'The inscriptions were part of psychological warfare... to terrorize the opponent and unite the warriors' A 2,200-year-old lead sling bullet was recently discovered by the Israel Antiquities Authority (IAA) in the central Israeli city of Yavne, bearing a magic inscription for victory and which possibly belonged to a Greek soldier. On the bullet is the Greek inscription “Victory of Heracles and Hauronas” – a pair of gods that were considered to be the “divine patrons of Yavne during the Hellenistic period,” according to Prof. Yulia Ustinova from southern Israel’s Ben Gurion University of the Negev. "Actually, the inscription on a sling bullet is the first archaeological evidence of the two guardians of Yavne, discovered inside Yav...
Almost 1,400 cases of road violence have been recorded in Israel in 2022 The term “road rage” is an international phenomenon, but in Israel -known for its so-called crazy drivers - the number of violent incidents has seen an alarming increase. Although it is not news that Israelis can be aggressive on the road, what experts are seeing now is unprecedented. Several stories in the past couple of months caused shockwaves across the country, including the stabbing of Yuri Volkov in November, a 52-year-old father who worked at a hospital. A motorcyclist had cut off Yuri’s wife on the road in Holon, central Israel. When Yuri came to her defense, the driver pulled out a knife and stabbed him before driving off. The 22-year-old suspect was charged with murder.&nbs...
Sen. Charles Schumer (D-N.Y.) was reelected Thursday morning to serve another term as Senate majority leader, capping a successful two years for the veteran lawmaker, who was just reelected to a fifth Senate term.   Senate Democrats also reelected the rest of Schumer’s leadership team, giving Sen. Dick Durbin (D-Ill.) another term as Senate Democratic whip, Sen. Debbie Stabenow (D-Mich.) another term as Democratic Policy Committee chairwoman, Sen. Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.) another term as chairwoman the Democratic Steering Committee and Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) as chairman of the Democratic Outreach Committee.  “A great, diverse, hard-working, effective leadership team,” Schumer announced as he posed with his ...
Residents of Israel must pay arnona (property tax). Many residents are eligible for discounts based on income or other criteria. The deadline for filing for these discounts is December 31, which is fast approaching. Chaim V’Chessed urges all residents to immediately apply for discounts if they are eligible. This week, members of Chaim V’Chessed’s Governmental Staff, led by Mrs. Rachel Morgenstern, met with Mr. Yuval Dar, director of the Jerusalem Arnona Department, to address various concerns of the English- speaking community. The meeting produced several important clarifications and rule changes.  An online application form is available at this link. In the past, foreign residents of Jerusalerm were not permitted to apply online...
Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis (R) has overtaken former President Trump in a hypothetical 2024 match-up for the GOP presidential nomination, according to a new Yahoo News-YouGov poll.   The nationwide poll, released Thursday, shows DeSantis with a 5-point lead over Trump, with 47 percent of registered voters backing the governor compared to 42 percent for the former president. The latest results, taken in the first few days of December, are a stark turn from a mid-October poll that found Trump ahead by 9 percentage points, with 45 percent to DeSantis’s 36 percent.  Trump announced his third run for the White House just a week after the November midterm elections, following disappointing results for the Republican Party and losses from some of Trump’s own ...
Gasoline prices are now cheaper across the U.S. than they were a year ago, and the price per gallon could fall below $3 for most Americans by the end of the year. According to AAA, the national average for a gallon of unleaded gasoline was $3.329 on Thursday, below the $3.343 a year ago, before Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. Unleaded gasoline was at a record $5.01 per gallon June 14 and stayed high through the summer and fall. Gas prices fell 15 cents per gallon in the past week and are down from $3.80 a gallon a month ago. “For the next 55 days, it looks good for consumers but ugly for refiners,” said Tom Kloza, global head of energy analysis and co-founder of OPIS, formerly Oil Price Information Service. “They’re running refineries so hard becaus...
With three highly contagious respiratory viruses sickening adults and children around the country and holiday gatherings just weeks away, public health officials are beginning to talk about face masks again. While mask mandates are unlikely in most parts of the country, health experts are renewing recommendations to wear a high-quality medical mask on public transportation, in airports and on planes, while shopping and in other crowded public spaces. What’s notable is that the mask recommendations this time aren’t just about avoiding the coronavirus. Masks are advised to protect against what is being called the “tripledemic” — a confluence of influenza, coronavirus and respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) that already is straining hospitals and forcing p...
Baltimore, MD – Dec.  2022 - 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 crea...
Baltimore, MD – Dec. 8, 2022 - BJL wishes a hearty Mazel Tov to Doniel and Chana Perel Steinman on the birth of a son. Mazel Tov to grandparents  Nachman and Rebecca Lencz  יה"ר שיזכו לגדל בנם לתורה, לחופה, ולמעשים טובים. אמן!
MK Moshe Gafni (United Torah Judaism) addressed the Federation of Local Authorities in Israel Thursday morning and discussed his party's position on the Draft Law. "It cannot be that there will not be Torah students who are soldiers in a Jewish country. There is no such reality," Gafni said. "When there were bloody wars during the days of King David, the prophet came to King David and said to him - half of the people study Torah and half of the people serve in the army, and they share the burden. I propose this today as well: that half of the people study Torah and half serve in the army, and they take turns. I say - the students of Ponevezh Yeshiva - they will go to the army to fight, but bring the high school kids at that time will study Torah. That's what we agreed to." Whe...
