American reporter Evan Gershkovich and Marine veteran Paul Whelan were among four former prisoners released from Russia yesterday who finally stepped foot on American soil again Thursday night.
A plane carrying the Americans freed by Russia during the large prisoner swap landed at Joint Base Andrews in Maryland, greeted by President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris on the tarmac.
"Welcome home," Biden told reporters on the tarmac after visiting with the freed prisoners. "There’s nothing beyond our capacity if we work together. Nothing…we’re the United States of America."
American reporter Evan Gershkovich and Marine veteran Paul Whelan were among four former prisoners released from Russia yesterday who finally stepped foot on American soi...
These are the journeys of the children of Israel who left the land of Egypt in their legions, under the charge of Moses and Aaron (Bamidbar 33:1)
In the beginning of Maasei (the second of the two parshios we read this week) the Torah lists the forty-two places we camped during our forty-year sojourn in the desert. There are forty-nine pesukim dedicated to this geography lesson; a staggering amount of biblical real estate devoted to listing names of places which have disappeared into the sands of time. Why spend so much time focusing on these places, many of which have ceased to exist? Furthermore, the Torah opens this section with the words “Eyleh maasei (these are the journeys)”; a journey reflects movement, yet the Torah then goes on to list the places wh...
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and US President Joe Biden spoke on Thursday evening amid the tensions with Lebanon and Iran.
The phone call lasted about half an hour, according to an Israeli official.
In a statement summarizing the call, the White House said, "The President reaffirmed his commitment to Israel’s security against all threats from Iran, including its proxy terrorist groups Hamas, Hezbollah, and the Houthis.”
“The President discussed efforts to support Israel’s defense against threats, including against ballistic missiles and drones, to include new defensive US military deployments. Together with this commitment to Israel’s defense, the President stressed the importance of ongoing efforts to de-escalate broader tensions in the region,”...
Baltimore, MD - Aug. 1, 2024 - What’s the deal with dried fruits? Apricots, Raisins, Dates are some of the more common ones. Baltimore's Rabbi Tzvi Rosen - Kashrus Administrator at the STAR-K, explains the entire drying process and what to look out for.
We are taught that the forty-two journeys and their challenges that are chronicled in Maasei, serve as a roadmap for all the future travels of the Jewish people until the End of Days. We will face similar obstacles to leap over in our trek towards greatness.
At the very onset of these reported journeys, the Torah diverts from the mere reference to the locations we traveled to and depicts a historical detail.
They journeyed from Rameses in the first month, on the fifteenth day of the first month — on the day following the pesach-offering — the children of Israel went forth ביד רמה — with an upraised hand, before the eyes of all Egypt.
And the Egyptians were busy burying because the Lord had struck down their firstborn and had wrought vengeance against ...
300 days.
300 days of innocent people, men and women, babies and the elderly, held hostage by a monstrous enemy. 300 days during which loving mothers and fathers, brothers and sisters, sons and daughters, spouses, close friends, and relatives live every moment with unimaginable questions: is my loved one alive or dead, whole or wounded, healthy or ill? When was the last time they saw sunlight, inhaled fresh air, had a meal? Will they return? Will they ever recover from the trauma of captivity?
300 days of soldiers on the front lines, fighting a monstrous enemy. 300 days during which they have placed their own lives on hold to fight for their nation, for us. 300 days away from home and family, from education and career, from calm and income. 300 days during which loving mothers and father...
Baltimore, MD - Aug. 1, 2024 - Alcohol may have been a contributing factor to a wrong-way crash on the Baltimore Beltway that killed a 64-year-old man early Thursday morning, according to Maryland State Police.
State police said investigators believe a Toyota Corolla entered the Outer Loop of the Beltway at Reisterstown Road before colliding head-on with a Chevrolet Malibu in the area of Stevenson Road around 2:40 a.m.
Police said the Chevrolet's driver, identified as John Quame De Love, 64, of Hyattsville, died at the scene.
The driver and a passenger in the Toyota were taken to Sinai Hospital with injuries, police said. Charges are pending further investigation and consultation with prosecutors, police said.
The Outer Loop was shut down for several hours during the morning...
Towson, MD (August 1, 2024) - On Wednesday, July 31, 2024, at approximately 9:20 p.m., Precinct 4 – Pikesville officers responded to a crash that occurred in the area of Park Heights Avenue and Hooks Lane, 21208. A preliminary investigation determined a 2020 Kawasaki motorcycle was traveling northbound on Park Heights Ave. when it struck and overrode a curb, causing the driver to be ejected into the southbound lane of Park Heights Ave. While in the lane, the driver of the Kawasaki, 46-year-old Michael Mazor, was struck by a 2004 Cadillac. He was pronounced deceased. Detectives assigned to the Baltimore County Crash Team continue to investigate this case.
New details continue to emerge from the assassination of Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh in Tehran on Tuesday night.
Two officials confirmed to Axios correspondent Barak Ravid the earlier report from the New York Times that Haniyeh was killed by an explosive that had been planted in the room where he had been staying two months before the assassionation.
According to the latest report, Israeli intelligence learned which room Haniyeh stayed in during each of his visits to Tehran and planted an explosive that featured artificial intelligence technology. The device was then detonated remotely by alleged Mossad agents in Iran after they received word that Haniyeh was in the room.
The report also stated that the American government had not been informed of the assassination ahead of time.
One s...
Jerusalem, Israel:
300 days.
For 300 days our sons and daughters, brothers and sisters, mothers and fathers, grandparents, have been languishing in the dungeons of Hamas in Gaza.
