It is not your responsibility to finish the work [of perfecting the world], but you are not free to desist from it either – - Rabbi Tarfon, Pirkei Avot 2:16    What is our obligation to create sanctuary – refuge – for those whose pain is unimaginable to us? “Then Moshe set aside three cities on the bank of the Jordan, on the east…” (Devarim 4:41).   When it comes to Torah, we pay attention not just to the words, but to the grammar as well.  There is no aspect of Torah that is “accidental” and therefore every word, every letter, every pasuk and its structure holds lessons for us.  So, when we read this pasuk we are, at first, troubled.  It stands out as being grammatically inconsistent.  Az yav...
Baltimore, MD - Aug. 10, 2022 - Recently the Baltimore City Police Department explored changing the Police Districts to properly allocate resources and crime fighting strategies. Unfortunately the initial proposal created a fractured community map that if implemented could create confusion as to which District covers an area. Especially considering some of our neighborhoods already have problems when calling 911 for the dispatcher to determine if it is a City or County call. The map as presented would have added another area for confusion. Thankfully this issue was championed by Baltimore Shomrim and brought to the attention of local elected officials. Thank you to Mayor Brandon Scott, Councilman Yitzy Schliefer, and the Baltimore City Police Department for taking action to keep Cheswolde-...
Democratic representative from Minnesota considered one of Jewish state's harshest critics in Congress A US lawmaker accused of making antisemitic remarks and with an anti-Israel voting record in Congress narrowly won the Democratic primary on Tuesday night. Representative Ilhan Omar defeated her opponent by just 2,500 votes in the election that took place in the 5th congressional district of the US state of Minnesota. The two-term member of Congress is considered one of the Jewish state's harshest critics. She belongs to the "squad" of progressive Democrats which also includes Israel critics Representative Rashida Tlaib of Michigan and Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez of New York. The US House of Representatives twice in her freshman year voted to condemn ...
Yerushalayim - Aug. 10, 2022 - The iconic "ribs" attached to the giant Belzer Beis Medrash in Yerushalayim are being removed. It's believed that expansions to the shul in all four directions are being planned as well as expansions to the shtibelach and mens mikvah. 
Former President Trump on Wednesday said he declined to answer questions in the New York attorney general’s probe into his business and finances.  “I once asked, ‘If you’re innocent, why are you taking the Fifth Amendment?’ Now I know the answer to that question,” Trump wrote in a statement on his 45office.com website. “When your family, your company, and all the people in your orbit have become the targets of an unfounded, politically motivated Witch Hunt supported by lawyers, prosecutors, and the Fake News Media, you have no choice.” Trump said that he declined to respond to questioning under the advice of his legal team. “The United States Constitution exists for this very purpose, and I will utilize it t...
The incident lasted for several hours and was not resolved until Wednesday morning Israelis who wanted to reserve their tickets for the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar didn’t find Israel on the list of countries, but were offered "Occupied Palestinian territories" as their location instead. Israelis were allowed to travel to Qatar to attend football matches from November 21 to December 18, 2022, despite Doha not having diplomatic ties with the Jewish state. However, Israel was noticeably omitted from the FIFA site reservation page, although there is no other way to buy tickets other than through this intermediary. The incident lasted for several hours, according to Israeli media, and was not resolved until Wednesday morning, when the reservations site stopped working due to ...
Over the last 14 years since its inception, the Shas Yiden Kollelim Network has electrified the Torah world by its determined approach to the learning and mastery of the entire Shas. Shas Yiden has popularized the concept of learning gantz Shas. Each of its avreichim geonim completes Shas five times every year, AND with every Rashi and Tosfos. To facilitate learning the entire Shas and the development of true Shas Yiden, with the brocha of the Sar Hatorah zt”l, six such kollelim with 100 avreichim geonim were established. (After the success of the first Shas Yiden Kollel in Bet Shemesh, Rav Chaim gave a brocho to create 10!) Milestone - 100th Avreich - from Beis Hanasi It is with great pride that Shas Yiden announces that it has accepted its 100th avreich gaon from Beis Hanasi of S...
U.S. inflation eased slightly but remained close to a four-decade high in July despite cooling energy prices. The Labor Department on Wednesday reported that the consumer-price index rose 8.5% in July from the same month a year ago, down from 9.1% in June. June marked the fastest pace of inflation since November 1981. The CPI measures what consumers pay for goods and services. Core CPI, which excludes often volatile energy and food prices, held steady in July, increasing 5.9% from the same month a year ago, a sign that broad price pressures remain in the economy. On a monthly basis, the CPI was flat in July after rising 1.3% the prior month, the result of falling energy prices such as gasoline. The core-price index climbed 0.3% last month, down sharply from June’s 0.7%...
A new Baltimore City Inspector General report released Tuesday found that the city issued a $2 million tax refund to an incorrect party. The report said that person who received the incorrect refund spent about $58,000 before the error was noticed. The incident initially happened in June 2021. The error was flagged in April of 2022 a few weeks after the person deposited the check. The remaining balance -- $1,956,216.08 -- was returned to the city, the report said. The person who received the incorrect refund is now facing criminal charges, the report said. The inspector general recommended that the Department of Finance work with its software vendor to prevent future incorrect transfers.
A Maryland state lawmaker is standing by legislation that prevents young children from facing charges and said the General Assembly failed to pass stronger gun safety measures. Baltimore City Sen. Jill Carter, D-District 41, sponsored the Juvenile Justice Reform Bill that passed and took effect on June 1. "I stand behind the legislation we passed," Carter said. "Criminalizing children doesn't improve public safety. The way to improve public safety is to address the child's needs very early, not stigmatizing them with criminalization, not cops putting them in handcuffs, not putting them in cages or cells, not putting them in prison." The law sets a minimum age for the prosecution of a juvenile and provides mental health treatment and programs from the Departments of Juvenile Se...
