Occasionally, when learning Torah, we come face to face with historical facts which may be at odds with the scientific perception or agenda of the day. Parshas Bereishis contains perhaps a thousand of those possibilities, in the first Aliya alone. Today, where evolution and the Big Bang are no longer advanced as theories, but rather taught as scientific facts, we must be very deliberate in how we explain these apparent inconsistencies to our children.Several very dedicated and talented Mechanchim that my children have had, have dealt with this issue with different approaches and styles. One approach has simply been to say “science is wrong”. Indeed, history is full of many examples of scientific impossibilities becoming reality. Whether it was the impossibility of flight, break...
Baltimore, MD – October 9, 2026 – BJL wishes a hearty Mazel Tov to Naftali Hollander (New York) & Chaya Pessi Zuckerman on their engagement.
Mazel Tov to the parents Ben & Sara Shayndle Zuckerman.
!יה”ר שיזכו לבנות בית נאמן בישראל. אמן
Baltimore, MD – October 9, 2026 - BJL wishes a hearty Mazel Tov to Rabbi Shaul Elchonon and Shoshana Sofer and their family on the birth of a baby boy.
!יה"ר שיזכו לגדלו לתורה לחופה ולמעשים טובים. אמן
Baltimore, MD – October 8, 2026 – BJL wishes a hearty Mazel Tov to Shlomo Fishkind and Devorah Amster on their engagment.
Mazel Tov to the parents Rabbi Yehuda & Shoshanah Fishkind and Rabbi Chaim & Rachele Amster.
!יה”ר שיזכו לבנות בית נאמן בישראל. אמן
Baltimore, MD – October 7, 2026 – BJL wishes a hearty Mazel Tov to Ruchama Hoffman on the engagement to Yisroel Meir Munk (Lakewood).
Mazel Tov to the parents HaRav Dovid and Chaya Hoffman.
!יה”ר שיזכו לבנות בית נאמן בישראל. אמן
Days after surviving the terrifying incident aboard a Flydubai flight from Dubai to Tel Aviv, a group of passengers visited Kever Rochel to offer thanks to Hashem for their rescue. Among them was Dr. Shota Musayev, a dentist from Holon who helped save the captain’s life and played a role in stabilizing the situation during the emergency.
“I know this is a place of tefillah and requests for yeshuos, but this time I chose to come here to say thank you,” Musayev said upon arriving. “After everything we went through, there are moments when a person simply needs to stop and thank HaKadosh Baruch Hu.”
The survivors first spent time davening at the tzion of Rochel Imeinu before joining yungeleit from the Kever Rochel institutions’ network of kollelim. Toget...
New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani was booed and called a “traitor” and “sellout” Wednesday night as pro-Palestinian protesters disrupted an October 7 memorial vigil in Manhattan’s Union Square. The vigil was organized by Israelis for Peace to remember victims of the October 7, 2023, Hamas attack while also honoring Palestinians killed during the war in Gaza. Around 200 protesters arrived at the event, according to amNewYork, outnumbering the organizers and prompting police to place barricades between the groups.
The protesters shouted over speakers and chanted “Long Live Hamas,” while some carried Palestinian flags and chanted “Normalize the intifada.” Mamdani was also targeted by the protesters, who accused him of betraying the Pales...
Scroll for Pictures and videoBaltimore, MD – October 7, 2026 - Nearly 1,000 people packed Goucher College’s Kraushaar Auditorium on Chol Hamoed for a Miriam’s Library concert featuring Joey Newcomb, as the organization announced the launch of a new hands-on after-school program and an $18,000 scholarship fund for participating families.
The concert featured Newcomb together with Baltimore’s 8th Note Band, led by Menachem Manevich, and marked the public rollout of the first programming at Miriam’s Library’s new Pikesville home.
A New Kind of After-School Program
The new six-week program, beginning October 25, is geared toward fourth- and fifth-graders and takes a different approach from the traditional after-school model. Rather than centering on homew...
FAMILY OPENS BEDROOM LOCKED SINCE MASSACRE AS ZAKA VOLUNTEERS COMPLETE FINAL SACRED WORK FOR ELITZUR HAJBI, Z”L
YAKHINI, Israel – Three years after the October 7 massacre, the final victim killed in the attack at Moshav Yakhini has been brought to rest after his family opened a bedroom that had remained locked since the morning he was murdered.
Elitzur Hajbi, z”l, was killed in the Hamas attack on Yakhini on October 7, 2023. His family was unable to access the room where he was killed. While the rest of the home was cleaned and restored, the room remained sealed for three years.
In recent days, ahead of the third anniversary of October 7, the family finally gathered the strength to open the door. They found remains inside and contacted ZAKA Search & Rescue fo...
Baltimore, MD - October 8, 2026 - BeMore Giving is pleased to announce that Rabbi Elie Meyer has been appointed as its new Executive Director.
BeMore Giving is a unique charitable organization dedicated to providing financial support to institutions and organizations throughout the greater Baltimore Jewish community. For years, BeMore Giving has helped facilitate financial support for dozens of local organizations through a model designed to make giving both simple and consistent.
