During the Second Temple, the Greek empire reigned (over Israel),1 and they (the Greeks) passed decrees against the Jews and (tried) to erase their religion, and did not allow them to carry out Torah (study) or the commandments. They put their hands on their property and their daughters. They entered the Temple, destroyed and made the pure unclean. The Jews were in great distress because of them and were much oppressed, until the G-d of their fathers had mercy on them, delivering them from their hands and saving them. Then overcame, the sons of the Hasmonean High Priest, (the Greeks) and killed them and saved the Jews from their hands. They appointed a king from the Priests, and the kingdom of Israel was restored for more than 200 years until the destruction of (the) second (Temple). When the Jews overcame their enemies and destroyed them, it was the 25th of Kislev2 when they entered the Sanctuary (inner room) and did not find pure (olive) oil in the Temple, except one jar sealed with seal of the High Priest, and it did not contain enough to light except for one day only. But they lit from it the lamps of the Menorah3 for eight days, until they could crush olives and produce a (new quantity) of pure oil. For these reasons, decreed the Sages of that generation that these eight days that begin on the 25th Kislev, will be days of joy and praise. One lights on them lamps at evening at the entrance to the houses, every evening of the eight nights to show off and demonstrate the miracle. These days are called ''Hanukah'' that is to say ''they rested'' (chanu) on the ''25'' ('th of the month) because on the 25th they rested from their enemies. and also because of those days they (re)-dedicated the house (Temple) which their foes had defiled. Also some say that it is a commandment to increase slightly the festive meals on Hanukah. Another reason is because the work of (building) the Sanctuary (in the desert) was completed in these days. One should tell one's children the story of the miracles that were done for our fore-fathers in those days, (see Josephus) However, these meals are not considered as part of the commandment unless one says at the meal songs of praise. One should increase charity in these Hanukah days, for this can help mend any defects in our souls. This charity, should be given particularly to poor Torah scholars. (KSA 139:1)
1) 352 BCE until 70 CE
2) 139 BCE
3) The Menorah was made of gold and had seven branches.
Baltimore, MD – May 19, 2025:Dear Baltimore Jewish Community,
Today, the 21st of Iyar, marks a very tragic date on our community’s calendar. Exactly 4 years ago Efraim Gordon, z’l, H’yd, was brutally murdered in the heart of the Jewish community.As most of you know, Efraim came from Israel for a wedding, a most joyous occasion, and his life was brutally taken.
Efraim was a gentle giant with the greatest heart someone can possibly imagine. He was humble and every person he met was his friend. Many community members joined our family in court for the last three years, while the state did a phenomenal job of catching all 4 culprits in the case and sentencing all of them to life in prison.
We are grateful to all those that showed our famil...
Jerusalem, Israel - May 19, 2025 - The World Jewish Congress (WJC) officially opened its 2025 Plenary Assembly with a moving gala event on May 18 at the Museum of Tolerance in Jerusalem, Israel, marking the organization’s first assembly in Israel since 2009. The three-day gathering brings together more than 300 Jewish leaders and representatives from over 70 countries to elect WJC’s senior leadership and set its policy agenda for the next four years.
Hosted by WJC-Israel Regional President Sylvan Adams and emceed by Israeli actress and singer Ester Rada, the evening blended powerful addresses with emotional tributes and musical performances. U.S. Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee delivered a fiery keynote, warning of the threats posed by Iran and its regional proxies.
...
The Supreme Court on Monday allowed the Trump administration to strip legal protections from 350,000 Venezuelans, potentially exposing them to deportation.
The court’s order, with only one noted dissent, puts on hold a ruling from a federal judge in San Francisco that kept in place Temporary Protected Status for the Venezuelans that would have otherwise expired last month.
The status allows people already in the United States to live and work legally because their native countries are deemed unsafe for return due to natural disaster or civil strife.
Five trucks of humanitarian aid, including baby food, entered the Gaza Strip today via the Kerem Shalom Crossing, the Defense Ministry’s Coordinator of Government Activities in the Territories (COGAT) announces, marking the first such delivery since March 2.
COGAT says the aid delivery comes “following the recommendation of professional IDF officials and in accordance with the directive of the political echelon.”
“All aid was transferred following a thorough security inspection by personnel from the Ministry of Defense’s Crossing Points Authority,” it says.
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A mother’s letter. A child’s fight. Shira urgently needs life-saving care. You can help - but only if we act now.
My name is Bracha, and I’m writing not only as a mother, but as someone who deeply believes in the quiet power of kindness.
My daughter Shira is a bright, tender-hearted little girl. She’s been diagnosed with leukemia — a cancer of the blood. Her eyesight has already been affected, and the emotional toll on our family has been immense.
Shira is currently receiving care in a local hospital in Poland, but doctors have urged us to transfer her to a specialized children's hospital in Vienna. There, she can receive the advanced, life-saving treatment she urgently needs.
