Baltimore, MD - May 10, 2025 - In this episode of the 613 Seconds Podcast, we sit down with violinist Yonatan Grinberg to explore his unconventional path from soccer-loving kid to accomplished classical musician. Raised in an observant Jewish home, Yonatan shares the challenges of navigating a music career while staying true to his values, and how creativity and grit helped him forge a unique path—including founding Chamber Encounters and curating programs like “Jews in Music” in response to rising antisemitism. From making classical music more accessible to staying grounded in Baltimore’s vibrant Jewish community, Yonatan’s story hits all the right notes.
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Ahead of President Donald Trump’s first major foreign trip to the Middle East in his second term, Jared Kushner, the president’s son-in-law and former chief negotiator for the region, has once again emerged as a crucial advisor, CNN reported on Friday.
Despite not being part of the official delegation, Kushner has been working behind the scenes, offering guidance on negotiations with Arab leaders, including those in Saudi Arabia, according to multiple sources familiar with the matter.
Kushner’s involvement stems from his deep relationships with Middle Eastern leaders, which he cultivated during Trump’s first term. His expertise has been instrumental in discussions concerning potential agreements that could normalize diplomatic relations between Arab nati...
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Baltimore, MD – May 9, 2025 – For many years, Baltimore has had only one Neitz minyan. As our community continues to grow, so do our needs. With that in mind, Mercaz Torah U’Tefillah will be launching a new Neitz minyan beginning this Sunday, May 11, 2025 / 13 Iyar, 5785.
The minyan will take place upstairs in the old house — as you face the main shul, it’s the building on the left.
The Sunday–Friday Nusach Sfard minyan will begin 20 minutes before Neitz. This Sunday, the minyan will begin at 5:36 AM.
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Baltimore, MD – May 7, 2025 - BJL regrets to inform the community of the petirah of Elizabeth Lehmann, a’h, mother of Leonard (Vivian) Lehmann, Richard (Susan) Lehmann, Rabbi Daniel (Lisa) Lehmann, and David (Pam) Lehmann.
The levayah will be graveside on Friday, May 9, 2025, at 2:00PM at United Hebrew Cemetery, 3901 Washington Blvd, Halethorpe, MD 21227.
Shiva will be observed through Thursday morning, May 15th, at 5906 Berkeley Ave, Baltimore, MD 21209The family will not accept visitors between the hours of 12pm and 2pm, 5pm and 6pm, or after 9:30pm. Minyanim:Shacharis: 7:00 AM (Sunday 8:00AM)Mincha/Maariv: 6:35 PM
Bila HaMaves LaNetzach
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Our Yocheved, a little girl with a big smile and an even bigger heart, is fighting for her life.
Yocheved is five years old. At her age, children dream of playgrounds, birthday parties, and endless laughter. But Yocheved’s dream is different—she just wants to get better.
She wants to wake up one morning without needles and tests, without pain accompanying every step. She dreams of the moment she can return to kindergarten, run barefoot on the grass, and hug her Mommy and Tatty, without a worry in the world.
Yocheved is battling leukemia—a cruel illness that has interrupted her childhood. The doctors are offering a new hope—a groundbreaking treatment in Vienna that could change everything. But the path there is filled with obstacles: the high costs of flights, tre...
Baltimore, MD - May 10, 2025 - Two former Baltimore City employees are suing Mayor Brandon Scott over accusations of wrongful termination. Allegedly let go without warning or an explanation, the lawsuit claims their abrupt firings were politically motivated, not performance based.
Both worked for the city for over a decade. Liam Davis, a legislative affairs manager for the Department of Transportation, and Margo Settles, a division chief within the Department of Human Resources. Led by a passion for public service, they ran, and ultimately, lost bids for two Baltimore City Council seats last year. Then, less than two months later, they lost their jobs as well.
The lawsuit accuses Mayor Scott of ordering their terminations due to loose ties with former Mayor Shelia Dixon’s cam...
On Saturday, President Donald Trump announced via Truth Social that India and Pakistan have agreed to a ceasefire.
"After a long night of talks mediated by the United States, I am pleased to announce that India and Pakistan have agreed to a FULL AND IMMEDIATE CEASEFIRE. Congratulations to both Countries on using Common Sense and Great Intelligence. Thank you for your attention to this matter!" the president wrote in a post.
India and Pakistan are two of the few nations with nuclear weapons, making their tensions a significant concern in global geopolitics.
House Republican Conference Chair Rep. Lisa McClain, R-Mich., reacted to the news on social media, referring to the president as “The Peace President,” in a post on X.
In a statement, U.S. Secretary of State Mar...
Stephen Miller, a top White House adviser, said Friday the administration is looking for ways to expand its legal power to deport migrants who are in the country illegally.
Among those ways, it's considering potentially suspending habeas corpus, a legal principle which refers to people’s right to challenge their detention in court.
“The Constitution is clear — and that of course is the supreme law of the land — that the privilege of the writ of habeas corpus can be suspended in a time of invasion,” he told reporters. “So it’s an option that we’re actively looking at.”
Miller added that “a lot of it depends on whether the courts do the right thing or not," before claiming that a court rule prevented courts from taking part ...
US President Donald Trump heads for Saudi Arabia, Qatar and the United Arab Emirates on Monday, eyeing big business deals even as accords on the Middle East’s hotspots will be harder to seal.
