Coalition for Jewish Values (CJV), representing over 2,500 traditional, Orthodox rabbis in American public policy, today welcomed the announcement of a U.S. National Strategy to Counter Antisemitism, but noted that it was “deeply flawed.” The rabbis suggested further discussions, including a more substantive effort to incorporate the expertise, knowledge, and lived experience of the observant Jewish community, the favored targets of random hate crimes targeting Jewish Americans.
“The new U.S. National Strategy to Counter Antisemitism is an excellent idea,” said CJV Midwestern Regional Vice President Rabbi Ze’ev Smason, “for which the Administration must be commended. However, its current version is built upon several deeply flawed foundational principle...
When HaShem came to B'nei Yisrael and offered them the Torah, we collectively answered unequivocally in the affirmative. This response is documented twice: in parshios Yisro (Shemos 19:8) and Mishpatim (24:7). (It's actually mentioned twice in Mishpatim so technically, it's three in total.) The common text found in both locations is "kol asher diber HaShem na'aseh," we will do all that HaShem has stated. Meshech Chachmah raises a very simple issue with this statement. It is impossible for any one person to actually do all 613 mitzvos. Some apply only to kohanim. Some apply only to men, some only to women. What then is meant by that statement?
This question is answered in two different ways, based on the different variations of the response. In Yisro...
The founder of the far-right Oath Keepers has been sentenced to 18 years in federal prison in connection with the Jan. 6 attack on the Capitol following his conviction on seditious conspiracy.
The sentence for Stewart Rhodes is the longest imposed on a Jan. 6 defendant to date. “You, sir, present an ongoing threat and a peril to this country and to the republic and to the very fabric of this democracy," Judge Amit Mehta said before handing down the sentence.
Rhodes was convicted of seditious conspiracy in November along with Kelly Meggs, a fellow Oath Keepers member who will be sentenced later Thursday afternoon.
"They won't fear us until we come with rifles in hand," Rhodes wrote in a message ahead of the Jan. 6 attack. After the attack, in a recording th...
New York, NY - May 25, 2023 - Today, the OU applauded the release by The White House of its “National Strategy to Counter Antisemitism.”
In December 2022, acknowledging a disturbing and consistent surge in antisemitism in the United States, President Biden directed senior White House staff to develop this strategy. The effort was co-chaired by Domestic Policy Director Susan Rice and Homeland Security Adviser Elizabeth Sherwood-Randall, with Second Gentleman Doug Emhoff also playing a significant leading role. Orthodox Union leaders provided significant input to the task force as it developed the National Strategy. Nathan Diament, Orthodox Union Executive Director for Public Policy, participated in several meetings and submitted writte...
Armed police on Thursday arrested a man after a car was driven into the gates of Downing Street where Britain's Prime Minister Rishi Sunak and several other senior politicians reside.
“A man at the scene on suspicion of criminal damage and dangerous driving,” London’s Metropolitan Police said in a statement. “There are no reports of any injuries.”
Soon after the incident, video shared by the BBC appeared to show a hatchback approach the entrance to Downing Street relatively slowly.
Images on social media showed the car at the street's gates surrounded by emergency vehicles.
Large sections of the surrounding area were closed to the public as a significant police presence entered the area.
Sunak's office would not say whether he was hom...
The Khorramshahr has the potential to carry nuclear warheads
Iran unveiled the 4th generation of its Khorramshahr ballistic missile under the name Khaibar with a range of 1,243 miles, state media reported on Thursday.
According to the official IRNA news agency, the Kheibar missile - the latest version of the Khorramshahr which is Iran's longest-range missile to date - was unveiled alongside a replica of the Al-Aqsa mosque in east Jerusalem, in a live broadcast on state television.
Iran's Defense Minister Mohammad-Reza Ashtiani said the missile was part of Tehran's efforts to "provide comprehensive support to our friends and countries that are on the path of fighting against the domination system."
The Kheibar is a liquid fuel missile with a r...
United States Assistant Secretary of Defense for Strategy, Plans, and Capabilities Mara Karlin, at Wednesday's third annual Middle East Institute CENTCOM Conference, addressed the Pentagon's Middle East policy amid the department's shift paradigm to attend to defense threats elsewhere.
Karlin stated that the National Defense Strategy stresses China and Russia as top priority threats, minimizing those in the Middle East. "As we implement this strategy, we must grapple with these tradeoffs around the world, including in the Middle East," said Karlin, but insisted, "The NDS is clear that the United States will remain engaged in the Middle East." Adding that "US interests are interwoven into the region."
The official explained the change in her department's Midd...
A young Israeli man who went missing two years ago was found in a Jordanian hospital and returned to Israel.
