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May 26, 2016 at 5:16 pm
Jerusalem Fire Deputy Chief accuses haredim of not taking proper precautions: ‘They like huge bonfires but do not listen.’
Deputy Chief of Jerusalem’s Romema neighborhood fire station, Rashaf Roni Sonino, accused the haredi community for the numerous fires which broke out across the capital on Thursday.
Dozens of fire crews were able to control the raging blazes.
"These fires are the unequivocal result of Lag B'Omer bonfires and negligence on behalf of the citizens,” stated Sonino an interview with Army Radio. "Since yesterday, we have been battling 2,000 fires - the fire fighters are exhausted.”
Sonino explained how the Fire and Rescue Commission released safety guidelines ahead of the holiday, especially among the haredi sector. "We have ...
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May 26, 2016 at 5:13 pm
Ever-growing numbers visit once Jewish neighborhood in Jerusalem in a Lag B'Omer tradition to rival Meron.
Thousands of Jews visited the tomb of Shimon Hatzadik located north of the Old City in Jerusalem on Wednesday night and Thursday for Lag B'Omer, which marks the passing of Rabbi Shimon Bar Yochai (Rashbi).
Shimon Hatzadik was a High Priest in the Second Temple period and among the last members of the Great Assembly. The neighborhood where his tomb is located - which is named after him - is largely Arab but has a growing Jewish population returning to the once Jewish area.
Yoni Yosef, an organizer of the annual Lag B'Omer festivities at Shimon Hatzadik tomb, told Arutz Sheva that "as is done each year according to the custom of Jerusalem, we ...
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May 26, 2016 at 5:10 pm
World Health Organization's UN resolution marks Israel as the world’s only violator of ‘mental, physical and environmental health.’
The World Health Organization (WHO) called for an investigation into alleged abuses of “mental, physical and environmental health” rights by Israel, the only country singled out during the U.N. agency’s annual assembly in Geneva.
The motion was co-sponsored by the Arab Group of States and the Palestinian delegation, and it commissioned a WHO delegation to investigate and report on “the health conditions in the occupied Palestinian territory” and “the occupied Syrian Golan."
France, Germany and the United Kingdom were among the 107 countries that voted for the proposal. Eight c...
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May 26, 2016 at 5:06 pm
In advance of Agudath Israel's 94th Anniversary Dinner at the Hilton New York to take place iyH on June 5, 2016, theAgudah present a series of short, compelling videos for your viewing pleasure.
Arguably, the most daunting task facing a young family returning from several years of Kollel study in Israel, is that of finding a suitable career for the breadwinner to support that growing family.
Agudath Israel's PCS provides job training, counseling, and placement for thousands of such families, including for this young CFO of a major company...
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May 26, 2016 at 5:06 pm
Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump has secured the necessary number of delegates to clinch the GOP nomination.
Trump had reached the magic number, put over the edge by a small number of unbound party delegates from Pennsylvania that told the AP that they would support him.
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May 26, 2016 at 5:02 pm
Baltimore County police have charged two men in connection with thefts of packages in the Pikesville area. John Leon Kenney, 25, and Sean Lamont Arrington, 47, both of Baltimore, have been charged with multiple counts of fourth-degree burglary and theft.
Watch video at WBAL-TV
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May 26, 2016 at 4:39 pm
Rav Yaakov Meir Schechter Of Breslov On Lag BaOmer 5776 - 2016 (Video)
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May 26, 2016 at 1:14 pm
TRENTON, N.J. (AP) - A court has ruled New Jersey cannot give $11 million in grants to two religious schools.
The state appeals court ruled Thursday the $10.6 million grant to Beth Medrash Govoha yeshiva in Lakewood and $645,323 to the Princeton Theological Seminary are unconstitutional.
The American Civil Liberties Union and Americans United for Separation of Church and State had challenged the grants, part of $1.3 billion in grants in April 2013.
