Baltimore, MD –  August 31, 2026 - BJL regrets to inform the community of the petira of Ruth Langbaum, a"h, father of Sharon Englander, Chani Greenblatt, and Mike Langbaum.

Sharon Englander, is sitting shiva (through Sunday morning) at 6605 Park Heights Ave. Apt #D1, Baltimore, MD 21215. 

Chani Greenblatt and Mike Langbaum are sitting shiva in Israel; Pitum Haketoret 28/1, Efrat.

בלע המות לנצח

Parshat Nitzavim opens with the entire nation gathered before Moshe Rabeinu as he prepares them to enter yet another brit with Hashem. By this stage, we have already encountered numerous covenants, most recently in the tochachah of Ki Tavo, whose concluding pasuk explicitly describes it as a brit:

אֵלֶּה דִבְרֵי הַבְּרִית אֲשֶׁר צִוָּה ה' אֶת מֹשֶׁה לִכְרֹת אֶת בְּנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל בְּאֶרֶץ מוֹאָב מִלְּבַד הַבְּרִית אֲשֶׁר כָּרַת אִתָּם בְּחֹרֵב.

“These are the words of the covenant that Hashem commanded Moshe to establish with the children of Israel in the land of Moav, in addition to the covenant He had made with them at Chorev.”

Why, then, does Moshe introduce yet another brit in Parshat Nitzavim? What does this covenant add to those that preceded it?

Building a Society of Areivut

One important added feature of the brit of Nitzavim is areivut, mutual responsibility for other Jews. On the doorstep of Eretz Yisrael, Moshe emphasizes that religious responsibility can no longer remain purely individual. We are accountable not only for our own behavior but, in some sense, for one another. Chazal teach that this principle of areivut would become fully operative after we crossed the Jordan and accepted the covenant at Har Gerizim and Har Eival.

This shift was closely connected to the transition from desert existence to life in Eretz Yisrael. Under desert conditions, it was difficult to demand sustained communal responsibility. We did not yet live in permanent communities or inhabit a stable social structure. Our lives were transient, and even our most basic physical needs were supplied directly by Hashem. Food descended from Heaven, water was miraculously provided, and the protective clouds surrounded us. There was less need, and perhaps less opportunity, for us to build the structures of collective responsibility that ordinary national life requires. The desert did not yet require Jews to construct and sustain an enduring society together; Eretz Yisrael would.

Entering Eretz Yisrael changed the nature of Jewish life. We were no longer merely traveling together; we were now responsible for building a society together. We were about to become a settled society, divided into shevatim and communities, cultivating land, building cities, and constructing a shared religious and social culture. Under these conditions, areivut became both possible and necessary.

An individual's religious responsibility now extended far beyond his own two feet. Everyone now bore some responsibility for the collective commons: what our society would look like, what values it would embody, and what kind of religious and moral atmosphere it would create.

A Jew cannot bury his head in the sand and concern himself only with his own private religious space. Living as part of a Jewish society means assuming responsibility for the spiritual and material welfare of other Jews. The brit of Nitzavim prepares us for an enlarged religious identity: we serve Hashem not only as individuals, but as members of a people whose lives are bound to one another.

Areivut in Exile

And then we left Israel. Twice. We did not merely leave; we became scattered across the world. With the loss of sovereignty, areivut did not disappear, but its scope and expression changed. We continued to assume responsibility for fellow Jews, often with extraordinary devotion, but that responsibility was generally concentrated within the communities in which we lived. What largely disappeared was the broader national form of areivut: the ability to shape an entire Jewish public sphere, defend Jews through sovereign power, and assume responsibility for the collective Jewish future.

Halachically, areivut continued to demand that we assist others in the performance of mitzvot when they could not perform them themselves. We blow shofar for those who do not know how to blow on their own. Jewish communities also developed extensive systems of charity, education, and mutual assistance. Yet all of these operated within the constraints of exile. We could care for other Jews, but we could not exercise the full national areivut that becomes possible when the Jewish people live together as a sovereign society in their own land.

Restoring National Areivut

Now we have returned to a sovereign Jewish state, and once again we are renewing the broader and more sweeping form of areivut. As a state, it is our responsibility to protect and defend the interests of every Jew. The State of Israel is not merely a state for its citizens. It carries responsibility for the welfare of Jews everywhere.

That responsibility can span years and even decades. Over the past few months, the IDF identified the burial sites of two soldiers who were killed in the War of Independence nearly 78 years ago. More recently, the remains of Yehuda Katz, a soldier killed fighting Syrian forces in Lebanon more than forty years ago, were recovered and brought to burial in Israel. These efforts reflect a refusal to abandon responsibility simply because time has passed. We share a sacred bond that obligates us to care for every Jew, in life and even in death, even when fulfilling that responsibility takes decades. This is the ethos of areivut upon which Jewish life is built and upon which the Jewish state must be built.

Areivut Across Generations

Over the past few years, we have realized an even broader form of areivut. Not just areivut toward a fellow Jew in the shtetl, helping him perform a mitzvah or assisting him materially. Not just areivut toward every Jew wherever he may live, even decades after his death. We also carry an areivut toward Jewish history. We have been chosen to participate in the renewal of Jewish sovereignty, and we feel a historical responsibility to defend this country and advance the arc of Jewish history.

Historical responsibility also runs in the other direction. We feel a tremendous obligation to fight this intense and protracted war so that, hopefully, future generations will not have to endure events like October 7th. We are willing to sacrifice our own personal needs and comforts because we feel areivut toward generations we have never met and will never meet.

This is part of our Jewish calling: to live a life of areivut and responsibility. Areivut adds depth and resonance to life. Without responsibilities beyond the self, life shrinks into personal welfare and personal comfort. When we live for others, and even more so when we live for a larger historical calling, our lives acquire deeper and more panoramic meaning. We become part of something much larger than ourselves. To live as part of something larger is to live with areivut.

The Tension of Areivut

Yet areivut in the modern Jewish state can also become complicated. If we feel responsible for the spiritual welfare of other Jews, we cannot simply regard their religious choices as none of our concern. Areivut naturally creates an impulse to persuade others of the values we believe in. It also pushes us, on a national level, to shape the public character of Israel according to those values. Both instincts are fundamentally healthy. They reflect genuine investment in other Jews and concern for the religious and moral character of Jewish society. An attitude of live and let live can easily slide into indifference. Yet that same sense of responsibility can also lead us to become aggressive in persuading others, dismissive of choices different from our own, or too forceful in imposing religious standards on parts of society that may not be interested in or ready for them. Sincere areivut can sometimes express itself in ways that undermine the very Jewish values it seeks to advance.

The Limits of Areivut

The Torah encodes the mitzvah of areivut in a very intriguing manner:

הַנִּסְתָּרֹת לַה׳ אֱלֹקֵינוּ וְהַנִּגְלֹת לָנוּ וּלְבָנֵינוּ עַד עוֹלָם לַעֲשׂוֹת אֶת כָּל דִּבְרֵי הַתּוֹרָה הַזֹּאת.

“The hidden matters belong to Hashem our God, while the revealed matters belong to us and to our children forever, to fulfill all the words of this Torah.”

By exempting us from responsibility for the hidden lives of others, which Hashem alone sees and judges, the Torah implicitly charges us with responsibility for the public commons and for behavior that is visible to us.

But there is a deeper message. The phrase הנסתרות לה' אלוקינו suggests that every person possesses a private realm of nistarot, known fully only to Hashem. We can never completely understand that private world, and issuing snap judgments about other people’s religious lives fails to respect its complexity. Even when we are convinced of certain religious values, areivut does not give us unlimited license to intrude into another person’s private spiritual world. Some aspects of religious life remain between the individual and Hashem.

There is, however, a second and different limitation, also implicit in the phrase הנסתרות לה' אלוקינו. Even in areas where we legitimately seek to influence others or shape the public character of Jewish society, we must ask how certain we can be that our own hashkafah is the only correct one. The first limitation concerns the boundaries of another person’s private religious life. This second limitation concerns the boundaries of our own certainty. If certain questions belong, at least partially, to the realm of nistarot, their very designation as “hidden” should temper our confidence that we fully understand them. Something as nuanced as hashkafah may demand conviction, but it should also leave room for humility about whether our approach is the only legitimate one.

Ideological Humility

If Elul is a month of humility, that humility must include ideological humility. Each of us must find the approach to Judaism that best enables our avodat Hashem and we should hold our convictions seriously. But we should be extremely cautious before assuming that every question of hashkafah belongs to the realm of niglot, where our obligation of areivut authorizes us to impose our own convictions upon others. The deeper our sense of areivut, the more humility it demands.

The writer is a rabbi and educator at Yeshivat Har Etzion (Gush). Find his latest book, Reclaiming Redemption, Vol. II: Faith, Identity, Peoplehood, and the Storms of War, at mtaraginbooks.com.

 Carasso Sells Nearly Half of the Apartments at Its Derech Bethlehem St Residential Development - an outstanding number in the current market

Approximately 150 of the 309 apartments offered for sale at the Carasso Nia project have sold within roughly a year and a half. The company points to strong demand from English-speaking Israelis and North Americans ranging from Teaneck , Toronto and five towns to Baltimore and other modern-orthodox communities. The project’s proximity to Baka, Arnona, Talpiot and two Jerusalem Light Rail lines, as well as the high standard down to every meticulous detail, are primary drivers of the exceptional pace of sales.

 Even as Jerusalem’s residential real estate market faces a slowdown in transaction activity, some projects continue to achieve an unusually strong sales pace. Beyond all expectations, Carasso has sold approximately 150 apartments to date at Carasso Nia, the residential development at 128 Bethlehem Road in Jerusalem - nearly half of the 309 apartments offered for sale within the complex. This exceptional percentage points to a high trust level, as well as unique features marking Carasso Nia as the ideal place to invest in. 

The sales were completed over approximately a year and a half since the project was first launched, a pace the company attributes to a combination of the project’s location, the ongoing development of southern Jerusalem, and strong demand from buyers drawn to the Baka, Arnona and German Colony neighborhoods.

One prominent characteristic of the project’s buyer profile is the high proportion of English-speaking Israelis and Jews residing in North America. According to the company, for some buyers, purchasing an apartment represents more than simply acquiring a home or an investment. It is a choice to live in an area where established English-speaking communities already exist, alongside the chance to join a neighborhood with a strong sense of community and a longstanding tradition of attracting English-speaking residents and new Olim, offering an optimal cultural and environmental climate.

Carasso also identifies an investment component in buyers’ decisions due to the expected rise in value, which makes Nia the perfect investment as an asset or future home. Southern Jerusalem - and particularly Derech Bethlehem St. and Talpiot areas is expected to undergo significant urban transformation in the coming few years, driven in part by new developments, urban renewal projects and the expansion of mass-transit infrastructure.

"The success of sales at the project, particularly in light of the current state of Jerusalem’s residential market, stems first and foremost from the many advantages it offers its residents, as well as the project’s level of stability compared with similar developments in the surrounding area,” says Dudi Dvir, Head of Sales department at Carasso.

He adds:

"The project offers a central location and a complete, high-quality residential experience, together with its proximity to Baka and Arnona, the revitalizing Talpiot neighborhood, and two Light Rail routes. Buyers recognize that the future of Jerusalem’s urban and real estate development lies in this area, and they are choosing to secure their place at the heart of Jerusalem’s new center.”

*Four Buildings, a 33-Story Tower and a Rooftop Overlooking the City*

The Carasso Nia project consists of four buildings: a central 33-story tower and three additional buildings ranging from 14 to 15 stories. The complex is being developed as a mixed-use project combining residential units, commercial space and public areas.

The development will include approximately 2,000 square meters of commercial and public space, as well as an approximately 400 sqm rooftop level above the commercial building, expected to offer panoramic views of Jerusalem.

*Betting on the Future of Southern Jerusalem*

At the midst of the project, a private landscaped park will be created for residents, featuring playground and sports facilities. The complex will also include a fitness center and a residents’ club.

One of the project’s key assets lies in its location. In recent years, Derech Bethlehem St. has emerged as one of the most compelling corridors in southern Jerusalem, connecting established residential neighborhoods with the new development zones of Talpiot.

The project is located close to Talpiot’s shopping and employment centers, and Baka and Arnona neighborhoods, the German Colony and the First Station complex.

The future Blue Line and Purple Line of the Jerusalem Light Rail are also planned to run nearby. At the same time, the project benefits from convenient access to major thoroughfares, including Hebron Road and Begin Road.

For Carasso, selling nearly half of the available inventory at this stage is a strong indication that even in a slower market, projects that successfully combine location, transportation, community and a distinctive residential plan continue to attract buyers. And in Jerusalem, an increasingly significant share of those buyers is coming from precisely where the market is seeing growing momentum: English-speaking communities in Israel and North America.

Interested in learning more about the project that may be your perfect fit?

Contact us >>>>

Baltimore, MD –  August 30, 2026 - BJL regrets to inform the community of the petira of Ben Tzion Cohen, a"h, father of Jeff (Tzipora) Cohen, Cindy (Chaim) Reinman, Surie (Moshe) Lehmann, and Bracha (Shmuel Yaakov) Sauer.

The levaya will take place today, Sunday 8/30/26, at 4:00 a.m. at Sol Levinson, 8900 Reisterstown Rd, Pikesville, MD 21208

בלע המות לנצח

Baltimore, MD – August, 30, 2026 - BJL regrets to inform the community of the petira of Refoel Avraham Meir Rosenthal, z"l, brother of Devorah Kapenstein of Baltimore.

The levaya will take place today in New York. The kevura will take place in Israel.

Shiva will be observed in Baltimore. Details to follow.

בלע המות לנצח

Baltimore, MD – August 28, 2026 - BJL wishes a hearty Mazel Tov to Yitzy & Stephanie Halon on the birth of a son.

!יה"ר שיזכו לגדל בנם לתורה, לחופה, ולמעשים טובים. אמן

Baltimore, MD – August 28, 2026 - An individual was arrested early Friday morning following an attempted break-in at a home on the 3700 block of Bancroft Road in the Fallstaff area, according to Baltimore Shomrim.
Shomrim received a call from a homeowner reporting that someone was attempting to break into the residence. The homeowner was instructed to also call 911 as Shomrim units responded to the area.

Shomrim units arrived within approximately 90 seconds and observed an individual emerging from behind homes in the area. Units followed the individual while additional information provided by the homeowner confirmed that he matched the description of the person involved in the attempted break-in.

As Baltimore Police Department officers arrived, the individual entered nearby backyards and was temporarily lost from sight. Shomrim members and BPD officers canvassed the surrounding area and located him approximately one block away. Shomrim directed police to his location, where officers detained the individual.

Police subsequently reviewed information and video footage that Shomrim had received from the homeowner. After consulting with a supervisor, officers placed the individual under arrest.

Shomrim is asking residents in the area to check their security cameras for additional footage. Anyone with video showing the individual breaking into or attempting to break into a home is asked to send it to [email protected], preferably, or via WhatsApp at 410-358-9999. Residents should include the date, time, and address so the footage can be forwarded to BPD.

Shomrim reminds community members to remain aware of their surroundings and stay vigilant. Anyone who observes suspicious activity or witnesses a crime should immediately call 911 and Shomrim at 410-358-9999

This week we read the Admonition, the slew of curses that will befall our nation if we do not adhere to the Torah.

The total number of curses enumerated is oddly listed in Midrash as being 'one hundred less two'. 

The Kli Yakar explains this anomaly by observing that there are ninety-eight curses clearly defined among the verses, and two that are not exactly described.

Also, the Lord will bring upon you every disease and plague that are, לא כתוב — not written in this ספר תורה —Torah scroll, to destroy you.  (דברים כח סא)

The nature of the disease and plague is not specified, in contrast with the other ninety-eight consequences which are clearly detailed.

Why is this significant?

More intriguing is the Torah depicting these troubles as 'not being written in the Torah'. Is a general allusion, and a warning, to an undescribed affliction any worse than the threat of ones which are known?

Rav Mottel Pogramonsky, a remarkable Lithuanian Torah scholar, fiery personality, and legendary influencer during the war years, who inspired many students of Torah, through his impassioned shmuessen, to maintain their steadfast adherence to Torah study and faith in those most challenging of times.

One day he entered the Bais Medrash of Telshe — which had been relocated to the town of Shidlova due to the war, which was filled with students who, despite the dark clouds hovering over them, were deeply engaged in learning — feeling compelled to share a thought that had just occurred to him.

There had recently been reports of horrible and unimaginable cruelty the Nazis were foisting upon the Jews, and the sense of seeming impending doom for the entire Jewish nation was palpable.

He began by quoting this very verse pondering the implication of its assertion that these punishments are ones not 'written in the Torah'. Firstly, he posed, now that it is mentioned here, isn't that now in effect recorded for posterity in the Torah?  

He then explained that this notion of curses 'written in the Sefer Torah' is emphasizing that anything that becomes part and parcel of the 'written word' — is Torah itself. 

Torah is eternal and the curses enumerated in the Torah intended to draw our attention back to serving G-d are guaranteed to succeed in bringing us back and the Jewish nation to survive. We will have to endure suffering but are equally assured we will continue for eternity.

However, when we face unbearable suffering which impends our total eradication as a nation — that cannot be categorized as 'Torah'. G-d has assured us He will never abolish us. He went on to assure them that when our enemies seem to be near bringing us to extinction, that is the greatest evidence that their end is inevitable and hopefully near! 

