During the Second Temple, the Greek empire reigned (over Israel),1 and they (the Greeks) passed decrees against the Jews and (tried) to erase their religion, and did not allow them to carry out Torah (study) or the commandments. They put their hands on their property and their daughters. They entered the Temple, destroyed and made the pure unclean. The Jews were in great distress because of them and were much oppressed, until the G-d of their fathers had mercy on them, delivering them from their hands and saving them. Then overcame, the sons of the Hasmonean High Priest, (the Greeks) and killed them and saved the Jews from their hands. They appointed a king from the Priests, and the kingdom of Israel was restored for more than 200 years until the destruction of (the) second (Temple). When the Jews overcame their enemies and destroyed them, it was the 25th of Kislev2 when they entered the Sanctuary (inner room) and did not find pure (olive) oil in the Temple, except one jar sealed with seal of the High Priest, and it did not contain enough to light except for one day only. But they lit from it the lamps of the Menorah3 for eight days, until they could crush olives and produce a (new quantity) of pure oil. For these reasons, decreed the Sages of that generation that these eight days that begin on the 25th Kislev, will be days of joy and praise. One lights on them lamps at evening at the entrance to the houses, every evening of the eight nights to show off and demonstrate the miracle. These days are called ''Hanukah'' that is to say ''they rested'' (chanu) on the ''25'' ('th of the month) because on the 25th they rested from their enemies. and also because of those days they (re)-dedicated the house (Temple) which their foes had defiled. Also some say that it is a commandment to increase slightly the festive meals on Hanukah. Another reason is because the work of (building) the Sanctuary (in the desert) was completed in these days. One should tell one's children the story of the miracles that were done for our fore-fathers in those days, (see Josephus) However, these meals are not considered as part of the commandment unless one says at the meal songs of praise. One should increase charity in these Hanukah days, for this can help mend any defects in our souls. This charity, should be given particularly to poor Torah scholars. (KSA 139:1)
1) 352 BCE until 70 CE
2) 139 BCE
3) The Menorah was made of gold and had seven branches.
Baltimore, MD - April 1, 2025 - Attention Completers of the O’Fishel’s Mitzvah Motivators Brachos-Out-Loud Program:
The All-The-Brachos-You-Can-Make buffet will take place at:
Mitzvah Motivator Headquarters 7000 Rockland Hills Drive Sunday, April 6, 2025 4:30 – 6:00 pm
Admission:
Free for all completers
Free for Sponsor Families
Other Guests: $50 minimum donation per person
Divrei Bracha from Mara D'Asra of Mitzvah Motivators, Rabbi Dovid Heber, at approximately 5:15 pm.
Plus: Catch a Wealcatch for your Yiddish-Kite! Successful completers of the MAYA program should bring along their four lists of 100 Brachos for their picture of Andrew Jackson.
At the directive of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich and Economy and Industry Minister Nir Barkat, Israel has cancelled all of the customs duties, or import tariffs, that have been levied until now on products from the US, Israel's largest trading partner.
After the approval of the Knesset Finance Committee and the Economy and Industry Minister's signature on the order, the amendment to the order regarding trade levies and protective measure will take effect and customs duties on all imports from the US will be cancelled.
The Government Press office stated, "The US is Israel's closest ally and its most significant trading partner. In 2024, the export of goods to the US stood at $17.3 billion, while the export of services was estimated at...
A judge has dismissed the corruption indictment against New York City Mayor Eric Adams. U.S. District Judge Dale E. Ho of the Southern District of New York dismissed the case with prejudice, preventing it from being refiled.
The Biden-era Justice Department accused Adams of leveraging his mayoral position to solicit illegal campaign contributions and luxury travel from foreign nationals and other businessmen. However, under the Trump administration, the DOJ urged the court to dismiss the case, initially seeking dismissal without prejudice. They argued that ongoing proceedings could interfere with the mayor’s governance and federal immigration policies.
Judge Ho rejected that argument, stating that a dismissal without prejudice might create the perception that Adams’s freedom ...
Baltimore, MD – April 2, 2025 - BJL wishes a hearty Mazel Tov to Yosef Belkin and Raizy Pheterson on their engagement!
Mazel Tov to Rabbi Menachem and Libby Pheterson
יה"ר שיזכו לבנות בית נאמן בישראל. אמן!