Each second of every minute of every hour of these 300 days is a crime against humanity. And each second that passes the need to bring them home becomes more and more urgent.
To all the leaders of the world who wish for peace in our region, I say clearly: help us bring our hostages home - all of them, young and old, men and women, Jews, Muslims and more.
Help us bring them home now.
Jerusalem, Israel - Aug. 1, 2024 - (TOI) Seven airlines, including Delta, United Airlines, Lufthansa, Austrian Airlines, Brussels Airlines, and Air India, have canceled flights to Israel amid rising tensions with Iran. This follows a Lufthansa flight from Munich to Tel Aviv, which diverted to Cyprus and returned to Germany after the crew refused to fly to Israel. FlyDubai has also canceled some flights. Around 70,000 passengers are currently at Tel Aviv’s Ben Gurion Airport, either trying to catch the last flights out or canceling their plans due to concerns about returning. The cancellations come as Israel braces for a response to the assassinations of Hezbollah military chief Fuad Shukr and Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh earlier this week.
Baltimore, MD – Aug. 1, 2024 - (WMAR2News) Attorney General Anthony Brown announced appointments to the Maryland Commission on Hate Crime Response and Prevention, adhering to changes from this year's legislative session. The AG is now required to appoint 15 individual members, confirmed by the Maryland State Senate, based on their representation or advocacy for groups identified under Maryland's hate crime law, including race, color, national origin, gender, gender identity, religion, sexual orientation, disability, and homelessness.Of the fifteen members named, one was Deborah Miller of the Jewish Community Relations Council of Greater Washington.Notably absent from the list are Dr. Zainab Chaudry of CAIR and Meredith Weisel of the Anti-Defamation League (ADL). Chaud...
Russia freed wrongly convicted Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gershkovich as part of the largest and most complex East-West prisoner swap since the Cold War, in which he and more than a dozen others jailed by the Kremlin were exchanged for Russians held in the U.S. and Europe, including a convicted murderer.
Gershkovich and other Americans left Russian aircraft moments ago at an airport in Turkey’s capital, Ankara. Russia had kept the 32-year-old behind bars for more than a year on a false allegation of espionage. It sentenced him in a hurried and secret three-day trial to 16 years in a high-security penal colony.
Moscow also released former Marine Paul Whelan, journalist Alsu Kurmasheva and Vladimir Kara-Murza, a British-Russian dissident and ...
Baltimore, MD - Aug. 1, 2024 - Scorching summer temperatures return to Maryland Thursday after a short reprieve from last month's heat wave. A new heat wave could be on the way, as highs exceed 90 degrees until at least Wednesday.
The real-feel heat index could hit 108 degrees Thursday and Friday in the Old Line State. That drew a heat advisory and a code orange air quality alert.
Storms are also possible daily through Sunday.
AccuWeather said the jet stream will dip Friday and mix with a storm and tropical moisture. This will bring thunderstorms to the Mid-Atlantic through the weekend.
"There is the likelihood of slow-moving and repeating thunderstorms along the busy Interstate 95 corridor and other major highways in the region, which may lead to are...
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, today (Thursday, 1 August 2024), held an in-depth assessment of IDF Home Front Command activity from the outbreak of the war until today, together with Interior Minister Moshe Arbel. The briefing was delivered by the Head of IDF Home Front Command, Maj.-Gen. Rafi Milo, and National Emergency Authority Director Brig.-Gen. (Res.) Yoram Lardo.
Prime Minister Netanyahu following the discussion [translated from Hebrew]:
"I am now finishing a visit to IDF Home Front Command. General, I am impressed by the important work that has been done up until now. Of course, we are prepared for what may come.
Israel is in a state of very high readiness for any scenario – on both defense and offense. We will exact a very high price for any act of aggression against...
The multi-billion-dollar education spending plan that Maryland lawmakers overrode a veto to get through is underway, yet many leaders in jurisdictions across the state have raised concerns about footing the bill and now, Gov. Wes Moore signaled adjustments will have to be made.
The Blueprint for Maryland’s Future was passed by the General Assembly in 2021. The plan calls for spending an additional $3.8 billion in education funding each year over the next decade, and then an additional $4 billion each year thereafter.
There are five pillars included in the Blueprint: expanding pre-Kindergarten to all 4-year-olds in Maryland, as well as low-income 3-year-olds; college and career readiness changes to curriculum, expanding funding for teacher salaries, improving teacher workforce, and ...
Colonel Richard Kemp, the former commander of the British military forces in Afghanistan, spoke to Israel National News - Arutz Sheva today about the assassinations of Hezbollah leader Fuad Shukr in a Beirut suburb and Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh in Tehran this week.
Col. Kemp called the assassinations "very significant," because they show "Iran, Hezbollah and the other terrorists ranged against Israel that Israel can strike them whenever and wherever it chooses. This is particularly significant in Tehran which is heavily protected with advanced Russian air defence systems."
He explained why, in his opinion, Israel claimed responsibility for the assassination of Shukr but not for the assassination of Haniyeh. "Israel had to declare responsibility for Shukr to prove its readines...
Hamas political bureau chief Ismail Haniyeh was killed by an explosion device that detonated in his room and not by a missile as previously believed, the New York Times reported on Thursday citing seven Middle Eastern officials, including two Iranians, and an American official.
According to the report, the bomb was planted approximately two months ago in the guesthouse, which is managed and protected by the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps and is part of a large compound, known as Neshat, in northern Tehran.
According to IRGC officials, the explosion shook the building, shattered some windows, and caused the partial collapse of an exterior wall.
Iranian media had reported on Wednesday that the Hamas leader was killed by an Israeli-made Spike short-range missile was launched ...