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September 23 at 8:20 pm
Erev Yom Kippur: Over 2 million people participated in Selichot at the Western Wall during the month of Elul and the Ten Days of Repentance.
At the Western Wall, preparations are underway to receive tens of thousands of worshippers who will arrive during the night for the central Selichot on the eve of Yom Kippur 5784 (2023) with the theme "And grant peace among us."
The Western Wall Heritage Foundation stated, "This year saw a record number of 18 central Selichot events in order to prevent overcrowding and disperse the masses." The prayer will be broadcast live on giant screens on the outskirts of the Western Wall, and on the walls of the Old City for the benefit of those who cannot attend in person. The Old City will be closed to traffic, and instructions from the ushers should...
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September 23 at 8:14 pm
Baltimore, MD - Sept. 23, 2023 - Tropical Storm Ophelia brought significant rainfall and strong wind gusts to central and southern Maryland, prompting a flood watch to be issued through early Sunday. The storm, after making landfall in North Carolina, moved across Virginia and reached Maryland, bringing 2 to 5 inches of rain in a short span, potentially leading to flash flooding in urban areas including Baltimore. Wind advisories were in place until Saturday evening with wind speeds expected between 20 to 30 mph and gusts up to 50 mph, which could result in downed trees and power outages. Coastal flooding was a serious concern along the Tidal Potomac and Chesapeake Bay shores. Governor Wes Moore declared a state of emergency on Friday to better prepare and respond to the storm�...
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September 22 at 5:47 pm
A Channel 12 News poll published on Friday found that a majority of Israelis are in favor of a peace agreement with Saudi Arabia, even if it includes significant concessions to the Palestinian Arabs.
The majority of respondents (39%) said they would support a peace agreement with Saudi Arabia - even if it included significant concessions to the Palestinian Arabs, a construction freeze in Judea and Samaria and the possibility of Saudi Arabia developing civilian nuclear power. In contrast, 37% said they would oppose such a deal, of which 46% define themselves as voters of the pro-Netanyahu bloc. Among Likud voters, 50% said they would oppose such an agreement.
Respondents were asked what Yair Lapid and Benny Gantz should do in a hypothetical situation in which Itamar Ben Gvir and...
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September 22 at 5:32 pm
Baltimore, MD – Sept. 2023 - 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 creating ...
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September 22 at 4:43 pm
The Biden administration wants to stop medical debt from hurting Americans’ credit scores.
The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau announced this week that it has begun a rulemaking process to remove medical bills from Americans' credit reports.
About 20% of U.S. households have medical debt, with about $88 billion in medical bills appearing on credit reports, the bureau sa...
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September 22 at 4:38 pm
Auto thefts have dramatically spiked across the country, and many fear insurance rates may continue to follow.
Experts say nationwide auto insurance rates are rising upwards of 20%, mostly due to the increased cost of living, but also due to the increase in auto thefts.
In Baltimore City, auto thefts are up more than 220% compared to this time last year.
The latest statistics posted by Baltimore Police show as of September 16, 2023 there have been 7,708 auto thefts reported across the City so far this year.
That averages out to about 29 thefts a day or more than one car an hour.
“It's frustrating. I have to go through all these other extra financial situations with this,” said Kiera Atkins, whose car was stolen from the FOX45 News parking lot last week.
The extr...
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September 22 at 4:32 pm
Jewish women report encountering a greater degree of antisemitism than men, according to a recent report.
The findings come from a joint study from Ipsos and Jewish on Campus entitled, “Antisemitism on College Campuses.”
When asked if antisemitism is a threat to their university, nearly half (49%) of female Jewish students surveyed responded in the affirmative.
When asked the same question, male Jewish students were less likely to say the same. Specifically, 38% of male Jewish students responded in the net yes category. While this still represents a sizable proportion of the demographic, it constitutes a considerably smaller proportion of Jewish men than Jewish women.
Women report more antisemitism across the board
This Jewish male/female disparity in perceive...
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September 22 at 1:18 pm
At the end of this week's parsha, Moshe is told to go to the mountain where he is to pass away. The pasuk states the reason(s) why he is dying here (32:51): "Al asher me`altem bi... al asher lo kidashtem osi," (Concerning the rock-hitting incident) because of that which you trespassed against me... that which you did not sanctify me. Why is it that two reasons are given? The GR"A on Pirkei Avos 3:1, "lifnei mi ata atid litein din vecheshbon" writes that din, judgement, refers to the direct judgement of a person's deeds. Cheshbon, calculation, refers to what that person could have been doing at that time. So, one is judged not only for their bad deeds, but for the good deeds they could have been doing at that time. This, suggests Meshech Chachma, is the meaning of this pasuk. "Al ...
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September 22 at 12:10 pm
Six or seven Muslim nations will join Saudi Arabia in making peace with Israel following the conclusion of the long-sought normalization deal with the Saudis, Foreign Minister Eli Cohen revealed in an interview with KAN News on Friday afternoon.
Speaking directly after Netanyahu's speech at the UN General Assembly in which he heralded the dawn of a "new Middle East," Cohen said that "it's important to restate what the prime minister said, peace with Saudi Arabia is also peace between Jews and the Muslim world.
"Six or seven nations from Africa and Asia will join the peace deal with the Saudis," Cohen said.
"I'm telling you, I have met with several officials from Muslim nations with which Israel does not share formal ties."
