa Airport and other key locations; 'No Houthi leader will escape Israel’s reach,' Katz says from ynet - News https://ift.tt/05Y93Ws

In a region plagued with a severe humanitarian crisis, the Houthis have devised a method to enforce terror and 'raise funds.' Houthi women, known as 'Zainabiyat,' compel other women, teenage girls and young children to attend "Support Gaza" events and surrender their remaining jewelry 'for the cause.' A human rights organization report concluded: The women's brigades have carried out sexual assaults, beatings and rapes in detention centers from ynet - News https://ift.tt/SKDMIse

Houthis say the "spies" were recruited by a wanted figure who passed information to Israel and the US; Claim network was tasked with passing information on the locations of forces and weapons, tracking senior officials, and gathering information on the whereabouts of the rebel leader  from ynet - News https://ift.tt/QuGOlJZ

For the past seven Christmases, I have led a caravan of people — Jews, and non-Jews, Blacks and whites — delivering toys to needy children around Chicago’s south and west sides. Every year, I get the same question: How can a Jew lead a Christmas caravan? My answer is simple: I’m fulfilling the mitzvah of showing love to my neighbors. And I’m doing it in honor of an uncle I never met, and a grandmother I deeply loved, both of whom demonstrated the profound meaning of selflessly living out that value. My uncle Terrell participated in the very first Toys for Tots in 1972. He did so by refurbishing toys from his hospital bed at a local rehabilitation facility. Terrell was a paraplegic, the result of getting shot in the back by a police officer when he was just 18 years old. Terrell died a few years before I was born, but my mother and her siblings talked about him constantly as a way of keeping him alive to my family. They saw parts of him in their children, whom he never got to meet. ...

The IDF presented the families of Hersh, Uri, Eden, Alex, Almog and Carmel with the final investigation into their murders while in Hamas captivity; Military finds that its activities in the area had a 'circumstantial influence on the terrorists' decision to murder the 6 hostages' from ynet - News https://ift.tt/9heZwFE

Defense Ministry purchased a new stock of Arrow-3 interceptors from the Israel Aerospace Industries to enhance protection against ballistic missile threats; Each interceptor costs approximately $4 million, and the move follows an uptick in missile attacks by the Houthis from Yemen from ynet - News https://ift.tt/FNeJ9Mp

At a recent Hanukkah cooking workshop , part of a series called Schvitzin’ in the Kitchen, we challenged ourselves to create a feast without the holiday’s mainstream American hit — the latke.  Instead, we asked, what are the elements of that famous Ashkenazi Hanukkah staple that have made it a Hanukkah hallmark? Yes, a celebration of oil, but also of local winter cellar produce; maximal starch for warmth; garnishes for acidity, sweetness, and contrast; and techniques that inevitably involve many people, joining together to make light in darkness. In deconstructing the latke, we made a blueprint for another delicious fried tuber recipe that you can adapt to the starches, herbs, and oils that are produced near you. In Brooklyn, we used Japanese sweet potatoes; dill, parsley, and oregano; and sunflower, butternut squash, and pumpkin seed oils all produced in the Northeast. This makes a gorgeous platter of earthy grains and colorful, sweet starches, topped with pops of flavor and h...