The cost of this treatment is over $150,000 — far beyond anything we ...
BaltimoreJewishLife.com (BJL) is proud to partner with STAR-K CERTIFICATION that realizes that there is no substitute for a person’s own Rav. In an effort to offer a possible solution, it has launched its Institute of Halachah as a public service. Over the years, the agency’s Kashrus Hotline has answered generic halachic questions from kosher consumers the world over, including inquiries regarding the kosher status of foods and certified Sabbath mode appliances. The formation of a separate official division within STAR-K testifies to the need for addressing these issues.
The Institute of Halachah is directed by HaRav Mordechai Frankel, under the guidance of HaRav Moshe Heinemann, STAR-K’s Rabbinic Administrator. It is an invaluable resource for a diverse array of rabbis to discuss general halachic matters, as well as gain access to source materials for shiurim and answers to congregants’ questions.
Shailos for regular or Kashrus shailos may emailed or discussed using this widget.
Following reports that US Vice President JD Vance was considering a trip to Israel, a senior US official tells Axios the visit was ultimately scrapped due to the escalation of Israel’s military operation in Gaza.
The potential stop would have followed Vance’s appearance at the Vatican on Sunday for the inauguration mass of Pope Leo XIV.
Vance decided not to come, says Axios, citing the US official, “because he didn’t want his trip to suggest the Trump administration endorsed the Israeli decision to launch a massive operation at a time when the US is pushing for a ceasefire and hostage deal.”
Hebrew media reported yesterday that talks were underway to coordinate a visit, with Channel 12 suggesting Tuesday as the likely date. However, a White House official d...
Baltimore, MD – May 19, 2025 - 10:28AM – A broken-down vehicle is currently blocking the exit lane from I-695 to Reisterstown Road, heading toward Hooks Lane.
H/T: Bmore Traffic
Jerusalem, Israel - May 19, 2025 - Ahead of Jerusalem Day 5785, the Western Wall is preparing to welcome tens of thousands of visitors expected to arrive and participate in prayer gatherings and thanksgiving dances in honor of Jerusalem, from Sunday evening through Monday evening.
Schedule of festive events and prayer gatherings at the Western Wall Plaza:
Jerusalem Day Eve – Sunday | 27 Iyar | May 20 | 19:30
A festive maariv evening prayer service and the unfurling of a giant Israeli flag at the center of the Western Wall Plaza, attended by thousands, with the participation of:The Rabbi of the Western Wall and Holy Sites, Rabbi Shmuel Rabinowitz, The Minister for Jerusalem and Jewish Tradition, Rabbi Meir Porush, The Mayor of Jerusalem, Mr. Moshe Lion, The Director of the We...
Baltimore, MD – May 19, 2025 - BJL wishes a hearty Mazel Tov to Mr. and Mrs. Yossi Katz on the birth of a daughter.
Mazel Tov to grandparents Mr. & Mrs Shlomo Rosenbaum
יה"ר שיזכו לגדל בתם לתורה, לחופה, ולמעשים טובים. אמן!
What Should We Call This Era?
It seems to be the dawning of a new Jewish era, and I’m trying to find an appropriate name for it. On the surface, everything appears to be continuing as usual. Political commentators speak with confidence and certainty. Yet beneath it all, a deeper, more surprising story is beginning to unfold—a story of dramatic highs and lows, of spiritual awakening and connection.
Last week, I went to attend the birthday party of Bracha Shilat in Kfar Chabad. She had invited women from across the religious spectrum to participate in a special celebration. Among the speakers was professional dancer Leah Yanai, sister of Moran Stella Yanai, who had been kidnapped from the Nova festival. Leah shared how October 7 changed her life.
She began: “On Oct...
While the new regime in Damascus publicly promotes a policy of reconciliation with the Jewish community, behind the scenes, an entirely different approach is unfolding.
According to a report by Roi Kais on Kan 11 News, the new Syrian regime has transferred between dozens and a hundred homes belonging to Jews who left the country to local residents.
The Syrian Interior Ministry authorized a local entity, headed by Yousef Hamdan and Ahmad Abu Shukr, to transfer properties of "absent Jews" to new owners. This is despite the fact that during former Bashar Al-Assad’s rule, these properties remained in Jewish ownership and were not harmed.
Bechor Simantov, a senior member of the small Jewish community still living in Syria, protested to the new authorities, demanding they halt the ...
Despite opposition from some of the ministers, the Prime Minister has approved the entry of humanitarian aid to the Gaza Strip.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, during a meeting of the Security Cabinet on Sunday, approved the entry of humanitarian aid to the Gaza Strip, per the previous decision and in coordination with the security officials.
The decision was made despite the opposition by several cabinet ministers, including National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir, who demanded a new discussion on the matter and a revote, but his proposal was denied.
