Wednesday, April 23, 2025

04/23 Links Pt2: Yom HaShoah and October 7: Memory Without Meaning Is Just Silence; Hamas releases propaganda video of hostage Omri Miran

From Ian:

Yom HaShoah and October 7: Memory Without Meaning Is Just Silence
There are few nations in the world where memory is not only preserved — but lived. In Israel, remembrance is not just about looking back. It is a living, breathing act of collective identity. Every year, on Yom HaShoah, something extraordinary happens. Without government mandates or media campaigns, life pauses — not out of obligation, but from a shared internal rhythm. The siren sounds, and a nation of millions responds in unison. The image is powerful, but its strength lies not in silence — it lies in meaning, in the understanding that remembrance binds us.

But such national memory did not appear fully formed. It was cultivated. In the early years of the Israeli state, Holocaust survivors struggled to tell their stories. The ethos of the “new Jew,” the sabra fighter, clashed with the image of the persecuted victim. That’s why the state didn’t create “Holocaust Memorial Day.” It created “Holocaust and Ghetto Uprising Remembrance Day.” Heroism came first.

It took decades of political, cultural, and educational work before Israeli society could embrace the Holocaust not only as a tragedy — but as part of its moral and historical DNA. Only then did the siren become sacred.

And now, as we approach Yom HaShoah 2025, a new question confronts us: How will we remember October 7th?

It is not a rhetorical question. It is a national challenge.

October 7th was a rupture. A moment of profound trauma — but also of remarkable unity. It revealed painful truths about our vulnerabilities and our divisions. Yet, in its aftermath, it also uncovered a core of resilience: families opening homes to evacuees, young people lining up to volunteer, strangers embracing one another in tears.

This is the essence of Israeli society at its best. But moments fade. What remains is memory. And memory must be shaped.

Do we allow October 7th to become a political football? A symbol of betrayal, anger, or blame? Or do we craft a new ethos — a foundational story that speaks not just of horror, but of heroism and responsibility? One that doesn’t erase the pain, but transforms it into a source of purpose.

We must ask ourselves:
Who are the names our children will memorize?
Who will be the Hannah Szenes or Mordechai Anielewicz of this generation?
What symbols will we pass down? What songs? What stories?

This responsibility cannot rest solely on the state. It belongs to all of us. To our educators and artists. To our journalists and rabbis. To parents, commanders, and influencers.

A siren alone is not a memory. Memory requires meaning.
Sometimes remembering Yom HaShoah feels like an act of resistance
Yom HaShoah, begins on Wednesday evening. Its full name in Hebrew is Yom HaZikaron laShoah ve-laG’vurah: the Day of Remembrance for the Holocaust and Heroism.

The day has rightly become a significant date in the Jewish calendar, when we come together to remember the victims of the Holocaust and pay tribute to the survivors who have dedicated their lives to sharing their testimonies. The act of remembrance is powerful.

It is not only a solemn reflection on the horrors and losses of our past, but a declaration that we will continue to honour and protect that past for the sake of our future. As antisemitism rises, it takes renewed strength to stand together in remembrance and Yom HaShoah, for me, is a poignant source of this strength precisely because it urges us to contemplate acts of heroism and resistance.

I am reminded of the Bielski brothers who became partisans and took to the forests and fields. They ambushed German troops and provided refuge for Jewish people seeking safety. By the time the Red Army reached them, their group had grown to over 1,200 Jewish people including Holocaust survivor Jack Kagan BEM. Using rudimentary tools, Jack was part of a small group of prisoners who succeeded in digging a narrow 250km tunnel from a concentration camp in Eastern Europe, enabling 150 Jews to escape. He was only 14.

I think of the Warsaw Ghetto Uprising – which gives Yom HaShoah its date. As the Nazis attempted to liquidate the ghetto, 700 young Jewish fighters, led by Mordecai Anielewicz, took up arms and held off the Nazis for nearly a month. At the same time, thousands more who were not actively fighting, resisted by refusing to assemble at collection points.

Although the uprising was ultimately crushed, it is believed that as many as 20,000 Warsaw Jews managed to escape and survive in hiding and the uprising itself displayed the resilience and fighting spirit of a people who were starved and subjected to unimaginable brutality. An incredible feat.




Keir Starmer: I’ll fight the poison of antisemitism wherever I find it
As prime minister, I want you to know that you do not stand alone; you do not remember alone; and you do not carry forward the educational legacy of our inspiring Holocaust survivors alone. The duty to remember the Holocaust, to fight the poison of antisemitism and to educate future generations is a duty for us all.

Together, we will honour the memory of the victims by defending the truth of what happened. The Holocaust was unique. It was the industrialised murder of six million Jewish men, women, and children, simply because they were Jewish. It was a collective endeavour, carried out by thousands of ordinary people, utterly consumed by the hatred of difference. These are the facts of the Holocaust, and this country will never allow them to be diminished, distorted or denied.

Together, we will fight the poison of antisemitism wherever it is found. We renew our demand that the 59 hostages still held by Hamas are freed and we must also see a return to the ceasefire.

And here in Britain, just as I made it my mission to root out the stain of antisemitism from my political party, so I will do the same for the country. We will protect our Jewish community, including Jewish students on our university campuses. We will never accept people being abused, attacked, or threatened because of who they are or what they believe. And we will back the police wherever antisemitic hate crimes are committed – whether in person or online.

But we must also tackle the root causes of that hatred. So together we renew our national commitment to Holocaust education. We will ensure all schools teach it and seek to give every young person the opportunity to hear a recorded survivor testimony. Because by learning from our extraordinary Holocaust survivors, we can develop that empathy for others and that appreciation of our common humanity, which is the ultimate way to defeat the hatred of difference.

And today, as you gather for the Yom Hashoah commemoration on the future site of the national Holocaust Memorial, I say let’s get that memorial and learning centre built.

Let it stand, unapologetically, as a place of education at the heart of our national life. And let it be an eternal sign of our commitment to defend the truth of the Holocaust and to teach every generation to fight hatred and prejudice in all its forms. So that together we do everything possible to ensure that never again means what it says: never again.


Hamas releases propaganda video of hostage Omri Miran
The Hamas terrorist group released a propaganda video on Wednesday showing a sign of life from Israeli hostage Omri Miran, who was taken captive from his home in Kibbutz Nahal Oz 565 days ago.

Miran was abducted during the Hamas-led terrorist attacks on Oct. 7, 2023. Gunmen invaded the home that he shared with his wife, Lishay, and their two daughters. They moved the family to an adjacent house and then decided to abduct Omri, leaving his family behind.

“Hello, my name is Omri Miran. Today, I am 48 years old. This is the second birthday I’ve spent here,” Miran can be heard saying in the staged propaganda clip, which JNS has decided not to publish.

Miran in the video says he “deeply” misses his wife and daughters and amplifies Hamas’s messaging that blames the lack of a hostage deal on the Israeli government.

He was last seen in an undated Hamas propaganda video published on April 27, 2024, alongside fellow captive Keith Siegel, who was freed in a hostage deal on Feb. 1 together with Yarden Bibas and Ofer Kalderon.

In February, a released Israeli hostage provided the first confirmation in months that Miran was alive and in relatively stable condition as of July.

