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Baltimore, MD – April 22, 2025 - BJL regrets to inform the community of the petira of Libby Fleischmann, a”h, wife of Rabbi Yehuda Fleischmann. mother of Ayala (Don) Greenberg, Dovid (Zahava) Fleischmann, Batya (Yisroel) Luwish, Michoel (Essie) Fleischmann, Brocha (Levi) Mark, and sister of Chaya (Elchonon) Adler
The Levaya will be at Sol Levinson's on Wednesday, April 23 at 3:00 pm followed by Kevurah at the Shearith Israel Congregation Cemetery.
Shiva details to follow.
BARNEGAT, N.J. — A wildfire exploding in size near the New Jersey shore caused officials to order thousands to evacuate and close a 17-mile stretch of the state's busiest highway as dark smoke poured into the Jersey Shore region.
The Jones Road Wildfire sparked on Tuesday in the Greenwood Forest Wildlife Management Area near Barnegat Township in Ocean County. As of Tuesday evening, it had consumed 3,200 acres and was only 5% contained.
Some 3,000 people were told to evacuate as the fire so far is threatening over 1,300 homes and structures, according to the New Jersey Forest Fire Service.
Evacuations stretch along portions of Highways 532, 539, 72 and 9 and multiple shelters have been established for those fleeing the flames.
Addition...
Baltimore, MD – April 22, 2025 - BJL regrets to inform the community of the petirah of Rabbi Yonah Feinstein, z’l, father of Yaakov (Adina) Feinstein.
The Levaya will be held at Shomrei Hadas in Boro Park tomorrow morning, Wednesday, April 23, 2025 at 11am.
Kevurah will take place in Eretz Hachaim in Beit Shemesh.
Shiva details to follow.
Bila HaMaves LaNetzach…
Baltimore, MD- April 22, 2025 - In the first two months of Maryland's new tiered fine structure for work zone speed violations, the Maryland Safe Zones Automated Speed Enforcement system issued more than 48,000 citations.
Among these, 23 citations were at the $1,000 level for vehicles traveling over 40 miles per hour above the posted speed limit in active work zones. Notably, one vehicle was recorded traveling at 134 mph on I-695, while another reached 132 mph in similar conditions.
Lieutenant Gov. Aruna Miller emphasized the dangers of reckless driving, stating, "Reckless driving at high speeds is a dangerous weapon in motion. Every second of carelessness on the road can steal a lifetime from someone else. Work zone safety is a shared responsibility with each of us choosing t...
Baltimore, MD - April 22, 2025 - Baltimore is no longer among the most dangerous places in the United States, according to U.S. News & World Report.
The digital media company released its Most Dangerous Places in the U.S. in 2024-2025 list, and despite being a typical entrant among the Top 25, Baltimore was not included in the list this year.
The list is compiled based on each city's murder and property crime rates per 100,000 people, as the company notes that crime rate can be one of the deciding factors of where families choose to live.
At the top of the list is Memphis, Tennessee, followed by St. Louis, Missouri, and Detroit, Michigan.
There are no Maryland cities included in this year's list.
Baltimore Mayor Brandon Scott noted Baltimore's lack ...
Baltimore, MD - April 22, 2025 - A growing number of tech companies are packing up and preparing to leave Maryland if Governor Wes Moore signs off on a controversial new IT tax. It's a move they say will punish innovation and crush their margins.
“We're kind of red state curious,” said Todd Marks, CEO and founder of Baltimore Based Mindgrub Technologies. “Tennessee, North Carolina, Florida. We're actually looking at Wyoming, which has zero corporate tax.”
After more than two decades of making and marketing software here in Maryland, Marks is considering a move he never planned on making.
“We've got one foot out the door in the state, but you know, we would gladly just stay here,” he said.
Pushing him out, a pending 3% sales tax on...
Baltimore, MD – April 18, 2025 - BJL regrets to inform the community of the petira of Leslie Horan, z’l (Shlomo ben Nasson haLevi), father of Rabbi Gavriel Horan and Kaila Schwarz. Shiva will be observed at 2401 Bare Road, Baltimore, MD 21209 Minyanim Shacharis: 8:15 AM Mincha: 5:00 PM Maariv: 9:00 PM
Shiva Visiting Hours Wednesday & Thursday: 9:00–9:30 AM, 5:30–7:30 PM
Friday: 9:00 AM–3:00 PM Bila HaMaves LaNetzach…
Baltimore, MD – April 22, 2025 – Baltimore City Public Schools (BCPS) has announced that a 2023 cybersecurity incident was far more extensive than initially revealed, exposing the personal data of more than 100,000 current and former students and staff.
In a public disclosure posted on the district’s website, officials confirmed that names, Social Security numbers, student identification numbers, birth dates, and other sensitive data may have been compromised following a June 2023 breach that targeted school system networks. The attack, which occurred between May 7 and June 8, was reportedly linked to a ransomware campaign.
The investigation, carried out with the help of cybersecurity experts, revealed that “an unauthorized actor gained access to certain systems&r...
Towson, MD – April 22, 2025 - The 2025 Baltimore County Councilmanic Redistricting Commission announced today that it has published its first draft redistricting plan for public input and feedback. This first draft map is the product of the Commission’s extended efforts over the eight public meetings and initial public hearing the Commission has held since it was established by the County Council in December 2024 and appointed in January 2025. Notably, this first draft map includes two majority-Black districts and one majority-minority or BIPOC district. The Commission believes this map moves the County Council closer to the goal of representation that better reflects the diversity of the County and ensures the federal Voting Rights Act is at the forefront of its work, while a...