According to sources who were present at the meeting, the humanitarian aid will flow to all parts of the Gaza Strip and will not be limited only to the corridors. The decision was highly opposed by several ministers who saw this as a...
The IDF has increased the pace of its Gaza invasion over the weekend, expanding its operations in the enclave, killing dozens of Hamas terrorists, and striking 670 Hamas targets, it announced on Sunday.
IDF Spokesperson Brig.-Gen. Effie Defrin said on Sunday that five IDF divisions were operating in Gaza, which is the first time since late 2023 to early 2024 that such a large volume of soldiers is inside the enclave.
The IDF's 143rd, 36th, and 252nd Divisions have been involved since early March and the 162nd Division eventually joined. Previously, the 98th Division was also involved in a Gaza incursion.
Each division usually consist of anywhere between 5,000 to 10,000 soldiers. For much of the war after the IDF withdrew from Khan Yunis on April 7, 2024, there were o...
President Donald Trump said he and the first lady were "saddened" after learning that former President Joe Biden was diagnosed with prostate cancer, wishing him a "fast and successful recovery."
"Melania and I are saddened to hear about Joe Biden’s recent medical diagnosis," Trump wrote in a post on Truth Social. "We extend our warmest and best wishes to Jill and the family, and we wish Joe a fast and successful recovery."
Trump’s son, Donald Trump Jr., also weighed in on the former president’s diagnosis.In a post on X, Trump Jr. shared another post that read, "BREAKING: Joe Biden has been diagnosed with prostate cancer. Politics aside, we wish him a speedy recovery!"
"Agreed 100%," he wrote on top of the post.
Biden's office confirmed on Sunday that he...
Former President Joe Biden has been diagnosed with prostate cancer just months after he left office, his representatives said Sunday.
Biden received the diagnosis of prostate cancer with metastasis to the bone after he was experiencing increasing urinary symptoms. “While this represents a more aggressive form of the disease, the cancer appears to be hormone-sensitive which allows for effective management. The President and his family are reviewing treatment options with his physicians,” according to a statement from Biden’s personal office.
The diagnosis arrives as Biden, who was 82 when he left office in January, has come under scrutiny for age-related mental and physical declines he suffered while he was president.
The former president had campaigned for ...
White House envoy to the Middle East Steve Witkoff delivered an updated proposal to Israel and Hamas a few days ago for a deal to release the remaining hostages and to implement a ceasefire in Gaza, and is putting pressure on both sides to accept it, according to a senior Israeli official and a separate source familiar with the details.
Although Israel and Hamas have negotiating teams in Doha, the talks on Witkoff's proposal are currently taking place through other channels, according to the sources. This channel was critical to the release of Israeli-American hostage Edan Alexander last week, according to the report. Senior Hamas officials were disappointed that the release of Alexander did not lead to a more positive US stance toward the terrorist organization, a sou...
Baltimore, MD – May 18, 2025 - BJL regrets to inform the community of the petirah of Mark Singerman, z’l, husband of Lore Singerman, and father of Murray (Shifra) Singerman.
The levayah will be held place on Monday, May 19 at 10:30am at Sol Levinson.
The kevurah will take palce at Kneseth Israel Cemetery 101 Defense Hwy. Annapolis, Maryland 21401
Shiva will be observed through Sunday morning May 25 at 2A Stonehenge Circle, Unit 1, Pikesville, MD. 21208
Minyanim
Monday 4 p.m.
Tuesday through Friday mornings 6:45 a.m.
Tuesday through Thursday evenings 7 p.m.
Sunday morning 8 a.m.
The family respectfully requests no visitors between 12-2 p.m. and 5-7 p.m. or after 9 p.m.
Bila HaMaves LaNetzach…
Baltimore, MD – May 18, 2025 - BJL wishes a hearty Mazel Tov to Dani Rosenfeld & Shaindy Lefkovitz on their engagement!
Mazel Tov to Moshe & Leah Rosenfeld and Yanky & Shana Lefkovitz
Mazel Tov to Grandparents Rabbi & Mrs. Yehuda Lefkovitz
יה"ר שיזכו לבנות בית נאמן בישראל. אמן!
In a covert and complex Mossad operation, in cooperation with an allied foreign intelligence service, the official Syrian archive on Eli Cohen – with thousands of findings that were held for decades by the Syrian security forces in a highly compartmentalized manner – have been brought to Israel.
The material was brought to Israel close to the emotional and symbolic 60th anniversary of his execution on 18 May 1965, in a main square in Damascus.
At a special meeting held today (Sunday, 18 May 2025), with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Mossad Director David Barnea, several original documents and personal items that were located in Syria, were presented to Eli Cohen's widow, Nadia. Among the documents were the original will written by Eli Cohen himself, of blessed mem...