“We received confirmation of Omri’s condition through one of the returned hostages,” his brother Boaz revealed on Feb. 11, adding: “They shared that his condition was generally stable during their time together when they were being held in both tunnels and residential buildings.”


Montana Tucker documentary 'Children of October 7' released in the US
On the eve of Holocaust Remembrance Day, the documentary The Children of October 7, which was made with the participation of singer/influencer Montana Tucker, was released on Paramount+ with MTV Documentary Films.

The documentary, which was directed by Asaf Becker, features Tucker interviewing several children who survived the Hamas terrorist attack. She came to Israel to meet with them following the October 7, 2023 attack by Hamas in Israel, in which 1200 people were killed and about 250 were kidnapped, 42 of whom were children.

Most of the kidnapped children, some of whom were tortured in captivity, were released in a deal in late 2023, but two, Ariel Bibas, 4, and Kfir Bibas, who was less than a year old, were murdered by terrorists. Their bodies, along with that of their mother, Shiri, were returned to Israel in February.

Tucker, who has more than 14 million followers on social media, has been speaking out about the October 7 massacre since it happened. She has visited Israel several times over the past year and posted many interviews and a dance video at the site of the Supernova music festival, where more than 360 people were killed, to her followers around the world.

Speaking to the Jerusalem Post at the premiere of The Children of October 7 at the Museum of Tolerance in Jerusalem in December, Tucker said that although her grandfather has passed away and her grandmother is currently very ill, she was sure that the two of them, both Holocaust survivors, would be proud of her for working on this documentary.

“My mom always says that my zayde [Yiddish for grandfather] lives inside of me,” Tucker said. “My zayde would talk to every single person he met about the Holocaust and would share his story… I think of him in everything that I do, in the work that I do. My grandparents are my biggest inspiration in the work that I do. They taught me what it means to be strong, and to never give up, and to stand up for what is right.”

Tucker said a psychologist was on the set of the film all the time, to help the child interviewees cope with their trauma. The testimony of these survivors is extremely harrowing. Eitan Yahalomi was 12 when terrorists entered Kibbutz Nir Oz, shooting his father, who died and whose body was returned earlier this year.

The terrorists put Eitan, his mother, and his two younger sisters on motorcycles headed into Gaza. He recalls how his sister Yael was on the motorcycle with him, but because she was crying, they put her on the motorcycle with his mother and other sister. The terrorists left this motorcycle unattended, and his mother and sisters were able to escape.

Eitan was not so lucky. When he entered Gaza, he was beaten by a mob and later was forced to watch videos of the terrorists killing people. When he cried, he was threatened by them at gunpoint.


JPost Editorial: Coachella’s anti-Israel moment shows how truth is lost in the crowd
It’s heartening that people are upset about the loss of innocent lives and the carnage of war. But when they turn the victims into the aggressors, it’s indicative of either a very short memory or of a sinister agenda against a country defending itself from those who would actually commit genocide if given the opportunity.

On October 7, at another festival called the Nova in southern Israel, where some of the same music was probably playing, thousands of similarly aged attendees were hunted down like prey, shot while hiding inside portable toilets and shelters, burned alive in cars, or dragged alive into captivity.

As noted, US musician and author Peter Himmelman wrote on his blog this week about the Coachella travesty, “The memory of the brutal massacre at the nearly identical Nova music festival was completely erased. The rapes, the torture, the kidnappings – gone. October 7 vanished into the desert air, replaced by an easy-to-chant slogan and a false sense of righteousness. No mention of Hamas. No mention of the hostages. No complexity. Just one message: Israel is the oppressive villain, Hamas and its supporters are the righteous defenders of freedom and justice. And anyone who says otherwise? Suspect.”

Himmelman wrote that the theater on display at Coachella against Israel wasn’t only grotesque, it was dangerous.

As we gather on Wednesday night and Thursday on Holocaust Remembrance Day to remember the six million Jews who perished at the hands of the Nazis, it’s imperative to remember that as more time passes, the more the deniers are going to come out of the woodwork. Keeping the memory and the stories of the victims and the survivors alive for future generations is the mission that all of us must undertake.

That lesson is just as pertinent for the victims and survivors of October 7. It didn’t take a few years or decades to turn them into the aggressors. As displayed in giant, profane neon letters for the whole world to see, it’s now mainstream for Israel to be blamed for the horrors that have taken place in Gaza.

As new US Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee said this week when asked by a representative of the World Health Organization to put pressure on Israel to let humanitarian aid into Gaza: Why isn’t the world pressuring Hamas to free the hostages and surrender its arms?

Of course, when a popular hip-hop group is leading a chant that ignites thousands of ignorant youth – the leaders of tomorrow – to shout out “F*** Israel, Free Palestine,” any logic or sense of reasoning has been lost to herd mentality.

If that trend isn’t pushed back and somehow reversed, if it becomes mainstream to support homicidal terrorists, then it’s going to be a dangerous world indeed – and not just for Israel.
Biden’s Antisemitism Guru Blames Jews for Antisemitism
The Biden administration refused to actually stop the assaults and harassment of Jews, but it did boast of creating an antisemitism policy. The policy amounted to nothing. Now that the Trump administration is actually fighting antisemitism, the ‘architect’ of Biden’s antisemitism policy has popped up to warn that fighting antisemitism will cause antisemitism… and to blame Jews for antisemitism.

In an interview with Politico, Alex Pascal, an Obama and Biden vet, claims that pulling money from colleges that fail to follow civil rights law and deal with antisemitism will, in Politico’s words, “backfire and fuel antisemitism.”

(Obviously that would not be the case if it were gay rights or anti-black racism at issue here.)

“By directly linking billions of dollars of federal research funding to ostensibly combating antisemitism, I think it plays very much into long-standing tropes about Jews wielding financial leverage to pursue their so-called interests,” Pascal argues.

Never mind that it’s the Trump administration, not Jews doing this.

But suggesting that fighting antisemitism will play into financial tropes about Jews is the equivalent of the guy looking at Rohrsach inkblots and complaining that they’re all dirty.

Pascal pulls out the old leftist tropes of collective solidarity.

“We need to be very vigilant about the erosion of the rule of law and our civil liberties,” Pascal said, “because that is the best defense against antisemitism, not the protection of the strongmen.”

How did those work out under Biden?
Abe Foxman criticizes Trump administration in Holocaust Remembrance Day speech
Abe Foxman, the former Anti-Defamation League national director, offered pointed criticism of the Trump administration in a Holocaust Remembrance Day commemoration at the Capitol on Wednesday.

“As a [Holocaust] survivor, my antenna quivers when I see books being banned, when I see people being abducted in the streets, when I see government trying to dictate what universities should teach and whom they should teach. As a survivor who came to this country as an immigrant, I’m troubled when I hear immigrants and immigration being demonized,” Foxman said, to sustained applause from the audience.

Foxman, who led the ADL for nearly three decades, made the comments while delivering an address at the 2025 Days of Remembrance, which was organized by the U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum in Washington.