I discovered in the Sefer Tikkun Olam — authored by Rav Alter Chaim Levinson, a prominent pre-war rabbinic figure and communal activist who devoted himself tirelessly in promoting the honor of Hashem, who studied in his youth under the famed Reb Tzadok Hakohen of Lublin, and rubbed shoulders with the greatest spiritual figures of his time — a penetrating and eye-opening explanation of this verse that takes Rav Pogromonsky's yesod a giant step further. 

He quotes this idea as he heard it from חכם אחד — one wise man.

This Sage opened with the query as to why is the nature of the disease and affliction left vague?

He then went on to describe the challenges of his times. The pursuit of all sorts of pleasures that became available to the masses, going on to discuss theaters, entertainment, the indulging in every new fad and taste. He also notes being enamored with fashionable and expensive clothing. May I note that this was in the early twentieth century, the 20's and the 30's.

With the acquiring of their wants, they continued to pursue something new and exciting. With each new conquest they thirsted for more in an endless cycle of satisfying their current desires but never truly satisfied. 

It is for this reason the Torah lacked a description for this ailment, firstly, since it was endless in its infectious pursuit of empty and new distractions, and secondly, because it was not devised by G-d, but rather an invention of a disease of man's own making.

When the Torah outlines its prescription of punishments as a cure for our sins, it is the written truth of Torah, guaranteed to bring about the truth of its message, wooing us back to embrace G-d through a process of punishment and repentance.

But when the malady is produced in the labs of human weakness that seek to placate our thirst for spirituality and authenticity, through artificial 'pills' that mimic satiation, the Torah provides no course. 

Only man alone can stop this epidemic by waking up to reality, leaving behind his illusory world of pleasures.  

Inevitably G-d will save us as He promised we would never be totally wiped out. We can wait for the Moshiach who in an instant will reveal the true reality of life we refused to see. Or we can awaken on our own and save ourselves from this painful disease. 

The Talmud relates that initially the noblemen of Rome would keep an image imprinted on a seal by their beds and copulate opposite that image, so that they would beget children of similar beauty. After the destruction of the Temple, they would bring Jewish children, tie them to the foot of their beds, and copulate across from them, because they were so handsome, hoping it would produce a child of similar beauty.

It is related that it once happened that they did this to two children, and one of them said to the other: Where is this affliction written in the Torah? The other said to him: As it is written: “Also every sickness, and every plague, which is not written in the book of this Torah” The first one said: How far am I in my studies from this, i.e., how much more would I have had to learn in order to reach this verse? The other said: Had you gone on one and a half columns, you would have reached this. The first child said to the other: Had I reached this verse, I would not have needed you, as I would have known on my own that the verse was speaking about this.

The Romans saw the world in its most superficial sense — as a place of pleasure and personal opportunity. They see beautiful Jewish children, foolishly thinking they possess great genes, and it has nothing to do with their inner radiance and inspired souls, living a life of purity and deepest values. These beasts of instincts, crassly 'tie' these children to their beds — representing their most carnal instincts, treating these pure souls like inanimate objects to gratify their shallow desires. (גיטין נח.) 

Despite being degraded and exposed to such a shameless act, they maintain their dignity seeing their status as a fulfilment of the Torah's description of what we might have to endure as a nation. 

His dear friend not having yet reached that verse, nevertheless instinctively understood his mission to preserve his nobility, and proudly — not arrogantly — assures his friend that even without the verse's intended encouragement, he knew to remain mindful of his elevated stature, even in this most depraved moment of exposure.

In the illusory world of desires and wants, the crazed drive for new innovations of craving and satisfaction, the path to oblivion is inevitable. This is the planet the nation of Edom and its cohorts occupy and are quickly heading towards the cliff and doom.  

We can still wake up, reminding ourselves of the beauty within us, that was breathed into our nostrils at Creation from G-d Himself, and slough off our wanton desires.

The Baal HaTurim says we blow one hundred sounds of the Shofar on Rosh Hashana to ward off the one hundred curses enumerated in the Admonition.

It is time to wake up to the music. It is time to wake up to reality. 

באהבה,

צבי יהודה טייכמאן

Baltimore, MD – August 27, 2026 - Torah Institute welcomed its Talmidim back to school today, marking an exciting start to a new year filled with Torah, learning, growth, and friendship.

After the summer break, the halls and classrooms once again came alive with the sounds of Torah and Tefillah as Rebbeim, teachers, and Talmidim reunited and settled into the rhythm of a new school year.

This year’s return carries an added sense of excitement. Just outside the classrooms, work continues on Torah Institute’s historic $25 million campus expansion. Following extensive site preparation throughout the summer, the changing landscape provides a powerful backdrop to the first days of school and a reminder that the future of Torah Institute is literally taking shape before the Talmidim’s eyes.

The expansion comes at a time of tremendous growth for the school and will provide the additional classrooms, learning spaces, and facilities needed to serve TI’s growing student body for years to come.

With renewed energy and enthusiasm, Torah Institute’s Rebbeim, teachers, and Talmidim look forward to a year of tremendous achievement and Hatzlachah, as another year of Torah begins while an exciting new chapter for the yeshiva continues to be built











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Baltimore, MD – August 27, 2026 - Yeshivas Toras Simcha welcomed its Talmidim back to school this week, beginning another year of Torah, learning, growth, and friendship.

The excitement of a new school year could be felt throughout the Yeshiva as Talmidim reunited with friends and Rebbeim and returned to their classrooms and Sedorim. After the summer break, the familiar sounds of Torah and Tefillah once again filled the halls.

The opening days of school bring with them a special energy and sense of possibility. New classes, new goals, and new opportunities for growth await as the Talmidim settle back into their daily routines.

The Rebbeim and staff of Yeshivas Toras Simcha look forward to building upon the accomplishments of previous years while providing each Talmid with the warmth, guidance, and Chinuch to help him thrive.

BJL wishes the entire Yeshivas Toras Simcha family a year filled with continued growth, accomplishment, and tremendous Hatzlachah











Baltimore, MD – Aug. 27, 2026 – With great simcha, Chofetz Chaim-Adath B'nei Israel Congregation, widely known throughout Baltimore as “The Adas,” is pleased to welcome Rabbi Yisroel Meir Lebovits as Assistant Rav of the Kehillah.

Rabbi Lebovits will join the rabbinic leadership of the historic kehillah alongside its current Mora D’Asra, Rabbi Shlomo Naiman, as The Adas continues its longstanding mission of Torah, tefillah, and service to Baltimore’s Orthodox community.

The appointment adds a new chapter to the illustrious history of one of Baltimore’s longstanding kehillos. Chofetz Chaim-Adath B'nei Israel Congregation was formed around 1960 through the merger of two earlier congregations, Chofetz Chaim, founded in 1934, and Adath B'nei Israel, which dates back to 1919-1920. In 1993, the congregation moved to its current home at 5915 Park Heights Avenue, where it has continued to grow and serve generations of Baltimore families.

The Kehillah will formally welcome Rabbi Lebovits and his family on Shabbos Parshas Nitzavim-Vayelech, שבת פרשת נצבים־וילך, September 5. Shacharis will begin at 8:30 a.m., followed by a Gala Kiddush in celebration of this special milestone.

The appointment of Rabbi Lebovits represents both a continuation of The Adas’ rich mesorah and an investment in its continued growth for the years ahead.

Baltimore, MD – August 27, 2026 - After nine years of bringing comfort, companionship, and plenty of smiles to residents and staff at Levindale Hebrew Geriatric Center and Hospital, one of the facility’s most beloved “employees” is officially retiring.

Bear, a 15-year-old Pomeranian-Chihuahua mix, will be honored Friday with a special retirement celebration recognizing nearly a decade spent making his rounds through Levindale’s halls, visiting residents, attending events, and providing a furry source of friendship to those around him.

Bear first began coming to Levindale nine years ago with his owner, Therapeutic Recreation Manager Amanda Wittlesberger, when she was working as a floor therapist. Bear would accompany her during patient treatments and, when Wittlesberger later became a recreation manager, he naturally became her sidekick at resident activities and throughout the facility.

According to Wittlesberger, Bear never needed formal training for his role. He simply loved people and loved coming to work. Residents came to look forward to his visits, particularly when Bear would curl up beside them for a nap or stop by in search of a treat. Staff regularly heard residents asking, “How’s Bear? Is he here today?”

Apparently, the feeling was mutual. Bear enjoyed going to Levindale so much that on days when he was supposed to stay home, he would sometimes try to sneak out the door and jump into the car.

As Bear grew older, he eventually lost his vision and hearing. Yet after so many years at Levindale, he still knows the facility well enough to navigate its familiar halls, always with what Wittlesberger describes as a smile on his face.

Levindale is a pet-friendly community that embraces the Eden Alternative philosophy, which recognizes the role animals and companionship can play in improving the quality of life for older adults. For residents and staff who have grown accustomed to Bear’s presence, his retirement is understandably bittersweet.

Fortunately, Bear has already begun training his successor, at least informally. His “little (big) sister,” Magnolia, affectionately known as Maggie, is an 8-month-old Great Pyrenees who recently began accompanying Wittlesberger to work. Maggie will be on hand to help celebrate Bear as he passes the torch to the next generation.

Bear’s retirement party will take place Friday, August 28, at 3:00 p.m. at Levindale Hebrew Geriatric Center and Hospital, 2434 W. Belvedere Avenue in Baltimore. The celebration will feature some of Bear’s favorite foods, including beef hot dogs, popcorn, and chips, along with dog-themed decorations, a handmade doghouse, and a special portrait honoring his nine years of service.

Please contact Theodosha Hayes, 443-425-6324, [email protected] if you plan to attend.

A Message from Rabbi Silber:

August 26, 2026

To my beloved Kehilla,

It’s overwhelming to contemplate how quickly time passes. When Aviva and I arrived in Baltimore over 23 years ago, we were a young, growing family, and the Shul was navigating the loss of Rabbi Ervin Preis zt’l who led this Kehilla for twenty-five beautiful years. Since that fateful day in August, over two decades ago, we have built something beautiful together. Together we have built more than just a Shul, more than just a Kehilla, we have built a family. And what a beautiful family it is. We are a family of diverse backgrounds and life circumstances. We are a family who learns, davens, and grows together. We are a family who leans on each other in times of difficulty and rejoices and dances with one another in times of simcha. I have had the distinct zechus of being with so many of you in times of immense joy and immense pain. All we have experienced; we have done so together. We have built a beautiful physical building and have created magnificent spiritual edifices together. It has been the greatest privilege of my life, of our lives, to be part of this close-knit and connected family and contribute in some small way to its growth, vitality, and holiness.

The Ribbono Shel Olam has a plan for each of us, and this plan often leads us down paths we did not contemplate or anticipate. I have been offered the position of Executive Vice President of the Orthodox Union (OU). The OU is one of the most influential and important organizations in the Jewish world and has an impact in almost all aspects and facets of Jewish life. With all of its departments and initiatives, the OU has a singular mission of enhancing the fabric and holiness of Jewish life. This position is an opportunity to contribute and serve the Jewish people in an amplified capacity. Rabbi Hauer zt’l served in this role until his passing less than a year ago. Rabbi Hauer zt’l meant so much to so many people and I would never even try to fill his shoes, but I can try to perpetuate the mission and continue the journey.

My beloved Kehilla, please know that accepting this position at the OU has been the hardest decision of my life. I genuinely love and care for each of you as if you were members of my immediate family; because over 23 years, you have become members of my immediate family. I am plagued by feelings of guilt and in many respects feel like I am letting my Kehilla down. But something in my neshoma tells me that I have to try to give more, be more and do more.

This Shul and all of you mean the world to me, and I am committed to maintaining our relationship and connection.

I will be starting at the OU on November 2nd. We will IYH immediately commence a search for a full-time Rabbi. As the search process progresses, we will remain in Baltimore, IYH davening at the Shul, delivering Daf Yomi (and other shiurim) and IYH speaking and teaching on Shabbos and Yom Tov (all schedule permitting). I hope to create and maintain a place within our Kehilla which allows a new Rabbi to flourish and lead and allows me to maintain a meaningful and ongoing connection.

As of November 2nd, I will relinquish the day-to-day responsibilities of the Shul, and Rabbi Richter will step into a transition role during the search process. Rabbi Richter will be available for halakhic questions and guidance as well the pastoral needs of the Kehilla. There are many more details to be worked out, and we will IYH share the information over the next few weeks. I thank Rabbi Richter for his commitment to the Kehilla and his willingness to help during this transition period.

I will be working with the Board to ensure a smooth transition, and details regarding a rabbinic search process and how the Shul will effectively run after November 2nd will IYH be forthcoming.

I am still trying to process and wrap my head around this new reality, and I am sure this message has caught many of you by surprise. I wish I could meet with each of you individually and process this change together. My neshoma will always remain connected and tethered to this Shul and to all of you. This will always be the holy place where I find my greatest connection to my people and Hashem. It is my sincere desire to IYH remain connected in a meaningful way. We have created something beautiful together, and we must continue to build a beautiful future. This is not the end – it’s simply the beginning of something new and different. We must move forward together with excitement, optimism, and enthusiasm to continue our growth on every level. Our Kehilla has been here before and each time we reach a crossroads, the new path always leads to greater holiness, growth and simcha.

I am truly looking forward to the Yomim Noraim together and IYH a beautiful bracha filled year together.

May Hashem give us the clarity, fortitude, and boundless love for one another to write this next chapter.

With a heart filled with love, gratitude, and excitement for our future,

Shmuel Silber

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A Message from the SOTC Board of Directors:

To Our Dear Kehilla,

We would like to inform you that as of 6:30 pm this evening, August 26th, Rabbi Silber has been offered and has accepted the position of Executive Vice President of the Orthodox Union. This position is an enormous honor, presented only to the most influential leaders in American Jewry. We firstly want to express our profound pride in knowing that our beloved Rav from our humble Kehilla was approached for such a prestigious role. We at SOTC and all who benefit from Rabbi Silber’s Torah are well aware of the Rav’s monumental influence, which is now being recognized on a national level, having the potential to impact Jewish life on a global scale.

This formidable shift leaves SOTC in a pivotal state. The Board is working diligently and decisively implementing measures to institute full-time leadership that meets the emotional, spiritual, and physical needs of our Kehilla, while facilitating Rabbi Silber’s ongoing connection with the shul. We are extremely fortunate to have an incredible assistant Rabbi, Rabbi Richter available to us during this transitional period as we conduct a search for a full-time Rav. Rabbi Richter’s extensive halachic knowledge and personal connection with our Kehilla positions him as the ideal leader during this time.

The Board plans to commence an immediate search for a full-time Rav. We are committed to exercising our best judgment in making this process transparent to our members. Communal investment in this process is a top priority, and we in turn will update the Kehilla with pertinent information regarding our search as developments progress. Our goal is to identify a dynamic full-time Rav who will lead independently, while building upon the strong foundation and inspiration Rabbi Silber has helped establish, serving as a meaningful component of our shul’s core identity.

Words cannot express the immense gratitude we have toward Rabbi Silber, Rebbetzin Silber, and their entire family - not just for the Torah and guidance they have provided the SOTC Kehilla over the past 23 years, but for building a family within us all, sharing meaningful moments both large and small. While we as a Kehilla will feel the personal loss of not having Rabbi Silber as the primary daily Rav of SOTC, we are comforted by the Rav’s commitment to remain in Baltimore, connected to our shul, and upholding the deep Kesher he has cultivated for over two decades. 

Although these decisions are daunting, the potential for growth is exponential. Every life chapter has its place and purpose. We as a Kehilla have an opportunity to catapult our Mikdash Mi’at into yet another prosperous chapter of meaningful growth and connection. With Rabbi Silber’s guidance over the past 23 years - SOTC has developed into a thriving, vibrant center of Torah life. We will endure on that path together, with a dynamic Rav continuing the journey that Rabbi Silber has set forth for us. We stand ready to embrace this new journey Hashem has in store for our incredible Kehilla.

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Suburban Orthodox
7504 Seven Mile Lane
Baltimore, MD 21208
410-484-6114

JERUSALEM — A major initiative strongly advocated for by Eretz HaKodesh has reached an important milestone, with approximately ₪40 million Israeli shekel for the Olim B’Limud program now going to participating yeshivos and seminaries across Eretz Yisrael.

Eretz HaKodesh strongly advocated for and helped push the program forward, recognizing both the financial commitment families make to send their children for a year of learning in Israel and the unique opportunity this year presents to build a lasting connection with Eretz Yisrael and encourage students to consider building their future here.

Olim B’Limud is a program of the Jewish Agency for Israel, with the support of Israel’s Ministry of Aliyah and Integration. The program combines meaningful financial assistance for first- year -in- Israel students with educational programming, using the gap year as a unique opportunity to deepen students’ connection to Israel and encourage them to consider making aliyah in the future.

Every year, thousands of young men and women leave their homes and families to spend a year learning in yeshivos and seminaries across Israel. While the year represents a substantial expense for many families, it also provides a unique opportunity for students to experience life in Israel and build a relationship with the country that can continue long after their gap year ends.

Olim B’Limud seeks to build on that opportunity. The financial assistance to the parents  is part of the program’s broader effort to encourage a future move to Eretz Yisroel, helping ease the financial burden for participating students while creating opportunities for them to experience the country, become more familiar with Israeli life, and develop a deeper sense of connection and belonging.

