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September 25, 2020 at 1:18 pm
The city Health Department said Thursday it will shut non-essential businesses and limit gatherings in the city’s coronavirus hot spots if cases continue to rise in the areas.
The reopening rollbacks could hit nine “cluster” sites where virus cases have ticked up, including a large swath of southern Brooklyn and Williamsburg — as well as Kew Gardens and Edgemere-Far Rockaway in Queens.
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The Health Department will ramp up inspections in the areas to assure mask compliance and social distancing practices, the department said in a press release.
The measures c...
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September 25, 2020 at 1:15 pm
The final stretch of a presidential campaign is typically a nonstop mix of travel, caffeine and adrenaline. But as the worst pandemic in a century bears down on the United States, Joe Biden is taking a lower key approach.Join BJL status for engagements, births, deals, levayos, events & more: https://bit.ly/32HUBnJ
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Since his Aug. 11 selection of California Sen. Kamala Harris as his running mate, Biden has had 22 days where he either didn’t make public appearances, held only virtual fundraisers or ventured from his Delaware home solely for church, according to an Associated Press analysis of his schedules. He made 12 visits outside of Delaware during that period, including a trip t...
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September 25, 2020 at 12:52 pm
As reaction to the Breonna Taylor decision continues to play out in cities across the country, a couple hundred people joined the nationwide movement in the heart of downtown Baltimore Thursday night.
Demonstrators gathered at Baltimore police headquarters before marching through downtown to City Hall in the wake of the decision in Taylor’s case.
Hundreds of protestors joined the movement sweeping the nation, fighting against racial injustice and police brutality in the wake of a grand jury's decision not to charge three Louisville Metro police officers in the fatal shooting of Taylor.
"I don't agree. I'll never agree with the decision that's been made. Like, that's why we're here, because there was no justice and there's never been justice in a ...
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September 25, 2020 at 12:47 pm
The newest episode of Inside ArtScroll features an interview with Rabbi David Ashear, author of the best-selling Living Emunah series, whose books have sold over 200,000 copies. Rabbi Ashear is a renowned speaker and a rabbi at the Yad Yosef Torah Center in Brooklyn. In his books and lectures, Rabbi Ashear shares powerful inspiration for achieving a life of serenity, happiness and tranquility through the acceptance of faith in Hashem and His goodness. His messages have transformed the lives of tens of thousands of people across the world. In this interview, Rabbi Ashear provides an inside look at the Living Emunah journey, showing how the power of emunah can support and guide us even in these dark times.
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September 25, 2020 at 12:27 pm
The late Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg became the first woman to lie in state in the Capitol on Friday, underscoring her impact as a trailblazer for women.
Ginsburg is also the first Jewish person and only the second Supreme Court justice to lie in state at the Capitol.
Lawmakers, along with Ginsburg’s family and friends, wiped away tears and placed their hands over their hearts as they gazed upon her flag-draped casket in the Capitol’s Statuary Hall. Ginsburg's personal trainer paid his respects by doing push-ups in front of her casket.Join BJL status for engagements, births, deals, levayos, events & more: https://bit.ly/32HUBnJ
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Ginsburg&#...
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September 25, 2020 at 11:55 am
A new COVID-19 mutation appears to be even more contagious, according to a study — and experts say it could be a response by the virus to defeat masks and other social-distancing efforts.
Scientists in a paper published Wednesday identified a new strain of the virus, which accounted for 99.9 percent of cases during the second wave in the Houston, Texas, area, the Washington Post reported.
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The paper, which has not been peer-reviewed, said people with the strain, known as the D614G mutation, had higher loads of virus — suggesting it is more contagious.
Though the s...
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September 25, 2020 at 11:55 am
[Ed. Note] Out of the respect and recognition of the impact made by longtime BJL friend and contributor, Reb Shaya Gross, z’l, we will maintain a living memoriam to Shaya through the sweet words and thoughtful insights of his Divrei Torah. BJL readers will remember his weekly column on the Parsha and on various Torah ideas and concepts. These meaningful words will help us remember this special young man who will be sorely missed and for those who did not merit to know him, this will be the most appropriate way for them to become familiar with who he was.
{Note: Shaya did not have any dvar torah on Parshas Haazinu, but here is a beautiful piece from Rabbi Frand.
The pasuk [verse] from which we learn the mitzvah to write a Sefer Torah says “And now write for you...
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September 25, 2020 at 11:36 am
Baltimore, Md - Sept. 24, 2020 - Topic: Rabbi Goldberger Speaks and Sings - Erev Shabbos Shuva Meeting Recording: https://us02web.zoom.us/rec/share/_P8zAq36mttJgdpwkHvIS6VJZiEjdpkAbF4KJX3ohdl-p3fTnN_E0eCXcRsrY2ys.aAuV21PcULQaTGF3 Access Passcode: 7ZwV6jv!
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September 25, 2020 at 11:32 am
One week after unveiling a timeline to allow in-person learning in Baltimore County Public Schools, Superintendent Dr. Darryl Williams abandoned the plan Thursday.
In a letter sent to teachers and staff Williams said the plan, "will be revised and the return of all school staff will be determined after continued review and collaboration."
The county is offering virtual classes until late January, but Gov. Larry Hogan had urged school systems to come up with plans to offer some in-person learning before the end of the calendar year.
Williams' plan was due to have teachers and staff return to their school building on Oct. 19, and small groups of special education, pre-school, pre-K and kindergarten students would return by Nov. 13.
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September 25, 2020 at 11:15 am
For half a year now, faith leaders in Baltimore and beyond have summoned new reserves of creativity in dealing with the coronavirus pandemic.