Foxman also praised the Biden administration and the second Trump administration for each committing to addressing antisemitism. “We live in very chaotic times, where our values, our history, our democracy are being tested. As a survivor, I’m horrified at the explosion of antisemitism — global and in the U.S. I’m appreciative of President Biden’s historic initiative on antisemitism and thankful to President Trump’s strong condemnation of antisemitism and his promise to bring back consequences to antisemitic behavior,” Foxman said.

“We look around us and what do we see? Rampant antisemitism on college campuses and in cities worldwide in the aftermath of that horrific terror attack on our cherished Jewish state, Israel. We see social media algorithms that promote extreme views, conspiracy theories,” Foxman continued, adding that “online conspiracy theories are just one click away from antisemitism.”

“We also see forms of antisemitism that seemed unthinkable: Holocaust denial, distortion, civilization, exploitation and even glorification. We look around and see here in America antisemitism on both the far left and far right. The 20th-century history of Nazism and communism should be an alarm bell as to just how dangerous this is, and not just for us Jews, but for all of society, for all who care about democracy, individual freedom and dignity,” he said.

Foxman also noted that the scourge in domestic antisemitism was reminiscent of how Jew hatred worsened for years prior to Adolf Hitler’s rise to power. “Antisemitism [is] not so different from the conspiracy theories that permeated Europe for centuries, long before Hitler was born and helped make the killings of two-thirds of our people possible,” he said.
The ACLU’s Egregiously Dishonest Attack on CAMERA for Exposing Georgetown Academics
Double standards are anathema to civil liberties. Yet the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU), which claims to protect the latter, instead exemplifies the former. Consider its recent attacks on CAMERA.

The ACLU has been a leading voice advancing the narrative that the Jewish community uses charges of antisemitism to silence criticism of Israel. For example, in a 2023 letter, the ACLU wrote: “the clear objective behind the promotion of the IHRA definition [of antisemitism] is the suppression of non-violent protest, activism, and criticism of Israel and/or Zionism…”

Contrast this with the ACLU of Virginia’s defense strategy for its client Badar Khan Suri, a Georgetown University academic facing deportation. In short, the ACLU has resorted to accusations of anti-Muslim and anti-Palestinian bigotry to suppress activism against and criticism of terrorism.

In court documents and public statements, the ACLU claims that Suri and his Palestinian-American wife, Mapheze Saleh, have been targeted because of their “Muslim religion” and Saleh’s “national origin.”[1] In this regard, the ACLU singles out CAMERA, calling it a “group that spreads misinformation and seeks to discredit American Muslims.” According to the ACLU, CAMERA was a leading player in the “racist and Islamophobic doxxing” and “smear campaigns” that led to Suri being detained by immigration authorities.

What is the ACLU’s evidence of CAMERA’s anti-Muslim and anti-Palestinian motivations? None is provided.

Unable to contend with the evidence CAMERA uncovered regarding the histories of both Suri and Saleh, the ACLU resorted to a cynical — and exceedingly hypocritical — smear to misdirect both the court and the public.

To comprehend the level of the ACLU’s dishonesty, it’s worth exploring the other ways in which the once well-respected organization resorted to lies, omissions, and rhetorical sleights of hand to mislead both the court and the public.

In February, CAMERA exposed that Saleh, the daughter of a senior Hamas official, had herself worked with entities directly tied to Hamas, a designated terrorist organization. Shortly after, another organization, Middle East Forum, exposed several reprehensible social media posts by her husband, Suri. In March, Suri, an Indian national, was detained by immigration authorities and now faces deportation. Further research by CAMERA uncovered evidence that Suri had participated in a 2010-2011 “convoy” organized by a terrorist organization, IHH[2], for the purpose of aiding Hamas. CAMERA also uncovered years of public statements by Saleh and Suri spreading hate-filled rhetoric and propaganda.

So how does the ACLU mislead?

Start with one of the more egregious sleights of hand. In its court filings, the ACLU almost never uses the word “Hamas,” instead referring to the “Gazan government.” This enables a series of deceptive claims, going beyond the obvious effort to sanitize the terrorist backgrounds of Suri’s family.


Dem Senator Visits Detained Columbia Activist Who Said He 'Can Empathize' With Hamas's Decision To Massacre Jews
Sen. Peter Welch (D., Vt.) visited detained Columbia University activist Mohsen Mahdawi on Monday, calling him a "friend" and praising his work with "Jewish brothers and sisters" on Columbia's campus. In the wake of Oct. 7, Mahdawi said he could "empathize" with Hamas's decision to launch the attack and used a siren to drown out pro-Israel students protesting for the release of Israeli child hostages.

Mahdawi, who, like fellow Columbia activist Mahmoud Khalil, saw the Trump administration revoke his green card, is at an immigration facility in Vermont as he fights his deportation. Welch released a video of their Monday meeting at the facility, during which he described Mahdawi as a "friend from the Upper Valley," commended him for "staying so positive despite your circumstances," and asked him to describe how he has "worked with some of your Jewish brothers and sisters at Columbia."

"Most of my partners at Columbia's campus and beyond are Jews and Israelis," Mahdawi said. "My work has been centered on peacemaking, and all what I am doing, I am being a human."

Some Columbia students, who spoke on background to describe Mahdawi's campus activism candidly, told a different story. They told the Washington Free Beacon that Mahdawi was friendly with some Jewish students—including pro-Israel ones—a few years ago through his involvement with a campus Buddhist club. But those relationships soured after Oct. 7, the students said, when Mahdawi became focused on denouncing Israel and showed a reluctance to condemn Hamas.

When pro-Israel activists on campus called for the terror organization to release the child hostages it took during the attack, for example, Mahdawi blared a loud alarm that drowned out the speakers. He has also criticized Columbia for allowing Israeli students who served in the military to attend and called on the school to boycott the Jewish state.

Mahdawi praised three terrorist leaders in the Al Qassam Martyrs' Brigade who were killed, including his "cousin," a prominent field commander whom he called a "fierce resistance fighter," the Free Beacon reported.

"Here is Mesra who offers his soul as a sacrifice for the homeland and for the blood of the martyrs as a gift for the victory of Gaza and in defense of the dignity of his homeland and his people against the vicious Israeli occupation in the West Bank," wrote Mahdawi in an Instagram post.
Mark Levin Destroys MSNBC's Defense of Mahmoud Khalil
Mark Levin exposes green card holder and Hamas supporter Mahmoud Khalil, who allegedly lied on his student visa and has ties to the Iranian regime and Hamas. This video dives into Khalil’s connections to terrorism and Iran, and the Biden administration’s failure to protect national security, and the media’s disturbing defense of extremism under the guise of the First Amendment. For some reason, MSNBC is fighting tooth and nail against his deportation.




Cornell Drops Spring Concert Headliner Kehlani After Uproar Over Singer's Anti-Semitic Statements
Cornell University has dropped Kehlani as the headliner of its annual spring concert after the R&B singer's anti-Semitic statements caused an uproar among students and parents, the Ivy League school's president, Michael Kotlikoff, announced Wednesday.

Kotlikoff said Kehlani's selection "has injected division and discord into Slope Day" and prompted "grave concerns from our community that many are angry, hurt, and confused that Slope Day would feature a performer who has espoused antisemitic, anti-Israel sentiments in performances, videos, and on social media."