Baltimore, MD - April 2, 2025 - After more than three years of a courageous and valiant battle, it’s hard to believe that Mrs. Rochel Vim has succumbed to the dreaded disease. She outlived her doctor’s grim prognosis with sheer determination, and lived each day with emuna and bitachon.
Klal Yisroel has lost a precious and beloved member of the Baltimore community.
The Vim children have lost their dear mother who was the breadwinner of their family.
Rochel leaves behind three single children, one of whom is special-needs who is dependent on full-time care.
Bais Yaakov has lost a dynamic, inspirational and cherished teacher who taught with her last ounce of strength until two weeks before her passing.
There has been an outpouring of concern in the community asking how to hel...
BaltimoreJewishLife.com (BJL) is proud to partner with STAR-K CERTIFICATION that realizes that there is no substitute for a person’s own Rav. In an effort to offer a possible solution, it has launched its Institute of Halachah as a public service. Over the years, the agency’s Kashrus Hotline has answered generic halachic questions from kosher consumers the world over, including inquiries regarding the kosher status of foods and certified Sabbath mode appliances. The formation of a separate official division within STAR-K testifies to the need for addressing these issues.
The Institute of Halachah is directed by HaRav Mordechai Frankel, under the guidance of HaRav Moshe Heinemann, STAR-K’s Rabbinic Administrator. It is an invaluable resource for a diverse array of rabbis to discuss general halachic matters, as well as gain access to source materials for shiurim and answers to congregants’ questions.
Shailos for regular or Kashrus shailos may emailed or discussed using this widget.
US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has deployed additional warplanes to reinforce the Pentagon's naval assets in the Middle East, the Pentagon said in a statement on Tuesday.
The statement did mention specific aircraft, but US officials who spoke to Reuters on condition of anonymity stated that at least four B-2 bombers have relocated to a US-British military base on the Indian Ocean island of Diego Garcia, close enough to reach Yemen or Iran.
Hegseth has also ordered the Carl Vinson carrier strike group to the region, which will arrive in the region after completing exercises in the Indo-Pacific, according to Bloomberg.
The Department is also prolonging the Harry S. Truman carrier strike group’s deployment in the region, Pentagon spokesman Sean Parnell said.
T...
A US federal judge determined on Tuesday that Columbia University student Mahmoud Khalil may challenge the legality of his arrest by immigration authorities in New Jersey, rather than in Louisiana, where he is currently held, Reuters reported.
The ruling, issued Tuesday by US District Judge Michael Farbiarz in Newark, establishes that any legal appeals in Khalil’s case will be heard by the 3rd US Circuit Court of Appeals instead of the 5th Circuit, widely regarded as the nation’s most conservative appellate court.
Khalil, who was behind anti-Israel demonstrations at Columbia University, was detained by immigration authorities on March 8 as part of the Trump administration’s effort to combat what it describes as antisemitic and “anti-American” campu...
Elon Musk’s massive investment in a Wisconsin Supreme Court election didn’t pay off after a liberal judge secured a victory that could tarnish the billionaire’s political clout and trigger worry for some in the GOP about how voters are processing the opening months of President Trump’s new administration.
While the Wisconsin contest was the most significant election held Tuesday, Republicans won two special House elections in Florida. Those races, in traditionally deeply red congressional districts, were closer than expected.
The state Supreme Court race, technically a nonpartisan election, easily set a spending record for a U.S. judicial contest. It became heavily nationalized and served as the first major electoral test of Trump’s second presidency....
Annapolis, MD - April 1, 2025 - The Senate on Tuesday passed a state spending plan that includes $1.6 billion in new taxes and fees and $2 billion in cuts.
“This was a herculean moment to get through an unprecedented time,” said Senate President Bill Ferguson, D-District 46.
The Senate’s state budget package passed along party lines as Democrats put so-called ‘Trump triggers” into the bill to handle any potential executive orders and funding freezes.
Senate Budget and Taxation Committee Vice Chairman Jim Rosapepe, D-District 21, called it “Trump recession triggers,” speaking to the potential for when “more federal budget cuts come and the economy slows down and our fiscal problems grow.”
Senate Republicans said the state relies to h...
Baltimore, MD - April 1, 2025 - Maryland has joined 22 other states that are suing the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services and HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. for ending $11 billion in public health grants.
According to the Attorney General's Office, the stoppage came "with no warning or legally valid explanation" and "have caused chaos for state health agencies that rely on the funds for a wide range of urgent public health needs like infectious disease management, fortifying emergency preparedness, providing mental health and substance abuse services, and modernizing public health infrastructure."
