Baltimore, MD - Aug. 16, 2018 - O’Fishels Mitzva Motivator grand siyum buffet celebrated chavrusa learning of many hundreds of local children and adults, covering thousands of mishnayos and pesukim, including many perakim of pirkei avos memorized baal peh for the turn 1/6 into $50 campaign in memory of Shaya Gross, Z'L, over the summer.In the video below, watch one of the masmidim, Pinchas Dov Shulman, son of Rabbi Adam & Mrs. Ellie Shulman, pass his bechina with flying colors.
A decade after first appearing in the United States, fake weed is seen as a growing health danger. Some marijuana smokers turned to it because it is relatively cheap and not detected in routine drug testing. Dozens of people in New Haven, Connecticut, went to the hospital this week after overdosing on a batch of synthetic marijuana. A look at the issue: WHAT IS IT? While states have moved to legalize traditional marijuana, fake pot has become a public health threat. Synthetic marijuana is a mind-altering drug made by taking plant material and spraying it with chemicals that can mimic the high from marijuana. It is sold under names like K2, AK47, Spice, Kush, Kronic, and Scooby Snax. The chemicals also can also be mixed into a liquid and vaped, and even mixed into tea or food. The subs...
Baltimore, MD – Aug. 17, 2018 - Mesivta Kesser Torah is pleased to announce that Rabbi Dovid Rubin has joined it’s Limudei Kodesh staff this year as the 10th grade Rebbe for the Mesivta's newly added grade. (Last year, the founding 9th grade made siyumim on masechtos Rosh HaShanah and Kiddushin and heard divrei chizuk from Rabbi Yaakov Hopfer, rav, Shearith Israel Congregation, with more than 100 people in attendance at the siyum.) Rabbi Rubin was learning in the Kollel in Bais Medrash Elyon Monsey, New York and is a talmid of the Mesivta of Long Beach and Yeshivas Kodshim in Eretz Yisroel (lead by Harav Tzvi Kaplan, Shlita). This is a very special class of motivated Talmidim and Rabbi Rubin’s depth in learning, as well as his dynamic style of teaching, will inspir...
ALBANY, N.Y. (AP) — New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo says he was “inartful” when he said this week that America “was never that great.” The Democrat told reporters on Friday that he believes America “has always been great.” He said he was trying to criticize Republican President Donald Trump’s slogan “Make America Great Again” when he made the widely criticized comment at a Manhattan bill signing Wednesday. The remark prompted Trump to tweet that Cuomo was having a “total meltdown.” Cuomo is running for a third-term this fall and is considered a possible White House contender in 2020. On Friday he said he has no plans to run for president though he said he will continue to criticize Trump, who is scheduled to attend a L...
The rains over the past few months of summer piqued the curiosity of some Maryland property owners who now would like to know if: (1) neighbors are liable for flood damage to adjacent or nearby properties, and (2) they are able to redirect water from their properties when doing so adversely impacts other properties. Much of Maryland experienced record breaking levels of rainfall over the course of the summer. While the rains may have caused certain crops to flourish, the deluge also wrought havoc by flooding fields, yards and basements. Some affected property owners, often those either uninsured or underinsured for such events, are now inquiring who is liable for flood damage caused by water runoff from one property onto another, and whether they are able to redirect water from their prope...
WASHINGTON (AP) — The Trump administration is ending funding for Syria stabilization projects as it moves to extricate the U.S. from the conflict, citing increased contributions from anti-Islamic State coalition partners. U.S. officials said the administration notified Congress on Friday that it would not spend some $200 million that had been planned for Syria programs and would instead shift that money to other areas. Nearly all of that money, initially pledged by former Secretary of State Rex Tillerson in February, had been on hold and under review since he was fired in March. A small fraction of that amount was released in June. The officials spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized discuss the changes publicly before a formal announcement, expected later...