New Jersey officials argued the grants were OK because they were meant to pay for buildings and equipment, not worship or ministries.
Moshe Gleiberman is vice president of Beth Medrash Govoha. He says the yeshiva is disappointed in the ruling.
The court said its ruling doesn't mean the state can't give money to religious-a...
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May 26, 2016 at 12:22 pm
Orange County, NY - Thousands turned out Wednesday night in the Satmar Chasidic village of Kiryas Joel to mark the Jewish holiday of Lag Baomer with the annual bonfire.
Traditionally, a large platform is prepared, wood is piled in the center and large amounts of oil are poured on the wood.
Similar bonfires are held in many Jewish communities, but Kiryas Joel’s is by far the largest such celebration in the United States. This year, a turnout of nearly 20,000 people took part in the event.
The origins of this celebration lie in the village of Meron in the Holy Land, burial site of the Talmudic sage Rabbi Simeon bar Yochai.
Lag Baomer marks the anniversary of his death approximately 1900 years ago. It is a day when Jews traditionally express happiness and thanks to G-d for in...
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May 26, 2016 at 12:22 pm
Many people have fond and fun recollections of Lag BaOmer outings back in their youth. Boys played baseball. The LaG BaOmer baseball game was always a mainstay of youth – where the Rebbeim played as well. And there is some halachic precedent to it, of sorts. The Ramah Shulchan Aruch (OC 493:2) that on LaG BaOmer we engage slightly in Simcha – joy. But commemorating LaG BaOmer is a serious matter. The Mogen Avrohom cites the Kavanos HaArizal that discusses a certain individual who had the habit of reciting Nachem every day. He continued to do so on LaG BaOmer as well. For doing so he was punished. We see, therefore, that one should take the words of the Ramah quite seriously.
A number of reasons are cited by Torah authorities for commemorating Lag BaOmer:
• It commemorate...
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May 26, 2016 at 12:00 pm
Baltimore, MD - May 26, 2015 - Last night, members of Baltimore's new Chasidishe Kolel Khal Chasidim D'Baltimore and their friends of the Baltimore community at large celebrated Lag BaOmer in a most festive fashion around a tremendous Medura at the corner of Taney & Park Heights, the future location of more housing for the growing Kolel, k'ah.
More photos and videos on many Lag BaOmer celebrations around Baltimore to follow.
Send your Lag BaOmer photos/videos to info@BaltimoreJewishLife.com
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May 26, 2016 at 9:41 am
Baltimore, MD Daily Dvar Halacha - May 26, 2016 / 18 Iyar 5776 - Bows and Arrows on Lag Ba'Omer?
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May 26, 2016 at 9:39 am
Israel - The Israeli military says its aircraft have struck two Hamas militant sites in southern Gaza in response to rocket fire toward Israel.
No one was harmed in Thursday’s airstrikes or in the rocket attacks that preceded them.
Gaza militants have carried out only sporadic rocket fire toward Israel since the end of a 50-day war in 2014. The military says nine rockets have struck Israel so far in 2016, a steep drop off from previous periods.
Israel typically responds to the attacks with pinpoint reprisals against Hamas installations that cause no casualties in order to prevent a further escalation.
Recent rocket fire has often been carried out by Salafi groups who oppose Gaza’s Hamas rulers. Nonetheless, Israel says it holds Hamas responsible for any attacks com...
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May 26, 2016 at 9:32 am
Out of control blaze in Ramot forest likely caused by Lag BaOmer bonfire, while fires rage near Gilo neighborhood and Mevaseret.
Fires broke out across the capital on Thursday, forcing evacuations across the city.
In northern Jerusalem, firefighters struggled Thursday afternoon to control a forest fire threatening the nearby neighborhood of Ramot.
The cause of the blaze is believed to be a Lag Ba’Omer bonfire.
Fierce winds have helped spread the fire, which now threatens a number of homes.
Firefighters have warned residents of the Masholim sector of Ramot to evacuate immediately.
