During the Second Temple, the Greek empire reigned (over Israel),1 and they (the Greeks) passed decrees against the Jews and (tried) to erase their religion, and did not allow them to carry out Torah (study) or the commandments. They put their hands on their property and their daughters. They entered the Temple, destroyed and made the pure unclean. The Jews were in great distress because of them and were much oppressed, until the G-d of their fathers had mercy on them, delivering them from their hands and saving them. Then overcame, the sons of the Hasmonean High Priest, (the Greeks) and killed them and saved the Jews from their hands. They appointed a king from the Priests, and the kingdom of Israel was restored for more than 200 years until the destruction of (the) second (Temple). When the Jews overcame their enemies and destroyed them, it was the 25th of Kislev2 when they entered the Sanctuary (inner room) and did not find pure (olive) oil in the Temple, except one jar sealed with seal of the High Priest, and it did not contain enough to light except for one day only. But they lit from it the lamps of the Menorah3 for eight days, until they could crush olives and produce a (new quantity) of pure oil. For these reasons, decreed the Sages of that generation that these eight days that begin on the 25th Kislev, will be days of joy and praise. One lights on them lamps at evening at the entrance to the houses, every evening of the eight nights to show off and demonstrate the miracle. These days are called ''Hanukah'' that is to say ''they rested'' (chanu) on the ''25'' ('th of the month) because on the 25th they rested from their enemies. and also because of those days they (re)-dedicated the house (Temple) which their foes had defiled. Also some say that it is a commandment to increase slightly the festive meals on Hanukah. Another reason is because the work of (building) the Sanctuary (in the desert) was completed in these days. One should tell one's children the story of the miracles that were done for our fore-fathers in those days, (see Josephus) However, these meals are not considered as part of the commandment unless one says at the meal songs of praise. One should increase charity in these Hanukah days, for this can help mend any defects in our souls. This charity, should be given particularly to poor Torah scholars. (KSA 139:1)
1) 352 BCE until 70 CE
2) 139 BCE
3) The Menorah was made of gold and had seven branches.
Baltimore, MD – May 16, 2024 - It was reported to the BZD this morning about an antisemitic sign at the intersection of Northern Parkway and Roland Ave. Last week, at this very location, another antisemitic message was spotted and removed. The BZD is already working with Councilman Yitzy Schleifer’s office to have this removed. BZD will not tolerate hate and antisemitism in our community. See something, say something!
Justice Department Formally Moves To Reclassify Marijuana As A Less Dangerous Drug In Historic Shift
The Justice Department on Thursday formally moved to reclassify marijuana as a less dangerous drug in a historic shift in generations of U.S. drug policy.
A proposed rule sent to the federal register recognizes the medical uses of cannabis and acknowledges it has less potential for abuse than some of the nation’s most dangerous drugs. The plan approved by Attorney General Merrick Garland does not legalize marijuana outright for recreational use.
The Drug Enforcement Administration will take public comment on the proposal to move marijuana away from its current classification as a Schedule I drug, alongside heroin and LSD. It moves pot to Schedule III, alongside ketamine and some anabolic steroids.
The move comes after a recommendation from the federa...
Baltimore, MD - May 16, 2024 - STAR-K is once again offering the following popular seminars at its Baltimore corporate headquarters to take you "behind the scenes" of the world of kashrus.
Click on the image below to download the training flyer.
JULY 29-31: 11th Annual Foodservice Mashgiach Training Seminar
This intensive three-day seminar is an in-depth training program for those currently involved – or who wish to become involved – as mashgichim in the foodservice industry (e.g., restaurants, catering halls, hotels). The course deals in depth with the various issues and skills a mashgiach requires in order to work effectively in all types of settings and conditions (e.g., Shabbos, Yom Tov) Participants will also receive training and certification in bug ...
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Baltimore, MD – May 13, 2024 - It is with regret that Baltimore Jewish Life (BJL) informs the community of the petira of Rand Feinstein , z’l, son of Rochelle Feinstein and brother of Louis Feinstein.
The family will sit shiva at The Imperial 3601 Clarks Lane #236, Baltimore, Maryland 21215, beginning Tuesday.
There will be no minyanim at the shiva home.
Shiva visiting:Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday
10:00 am to 1:00 pm
2:30 pm to 7:00 pm
Friday
10:00 am to 1:00 pm
2:00 pm to 4:00 pm
Family will get up from Shiva Sunday morning.
Bila Hamaves LaNetzach...
Baltimore, MD - May 16, 2024 - As Baltimore City struggles to balance its budget, the cost to protect city officials is mounting, increasing by more than a million dollars from 2021 to 2023.
