Baltimore City police on Thursday announced the arrests of 16 homicide suspects and 13 non-fatal shooting suspects over the past month. In a release, police say that of these 29 violent crime suspects, 15 are considered repeat violent offenders. The suspects range in age from 14 to 48. 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 want to thank the many hardworking members of the Baltimore Police Department for working diligently and tirelessly to identify and apprehend those responsible for violent crime in our city,” said Baltimore Police Commissioner Michael Harrison. “To every me...
The mayor announced a 911 diversion pilot program Friday, which puts mental health workers in place of certain 911 calls when police respond.  Mayor Brandon Scott says this isn’t defunding police. 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 “Police departments can’t tackle violent crime," Scott said. "The fire department can’t tackle public health and mental emergencies and everything else.”  The program will begin in June and will be re-evaluated daily. 911 dispatchers will figure out if police need to be called or if behavioral health professionals are...
It's 'critical' to avoid such 'unilateral' steps as 'evictions, settlement activity and demolition' The United States called on Israel to strive for de-escalation in East Jerusalem, advising against carrying out a threatened eviction of several Palestinian families at the center of a land dispute that has sent tensions soaring. "We're deeply concerned about the heightened tensions in Jerusalem," said deputy State Department spokeswoman Jalina Porter. 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 She said it was "critical" to "deescalate tensions" and avoid ...
Baltimore, MD – May 7, 2021 - BJL wishes a hearty Mazel Tov to Chaim Gelberman and Gali Silberberg on their engagement. Mazel Tov Mr. & Mrs. Ranan Gelberman יה"ר שיזכו לבנות בית נאמן בישראל. אמן
It was over in a matter of hours.  Missouri HB349, a school choice bill that provides tuition scholarships through a tax credit, passed in the Missouri House yesterday and is on its way to the governor.  “We were pleasantly surprised,” says Rabbi Shlomo Soroka, Director of Government Affairs, Agudath Israel of Illinois, a former Missourian who has led the Agudah’s efforts in Missouri. “The bill was being held hostage in committee and we were fearful it was going to die there, and then yesterday, in a matter of hours, it was voted out of the committee, released to the senate floor, voted on and passed.” Agudah and its school choice partners are elated at the news. A 100% tax credit The legislation works similarly to tax credit programs in states ...
This past Wednesday, 23 Iyar, was the 11th yahrtzeit of my great aunt, Lady Amélie Jakobovits, a"h. The shtikle is dedicated le'iluy nishmasah, Mayla bas Eliyahu. Today, the 25th of Iyar, is the 20th yahrtzeit of my mother, a"h. The shtikle is dedicated le'iluy nishmasah, Tzirel Nechamah bas Tovia Yehudah. Parshas Behar deals largely with the laws pertaining to the shemitah and yoveil years. The Torah addresses the understandable worry of the farmer who is forced to leave his field fallow for an entire year. "Lest you shall say what will we eat in the seventh year? We will not sow nor gather in our crops!. I will command my blessing upon you in the sixth year and it shall bring forth pro...
Baltimore, MD - May 7, 2021 - In what seems to be a pattern of late-night  criminal attacks in the Baltimore community, there is yet another to add to the list. At 10:00 p.m. Thursday night a young orthodox Jewish mother was coming home from the store when she was approached by two African American males with a gun. The two threatened her at gunpoint forcing her to hand over her phone, purse, and valuables. After handing over her valuables and instinctively yelling for her husband, they fled the scene as her husband appeared. The incident occurred on the corner of Taney and Pimlico. It is at this time when we urge all community members to be incredibly vigilant. In light of previous incidents this begs the question of all in the community: When will this end? When will security mea...
Baltimore, MD - May 7, 2021  - This past Sunday night, May 3rd, Efrayim Gordon, Z'L, H'yd, was murdered at the front doorstep of his uncle's home, in the heart of Baltimore's Jewish community.Efrayim was a gentle giant, a man who never saw anything negative in anyone else or any situation. He was always the most positive person in the room. He always saw the light, the opportunity, the goodness in every single person and in every single situation.We would like to extend Efrayim's light after his very tragic murder. To do this, we  will hold a men's shiur in Pirke Avos at the location where Efrayim's life was taken and turn darkness into light!This will be a great honor for Efrayim, Z'L. In his merit and memory, people come together to learn...