They’ve mastered Zoom and other communications platforms. They’ve held drive-thru confessions, displayed holy objects from trucks, and sanitized prayer rugs and pews.
And this weekend, as the holiest day on the Jewish calendar arrives, the Baltimore area’s most strictly observant Jewish community will see changes in practice to fit the requirements of their faith.
Yom Kippur, or the Day of Atonement, which begins at sundown Sunday and lasts through Monday evening, calls for fasting, self-reflection, and in ordinary times, formal services in synagogues.
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September 25, 2020 at 10:57 am
Jerusalem, Israel – Sept. 25, 2020 - It's almost Shabbos, so I will be brief. But whatever you read now will most likely be different in a few moments, minutes or hours, as things have been going.
On Erev Rosh Hashana, the government enacted a Seger or lockdown. It limited the number of people in shuls, set rules for where you can and can't go, and caused many businesses to close.
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Following Rosh Hashana, with the numbers of COVID-19 cases skyrocketing (in fact, over 8,000 people have now been tested positive in the last 24 hours) the "Corona Cabinet" met and pushed all the p...
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September 25, 2020 at 10:51 am
Jerusalem, Israel - Sept. 25, 2020 - On September 25, 2020, less than two hours before the Israeli countrywide lockdown was to go into effect at 2:00 pm erev Shabbos Haazinu through Simchas Torah, a convoy with dozens of cars arrived in Jerusalem, Israel. With their car horns blasting, noisily, protesters, some with black flags, others with Israeli flags in their car windows, proceeded loudly toward the Prime MInister's Residence.
Video:Protesters drive noisily into Jerusalem before lockdown
There are more protests planned for an hour before Shabbos ends at major intersections throughout Israel. The numbers of attendees and other stricter regulations were announced late Thursday night.
More and more people and families are in isolation, the numbers hav...
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September 25, 2020 at 10:15 am
ANNAPOLIS, Md. (AP) — Ballots are now being mailed to voters in Maryland, the state elections board announced Thursday.
The board says almost 800,000 ballot packets will be shipped to voters over a five-day period — starting Thursday.
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The board also says it’s expediting the delivery process by entering them directly into the local mail stream as first-class mail.
The first set of emails to domestic voters who requested a ballot by email were also sent Thursday.
Ballots were mailed to military and overseas voters who requested ballots by mail last week, the board said. Th...
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September 25, 2020 at 10:11 am
At 2 PM on Friday, September 25, Israel is set to ratchet up the current lockdown. At this hour, the Knesset is debating the details of this arrangement.
It was reported on Wednesday, September 23 that the Corona cabinet debated the idea of shuttering Ben Gurion airport. This potential move sent some community members into a frenzy, as many had travel scheduled for the Sukkos holiday period. Dozens of calls poured into Chaim V’Chessed headquarters, seeking clarification on the possible ramifications on their travel plans. Others beseeched our representatives to lobby for an arrangement which would allow flights to depart. Still other callers were scheduled to travel to Israel in coming days, for a host of reasons, including Simcha travels.
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September 25, 2020 at 12:19 am
From the moment Rosh Hashana is done we hit the ground running, initiating the Ten Days of Repentance by fasting, commemorating the tragic death of Gedaliah ben Achikam.
Although this fast day is observed during this time due to it having occurred historically in this period, there seems to be a more integral connection to these days of repentance.
The Pesikta teaches us that from the 17th of Tammuz there is a sequence of Haftoros read, ‘Three of Punishment, Seven of Consolation, and Two of Repentance’.
The Bais Yosef says the first one of Repentance is the Haftora we read on Tzom Gedaliah, Dirshu Hashem B’Himatzo... The second is that of Shuva Yisrael ad Hashem... which we read on Shabbos Shuva.
The reading of Dirshu and its summons to ‘...
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September 25, 2020 at 12:18 am
HaAzinu marks the final time in the Torah where Hashem foretells the future generations of Klal Yisroel after they enter Eretz Yisroel. Indeed, some M’phorshim understand that HaAzinu contains detailed allusions to everything that will happen to the Jewish people. After predicting that there would be many years of peace and plenty, the Torah warns that B’nei Yisroel will become “fat”. (HaAzinu 32:15) Inevitably, we would then enjoy our blessings and forget from where they come. Hashem then describes the calamities which would befall us as a result of our transgressions. (32:22-26). Curiously, the Torah then tells us that Hashem will temper his wrath, so that our enemies do not question the existence and presence of Hashem. (32:27)
This same ...
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September 25, 2020 at 12:16 am
Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) agents tasked by fired former Director James Comey to take down Donald Trump during and after the 2016 election were so concerned about the agency’s potentially illegal behavior that they purchased liability insurance to protect themselves less than two weeks before Trump was inaugurated president, previously hidden FBI text messages show. The explosive new communications and internal FBI notes were disclosed in federal court filings today from Sidney Powell, the attorney who heads Michael Flynn’s legal defense team.
“[W]e all went and purchased professional liability insurance,” one agent texted on Jan. 10, 2017, the same day CNN leaked details that then-President-elect Trump had been briefed by Comey about...
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September 24, 2020 at 11:39 pm
Baltimore, MD - Sept. 24, 2020 - Hatzalah has received numerous requests about setting up IV lines before Yom Kippur or during Yom Kippur for those having difficulty with fasting. This is not the correct approach one should have. If you have any question about your ability to fast, please consult your Rov. Of course if an emergency develops on Yom Kippur Ch"V Hatzalah will be available to respond.
Wishing everyone a Gmar Chasima Tova.