That’s according to a new Baltimore City Inspector General report, which found the City’s Executive Protection Unit (EPU) spent $1.7 million in 2021, compared to $2.9 million in 2023.
The EPU provides security personnel for the Mayor, City State’s Attorney, and the Police Commissioner.
Although, the protections aren’t provided equally among the top three officials.
Mayor Brandon Scott has twice as many BPD detectives assigned to his security team, according to the report.
The report also found Baltimore spends a lot more than other liked-sized jurisdictions on ex...
BaltimoreJewishLife.com (BJL) is proud to partner with STAR-K CERTIFICATION that realizes that there is no substitute for a person’s own Rav. In an effort to offer a possible solution, it has launched its Institute of Halachah as a public service. Over the years, the agency’s Kashrus Hotline has answered generic halachic questions from kosher consumers the world over, including inquiries regarding the kosher status of foods and certified Sabbath mode appliances. The formation of a separate official division within STAR-K testifies to the need for addressing these issues.
The Institute of Halachah is directed by HaRav Mordechai Frankel, under the guidance of HaRav Moshe Heinemann, STAR-K’s Rabbinic Administrator. It is an invaluable resource for a diverse array of rabbis to discuss general halachic matters, as well as gain access to source materials for shiurim and answers to congregants’ questions.
Shailos for regular or Kashrus shailos may emailed or discussed using this widget.
Baltimore, MD - May 16, 2024 - There are still votes to be counted, but we have a solid picture of just how few people turned out to vote in the 2024 Presidential Primary.
As of 5 a.m. on Wednesday, the Maryland State Board of Election found that just over 720,000 voters turned out in some form to make their voices heard.
That's fewer than 1 in 5 eligible voters casting a ballot in the election.
It's also less than half the number of votes from the previous Presidential primary election.
In fact, as of Wednesday morning, it's the fewest votes in any primary — Presidential or Gubernatorial — since 2012.
We're taking an in focus look at how this year compares to prior primaries, as part of our commitment to giving you context and digging into ...
IDF soldiers from the Nahal Brigade who raided the Zeitoun neighborhood in Gaza this week were surprised to find large quantities of food that came via humanitarian aid trucks in Hamas hideouts.
Yoav Zitun reported on Ynet that alongside the weapons caches, Hamas hid in their stronghold that they reestablished in Zeitoun tons of packaged food, which came in humanitarian aid shipments from the southern Gaza Strip and was forcibly taken by the terror organization.
Zitun explained in his report that Hamas distributed food from international aid first to its operatives, and then, as part of its civilian takeover of the northern Gaza Strip, also distributed it to the hundreds of thousands of Gazans who remain in the area.
Opposition leader MK Yair Lapid caused an uproar on Wednesday when he ...
Defense Minister Yoav Gallant on Wednesday visited the headquarters of the IDF’s Division 162, which is operating in the Rafah area.
During his visit, Gallant held an operational situation assessment together with the Head of the Command, Division Commander and senior IDF officials.
Upon completing an operational situation assessment at the Gaza border in the Rafah area, Gallant said, "Additional troops will join the ground operation in Rafah. A number of tunnels in the area have already been destroyed – Hamas’ faucets are being shut."
"I am now in the Rafah area after meeting the Head of the Southern Command, and the Commanders of Division 162, Brigade 84, Brigade 401, and the Fire Brigade. All our troops are working in an extraordinary manner. Hundreds of [terror] ta...
The Dow Jones Industrial Average crossed 40000 for the first time, a milestone that appeared implausible little more than two years ago when the Federal Reserve began raising interest rates to cool an overheated economy.
Gloom and doom forecasts abounded. When the central bank ended the era of ultralow rates that prevailed in the years following the global financial crisis, economists predicted painful consequences: a U.S. recession and rising unemployment.
Markets shuddered. The Dow industrials and other equity benchmarks ended 2022 with their biggest declines since 2008, the year Lehman Brothers collapsed.
But as the months passed, employers kept adding jobs. People kept spending, splurging on big-ticket items like cars and blowout getaways&n...
The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) reported on Thursday significant progress in their ongoing operations in Gaza, with Division 98 and Division 162 leading intense combat efforts in the Jabaliya and Rafah areas.
In the north of the Gaza Strip, forces from Division 98 have been actively engaging in the heart of the Jabaliya camp.
The combined efforts of ground troops and the Air Force have resulted in the elimination of over 150 terrorists. Several rocket launchers were destroyed, and dozens of rockets, including long-range ones, were located.
Paratrooper brigade fighters raided numerous terrorist infrastructures, killing and arresting dozens of terrorists. Combat teams from the 7th and 460th brigades have also been operating in the area, targeting and dismantling terrorist infrastructur...