Baltimore, MD - May 7, 2021 - Please be aware that the Baltimore City and Baltimore County Police Departments will have additional patrols out on the streets on the first night of Shavuos, Sunday night, May 16. On behalf of the community, we extend our appreciation to the Baltimore police for their ongoing commitment to ensuring the safety of our neighborhoods. We are also pleased to inform the community that the NWCP has hired additional security to patrol all night the first night of Shavuos as well as the next evening and both mornings of the holiday. Thanks to a grant from Baltimore City, the NWCP is able to provide extra security every Friday night and Shabbos morning as well as on the Yomim Tovim. The NWCP nightly patrols are out Saturday through Thursday nights all year long from...
Baltimore, MD - May 5, 2021 - The Orthodox Jewish Chamber of Commerce, a global umbrella of businesses working together to stimulate economic growth and advocate for best practices in government, has filed an amicus curiae (“Friend of the Court”) brief to reverse Baltimore County court orders to tear down a Jewish religious building. The forced razing of an educational and religious forum serving two college communities in its immediate neighborhood resulted from unlawful anti-Orthodox bureaucratic obstruction and false allegations made by Baltimore County. Chabad of Towson Baltimore County officials expressed animosity to Chabad-Lubavitch and collaborated in a neighborhood cam...
Baltimore, MD - May 6, 2021 - Letter from The Vaad HaRabbonim of Baltimore to the Baltimore City Mayor and Police Commissioner. For a larger, printable copy, click on the graphic below 
UPDATE - Baltimore, MD - May 7, 2021 - 2:54 PM - Doses are available and walk-ins Taken until 4PM today.Baltimore, MD - May 5, 2021 - A limited number of COVID-19 vaccine slots are available for a clinic at the Myerberg Senior Center on Friday, May 7th, between 10:00am-4:00pm. The Pre-registration link will only be open until midnight tonight, May 5th. A staff member from the Baltimore City Health Department will call all registrants tomorrow to set appointments. The Moderna vaccine will be used. Click here to Pre-register
A federal grand jury has indicted four former Minneapolis officers for violating the civil rights of George Floyd, the Black man who died last May during an arrest in that city. The new criminal charges come nearly three weeks after one of those ex-cops, Derek Chauvin, was convicted at a state trial of murder and manslaughter in the death of the 46-year-old Floyd. Chauvin, an 18-year police department veteran, had held his knee on or near Floyd’s neck for more than nine minutes, despite Floyd being both prone and handcuffed at the time. Floyd was being detained on suspicion of having used a counterfeit bill in a purchase. Video of the killing sparked protests nationwide, and led to widespread calls for reform of police departments. The Chicago Tribune last week reported that...
Baltimore, MD - May 6, 2021 -Through pain and suffering klal yisroel has a way of shining glimmers of hope and warmth in response to tragedy. One such event occurred last evening in Baltimore. At the local Dougies party room, Mendel & Chana Bisk, chosson and kallah by just a few days, were celebrating their Sheva Brachos. Most of the guests who had planned to partake in this simcha had escorted the cousin, H’yd, of the kallah, who had been fatally shot while walking into his family's home, back to his final resting place in Eretz Yisrael. The Baltimore community then offered support with a text blasted to groups such as Shomrim, Chaveirim, and multiple other local Baltimore chats, "to make it a little Leibadig" and being misameach chosson v'kallah. In r...
In this week's Torah portion, words appear that are difficult to read. Side by side with the blessings, there are also curses and descriptions of horrific future scenarios. "Each man will stumble over his brother, as if fleeing from a sword, but without a pursuer." (Leviticus 26:37)  The Torah describes here a troubling scenario in which we run and fall on top of each other, without an external enemy pursuing us. Sounds familiar.Yet Rashi, in his interpretation of this sad passage, reminds us of an uplifting maxim: "All Jews are responsible for one another." (Talmud Bavli, Shavuot 39a). In other words, if you can weaken someone and cause him to fall, you can also strengthen him. The Lubavitcher Rebbe explains that Rashi discovered consolation within a harsh curse. We are not only...
The U.S. economy added 266,000 jobs in April and the unemployment rate rose to 6.1 percent, an unexpectedly poor showing falling well below expectations. The meager showing exposed unexpected gaps in a recovery that some economists were fretting would "overheat" by recovering too quickly. "For those who feared the US economy would overheat, the bigger risk may be that it is undercooked," said The Atlantic Council's Josh Lipsky. 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 "Today’s report shows there won’t be an overnight fix for millions who remain unemployed. The U.S. economy still ha...
Court employees are prohibited from wearing face masks depicting logos, including a blue line to signify support for law enforcement. 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 District Court Chief Judge John Morrissey sent an email to staff Wednesday, detailing the court's policy. Read more at WBAL
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