Baltimore, MD – Feb. 5, 2023 - BJL wishes a hearty Mazel Tov to Mr. & Mrs. Yaakov Lipoff on the birth of a daughter. Mazel Tov to grandparents Mr. & Mrs. Nathan Adler and Mr. & Mrs. Larry Lipoff and great-grandmother Mrs. Judy (Benjamin, z'l) Adler and great-grandfather Mr. Hershel (Judy, a'h) Goldman יה"ר שיזכו לגדל בתם לתורה, לחופה, ולמעשים טובים. אמן!
To reduce the cost of living and enhance competition, Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich has reached out to wholesale giant Costco with a request to enter the Israeli market, reports Arutz-7. In a letter addressed to Costco CEO Walter Jelinek and Chairman of the Board Hamilton James, obtained by Israel National News, the minister writes that the government of Israel has set a goal to decrease the cost of living and increase competition in the Israeli retail food market, and sees the entry of global companies into the local market as a significant way to achieve this. Smotrich expresses that the government considers Costco's scale, leadership, and global presence in food retail as a valuable asset and invites the company to enter the Israeli market, which he views as a mutually benefici...
This post has elicited strong reactions from various parties, with the Likud party calling for immediate action by law enforcement against Raz for incitement. Benny Gantz, National Unity Party chairman, condemned the remarks and stated that the fight against the government must be done through lawful means. Opposition leader Yair Lapid also condemned the comments and called for peaceful demonstration, protest, and activism.
According to WMAR2NEWS The trial of former Baltimore City State's Attorney Marilyn Mosby, which has been eagerly awaited, has been delayed for the third time. On Friday, both prosecutors and Mosby's newly appointed public defender submitted a joint status report indicating that the case would be postponed until June 6 at the earliest. This latest delay follows a week after the judge allowed Mosby's entire six-person defense team to step down due to potential conflicts of interest. James Wyda, Mosby's new public defender, has stated that he needs more time to familiarize himself with the case and prepare for trial. The trial was previously scheduled for March 27, but both parties are now seeking a conference to set a new trial date. Mosby is charged with falsely withdraw...
Baltimore, MD – Feb. 4, 2023 – Baltimore City Fire firefighters are making efforts to put out a two-alarm fire in Northwest Baltimore. The fire started in a three-story duplex located on Florence Street in the 5200 block, approximately 3 miles from our community. The smoke is covering a large part of the city. Baltimore County units have been called on to help cover city stations while the City firefighters battle this blaze. 
The U.S. shot down a Chinese surveillance balloon off the Carolina coast on Saturday, after the high-altitude balloon spent the last week traveling across the country, according to the Pentagon. “This afternoon, at the direction of President Biden, U.S. fighter aircraft assigned to U.S. Northern Command successfully brought down the high altitude surveillance balloon launched by and belonging to the People’s Republic of China (PRC) over the water off the coast of South Carolina in U.S. airspace,” Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin said in a statement. An operation is reportedly underway to recover debris from the downed balloon, The Associated Press confirmed. The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) paused flights from three airports in Nort...
The beginning of this week’s parsha briefly recaps the exodus of B’nei Yisrael from Egypt before going on to tell the events that followed. One previously unmentioned incident is recounted. Before leaving Egypt, Moshe Rabbeinu seeks out the body of Yoseif so that it may be carried to Eretz Yisrael for his eventual burial in Shechem. The midrash (Shemos Rabbah 20:19) says of this deed: "On him (Moshe) the pasuk (Mishlei 10:8) says, "The wise hearted grabs mitzvos," for when all of B’nei Yisrael were busy collecting silver and gold, Moshe was involved in the collection of Yoseif’s bones." There is a commonly raised difficulty with this midrash. It’s not as if the rest of the nation was not also immersed in the fulfilment ...
Baltimore, MD – Feb. 3, 2023 - It is with regret that Baltimore Jewish Life (BJL) informs the community of the petira of Renate Berzon, a’h, mother of Eleanor C. Naiman (Chaim Leventhal), Dr. Ellis J. Berzon (Dr. Tamara Sacks) and Marcia K. (Moshe) Goldstein. The levaya will take place this Sunday, February 5 at 11:30 am at Sol Levinson. Kevura will follow at the Chevra Ahavas Chesed Cemetery. Shiva will be observed at 6531 Gardenwick Road, Baltimore, MD, 21209. Minyanim: Shacharis: Monday-Friday - 7:30 am Mincha/Maariv: Sunday - Thursday - 5:20 pm The family requests no visitors after 9:00 pm. Bila HaMaves LaNetzach…
A 17-year-old resident of Montgomery County has been charged with harassment for making antisemitic threats to the Jewish Rockville Outreach Center during Chanukkah, according to Arutz-7. The police received a call from the center and after investigating, determined that the suspect was the teen who made multiple threatening phone calls. The police have recommended to the Department of Juvenile Services that the teen be charged with telephone misuse.