Baltimore, MD - May 16, 2024 - Removal of the DALI ship was postponed Wednesday until early next week.
This from Coast Guard Vice Admiral Peter Gautier, who testified before Congress regarding cleanup and restoration of the Key Bridge collapse site.
For now the DALI remains grounded in the Fort McHenry channel of the Patapsco River.
On Monday, a controlled demolition removed a section of the fallen bridge that was still laying atop the ship.
Cranes are now in the process of recovering submerged and unstable wreckage left over from the demolition.
Crews are also awaiting results of a dive survey before the vessel can be refloated and escorted to the Seagirt Marine Terminal in the Port of Baltimore.
Part of that is ensuring damaged containers still aboard the DALI are properl...
Baltimore, MD – May 16, 2024 - BJL wishes a hearty Mazel Tov to Aaron Dovid and Rina Yablonovsky on the birth of a son.
Mazel Tov to grandparents Roman & Rachel Yablonovsky and Avraham & Naomi Turetsky
יה"ר שיזכו לגדל בנם לתורה, לחופה, ולמעשים טובים. אמן!
Baltimore, MD - May 16, 2024 - With a price tag ranging between $1.7 and $1.9 billion, not every state is enthusiastic about the idea of helping to fund the rebuild of the Francis Scott Key Bridge.
On Wednesday morning, the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) Administrator, Shailen Bhatt, faced questions from lawmakers on the plans for the federal government to fully fund the construction. It was part of a larger hearing on the Key Bridge collapse held by the House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure.
"My constituents are not willing to pay for this thing," Rep. Brian Babin (R-Texas) told Bhatt.
"If you're from Washington State, likely you're never going to travel across that bridge, but you're sure gonna pay for it," Rep. Scott Perry (R-Pennsylvania) s...
Baltimore, MD - May 16, 2024 - This Shabbos, May 18, is the annual running of the Preakness. In past years, following the race, there have been some rowdy individuals driving through our neighborhoods on their way home from the event. Most of this activity takes place on Park Heights and Greenspring Avenues, especially during the late afternoon/early evening hours. Although police will be out on patrol on Shabbos, pedestrians who will be on the main roads should be extra vigilant and aware of their surroundings, especially while crossing streets. Please also remind your children to be extra cautious when playing or walking near major thoroughfares.
Two IDF tanks killed five IDF soldiers and injured seven more in a friendly fire incident on Wednesday when they fired on a forward IDF battalion headquarters in Jabalya in northern Gaza. The IDF cleared for publication on Thursday.
The tanks were said to be under extreme pressure from dozens of rocket-propelled grenade attacks in the area.
All openings to the tanks, including the canopy on the top, were ordered to be kept closed to avoid any hole or vulnerability to the RPG attacks.
This, in turn, limited the tank's visibility.
Tank Unit 202 is a Haredi-integrated unit, and the soldiers said that they saw a potential threat emerge from the battalion headquarters, which was only 10-20 meters away from them.
It was unclear why they did not recognize the battalion he...
A knife-wielding terrorist tried to stab Border Police officers near the Shalem police station in Jerusalem overnight Wednesday.
The suspect was neutralized by the officers before he could stab them. There were no injuries among the officers.
Additional police forces from the Jerusalem District arrived at the scene. The knife with which the suspect tried to carry out the attack was seized.
In later April, a 30-year-old Border Police officer was stabbed and moderately injured on Sultan Suleiman Street, near Herod's Gate in Jerusalem.
The officer was taken to Shaare Zedek Hospital and released a day later, after his condition improved.
The terrorist who carried out the attack, a tourist from Turkey, was shot by officers who were nearby and was eliminated.
Baltimore, MD – May 15, 2024 - It is with regret that Baltimore Jewish Life (BJL) informs the community of the petira of Elaine Brodsky Steppa, a’h, mother of Scott (Roberta Heyman) Steppa, Stacie (Rick) Gorinson, and Jamie (Howard) Wollner.
The levayah will take place on Thursday, May 16, 2024 at 9:30 am at Har Shalom Synagogue, 11510 Falls Road, Potomac, MD 20854
Kevurah wil be at Judean Gardens, 16225 Batchellors Forest Rd., Olney, MD 20832
Shiva: The Grand apartments, 5801 Nicholson Lane, North Bethesda, MD 20852
Shiva following kevurah:
2-9 pm Thursday (Community room, The Grand), minyan at 7:30 pm
Minyanim:
Shacharis:
7:30 am, Friday, Sunday, Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday (Elaine's apartment, The Grand)
Afternoon visiting:
2-5 pm, Sunday (Community room,...