There are weeks when it actually happens. Already by Thursday evening the festive tablecloth is spread on the Shabbat table in the living room and the table is set with plates, cutlery, napkins and glasses. It's amazing how much this changes the energy in our home. It's as if everything has already been prepared for the arrival of the Shabbat queen. Even the children appear to be affected since they argue less.Yet there are weeks when this does not happen at all. On Friday, the living room is still strewn with backpacks, papers, and things that need to be returned to their proper places throughout the home. The table is set at the last minute but the atmosphere is not like it was when everything was ready on Thursday night.This week I met Efrat Askell. She told me about an initia...
A Jewish man was killed in fighting with Russian forces last month, the Federation of Jewish Communities in Ukraine announced Thursday. Vladislav Shien, 21, z'l, a resident of the town of Dnipro who volunteered for the Ukrainian military during the Russian invasion of Ukraine, fell in battle. Ukrainian Chief Rabbi Moshe Azman eulogized Shien, saying: "Vladislav gave his life protecting his nation. He fought with bravery since the start of the invasion. I send my condolences to his family and pray together with all of Ukraine's Jews for the recovery of the wounded and the end of the bloodshed. I again call on the world to intervene to obtain a cease fire. The situation in Ukraine is bad, many places have a shortage of electricity, water, food, and medicine." The Federation of J...
Baltimore, MD - Dec. 8, 2022 - "Respect is Earned When No One is Looking" is the meaningful quote found on one of my tennis armbands. Many years prior to the manufacturing of this armband, though, Yaakov Avinu fought a battle when no one was looking, and he gained a tremendous amount of respect from that battle. Tune in to this week's episode of The Torah Sparks Podcast to find out more about the importance of fighting and working hard even when no one is looking. Click here to listen Powered by TYA
Baltimore, MD – Dec. 8, 2022 - BJL wishes a hearty Mazel Tov to Pasey and Shaina Wealcatch on the birth of a daughter. Mazel Tov Grandparents Chaim & Aviva Wealcatch and Adam & Adina Rishe.Mazel Tov to the great grandparents, William and Noemie Wealcatch,  and Mr. and Mrs. Arnold Abelow and Mrs. Linda Rishe and Mr. & Mrs. Danny Jacoby יה"ר שיזכו לגדל בתם לתורה, לחופה, ולמעשים טובים. אמן!
Baltimore, MD – Dec. 8, 2022 - BJL wishes a hearty Mazel Tov to Chavi & Shawn Burstyn on the birth of Bracha יה"ר שיזכו לגדל בתם לתורה, לחופה, ולמעשים טובים. אמן!
'The change that UTJ is demanding is nothing short of a revolution and threatens Israel’s democratic nature' Israel's ultra-Orthodox United Torah Judaism party has reportedly demanded during coalition negotiations with prime minister-designate Benjamin Netanyahu that all mixed-gender prayer be forbidden at the Western Wall. Army Radio reported on Thursday that the party wants to enact "significant measures of deterrence" to prevent people from "desecrating the holy place" - meaning praying "according to the custom of the Chief Rabbinate."  The law would bar groups such as Women of the Wall from praying at the holy Jewish site, including in the egalitarian section, as the law does not consider the area to be an officially separated space.
During the first half of the government's term, Aryeh Deri will serve as Health Minister and Interior Minister Israeli prime minister-designate Benjamin Netanyahu's Likud party reached an agreement with the ultra-Orthodox Shas party regarding the latter's roles in the next government, according to an early Thursday morning announcement.  According to the agreement reached, during the first half of the government's term, Shas chairman Aryeh Deri will serve as Health Minister and Interior Minister. Then, in the second half of the government's tenure, he will serve as Finance Minister, replacing far-right Religious Zionism head Bezalel Smotrich.  Additionally, the ultra-Orthodox party will receive the Religious Services, Welfare and Social Security...
The three killed were named as Atta Shalabi, Sidqi Zakharna and Tarek al-Damej An overnight Israeli military raid in the West Bank city of Jenin left three Palestinians dead early on Thursday, according to the Palestinian Authority Health Ministry.  According to reports, Israeli military forces raided the city in an attempt to arrest wanted Palestinians, resulting in an exchange of gunfire. Three Palestinians were arrested in Jenin, according to the Israeli army. Palestinian media confirmed the three dead as Atta Shalabi, Sidqi Zakharna and Tarek al-Damej. Shalabi was 46, from the town of Qabatiya, south of Jenin. Zakharna and al-Damej were both from Jenin, 22 and 32, respectively.  Multiple circulating images show Zakharna and al-Damej with assault rifles, indicating ...
Tasks included exposing the identity of Shin Bet agents and gathering intelligence on sites in Israel Israel's Shin Bet internal security agency revealed on Thursday it arrested a Palestinian from Gaza last month accused of gathering intelligence for Hamas while using a work permit.  In November 2022, Sabar Mahmoud Yosef Abu Thabat, 28, a resident of Deir al-Balah in the Gaza Strip, was arrested for questioning at Erez crossing while trying to enter Israel.  The Shin Bet investigation found that officials from the Hamas militant group were using him for the purpose of gathering intelligence and carrying out missions in Israel. The tasks Hamas asked him to perform included exposing the identity of Shin Bet agents and gathering intelligence on sites in Isr...
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