On the city’s southern edge, two buildings in Gilo were evacuated because of a nearby brushfire.
To the west, a fire near the neighboring community of Mevaseret threatened houses on the outski...
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May 26, 2016 at 8:26 am
Jerusalem, Israel - May 26, 2016 - Lag BaOmer 5766 -With the twenty-fifth of Iyar, most of Israel prepares for Lag B'Omer and huge all-night bonfires to celebrate. In Jerusalem, the annual Festival of Light in Jerusalem was ready to begin. At the gala opening Mayor Nir Barkat was joined by city and government officials, including MK Zev Elkin, who holds the Jerusalem portfolio, and CEO of the Jerusalem Development Authority Eyal Haimovsky and Moshe Leon,
There were 5 different colored routes, for the 30 international light projects. Some required videos as stills could not capture the changing scenes projected on buildings and walls.
The festival runs at night from May 25 - June 2, starting from Jaffa Gate, with free admission.
Lag B'Omer dancing and ...
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May 26, 2016 at 8:21 am
There is perhaps no greater cultural image of Jewish life than the “fiddler on the roof”. In him, we see ourselves seeking to find the balance between the beauty and grace of our tradition with the challenges and seductions of the world around us.
The truth is, we all seek balance in our lives. As we rush around, negotiating the competing demands of our home lives, our professional lives, our communal lives and the nearly invisible lives we lead in cities and towns we try to “balance” it all. Otherwise, like that fiddler, we run the risk of toppling off. To where, I couldn’t say. But the sensation of falling off is real just the same.
If you ever doubt the importance of balance, just glance in the windows of the many gyms ...
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May 26, 2016 at 8:13 am
Baltimore's elections board recertified the results of the April primary election Wednesday after an unusual intervention by state officials. The updated vote totals didn't change the outcome of any race.
Any candidate who wants a recount now has three days to make a request. Anyone who wants to challenge the outcome of the race in court has seven days to file papers.
State officials ordered Baltimore's election results decertified this month after city officials said they found 80 provisional ballots that had not been analyzed.
The state review, which lasted more than a week, turned up other problems: Officials concluded that roughly 1,650 ballots were not handled properly.
The last step before finalizing the figures was analyzing 555 uncounted provisional ballots that ...
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May 26, 2016 at 5:10 am
A fire broke out at the Mir Yeshiva in Yerushalayim a short time ago. The fire department is on the scene. Baruch Hashem there are no reports of injuries at this time.
UPDATE: It is reported the building was ordered evacuated due to heavy smoke conditions, which appear to have been caused by an air conditioning unit that caught fire in one of the classrooms. Once again, B”H there are no injuries reported. The building is being aired out from the heavy smoke conditions.
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May 26, 2016 at 12:37 am
וכי תמכרו ממכר לעמיתך או קנה מיד עמיתך אל תונו איש את אחיו (ויקרא כה יד), When you make a sale to your fellow or make a purchase from the hand of your fellow, do not cheat each man his brother.
It’s strange that what began as a simple transaction between ‘fellow’ Jews suddenly turns in to ‘family’ business with each one careful not to cheat his ‘brother’.
Truthfully, the Torah uses several terms to refer to our fellow man. At times it calls him רעך, ‘your friend’, occasionally עמיתך, ‘your fellow’, and often he is termed אחיך, ‘your brother’.
All of them are all used in reference to one’s fell...
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May 25, 2016 at 9:53 pm
Baltimore, MD – May 25, 2016 – Tonight, Lag BaOmer 5776, a group of young men from Shomrei Emunah's youth organization and from Gobbie Cohn's Torah Youth Association (TYA) gathered to sing and hear divrei chizuk from Rabbi Binyamin Marwick, Mara D'Asra of Cong. Shomrei Emunah as well as from Yaakov Ehrman and Josh Zaslow.
The warmth of the crackling bonfire was overpowered by the achdus and hislahavus of the group.
