3 more New York City yeshivas lose status and funding over secular education standards
(JTA) — Parents at three more New York City yeshivas are being told to find another school for next year as the State Education Department clamps down on schools flouting requirements for secular education instruction.
The schools will lose their legal status and will not receive any public funding for meals, transportation, textbooks or other programs after June 30, which is the deadline for all schools in the state to comply with the secular education mandate, according to a spokesperson for the New York State Education Department.
The government crackdown comes after years of legislative battles, court disputes, and public debate over the quality and character of education received by an estimated 65,000 yeshiva students across New York state.
The state ultimately decided that all children learn to speak, read and write in English and gain at least basic knowledge of math, science, and social studies. While many yeshivas teach these topics alongside religious instruction, some do not, focusing entirely on the study of Jewish texts.
In jailhouse letter, Mahmoud Khalil urges renewed student pro-Palestinian protests
(JTA) — Mahmoud Khalil, the Palestinian protester arrested at Columbia University nine days ago, wrote that he was a “political prisoner” in a letter sent from a Louisiana detention center.
Khalil was arrested March 9 by ICE and has been threatened with deportation for leading activities that the Trump administration says were “aligned to Hamas.” He was a leader of the hardline pro-Palestinian group Columbia University Apartheid Divest, and his detainment was part of a broad crackdown on campus anti-Israel protests that has since included another arrest of someone who demonstrated at Columbia.
In the letter, which was dictated to his family, Khalil, who holds a green card, called his arrest “a direct consequence of exercising my right to free speech as I advocated for a free Palestine and an end to the genocide in Gaza, which resumed in full force Monday night,” a reference to Israeli airstrikes in Gaza that ended a two-month ceasefire. “In the weeks ahead, students, advocates, and elected officials must unite to defend the right to protest for Palestine. At stake are not just our voices, but the fundamental civil liberties of all.”
Fetterman to JNS: I fully support partnering with Israel to bomb Iran’s nuclear facilities
(JNS) — Over the last several years and particularly since Oct. 7, 2023, Israel has felt isolated diplomatically. Perhaps most painful for the Jewish state has been waning support among American Democrats, once stalwart defenders of Israel.
A near-lone voice from the left flank of the party has been Pennsylvania Senator John Fetterman. A towering giant easily recognized by his hooded sweatshirt attire, Fetterman is about as hawkish as it gets, willing to support it in its war efforts against Iran and its network of terror proxies, including Hamas and Hezbollah.
Fetterman was unequivocal when asked about taking military action to eliminate Iran’s nuclear capabilities. “I don’t think you can really effectively negotiate with that regime,” he said, suggesting that using military force is the only option.
Pressed further, Fetterman said, “Oh yeah. Blow it up! Blow it up! I think we should waste what’s left of their nuclear facilities.”
Orthodox Union certifies chocolate bars under MrBeast Feastables brand
(JNS) — Chocolate bars under the three-year-old snack brand Feastables, founded by YouTube star MrBeast, are now certified kosher by the Orthodox Union.
Jimmy Donaldson, 26, who goes by MrBeast, boasts the most-subscribed channel on YouTube, with 375 million followers as of March 2025.
The Orthodox Union certification of the bars as kosher and dairy began in February stateside. The company expects to roll out kosher bars in Canada and Mexico this spring and in Europe and Australia in the fall.
“As the fastest-growing global chocolate brand, we want to ensure our products are enjoyed by as many people as possible around the world,” stated Alexandre Zigliara, CEO of Feastables.
“That’s why we’re working hard to make sure our chocolate products meet a wide variety of religious, cultural and dietary standards,” Zigliara added. “Being kosher certified by the Orthodox Union, the most recognized kosher certification agency in the world, also means our consumers can be assured the highest quality of kosher certification is in place.”
