Baltimore, MD - Apr. 29, 2017 - It is with deep regret that BaltimoreJewishLife.com informs the community of the petirah of Mrs. Jane Ruth Handwerger, a’h, (nee Fisher), beloved wife of Melvin Handwerger; devoted mother of Samuel D. (Beckie) Handwerger and Norman Handwerger (Nancy Hart); dear sister of Charles (Gladys) Fisher; loving grandmother of Rabbi Daniel (Devorah) Handwerger, Rafael Handwerger, Rabbi Yonatan (Sarah) Handwerger and Leah Hart Handwerger; also survived by eleven loving great-grandchildren; dear daughter of the late Norma and Charles Fisher. The levayah will take place at Levinson’s at 1:00 PM with kevurah at Arlington Cemetery - Chizuk Amuno Congregation N. Rogers Ave.   Shiva will be observed at 1 Pomona East, Unit 106, Pikesville, MD 21208, Sunday,...
North Korea test-fired a ballistic missile on Saturday in local time, Korean news service Yonhap reported citing South Korea's military. Yonhap reported that the test appears to have failed. One U.S. official confirmed to NBC news that there was a test, but that it was not nuclear. The incident comes as the United States reconsiders its strategy in dealing with the isolated nation. On Friday, Secretary of State Rex Tillerson urged the United Nations to take new sanctions against North Korea. House Majority Leader Rep. Kevin McCarthy said on Thursday that the chamber would hold a vote on sanctions next week, which he said would target North Korea's shipping industry and "those who employ North Korean slave labor abroad."
TV broadcaster's Facebook page uploads video showing reporter attacked in Bnei Brak, but was the video authentic? A reporter for Reshet TV, one of the two broadcasting companies operating Israel’s Channel 2, on Thursday posted a video on the company’s Facebook page in which he was shown being attacked in Bnei Brak after waving an Israeli flag on the city’s streets. However, the haredi website Kol Hazman said that the video was orchestrated by the reporter himself after he failed to provoke locals. The website quoted eyewitness to the incident, one of whom said, "After walking for four hours on the streets of Bnei Brak without being attacked, the reporter met a friend and asked him to attack him. It was clear that they were friends.” ...
French presidential candidate says she "abhors" Holocaust doubters following her deputy's expression of skepticism about Nazi gas chambers. French far-right presidential candidate Marine Le Pen on Friday said she "abhors" Holocaust doubters, The Associated Press reported, after it was discovered that her replacement at the helm of the National Front party expressed skepticism about Nazi gas chambers. The remarks by Jean-François Jalkh were made during a 2000 interview and were exposed Thursday. Jalkh made the remark about the Zyklon B poison in an interview, in which he advocated a distinction between “serious” Holocaust deniers and ones who deny the Holocaust or aspects of it as a provocation. “Personally, I think that it is impossib...
A man arrested on suspicion of planning a terrorist attack in London on Thursday was on the Mavi Marmara ship, which was raided by Israeli soldiers in 2010 while trying to violate Israel’s naval blockade of Gaza, sources familiar with the investigation told Reuters on Friday. The 27-year-old man was arrested with knives near Prime Minister Theresa May's office by armed counter-terrorism officers during a stop-and-search as part of an ongoing security operation, British police said. No one was injured in the incident and police said knives had been recovered from the man, who was being monitored by British intelligence agents and counter-terrorism officers. He remains in custody on suspicion of terrorism offences and possession of an offensive weapon, accor...
The main topic of this week's parshios, Tazria and Metzora is the sickness known as tzara'as. Tazria deals mainly with the assessment of tzara'as. In Metzora, we begin to discuss the recovery process. We find that a metzora must bring two birds after his tzara'as has gone away (14:4). One of the birds is slaughtered and the other is sent away. Why? Rashi there writes that the reason why birds are brought is because they talk a lot and the reason why one becomes afflicted with tzara'as is because he spoke leshon hara. Be'er Moshe, in the introduction to chelek 3 of his teshuvos, (as well as a number of other commentaries,) explains that the slaughtering of the bird is to symbolize how we must be aware of when to keep our mouths shut and to prevent whatever neg...
Turkey’s president says a “fresh page” in Turkish-American relations can be opened with President Donald Trump’s administration, as high-level dialogue has intensified since January. Speaking in Istanbul on Friday, President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said he sees “signs that Mr. Trump will exhibit a more decisive stance than the previous administration in terms of combatting terror.” Erdogan repeated his criticism of the U.S. alliance with Syrian Kurdish militias that Turkey deems “terrorists.” He says that giving the Kurds concrete support “is damaging the spirit of alliance and partnership.” Erdogan adds: “Now Turkey, the Free Syrian Army, along with the coalition led by America, can clear these 2,500-5,000 terrorists. It&r...
In this week’s Parshios of Tazriah and Metzorah we learn of the laws of the Tzaraas.  We loosely translate this disease as leprosy, but in fact the Talmud explains that this was no ordinary physical ailment.  Tzaraas was the physical manifestation of spiritual sickness.  Specifically, if one spoke Lashon Hara (slanderous or negative speech) about another, he or she would be stricken by this disease.  We are told in great detail about the process for declaring someone a Metzorah as well the multi-step purification process.  While there are many intricate details and steps involved with this process – one thing is clear – it is only a Kohen who can make a final determination as to whether a particular discoloration was in fact Tzaraas.  Someone...
