Baltimore, MD – Oct. 1, 2023 - BJL wishes a hearty Mazel Tov to Yitzy & Malki Goldberg on the birth of a son.
Mazel Tov grandparents Mr. & Mrs. Bill & Rochelle Goldberg and Rabbi and Mrs. Yoel and Peri Schonfeld
יה"ר שיזכו לגדל בנם לתורה, לחופה, ולמעשים טובים. אמן!
Today, the Baltimore City Department of Public Works (DPW) in conjunction with the Baltimore City Health Department (BCHD), released additional FAQs on the DPW website and made the following update to the public regarding the discovery of low levels of the microscopic parasite Cryptosporidium found during a routine test at Druid Lake Reservoir.
The frequently asked questions (FAQ) document is now available on the DPW website. This document answers important health questions and explains steps that DPW is taking to protect the water supply.
DPW has been collaborating with the Maryland Department of Environment, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, and Maryland Department of Health and the Baltimore City Health Department to develop public notification guidelines based on the detection of...
Baltimore, MD - Oct. 1 - Friday, a federal judge issued a preliminary injunction against parts of a new state gun control law in Maryland, following a lawsuit filed by the National Rifle Association Institute for Legislative Action (NRA-ILA) in May, according to WMAR2News. The law, known as Senate Bill 1, signed by Governor Wes Moore, was to take effect on October 1, imposing stringent restrictions on public gun possession even for valid permit holders. The law outlined numerous public and private spaces where guns were prohibited. Despite the injunction, many elements of Senate Bill 1, aimed at curbing gun violence, were upheld. Maryland Republicans lauded the injunction as a victory for public safety, criticizing Democrats for passing what they consider unconstitutional l...
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September 29 at 4:54 pm
Baltimore, MD - Sept. 21, 2023 - Click on the letter below for a larger, printable copy
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September 29 at 3:52 pm
Baltimore, MD - September 29, 2023 – Today, Mayor Brandon M. Scott and Chief Administrative Officer Faith Leach directed executive departments and agencies to increase employee in-person presence at city government offices beginning Tuesday, January 2, 2024.
During the COVID-19 pandemic, Baltimore City pivoted to a maximum telework posture to accommodate the immediate public health crisis. As Baltimore City adapts in this latest stage of the pandemic, the city is making additional updates to the hybrid work environment to encourage city employees to increase their time spent in physical office spaces. The update to the telework policy is designed to allow agencies to continue to use telework as a tool in talent recruitment, retention, and to accommodate building space limitati...
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September 29 at 3:11 pm
Aerial video of Arzei Habira, Maalot Dafna/Machal, and Ramat Eshkol on Erev Sukkos 5777.
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September 29 at 2:54 pm
Baltimore, MD – Sept. 29, 2023 – A new speed camera has been installed in the community on Greenspring Ave, near Shomrei Emunah, right outside the Flora Park Apartment Homes.
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September 29 at 2:38 pm
Baltimore, MD – Sept. 29, 2023 – 2:20PM - Due to a bus accident in front of Dugans Liquors, (1322 Reisterstown Road) both southbound lanes on Reisterstown Road are blocked, and northbound traffic is reduced to one lane.
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September 29 at 2:26 pm
New York City faces severe flash flooding due to remnants of Tropical Storm Ophelia, submerging streets and subways, especially impacting Brooklyn, according to FOX Weather. Despite warnings and a State of Emergency declared across NYC, Long Island, and the Hudson Valley, residents encountered massive disruptions, with authorities urging people to stay indoors. Rainfall rates in some areas reached 2 inches per hour, overwhelming the city's drainage capacity. The heavy rainfall also hindered operations at LaGuardia Airport and prompted a travel advisory lasting until Saturday morning. Coastal areas along the Atlantic are also on alert for flooding conditions exacerbated by the full moon causing king tides.
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September 29 at 2:05 pm
A band of House conservatives on Friday voted down a GOP bill to avoid a government shutdown.
The vote marked a significant — and embarrassing — defeat for Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) as a shutdown this weekend appears increasingly inevitable.
Twenty-one Republicans joined Democrats in opposing the legislation, bringing the final tally to 198-232. The measure advanced in a party-line vote earlier on Friday.
The bill did not stand a chance in the Senate, where Democrats were sure to line up against it. And the White House Friday morning issued a veto threat for the bill.
The tally was largely expected after a handful of conservatives — more than McCarthy could afford to lose in his narrow majority — lined up against t...