Through Olim B’Limud, thousands of gap year students have had the opportunity to experience Israel in a deeper and more meaningful way. By encountering the people, places and communities of Israel firsthand, students are able to turn their year in Eretz Yisrael into something more than a year abroad. For many, it becomes the beginning of a connection they want to maintain and strengthen for many years to come — and an opportunity to begin thinking about one day moving to and building their future in Eretz Yisrael.

The approximately ₪40 million for Olim B’Limud is also an important example of the impact Eretz HaKodesh has sought to make through its involvement in Israel’s national institutions.

From the outset, Eretz HaKodesh has worked to ensure that the priorities of the community are heard and that opportunities benefiting families receive the attention they deserve.

Olim B’Limud presented just such an opportunity. Thousands of students were already choosing to spend this formative year learning in Israel. Supporting them could both help families with the considerable costs involved and use this unique year to strengthen students’ connection to Israel and encourage them to see Eretz Yisrael as a place where they might ultimately build their lives.

Eretz HaKodesh advocated strongly for the concept and helped push the initiative forward. Today, through the Jewish Agency and the Ministry of Aliyah and Integration, that effort has developed into a program representing tens of millions of shekels of investment in gap year students.

“We are deeply grateful to all of our partners in the Knesset and at the Jewish Agency for making this dream a reality,” said Rabbi Nechemya Malinowitz of Eretz HaKodesh. “We thank them for this significant financial support and for helping thousands of young people experience Eretz Yisrael in a meaningful way, strengthen their connection to the country, and begin to see it as a place where they may one day build their future.”

It is a tangible example of why representation in Jewish communal institutions matters: representation can lead to results.

The approximately ₪40 million Israeli shekel being provided through Olim B’Limud is an investment in thousands of gap year students, in the families making this year possible, and in strengthening the next generation’s relationship with Eretz Yisrael — with the ultimate goal of encouraging more young Jews to see Eretz Yisrael not only as the place where they spent their gap year, but as a place where they may one day choose to build their future.

For Eretz HaKodesh, helping push that investment forward is an achievement worth celebrating.

Baltimore, MD - August 26, 2026 - PSA from Seven Mile Market

It has come to our attention that 3 NOT kosher Starbucks Refreshers concentrate Strawberry Açaí were sold 2 yesterday 1 today. Please check to make sure the flavor you have at home is kosher. If it is not kosher, you may return it to the store for a full refund.

The product has since been removed from our shelves.

Customers are reminded to check all products for proper kosher certification at all times.

In Sefer Dvarim, we are treated to one of several places where Hashem uses a particular term of endearment for B’nei Yisroel, referring to us as the “Am Segulah”, a treasured nation (Vaeschanan, 7:6, Re’ei,14:2 and Ki Savo 26:18).  There are a myriad of other places where B’nei Yisroel are referred to as the “Am Hanivchar” – the “chosen people” (Vaeschanan, 4:37), Hashem’s “children” (Re’eh, 14:1-2) and even Hashem’s “first born” (Shemos, 4:22),.  What is the meaning of this special status? 

Contemporary scientists would scream that there are no superior genome by race, class or ethnicity – and they may be right.  But consider, Since the dawn of the 20th century, more than 20% of all Nobel prizes have been won by Jews.  In fields of science, music, peace, literature etc., Jews have dominated the accumulation of Nobel prize recipients.  Jews represent roughly .2% of the world’s population.  How can we possibly account for two tenths of 1% of the world’s population garnering 20% of the Nobel prizes in the last 120 years? That is a statistical anomaly of a factor of 10,000.  In other words, Jews win 10,000 more times the Nobel prizes as would be expected for their share of the world’s population!!  Staggering.

Initially, the rationalists will try and point out that Jews are disproportionally wealthy, creatures of privilege that have benefitted from their superior class in society.  For those born after 1960, let me assure you that was not at all the case for the first 70 years of the 20th century.  Jews suffered through pogroms, a holocaust, and even in 1965 were still denied access to many positions and opportunities.  Indeed, unlike today where Spielberg, Golden-Mayer and Katzen are lauded names in the entertainment industry, in the 1960’s most Jews had to change their names to break into the coveted arts.  In fact, Jews faced rampant and open antisemitism in America well into the 1960’s.  Not only have Jews not been beneficiaries of their status, for most of the relevant time frame, they were outcasts and had limited opportunities and lived in abject poverty.  Yet by a factor of 10,000, they have risen above their gentile counterparts in virtually every category and discipline in the secular world.  We truly are a “special people”.

To deny the reality that Jews are a “Special People” is simply to deny the facts.  Historians and notables from Thomas Jefferson to Mark Twain noted the remarkable resiliency and unexplainable contributions to society made by this numerically insignificant people.  So what are we to make of this special status?  Do we pat ourselves on the back and relish in our elitist bubble? Hardly.  A more careful analysis will show the actual gift of being a “Special People” is far more complex. 

The actual “gift” to the Jewish people is not that we are great but rather that we excel.  When a goy wants to steal he goes to the corner liquor store and robs it.  When a Jew wants to steal, we have Bernie Madoff.  When a goy wants to sell stolen merchandise, he goes to a pawn shop.  The Jew sells kidneys and other body organs.  We don’t mess around.  Whatever we do, we do BIG.  And that is where the great responsibility comes in.  We have this great gift of having our actions magnified and accentuated.  Whatever we do makes a disproportionate impact on the world around us.  When we act in a moral and honest way, the impact on the world is unmistakable.  When we falter, we are sending a signal to the rest of the peoples that they need not act in a moral or holy way.  That is why we are the Ohr Lagoyim (Yeshaya 42:6).  That is why the world is obsessed with a tiny little country in the middle east called Israel.  They know that we are Hashem’s people and they take their cues from us. 

Moshe Rabbeinu understood and exemplified this concept his whole life.  Moshe was known as Anav Mikal Adam – the humblest of people.  What exactly does that mean?  Could it be that Moshe did not realize his greatness?  Obviously, he was aware that Hashem was not speaking to anyone else, there was no one else splitting the sea or invited up to Har Sinai.  Moshe had to know he was not like everyone else.  In fact, Moshe was keenly aware of his special status – that is why he lived his life very differently than everyone else.  He knew he was special and had been given special gifts.  He was the chosen one of the chosen people.  Moshe’s anivos was in that he understood that any gifts which he had simply gave him more responsibility to use those gifts in service of Hashem and His will. 

At the end of the day, that is the key factor we need to recognize as we prepare for Rosh Hashana.  We are special.  We all have talents and abilities.  Are we using them to be M’kadesh Shem Shamayim?  Of course, it’s very difficult to use one’s abilities to impact the world around them if we can’t even admit that we have talents.  Let’s make that our first New Year’s resolution – Identify three things that you have a talent or unique ability for and think about how to best use that ability to serve the Klal and illuminate your corner of the world.  If we all could do that, it would make for a much brighter place to live. And let’s remember, while Rosh Hashana is certainly a somber time and a time for introspection, it is also a Z’man for fresh starts.  Last years Din is now over.  Today is a day for new beginnings.  Let’s not let inactions or mistakes in our past keep us from making outstanding tomorrows.

Baltimore, MD - August 26, 2026 - BJL wishes a hearty Mazel Tov to Mordechai Mayer Rosenbaum (Baltimore) and Sarah Rivka Silberman (Lakewood) on their engagement.

Mazel Tov to the parents Shlomo & Laya Rosenbaum and to the grandparents Rabbi & Mrs. Yossi Felder!

!יה"ר שיזכו לבנות בית נאמן בישראל. אמן

[](https://baltimorejewishlife.com/pdfs/507 Ki Savo.pdf)

Baltimore, MD – August 26, 2026 - BJL wishes a hearty Mazel Tov to Mr. and Mrs. Yanky Weinberger on the birth of a daughter.

!יה"ר שיזכו לגדל בתם לתורה, לחופה, ולמעשים טובים. אמן

Baltimore, MD –  August 26, 2026 - BJL regrets to inform the community of the petira of Reb Aron Gertz, a"h, a longtime mechanech who served as a rebbi at Yeshiva Karlin Stolin of Boro Park for more than 30 years, and father of Yankie Gertz.

The levaya will take place today, Wednesday (8/26/26), at 11:00 a.m. at Congregation Sons of Israel Lakewood Chapel, 613 Ramsey Avenue.

Additional shiva and minyan details to follow.

בלע המות לנצח

In two of Rabbi Reisman’s shiurim, citing Rabbi Isaac Sher as the source, he develops the theme of what it means to establish a relationship with Hashem as our King.  The following is a summary of his discussion.  

Rosh Hashana is the day that we proclaim Hashem as our King.  Elul is the time of preparation for Rosh Hashana.  Yet Elul emphasizes an intimate relationship with Hashem—ani l’dodi v’dodi li, not what one thinks of when thinking about a subject’s relationship to his King.  But it is precisely this close relationship to our King that we are trying to capture.

The justice meted out by a court of law, a bais din, is straightforward.  If someone steals something, there is a specified punishment.  It does not matter who the individual is, or whether he stole to feed his family, or because he hated the individual from whom he stole.  The same punishment applies.  However, the justice dispensed by a king is different.  A king can take into account special considerations and can override the rule that a beis din would give.  An example of a king giving a harsher judgment is illustrated by the story of Nasan Hanavi reprimanding King David after he took Batsheva.  Nasan tells David a parable of a poor man with one sheep and a rich man who has many flocks.  When the rich man wants to make a banquet for his friends, he takes the poor man’s sheep and kills it, rather than one of his own sheep.  Nasan asks David (the king) what the judgment should be against the rich man.  David replies that he deserves to die.  Death is obviously not the prescribed punishment for stealing and killing a sheep.  But David took the circumstances into account to give a harsher judgment.  We have an example of Hashem, as King, giving a kinder judgment when the Heavenly Court (beis din shel ma’alah) would not accept an evil king’s teshuva, but Hashem made a tunnel, as it were, under the Heavenly Court to allow the teshuva to be accepted.  So, a king can take his personal relationship with the individual into account.

Elul is designed to produce the necessary relationship with Hashem that will allow Him to override evil decrees against us.  We say, “Do not come in judgment with us, because no living being will be righteous before you.”  We are asking Hashem to deal with us as King to a beloved subject and to override the strict justice to which we would otherwise be subjected. 

This sense of asking Hashem to treat us ‘above judgment’ explains several other things.  First, among the changes we make in the daily shemona esrai during the Ten Days of Teshuva is the change from “the King who loves righteousness and justice” to “the King of justice.”  The usual expression already has the term ‘King.’ Why do we need to modify it?  It is because we want Hashem to be the King of justice, so that He can control the outcome of our judgment keeping in mind our relationship to Him.  How can we say at the time of neilah on Yom Kippur, “Open us a gate at the time of the closing of the gates?”  Either the gates are closing or they are not.  But no, we want a gate open that is over and above strict justice, and for this we need our relationship with Hashem.  Finally, this concept helps us understand Sukkos and Hoshana Rabba.  We say that our judgment is written on Rosh Hashana and sealed on Yom Kippur.  But then we go on to say that it’s really sealed on Hoshana Rabba.  How do we explain this?  Sukkos is all about our loving relationship with Hashem.  The mitzvah of joy is prominent on Sukkos, and Hashem asks us to stay with Him longer.  If we can sustain this loving relationship with Hashem, then our King may override the judgment of Yom Kippur into the more loving consideration of Hoshana Rabba.

May we merit to forge a loving relationship with Hashem, and be inscribed for a good year.

[.jpg)](https://baltimorejewishlife.com/pdfs/weekly specials.pdf)

[.jpg)](https://baltimorejewishlife.com/pdfs/weekly specials.pdf)

[](https://baltimorejewishlife.com/pdfs/weekly specials.pdf)

Yehuda Katz, of Blessed Memory, and Us 

After forty-four years, Yehuda Katz, who had been missing since the First Lebanon War, was finally laid to rest in Israel. 

That is a sentence worth reading twice.

And in the very week when Yehuda, the last missing soldier from the Battle of Sultan Yacoub, was brought to burial, the Torah portion spoke about the mitzvah of hashavat aveidah, returning a lost object. Our commentators explain that the basic obligation is to return something that has been lost to its owner. But there is a broader idea here as well: to restore what is missing to its proper place — in the body, in the soul, in our people. To bring back what has been lost, in every sense.

The Torah expresses this in three profound words: “You may not ignore it.” And indeed, the Jewish people did not look away. Even when decades have passed, even when the search is difficult, we do not say: “It’s lost. There’s no hope.” 

This is also an opportunity to thank the many unsung heroes who made that possible.

The Torah continues: “And so shall you do with anything your brother loses.” 

Last week, quite literally, a lost brother came home, to be buried in the soil of the Land of Israel. That moving commitment to those who are missing should shape the way we approach every area of life.

May we continue to notice what is missing, to search, to restore, and never to give up on what has been lost. And may we be instrumental in returning everything to its rightful place.

Selichot at the Kotel

It took me a few seconds to realize who was standing beside me.

I was in the women’s section on the balcony overlooking the Kotel plaza, watching the enormous crowd that had come for Selichot. Next to me stood Noa Argamani, who was rescued from captivity in Gaza in Operation Arnon, and Ziv Abud, who survived the Nova festival massacre and was married last week to Eliya Cohen, himself a returned hostage.

Both women were deeply absorbed in the Selichot prayers, and I didn’t want to disturb them.

I looked across at the men’s section. There was Rabbi Shmuel Rabinowitz, Rabbi of the Kotel and the mekomot hakedoshim, leading the service. Around him stood Eliya Cohen, Omer Shem Tov, Itay Regev and Bar Kupershtein. All of them had been held in Hamas tunnels. And now all of them were here, siddurim in hand, reciting Selichot with great emotion.

“Aneinu.” “Adon HaSelichot.” Every word suddenly carried another layer of meaning. Then the chazan cried out: “Our God in Heaven, redeem us from the hands of all our enemies!”

And I looked at them—men and women who had actually been redeemed from the hands of our enemies. That, I thought, was the message of this extraordinary evening: Sometimes you can actually see prayers being answered before your eyes.

I remembered all the mass prayer gatherings held for them, here and around the world. I remembered their names being recited through tears.

But the story doesn’t end there.

Suli Eliav, director of the Kotel Heritage Foundation, happened to pass by us. He opened his siddur and showed me the words that come a little later: “Our God in Heaven, bring the redemption near! Our God in Heaven, bring the day of salvation near!”

“This is the goal,” he told me. “Geulah, yeshuah. I think we all need to dream bigger.

“Look around you. There are 50,000 people here, most of them young. And young people are filling shuls all over the country. The Jewish people suffered a terrible blow. We paid a high price. But something else is happening too: We are rising to another level. We are finding our way back to ourselves.

“So yes, we are grateful. We are moved. But we can’t stop there. We need to dream big—the biggest dreams of all. We need to believe, to aspire, to pray and to act. “May we merit to see all our prayers come true before our eyes.”

A New Look at the 13 Attributes of Mercy

Since the beginning of the month of Elul, hundreds of thousands of people have been coming every night to recite the Selichot prayers. At the heart of Selichot is the Thirteen Attributes of Mercy. People pray, cry out, sing, and declare again and again these words that describe the way God governs the world: how He has mercy and gives sinners second chances, how He treats us with compassion. These words were first introduced after the sin of the Golden Calf when we expressed remorse for our sin and merited forgiveness.

When our Sages discuss God’s Thirteen Attributes of Mercy they emphasize a different point: We recite these words not only to declare how much God is compassionate and gracious and how much He forgives and pardons us, but so that we should learn to imitate His ways. God is teaching us to emulate Him—to do acts of lovingkindness and to be more accepting of others. The way you judge others is the way you will be judged by God; God mirrors your behavior.

Therefore, it is important that we not only recite the Thirteen Attributes of Mercy, but that we strive to emulate them in our own lives.

May we learn to forgive others and thus merit our own forgiveness.

Translated by Yehoshua Siskin and Janine Muller Sherr

Baltimore, MD –  August 25, 2026 - BJL regrets to inform the community of the petira of Tamara Marder a"h, father of Rochel Yablonovsky.

The levaya will take place today, August 25th, at 3:30 p.m. at Sol Levinson, 8900 Reisterstown Rd, Pikesville, MD 21208.

Additional shiva and minyan details to follow.

בלע המות לנצח

Baltimore, MD - Aug. 25, 2026  - If you or someone you know is unable to attend shul to hear the shofar, please email [email protected] with your name, phone number, and address.

Additionally, if you are available to blow shofar for someone who cannot make it to shul, please email [email protected] with your name, address, and area of availability.

This initiative is dedicated in loving memory of HaRav Moshe Shlomo ben Yosef Eliezer Juravel, zt'l, who worked tirelessly to ensure the shofar was heard by all those in need.

Baltimore, MD – August 25, 2026 - BJL wishes a hearty Mazel Tov to Zechariah Zaslow (Baltimore) and Abi Keslassy (Toronto) on their engagement.

Mazel Tov to the parents Levi & Shoshana Zaslow.

!יה"ר שיזכו לבנות בית נאמן בישראל. אמן

Baltimore, MD – August 24, 2026 - BJL wishes a hearty Mazel Tov to Yosef Samson (Cherry Hill) and Eeta Travis (Baltimore) on their engagement.

!יה"ר שיזכו לבנות בית נאמן בישראל. אמן

Baltimore, MD – Aug. 23, 2026 - BJL wishes a hearty Mazel Tov to Ephraim & Meira Rosen on the birth of a daughter**.
Mazel Tov as well to the grandparents Mr. & Mrs. Mendel Rosen!**

‎יה"ר שיזכו לגדל בנם לתורה, לחופה, ולמעשים טובים. אמן!