Towson, MD - April 22, 2025 - Baltimore County Police Violent Crimes detectives arrested and charged 44-year-old Lesvin Dominguez-Bolivar with attempted first-degree murder in connection with a shooting that occurred on April 20, 2025. At approximately 10:55 a.m., officers responded to the 4300 block of Crest Heights Rd., 21215, for an assault in progress.
When officers arrived, they located a 62-year-old female who sustained multiple gunshot wounds. The victim was later transported to an area hospital.
Dominguez-Bolivar is currently held without bail at the Baltimore County Detention Center
Focusing on the Gifts We Receive on Pesach
A not-so-young single woman sent me the following note after Pesach. Her powerful message can give strength to anyone, regardless of their situation:
“Shalom, Sivan. I had a pretty lousy holiday, but on the seventh day of Pesach I remembered an idea I once heard that on every holiday we receive a gift–we are replenished with faith and holiness. We receive this gift without even realizing it. If we participated in a Seder, drank four cups of wine, read the Haggadah and ate matzah, this gift is ours.
“While it’s true that the more we invested in the Seder, the more obvious the gift, even if we were anxious, sad, bitter, ashamed, and envious of our married sister sitting there surrounded by her children, and the...
Baltimore, MD - April 22, 2025 - The automated traffic violation enforcement system in Baltimore City is only catching a small number of motorists who break the law, and many of these drivers don’t bother paying the fines, according to a report by Bikemore, a local advocacy group.
The goal of the automated system is to catch those who violate red lights, truck route restrictions and speed limits. Bikemore’s report from last week, called “Baltimore’s Super Speeders in 2024,” calls out “super speeders” who have repeat speeding violations at cameras in Baltimore City.
“Studies show speed cameras reduce injury and fatal crashes both at the camera locations and in the broader geography surrounding their placement,” said Jed Weeks, Bi...
Baltimore, MD – April 14, 2025 - BJL regrets to inform the community of the petira of Mrs. Sheina (Rabbi Boruch, z’l) Kestenbaum, a’h, mother of Reb Yaakov (Chana Baila) Kestenbaum, Rabbi Shmuel (Chaya Leah) Kestenbaum, Reb Yehuda (Rivky) Kestenbam, Reb Yechezkel (Esty) Kestenbaum, Mrs. Malky (Rabbi Michel) Levitansky and Miriam Kestenbaum
Shiva will be observed at 2511 Willow Glen Drive, Baltimore, MD 21209.
The family requests no visitors between 6:00 - 7:00 PM.
Minyanim:
Shachris (Wednesday, April 23rd thru Friday, April 25th) - 7:00 am
Mincha/Maariv (Tuesday, April 22nd thru Thursday, April 24th) - 7:35 pm
Mincha Erev Shabbos (Friday, April 25th) - 2:00 pm
If possible, commit to attend any minyanim that you ...
Baltimore, MD - April 21, 2025 - Baltimore Mayor Brandon Scott delivered his State of the City address Monday night, in which he highlighted significant progress in reducing violent crime and outlined future plans for the city’s growth and development.
Scott acknowledged the drop in homicides and celebrated the success of Baltimore’s Comprehensive Violence Prevention Plan.
“There were 335 homicides in 2020. There were 201 in 2024,” Scott said. “That’s down 40%. Shootings were down 43% over that time.”
Scott also shared improvements in other areas, including a 23% reduction in robberies, a 19% decrease in carjackings, and a 40% drop in auto thefts. He proudly stated, “Baltimore isn’t on the list” of the 25 most dangerous c...
Baltimore, MD – April 21, 2025 – 6:30PM - Due to a traffic accident and ongoing police activity, Park Heights Avenue is closed southbound at Brooks Robinson Drive. H/T: Bmore Traffic ------------------------------------------------------------------
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Baltimore, MD - April 21, 2025 - Change is coming to the Inner Harbor in more ways than one.
In addition to an ongoing revitalization project greenlit by voters last fall, Baltimore's Department of Transportation announced upgrades to the portion of Pratt Street that runs along the Harbor.
The goal: to make the bustling area more bike and pedestrian friendly.
"Because it has a high volume of crashes, especially with pedestrians, any safety improvements we can make are good," executive director of Bikemore Jed Weeks said.
The project, expected to begin in mid-May and last nine months, promises high visibility crosswalks, ADA accessibility upgrades and more signage at three key intersections: Light, Calvert and President Streets.
"That's excellent to give peopl...
Harvard University said it has filed a federal lawsuit against the Trump administration, arguing it has violated the university’s constitutional rights by freezing billions of dollars in federal funding, illegally imperiling its academic independence.
“The consequences of the government’s overreach will be severe and long-lasting,” Harvard President Alan Garber said in a community message announcing the lawsuit. Research at risk by the funding cuts, Garber said, includes work into child cancer, infectious disease outbreaks, and easing the pain of soldiers wounded in battle.
Harvard argues in the lawsuit that the government has cut off funds “as part of its pressure campaign” to force the university “to submit to the government&r...
The U.S. economy grew at a faster pace than expected at the beginning of 2024 as consumers continued to open their wallets despite ongoing inflation and high interest rates.
Gross domestic product, the broadest measure of goods and services produced across the economy, grew by 2.8% on an annualized basis in the three-month period from April through June, the Commerce Department said in its first reading of the data on Thursday.
That is much higher than the 2% increase forecast by LSEG economists and the 1.4% pace seen during the first quarter.
"The U.S. economy is much stronger than people realize and to the extent that markets were worried about a growth slowdown, they should breathe a sigh of relief after this morning’s GDP number," said Chris Zaccarelli, c...