Rather than relying solely on occasional large donations, BeMore Giving focuses on building a steady group of constituents who give small amounts of tzedakah to a nominated organization on a daily basis. The model benefits the organizations receiving the funds while also encouraging individuals to make tzed...
New York, NY – October 7, 2026 - New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani drew criticism from Israeli officials and Jewish leaders Wednesday after releasing a statement commemorating the third anniversary of the October 7 Hamas massacre that devoted substantial attention to accusations against Israel (see X post below).
While Mamdani acknowledged the atrocities committed by Hamas, including the murder of more than 1,100 Israelis and the abduction of 251 hostages, he quickly shifted his focus to Israel's military campaign in Gaza, accusing the Israeli government of genocide, apartheid, and war crimes.
“This day is profoundly painful for so many New Yorkers,” Mamdani wrote, expressing sympathy for those who continue to mourn the victims of the October 7 attack.
However, m...
Baltimore, MD – October 7, 2026 - There is nothing quite like the sweet sound of Torah learning filling the halls of a yeshiva.
That beautiful sound returned to Yeshivas Toras Simcha on Tuesday as the talmidim came back from Yom Tov refreshed, enthusiastic, and excited to reunite with their Rebbeim, moros, and friends. Smiles and warm greetings filled the hallways as friends eagerly shared their Yom Tov experiences with one another.
Before long, however, the familiar and cherished sound of kol Torah once again reverberated throughout the building. Chumashim and Gemaras were opened, voices filled the classrooms, and the Yeshiva was once again alive with the energy of Torah learning.
And what a special way to begin! While Parshas Bereishis often seems to pass by much too quickly, th...
On Isru Chag, following a brief illness, my Aunt Judy Hoffman, a”h, was nifteres. Tante Judy was born in Baltimore, the daughter of Max and Shirley Rosen. Her father, a founder of Chofetz Chaim-Adath B'nei Israel Congregation (The Adas), took tremendous pride in his daughter marrying a yeshiva bochur, my dear Uncle Leiby Hoffman. Together, they were a power couple: my uncle, tall and handsome with a larger-than-life personality, and Tante Judy beside him like a queen, every step of the way. Their home on Yeshiva Lane was open to bochurim and people from all walks of life. There was always someone coming through the door, always a conversation, always something happening, always song and laughter.
It was in that home that they raised a beautiful family, children who shared the...
Baltimore, MD – October 7, 2026 - BJL regrets to inform the community of the petira of R’ Dovid Katz, a”h, husband of Chani Katz and father of Chavie (Menashe) Minkin, Brochie (Yitzchok) Gutterman, Dvorah (Dovid) Markowitz, Yitzy (Adina) Katz, and Michal (Simcha) Razckowski.
The levaya will take place Thursday, October 8, at 9:00 AM at Sol Levinson & Bros., 8900 Reisterstown Road, Baltimore, MD 21208.
Kevura will take place in Lakewood, NJ around 1-1:30pm.
Shiva will be observed until Wednesday morning, October 14th at 3109 Shelburne Road, Baltimore, MD 21208 beginning on Friday morning. MinyanimShacharis: 7:45amMincha: 6:20pmMincha-Friday: 2:00pmMaariv: Follows Mincha
The family requests no visitors from 12:30–1:30 PM, 5:00–6:00 PM, or after...
More than 60 million American children under age 18 have been automatically enrolled in Trump Accounts, according to the U.S. Treasury Department. The accounts, also known as 530A accounts, are designed to help children begin building savings and investments for the future.
The program officially launched July 4 and is available to U.S. children under 18 who have a Social Security number. Until now, parents or guardians had to take steps to enroll their children. The new system automatically creates the account for eligible children, but parents or guardians must claim it before they can manage the account or allow others to contribute.
They can claim the account through the Trump Accounts app by verifying their identity and relationship to the child and accepting the account terms. ...
Scroll down for photosBaltimore, MD – October 7, 2026 -From Motzei Yom Kippur through Hoshana Rabbah, Mercaz Torah U’Tefillah was alive with Torah, Tefillah, and the simcha of Yom Tov, with a full schedule of learning, special programs, and cherished minhagim.
The Yom Tov season began with the Mafsik Tish on Motzei Yom Kippur, followed by preparations for Sukkos at Mercaz Arba Minim, where the Zidichover Rebbe personally checked lulavim and esrogim.
Throughout Chol Hamoed, the Beis Medrash remained filled with kol Torah through Avos Ubanim and special Bein Hazmanim learning. The younger boys enjoyed a special Neilas HaChag program with Rebbe Hill, while Hoshana Rabbah included Mishneh Torah leining with Izzy Hyatt.
On Leil Hoshana Rabbah, bochurim gathered at 11:15 PM for a ...
Jewish schools around the world are seeing increased enrollment since October 7, as more families choose Jewish education and seek stronger connections to Jewish identity and community. The trend comes as Jewish families also face growing concerns about antisemitism and safety.
In both the United Kingdom and France, educators report that enrollment has increased, with many new students coming from families who previously sent their children to secular schools. In France, there are more than 90,000 Jewish children of school age, but Jewish schools currently have space for only about 35,000 students. Some schools are expanding their facilities to accommodate the growing demand. One French educator described the situation by saying, “We need to extend and expand our capacity.&rdquo...