"For that reason," Kotlikoff said, "I am rescinding Kehlani's invitation and expect a new lineup for a great 2025 Slope Day to be announced shortly." Cornell president Michael Kotlikoff's latest Slope Day statement.

The move comes just days after Kotlikoff expressed concern over Kehlani's long history of pro-terror rhetoric but said it was "too late to secure another performer that will be acceptable or appropriate for Slope Day." The annual concert marks the end of the school year and often features A-list artists, who are paid handsomely thanks to a Student Activities Fee that is mandatory for all undergraduates.

Cornell announced Kehlani as the Slope Day headliner on April 10, just two days after White House officials confirmed they had frozen more than $1 billion in funding to the school amid a civil rights probe into campus anti-Semitism. What is traditionally a celebratory event quickly turned into a controversial one as campus groups like Cornellians for Israel expressed shock over Kehlani's activism. The singer posted a series of Instagram videos last May, for example, in which she attacked musical artists who did not publicly condemn Israel. "It's fuck Israel, it's fuck Zionism, and it's also fuck a lot of y'all too," she said. Days later, she released the music video for her single "Next 2 U," which opened with a graphic reading, "Long live the Intifada." Kehlani has made similar pro-terror statements in Instagram posts reading, "DISMANTLE ISRAEL. ERADICATE ZIONISM," "There is only one solution, intifada revolution," "Long live resistance in all of its forms," and, "No one should feel comfortable or safe until Zionism is extinguished."


Yale Derecognizes Students for Justice in Palestine Chapter After Group Blocks Jewish Students' Access to Parts of Campus
Yale University stripped the school's Students for Justice in Palestine (SJP) chapter, Yalies4Palestine, of its status as a recognized student group on Wednesday after it established a short-lived encampment. The decision may give insight into how Yale president Maurie McInnis, who called the police to arrest student protesters in her last job, will combat anti-Israel agitators at the Ivy League university.

In a Wednesday afternoon statement, Yale revealed that university staff had warned Yalies4Palestine the day before the encampment that "further violations would jeopardize the group’s privileges" during a meeting about prior infractions. The encampment, the statement said, violated Yale's "time, place, and manner policies." It also pointed to "disturbing antisemitic conduct at the gathering," which may refer to video of anti-Israel agitators blocking Jewish students from accessing campus space.

"Because Yalies4Palestine has flagrantly violated the rules to which the Yale College Dean’s Office holds all registered student organizations, Yale College today notified Yalies4Palestine that the College is withdrawing its status as a registered student organization," the university wrote in a statement. "Concerns have been raised about disturbing antisemitic conduct at the gathering. The university is investigating those concerns, as harassment and discrimination are antithetical to learning and scholarship. Yale condemns antisemitism and will hold those who violate our policies accountable through our disciplinary processes."

Yalies4Palestine established the encampment on Beinecke Plaza around 8 p.m. Tuesday, disbanded less than four hours later, and promised to protest Israeli national security minister Itamar Ben-Gvir’s visit to New Haven. Yale said the agitators would face "immediate disciplinary action."

During the encampment, the protesters set up eight tents and chanted, "Disclose, divest, we will not stop, we will not rest."

"We’re here, and we’re staying the night," an organizer announced to the crowd.

Around 200 keffiyeh-clad protesters had gathered in the center of campus by 9:30 p.m., formed a circle around the encampment, and chanted, "We will honor all our martyrs." They prevented at least three Jewish students from entering the area, shined a light in their faces, and called one "scum," according to videos posted to X.


Nessel’s office mum on reason for FBI raids in Ypsilanti, Canton, Ann Arbor
Officials have confirmed at least three raids in and around Washtenaw County but have yet to say why the raids occurred.

Law enforcement executed search warrants in Ann Arbor, Ypsilanti and Canton on Wednesday, April 23, Danny Wimmer, spokesperson for the Michigan Attorney General’s office, said.

One raid took place around 8:30 a.m. in the 200 block of North Summit Street in Ypsilanti. A second raid took place in the 50000 block of Scarborough Road in Canton, with roughly 20 people gathered outside around 10:40 a.m.

It is unclear where in Ann Arbor the other raid took place. The Ann Arbor Police Department was involved in the investigation, police spokesman Chris Page said.

“The investigation is related to reported crimes committed in the City of Ann Arbor as well as other jurisdictions,” he said.

Wimmer did not confirm if there were multiple warrants being executed in each jurisdiction.

The TAHRIR Coalition, a pro-Palestinian advocacy group, asked members to go to the Canton and Ypsilanti homes in a statement released Wednesday morning. The group alleged that the raid is targeting protesters who support Palestine amid the war in Gaza.

Wimmer did not confirm if the warrants are related to pro-Palestinian activism.

“We’re not discussing the nature of the investigation at this time,” Wimmer told MLive/The Ann Arbor News.


Jewish members of moderate teaching union alarmed as far-left figure named leader
Jewish members of one of the biggest and more moderate teachers unions have expressed alarm at the appointment of former Fire Brigades Union (FBU) chief Matt Wrack as their new general secretary.

Wrack, who once described the crisis in Labour under Jeremy Corbyn’s leadership as “the so-called furore about so-called antisemitism” has been confirmed as general secretary of the NASUWT, which has a substantial Jewish membership.

His appointment, as the first leader in its history to have never been a qualified teacher or lecturer, means that alongside the National Education Union (NEU) both of the country’s two teaching unions are now under far-left leadership.

The hard-left general secretary of the National Education Union has sparked fury within the community with his stance on Israel and Palestine, including a call to globalise the “intifada” in a speech.

“Jewish teachers who are members of the NASUWT will be rightly concerned by a general secretary who played a leading role in downplaying antisemitism in the Labour Party, ” Russell Langer, director of communications at the Jewish Leadership Council told Jewish News.

“At a time where Jewish teachers are dealing with a frightening rise in antisemitism in the workplace they deserve a union leader who will prioritise their welfare.”

Labour MP Luke Akehurst added:”It is disappointing that the executive of NASUWT has gifted a political resurrection to Matt Wrack with an uncontested election of a union leader represeting a profession he has never been a member of just months after lost a democratic election in the FBU.

“I know many Jewish teachers who had first quit the NUT then the NEU and moved to the NASUWT because of the politics of the former two unions.

“I hope Mr Wrack does not drag the NASUWT into militancy aimed at undermining a Labour government or into NEU style visceral anti-Zionism.”

Jewish News understands there are over 1,000 Jewish members of the National Association of Schoolmasters Union of Women Teachers (NASUWT) union, which has attempted to adopt a neutral political stance under previous leaders.

But because of support he received from left-wing members of the union’s executive, Wrack was confirmed as the new general secretary on Tuesday.
Revealed: The Pro-Palestine teachers pushing Gaza agenda to colleagues or their pupils in Britain's schools
A primary school teacher who shared a conspiracy theory on Facebook that Mossad were behind the 9/11 attacks has shown pupils a video which accuses Israel of apartheid to 'educate them'.

The case of Nazia Abassi is just one example unearthed by a Mail investigation that has discovered far-Left teachers proudly claiming to be sharing pro-Palestine materials in their schools.