Baltimore, MD – August 21, 2026 - BJL wishes a hearty Mazel Tov to Akiva Lehmann and Rivka Krancer (New York) on their engagement.

Mazel Tov to the parents Mr. and Mrs. Moshe Lehmann.
Mazel Tov to grandfather Rabbi Bentzion Cohen shlita.

!יה"ר שיזכו לבנות בית נאמן בישראל. אמן

Baltimore, MD – August 21, 2026 - BJL wishes a hearty Mazel Tov to Eli Tokayer (Brooklyn) and Simy Lewis on their engagement.

!יה"ר שיזכו לבנות בית נאמן בישראל. אמן

Bnei Yisroel were given specific instructions on who is eligible and who may serve as a soldier in the conquest of Eretz Yisroel.  Exemptions were given for those who were preparing for marriage (Shoftim, 20:7), had built a new house (20:5) or if they had recently planted a vineyard (20:6).  Moreover, even one who was afraid of war could not participate (20:8).  In fact, the Gemarah explains that only Tzadikim were left to fight and that is exactly what was intended.

How then does one understand the Torah’s significant discussion of the Yifas To’ar?  This woman, a gentile captured at war is permitted to marry the soldier who captured her, once the procedures, albeit extensive ones, are followed.  Rashi (21:11), citing the Gemarah in Kiddushin (21b),explains in rather blunt terms, that the procedures were prescribed by the Torah in recognition of the fact that soldiers at war would do terrible things.  Accordingly, the Torah enacted a permissible manner in which the soldier could take this woman to be his wife.  Is this the behavior of our Tzadikim?  They are so overcome by their baser instincts that the Torah concedes that they will yield to them? How are we to understand this abhorrent conduct from our best people?

Many years ago one of my Rebbeim explained to me how this must be understood.  The world is designed with an inherent moral code.  There are certain things, which are intrinsically understood, as right or wrong.  That is not to say that people would always do the right thing but they at least know what it is.  For example, most people understand that it is wrong to steal.  They may at times steal, either due to necessity, hatred or some other “reason”, but they understand it to be wrong. The most basic “wrong” that we understand is that it is wrong to kill.  Whether people do commit murder at times due to greed, passion, vengeance or some other motivation, they understand that killing is wrong.

When one goes out to war, the fundamental instruction is to kill the soldiers on the other side.  Once this most basic barrier is broken, all other forms of immoral behavior seem comparatively insignificant.  If I can kill, then vandalism, theft or even rape seem like relatively minor violations.  Long ago, our sages recited this principal thusly: the first time we commit a particular sin it is difficult, the second time it is permissible and the third time it is a mitzvah. (Sotah 22a)

This is an incredibly profound and poignant lesson.  Barriers mean something.  They are important.  When we break through them, there are ramifications.  Similarly, an emphasis of our core values does keep us from crossing certain lines absent the most extreme circumstances.  Those values are Torah and Chesed*.  As we pass the midway point of Elul, we need to redouble our commitment to those core values and be certain to emphasize them to our children, both in word and deed.  

Dovid Fink

*  The world actually stands on three things but “Avodah” is an act towards our creator, not a “value”

Baltimore, MD – August 21, 2026 - After a busy summer of site preparation, the campus of Torah Institute of Baltimore is beginning to take on a dramatically different look as the school prepares to move forward with construction of its historic $25 million expansion.

Throughout the summer, significant work has been taking place across the TI campus, laying the groundwork for the major construction project ahead. Crews have been focused on the extensive infrastructure and site work necessary to prepare the property for the next phase of construction.

As students return for the new school year, they will arrive to a campus already visibly transformed. One of the most noticeable changes will be the brand-new parking lot going into use, marking an exciting milestone in the overall project and offering the TI parent body and community their first tangible glimpse of the campus that is taking shape.

The progress comes as Torah Institute continues its Invest in Baltimore campaign, a $25 million effort designed to provide the space and facilities necessary to accommodate the yeshiva's extraordinary growth. The expansion represents an investment not only in TI's students and families, but in the future of Baltimore's growing Torah community.

With the site preparation largely completed and the landscape beginning to change, the start of the new school year brings a new level of excitement. What has existed for months in plans, renderings and campaign materials is now becoming increasingly visible on the ground, as TI prepares for the construction that will reshape its campus for generations to come.

To join the Invest in Baltimore campaign and help build the future of Torah Institute and Baltimore's Torah community, visit InvestInTorah.com.

Baltimore, MD – Aug. 21, 2026 – Bais Yaakov School for Girls has announced that longtime CEO Rabbi Zalman Nissel will retire after 22 years of dedicated service to the school. His final day at Bais Yaakov will be November 30.
In a letter to parents and staff, Bais Yaakov President Moshe Dov Shurin expressed the school’s deep hakaras hatov to Rabbi Nissel for his decades of leadership, highlighting his vision, integrity, strategic planning, and steadfast commitment to the school and its mission.
Bais Yaakov will launch a national search for Rabbi Nissel’s successor. Rabbi Doniel Meltzer will continue supporting the school’s operational needs during the transition.
[Please read the accompanying letter here](https://baltimorejewishlife.com/pdfs/Screenshot 2026-08-21 at 3.46.18 PM.png) from Bais Yaakov President Moshe Dov Shurin for the complete announcement.

Twenty-eight years ago, I arrived in Baltimore with my family to assume the role of Principal of the High School at Talmudical Academy of Baltimore.

For nine marvelous years I had the privilege of educating a remarkable and colorful group of students, hopefully inspiring them with life lessons culled from our precious Torah.  

It is nearly twenty years since I left that position, but I proudly merited to witness many of these students go forward in life, pursuing successful careers, marrying, raising families, and participating in communal life of this marvelous Torah inspired community. 

Not long ago I surprisingly received the following e-mail from a most memorable, and beloved, former student.

Hi Rabbi Teichman,

I was with my wife’s family for the Shabbos day meal, and we were talking about the Friday schmoozes you used to give. I recalled how you spoke about the concept of “chilling” — how it was a terrible word and the idea of relaxing with no purpose.

I mentioned how frustrating it was for me to hear that as a teenager, because we already had 13-hour school days, plus school and responsibilities on weekends. It felt like we never really had time to relax, even though we needed it.

My wife’s stepbrother suggested that maybe I misunderstood what you were trying to say at the time, so I wanted to ask directly: What did you mean when you spoke about teenagers “chilling,” and do you still feel the same way today?

Thank you,

S.A.

I would like to share with everyone a timely response related to this week's portion that I will be sending him.

Dear S.,

It was a delight to hear from you, especially about your request to clarify something that struck you more than a score of years ago. Evidently you listened, that was a pleasant surprise! More striking is the fact that it is still resonating within you and I might add, troubling you! That is the greatest gift a student can give to a teacher, the fact that we connected and still do, even if we might not agree… yet!

Fascinatingly, the topic in Torah I was likely addressing at that time was a verse in this week's portion.

You must remember what the nation of Amalek did to you when you were traveling after you left Egypt — how, קרך בדרך — they encountered you on the way, they mutilated all the weak ones at your rear, you were faint from thirst and weary, and they did not fear G-d. (דברים כד יח) 

Rashi addressed the word קרך, which literally means 'encountered', offering an alternative intimation. 

It is derived from the concept of cold (קֹר) and heat, i.e., he cooled you down and reduced your boiling heat, for the nations had been afraid to attack you, but Amalek came and was the first to do so, providing the possibility for others to do the same. This can be compared to a bath so boiling hot that nobody could enter. One reckless person came and leaped down into it. Although he was scalded, he cooled it down for others.

So, the first 'chiller' in history was our arch-enemy Amalek, who by showing no fear of the Jews cooled off the fear the other nations possessed after observing the splitting of the sea and the miraculous plagues G-d wrought against the mighty Egyptian nation. 

The Jews are indeed vulnerable, they concluded, and subsequently engaged in many a battle against a nation obviously not that invincible.

Our Sages have taught that this 'power' of Amalek to 'cool off' the passion of fear, not only exhibits itself in the realm of our physical enemies, but more potently in the 'ultimate' battle — the conquering of our evil inclinations.

Often in life we are inspired and driven to rise in our devotions to G-d, but unfortunately our passions wane. At times its laziness and the path of least resistance that quashes our initial enthusiasm. 

All too often, though, it is the voice of that little cynic whispering into our ear, "Do you really think this is going to bring you happiness? Do you believe you're cut out for such an undertaking? Is it so important anyway? Don't jump in so fast, relax a while and 'chill' before you take such a significant step".

King Solomon says לץ תכה (משלי יט כה) — Strike a scoffer, and our Rabbis teach that this refers to Amalek.

The whole world is in reverence of the G-d of the Jews. Amalek seeking to 'cool their heels' proverbially jumps into the 'hot bath', and initiates a fight with the Jewish nation, proving they aren't as 'hot' as they think. 

The imagery of the hot tub is instructive. It was obviously too hot to enter and that’s why everyone backed off. But Amalek knew that water can be very hot and painful to the touch, but generally if one jumps in and endures a few seconds of pain, he won't necessarily get a serious burn. 

In one instant he doused their fears, permitting them to follow human instinct, to diminish the values that shackle us to their expectations of us, and throw caution to the wind. 

When groups of people gather to 'chill' it's usually associated with lightheartedness, less pressure, no responsibilities, usually good food and maybe some alcohol. But lots of laughter. Conversation amongst teens usually revolves around school life, relationships with parents, and the state of their social life with friends. Inevitably someone will utter a humorous but derisive comment about a teacher, parent, or friend, all of course in jest.

The exact scenario recurs with adults, just instead of mocking teachers, parents, and friends, it orbits around Rabbis, spouses, and business associates. 

And in all cases, we freely express our instinctive reactions to the challenges of commitment in our religious duties, sanctity of the synagogue, learning Torah and exhibiting good character.

The 'chill' factor is always there with our guard down, with our mouths espousing 'humorous' frustrations we contend with, blurting out negative talk. 

The great Chassidic Masters observed that we read the portion that reminds us of obligation to eradicate Amalek and their poisoned attitudes in the month of Adar, prior Purim and the ensuing month of Nissan, as well as in the few weeks before Rosh Hashana, in the month that precedes Tishrei, which is Elul where we read Ki Seitzei.

There is a debate in which month Man was created, Nissan or Tishrei. Either way the message remains that we must eradicate the 'chill factor' if we are to repair our souls on the anniversary of Man's creation, in living up to the greatness destined for each of us as G-d's children and chosen ones.

The numerical value of עמלק is 240, the same as רם — haughtiness. 

The Torah says we must avoid boasting in our successes and material wealth lest ורם לבבך — your heart will grow haughty, ושכחת את ד' — and you may forget G-d, your Lord. (דברים ח יד) 

Amalek is that little germ within us that questions our worthiness, our goals, our very relationship with Hashem. It mocks at the value of striving when we don't see immediate results. It devalues yearning for greatness, convincing us that greatness is for others better than us. It distracts us from hope, seeking to get us to forget why we were placed in this world. 

We are approaching the יום הזכרון — Day of Remembrance, not only to commemorate how Hashem remembers us, but more importantly how we remember Him, and make it a day of consciousness, the antidote to Amalek's state of obliviousness. We may relax and engage in purposeful activities that promote camaraderie, good health, and the recharging of our spirit, but never may we 'chill' and extinguish the fires of Torah that must always be there to inspire and define our every action and thought. 

באהבה ובתפילה להצלחתך,

Zvi Teichman

May we be inspired by this wonderful former student who for over two decades strove for a deeper and meaningful understanding of the Torah's lesson, never letting the warmth of his soul to 'chill out'! 

באהבה,

צבי יהודה טייכמאן

Baltimore, MD - August 20, 2026 -  CLICK HERE to Read the Latest: Kashrus Kurrents Summer 5786/2026

[.jpg)](https://baltimorejewishlife.com/pdfs/506 Ki Seitzei (1).pdf)

Baltimore, MD – Aug. 18, 2026 – Baltimore is blessed with an extraordinary wealth of mosdos of Torah and chesed. Yet among the community’s many well-known institutions is a unique Torah opportunity that remains something of a hidden gem: the longstanding Wednesday night shiur at The Chofetz Chaim Adath Bnei Israel Congregation (Adas).

For more than 40 years, Maran Harav Yaakov Moshe Kulefsky, zt”l, delivered a shiur for baalei batim at Adas, first on Rogers Avenue and later on Park Heights Avenue. The in-depth Torah learning that filled the shul each Wednesday evening became a highlight of the week for its devoted participants.

Following Rav Kulefsky’s petira 26 years ago, his son-in-law, Harav Dovid Rosenbaum, shlita, assumed the role of maggid shiur, continuing this treasured Baltimore tradition. Under Rabbi Rosenbaum’s leadership, the shiur remains a true iyun shiur, filled with high-level pilpul and the joy of serious Torah learning.

The interactive chaburah brings together lomdei Torah of all ages who thirst for the opportunity to explore masechtos they may not have had the chance to learn in depth during their yeshiva years. Rabbi Rosenbaum encourages participants to ask, answer, challenge and contribute, creating an engaging atmosphere reminiscent of the energy of the beis medrash.

Over the years, the Wednesday night shiur has completed numerous masechtos b’iyun. The chaburah is currently exploring and enjoying the fascinating world of Maseches Temurah.

Rabbi Rosenbaum’s hundreds of former talmidim, along with all bnei Torah throughout Baltimore, are warmly invited to become part of this enduring chain of limud haTorah. It is an opportunity to elevate one’s learning, join an interactive chaburah, bask in the joy of pilpula d’Oraisa and rediscover the excitement of the beis medrash.

The shiur takes place every Wednesday evening at 8:00PM. at Adas, located at 5915 Park Heights Ave, Baltimore, MD 21215 (the corner of Menlo Drive and Park Heights Avenue).

Baltimore, MD – Aug. 19, 2026 - BJL wishes a hearty Mazel Tov to Akiva Yisroel & Sara Tova Miller on the birth of a son**.**

Mazal Tov to the grandparents Rabbi Shmuel Meir and D'vorah Brocha Miller (St. Louis) and Mr. Mordechai Yosef and Ruth Snider (Baltimore), and the great grandparents Rabbi Dr. Ivan and Arleeta Lerner (Silver Spring) and Dr. Moshe and Yael Glasner (State College/Yerushalayim) and great great Grandmother Ilene Miller (Pisgat Zeev)

‎יה"ר שיזכו לגדל בנם לתורה, לחופה, ולמעשים טובים. אמן!

Baltimore, MD - August 19, 2026 - (BJL) On Tuesday night August 18th (ו' אלול), a special seudah was held at Khal Bais Nosson in honor of the yahrtzeit of the Zera Shimshon, zt”l.

During the seudah, the Rav, Rabbi Shmuel Friedman, shared a piece from the sefer Zera Shimshon on Rosh Hashanah, bringing the Torah of the famed tzaddik and mechaber to life in honor of his yahrtzeit.

Zechuso yagein aleinu.

Baltimore, MD – Aggust 19, 2026 – 

Key Food Urban Meadow Frozen Spinach, Kale and Collard Greens

Packages of Urban Meadow Frozen Spinach Leaf, Frozen Collard Greens and Frozen Kale, product of China, distributed by Key Food Stores Co-Operative, Inc. of Matawan, NJ, bear an unauthorized STAR-K symbol. Corrective action is being taken.

Baltimore, MD –  August 19, 2026 - BJL regrets to inform the community of the petira of Melvin Parnes a"h, father of Esther Shoshana Fuld.

Esther Shoshana is sitting shiva at 36 South Monsey Road in Airmont, NY. Hours are Thursday 10-1 and 7:30-9:30, Erev Shabbos 10-1, Motzei Shabbos 9-10:30, Sunday 10-1 and 7-9:30. If someone wants to come in person please call or text in advance so she can be sure to be available. Esther Shoshana can be reached at 410-870-5360 via phone, text, or Whatsapp.

Holiness in Unexpected Places

During a family trip to northern Israel recently, two images caught my attention. The first was in Tzfat. We have all seen many moving and creative memorial projects, but this was something new. At the entrance to a coffee shop stood an ordinary plastic-bottle recycling bin bearing a sign: “Recycling station to fund a tefillin stand, in memory of Staff Sgt. Uri Yitzchak Iluz.” 

Beside it was the tefillin stand itself, already installed in his memory—presumably funded, at least in part, by the bottles that had been collected for recycling. There was no Chabad emissary stationed there. It was simply there, waiting for anyone passing by who wanted to put on tefillin.

I went into the coffee shop, and the waiter, who had noticed me taking a picture, said: “Bottles, tefillin, remembrance—it’s amazing how many good things you can do all at once.”

The second image was in Or HaGanuz, a magical moshav in the Galilee. The community was founded by Jews who were chozer b’teshuvah later in life, and they live there cooperatively, almost like a kibbutz, guided by ideals of brotherhood and unity. 

Among other things, they run a winery. Their motto is: “Wine created out of love for people, love for God, and love for wine.” Their wines carry a wide range of kosher certifications, they explained, “to increase unity, so that everyone can drink them.”

At the entrance to the winery, I found a prayer engraved on a large wooden plaque: “The Winemaker’s Prayer.” I learned that it was composed by Dr. Arkady Papikian and Prof. Amos Hadas, two of Israel’s leading wine experts.