Shalom Rotban, the son of Chabad chasidim from Kiryat Malachi in southern Israel, suffered post-dramatic-stress disorder as a result of a rocket strike that occurred near his home during Operation Pillar of Defense in 2012 when he was a child.
Rotban, who is now in his 20s, went missing several times in the years following the rocket strike, but he disappeared without a trace in May 2021, leading his family to fear for his life.
About three weeks ago, Rotman was found by Jordanian citizens walking aimlessly near the capital city of Amman. They took him to a mental institution, where a nurse realized he was Israeli and contacted Israeli authorities to report that one of their citi...
US President Joe Biden has presented an extensive plan, dubbed the National Strategy to Combat Antisemitism, intended to counteract antisemitism, reports JPost. This strategic initiative, which has been in development for several months, was unveiled during a live-streamed video presentation. The primary architects of the strategy are Susan Rice, Biden's chief domestic policy advisor, and Second Gentleman Doug Emhoff, who is the first Jewish spouse of a US vice president. Homeland Security Advisor Dr. Liz Sherwood-Randall and Ambassador Deborah Lipstadt, the Special Envoy to Monitor and Combat Antisemitism, were also present during the announcement.
The unmanned aircraft was monitored through the incident, and the military says it will continue to prevent any attempt to violate Israeli sovereignty
Israel's military recently identified and downed a drone that crossed from Lebanon into Israel.
It was monitored by the IDF throughout the incident, and security forces said that any further attempt will be thwarted as they continue to prevent violations of Israeli sovereignty.
IDF chief Maj. Gen. Herzi Halevi on Tuesday spoke about escalating security issues in the region, in particular, the nuclear situation in Iran as well as growing challenges from the Hezbollah terror movement in Lebanon.
“[Hezbollah leader Hassan] Nasrallah is deterred from a major war but he thinks he knows how we think and he is challengi...
An Internal Revenue Service whistleblower who alleged prosecutors mishandled an ongoing tax evasion probe into Hunter Biden spoke publicly for the first time and said he felt he had no choice but to go public with the accusations that the probe was stymied.
The 14-year-veteran of the IRS, Gary Shapley, claimed the Justice Department gave special treatment to the investigation in ways he had never witnessed before during an interview with “CBS Evening News” Tuesday.
“There were multiple steps that were slow-walked — were just completely not done — at the direction of the Department of Justice,” Shapley told CBS News chief investigative correspondent Jim Axelrod in his first public remarks. “When I took control of this particular investigation, I i...
Baltimore, MD – May 25, 2023 - Here are a few suggestions to help one prepare for Yom Tov.
Ensuring Safety: Ventilation and AppliancesYom Tov, unlike Shabbos, permits the kindling of a flame from a pre-existing one. This means that you can cook using your stove, as long as the flame was lit before the commencement of Yom Tov. However, this presents certain safety concerns.Leaving your stove on over Yom Tov requires careful consideration. In such cases, it's vital to ensure proper ventilation. If your stove is powered by gas, carbon monoxide - a deadly, odorless gas - can accumulate in your home if the room isn't well-ventilated.The best way to mitigate this risk is to leave a window partially open, which will allow fresh air to circulate. You can also use an exhaust ...
Baltimore, MD – May 25, 2023 - It is with regret that Baltimore Jewish Life (BJL) informs the community of the petira of Melvin Polster, z’l, father of Gail (Myron) Esterson.
The levaya will take place today, Thursday, May 25 at 12:00 noon at Levinson's.
Shiva will be observed today only after the kevurah until 5:00p, at 2904 Tamarack Court, Baltimore, MD 21209.
Mincha: 4:00PM
Bila HaMaves Lanetzach…
Baltimore, MD - May 25, 2023 - Ayshel Avraham will, iy"H - be open from the first day of Shavuos through Simchas Torah 5784. If you are walking to Sinai Hospital, Levindale or any other distant destination on Shabbos or Yom Tov, you can rest your feet and have a cold drink on the porch at 3000 Glen Avenue (corner Key Avenue).
For more information, call 410-299-5921.
Wishing everyone a healthy summer!
Baltimore, MD – May 24, 2023 - BJL wishes a hearty Mazel Tov to Yussi Perlman (Baltimore) & Chaya Goldberg (Cincinnati) on their engagement.Mazel Tov parents Shmuel & Shira Perlman and Joey & Adena Goldberg.Mazel Tov to grandparents Rabbi Tuvia Perlman and Ray and Risha Saperstein and great grandmother Ruth Saperstein
יה"ר שיזכו לבנות בית נאמן בישראל. אמן!