Others have taken part in hardline campaigns and protests against Israel.

It comes after the National Education Union, Britain's largest teaching union, last week backed a motion accusing Israel of 'apartheid' and vowed to produce school resources that 'raise awareness' of the situation in Palestine.

And NEU members in east London organised a conference last year called How To Talk About Palestine In Our Schools. Our investigation shows:

A maths teacher standing for election to the NEU's governing body declared that he has introduced 'solidarity actions' in west London schools in support of Palestine;
Several teachers have re-posted hard-Left articles on social media, including one from Socialist Worker which justified Hamas's October 7 terror attack, saying: 'The Palestinian people have every right to respond in any way they choose to the violence that the Israeli state metes out to them every day.'
A religious education teacher in south-west London called the Hamas atrocity a 'justified act of resistance' and wrote that Hamas had 'committed no crime'.


18 Months Later, the BBC Still Won’t Tell the Truth About Gaza’s Al-Ahli Hospital
Early on the morning of April 13, 2025, the BBC News website published a report by Rushdi Abualouf, who is described as a “Gaza correspondent” despite his not having been located in the Gaza Strip for well over a year.

The original version of that report was titled “Gaza hospital hit by Israeli strike, Hamas says.” That headline was subsequently amended to read “Gaza hospital hit by Israeli strike, Hamas-run health ministry says” and it was later changed again to promote a theme previously seen in BBC reporting: “Israeli air strike destroys part of last functioning hospital in Gaza City.”

Later in the day, that headline was changed yet again and its messaging toned down:

The report relates to a strike conducted, following evacuation orders, on a Hamas command and control center located in a building within the al Ahli hospital compound. Earlier versions told BBC audiences that:
An Israeli air strike has destroyed part of Al-Ahli Baptist Hospital, the last functioning hospital in Gaza City.

Witnesses said the strike destroyed the intensive care and surgery departments of the hospital.

Video posted online appeared to show huge flames and smoke rising from the hospital after missiles hit a two-story building. People, including some patients still in hospital beds, were filmed rushing away from the site.

The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) said the hospital contained a “command and control center used by Hamas.” No casualties were reported, according to Gaza’s civil emergency service.

None of the versions of Abualouf’s report inform BBC audiences that three rockets were launched by Hamas towards Israeli communities from the Gaza Strip on the afternoon of April 12th or that, on the evening of the same day, as Israelis celebrated Passover, another rocket attack took place.


Media ignore Hamas’s criminality, promote anti-Israel narrative instead
When Columbia University student Mohsen Mahdawi was arrested by U.S. immigration authorities last week, The New York Times and other mainstream media described him as a “Palestinian activist,” ignoring his support for the U.S.-designated terror group Hamas or his participation in illegal protest activities on the group’s behalf.

Indeed, such downplaying of Hamas’s criminal role in the current Gaza war appears to be a conscious strategy by many media when covering the conflict, such as stories on aid distribution, battles in and around hospitals, death counts and lawbreaking on U.S. college campuses.

We have to ask: “Why?”

What seems clear is that if “progressive” editorial staff at major media were to acknowledge the terror group’s cruel, murderous and criminal behavior, it would taint their preferred Gaza narrative. These journalists promote a storyline in which the Palestinians and their supporters are the “good guys,” while Israel and its supporters are the bad guys. Honest news reporting on the Hamas terrorist organization, which openly acknowledges its determination to kill Jews and destroy the Jewish state, discredits their agenda, so legacy media “cleanse” their stories to avoid mentioning them.

Media that downplay Hamas when covering the Gaza war are essentially providing cover for and abetting terrorist enemies of Israel and the United States—the very definition of a treasonous “fifth column.” It’s as if journalists covering World War II whitewashed the role of the Nazis, or simply failed to mention them.

Mainstream media conceal Hamas’s role in commandeering humanitarian aid. When reporting on the humanitarian situation in Gaza, media outlets such as BBC, NBC and NPR fail to disclose Hamas’s theft of aid, only mentioning the terrorist group in other contexts, such as their refusal to extend the ceasefire that expired on March 1.

Instead, the media blames Israel and its supporters for the worsening humanitarian situation in Gaza. The London-based Guardian, for instance, accused “far-right figures” in the Israeli government of halting aid. CNN blamed the Trump administration, saying that the pressure the Biden administration put on Israel to allow humanitarian aid into Gaza “has all but vanished under the Trump administration.”

Legacy media downplay Hamas’s criminal use of hospitals as military bases. Throughout the war in Gaza, the Israel Defense Forces have been forced to attack several hospitals in the Gaza Strip because Hamas uses them as bases to store weapons, direct terrorist operations, and even hold hostages they kidnapped during the massacre in southern Israel on Oct. 7, 2023. The media bury this inconvenient detail, often mentioning it simply as an unconfirmed Israeli accusation.

For example, after the IDF attacked a Hamas command-and-control center in Al-Ahli Hospital in Gaza City, CNN published an article saying that the IDF “had struck ‘a command-and-control center used by Hamas’ in an attack without offering proof.” Similarly, an NBC article absurdly stated, “The Israeli military said that the compound was used by terrorists ‘to plan and execute terror attacks,’ without providing evidence,” as if facts provided by the world’s most moral army are inherently suspect.
Exposed: CBS News Caught Deleting Hamas Propaganda on ‘Martyrs’ & ‘Israeli Aggression’ from Website
It was right there, on their website. For all to see. Evidence that a major American news outlet — one with prestige, resources, and supposedly rigorous editorial standards — had quietly published, almost word-for-word, what can only be described as a press release from a designated terrorist organization.

Earlier this month, CBS News ran a story about an alleged Israeli airstrike on a school in Gaza. The headline set the tone: “Israeli strike on Gaza school allegedly kills 31 Palestinians, many kids, but IDF says it hit Hamas.”

Already, the usual red flags: a suspiciously specific death toll, immediate emphasis on children among the casualties, and of course, the requisite skepticism toward the IDF’s explanation — all paired with the now-standard framing of an aggressive Israel recklessly targeting civilians, rather than Hamas.

According to CBS, the death toll was sourced from the “Civil Defense rescue agency in Gaza,” which in turn cited medical records from Al-Ahli Hospital — the same hospital that, just days after CBS published its report, was revealed to contain a Hamas operations center inside the facility. That’s right: inside the hospital. Just to give you an idea of the reliability of the sources CBS deems fit to cite.

And yet, rather than question the reliability of medical records emerging from a Hamas-controlled war zone — or pause to consider the well-documented strategy of placing multiple command centers in civilian institutions — CBS instead cast doubt on the IDF. Why? Because the IDF had issued similar warnings the day before, when targeting a different Hamas site. Apparently, the editorial team at CBS finds it hard to believe that a terror group that has ruled Gaza with an iron grip for nearly two decades might operate more than one military facility embedded in civilian infrastructure.

We know. Shocking. Almost as if tunnel networks, human shields, and base duplication are all part of Hamas’ war strategy.

But the real giveaway came in a line CBS quietly scrubbed from its article after publication — with no correction, no note, no admission. The line that read: “The death toll of the Israeli aggression has risen to 50,609 martyrs.”

Yes, really. “Martyrs.” And “Israeli aggression.” Directly lifted from Hamas propaganda.




