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You may have heard that the New York State Education Department recently published proposed Regulations about “substantial equivalency of instruction” required for students attending nonpublic schools. This can have severe ramifications for yeshivos and day schools across the board in NYS, so we wanted to provide some answers to common questions we are receiving about this serious development. Q: How might the proposed regulations affect my child’s yeshiva? A: The Regulations, on their face, may require schools to make major adjustments to their limudei kodesh and secular programming. For example, the proposed regulations specify 1) the number of required hours – as many as 4-5 hours per day, depending on grade level; 2) more than 12 required subjects, including, at the lower elementary level, consumer and family science, visual arts, theater, media arts, career development, occupational studies, etc.; 3) assessment of teachers to an undefined standard. Results, grades, competencies, graduation rates, or other factors regarding equivalency to public schools are not taken into account for these purposes. To view the proposed Regulation click here. Q: Didn’t the court already strike down the SED Guidelines 3 months ago? A: Yes, those Guidelines were thrown out by the NY State Supreme Court in response to lawsuits brought by Agudath Israel, PEARLS, Torah Umesorah, and other groups. However, the court struck down the Guidelines because the State Education Department failed to comply with the technical requirements for new rulemaking. By publishing its “proposed Regulations” in the NYS Register, SED has now started an “official” process in compliance with those requirements. Q: How do the new proposed Regulations differ from the previous Guidelines?? A: The new Regulations are substantially identical to the previous Guidelines. Q: What happens now? A: There is a sixty day public comment period (until September 2) when individuals can voice their concerns regarding these proposed regulations. At the conclusion of the process, the Regulations come before the Board of Regents for a vote, expected this fall. Q: I heard that State Education Commissioner Elia resigned earlier this week. Does that mean this is over? A: No. The impact of Commissioner's Elia's resignation on this issue is still to be determined, but the proposed Regulations have already been published and the comment period is in place. Q: What is being done to fight for parents who choose, and sacrifice dearly, for their children to attend yeshivos? A: The Agudah has been working with organizations in the community - PEARLS and Torah Umesorah, among others - to oppose the newest incarnation of the state's attempt to control yeshivos. It should be noted that the Catholic and NYSAIS independent schools (which, together with Jewish schools, form the majority of nonpublic schools in NYS) also strongly oppose these regulations. Q: Is there anything I can do? A: Yes! SED is required, by law, to read comments submitted. While many have previously signed petitions, which is important, these comments are required to be read by law. We have set up a system, where, with just a few clicks, you can voice your opinion on this critical matter. Q: I live in Chicago, but the overreach of these regulations concerns me. May I register my comment? A: The regulations do not restrict comments to NYS residents.
Baltimore, MD – Feb. 15, 2026 - BJL wishes a hearty Mazel Tov to Yehoshua Schmulian and Shulamis Tova Storch on their engagement.
Mazel Tov to Howard & Nechama Schmulian and Frank & Danielle Sara Storch
יה"ר שיזכו לבנות בית נאמן בישראל. אמן!
Jerusalem, Israel - Feb. 15, 2026 - Led by Conference of Presidents Chair Betsy Berns Korn and CEO William C. Daroff, the delegation, representing the Conference’s 50-member organization and guests, rose to welcome Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who gave the keynote address at the Opening gala of the Conference of Presidents of Major American Jewish Organizations’ 51st Leadership Mission to Israel tonight in Jerusalem.
Against a backdrop of regional tensions in a changing Middle East, and an alarming rise in antisemitism in the United States and globally, seventy key U.S. Jewish leaders are convening this week, February 15–19, at the Inbal Hotel in Jerusalem for the Conference of Presidents’ 51st Annual National Leadership Missio...
Jerusalem, Israel - Feb. 15, 2026 - Canadian-born sculptor Rachel Rotenberg has spent more than four decades carving a distinctive artistic language — one that, as critics describe, “thinks with a pencil and speaks with wood.”
Born in Toronto in 1958, Rotenberg earned her BFA from York University and continued her studies in Jerusalem and New York, including at the School of Visual Arts. For many years, she lived and worked in Baltimore, where she became an active presence in the city’s vibrant arts community and exhibited widely. In 2015, she relocated to Jerusalem, opening a new chapter in an already accomplished international career.
On Friday, February 13, Rotenberg unveiled works from her evolving Dream Catcher series at 'Studio of Her Own' (סטו...
Baltimore, MD – Feb. 15, 2026 – BJL regrets to inform the community of the petira of Rabbi Avi Cohen, z’l, (Detroit) brother of Mrs. Shulamit Gartenhaus.