Maryland stands to lose about $200 million from the cancellations, per the AG's Office, and if funding isn't restored, state public health programs and initiatives...
Baltimore, MD – April 1, 2025 - BJL wishes a hearty Mazel Tov to Binyamin Steinberg & Rochie Tenenbaum on their engagement!Mazel Tov Rabbi & Mrs. Shimshon Steinberg and Mr. & Mrs. Morty Tenenbaum
יה"ר שיזכו לבנות בית נאמן בישראל. אמן!
Baltimore, MD - April 1, 2025 - Baltimore City was defrauded of over $1.5 million in a cyberattack and identity theft scheme, according to the City Comptroller's Office.
City officials became aware of the fraud on March 13 after a second payment approved for a city vendor was diverted to an unassociated bank account. The first payment was allegedly made in February.
The Office of the Inspector General is actively investigating the incident.
“The Department of Accounts Payable followed all existing verification protocols and upon learning of this incident took immediate action,” Comptroller Bill Henry said. “We are actively working with colleagues across the City to implement additional security policies.”
All vendors have been asked to review their security...
Baltimore, MD - April 1, 2025 - Baltimore County Schools Superintendent Dr. Myriam Rogers appears to have violated the terms of her employment contract with the school system, according to the Maryland Inspector General for Education (OIGE).
According to the report, the OIGE launched an investigation into Rogers in December 2024, after receiving a complaint alleging that Rogers worked remotely, at least once a week, without the Board of Education's knowledge or approval. During the investigation, the IG learned Rogers may be in violation of her contract by not maintaining residence in Baltimore County.
Dr. Rogers took over as BCPS superintendent in July of 2023. Under the terms of her contract, by July of 2024, she was to be residing in Baltimore County.
The IG’s investigatio...
Baltimore, MD - April 1, 2025 - Dear Friends:
The conversation of federally funded private school tuition scholarships has become more pronounced over the last number of months, especially since the current administration and congressional leadership took over in January.
In Maryland, while we are fortunate that the BOOST Scholarship Program appears to be safe once again for the upcoming 2025-2026 school year, the program's impact is rather limited. Only families qualifying for Free and Reduced Meals (185% of federal poverty guidelines) are eligible to receive a scholarship, and due to the volume of applicants and state funding constraints, many eligible families are not awarded scholarships. Similarly, the Maryland 529 and its State Contribution Program/Match component has it...
For a while, the people of Solterra in Orlando Florida struggled with simmering resentment against the “Passover guests,” as they called the religious Jews who rented homes in their community on Pesach. Many of the visitor’s behaviors mystified the local residents or left them frustrated and embittered.
Avromi Perkowski has made every effort to make himself available to the non-Jewish homeowners and answer their many questions: Why do these Jews bring so many things with them? Why do they insist on covering security cameras and disabling motion detectors before the holiday begins? Why do they walk in the streets instead of the sidewalks, and why do they cut through other people’s private property on their way to shul?
“Communication is the key,&r...
A Cornell University student who participated in pro-Palestinian protests and was asked to surrender by US immigration officials said on Monday he was leaving the United States, citing fear of detention and threats to his personal safety.
Momodou Taal, a doctoral candidate in Africana Studies and dual citizen of the UK and The Gambia, has participated in pro-Palestinian protests against Israel's war against Hamas following the October 7 Hamas attack. His attorneys said last month that he was asked to turn himself in and that his student visa was being revoked.
US President Donald Trump has pledged to deport foreign pro-Palestinian protesters and accused them of supporting Hamas, being antisemitic and posing foreign policy hurdles.
Protesters, including some Jewi...
Annapolis, MD - Arpil 1, 2025 - A Maryland bill proposing the establishment of a commission to study reparations, including financial restitution, is expected to clear its final hurdle in the House of Delegates with only days remaining in the 2025 legislative session.
Senate Minority Whip Justin Ready, R-Carroll and Frederick Counties, told Spotlight on Maryland he is confused as to why this bill is being advanced as the state faces a historic $3.3 billion deficit, which is forecasted to balloon to $6.7 billion by fiscal year 2028.
“We don’t have the money right now to be exploring these options, period,” Sen. Ready said. “[T]he issue of reparations, I’m sure elicits strong opinions, but the fact is it’s just something that’s not financ...