'Sons of dogs, release the hostages,' Mahmoud Abbas tells Hamas
Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas called on "sons of dogs" Hamas to "hand over the hostages" in a televised speech at the PA's Central Council on Wednesday.

Abbas added that the "war must end," citing that hundreds are dying every day because "[Hamas] doesn't want to hand over the American hostages. Sons of dogs - hand over the hostages and end the matter."

Abbas said the goals are "Returning the hostages; lifting the Israeli blockade of Gaza; stopping the displacement of our people in coordination with Arab countries; defending the 'Palestinian cause.'"

He also stressed that "Hamas must end its control of the Gaza Strip and hand over its weapons to the Palestinian Authority."

Abbas also called on Hamas to turn itself into a political party, saying "talk to us instead of the Americans."

'New Nakba'
He also condemned Israel's actions during the war, saying, "The coup carried out by Hamas in 2007 gave Israel a pretext to destroy the Gaza Strip. 2,165 families were completely wiped out, and 6,664 were partially wiped out. More than two-thirds of the homes were destroyed in the war."

"We are facing serious dangers that could lead to a 'new Nakba,'" he added.

"Our vision for achieving peace in the Middle East is based on ending the Israeli occupation and establishing a state."


The U.S. Should Not Sell Weapons to Turkey
Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan recently declared Ankara would purchase an estimated $20 billion in American spare parts, ammunition, and electronics for its military. Turkey wants more than just spare parts. It wants to be re-admitted to the small club of countries that can purchase the advanced F-35 jet fighter. Turkey was booted from the program in 2019 for purchasing the Russian-made S-400 air defense system, defying explicit warnings from the Trump administration.

Turkey never relinquished the system, so Washington should deny this request.

The Trump administration slapped sanctions on Turkey in 2020. Trump wielded the Countering America's Adversaries Through Sanctions Act (CAATSA), which penalizes foreign governments that make significant defense purchases from Russia. Turkey's acquisition of the Russian-made S-400 system was a clear-cut case.

There are only 20 countries in the F-35 club right now. America and 19 close allies benefit from the world's most advanced jet fighter. The partners include Australia, South Korea, the United Kingdom, Israel, Italy, the Netherlands, Denmark, and Norway. Admission to this club is perhaps the ultimate sign of trust between Washington and its best partners.

Turkey is a NATO ally, but it does not deserve to be included in this exclusive club. The problems go far beyond Turkey's acquisition of the S-400. And Hakan Fidan, the man currently wooing Washington, is at the center of those problems.

Before becoming foreign minister, Fidan headed Turkey's intelligence agency (MIT) from 2010 to 2023. During that time, Fidan steered Turkey away from its Western alliances, aligning it instead with Islamist regimes and extremist movements.

Fidan was central to making Turkey a safe haven for Hamas. Beginning in 2011, he enabled the group to operate on Turkish soil—raising funds, recruiting, and coordinating attacks against Israel. Hamas reportedly received a Turkish pledge of $300 million in 2011, and today maintains offices in Ankara and Istanbul with access to Turkish leadership, including President Recep Tayyip Erdogan. On October 7, as Hamas carried out its slaughter of 1,200 Israeli civilians, Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh reportedly celebrated from Turkey.

Fidan's record extends beyond Hamas. Turkey became a strong advocate of the Muslim Brotherhood, allowing the Islamist movement to establish institutional presence in Turkey. Ankara championed the Muslim Brotherhood government under Mohamed Morsi in Egypt before its downfall in 2014.


Amid Nuclear Negotiations, Iran Quietly Builds Security Perimeter Around Suspected New Uranium Enrichment Site: Watchdog Report
Iran is quietly building a security perimeter around what is believed to be a new uranium enrichment site, fortifying the mountain base surrounding the facility to protect from a potential attack, according to a new investigation by a nuclear watchdog group.

Satellite imagery analyzed by the Institute for Science and International Security, a nonproliferation research organization, indicates that Iran is constructing yet another centrifuge assembly plant close to its Natanz nuclear facility, which is buried deep within Tehran’s mountainous terrain to safeguard it from a military strike. Western intelligence suggests the site has both the floor space and depth to house a secret enrichment facility capable of producing fuel for a nuclear bomb, according to experts who reviewed the latest findings.

The new security perimeter is being erected around Iran’s Mt. Kolang Gaz La, which is located just south of the Natanz enrichment facility long suspected of housing key portions of Tehran’s atomic weapons program. According to the institute’s findings (published publicly on Wednesday), "the multi-peaked mountain contains a new, large, deeply buried tunnel complex and a separate, smaller one dating to 2007"—neither of which have been publicly acknowledged by Tehran or inspected by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA).

The discovery underscores the complexity of fresh U.S. efforts to roll back Tehran’s nuclear program through diplomatic talks. Amid the negotiations, supporters of the Trump administration’s "maximum pressure" sanctions campaign have raised concerns over a series of mixed messages regarding Iran's future ability to enrich uranium under a prospective deal. Even with a deal, it is possible for Iran to continue conducting this work in secret at undeclared sites, like the one discovered near Natanz.

"This development underscores why Iran cannot retain uranium enrichment, centrifuges, or associated infrastructure under any new Iran nuclear deal, and why the IAEA needs anywhere, anytime access to ensure the end of Tehran's nuclear weapons program," said Andrea Stricker, a veteran nonproliferation expert and research fellow at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies think tank. "If Iran won't agree to such terms, Washington and Jerusalem need to be prepared to remove the threat militarily."

Iran’s effort to secretly build out and fortify the enrichment site suggests it is concerned about potential military action from the United States and Israel. President Donald Trump reportedly waived a strike on Tehran’s nuclear facilities as negotiations continue. Israel, however, is still mulling an attack, according to the Times of Israel.

The new site reviewed by the institute appears to be dug even deeper than Iran’s Fordow fuel enrichment plant, another key nuclear facility located anywhere from 60 to 90 meters below ground. The location near Mt. Kolang Gaz La could reach 100 meters or more, limiting the effectiveness of bunker buster bombs designed to penetrate subterranean outposts.

The rush to build a security zone around the area suggests Tehran is worried about an Israeli ground assault—similar to the one commandos carried out in January at an Iran-controlled missile plant in Syria.


Ukraine opens criminal case against three men who performed Nazi salutes at Holocaust memorial
Ukrainian authorities have opened a criminal case after three young men were seen performing Nazi salutes at the Holocaust memorial in Drobytsky Yar, near Kharkiv, Ukrainian media reported on Wednesday.

The incident, which took place at the site of a mass execution of Jews during the Holocaust, is being investigated by law enforcement in the Kharkiv region. According to the Main Department of the National Police, a pre-trial investigation has been launched into the desecration.

The case has been registered under Part 1 of Article 436-1 of Ukraine's Criminal Code, which prohibits the production, distribution, and promotion of Nazi and communist symbols, as well as propaganda of totalitarian regimes. The article carries a penalty of up to five years' imprisonment, with or without confiscation of property.

Authorities are currently working to identify the individuals involved and hold them accountable.


Memorial desecrated
The United Jewish Community of Ukraine also reported on the incident, stating that three young men had desecrated the Drobytsky Yar memorial with a Nazi gesture.