“We pray for our wine,” the people at the winery told me. “This is wine that will be used for Kiddush, at the Seder table, and at seudot mitzvah throughout the Jewish world. For us, this isn’t just a livelihood. It’s a mission.”

The prayer is remarkably detailed. It asks for blessing upon the wine itself, upon the bacteria and yeast, upon the growers who tend the grapes, upon the wineries and every stage of the process, “so that it may bring health and joy to all who drink it.”

Today Is Election Day!

“Today is the start of election season,” someone said to me this week with a smile. I didn’t understand what he meant at first, but then I realized: Yes, today is the Rosh Chodesh Elul. 

This is indeed the start of a turbulent election season, but one that takes place inside of us: What kind of Jew will we decide to be in the coming year? What will we decide to change and improve? And also, how much effort will we exert to follow the upcoming political season with all its surveys, commentaries, and “spins,” and how much time we will devote to our own personal “elections,” dedicating ourselves to refining our conduct and improving our character traits? 

There are 40 days between the first day of Elul and Yom Kippur. This is the time for our annual inspection test—not for our car, but for our soul. From time immemorial, this has been the season in the Jewish year for “recalculating our route” and recalibrating a spiritually healthy life balance. 

Our sages teach us that the most practical way to achieve self-improvement is to focus on one area of our lives that we would like to change, something small that we would like to amend in the coming year. I invite you to consider what your own personal area of focus will be.  

Elul reminds us that our “votes” are not only cast once every four years in the election booth, but at every moment of our lives— in our daily behavior, our attempts to grow stronger, and in every decision that we make, from the most important to the least significant, including those seemingly insignificant decisions that we hardly pay attention to. 

To Return—Inward!

During the month of Elul, there is a lot of discussion about repentance. The Hebrew word for repentance is “teshuva,” but what does that actually mean? 

This week, on the third of Elul, we commemorated the yahrzeit of Rav Avraham Yitzchak HaKohen Kook. Rav Kook wrote a beautiful definition of the teshuva process:

“The primary teshuva, that which immediately lights up the darkness, is when a person returns to himself, to the root of his soul. Then he will immediately return to God, to the Soul of all souls.”

At times, the external circumstances and turmoil of our lives obscure the essence of who we really are, and who we have the potential to become. These external factors cause us to become confused and act in ways that are beneath us. 

Rav Kook says that teshuva is the process of turning inward, returning to our true selves. When we do that we remember that we are all created in the image of God; in other words, that God is the root and the source of who we are. We belong to Him and desire to live according to His will and to fulfill the mission He designated for us in this world.  

Rav Kook explains that the teshuva process is intended not only for individuals but also for the collective: the Jewish people and the entire world need to return to their true essence, to what they were meant to be.

Bring Every Moment to Life! 

Do we appreciate our time enough?

In last week’s Torah portion, we read about a person who kills someone unintentionally—a death caused by accident, without any intent to harm.

Rabbi Elimelech of Lizhensk, one of the great Chassidic masters, offers a striking interpretation. When a person neglects what truly matters in life, when he wastes his time, he is in a sense unintentionally “killing” the life he has been given. Instead of making each moment count, he creates more and more “dead” moments, time that passes without being put to good use.

But the opposite is also true. When we devote our time to what is meaningful and worthwhile, we add life to our lives. We bring the time we have been given to life.

We often speak about the mitzvot bein adam laMakom, and about those bein adam l’chaveiro. Perhaps we also need to think about bein adam l’zmano, our relationship with our time. And maybe, these days, even bein adam l’machshiro, our relationship with our devices!

How much time disappears into scrolling and staring at a screen almost without our noticing, only to realize afterward that we have squandered something precious?

Rabbi Elimelech of Lizhensk calls on us, especially during the month of Elul, to become more aware of our time. At every moment, we are choosing anew whether to “kill” time God forbid, or to bring it to life.

May we merit to use our time well, filling it with light, abundance, and holiness!

Translated by Yehoshua Siskin and Janine Muller Sherr

On Tu B'Av, the holiday of love, I was walking down a small Jerusalem alley lined with automobile repair shops when I was invited to join a Mincha service. Curious, and always up for a "chavaya," I accepted the invitation. The prayers took place in a tiny office behind one of the garages. The room was barely large enough to hold a minyan. For a few minutes, this cramped workspace was transformed into a shul.

The minyan included mechanics, replete with the mandatory oil-stained hands and grime beneath their fingernails. Some men had flowing beards and black velvet yarmulkes, others were clean-shaven and wore yarmulkes of different sizes and colors, while a few borrowed one for the service. Jews from diverse backgrounds stood together in quiet, sincere prayer. Once the prayers began, those outward differences no longer mattered.

I was honored to join this inspiring service, as the respect and acceptance among the participants represented the essence of what we should aspire to on the holiday of love. Watching this cross-section of people pray together also made me think about the language of our prayers. Even when we stand before G-d in the Amidah, in an intimate encounter with the Almighty, we make our requests in the plural. We approach Him as members of a larger community, asking Him to provide for both our personal needs and the needs of the entire Jewish people.

The month of Elul, which begins the process of teshuva, has arrived. The Sages explain that the word Elul is an acronym for the verse in Shir HaShirim, Ani L'dodi V'dodi Li – "I am to my beloved and my beloved is to me." While this passuk describes the loving relationship between God and the Jewish people, perhaps it can also remind us of the love we must show one another. By caring for our fellow Jews, we emulate the Almighty's love for all His children.

As I left that tiny office behind the garage, I thought that the setting itself also carried a message. Sometimes, in our little country, the most inspiring moments happen when and where you least expect them.

Baltimore, MD - August 17, 2026 - BJL wishes a hearty Mazel Tov to Ephraim Motzen and Esti Kramer on their engagement.

Mazel Tov to the parents A.D. & Shifra Motzen and Chananya & Faige Kramer!

!יה"ר שיזכו לבנות בית נאמן בישראל. אמן

Baltimore, MD - August 16, 2026 - (BJL) STAR-K has issued the following Yoshon update for consumers:

WHEAT:
Chodosh wheat will be entering mills very soon. Consumers purchasing wheat flour should begin checking dates within the next week or two.

Any retail flour dated before August 18 is certainly Yoshon. STAR-K is currently updating dates for specific companies.

For fresh baked goods and other grain products, there is no need to begin checking dates before September 1. STAR-K will issue another update before then.

OATS & BARLEY:
There is no new information yet. All oats and barley may be assumed Yoshon at least until the next update at the end of August.

Baltimore, MD – August 16, 2026 - BJL regrets to inform the community of the petira of Rabbi Avraham Juravel, z’l, a senior rabbinic figure in the Orthodox Union’s (OU) Kosher Certification division and father of Mrs. Chaya Braun.

The levaya will take place Sunday, August 16, at 11:15 a.m. at Kehilas Zichron Yitzchok, 36 Pennington Way, Spring Valley, NY 10977.

Mrs. Chaya Braun will be sitting shiva at her home Sunday night (August 16th), 2307 Rogene Drive, Baltimore, MD 21209.

Additional shiva and minyan details to follow.

I look at my tiny baby sleeping peacefully in the ICU.

But my heart knows the truth this is only the beginning of our battle.

A battle for his life and for my strength to keep going.

My name is Miriam.

My baby’s name is Baruch.

He is only two months old.

He should be sleeping peacefully in my arms.

He should be growing, smiling, and filling our home with joy.

He should be wrapped in blankets, not surrounded by doctors, tests, medicine, and pain.

But Baruch is suffering.

His tiny kidneys are not working the way they should.

The doctors are still trying to understand exactly what is happening inside his little body.

We still do not have all the answers.

But one thing is already painfully clear:

My baby is in terrible pain.

And this is not something that will end tomorrow.

I look at my tiny baby sleeping peacefully in the ICU.

But my heart knows the truth: this is only the beginning of our battle.

A battle for his life — and for my strength to keep going.

Since Baruch became sick, our whole life has changed.

There are appointments.

There are tests.

There are medicines.

There are long days of fear and long nights with almost no sleep.

I hold him in my arms and try to stay calm.

I whisper to him that Mommy is here.

That everything will be okay.

But inside, I am falling apart.

Please donate now and help give Baruch the care he urgently needs.

https://go.aloviakids.org/6nawfiod?utm_source=jbl16.8at

Baltimore, MD – Aug. 14, 2026 - BJL wishes a hearty Mazel Tov to Mr. & Mrs. Sruly Schonfeld on the birth of a daughter**.**

‎יה"ר שיזכו לגדל בנם לתורה, לחופה, ולמעשים טובים. אמן!

But if a man, שונא — hates his fellow, lies in wait for him and rises up against him, ומכה נפש — and strikes him mortally, ומת — and he dies, and he flees to one of these cities [of refuge], the elders of his town shall have him brought back from there and shall hand him over to the blood-avenger to be put to death… (דברים יט יא-יב)

The Torah uncharacteristically gives a dramatic background to an unfortunate situation of a person who for whatever reason ambushed a fellow Jew to kill him. 

Why do we need to be made aware of all the emotional baggage?

Rashi, quoting from the Sifrei, addresses this issue.

Through this man’s hatred of his fellow, he comes to “lie in wait for him.” From here our Rabbis derived the maxim: If a man transgresses a minor commandment, he will ultimately transgress a major commandment. [Here,] since he transgressed the command: “You shall not hate your brother in your heart”, he ultimately came to shed blood. This is why it says here, “But if a man hates his fellow,” for it should have written only: “But if a man rises up and lies in wait for his fellow and strikes him mortally.

The Torah delved into the history of this incident so that it may teach us about the consequences of allowing hatred to brew within one's heart. 

One might have thought that hatred is certainly a bad trait to avoid but wonder how it could corrupt one into becoming a murderer.

Rashi says it all starts with violating a 'minor' commandment, 'You shall not hate your brother in your heart'.  

Is hatred truly a 'minor' sin? 

How many marriages; families; communities; partnerships; friendships; nations, have been destroyed through seeds of hatred that spread its roots ending in catastrophe? 

Too many! 

Upon further examination of the original source — the Sifrei, we will discover there was a step prior to hatred, which Rashi omitted, that was the catalyst for this avalanche. 

After quoting our original verse the Sifrei states:

On this basis they taught: If someone transgresses a simple commandment, he will eventually transgress an arduous commandment. If, for example, he transgressed ואהבת לרעך — “You shall love your kinsman as yourself”, he will eventually transgress “Do not retaliate”, “Do not harbor a grudge”, or “Do not hate your brother” … until, eventually, he’ll spill blood. 

It was the lack of love for one another that developed into hate that eventually led to violence.

Although this is a most noble commandment, nevertheless it could be termed minor insofar as just because I am not particularly fond of a fellow man, doesn't mean I hate him or will him to die. Yet, the Torah sought to reveal to us that the lack of this trait to love our fellow man can indeed trigger dangerous negative attitudes to develop.

But why did Rashi omit this more accurate quote from the Sifrei? 

Even more difficult to understand is that if in truth it all starts with a lack of love for others, why did the Torah jump to the point of hatred and not at the onset of the story?

We often think that the journey from absence of love to hatred takes time. That is due to our assumption that hatred implies flaring nostrils and fangs out. In truth, the term שנאה, that we use for this emotion means something very different.

Let's begin with the antonym of שנאה — hate: אהבה —love. 

The root of אהבה is הבה — to bring forth. That's a far cry from our usual understanding of 'love' as some sort of deep emotion of connection. Evidently, the implication in the term אהבה is not merely giving something but rather being 'איבערגעגעבן' — a total 'giving over' of oneself towards others.

The very first word we heard directly from G-d in history was of course אנכי — I am Hashem, your G-d. The Talmud reveals that this word is an acronym for the sentiment, אנא נפשי כתבית יהבית — I wrote down [the Torah] and gave over [נפשי] My soul. 

This expression of 'love' which we echo in the blessing of Ahava Rabba/Ahavas Olam before the Shma, that bespeaks G-d's great and eternal love as indicated in His gifting us His soul, as it were possible, Himself to us, is alluded to in the verb of giving — יהבית, in the context of His absolute devotion to us. 

In the same vein, loving our fellow man follows this definition of אהבה — love, directing us to be totally in sync with our fellow man, never being indifferent to another's needs and essential value.

The minute we lapse in being 'given over' is the exact moment we are guilty of שנאה — hate, or more exactly — indifference. 

The Talmud teaches in the name of Rabba Bar Rav Huna: With regard to any man who is insolent, it is permitted to call him wicked to his face, as it is stated: “A wicked man makes his face brazen” (Mishlei 21:29). Rav Nachman bar Yitzchak said: It is permitted to hate him, as it is stated: “And the brazenness of his face — יְשֻׁנֶּא is different” (Ecclesiastes 8:1). Do not read it as: “Is different [יְשֻׁנֶּא]”; rather, read it as: יִשָּׂנֵא — Is hated, [as the two words are spelled the same way in Hebrew, albeit with different vocalization and pronunciation.] 

The term to describe שֺנא — hate, shares the same letters as the word ֺשנא — different. 

One who is an עז פנים — brazen towards others setting himself apart, labeling others as different and not part of one's world — giving off an attitude of "you are not my type", thus excluding others from one's interest, is indeed one filled with שנאה — indifference.

Elie Weisel is famously quoted as saying: The opposite of love is not hate, it's indifference. 

The Torah, however, teaches that it is indeed 'hate' because when one lacks interest in his fellow man, writing him off, the descent to murder has already been seeded. 

It was precisely this message that Rashi reveals is the Torah's focus of the 'hater' who killed his fellow man.

The 'small' commandment to never be indifferent to a fellow Jew is the flipside of the coin that warns us never to hate your brother. 

The famed lover of Israel, Reb Moshe Leib of Sossov, a disciple of the great Reb Shmelke of Nikolsberg, used to tell his followers that he learned what it means to love a fellow Jew from two Russian peasants. Once he came to an inn, where two thoroughly drunken peasants were sitting at a table, draining the last drops from a bottle of strong vodka. One of them, in a slurred drunken drawl yelled to his friend, “Igor! Do you love me?” Igor, somewhat surprised by the question answered, “Of course Ivan, of course I love you!” “No no”, insisted Ivan, “Do you really love me, really?!” Igor, now feeling a bit cornered, assured him, “What do you think? I don’t love you? Of course I love you. You’re my best friend Ivan!”

“Oh yes, yes?” countered Ivan. “If you really loved me … then why don’t you know what hurts me and the pain I have in my heart?”

This topic of the hateful murderer is adjacent to the next paragraph that discusses the prohibition of manipulating your neighbors' boundaries.

You shall not move the boundaries of רעך — your fellow. 

The Sifsei Kohen, Reb Mordechai HaKohen of Tzefas, sees a mystical allusion to G-d. 

The Midrash elsewhere teaches that the verse in Mishlei (27 10) רעך — Your friend, ורע אביך — and your father's friend, אל תעזוב — do not forsake, is referring to the Almighty. (שמו"ר כז א) 

He is our 'Best Friend' as the verse in Malachi (1 2) records His declaring, אהבתי אתכם — I loved you, אמר ד' — G-d said!

Here too, the Kohen Gadol of Tzefas attests, the Torah is tasking a Jew who is indifferent to his fellow man — who is equally loved by G-d, seeking to place this beloved child of G-d out of his personal boundary of interest, as tampering with the boundaryless love that G-d has every Jew. 

We must finally tear down the walls that divide us!

As we head into the month of Elul, a time when דודי לי — my Beloved [exhibits love] to me, we must respond in kind, אני לדודי — I am to my Beloved, being mindful and given over — never indifferent, to all His children He so dearly loves!

באהבה,

צבי יהודה טייכמאן

Baltimore, MD – Aug. 14, 2026 - BJL wishes a hearty Mazel Tov to Mr. & Mrs. Aharon Schnur on the birth of a daughter**.
**Mazel Tov as well to the grandparents Mr. & Mrs. Yanky Schnur and the great-grandmother Mrs. Leah Spatz!

‎יה"ר שיזכו לגדל בנם לתורה, לחופה, ולמעשים טובים. אמן!

Baltimore, MD – Aug. 13, 2026 – (BJL) Rabbi Yissachar Hauer will begin serving as Rav of The New Shul this Shabbos, Parshas Shoftim, marking an exciting new chapter for the rapidly growing kehillah.

Rabbi Hauer is the son of the venerated Baltimore Rav, Harav Moshe Hauer, zt”l, and Rebbetzin Mindi Hauer. A caring and thoughtful talmid chacham known for his warmth and insight, Rabbi Hauer returns to his hometown prepared to guide the kehillah toward even greater heights of growth. He will also assume the role of Director of the Baltimore division of Relief Resources, a communal mental health referral organization.

Rabbi Hauer attended TA through 12th grade before continuing his learning at Ner Yisroel, the Brisker Kollel and the Mir Yeshiva. After returning from Eretz Yisrael in 2018, he learned and taught at the West Side Kollel of Manhattan. Most recently, he led outreach at the Schreiber Kollel at Fifth Avenue Synagogue on Manhattan’s Upper East Side, while also delivering an evening halacha chaburah in Chestnut Ridge, New York.

Rabbi Hauer and his wife, Suri, are returning to Baltimore with their five children. Rebbetzin Hauer, a Board Certified Behavior Analyst, will take on an instrumental leadership role within the kehillah, bringing her warmth, insight and dedication to the women and families of The New Shul.

