Jerusalem, Israel - May 5, 2021  - Former Baltimoreans now residents of Eretz Yisrael, Tzvi Gottesman, Jeremy Lustman and Meir Raskas, travelled up north earlier this week to take part in a a two day bike ride benefiting an amazing Israeli organization called Geerz (www.geerz.org), which provides life skills, empowerment etc., for underprivileged kids through mountain biking!
The time has come to put the needy in their proper place. Imagine the following: On a chilly winter evening there is a knock at your door. You answer and are greeted by Shmuel, a regular visitor, who asks for tzedaka. You reach into your pocket and hand Shmuel a 20 shekel note. He thanks you, blesses you and turns away in his quest for the next open door. As you return inside, warmth in the impression that you have made Shmuel happy gives you a feeling of pride and accomplishment. He will have his next meal or perhaps get closer to paying his rent this month. What a mitzvah! But…what about Shmuel? How is he really feeling? Is his heart singing as well? Is he “happy?” The answer is that for most of the “Shmuels” who approach us, the good feeling isn’...
All eligible Marylanders can now go to any mass vaccination site for a vaccine without an appointment, Gov. Larry Hogan announced Wednesday. As part of the state's "No Arm Left Behind" initiative, eligible Marylanders can now get vaccinated without an appointment at any of the state's 13 mass vaccination sites. Maryland online vaccination site locator Vaccine Data Dashboard Maryland vaccination plan FAQs As of Wednesday, Maryland has reported more than 4.9 million total vaccinations. According to official data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 62.5% of Marylanders 18 and older, and 85% of Marylanders 65 and older, have received at least one dose of a COVID-19 vaccine. Join BJL on WhatsApp Status: Click here to Join BJL status for engagements, b...
Yesh Atid Chair Yair Lapid on Wednesday responded to news that the president had tasked him with forming a government, calling for a unity government. "This evening, President Rivlin tasked me with forming an Israeli unity government."After two years of political paralysis, Israeli society is hurting. Join BJL on WhatsApp Status: Click here to Join BJL status for engagements, births, deals, levayos, events & more Join BJL on WhatsApp Groups: Click here to Join an official BJL WhatsApp group for breaking news as it happens"A unity government isn’t a compromise or a last resort - it’s a goal, it’s what we need."We need a government that will reflect the fact that we don’t hate one another. A government in which left, right and center will work togeth...
Dr. Anthony Fauci says Israel's small size, ability to come together during a crisis helped Jewish State during coronavirus pandemic. Director of the U.S. National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases Dr. Anthony Fauci praised Israel's handling of the coronavirus crisis in an interview with Channel 13 News Wednesday. Join BJL on WhatsApp Status: Click here to Join BJL status for engagements, births, deals, levayos, events & more Join BJL on WhatsApp Groups: Click here to Join an official BJL WhatsApp group for breaking news as it happens "I often use Israel as the prototype example of what actually goes right in this," Dr. Fauci said. "I don't think Israel did everything perfectly - no one does things perfectly - but you had a couple of things i...
Baltimore, MD – May 5, 2021 - BJL wishes a hearty Mazel Tov to Mr. & Mrs. Nir Ben-Ohr  on the birth of twins, a son and daughter יה"ר שיזכו לגדל בנם ובתם לתורה, לחופה, ולמעשים טובים. אמן
"It is clear that Lapid has the possibility of forming a government - even if there are many difficulties." President Reuven Rivlin announced tonight, Wednesday, that he has decided to entrust the work of forming the government to Chairman of Yesh Atid Yair Lapid. "Last night, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu informed me that he was unable to form a government and he is returning the mandate to me. After receiving the position of all the factions and talking to MKs Yair Lapid and Naftali Bennett, it became clear to me that while Bennett was left with 7 recommendations, Lapid received 56. MK Mansour Abbas has written that he will cooperate positively with anyone who receives the highest number of recommendations," Rivlin said. Join BJL on WhatsApp Status: Click here to Join BJL status...
Side by side with the political drama, another drama is taking place in Israel – in 45 homes of families that are in mourning throughout the country. Thousands (!) are visiting these families every day, not only to pay a Shiva call but to get to know one another and talk for the first time. "How embarrassing. Only because of a catastrophe like this am I entering the house of a haredi family for the first time," a woman said yesterday to one of the bereaved families. "It's not pleasant to admit," she heard in reply, "but only because of a catastrophe like this are we hosting secular people in our home for the first time."I arrived at the home of the Zeckbach family in Bnei Brak. 24-year-old Menachem left behind his wife Racheli, seven months pregnant, and a little daughter. Rache...
Former President Donald Trump on Tuesday launched a new online platform to communicate with his followers online after being banned from Twitter, Facebook and other social media platforms following the Jan. 6 attack on the U.S. Capitol building. Twitter has said Trump is permanently banned from tweeting after the platform said a tweet of his following the action seemed to be supportive of those who engaged in violence that day. Trump has denied the allegation. Facebook is set to decide on Wednesday whether to reinstate Trump’s account. Join BJL on WhatsApp Status: Click here to Join BJL status for engagements, births, deals, levayos, events & more Join BJL on WhatsApp Groups: Click here to Join an official BJL WhatsApp group for breaking news as it happens Either way, the n...