Drobytsky Yar is a major Holocaust memorial site where more than 16,000 Jews were murdered by the Nazis in December 1941. The site stands as a symbol of remembrance for victims of the Holocaust in eastern Ukraine.


Vienna remembers the Holocaust with music
Several performances in memory of the Holocaust are being staged this season at the Vienna Volksoper opera house, which itself fell victim to the tragic events.

When Israeli conductor Omer Meir Wellber, then chief conductor of the Dresden Opera, first heard Viktor Ullmann’s chamber opera The Kaiser of Atlantis, he was struck by the work’s consonance with Mozart’s Requiem. He found a book about Ullmann, who had composed music when he was a prisoner in the Theresienstadt concentration camp.

“I was amazed that this man, while in Theresienstadt in 1942-1943, dared to write an opera in which he openly spoke out against the inhumane incitement of war and totalitarianism” Wellber said.

“Ullmann directed the orchestra in the camp’s musical theater and staged this opera there. Of course, the Nazis understood the allegory directed against Hitler and ultimately sent the composer and all the musicians to Auschwitz. But they left one artist alive – the performer who played the role of Death,” the conductor said.

“This story touched me from a dramatic point of view, and I thought, ‘Who composed the most famous music about death?’ Of course, Mozart. He composed Requiem in 1791 in the face of death, and death interrupted his work,” Wellber said.

“I have no doubt that Ullmann knew what a risk he was taking by composing his Kaiser of Atlantis. Here, too, life fights with death – and ultimately death wins. That’s how the idea of combining the two works came to me.”

The implementation of the idea took three years. “At first, I composed several of my own transitional pieces between the two works,” he said, “but then I realized that they were not needed, and I took music from the works themselves for the transitions. I was surprised at how it all sounded so organic, like a single whole.”
Andrew Garfield and the Holocaust films he never knew were part of his life
There have been many, many episodes of Who Do You Think You Are? but the most recent with Andrew Garfield is much more than just another celebrity genealogy hour – it’s a quiet masterpiece, or at least that’s how it felt to me.

Twice Oscar nominated and, in my view, the obvious winner in 2021 for his portrayal of Jonathan Larson in the musical biopic, Tick, Tick..Boom! Garfield is always emotionally authentic – and never more so than on this journey to discover more about his family.

Soulful from the start, Garfield talked about losing his mother, Lynn in 2019, whom he openly and often weeps for publicly, and did so again here. But for the programme he explores his paternal lineage through father Richard, which not only reveals a powerful and painful past,but connects him directly to the real-life protagonists in two other films: The Pianist and Monument Men.

It was great-grandfather Ludwik who changed the family name from Garfinkel to Garfield, after emigrating to London in 1910 from Poland, specifically the town of Kielce, where the actor starts his journey of discovery – with the help of the incredible researchers who continue to provide guests with the privilege of unearthing their roots.

Andrew Garfield acknowledges the privilege throughout, offering heartfelt reflections and on-screen reactions as he learns more about the Nazi invasion of Kielce in 1939, the forcing of 25,000 Jews into a ghetto and subsequent liquidation that saw most of the inhabitants deported to Treblinka where they were murdered. Among this tragic exodus were three of Garfield’s great aunts —Szajndla, Dworja, and Basia—and he says their names as he honours their memory with stones placed on the Kielce monument, one of hundreds that stand in place of the concentration camp which the Nazis destroyed to eliminate evidence.

Garfield is so overwhelmed at this point, one imagines the crew offered comfort as he cuts a solitary figure in the bleak surroundings, while constantly reminding himself and us, how his aunts were young innocent women who just wanted to live.

Connecting one of today’s most sensitive actors to some of history’s darkest hours is distressing to see, but within the sorrow there is relief when Garfield discovers that his great-great-grandmother had escaped to Brazil in 1936 to join her daughter who had married into the family of musician Władysław Szpilman whose life story inspired the film The Pianist and a performance that earned Adrian Brody Best actor Oscar in 2003.
Herzog to lead March of the Living with freed hostages
Israeli President Isaac Herzog will travel to Poland on Thursday to lead the 2025 March of the Living at the former Auschwitz-Birkenau concentration and extermination camp, marking 80 years since the liberation of the Nazi death camps and the end of World War II.

This year’s march, taking place on Israel’s Holocaust Remembrance Day (Yom Hashoah), will feature 80 survivors aged 80 to 97, including survivors of multiple death camps and children who were hidden during the war. They will be joined by a delegation of 10 Israelis recently freed from Hamas captivity in Gaza, bereaved families, relatives of hostages still held, victims of terrorism, and representatives of Israel’s high-tech sector.

The former hostages participating in the march are Agam Berger, Hagar Brodutch, Chen Goldstein-Almog, Ori Megidish, Almog Meir Jan, Gadi Moses, Raaya Rotem, Eli Sharabi, Keith Siegel and Moran Stella Yanai.

They will be joined by family members of those murdered or still held captive, including the parents of Omer Shem-Tov; the parents of Hanan Yablonka and Ofir Tzarfati, both murdered and abducted to Gaza; the widow of Ron Binyamin; relatives of Shani Louk and Tomer Achimas, whose bodies were retrieved; Daniel Weiss of Kibbutz Be’eri, whose parents were killed or taken hostage; and Holocaust survivors who are grandparents of current hostages.

The delegation is being coordinated by the Hostages and Missing Persons Department in the Prime Minister’s Office.

Before the march, Herzog will meet with Polish President Andrzej Duda in Oświęcim to discuss bilateral cooperation, antisemitism and ongoing efforts to secure the release of hostages held by Hamas. The two leaders will deliver joint press statements, lay a wreath at the Black Wall in Auschwitz, and tour the permanent Israeli Holocaust exhibit in Block 27. They will also meet with youth delegations from Israel and Poland.

The march will begin at 1 p.m. Poland time, and Herzog will deliver an address during the central memorial ceremony at Birkenau at 3:30 p.m., alongside Duda and the Holocaust survivors. Among the participants will be Aliza Wittis-Shomron, who fought in the Warsaw Ghetto, and Merrill Eisenhower Atwater, great-grandson of Gen. Dwight D. Eisenhower, who will march with survivors liberated by Allied forces, including Rabbi Israel Meir Lau, a former chief rabbi of Israel and chairman of Yad Vashem, who is a survivor of Buchenwald.
Main lesson of Holocaust is to fight fanatical regimes that threaten whole world, Netanyahu
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's convoy was delayed prior to his arrival for the official ceremony for Holocaust Remembrance Day at Yad Vashem due to the suspicion of an unidentified drone in the area, the Prime Minister's Office announced on Wednesday.

Once the suspicion was ruled out, the convoy continued on its way, the statement said.

Netanyahu made a fiery speech at Wednesday night's Holocaust Remembrance Day ceremony at Yad Vashem, comparing comparison between the Nazis and Hamas, and framing his calls for military victory as part of a historic path of rebirth following the murder of six million Jews.

"They are exactly like the Nazis. Like Hitler. Like Haman. They wish to kill and destroy all of the Jews," said Netanyahu. "It's not going to happen. We are going to annihilate these Hamas monsters."