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September 29 at 1:28 pm
Baltimore, MD - Sept. 29, 2023 - New gun control laws will take effect in Maryland on Oct. 1, as a response to a past U.S. Supreme Court ruling, despite facing challenges from gun rights groups, according to WBAL. The laws include restrictions on carrying concealed firearms in specified areas like schools or places selling alcohol, and changes to gun licensing procedures, such as raising the qualifying age to 21. Additionally, Jaelynn's Law will mandate better firearm storage to prevent minors' access. Moreover, Maryland's attorney general will now have independent authority to prosecute police-involved deaths, following a series of police reforms. Hospitals will also be required to include fentanyl testing in certain drug screenings, ensuring better diagnost...
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September 29 at 12:31 pm
Terrorists opened fire overnight from a moving vehicle at the town of Beit El north of Jerusalem; no one was hurt, and no damage was reported.
IDF soldiers who were operating in the area returned fire at the vehicle, and one of the terrorists was hit. After searching the area, forces located several bullet casings.
In addition, IDF soldiers arrested a wanted suspect in the town of el-Bireh near Ramallah. During the activity, suspects threw rocks and launched a firework at the soldiers, who responded using riot dispersal equipment.
The wanted suspect was transferred for further handling by the security forces. No Israeli forces were harmed.
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September 29 at 12:30 pm
The Internal Revenue Service had expected to remain open for business despite a government shutdown but has now released a contingency plan showing that up to two-thirds of its 90,000 employees will be furloughed if the government halt starts Sunday.
The IRS had hoped to remain open and funded by the $80 billion boost through the Inflation Reduction Act, but has received late guidance from the Office of Management and Budget this week that it could not cover its workers' salaries during the shutdown President Joe Biden's legislation, reports The Washington Post.
According to OMB, the legislation money can't be used to substitute for the IRS's regular budget, which is used to pay most employees' salaries. This means the backlogs will also return at the IR...
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September 29 at 12:28 pm
In 1995 and 1996, the federal government shut down as House Republicans and the Clinton administration clashed over spending cuts. In 2013, the government shut down because of a partisan disagreement over President Barack Obama’s Affordable Care Act. In 2018, Democrats bucked President Donald Trump’s demands to fund a U.S.-Mexico border wall, leading to the longest shutdown in U.S. history.
And now?
“We are truly heading for the first-ever shutdown about nothing,” said Michael Strain, director of economic policy studies at the American Enterprise Institute, a right-leaning think tank. Strain has started referring to the current GOP House-led impasse as “the ‘Seinfeld’ shutdown,” a reference to the popular sitcom widely known&...
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September 29 at 12:14 pm
The National Unity party has significantly weakened, losing three seats in one week, according to a new poll conducted by the "Lazar Studies" institute, headed by Dr. Menachem Lazar, and published by the Maariv newspaper today (Friday).
According to the poll, the National Unity and Likud parties are tied at 28 seats each, the first time they have been tied in these polls since May 24.
However, the center-left bloc has not weakened much, as the National Unity party's decline is offset by an increase in support for the Yesh Atid and Meretz parties. As a result, the coalition has strengthened by only one Knesset seat. According to the poll, if elections were held today, the current coalition would win 54 seats, while the opposition parties would win a combined 66 seats, a f...
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September 29 at 12:02 pm
A number of pro-Palestinian Arab groups have called on the US Department of Homeland Security and State Department to suspend Israel's entry into the Visa Waiver Program (VWP), until pending litigation alleging the program unlawfully discriminates against US citizens of Palestinian Arab origin is resolved.
The groups which made the call include Democracy for the Arab World Now (DAWN) and the American Arab Anti-Discrimination Committee (ADC).
Both these groups are plaintiffs in the lawsuit, filed in the Eastern District of Michigan, that seeks an injunction against the US government's admission of Israel to the VWP.
"The US should halt implementation of the visa waiver for Israel at least until a judge reviews what we believe to be the government's arbitrary and capricious...
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September 29 at 11:47 am
This coming Tuesday, 18 Tishrei, is the 18th yahrtzeit of HaRav Naftali Neuberger, zt"l, of Ner Yisroel.
This shtikle is dedicated le'iluy nishmaso, Naftali ben Meir Halevi.
I heard the following from Rav Tzvi Mordechai Feldheim of Mesivta Kesser Torah last year:
The four species we traditionally take and shake on Sukkos carry numerous different symbolisms. If you ask your typical student, perhaps the most well-known is the midrash (Tanchuma Emor 19) comparing each item to a part of the body. The one lulav is compared to the spine. The one esrog resembles our heart. We take two aravos whose leaves are shaped like lips – of which, of course, we have two. The leaves of the hadas resemble the eyes. Why, then, do we take three, rather than two?
Another oddity...