France’s troubled wartime past is taking center stage Friday in the country’s highly charged presidential race, as centrist Emmanuel Macron visited the site of France’s worst Nazi massacre and Marine Le Pen’s far-right party suffered a new blow over alleged Holocaust denial. Seeking the moral high ground, Macron wants to send a message to voters that Le Pen isn’t a candidate like any other, but the heir of a party stained by anti-Semitism, racism and an outdated worldview. Le Pen’s years-long efforts to detoxify her party’s image — efforts that have brought her one step away from the presidency — endured a new setback Friday, when the leader of her National Front party quit because of an uproar over past remarks allegedly questioning ...
Rising sales of high-profit trucks and SUVs in the U.S. helped push General Motors to a first-quarter profit record as the company put up a $2.6 billion in net income. The company’s sales in its most lucrative market were up even though the overall industry was down from January through March. That drove a 34 percent profit increase to $1.70 per share, which shattered Wall Street estimates. Analysts polled by FactSet expected $1.47 per share. Revenue rose 11 percent to $41.2 billion, also beating estimates of $40.6 billion. GM made $3.4 billion before taxes in North America, up almost 50 percent from $1.1 billion a year ago. Chief Financial Officer Chuck Stevens attributed $400 million of the increase to better prices, mainly on trucks and SUVs, and $500 million in costs cuts. GM...
The “Yeshiva Elementary School” in Milwaukee was struck by gunfire on Friday morning, and police are investigating. Milwaukee police responded to the School which is located at 51st and Keefe at around 8:30AM, after receiving reports of a gunshot. Police found that the glass (front) door of the Yeshiva had in fact been struck by a bullet. Thankfully, the bullet did not enter the school, and no injuries were reported. Fox6 is reporting that police believe that the bullet was a stray round fired in the area. Detectives are working with the Yeshiva, and security camera footage is being looked at. Please contact MPD if you have any information which can assist in this investigation.
Parshas Tazria/Metzora / Baltimore Zmanim / Eruv is UP! Baltimore, MD – Apr. 28. 2017 Omer   17 Parshas:  Tazria/Metzora Today:    2 Iyar      Chatzos: 1:05 PM Hadlakas Nairos: 7:39 PM Shkiah:                   7:57:33 PM Tzais HaKochavim:  8:48 PM Kiddush Levanah: April 29, 1:27 AM – May 10, 7:49 PM BAHAB: May 1, 4, 8
Chicago - The head of security at Chicago’s airports has been fired, just weeks after a passenger was dragged from a United Airlines plane by security officers at O’Hare International Airport. The Department of Aviation said in a statement Thursday that Jeffrey Redding “has been terminated from his duties” at O’Hare and Midway airports. No reason was given. Redding wasn’t immediately available for comment late Thursday. Redding was overseeing the investigation into the forcible removal of 69-year-old physician David Dao from the United plane by three of his officers April 9. Dao has agreed an undisclosed settlement with the airline. Dao’s lawyer said Thursday that the settlement averts any lawsuit against Chicago officials. Separately, the Chic...
Congress approved a short-term measure Friday to keep the government funded for another week, a move that gives lawmakers more time to reach a deal on a larger spending package. The measure now heads to the president's desk for his signature. The spending stopgap measure comes as House members prepare to leave Washington without a vote on the GOP health care bill, denying President Trump a major legislative victory in his first 100 days in office. The spending bill capped off a frenzied week on Capitol Hill that underscored the trouble Republicans have had fulfilling both the most basic functions of governance and implementing their ambitious agenda with GOP control of both the White House and Congress. “One hundred days of broken promises,&rdqu...
Prague - A tombstone of a well-known rabbi at a former Jewish cemetery in the Czech town of Prostejov has been damaged. A Jewish foundation said Friday it discovered earlier this week that the tombstone of Prostejov Rabbi Zvi Horowitz, who died in 1816, was broken into two pieces. It was installed at the site in 2013 by New York philanthropist Louis Kestenbaum. The cemetery was destroyed during the Nazi occupation and is currently a public park. It has been controversial due to recent efforts to rehabilitate the site after some of the original tombstones were discovered in Prostejov and nearby villages. Many locals, including town officials, oppose any changes. The controversy has been accompanied by an unusual outburst of anti-Semitism.
Washington - U.S. Sen. Elizabeth Warren says she’s “troubled” by reports that former President Barack Obama will be paid $400,000 to speak at a September health care conference put on by Wall Street firm Cantor Fitzgerald. The Massachusetts Democrat said Thursday on SiriusXM’s “Alter Family Politics” program that she is concerned about the overall influence of money in politics. Obama spokesman Eric Schultz says in a statement that the Democratic former president accepted the invitation to speak because health care is “an issue of great importance to him.” He added that Obama implemented financial reforms even after taking money from Wall Street as a candidate in 2008. Schultz says Obama will be true to his values and record “regardl...
United Nations (CNN) Secretary of State Rex Tillerson called on the world community Friday to drastically increase pressure on North Korea, warning that failure to do so could be "catastrophic" and that the US is prepared to take military action against the rogue regime if necessary. "All options for responding to future provocations must remain on the table," Tillerson said. "Diplomatic and financial leverage or power will be backed up by willingness to counteract North Korean aggression with military action, if necessary." Tillerson, speaking at a special US-hosted UN meeting to address the challenge, called on member countries to take three immediate steps, singling out China as he did so and warning that countries that don't comply may face consequences. He urg...
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