There are numerous places in the Torah where Chazal derive significant lessons from the placement of one Mitvzah or historical event directly opposite or next to another Mitzvah.  A classic example would be in next weeks Parsha where Rashi points out that the Halacha of Ben Tzorer Umoreh (the rebellious child) follows an Isha S’nuah (the despised wife), which follows Yifas To’ar. (the woman captured in battle) This teaches us that someone who marries a Yifas To’ar will eventually come to hate her and produce a rebellious child.   In this week’s Parsha, there is another set of Halachos directly juxtaposed, about which the commentaries seem strangely silent. Six P’sukim are devoted to some of the particular Halachos of Arei’ Miklat or citie...
Parashas Shoftim contains a passage which was important in my religious development.  My parents had maintained conservative synagogue affiliation.  When I was 17, I left my traditional, but non-Orthodox, home for Baltimore’s Johns Hopkins University with the explicit intent to “become more religious.”  Intentionally, I had applied only to colleges in cities with large Jewish populations:   Baltimore, Philadelphia, New York, and Cleveland.    However, without an Orthodox upbringing, I did not understand what being “more religious” meant.  I knew that the religious people were those who had sedarim on Pesach, lit Shabbos candles, lit Chanuka candles, had a sukka, etc.  However, I did not know whether these obse...
Most of us born and raised in this great country, an outpost of galus that offered our immigrant forebears unprecedented freedoms and protections, deeply appreciate not only those gifts but the Constitutional principles on which these United States stand. Among them, the First Amendment’s guarantee of freedom of speech. The issue of that guarantee’s limits is currently a thing, thanks to one Alex Jones. Alex Jones protesting in Dallas, TX. (Alex Jones) Mr. Jones is an extremely popular radio program host and the proprietor of a number of websites. He traffics in unfounded “reports” of conspiracies and nefarious actions by government and “globalist” agents. He famously averred that the Sandy Hook school shooting was a hoax, an assertion th...
GENOA, Italy (AP) — One survivor of the Genoa bridge collapse was in his car as it plunged 45 meters (150 feet) to the ground along with falling sections of highway and concrete. He says he immediately understood that the structure was collapsing. “It came down, everything, the world came down,” said 33-year-old Davide Capello, a firefighter and soccer player who walked away traumatized but physically unharmed from Tuesday’s disaster. Excavators on Friday began clearing large sections of the collapsed highway bridge in the Italian port city on the Mediterranean Sea, searching for people still missing three days after the deadly accident that Capello said ended with an “unreal silence.” The search entered a new phase as heavy equipment removed a large ...
WASHINGTON (AP) — Former U.S. security officials issued scathing rebukes to President Donald Trump on Thursday, admonishing him for yanking a top former spy chief’s security clearance in what they cast as an act of political vengeance. Trump said he’d had to do “something” about the “rigged” federal probe of Russian election interference. Trump’s admission that he acted out of frustration about the Russia probe underscored his willingness to use his executive power to fight back against an investigation he sees as a threat to his presidency. Legal experts said the dispute may add to the evidence being reviewed by special counsel Robert Mueller. In an opinion piece in The New York Times, former CIA Director John Brennan said Trump’s de...
Electric car maker Tesla’s CEO Elon Musk admitted to The New York Times that stress is taking a heavy toll on him personally in what he calls an “excruciating” year. The newspaper said Musk alternated between laughter and tears during the interview in which he said he was working up to 120 hours a week and sometimes takes Ambien to get to sleep. “This past year has been the most difficult and painful year of my career,” he said. “It was excruciating.” The interview published Friday offered rare insights into Musk’s personal life and thinking. He stood by his tweet last week saying he might take Tesla private and that he had secured the funding to do so. Asked if he regretted it, he said, “Why would I?” Musk has a reputation f...
NEW YORK (AP) — Officials say one person has died and three others are hospitalized with serious injuries after a fire broke out at a New York City building housing a deli and apartments. The blaze broke out around 6 a.m. Friday in a corner building on Buffalo Street in Brooklyn's Crown Heights neighborhood. Official say four people were been taken to hospitals, where a woman died from her injuries. The three others are reported in critical condition. Five other people, including three firefighters, suffered minor injuries. The fire started in a four-story building with a deli on the ground floor and apartments on the upper floors. Fire officials say the blaze apparently started in the deli, which was closed at the time. The cause of the fire is under investigation.
WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump said Friday he had canceled plans for a Veterans Day military parade, citing the “ridiculously high” price tag — a day after U.S. officials said the November event could cost $92 million, more than three times the price first suggested by the White House. Trump on Twitter accused local Washington, D.C., politicians of price-gouging. But preliminary estimates from the Pentagon showed that more than half the price tag would come from military aircraft, equipment, personnel and other support. The remainder would be borne by other agencies and largely involve security costs. The Defense Department had announced Thursday there would be no parade in 2018. Trump tweeted that perhaps something could be scheduled next year when the ...
Hostile forces in the Middle East are targeting American pilots with laser pointers at a growing rate, imperiling aircrews and reflecting a problem more widespread and longstanding than the Pentagon has previously acknowledged. Lasing attacks appear to be an easy way for enemy combatants to harass and try to distract military pilots, both in planes and helicopters. See More Coverage ›
Childhood exposure to secondhand smoke is linked to lung disease decades later, according to a study published Thursday by the American Cancer Society. For 22 years, researchers have been following more than 70,000 adults who have never smoked. At the beginning of the study, they were asked whether they lived in a household with a smoker while they were children. Those who did were 31 percent more likely to die of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). This is the first study to find a correlation between the two. “We know that children exposed to secondhand smoke are more likely to have lung problems, asthma,” said Ryan Diver, the director of data analysis at the American Cancer Society and lead author of the study. The surgeon general defines secondhand smoke as bot...
The cease-fire agreement Egypt is trying to ‎negotiate between Israel and Hamas includes a one-‎year truce, as well as several measures meant to ‎alleviate the dire economic situation in the Gaza ‎Strip, the Hezbollah-affiliated Al Mayadeen TV ‎reported on Thursday.‎ According to the report, under the deal Qatar ‎would pay the salaries of Hamas government officials in Gaza, as well as for the enclave’s power ‎supply. Those payments used to be carried by the ‎Palestinian Authority, but P.A. leader Mahmoud Abbas suspended them earlier this year in a bid to ‎pressure Hamas into ceding control of Gaza.‎ The deal also includes establishing a “naval ‎corridor” between Cyprus and Gaza through which ‎goods could be delivered t...
President Trump is reportedly gearing up to revoke more security clearances from former intelligence officials who were tied to the investigation into Russian interference in the 2016 presidential election. The Washington Post reported Thursday, citing two unidentified White House officials, that the president is eager to strip more security clearances from former officials, a day after he revoked ex-CIA Director John Brennan’s security clearance. Trump has drafted a list of former intelligence officials whose clearances could be revoked, a list that includes former FBI Director James Comey and former FBI Deputy Director Andrew McCabe. Read more at The Hill.
BALTIMORE (AP) — An independent review panel is considering subpoenaing the Baltimore Police Department for withheld cases. Civilian Review Board chair Bridal Pearson tells The Baltimore Sun the police department's internal affairs division used to forward eight to 15 cases for review each month, but hasn't sent any since members refused to sign confidentiality agreements last month. The board is now under Baltimore's law department, led by City Solicitor Andre Davis. But that department also represents police, which Pearson says is a conflict of interest. He says cases are being withheld at the behest of Davis, who argued discussion of police misconduct is subject to confidentiality laws. Davis declined to comment to the newspaper. Councilman Brandon M....
WASHINGTON (AP) — Melania Trump plans to address a cyberbullying summit in Maryland next week. The White House says the first lady will deliver remarks "addressing the positive and negative effects of social media on youth." She'll also attend a panel discussion with representatives from various social media platforms participating in the Federal Partners in Bullying Prevention Cyberbullying Prevention Summit, which is being held Monday in Rockville. The White House did not identify the social media outlets. The first lady is focusing on cyberbullying among young people as part of her "Be Best" initiative. The campaign also includes opioid abuse and overall child well-being. Mrs. Trump has been criticized for highlighting cyberbullying while President Donald Trump regularly ...
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