Founded around Pesach 2025, The New Shul has quickly become a warm, high-energy home for nearly 100 young members and families. With beautiful tefillos and a strong sense of connection, it has blossomed into a vibrant center of growth and a cornerstone for young families in the community.
Since its founding, the shul has been led by Rabbi Shimon Barkin, who initially agreed to guide the kehillah on a temporary basis. His vision, leadership and devotion have been instrumental in shaping the shul and bringing it to where it is today.

The shul also expressed its deep appreciation to Mr. and Mrs. Shimon Segelman, who have selflessly hosted the kehillah in their Greenspring Avenue home since its inception.

Now bursting at the seams, The New Shul is preparing for an upcoming building campaign and a move to its future home at the corner of Willow Glen and Greenspring avenues.

“The New Shul has developed an amazing and growing chevrah with a special energy,” said Shua Novograd, president of the shul. “We are excited to welcome Rabbi and Rebbetzin Hauer and look forward to seeing how their warmth and leadership will help us continue growing together and reach even greater heights.”

For founding member Avi Wolasky, Rabbi Hauer’s arrival carries both personal and communal significance.

“My father, Jerry Wolasky, is a longtime member of BJSZ and a was a dear friend of Rabbi Hauer, zt”l, whom he admired tremendously,” Wolasky said. “Having his son now serve as the Rav of our shul is deeply meaningful to me personally, but it represents something much greater as well. It is an opportunity for the entire Baltimore community to continue the remarkable legacy of Torah, leadership and care that Rabbi Hauer, zt”l, embodied.”
This Shabbos will mark the formal beginning of Rabbi and Rebbetzin Hauer’s leadership at The New Shul, connecting a treasured Baltimore legacy with the promising future of a young kehillah already making a meaningful impact on the community.

Baltimore, MD - August 13, 2026 - BJL wishes a hearty Mazel Tov to Rafi Shnidman and Ayelet Ehrenfeld on their engagement.

Mazel Tov to the parents Yitzy and Melissa Shnidman and Yona and Shushie Ehrenfeld.

!יה"ר שיזכו לבנות בית נאמן בישראל. אמן

Baltimore, MD - August 13, 2026 - BJL wishes a hearty Mazel Tov to Mayer Kulefsky and Devora Schmell on their engagement.

Mazel Tov to the parents Heshy & Perel Kulefsky and Ben Zion & Shoshana Schmell!

!יה"ר שיזכו לבנות בית נאמן בישראל. אמן

Baltimore, MD – Aug. 13, 2026 - BJL wishes a hearty Mazel Tov to Rabbi & Mrs. Tzvi Hirsch Shapiro on the birth of a daughter**.**

‎יה"ר שיזכו לגדל בנם לתורה, לחופה, ולמעשים טובים. אמן!

Baltimore, MD – Aug. 13, 2026 - BJL wishes a hearty Mazel Tov to Rabbi & Mrs. Efraim Stein on the birth of a son**.**

Mazel Tov to grandparents Mr. & Mrs. Aryeh Stein

‎יה"ר שיזכו לגדל בנם לתורה, לחופה, ולמעשים טובים. אמן!

Baltimore, MD – Aug. 13, 2026 - BJL wishes a hearty Mazel Tov to Mr. & Mrs. Shloime Rabinowitz on the birth of a son**.**

Mazel Tov to grandparents Rabbi & Mrs. Pinchos Rabinowitz.

‎יה"ר שיזכו לגדל בנם לתורה, לחופה, ולמעשים טובים. אמן!

Baltimore, MD - August 12, 2026 - Today erev Rosh Chodesh Elul is Yom Kippur Koton,  a special opportunity to daven on behalf of Achainu B'nei Yisroel in Eretz Yisroel and worldwide. 

Please note the following Yom Kippur Koton/Mincha Minyanim in town:
 (If you know of any others, please let us know so we may add them to this list.)

Khal Ahavas Yisrael Tzemach Tzedek (KAYTT) Rabbi Dovid Heber –1:50 PM
The Ezras Noshim will be open for women. ArtScroll Yom Kippur Koton booklets will be available.

**Community Kollel - 2:45PM
**
Agudah of Park Heights - Rabbi Moshe Heinemann – 1:50 PM & 7:10  PM (Upstairs 3rd floor)

Bais HaKnesses Ohr HaChaim  -  Rabbi Zvi Weiss – 7:10 PM (Please text 410-458-9522  if you will be fasting)

Bais Nosson - Rabbi Shmuel Friedman –   7:20PM

Baltimore, MD - August 21, 2026 Rabbi Yakov Majeski, General Studies Principal at TA, has announced that he will be leaving the school after 15 years to pursue a new professional opportunity.

Rabbi Majeski will remain at TA through the end of November, allowing the school year to begin with continuity and providing time for a smooth transition before he begins his new venture in December.
In a letter to Middle School Rebbeim, staff and parents, Rabbi Majeski expressed deep gratitude to TA’s students, families, faculty and administration, describing his years at the school as “nothing short of extraordinary.” He noted that while his professional role is changing, he hopes to remain connected to TA in meaningful ways moving forward.
Rabbi Kraft will remain in his current role as General Studies Assistant Principal, continuing to provide leadership and stability for the Middle School.

Baltimore, MD - August 12, 2026 - The Associated’s Young Leadership Council (YLC) Class of 2027 has begun the next phase of its leadership journey with board placements across The Associated network. Throughout the 2027 fiscal year, which began on July 1, 2026, these young adults will serve as board observers (non-voting members) to gain firsthand experience in nonprofit governance, agency operationsand lay leadership.

Along the way, they will contribute to board discussions, participate in committees and be paired with a mentor who will provide support throughout the process. 

The board observation program will prepare YLC participants for future leadership opportunities within The Associated network. Following the program’s conclusion in July 2027, participants are encouraged to continue serving on The Associated or agency boards and committees throughout their professional careers.

The following YLC participants will serve as board observers across The Associated network: 

Menachem Mendel Davis – Jewish Community Services

Berel Galkin – Jewish Community Center 

Lindsey Jeanniton – Na'aleh: The Hub for Leadership and Learning

Prior to being considered for a board placement, these young adults participated in a year-long program through The Associated that strengthened their leadership skills while teaching them how The Associated network operates.

The board placement process began in May 2026 with a “Round Robin” session, where YLC participants met with executive directors from agencies across The Associated network. After exploring The Associated’s agencies throughout the year, participants ranked their top board choices and gained insight into each board’s priorities, the role of board observers and opportunities to grow as future leaders.

To learn more about The Associated's Young Leadership Council, please contact Sarah Machlis at [email protected].

Baltimore, MD – August 10, 2026 - BJL wishes a hearty Mazel Tov to Rabbi and Mrs. Binyamin Zedner on the birth of a son.

!יה"ר שיזכו לגדל בנם לתורה, לחופה, ולמעשים טובים. אמן

Baltimore, MD - August 11, 2026 - With only one week of the JCNSL regular season remaining, the Tripping Kosher playoff picture is beginning to come into focus..

At this stage, every inning matters as teams jockey for postseason position and the opportunity to ultimately hoist the coveted Premier Financial Trophy**.** Some teams used Week 3 to officially punch their postseason tickets, others strengthened their position, and a few are suddenly fighting for their playoff lives.

Meanwhile, perhaps the biggest story of the week was the resurgence of YL Waitering. After beginning the season with four consecutive losses, the perennial contender suddenly found its footing—and its offense—in a big way.

With the finish line rapidly approaching, Week 3 provided plenty of drama.

YL Waitering 7, MDSC 3

After a frustrating 0-4 start, YL Waitering finally broke through with a complete team effort, knocking off MDSC, 7-3.

Akiva Furman led the charge, going 3-for-4 while putting on a defensive clinic at shortstop. Yaakov Furman was perfect at the plate at 3-for-3, while Moshe Lerner added two hits and an RBI.

The game's biggest blow came courtesy of Avrumi Friedman, who cleared the bases with a massive three-run triple to break things open. Meir Dek added an RBI and played outstanding defense in the outfield, while Yoni Levin somehow battled through a broken finger while continuing to look like a Gold Glove-caliber outfielder.

Reigning World Series MVP Mayer Goldsmith was dominant on the mound, Tzvi Pearlman drove in a key run while expertly handling things behind the plate, Avi “Machado” Feldman vacuumed up everything at third, and Eli Weiss locked things down at second.

Clothier 4, Web Interactive Technologies (WIT) 3

Just when it looked like Clothier was headed for its third consecutive loss, the bats awakened.

Trailing WIT entering the seventh inning, Clothier rallied for three runs to pull out a dramatic 4-3 victory. Sol Kuhnreich drew a walk andMeir Glazer singled before an infield hit by Aiton “M-52” Marizan turned into a comedy of WIT errors, allowing both runners to score and tie the game.

Dani Hyatt then delivered the clutch go-ahead hit.

Kuhnreich and the Clothier defense took care of the rest, shutting WIT down in the bottom of the seventh and securing a much-needed comeback victory.

Klaff Sports Physical Therapy 11, Tov Pizza 7

Something had to give when Klaff Sports PT faced undefeated Tov Pizza—and it was KSPT that ultimately handed Tov its first loss of the season.

After an early defensive battle, Klaff broke through in the fourth, scoring four runs to build a 7-1 advantage. Benji “Young Gun” Friedman and Moshe “The Captain” Burr provided the fireworks with clutch RBI triples.

Tov responded like an undefeated team, storming back with six unanswered runs to tie the game.

But Klaff had one more rally waiting. Shaya “Smooth” Swiatycki, “Z-Man” Zevo, and Uriel “U-Train” Young delivered key hits in the sixth as KSPT pulled away for the victory.

The Rosen Team 8, CREZLY 6

Brian “The Fluttering Ace” Ponczak continued his outstanding season on the mound as The Rosen Team controlled the action from the outset against CREZLY.

Timely hitting throughout the lineup combined with steady defense behind Ponczak, allowing The Rosen Team to stay in front and earn an 8-6 victory.

YL Waitering 20, Tov Pizza 5

After earning its first victory, YL erupted offensively against Tov Pizza, cruising to a 20-5 win.

Akiva Furman was unstoppable, finishing a perfect 5-for-5 with two RBIs while wreaking havoc on the basepaths. Moshe Lerner collected four hits and two RBIs, Meir Dek went 3-for-3 with two walks and two RBIs, and Avi Feldman added three hits and an RBI.

Mayer Goldsmith drove in three runs and somehow made a spectacular catch on the mound on a ball that nearly took his face off. Avrumi Friedman added three RBIs, while Yaakov Furman drove in two and turned in the defensive play of the game—a sliding outfield catch followed by a throw to double off a runner and kill a rally.

Eli Weiss supplied the exclamation point, driving in four runs, including two on an inside-the-park homer.

The Rosen Team 11, Web Interactive Technologies 7

After jumping ahead 3-0, The Rosen Team watched WIT answer with four straight runs before responding with a five-run explosion of its own.

Ponczak again starred on the mound, while Mordy “The Protégé” Purec continued his tremendous season with multiple extra-base hits and several spectacular diving catches in center field.

Baruch “Generalissimo” Glazer set the table offensively, Sammy “Wemby” Carter contributed all over the diamond, and Moe “Speed Demon” Krohn, Avraham “007” Szajowitz, Yechiel “Shrek” Schreck, Eli “Gold Glove” Silver, and Max “Mad Max” Reitberger all made key contributions.

Clothier 7, CREZLY 4

Patience proved pivotal, as Ozzie Marizan drew three of Clothier’s seven walks and Zev Charner added two more. Meir Glazer contributed a pair of hits, while Kuhnreich drove in two runs and delivered another strong pitching performance.

An early CREZLY baserunning mistake helped Clothier turn a double play, while Charner made several terrific catches in his first start in center field.

Klaff Sports Physical Therapy 13, MDSC 5

Klaff Sports PT wasted no time against MDSC, exploding for five first-inning runs and two more in the second to grab a 7-0 advantage.

MDSC battled back impressively, cutting the deficit to 7-5 and suddenly making things interesting.

Then Mordy “The Spark” Klein lived up to his nickname. Klein led off with a huge hit that ignited an offensive avalanche, with hit after hit following before Uriel Young capped the rally with a smoked double. Klaff took control from there and rolled to victory.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE 

Sinai Hospital Expands Resources for Sabbath-Observant  Jewish Patients and Families

New Sabbath emergency department route and educational guide reinforce Sinai's l__ongstanding commitment to serving Baltimore's Jewish community

Baltimore - For more than 150 years, Sinai Hospital has proudly served Baltimore's Jewish community while providing compassionate, culturally sensitive care to patients of all faiths. As part of that ongoing commitment, Sinai Hospital has outlined a new walking path and process for observant Jewish patients seeking emergency care on the Sabbath. 

Led by Sinai Hospital Chaplain Rabbi Jeffrey Orkin in collaboration with Dr. Jerald Insel and local rabbinic leaders, the initiative includes new signs outlining an updated route for Sabbath-observant patients seeking care in the Emergency Department. The updated route comes after the completion of a three-year, $50 million modernization and expansion of the Sinai Hospital emergency department. 

“Patients should never delay emergency care on the Sabbath over concerns about an eruv-appropriate path. We are proud to work with our faith and community partners on this new route that, in some cases, may be shorter to get to Sinai’s emergency department and provides greater protection from inclement weather,” explains Rabbi Jeffrey Orkin, Sinai Hospital chaplain.

Those seeking emergency care on the Sabbath should either enter through the Shabbat entrance to the Blaustein Building or the main front entrance after another person has opened the automatic doors. Once inside, they should tell the main lobby receptionist, "I am a Sabbath-observant Jew. Please provide me with a Sabbath escort to accompany me to the Emergency Department."

A member of the security team will escort the patient and anyone accompanying them to the Emergency Department, opening electronic security doors along the route as needed.

Patients arriving directly at the Emergency Department entrance are encouraged to wave to the security officer before approaching the automatic doors. Whenever possible, the officer will open the doors for them. Laminated instructions explaining the Emergency Department access process will also be placed at hospital entrances, providing clear guidance for both visitors and employees.

The new route and signage build on the many accommodations Sinai Hospital already offers to support Jewish patients and families. These include three Sabbath elevators, with additional signage planned to make them easier to locate throughout the hospital; the Bikur Cholim Room, a hospitality room stocked with Kosher meals and snacks, around-the-clock kosher food options and more. The Sinai Chapel welcomes people of all faiths and offers religious texts and a quiet place for prayer and reflection.

In support of this initiative, the pastoral care team is developing a comprehensive online guide for community and staff that provides practical information about Jewish religious practices and accommodations, including birth and end-of-life care as well as Shabbos and holiday observances. For those unable to access electronics on the Sabbath, shortened print versions of the guide will be available at the hospital. 

"Sinai Hospital has a longstanding relationship with Baltimore's Jewish community, and we are continually looking for ways to strengthen that partnership," concludes Rabbi Orkin. "These enhancements help ensure that patients and families can focus on what matters most: their own healing or their loved one's care, knowing their religious traditions and practices are understood and respected."

For more information about Sinai Hospital's religious accommodations and patient services, please contact Sinai Hospital’s pastoral care department. 

About Sinai Hospital of Baltimore

Sinai Hospital of Baltimore is a 438-bed medical complex located in northwest Baltimore. Sinai Hospital is Maryland’s largest community hospital and third largest teaching hospital. Founded in 1866 as the Hebrew Hospital and Asylum, Sinai Hospital is a nonprofit healthcare organization with a mission of providing high-quality, compassionate patient care. Medical specialties include cardiology, orthopedics, neurology, oncology, rehabilitation and pediatrics. Sinai is the flagship hospital for LifeBridge Health, one of the largest, most comprehensive providers of health services in Maryland.

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Baltimore, MD – August 11, 2026 - BJL wishes a hearty Mazel Tov to Yitzy Hauptman and Kayla Feder on their engagement.

Mazel Tov to the parents Rabbi Azriel and Elisheva Hauptman and Rabbi Eliezer and Chana Feder.

!יה"ר שיזכו לבנות בית נאמן בישראל. אמן

Baltimore, MD – August 11, 2026 - BJL regrets to inform the community of the petira of Howard "Heshy" Schoenfeld, Tzvi Meir Ben Moshe haLevi, z'l, husband of Sandy Schoenfeld, father of Menachem (Susie) Schoenfeld, Karen (Alan) Tuvin, and Merrick Schoenfeld, brother of Bernard (Judy) Schoenfeld and **Marilyn Rosenblatt.
**
The levaya will take place on Thursday, August 13 at 3:00 p.m. at Sol Levinson.
The kevura will be at Beth Tfiloh Cemetery, 5800 Windsor Mill Rd, Gwynn Oak, MD 21207.

Shiva will be observed at the home of Menachem & Susie Schoenfeld, 3514 Bonfield Road, Pikesville, MD 21208.

Minyan and visiting details to follow.
בלע המות לנצח

Baltimore, MD – August 10, 2026 - BJL wishes a hearty Mazel Tov to Mr. and Mrs. Meir Kraines on the birth of a son.

!יה"ר שיזכו לגדל בנם לתורה, לחופה, ולמעשים טובים. אמן

Baltimore, MD – August 10, 2026 - BJL wishes a hearty Mazel Tov to Aron Hillel Kohn and Shiffy Lerner on their engagement.

Mazel Tov to the parents Mr. and Mrs. Shaya Lerner.
!יה"ר שיזכו לבנות בית נאמן בישראל. אמן

Nesheema is the heart of Mountain View, the new frum community by Shefa Living going up in the Blue Ridge Mountains of North Carolina. Picture a mikvah, a spa, a gym, daycare, a café, shared workspace, all in one place, built around kedushah and built around you. Somewhere to daven, to work, to breathe, to sit with another woman over coffee and actually be seen. It's connection to Hashem and connection to community, wrapped into one building.