Peer group pressure has gotten a bad rap.  Inevitably, when we hear “peer group pressure” we picture teens and young adults being drawn into drug use, promiscuity and all manner of risky behavior; we imagine young professionals being lured into living above their means.  Too often, we overlook that peer group pressure can also be a force for good and just behavior.  In parashat Behar we read that every seventh year is shemitah, and following seven cycles of shemitah is Yovel – a time when our fields are to be untended and unguarded for a full year.  Yovel attests in deed to our trust and faith in the ultimate Provider, crystalizing our recognition that this world is but a corridor to the ultimate world, where labor and material possessions are replace...
Peloton is recalling all of its treadmills over safety concerns following the death of a child and dozens of other injuries involving the machines. The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) and Peloton announced that the company is issuing two separate voluntary recalls — one of its Peloton Tread+ and Peloton Tread units. The company has also stopped selling the Tread+ and is working on additional hardware modifications.Join BJL on WhatsApp Status: Click here to Join BJL status for engagements, births, deals, levayos, events & more Join BJL on WhatsApp Groups: Click here to Join an official BJL WhatsApp group for breaking news as it happens The CPSC warned against using the Tread+ in mid- April, saying at the time that children and pets were being entrapp...
Baltimore, MD – May. 2021 - Every Shabbos table offers every Jewish family an incredible opportunity by which they can share their joy for Shabbos, for Yiddishkeit and for HaShem with their children. Unfortunately, our schedules are hectic and many people don’t have the time to prepare themselves to utilize the Shabbos table to its fullest. Therefore, we at ACHIM created TableTalk as a pre-packaged talking points pamphlet which is attractive, fun and has something for everyone. Limited copies are distributed to many shuls on a weekly basis but they are snatched up very quickly. Get yours ASAP or click on the graphic below and print your own.What’s in it and what’s all the excitement about?TableTalk features:•    Weekly halachic dilemma creating l...
Baltimore, MD – May 5, 2021 - BJL wishes a hearty Mazel Tov to Danny and Shalva Trestman on the birth of a daughter Mazel Tov grandparents  Gregg & Rena Trestman יה"ר שיזכו לגדל בתם לתורה, לחופה, ולמעשים טובים. אמן
Baltimore City said it's starting to see results from its districtwide virtual tutoring program. It was put into place to help students recover from learning loss. Now, some religious leaders are hoping it'll continue over the summer and they're willing to help out. It was billed as a sort of prescription for academic progress for those Baltimore students struggling to keep up during the pandemic. And based on early results, those efforts appear to be paying off. Danaejah Felton, a parent, is helping the community cool off at her snowball stand in west Baltimore, but education has been her priority. Felton’s son Michael, 7, is among the thousands of Baltimore City students learning virtually. Baltimore City took notice of students like Michael back in October and l...
Jerusalem as you’ve never seen before!  Creative artist, photographer and filmmaker Eitan Asaraf produces a spectacular new film spotlighting the Holy City. Are you a proud Jerusalemite or fan of the Holy City? Think you’re familiar with every ancient stone and alleyway? Well, think again, because you’re about to discover a whole new Jerusalem and reveal magical sights, sounds and scenes never glimpsed before. Artist, photographer and producer Eitan Asaraf is releasing a brand-new film prepared especially for the Jerusalem Municipality that presents Israel’s capital in a scintillating new light. After close to a year of documenting the city from every imaginable and unimaginable angle, capturing its breathtaking vistas, heartwarming scenes and distinct melodi...
Baltimore, MD - May 5, 2021 - Tomorrow - a new song composed in memory of those who perished in Meron. Sung by Eli Atias and Pinny Schachter. Composed by Rabbi Yisrael Motzen.
President of Israel Reuven (Ruvi) Rivlin today, Wednesday 5 May / 23 Iyyar, made a farewell visit to the Mossad and thanked its people for their dedicated work. Head of the Mossad Yossi Cohen and its senior management forum participated in the visit. “I came here today too say thank you. Personally, on behalf of the Israeli people, on behalf of the Jewish people, and if I may, on behalf of our friends around the world. ‘Small in number, great in quality’ could describe the Mossad, and you, all of you, are the beating heart and the penetrating brain of this organization. The sharp end of the State of Israel. The longest and most daring arm that we have,” said the president to the Mossad staff.“Over the past seven years, I have been privy – more than in th...
More Orthodox, more Arab: Two-thirds of Jews in Jerusalem are religious, new report reveals. But Jewish majority shrinking rapidly. The Jewish majority in Israel’s capital city continues to shrink, a new report finds, with just slightly over 60% of Jerusalemites being Jewish. According to a report published in Hebrew Wednesday by the Jerusalem Institute for Policy Studies ahead of Jerusalem Day, at the end of 2020, just 60.4% of residents of Jerusalem were Jewish. There were a total of 952,000 residents of the capital at the end of 2020, the report said, of which 38% were Arabs and 62% were in the category of ‘Jews and others’. The vast majority (96%) of Jerusalem’s Arab population in 2019 was Muslim, with just 12,900 Christian Arabs. Join BJL on WhatsApp Sta...
Facebook's ban on former President Trump’s account will continue following a decision issued by its independent oversight board Wednesday. Trump has been suspended from the platform since earlier this year on the basis of posts made surrounding the deadly insurrection at the Capitol on Jan. 6.  The board’s ruling is binding, and Facebook has seven days to enforce it. The decision will leave Trump with limited ways to reach the public in the same way he did while president. Join BJL on WhatsApp Status: Click here to Join BJL status for engagements, births, deals, levayos, events & more Join BJL on WhatsApp Groups: Click here to Join an official BJL WhatsApp group for breaking news as it happens Trump has been issuing statements to t...
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