Cohen causes diplomatic debacle ...
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September 22 at 12:02 pm
Ladies and Gentlemen,
Over three millennia ago, our great leader Moses addressed the people of Israel as they were about to enter the Promised Land.
He said they would find there two mountains facing one another: Mount Gerizim, the site on which a great blessing would be proclaimed, and Mount Ebal, the site of a great curse.
Moses said the people’s fate would be determined by the choice they made between the blessing and the curse.
That same choice has echoed down the ages not just for the people of Israel but for all humanity.
We face such a choice today.
It will determine whether we enjoy the blessings of a historic peace of boundless prosperity and hope or suffer the curse of a horrific war, of terrorism and despair.
When I last spoke at this podium five years ago, I warned...
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September 22 at 11:19 am
Auto workers at 38 plants across the U.S. will go on strike at 12 p.m. EST on Friday.
United Auto Workers President Shawn Fain provided a strike update calling on more plants to "stand up" and strike.
Fain said the 38 plants are part distribution facilities at General Motors and Stellantis in 20 states.
Fain said that there has been significant improvement in offers from Ford and that is the reason the strike will not be expanded there.“We do want to recognize that Ford is serious about reaching a deal,” he said.
The three strikes that began at plants Ford, GM and Stellantis plants one week ago will go on, the union said.
Ford was spared additional strikes because the company has met some of the union’s demands during negotiations over the past week, said UAW Preside...
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September 22 at 11:04 am
One of the more common assumptions people mistakenly make, is that dairy products are easier to certify than meat. How many times have you heard someone say “I’ll just have the breakfast at this establishment. Their hechsher isn’t the greatest, but it’s just milchigs. What can be the problem?”
Let’s listen in to Rabbi Sholem Fishbane, Kashrus administrator at the cRc, and Executive Director of AKO, as he clarifies this common misconception.
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September 22 at 10:57 am
I was talking to a friend of mine, and he told me he needed to get an oil change on his car. I thought about this and it occurred to me that during this auspicious time of year, don’t we all need an oil change? No, not on our cars, but on our spiritual vehicle of life.
So much of the year, we are fueled by our physical wants and needs. We are fueled by jealousy, desire, and our own ego. But on Yom Kippur, our vehicle comes to a full stop, and we perform an inner oil change. We change our focus and mindset. We change from a physical geared perspective in life, to a more spiritual geared perspective. We associate with the G-dly spark within us, and we become fueled by our spiritual wants, desires, and aspirations.
Failing to perform an oil change on a car can lead to the...
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September 22 at 10:56 am
The report also stated that Saudi will get a U.S. offer for a nuclear facility as part of deal, and that the proposed site would be guarded by American forces
Government officials from Israel and Saudi Arabia met in secret recently to discuss a potential normalization agreement between the two countries, according to a report from Israeli public broadcaster Kan on Thursday evening.
The specific details of the meeting have not been made public.
Saudi Arabia will get a U.S. offer for a nuclear facility as part of an agreement, the report stated, and that the proposed nuclear site would be guarded by American forces.
The report of the secret meeting by Israeli and Saudi officials comes at the same time that Washington is reportedly considering twin defense tre...
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September 22 at 10:22 am
Baltimore, MD - Sept. 22, 2023 - Tropical Storm Warnings have been extended to six Maryland counties and Chesapeake Bay as winds over 39 mph are expected to hit North Carolina on Friday before moving north to Maryland and Virginia on Saturday, notes Pikesville Patch. Notable areas like Worcester, Somerset, and Ocean City are bracing for heavy winds and rainfall, leading to potential flooding and property damage. Coastal flooding is anticipated on Saturday, with storm surges varying from 1 to 6 feet across different regions. The storm, possibly becoming Tropical Storm Ophelia, could make landfall in eastern North Carolina on Saturday morning, with potential to reach hurricane intensity. Authorities urge residents to secure outdoor items and prepare for possible power outages. The storm'...
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September 22 at 10:05 am
Baltimore, MD - Sept. 22, 2023 - Yesterday Mayor Brandon M. Scott released the following statement on tonight’s City Council confirmation hearings held for Acting Police Commissioner Richard Worley and Acting Fire Chief James Wallace.
Mayor Brandon M. Scott said:
“Tonight, Acting Police Commissioner Richard Worley and Acting Fire Chief James Wallace both showcased the grace, deep knowledge base, and leadership qualities that prompted me to nominate them to lead our two top public safety agencies in Baltimore.
“Acting Commissioner Worley outlined a proactive vision to improve community policing, continue our police department’s pathway out of the consent decree, and apply his unique perspective as a life-long Baltimorean to the job. Already in the role of Acting C...
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September 22 at 10:00 am
An indictment against Sen. Bob Menendez (D-N.J.) on bribery charges is set to be unsealed later Friday, according to the U.S. Attorney’s office in the Southern District of New York.
Menendez and his wife, Nadine, are charged with bribery offenses, accused of a “corrupt relationship” with three New Jersey businessmen, the office said in a tweet. A press briefing is scheduled for 11 a.m. to announce the charges.
The indictment, first published by Politico, alleges Menendez and his wife agreed to and accepted “hundreds of thousands of dollars” of bribes in exchange for using his “power and influence as a senator” to enrich the three businessmen — Wael “Will” Hana, Jose Uribe and Fred Daibe — as well as benefit Egypt.
Th...