Mountain View is already 358 acres of kehilla, the shul is built, the mikvah and yeshiva are underway, and the first families are moving in this summer. This isn't a dream on paper. It's happening.

Nesheema stands at the heart of it all, a place where women can find rhythm, belonging, and a true sense of home.

Learn more about Shefa Living Homes HERE!

The Torah prohibits the unnecessary destruction of resources. This principle is known as bal tashchit, the ban against needless waste. Of course, what constitutes waste depends upon context. Behavior that is wasteful in one era or circumstance may not be considered wasteful in another. In a modern world where, thank God, food is abundant, discarding leftover food may not carry the same implications that it did in generations marked by scarcity.

What is striking is the setting in which this prohibition appears. The Torah introduces bal tashchit in the midst of warfare, rather than in the more predictable setting of agriculture or everyday life. Ancient wars were fought by laying siege to cities, requiring enormous quantities of timber. Wood was needed for military camps, battering rams, siege towers, and fuel. Recognizing these genuine military needs, the Torah permits the felling of non-fruit-bearing trees for such purposes, while protecting fruit trees from wanton destruction.

Why Trees?

When outlining this prohibition, the Torah offers an iconic analogy: ki ha'adam etz hasadeh, man is like the tree of the field. Just as human life must be carefully protected, a tree that produces and sustains life cannot simply be felled for utilitarian purposes. The comparison reflects the unusual connection human beings have always felt toward trees. More than almost any other part of nature, we identify with trees and sometimes even personify them.

The nineteenth century naturalist W. H. Hudson observed nature through an almost spiritual lens. He recounts the story of a landowner who possessed a "reverential feeling for his old trees." Before retiring for the night, "he would walk round to visit them, one by one," resting his hand on the bark and whispering good-night. Hudson writes that the man believed his trees possessed "intelligent souls" and appreciated his devotion. To him, trees were alive, individual, and deeply personal.

Unlike this landowner, we do not believe that nature is animate, and trees certainly do not possess human souls. Yet the prominence of trees throughout Tanach suggests that our attachment to them is more than sentimental. Human history begins among the trees of Gan Eden. Avraham receives his angelic visitors beneath a tree, and Yonah becomes deeply attached to his kikayon tree. Again and again, trees appear in Tanach as part of the human landscape.

Even the anatomy of a tree invites comparison to the human form. Unlike most vegetation, a mature tree has a clearly defined structure: hidden roots supporting a central trunk which rises and spreads into an intricate network of branches. There is something almost “bodily” about this structure, with a stable core and limbs reaching outward in different directions.

Chazal drew upon this structure in Pirkei Avot, comparing a person whose wisdom exceeds his deeds to a tree with many branches but few roots, easily overturned by the wind. The comparison works because we so readily recognize human qualities reflected in trees.

More than almost any other feature of nature, trees really do seem alive. As Shakespeare wrote, there are "tongues in trees." Each tree has its own shape and something resembling a distinct personality. An old oak conveys strength, a willow gentleness, a cypress dignity. Trees grow and mature, they age and become scarred, and each develops its own shape and character.

The comparison between a tree and a human being reminds us to guard against wasting human potential. A productive tree still has fruit to bear; a person still has talents, abilities, and contributions to offer. Wasting either means cutting short what could still have been produced.

Trees and War

However, there is a particular reason why the Torah draws this analogy between human beings and trees specifically in the context of war. The qualities represented by trees carry special importance during wartime. Preserving sensitivity toward trees can help counter some of the pressures that war creates.

Planting the Future

Trees teach us to think about the future. The Talmud in Ta'anit tells of a man planting a carob tree even though he will not live long enough to enjoy its fruit. When asked why he is planting for a future he will not see, he explains that he entered a world filled with trees planted by earlier generations and must do the same for those who will follow him. Unlike crops that must be replanted each year, a tree planted today can continue producing fruit for decades. Trees naturally extend our vision beyond our own lives. We plant and nurture them knowing that their fullest benefits may only be enjoyed by generations who had no part in planting them.

War demands that we extend our vision into the future. It is painful and exhausting, exacting enormous sacrifices at many levels. Without a clear vision of what we are fighting for, those sacrifices become much harder to sustain. A war without a larger purpose can easily become a succession of battles without hope.

During the past three years, we have endured an extraordinarily difficult war; the strain upon our society has been enormous. The war has dragged on without a clear and decisive victory on the horizon. We must keep reminding ourselves that our generation is struggling so that future generations will not face the violence and pogroms that we experienced on October 7th. Sometimes a generation is called upon to carry a burden whose benefits will only be realized by generations to come. We plant and nurture a tree today knowing that others may sit beneath its branches and enjoy its fruit.

Every Tree Is Different

Trees also possess remarkable individuality. No two mature trees are identical. Each develops its own shape and carries its own history. Trees are battered by storms, afflicted by disease, scarred by injury, and sometimes recover in ways that permanently alter their appearance. An old tree possesses something resembling a biography, with much of its history written into its trunk and branches.

War reduces individuals to numbers and statistics. Behind every person lies a world of relationships, dreams, achievements, and hopes. Every loss is the loss of an entire world. Every serious injury can radically alter a person's life and the lives of those around them. Amid the scale and intensity of war, it is easy to lose sight of the individuality of each person and the unique story of every family. The Torah's concern for each individual tree reminds us to preserve that same sensitivity toward every individual human life.

Building, Not Destroying

Finally, trees remind us that humans are meant to be productive in this world. Trees are among nature's great providers. They give us fruit, shade, shelter, fuel, and, through photosynthesis, the oxygen we breathe. Their presence sustains the environment around them.

War is fundamentally destructive. It destroys lives and what human beings have spent years building. Sometimes we are forced into war, but we should never develop a culture that celebrates war or destruction. The comparison between people and trees reminds us of our deeper calling. We are meant to produce, build, and improve our world. War may sometimes be necessary, but destruction can never become our purpose. Man is meant to be a tree.

Planting Again

From its earliest days, the Zionist movement viewed planting trees in Israel as an expression of confidence in our future. I remember collecting money. as a child in the little blue KKL boxes to help plant forests in Israel. Trees have repeatedly been destroyed by war, fires, and other causes, but we have always planted again as an expression of Jewish resilience and rebuilding.

The writer is a rabbi and educator at Yeshivat Har Etzion (Gush). Find his latest book, Reclaiming Redemption, Vol. II: Faith, Identity, Peoplehood, and the Storms of War, at mtaraginbooks.com.

Baltimore, MD - August 7, 2026 - BJL wishes a hearty Mazel Tov to Nachum Schor and Sarah Yudkovsky on their engagement.

!יה"ר שיזכו לבנות בית נאמן בישראל. אמן

Baltimore, MD – August 7, 2026 - BJL wishes a hearty Mazel Tov to Eli Levin and Chaya Wecker on their engagement.

Mazel Tov to the parents Naftali & Shuli Levin and Chaim & Malky Wecker.

Mazel Tov to grandparents Mr. Irvin Levin and Mrs. Jeanne Grynberg, Mrs. Marsha Blumberg, Rabbi and Mrs. Mordechai Wecker, and Rabbi and Mrs. Yosef Singer.

!יה"ר שיזכו לבנות בית נאמן בישראל. אמן

Baltimore, MD - August 7, 2026: It was an exciting experience for me to travel to Annapolis this past Monday (August 3) and take part in a rally outside the Maryland State House. Over the past few months, the Developmental Disabilities Administration (DDA) of Maryland has announced major funding cuts and policy changes that will severely impact our special needs community. This rally, targeting the Maryland General Assembly during their special legislative session, was part of a larger attempt to let our lawmakers know just how much these cuts and procedure changes will adversely affect those who rely on the DDA funding. Menucha has been receiving significant funding from the DDA in the past, and that funding is now in jeopardy.

Mrs. Rochel Schnur has been strongly and tirelessly advocating for our special needs community, working together with wonderful organizations such as CCSDM (Concerned Citizens of Self Directions Maryland). This rally was organized by the CCSDM, and Mrs. Schnur swung into action to ensure that the Jewish community would be represented in the appeal to our legislators.

That is how I found myself standing right outside the Maryland State House, together with two of Menucha's program participants and a dedicated staff member, joining over 100 people in making our voice be heard. It was an honor for me to be there, representing Menucha, and as a quite visibly Jewish person, having a part in representing the Jewish community at large.

A few legislators spoke at the rally, calling for open dialogue with the DDA and for the government to address the important concerns raised. One of the speakers, Senate Minority Whip Justin Ready (GOP), remarked at the special legislative session "That is what we should be addressing..." referring to the rally right outside the State House (Maryland Matters).

For me, the rally was emotional. As I said in the beginning of my speech "I have been moved to tears... by the strength, the courage, the fear, the pain, and.. the unity that has been displayed here today." 

In terms of unity, it was also extremely heartwarming to see how the different Jewish organizations collaborate together! It was encouraging to look across the yard and see Rabbi Ariel Sadwin from the Agudah, speaking with the legislators, using his experience and relationships to further this cause. Mr. Barry Nabozny, who has been instrumental with bringing Yachad's JUF program to Baltimore, gave an extremely powerful, stirring speech, speaking "As a father... of a son with disabilities...". His ringing words resonated across the square, and resonated deeply with all those present. Mrs. Schnur, who helped facilitate the rally, was standing nearby, interacting with the leaders of CCSDM. Mrs. Meira Burkom (Agudah - Yahalom) has been in close contact with Menucha, advocating and providing valuable assistance throughout this process. 

To the Baltimore community this togetherness may seem natural, but as a newcomer to the scene, it is beautiful to see and experience. 

Thank you to all those who have been supporting the special needs community, and especially Menucha, through this hurdle. As we continue to put in our best efforts, I daven to Hashem to provide the funding that we need to be able to continue giving Menucha to our wonderful families.

The Torah forewarns how there may come a time when a prophet or a dreamer will produce to you a sign or a wonder, and the sign or wonder comes about, of which he spoke to you, saying, "Let us follow gods of others that לא ידעתם — you did not know and we shall worship them!" — do not hearken to the words of that prophet or that dreamer… for G-d, your Lord is testing you לדעת — to know whether you love G-d, your Lord, with all your heart and all your soul. (דברים יג ג-ד)

This cautioning of their one day being lured, particularly into following gods 'they did not know', seems strange. Would it be better if they were seduced into serving gods, they were more familiar with?

It seems that G-d tests us to determine if we truly love Him. If we succeed in overcoming the temptation to serve other gods, then obviously we must love him. But is that true, perhaps we only refrained ourselves out of fear of punishment?

Most troubling is the intimation in the verse that G-d needs to test us לדעת — to know whether we love Him.

Doesn't the omniscient G-d know who we truly are well before any test of allegiance?

This question lingers yet from the greatest of all tests — the Akeidah. When Avraham passed this final challenge of the Ten Tests, G-d declared, עתה ידעתי — "Now I know that you are a G-d-fearing man".

Didn’t G-d fathom the depth of Avraham's willingness without a need to test him?

One of the first appearances in Torah of the notion of דעת — knowledge, is the verse that describes וידע אדם — Now the man had known, את חוה — Chavah, אשתו — his wife, and she conceived.

'Knowing' is used here in its simplest meaning as a euphemism for the חיבור — the physical connection they engaged in that bore them a child.

Clearly this reference to their relationship as 'knowing' alludes to their exquisite emotional and spiritual connection they possessed as well.

When one is totally connected to another, attuned and aware of the other's character and personality in the deepest way, one can be said to really know the other.

The more profound the connection the greater is one's knowledge of the other.  

The search and discovery of a G-d that I see in every aspect of existence and experience not only creates a bond but a heightened level of consciousness and appreciation.

That state of awareness can be described as the only true state of existence, sensing 'real' life itself.

The Baal HaSulam taught that the verse that describes Adam having 'known' חוה —Chavah, a name Adam conferred on her, alludes to its association with the connotation of the term חויה which means an experience that leaves a deep impression. The Torah is revealing that it is only through the shared experiences of life that may we develop an appreciation that creates an unbreakable bond.

In the same vein, the relationship we have with G-d can only result from every moment of our lives being cognizant of His presence that reveals to us His greatness, creating an resilient connection of love.

When the Torah speaks of being influenced to serve god's that לא ידעתם, it is not indicating gods you are unaware of, but rather distant imagined god's that cannot bring about 'connection'. The search for powers the ancients worshiped was a misguided pursuit of a panacea that could bring one success without any interest of a  personal relationship with those entities.

Our being tested by G-d throughout the ages was never about G-d becoming aware of our love for Him, but for us to make it a reality by implementing in the course of our challenges, our loving allegiance, embedding into our bodies and souls an everlasting love branded into our being and future generations. (אור ה' רב חסדאי קרשקש ב,ב,ד)

When we bring that love to reality, G-d 'knows' and connects to us in an embrace of love, just as He expressed at the Akeidah, 'knowing', i.e. bonding, with Avraham for posterity.

As we herald the special days of Elul, an extraordinary opportunity to rediscover our bond with G-d, may we follow the advice of the Rambam to immerse ourselves in the מי הדעת — 'waters of knowledge', removing ourselves from the distractions that seek to contaminate us, and reacquaint ourselves with the Almighty who is eagerly waiting to be discovered.

באהבה,

צבי יהודה טייכמאן

I’d like to share with you a story about me and my belt. You see, I have a belt. In fact, I have two belts. Well actually, I have three. One for shabbos, one for weekdays, and one old one that I don’t currently use. I just keep it for sentimental purposes.

I recall one morning where I couldn’t find my belt. I looked in all the places that it should be. Yes, I even tried to think about the last place I had it. (You know those people? You are desperately looking for something that’s missing, and the wise guy comes up with this big idea: Did you check the last place you had it? Like what does that even mean?! If I cannot find it, I clearly don’t remember where that last place was, right?! That’s precisely why I’m still looking for it!)

I made a big mess, turning things over and under, trying to find my good old belt. Finally, I gave up, placing my hands on my waist in a show of defeat…and felt something…wait a second, noooo! It was my belt, I was wearing it. I had it on me the entire time!

This story of missing things that are not actually missing happens more often than we think, quite commonly to people who are wearing glasses. 

“Honey, where are my glasses?”

“Did you check on the bridge of your nose, it was there the last 10 times you “lost” them!” 

“Valid point, thanks honey. Yup, I got them! They were just a little lower down my nose this time, I didn’t see ‘em.”

Another classic example is when we cannot find our car keys, and we're already running late to a meeting, only to then realize they are in our hands or pockets. 

I cannot tell you how many times my pen (that I wear in my shirt everyday, except for Shabbos/Yom-Tov) went “missing” on my shirt!

Let’s unpack this. What exactly happened? Why do we lose things that are not actually lost? Psychologists, random bloggers, and educated forum responders describe this phenomenon as “inattentional blindness.” Our brain only processes a limited amount of information at once, and as such, in this form of selective attention, we fail to notice something in our field of vision because our attention is focused on another task or stimulus. In the above examples, we become so focused on searching for the apparently missing item, and because our attention is now focused elsewhere, we become blinded on what’s the reality that’s before us.

One of the main highlights of this week’s Parshah is its very name: ראה—a word that means to see; describing the imperative of vision. The beginning of the Parshah discusses the importance of seeing: רְאֵ֗ה אָנֹכִ֛י נֹתֵ֥ן לִפְנֵיכֶ֖ם הַיּ֑וֹם בְּרָכָ֖ה וּקְלָלָֽה. The end of the Parshah (16:16) discusses being Oleh Regel (festival pilgrimage): שָׁל֣וֹשׁ פְּעָמִ֣ים ׀ בַּשָּׁנָ֡ה יֵרָאֶ֨ה כׇל־זְכוּרְךָ֜ אֶת־פְּנֵ֣י ׀ ה’ אֱלֹקיךָ בַּמָּקוֹם֙ אֲשֶׁ֣ר יִבְחָ֔ר בְּחַ֧ג הַמַּצּ֛וֹת וּבְחַ֥ג הַשָּׁבֻע֖וֹת וּבְחַ֣ג הַסֻּכּ֑וֹת וְלֹ֧א יֵרָאֶ֛ה אֶת־פְּנֵ֥י ה’ רֵיקָֽם. 

And somewhere in the middle, the Parshah discusses the laws of forbidden foods, one of which is the ראה (pronounced Ra’ah) bird: וְהָרָאָה֙ וְאֶת־הָ֣אַיָּ֔ה וְהַדַּיָּ֖ה לְמִינָֽהּ. 

Can it be a coincidence that the Ra’ah bird is found in none other than Parshas Re’eh, both spelled the same: ראה. (There are different opinions as to the identification of the Ra’ah bird: some say it’s the Kite, others say it’s the Old World Vulture)

What’s the problem with the Ra’ah bird? Why is it not kosher? The Gemara in Chullin (63a) tells us: דא"ר אבהו ראה זו איה ולמה נקרא שמה ראה שרואה ביותר – Rabbi Abbahu says. The Ra’ah is the Ayya, and why is it called the Ra’ah? Since it sees most vividly. 

The commentaries explain (see, for example, Malbim), the Ra’ah bird is רואה מרחוק, it has keen eyesight and can see things from a great distance. The Gemara tells us: עומדת בבבל ורואה נבלה בארץ ישראל, that it can stand in Bavel and see a carcass in Eretz Yisroel. 

