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Alliance of Orthodox rabbis calls for immediate release of Evan Gershkovich

(JTA) — An umbrella association of American Orthodox rabbis is calling on the Russian government to release Evan Gershkovich, the imprisoned Jewish reporter for the Wall Street Journal.

The Rabbinical Alliance of America said in a statement on Sunday that Russia should “do immediate justice by releasing Evan Gershkovich.” The alliance, also known as the Igud HaRabbonim, says it represents more than 950 Orthodox rabbis, and makes frequent statements on public affairs in the U.S. and Israel.

Gershkovich, 31, who is the son of Jewish refugees from the Soviet Union, was arrested two months ago and charged with espionage, an accusation he, the Wall Street Journal and the United States government deny. Last week, his pretrial detention was extended until the end of August, and he faces a sentence of up to 20 years in a penal colony.

“As Americans, we condemn how our fellow citizen, Evan Gershkovich, has been unlawfully arrested and detained by Russian officials,” read a statement by the group’s executive vice president, Rabbi Mendy Mirocznik. “As Jews, we are offended by the apparent resurgence of governmental Russian antisemitism. As rabbis, we protest this injustice and demand that Russia does the just, moral thing and immediately frees Evan Gershkovich so he can safely return to his family.”

Jews in America and around the world have taken action to support Gershkovich since his arrest, with some reviving practices that recalled the movement to free Soviet Jewry during the Cold War. Earlier this month, the Jewish Federations of North America held a rally calling for his freedom.


The post Alliance of Orthodox rabbis calls for immediate release of Evan Gershkovich appeared first on Jewish Telegraphic Agency.

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French City Targeted With Antisemitic Graffiti, Threats, Sparking Outrage

The facade of the local office of the Representative Council of Jewish Institutions of France (CRIF) in Grenoble is defaced with antisemitic graffiti. Photo: Screenshot

French authorities have launched an investigation after antisemitic graffiti and death threats were discovered on several public buildings, prompting outrage from the local Jewish community as it continues to face relentless targeting amid a growing wave of antisemitism in France.

On Thursday, antisemitic and hateful slogans were scrawled on the local office of the Representative Council of Jewish Institutions of France (CRIF) — the main representative body of French Jews — in Grenoble, a city in southeastern France.

Unknown individuals also vandalized the offices of municipal candidate Hervé Gerbi, the former chair of CRIF’s Grenoble branch until 2024.

“I am aware that there are still voters to be convinced. The message written on the door of my office is an illustration of this. We must convince people that security is the first of freedoms and that secularism is our common good,” Gerbi said in a statement.

In this latest attack, the buildings were defaced with graffiti reading “A slow and painful death to every member of the CRIF,” “F–k the CRIF,” and “Goy Power,” a phrase linked to online white supremacist and antisemitic movements.

Local police have opened an investigation into the incident after Gerbi and CRIF filed a complaint, though no arrests have been made so far.

Yonathan Arfi, president of CRIF, strongly condemned the incident as part of an ongoing surge of anti-Jewish hate crimes that has only intensified since the start of the Israel-Hamas war in Gaza in October 2023.

“Hatred against Jews has become widespread. When will there be a response?” Arfi wrote in a post on X. “We will not let anyone intimidate the Jewish community in France.”

Éric Hattab, head of CRIF in the region, also condemned the incident, warning that many Jews — particularly younger members of the community — are considering leaving France amid the growing climate of hostility.

“It doesn’t scare me at all. If they’re trying to intimidate me, it’s a waste of time. I will continue my mission to serve the Jewish community in Grenoble without letting these threats and graffiti deter me,” Hattab said in a statement.

“Today, we hide our Jewish identity, no one wears a kippah anymore, we remove the mezuzah, we avoid being recognized,” he continued.

“Entering a synagogue wondering if there will be an attack is unprecedented and unbearable,” Hattab said, urging a nationwide stand against hatred.

In a press release, Grenoble Mayor Éric Piolle also condemned the incident, saying he was “deeply shocked” by such hatred.

“We must continue to fight this poison that is antisemitism with all our strength, without respite,” Piolle said.

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Omer Adam Opens Concert at Madison Square Garden With Tribute to Released Israeli Hostages, Thanks Trump

Omer Adam performing at Madison Square Garden on Oct. 19, 2025. Photo: Shiryn Ghermezian/The Algemeiner

Israeli-American pop singer Omer Adam performed a sold-out concert at Madison Square Garden in New York City on Sunday night and opened his show with a special tribute to the Israel Defense Forces (IDF), the Israeli hostages returning home from Hamas captivity in Gaza, and US President Donald Trump.

Before Adam came out on stage in front of 20,000 people, screens behind the stage showed footage from the Hamas-led terrorist attacks in southern Israel on Oct. 7, 2023, followed by videos and photos of IDF soldiers fighting in Gaza. The screens then displayed clips of the former hostages reuniting with their families in Israel and concluded with footage from Trump’s address to Israel’s parliament, the Knesset, last week.

