Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan hosted a delegation of Rabbis and Shluchim from across the Muslim world into his palace at Ankara on Wednesday. The delegation was led by Rabbi Mendy Chitrik, Senior Shliach to Turkey, as well as the founder and director of the Alliance of Rabbis in Islamic States. The delegation used the opportunity to present the President with a special gift • Photos

The Israel Antiquities Authority announced Wednesday the discovery of remnants of two shipwrecks off the Mediterranean coast, replete with a sunken trove of hundreds Roman and medieval silver coins • Full Story

Rabbi Mendy Weinfeld, together with his wife Sari will be heading to Vienna to open a first of its kind Chabad house in the historical Austrian city. The couple will serve the city’s Hebrew speaking local community, as well as thousands of Israeli tourists that visit the city every year. This week, the COVID lockdown in Austria was lifted, allowing hotels and restaurants to reopen • Full Story

Judge Harriet Thompson, one of two elected judges serving in Surrogate’s Court in Kings County, has been relieved of her duties and is no longer allowed in nonpublic parts of the Johnson St. courthouse in Downtown Brooklyn, according to a memo from the Office of Court Administration Chief Administrative Judge Lawrence Marks. Judge Thompson is known in Lubavitch circles for ruling last spring in the highly contested 770 case against the gabboim • Full Story

Israeli forces foiled an attempted terrorist attack shortly before 8 pm on Tuesday night near the Jewish communities of Einav and Mevo Dotan, in the sector of the “Menashe” Regional Brigade. Both communities are located in the hills of Samaria • Full Story

The head of the Islamist party Mansour Abbas tells a Channel 12 conference that “Israel was born a Jewish state, that was the decision of the people, and the question is not what is the identity of the state — it was born this way and it will remain this way.” • Full Story

Governor Kathy Hochul today announced that all New Yorkers enrolled in the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) will receive the maximum allowable level of food benefits for December • Full Story

New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio said he’s committed to keeping the city open as it grapples with yet another spike in coronavirus cases • Full Story

Mayor-elect Eric Adams announced Tuesday he would postpone his planned Brooklyn inauguration ceremony at Kings Theatre amid a surge of COVID-19 cases. In a joint statement, Adams, incoming comptroller Brad Lander and reelected public advocate Jumaane Williams, who were also set to be sworn-in during the Jan. 1 event, said “their joint inauguration ceremony will be postponed to a later date in order to prioritize the health of all who were planning to attend, cover, and work on this major event” • Full Story

When Rabbi Berl Lazar arrived to Moscow for the first time 35 years ago, today’s magnificent  Marina Roscha Shul, a multiple floor massive community center, was but a distant dream. Marina Roscha of 5747 was but a small dilapidated shack, symbolizing the city’s need for a Jewish renaissance. The Moscow community  hosts a yearly dinner to honor its supporters, but this year’s dinner was combined with another special occasion, the sheva brachos of the Chief Rabbi’s daughter and son in law. Images captured by photographer Levi Nazimov • Full Story, Photos