Baltimore, MD – Aug. 10, 2022 – The National Weather Service has issued a Flood Watch until this evening at 11:00PM with flooding caused by excessive rainfall possible.
Baltimore, MD – Aug. 4, 2022 - It is with regret that Baltimore Jewish Life (BJL) informs the community of the petira of Morris Zwagil, z’l, father of Norman (Sherry) Zwagil, Lois (Bruce) Kauffman, Steven (Phyllis) Zwagil, and Stuart (Jamie Offenbach) Zwagil Shiva will be observed through Thursday morning August 11th, at 2215 Sugarcone Road, Baltimore, MD 21209, with Minyanim:Thursday evening -Mincha/Maariv  at 8:30pm, Shacharis Friday at 8amMincha at 1pm, and continuing at 6 Winner Circle, Apt. 1B, Owings Mills, MD 21117 through Wednesday morning. Shacharis at 8:00AM on Sunday, Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday at 8am Mincha/Maariv at 8:00 pm,  Kevurah will be at Lubawitz Nusach Ari (Ner Tamid) Cemetery - Rosedale Bila HaMaves LaNetzach For more details as avail...
Baltimore, MD – Aug. 9, 2022 – As has recently been reported, among others, a new speed camera will be installed on the 300 Block of Mt. Wilson Lane on the way to Yeshivas Ner Yisrael. As you can see in this photo & video the camera has not yet been installed. Stay tuned to BJL and please drive safely
Sweltering heat and humidity will make it feel like 106 degrees across the Baltimore-DC region on Tuesday. A heat advisory has been issued by the National Weather Service for areas along and east of I-95 from noon to 7 p.m. Tuesday. Wednesday will also feel sticky, with the feels-like high reaching 101 degrees before storms knock down the humidity and Thursday offers a perfect summer day with a high in the upper 80s, sunny and low humidity. Areas in the heat advisory include the city of Baltimore plus Cecil, Baltimore, Anne Arundel, St. Marys, Calvert and Harford counties. Cities under the heat advistory include: Elkton, Glen Burnie, Annapolis, Severn, South Gate, Severna Park, Arnold, Odenton, Lexington Park, California, Chesapeake Beach, Huntingtown,Dunkirk, North Beach, Lus...
Baltimore City residents have the chance to be apart of their police department's Accountability Board. Those interested in joining must live in the City and cannot be an elected official or employed as a law enforcement officer at any point during their time on the board. Board members will be allowed to serve up to four years in one term but can’t however serve two consecutive terms. Applications can be emailed to civilrights@baltimorecity.gov and mailed to 7 E. Redwood St, 9th Floor, Baltimore, MD 21202.
Ignorance of an Israeli legal requirement, combined with questionable practices by rental car companies, lead to significant consequences for some foreigners in Israel. Foreigners are permitted to drive on Israeli roads utilizing their foreign drivers’ licenses. It is important to note that this permission is granted only for a period of twelve months. Once a foreigner has been in Israel for longer than a year, they are required to obtain an Israeli license. Click here to view Chaim V’Chessed’s detailed guide on license conversion.  It is often believed that if the foreigner leaves Israel, the twelve month allowance for driving on the foreign license restarts when he or she returns to Israel. This is incorrect. Only if the foreigner leaves Israe...
Jerusalem, Israel - Aug. 9, 2022 - Israeli President Isaac Herzog received the credentials of the new ambassadors of Germany, Vietnam, and Nepal in a series of official ceremonies at Beit Hanasi, the President’s Residence in Jerusalem, Israel on Tuesday morning, August 9, 2022. The incoming ambassadors were welcomed by the IDF Band playing their respective national anthems as their flags were raised. They then proceeded to inspect an IDF honor guard, after which they presented their letters of credence to the President in the Great Hall. The President held an audience with each ambassador, after which the ambassadors signed the guest book. At the end of each ceremony, the Israeli national anthem was played. The first ambassador to present his letter of credence was the Am...
DAILY DVAR HALACHA. Aug 9 . Av 12. Reason number 1 why 15th of Av is festive..mp4 from Yitzchok Dinovitzer on Vimeo.
The second-most pressing issue for Israelis was the identity of the party leader, at 24% The Israeli Voice Index published a poll on Sunday that found that the main factor influencing Israelis' consideration when voting is the party's platform on economic issues. When asked what factors most strongly influence the decision on which party to vote for ahead of the November elections, 44 percent of Israelis said the party's platform on the high cost of living. Additionally, an overwhelming majority of Israelis believe that the cost of living in their country is high compared to other countries. The average rise in expenses - as reported by respondents - is 8.5 percent, while incomes are said to have remained the same or even fallen, the Israeli Voice Index found...
Baltimore, MD - Aug. 8, 2022 - For decades, Bikur Cholim has worked tirelessly to service all the Bikur Cholim needs of our community. From kosher food provisions in hospitals and at home, dedicated in-hospital pantries and respite areas, home and hospital visitation, transportation, medical equipment loans, Shabbos and Yom Tov care packages, housing, vaccine clinics, and an ever-expanding role in patient advocacy, navigation, and referrals, Bikur Cholim has been there for those facing a medical need. Our dedicated professionals, Rabbi Pinchos Rabinowitz and Mrs. Bonnie Pollak, accompanied by numerous service coordinators and hundreds of community volunteers, work around the clock to provide for the Baltimore community and those coming from out of town seeking care from our world-class med...
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