We see two fascinating features about the Ra’ah bird. Firstly, it is רואה ביותר (it sees what’s in the distance) and secondly, it is רואה נבלה (it sees impurity). 

It’s true, the Ra’ah bird has a great power of vision. However, it uses the power of ראה, the power of vision, for negative/ra/impurity. The Torah tells us ראה אנכי נותם לפניכם היום, to see what is right before us, today. We are meant to live in the present and tap into each moment. The Ra’ah bird, though, does the opposite. It sees way off into the distance, instead of seeing what’s right before it. That, my friends, is not a “kosher” trait. 

Additionally, we are taught that the Ra’ah bird sees impurity (רואה נבלה בארץ ישראל). Think about that. Eretz Yisroel is the holiest land on the planet. It’s a land of beauty and goodness, flowing with milk and honey. If all you can see is the “carcass in Eretz Yisroel,” something is wrong. If all you can focus on is the negative aspects of something, that is not a kosher trait. The Torah tells us ראה אנכי נותם לפנכים היום ברכה וקללה. Before any curse/bad/negative, we are taught to see the blessings/goodness in our lives. We are meant to see the goodness in ourselves and in others. We must not focus on the “carcass in Eretz Yisroel.”

It can be said that the Ra’ah bird suffers from “inattentional blindness.” It sees what’s in the distance, failing to see what’s up close. It sees the negative, failing to see the positive. 

When we desperately look for our belt/keys/wallet/glasses, only to discover it’s on us, it’s almost comical. If you don’t laugh, usually your spouse will. It’s amusing. But when “inattentional blindness” starts to creep into the more important parts of our lives, it’s more serious. When we desperately choose to look out there – for meaning and happiness – we lose focus on the fact of the matter: meaning and happiness is right here. The Tzaddikim point out that בשמחה is the same letters as במחשבה. Meaning and happiness is not out there, it’s right in here. Don’t look too far, or you will not find it!

Similarly, when we choose to look at all the negatives (the “carcass of Eretz Yisroel”)—our failures, our mishaps, our misdeeds—we lose focus on the fact of the matter: I am actually good inside. ראה אנכי. See the real “I,” focus on the part of you that is actually good. Embrace your Nekuda Tova. Don’t look too far in the distance searching, just look inside. 

Greatness is right in front of you, because “greatness is you!” 

As we approach the auspicious days of Elul, let us reframe what Teshuva is. It’s not about seeing into the distance of what I can potentially become. Nor is it about seeing all of our wrongs. Rather, Teshuva is the process of ראה אנכי, of seeing our true selves. It’s about seeing yourself for who you really are, deep down.

Wishing you a holy Shabbos!

Har Hamoriya, Har Habayis, Makom Hamikdash, the point from which the Earth was formed, this special place on our planet has a recorded history dating back thousands of years with such important events as Akeidas Yitzchak, Yaakov’s dream and the ultimate building of the Beis Hamikdash. In this week’s Parsha, Hashem chose to only allude to its existence. “El Hamakom asher yivchar Hashem Elokeichem” (Re’ei 12:5), “to the place which Hashem will choose” is all Bnei Yisroel is told about this Holiest of places. Several Mephorshim explain Hashem’s decision not to identify this most prestigious place at this point in time, in order to avoid the lands inhabitants from fortifying the area and trying to prevent B’nei Yisroel from conquering it. It seems a little bit unusual that people who were idol worshippers and leading lives of depravity would care about a “holy” place – Hashem’s place.

Perhaps not. Consider that many years after entering Eretz Yisroel, Dovid Hamelech returns the Aron to Yerushalayim,, and places it in the Mishkan which was there. (Shmuel B, 6:1-18, Divrei Hayamim A, 15:1-16:43) Next, Shlomo Hamelech, with the help of nearly 200,000 men, builds the first Beis Hamikdash, taking nearly seven years to do so. (Melachim A, 5-9, Divrei Hayamim B, 2) Then, in the first of many horrific desecrations, Pharaoh Shishak of Mitzrayim plunders the Beis Hamikdash carrying off much gold and silver. (Melachim A, 14:25-28, Divrei Hayamim B, 12:1-11). Seventy Five Years later, Yoash, Melech Yehudah repairs the prior damage and establishes a maintenance fund to keep the Mikdash pristine. After more turmoil at the hands of Achaz, (Melachim B, 16:1-20, Divrei Hayamim B, 28), Yichizkiyahu and Yoshiyahu again restore the Beis Hamikdash and bring about significant religious reforms, (Divrei Hayamim 2, 34 and 35) Finally, on Tisha B’Av, in the year 3174 (587 B.C.E.), the first Beis Hamikdash is destroyed and Nebuchadnezzer murders thousands of Jews and takes others captive. (Melachim B, 24-25, Divrei Hayamim B, 36)

Seventy years later, the first Jews return from Bavel to rebuild the city and it’s walls. (Daniel 9, Haggai 2:18-19) The cycle continues when Antiochus desecrates the Mikdash by offering a Chazir on the Mizbeiach and temporarily halts all Korbanos on December 15, 167 B.C.E. Karbanos were once again brought after the heroic acts of the Maccabees helped to repossess Yerushalayim in 165 B.C.E. Two hundred and Twenty Eight years later, the Roman conquest of Eretz Yisroel began and Herod later leveled, enlarged and rebuilt the second Beis Hamikdash. On Tisha B’Av, 70 C.E, the Roman general Titus destroyed Yerushalyim, murdered its inhabitants and burned the Beis Hamikdash removing every stone and all the gold he could carry. By the time the Byzantine Emperor Herodius recaptures Yerushalayim in 629 CE, the Makom Hamikdash had largely been neglected.

In 638 C.E, the Moslim conquest begins and the original old wooden El Aksa Mosque is constructed in 700 CE, and the Dome of the Rock by Abd el-Malik, 684-690 CE. In 746, 1016 and 1033 C.E. “Earthquakes” cause damage to the mosques. In 1100 C.E. and 1165 C.E. there are records of Shul’s appearing on Har Habayis as well as the Rambam visiting and davening at the Makom Hamikdash. In 1927 another serious earthquake damages the Mosques. In June of 1967, an Israeli flag temporarily flies over Har Habayis before stewardship is given back to the Moslems. There are multiple “New Testament” and Christian sources which also document the central nature of Har Habayis.

Hashem of course knew that the Goyim would desire to “control” this location once it’s holy nature was revealed. Remember, it is a recent phenomenon where “enlightened” people began to dismiss “G-D” as a force in the world. Even today, one would be hard pressed to find another piece of real estate which stirs such emotion, contention and controversy. Dating back to Avraham Avinu, Har Habayis was revealed to Bnei Yisroel as a Makom Kadosh. With every nation in history fighting to “possess” it once they learned of its “Godliness”, we more than anyone else should constantly remember that that is where we belong. We should long to be There and daven to return with much greater intensity than those who only “recently” discovered its Kedusha...

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We're proud to present 8th Note Fanfare, an original composition arranged by Menachem Manevich, reflecting the heart of who we are as musicians.

It's a taste of the creativity, originality, and musical excellence you'll come to expect from 8th Note Band, and the kind of experience we're committed to bringing to every simcha.

We hope you enjoy.

Watch here: https://youtu.be/ZVZchf5BODs
Watch on 24Six: https://24six.app/app/video/content/450385

Credits:
Music by: 8th Note Band
Arrangements & Band Leader: Menachem Manevich
Drummer: Moshe Baalhaness
Bassist: Shawn Simon
Guitarist: Eli Cohen
Recorded by: Yosef Purec (Puretech Audio)
Mix: Vlad (V-Gold Beat production)
Filmed & Edited by: Avi Dear Visuals
Artwork & Branding: Avi Dear Visuals & AMF Creative

Special Thanks to Mosi and The Knish Shop

Connect with 8th Note Band:
https://eighthnoteband.com/

(443) 748-NOTE

[[email protected]
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Baltimore, MD - August 6, 2025 - Nearly 230 people gathered on Thursday, June 18, for Yeshiva Gedolah Ohr Hatorah’s annual Siyum Hashanah dinner. Parents, grandparents, Kollel families, Bochurim, and the Hanhala came together to celebrate a year of growth and achievement with true kavod hatorah.

The dinner marked the end of the zman in Baltimore, before the Yeshiva moved to its summer campus to finish the zman.

The evening began with a light reception catered by Platinum Events. Parents greeted the Hanhala, heard about the hatzlacha of the talmidim, and met the Kollel chavrusas who learned with their sons during the year.

The Roshei Yeshiva, Rabbi Dovid Hoffman and Rabbi Moshe Aharon Rosenbaum, welcomed the crowd. They spoke about the hasmada and hard work of the Bochurim and Kollel. Special thanks were also given to the N’shei Ohr Hatorah—the wives and families whose support helps the Hanhala and Kollel throughout the year.

Three Bochurim made a siyum on Meseches Bava Kamma, representing the limudim of all the bochurim. Chaim Pelishev, Reuven Segan-Kohanim, and Michoel Newmark shared the hadran and kaddish.

The Dovid Spira Band then led joyful music and dancing that filled the room with the spirit of Simchas Torah. The ahavas hatorah and pride in all that had been accomplished could be felt by everyone.

Guest speaker Rabbi Yisroel Meir Lebovits praised the bochurim and shared warm words of chizuk about celebrating the past while looking toward the future.

To close the program, the Rebbeim presented each bochur with a sefer. Every Kollel yungerman also received a sefer and a special gift for his neshei chayil. R’ Mordechai Pollock and R’ Noam Levy received special recognition for the steady help and guidance they gave as Roshei Chabura during afternoon seder.

Families came from Toronto, Montreal, Phoenix, Cincinnati, Brooklyn, Lakewood, and Baltimore. Whether they traveled from near or far, everyone left proud of the year’s accomplishments and inspired by the continued growth of every Kollel yungerman and bochur at Ohr Hatorah.

Baltimore, MD - August 5, 2026 While summer often brings a welcome chance to recharge, many educators across our community chose to spend part of their break investing in their professional growth through Jewish Educational Services’ new Zoom In This Summer series. The three-session virtual learning opportunity was designed to offer practical, relevant strategies that teachers could immediately bring back to their classrooms in the fall. Using data from past surveys, JES  piloted a summer Zoom series to reduce some barriers that often prevent teachers from participating in professional development during the school year. The response was clear - 50 teachers registered from 18 different schools, showcasing the need for this type of program. 

The series began with B'More Inclusive: Tackle Teasing and Isolation, led by Yael Zelinger**,** who shared strategies for helping students navigate differences, build empathy, and create more inclusive classroom communities. Participants explored ways to have meaningful conversations about visible and invisible differences while fostering a culture of belonging. 

In the second session, Sarah Ottensoser focused on Systems and Routines: High-Impact Classroom Structures that Build Student Independence**.** Educators learned how clear routines and intentional systems help students develop executive functioning skills, become more independent learners, and feel more confident in the classroom. 

The final session, The 3Rs of an Effective Classroom Environment: Rules, Rewards & Results**,** featured Chaya Tropper**,** who shared practical approaches for creating consistent classroom expectations and positive learning environments where students can thrive. 

Feedback from participants was overwhelmingly positive. Educators appreciated the practical, classroom-ready ideas and the opportunity to learn from colleagues during the summer months. Several participants attended all three sessions, a testament both to the quality of the learning and to the commitment educators have to continually refining their craft. Even during summer break, our community of educators demonstrated that professional growth remains a priority.

JES also launched a new Lunch 'N Learn professional development series this summer with Engaging All Learners: Techniques to Keep All Students Interested and Focused, facilitated by Chaya Tropper. The session explored what drives student engagement, how to increase active participation, and simple strategies for reaching diverse learners. The event brought together 18 educators in person and 8 more via Zoom**,** creating a lively learning community focused on sharing ideas and strengthening classroom practice. 

The excitement doesn't stop there. Beginning after the fall holidays, Lunch 'N Learn with JES will be coming directly to schools**,** making it even easier for educators to access high-quality professional learning alongside their colleagues. More information will be shared in the coming months, and JES is looking forward to bringing these engaging sessions to school communities throughout the year.

Together, Zoom In This Summer and Lunch 'N Learn reflect JES's commitment to providing meaningful, accessible professional development that meets educators where they are. Whether joining from home on a summer afternoon or gathering with colleagues over lunch, participants left with new ideas, renewed energy, and practical strategies to support student success.

Baltimore, MD - August 5, 2026 - Soaring beef prices and a shrinking domestic cattle herd are hitting the kosher beef market hard, and consumers expect to face shortages going into Yom Tov season.

Mr. Arie Benjamin, owner of Wasserman and Lemberger said his supplier just informed him that Salomon's beef prices are going up 10 percent. That's on top of a 30-percent hike during the past year and a half.

He said that other major brands have not yet said that they'll be raising prices, but they expect them to do as well.

There's no American meat out there. There's no cattle. This is going to be the hardest Yom Tov season for meat. People have to wake up early and have patience to get piece by piece, because there's not going to be much American meat available.

The high price of beef, means that the treif companies are buying less as well. So kosher slaughterers can't find enough treif companies to purchase the ( non- kosher) hindquarters from them.

Other major kosher meat companies right now are losing on every shechitah because they have to pay a premium on every cow slaughtered to cover the cost of the hindquarters, which they can't sell.

While one might expect that rising cattle prices would incentivize breeders to raise more cattle, they say that in fact the opposite is true: When beef prices go up cattle breeders are content with making the same income for less work and raising fewer cows. 

Thank you for your understanding as we face these difficulties. Our strong suggestion to our customers to ensure availability , is to place your orders early and receive them as early as possible. The closer to Yom Tov the more difficult it will be to allow us to fill all orders with our usual top quality meats.

THANKS, 

WASSERMAN AND LEMBERGER

What Did You Take Home From Israel?

“What will you take home with you from your visit to Israel?” 

I put that question to a group of American college students who had come to Israel for a week of volunteering and Jewish learning with Birthright Israel and Manhattan’s MJE. We were standing on the rooftop of the Aish HaTorah building, overlooking the Western Wall, after a beautiful Kabbalat Shabbat service.

Here is what they said. I think Israelis need to hear their answers too.

The first student said she had not felt well all week. “But when I went to a pharmacy, I could tell that people really cared. They tried to help me and make me feel better. Our Israeli guides kept checking in on me too. That doesn’t happen in New York. I truly felt at home.”

The second student described her experience in two words: “beauty” and “healing.” She had grown up in Oregon with little connection to Judaism, and being in Israel had simply been good for her.

Then another student said he felt “a sense of magic and wonder.” Those were the words he chose to sum up an intense week of working in the fields, packing food for families in need, visiting a yeshiva, the site of the Nova festival, Tzfat, Masada and the Dead Sea, and finally spending Shabbat in Jerusalem.

Magic and wonder.

The fourth student was even more poetic: “I feel whole. After spending a week with other Jews in the Land of Israel, I feel more complete as a person. But I also feel that when I am here, the Land of Israel is somehow more complete too.”

These were not poets or prophets. They were American college students who had spent just one week here .I told them that this week’s Torah portion speaks to this very idea. Moshe urges those who will have the privilege of entering the Land of Israel to understand that this is no ordinary place. It is precious and sacred, and we must live here accordingly.

Thank you to the group, led by Rabbi Mark Wildes, for this important lesson.

Blessing the New Month of Elul

There is something special in the optimism of a new month. We renew ourselves, just like the moon, since we have the chance to start all over again. This coming Shabbat morning in synagogues throughout the world, we will recite the blessing in honor of the new month of Elul which will arrive next Thursday and Friday.

The month of Elul is especially significant since it is the last month of the old year (5786) as we prepare for the new one (5787). Elul presents us with the opportunity to ask: What is it that we wish to improve, to change, to upgrade? In which areas of life, during this blessed time, has our potential yet to be fulfilled? Here is a translation from the new month's blessing:

"May the Holy One, blessed by He, renew it [the new month] for us and for the entire nation of Israel, wherever they may be, for goodness and for blessing, for gladness and for joy, for deliverance and for consolation, for livelihood and for prosperity, for good news, for complete healing, for imminent redemption, and let us say: Amen."

Parashat Re’eh: Seven Words That Change Everything

The opening verse of this week’s Torah portion presents us with a revolutionary idea. Let us pause over the seven words God addresses to us and explore them together:

“See, I set before you today a blessing and a curse.”

SEE — In Hebrew, God addresses each of us personally, using the singular form: Re’eh—“See.” Stop for a moment. Pay attention. Take a close look at the profound principle we are about to learn.

I SET — God is giving each and every one of us something personally. We wait to hear what that gift will be.

BEFORE YOU — The verse now shifts from the singular, re’eh—“see”—to the plural, lifneichem—“before all of you.” Every small action you take affects the wider community. Every mitzvah—and, God forbid, every action to the contrary—has an impact on us all.

TODAY — Not thousands of years ago in the desert, but now—today, at this very moment. At every moment, you choose how to act. This is not ancient history. It is current. It is happening right now.

A BLESSING AND A CURSE — And here we reach the heart of the verse. God has given us an extraordinary power: the ability to choose how we act in this world. The all-powerful God grants us, human beings, free will—the choice between blessing and curse, between good and evil. The choice is ours.

And what happens when, God forbid, you stumble and make the wrong choice? Go back just one word and remember: today. Today—and every day—you can begin again.

Now read the verse again.

May we choose well.