Arutz-7 reports that National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir has taken steps to reform the firearms licensing process in order to increase the number of licenses issued. This includes hiring more employees, extending department hours and waiving interviews for those with prior security experience. Ben-Gvir aims to process 5-8 thousand licenses per month to clear the current backlog of 17 thousand applications. He believes having more armed citizens will increase safety and cites two recent incidents to support his stance.
The Orthodox Union’s Yachad New Jersey, along with Yachad’s Jewish Union Foundation’s (JUF) day habilitation program, help meet the needs of adults with developmental disabilities. Through creative programming, trips, outings and volunteerism in the greater Jewish community, participants are engaged, inspired, and ultimately grow in their independence and confidence. But many who would benefit from the program and also use wheelchairs have been unable to take advantage of the program due to transportation limitations. That is, until Lakewood-based M&M Chesed Mobility donated a wheelchair-accessible van. The organization’s mission is to provide the vehicles to benefit children with special needs, older adults, and those with illnesses who may not otherwise have ...
The Ohio state government plans to purchase $20 million in Israel Bonds, with a maturity date of 2028 and a 4.46% interest rate, states Arutz-7. Ohio Treasurer Robert Sprague made the announcement and Ohio is one of the largest government owners of Israel Bonds in the US, owning $182.5 million in the bonds. Every Ohio state treasurer has purchased Israel Bonds since 1993 and 2023 marks the 75th anniversary of the founding of the State of Israel and 30 years since the first investment by Ohio.
President Herzog and OU Delegation Discuss Jewish Unity, Challenges; President Praises OU’s Work Jerusalem, Israel – Feb. 3, 2023 - Orthodox Union (OU) Executive Vice President Rabbi Moshe Hauer and OU Israel’s leadership recently met with Israeli President Isaac Herzog where they discussed the need for increased unity between the State of Israel and American Jewry. The meeting, which took place Jan. 22 at President Herzog’s official residence in Jerusalem, also included OU Israel President Stuart Hershkowitz and OU Israel Executive Director Rabbi Avi Berman. Rabbi Hauer affirmed President Herzog’s potential to increase unity amid increasing tensions between Israel and some American Jews, which are exacerbated by factors such as misinformation about the s...
Baltimore, MD - Feb. 2, 2023 - 2 Shevat 5783 - It’s only eight years since Khal Chassidim’s mosdos set foot in Baltimore – and already it’s made its mark.  It’s made its mark on the close to 150 kinderlach, it’s made its mark on the parents and it's made its mark on the wider yiddishe community. Their warmth and chassidishkeit spills over and everyone is benefitting from its existence.  The chassidishe parent body chose to move to Baltimore so that they could focus on Torah and chinuch undisturbed by the stress and pressures of unaffordable city life. Indeed, in Baltimore, they can bring up their children in a bucolic, spacious setting where there is nothing to distract them from their pure goals.  * The kollel is a thriv...
Baltimore, MD - Jan. 31, 2023: Tu B'Shvat 5783  This year, TU B'SHVAT (15 Shvat) will occur on Sun. Night Feb. 5-Mon. Feb. 6. Please refer to the STAR-K Checking Fruits chart below for guidance. Click on the image for a larger, printable copy of this chart.  Click on the image below for a larger, printable copy of the STAR-K's full guide to checking for bugs Click HERE or on the image below to download STAR-K's Shemita Primer for Chutz La'aretz.For SHEMITA DATES OF COMMON FRUITS imported from Eretz Yisroel: refer to the chart below, since Shemita times include fruits one might purchase for Tu B'Shvat.
We have a series of parshiyos describing the development of Klal Yisroel into a nation, and in many ways, Beshalach is the bridge-parsha between Yetzias Mitzrayim and Kabbolas HaTorah. Let us go back to the beginning of Golus Mitzrayim. In Parshas Vayigash, Yaakov and Yosef lay out a plan to keep Klal Yisroel separate in Egypt. The goal is to avoid assimilation into Egyptian culture and their immoral way of life by having Jews live in a Jewish ghetto of Goshen. The Jews are coming from a corrupt but primitive culture of Canaan to a very advanced and sophisticated culture that was attractive. The posuk in Parshas Bolok says that the vision of Yaakov is that Klal Yisroel are safe and secure when they are separate. Yosef was well aware of the dangers of living in Egypt, so he decided to sett...
Baltimore, MD – Feb. 3, 2023 - BJL wishes a hearty Mazel Tov to Yehuda and Basya Raczkowski on the birth of Twin Sons.Mazel Tov grandmother Sarah Raczkowski and great grandmother Shaine Spolter . יה"ר שיזכו לגדל בנם לתורה, לחופה, ולמעשים טובים. אמן!
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