The French capital’s ‘Beth Loubavitch’ center was bustling Thursday night, as Rabbi Zushe Wolff, Shliach in Eretz Yisroel, sat and led the community’s yearly Hei Teves farbrengen. Those in attendance also heard from France’s senior Shliach Rabbi Mendel Azimov. Images captured by photographer Mordechai Lubecki • Photos

Thousands packed into 770’s large shul for the annual central farbrengen in honor of the auspicious day of Hei Teves. Those gathered heard from Mara D’Asra Rabbi Yosef Yeshaya Braun, Rabbi Tzvi Telsner from Melbourne, Australia, Rabbi Shmerl Matusof of the Poconos, amongst others. The farbrengen eventually broke into joyous dance in celebration of the great victory of didan notzach. Images captured by photographer Dov Ber Hechtman • Photos

Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett and Health Minister Nitzan Horowitz ruled Thursday evening that the restrictions recently imposed on air travel will be extended for an additional ten days, starting from next Sunday. Under the restrictions, all travelers returning to Israel – regardless of their vaccination status – will be required to enter quarantine upon their arrival at home, under the orders of the Health Ministry Director-General • Full Story

New York City Police Commissioner Dermot Shea said that more than half of the skyrocketing hate crimes in New York City target Jewish and Asian residents, citing the “mass amounts” of people who land back on the streets since bail reform was passed • Full Story

An American court has rejected an appeal by the Russian government, upholding a court ruling that Russia must return thousands of books to the Chabad-Lubavitch movement. The thousands books which sit at the heart of the dispute are mainly found in the Lenin Library, in Moscow; and cataloged as the Schneerson Collection • Full Story

The vibes of the auspicious day of Hei Teves can already be palpably felt, as myriad chassidim come in and out of the doors of Beis Chayenu, stopping at one of the many tables set up to sell seforim. As people were snatching up their traditional Hei Teves bargains, photographer Dov Ber Hechtman was on scene capturing several unique moments • Photos

Read it for yourself. The following article appeared in the New York Times of January 7, 1987 (6 Teves 5747), the day after the historic ruling of the seforim on the auspicious day of Hei Teves: The question of who owns a valuable Jewish library of more than 40,000 books and manuscripts was decided yesterday • Full Article

Bochurim Eliyahu Ezagui and Bentzion Kuravsky went to Moscow’s Lenin Library, where they said Tehilim, gave Tzedaka and learned Tanya in order to hasten the redemption of the holy seforim from our Rebbeim which are currently in captivity in Russia. Local Shliach Rabbi Yitzchok Kogan told over recently by a farbrengen that he would go from time to time to the steps of the library and recite Tehillim • Photos

New York City will become the largest municipality in the country to allow legal residents to vote if the legislation is approved as expected in December • Full Story