"We will fight vigorously against the fanatical regimes that threaten the entire world. Doing this is the main lesson from the Holocaust," he said.

Holocaust Remembrance Day was a milestone in the path to destroying those that seek to eliminate us, said Netanyahu, comparing Hamas and their actions to those of the Nazis and the Holocaust.

Netanyahu said that he had been moved to tears when meeting Holocaust survivors this week, just as he was moved when during a diplomatic mission in Hungary. He had visited the bank of the Danube river, where a memorial of bronze shoes commemorated the murder of Hungarian Jews, executed and cast into the river.
Celebrities Help ‘Spotlight’ Holocaust Survivors, Their Testimonies in New NYC Portrait Exhibit
A new portrait series and exhibition that opened in New York City on Tuesday showcases Holocaust survivors paired up with some of the most notable figures in media, fashion, and entertainment, in an effort to preserve survivor testimonies and amplify their stories, as well as to help combat antisemitism.

The portraits in “Borrowed Spotlight,” which is on display at the Detour Gallery, were captured by South African-born, renowned fashion photographer Bryce Thompson. They debuted ahead of Israel’s Holocaust Remembrance Day (Yom HaShoah), which begins on Wednesday night and marks 80 years since the end of World War II. The photographs feature portraits of survivors alongside prominent Jewish and non-Jewish figures such as Cindy Crawford, Jennifer Garner, Billy Porter, Wolf Blitzer, Chelsea Handler, Jenna Dewan, Barbara Corcoran, Nicola Peltz Beckham, Scooter Braun, David Schwimmer, Martha Hunt, Ashley Benson, Josh Peck, George Stephanopoulos, Sheryl Sandberg, and Julius Erving.

The recognizable names heard testimonies from the Holocaust survivor they were paired with and then posed for photographs together with the survivor. Several of the celebrities who participated in the project shared statements on social media about the experience, including Porter, Hunt and Dewan. A total of 18 celebrity and Holocaust survivor-paired portraits are in the series, and they were all taken by Thompson in 2023 and 2024. The exhibit features these large-scale portraits but also additional behind-the-scenes photos and other elements that aim to educate and inspire the public.

One section showcases notes written by some of the Holocaust survivors about life, hope, and reflection. In one such note that was on display, Holocaust survivor Risa Igelfeld, who is 107 years old, wrote: “I am writing this to urge the world to bring only positive thoughts to one another and let love flow.”

“Holocaust survivors are few and far between. Special people with special stories, and I really felt like they need to be told. [And] firsthand was really important to me,” Thompson, who is not Jewish, told the large crowd that attended the exhibit’s opening on Tuesday night. “Hearing a story from someone who has told a story is not the same as sitting in a room with someone who lived through something.”

Thompson told The Algemeiner he was originally hoping to only include non-Jewish celebrities in the portraits because “I wanted non-Jewish people standing up for Jewish people.” But once the project started, Jewish celebrities reached out to him and said they wanted to participate in the portrait series. He also admitted that he had a hard time getting some celebrities on board for the project.

“It wasn’t as easy as I had hoped, but the ones who did say ‘yes’ said [it] willingly and happily, and we were lucky to have them,” he said.
‘She lit up every room’: Holocaust survivor Eve Kugler dies, aged 94
Inspirational Shoah survivor Eve Kugler has died, aged 94.

A passionate Holocaust educator, German-born Eve had recently attended Jewish Care’s Holocaust Survivors’ Centre annual dinner, sharing memories as she sat beside fellow survivor Mala Tribich.

Born in 1931, Kugler was just seven years old when Nazis broke into her home on Kristallnacht, the Night of Broken Glass; hundreds of synagogues in Germany were set ablaze, Jewish homes, schools and shops vandalised and nearly 100 Jews murdered.

As reported by Jewish News, she recalled: “The Nazi soldiers came into our house, and I watched with my sister as they ransacked our home, and dragged my father and grandfather away in the middle of the night. That night the synagogue my grandfather helped build was burnt to the ground, while the fire brigade stood and watched.”

She escaped Nazi-occupied Europe to the United States in 1941, and worked as a journalist before moving to London in 1990 and marrying Simon Kugler, her second marriage, in 1991. She was awarded a BEM in 2019 for services to Holocaust education and spoke to thousands a year through the Holocaust Educational Trust.

She was immortalised in bronze by international sculptor Frances Segelman in June 2023 who today told Jewish News she was “so sorry to hear about the passing of Eve. She was such a fantastic lady. I’m so thrilled I managed to sculpt her.”

Writing in tribute, educational group March of the Living UK said: “The March of the Living family are devastated by the loss of our dear friend and Holocaust Survivor, Eve Kugler BEM z”l. Eve has been travelling to Poland with March of the Living UK since the very beginning.

“She has spoken to thousands of participants and her testimony has inspired generations. We have been privileged to accompany Eve back to her home town in Germany, to facilitate the laying of Stolpersteines for her family and we even took her on a historic visit to Dubai where she spoke on the anniversary of Kristallnacht.

“Apart from being the incredible educator she was, she was a friend and family to many of us. Her zest for life was infectious and she lit up every room she was in. There is an ache in our hearts that words cannot fill but our commitment to telling her story will remain at the forefront of everything we do.”
Holocaust Remembrance Day: Applying lessons to Israel's current war | Israel Undiplomatic
JNS senior contributing editor Ruthie Blum and former Israeli ambassador to the United Kingdom Mark Regev—both former advisers at the Prime Minister’s Office—unpack the haunting relevance of Yom HaShoah (Israel’s Holocaust Remembrance Day) in a post–Oct. 7 world. They explore the global surge in antisemitism since the Hamas massacre, including the shocking rise of Jew-hatred in immigrant-rich democracies like Australia and the United States.

Mark shares a deeply personal story of his father's Holocaust survival and the American soldiers who liberated him, prompting a critical discussion: Did the U.S. and the Allies do enough to save Europe's Jews? And is the West making the same mistakes now in confronting Iran?

The hosts debate Israel’s internal divisions over the war, the hostage dilemma and the country’s resolve to defeat Hamas. Most urgently, they sound the alarm: 2025 must be the year Israel dismantles Iran’s nuclear program—diplomatically or militarily.

Chapters
00:00 Holocaust Remembrance and Personal Reflections
02:51 The Rise of Anti-Semitism Post-October 7
05:50 The Role of the U.S. in WWII and Holocaust Remembrance
08:59 Divisions in Israeli Society During War
11:52 Historical Context: The Warsaw Ghetto Uprising
15:13 The Impact of Hostage Situations on National Security
18:09 The Moral Dilemma of Hostage Negotiations
21:02 The Broader Implications of Anti-Semitism
23:53 The Canary in the Coal Mine: Lessons from History
27:05 The Ongoing Battle Against Anti-Semitism
30:04 Iran's Nuclear Threat and Israel's Response






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This blog may be a labor of love for me, but it takes a lot of effort, time and money. For 20 years and 40,000 articles I have been providing accurate, original news that would have remained unnoticed. I've written hundreds of scoops and sometimes my reporting ends up making a real difference. I appreciate any donations you can give to keep this blog going.

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