Trump traveled to Israel last week and spoke at the Knesset after his administration brokered the ceasefire and hostage-release deal to halt fighting between Israel and Hamas in Gaza. All the living hostages still in captivity were released as part of the agreement.

The audience at Adam’s concern saw excerpts from Trump’s speech in which he said, “The State of Israel is strong, and will live and thrive forever,” “I love Israel,” and “Never Forget. Never Again.”

Adam, 32, then made his entrance on stage to perform a medley of songs that included tracks from his latest album, “Symptoms of a Breakup,” as well as some of his classic hits, such as “Tel Aviv” and “Hopa.” He also welcomed Israeli singer Odeya on stage and together they performed their collaboration “Shushi” before Odeya performed a solo song.

Adam paused the concert early on to thank American Jews for their support for Israel amid its war against Hamas in Gaza and to praise IDF soldiers, including reservists and active-duty troops, who he described as “the strongest and most moral army in the world.” He also thanked Trump “and his senior diplomatic team for their unwavering support” for the citizens of Israel. The singer concluded by shouting “Am Israel Chai” (“Long Live Israel”).

Later in the show, Adam led the crowd in singing the Jewish prayer songs “Modeh Ani” and “Vehi Sheamda,” which is about God’s promise to protect the Jewish people. During a portion of the concert where Adam again talked about the hostages and showed images of their emotional reunion with their families, he also urged people to continue to pray for the fallen hostages whose bodies are still being held by Hamas terrorists in Gaza. “May they soon be brought back for burial in Israel,” Adan told the crowd.

Hamas has still not handed over the remains of 15 deceased hostages, violating its obligation under the ceasefire to release everyone who was abducted during the Oct. 7 atrocities.

Adam is Israel’s most successful singer of all time, with over 1.4 billion views collectively on YouTube. His concert on Sunday night was attended by some celebrity guests as well, including Israeli supermodel Bar Refaeli, jewelry designer Lorraine Schwartz, and actress Sofia Vergara. After the show, hundreds of fans gathered outside Madison Square Garden to collectively sing the Hebrew song “Avinu Shebashamayim,” also known as the Prayer for the State of Israel.

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Thousands of haredi Orthodox Jews protest Israeli military draft in New York City

Upwards of 10,000 haredi Orthodox Jewish men protested on Sunday night outside the Israeli consulate in New York City against the conscription of Orthodox Jews in the Israeli military.

The protest, which was organized by the Central Rabbinical Congress, a consortium of Orthodox Jewish groups, comes amid one of Israel’s tensest political debates: whether haredi men should be subjected to the draft.

Last year, the Israeli Supreme Court unanimously ruled that Israel must draft haredi Orthodox Jews into its army, ending the longstanding exemption for yeshiva students from military service that has existed since the country’s founding.

Since then, haredi men have staged frequent street protests in Israel, including outside the Knesset in Jerusalem, and the debate reached a new flashpoint last month when over 100 haredi Orthodox men were arrested for draft-dodging while attempting to leave the country for an annual pilgrimage for Rosh Hashanah.

Now, the protest movement has spilled over to New York, home to the large haredi communities outside of Israel. At the rally Sunday night, rabbinic leaders from the anti-Zionist Satmar hasidic sect and Grand Rebbes spoke from cherry pickers above the protesters, who held signs reading “We would rather die as Jews than live as Zionist soldiers,” and “Stop terrorizing religious Jews,” according to footage of the event.

“Americans are unaware of Israel’s horrific treatment of Orthodox Jews. From night raids in Orthodox neighborhoods to checkpoints to arrests of Yeshiva students, Israel is persecuting the very religious people that it claims to protect,” said Rabbi Isaac Green, one of the New York protest’s organizers, in a statement. “Israel should not force Orthodox Jews to join an anti-religious army to fight wars against their religion.”

Haredi protesters hold signs protesting conscription in israel.

Ultra-Orthodox Jews demonstrate outside of the Israeli consulate in New York City. (Solomon Fox)

Rabbis Aaron and Zalman Teitelbaum, the two rival leaders of the Satmar sect, both urged their followers to join in the demonstration, marking one of the rare times they have organized over the past two years due to their policy of not protesting against Israel during times of war.

As more men arrived at the demonstration, the mass of protesters began spilling onto the street, leading to some clashes and shoving matches with police officers trying to control the crowd, according to amNewYork.

Currently, around 80,000 ultra-Orthodox men in Israel are believed to be eligible for service, and the IDF has called for 12,000 recruits to meet the needs posed by the war in Gaza.


The post Thousands of haredi Orthodox Jews protest Israeli military draft in New York City appeared first on Jewish Telegraphic Agency.

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