While Israel’s war against Gaza terror groups and Iran’s nuclear program will loom large over Trump’s first major foreign trip of his second term, the White House said he looked forward to a “historic return” to the region.
Eight years ago, Trump also chose Riyadh for his first overseas trip as president — when he memorably posed over a glowing orb with the leaders of Egypt and Saudi Arabia.
His decision to once more bypass traditional Western allies to visit the oil-rich Gulf states underscores their increasingly pivotal geopolitical role — as well a...
US Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee said in multiple interviews aired on Israeli television on Saturday that, despite reports that the relationship between US President Donald Trump and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has soured, the bond between the US leader and the Jewish state is as strong as it has ever been.
Asked about Trump’s decision to skip Israel in his upcoming visit to the Middle East, which will include stops in Saudi Arabia, Qatar and the United Arab Emirates, Huckabee said that it was not an indication of a deteriorating relationship between Washington and Jerusalem.
“His first trip is about economic opportunity. That’s where his focus is,” Huckabee said in the interview with Channel 12 news.
“What he’s doing is not because he&rsqu...
Baltimore, MD - May 10, 2025 - The Office of the State Fire Marshal is informing the public about a dangerous school social media trend.
Authorities say the trend is called the "Chromebook Challenge," in which students are putting pencils and other metallic objects into charging ports of devices issued by schools or personal electronic devices.
This has led to smoke, fires, and property damage, resulting in emergency evacuations and disciplinary actions being carried out at schools across Maryland.
State Fire Marshal Jason M. Mowbray encourages parents and school staff to focus on safety through open dialogue to protect students.
"We want to emphasize the importance of educating students about the dangers associated with these acts," said Acting State Fire Marshal Jason Mowbray.
...
Columbia University has temporarily suspended 65 students after a protest by anti-Israel agitators led to the takeover of Butler Library on Wednesday, Fox News reported.
During the protest, demonstrators distributed pamphlets that glorified terrorist Basel Al-Araj, while chanting "Free Palestine" and calling for the university to divest from Israel.
According to the New York Police Department (NYPD), 80 arrests were made, with 61 females and 19 males taken into custody. 78 of the arrestees received desk appearance tickets for criminal trespass, while two were issued summonses.
Homeland Security Investigations has requested fingerprints and names to verify the visa status of those detained.
In addition to the student suspensions, the university has prohibited an undi...
Baltimore, MD – May 9, 2025 - BJL wishes a hearty Mazel Tov to Rabbi and Mrs Yosef Ifrah on the birth of a son.
יה"ר שיזכו לגדל בנם לתורה, לחופה, ולמעשים טובים. אמן!
Baltimore, MD – May 9, 2025 - BJL regrets to inform the community of the petirah of Dr. Simeon Joseph Krumbein, z’l, husband of Elaine Krumbein and father of Michael (Judith) Krumbein, Tsippora (Jim) Rosenberg, Aliza (z"l) Krumbein, Tova (Malkiel) Nechamkin, Miriam (Ephrayim) Naiman, Eliezer (Pessiya) Ramm and Channah (Jeffrey) Garfinkel
The Levayah will be held at Levinson's at 8:45AM on Sunday, May 11, 2025.The kevurah will take place in Queens, NY
Shiva will be observed at 3106 Labyrinth, Baltimore, MD 21208Minyanim:Shacharis 7:30AMMincha/Maariv: 7:55PMThe family respectfully requests no visitors from 12:30PM-2:30PM and 5:30PM-7:00PM
Bila HaMaves LaNetzach…
Baltimore, MD – May 9, 2025 – 2:30PM - A portion of I-95 South has been completely shut down near mile marker 78, approximately 3–4 miles south of Exit 80 (Belcamp) and just past the Aberdeen Proving Ground area. Drivers should expect major delays and are advised to seek alternate routes.
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Baltimore, MD – May 9, 2025 – 10:28AM (BJL) An accident at the intersection of Reisterstown Road and Patterson Avenue, in front of the Carroll gas station, has resulted in one lane being blocked off by police.
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Bais Yaakov of Baltimore is making waves in the world of STEM – once again!
Baltimore, MD - May 8, 2025 - At the recent CIJE Spring Robotics Competition in Passaic, New Jersey, our incredible students took home both first-place trophies, showing the East Coast what innovation, creativity, and teamwork really look like.
Facing off with 12 schools and 50 robots from cities ranging from Boston to Atlanta, our talented teams rose to the top. Seven of our robots made it to the final round, and the 8th-grade teams clinched both first place top spots.
Some standout highlights? One of our 8th-grade teams scored a national high of 109 points – and Shani Rothschild shattered records with a jaw-dropping leaderboard score of 184, the highest in the entire country!!
A total of 37 amazin...
At the recent wedding of my nephew, I remarked to his father, my youngest brother, how I noticed he shed quite a few pounds since the last time I saw him. With admiration I inquired about which 'diet' plan he chose to accomplish this feat in a relatively short time. Playing it down, he revealed to me a novel idea he came to on his own. He decided he would only eat when he was truly hungry!
The notion struck me instantly. He was so right! We grab food out of convenience, or simply to excite our taste buds. If we only eat when we must, we will easily reconquer our health.
After my amazement at discovering this evident truth, I realized that within it lies our greatest attribute as a Heilige Yid.
We pray three times a day - You are holy, and Your Name is holy, וקדושי...