Shiva will begin at 6503 Park Heights Ave, Apt 1A, Baltimore, MD 21215, on Tueday:
Tuesday afternoon 2pm- 5:30 and 7-8:30,
Wednesday and Thursday 10-12:30 1:30-4 and 6-8pm,
Friday 10-1,
Motzaei Shabbos 7-9pm
בלע המות לנצח
Baltimore, MD – Feb. 15, 2026 – (BJL) A major power outage has been reported along Reisterstown Road, affecting the stretch from Old Court Road to Sudbrook Lane. The outage is due to a transformer failure. Residents and businesses in the area are currently experiencing power disruption.
Baltimore, MD – Feb. 15, 2026 – 7:29 PM (BJL) An accident has occurred at the intersection of Cross Country Blvd. and Clarks Lane, likely due to traffic light issues at that intersection. Expect delays in the area and use caution when approaching the intersection.
Baltimore, MD – Feb. 15, 2026 - BJL wishes a hearty Mazel Tov to Yehuda Lurie and Dasi Epstein on their engagement.
יה"ר שיזכו לבנות בית נאמן בישראל. אמן!
Baltimore, MD – Feb. 15, 2026 – 4:30PM (BJL) Traffic lights are down at Old Court & Reisterstown Road and at Cross Country Boulevard & Clarks Lane.
Baltimore, MD – Feb. 15, 2026 – BJL regrets to inform the community of the petira of Louis Safier, z’l, brother of Mrs. Laura Ann (Rabbi Mordechai) Glazer.
The levaya will take place tomorrow, Monday, Feb. 16, 2026 at 1:00PM at the Baron Hirsch cemetery in Memphis, TN.
Shiva in Baltimore will be observed at 3904 Fallstaff Road, Baltimore, MD 21215 on Friday and Motzaei Shabbos.
Details to follow
בלע המות לנצח
Baltimore, MD - Feb. 15, 2026 - A new report from Baltimore’s Office of the Inspector General (OIG) is offering taxpayers a detailed look at how the city financed Artscape, including the use of more than a half-million dollars in federal COVID relief money for entertainment and related events.
The OIG found the city used more than $500,000 in federal pandemic relief dollars to pay for Artscape entertainment, including $240,000 for one headliner and $125,000 for another. The report also found more than $26,000 was used to pay for the mayor’s VIP reception.
Those expenditures were part of the $641 million the federal government awarded Baltimore for the purpose of recovering from COVID. The city has insisted it complied with the rules governing how the federal dollars could be ...
Baltimore, MD – Feb. 15, 2026 - BJL wishes a hearty Mazel Tov to Ron Belman and Devorah Elan on their engagement.
Mazel Tov to Anna Belman and Yoav & Sarah Elan
יה"ר שיזכו לבנות בית נאמן בישראל. אמן!
Baltimore, MD – Feb. 15, 2026 - BJL wishes a hearty Mazel Tov to Yaakov and Lena Resnick on the birth of Miriam Shoshana
Mazel tov to grandparents David & Esther Resnick and Yosef and Galina Gornapolskaya
יה"ר שיזכו לגדל בתם לתורה, לחופה, ולמעשים טובים. אמן!
Baltimore, MD - Feb. 14, 2026 - Thousands of traffic tickets issued to Baltimore city-owned vehicles last year have added up to hundreds of thousands of dollars in fines, but most of that money has not been paid to the city, according to reporting by our media partners at The Baltimore Sun.
Vehicles driven by city employees racked up 4,088 traffic citations in 2025 totaling about $452,000, with speeding listed as the most common traffic violation for city agencies, the Sun reported. The majority of those citations were waived by the city.
“There seems to be an abuse of the system, abuse of the process,” David Williams, a taxpayer advocate, said.
Williams, who is president of the Taxpayers Protection Alliance, said the issue goes beyond lost revenue.
“The ...
Baltimore, MD – Feb. 13, 2026 – BJL regrets to inform the community of the petira of Halina Schwartz, a’h, mother of Rivky (David) Stern.
The levayh will take place on Sunday, February 15th at 10:00am at the Young Israel Staten Island. Kevurah in IsraelShiva will be observed through Wednesday evening, at 3300 Timberfield Lane, Baltimore, MD 21208. Tuesday - 4:00-6:00pm, 7:30-9:30pm Wednesday - 9:00am-12:00pm, 1:00-6:00pm, 7:30-9:30pm. Rivky will finish sitting shiva at 69 Joseph Ave, Staten Island, NY 10314.
בלע המות לנצח
Baltimore, MD – Feb. 13, 2026 - BJL wishes a hearty Mazel Tov to Eliezer Krawatsky and Faigy Eisenberg on their engagement.
Mazel Tov to Shmuel & Shira Krawatsky and Akiva & Rivky Esinberg
יה"ר שיזכו לבנות בית נאמן בישראל. אמן!
Baltimore County, MD – Feb. 13, 2026 – Baltimore County officials clarified that trash and recycling will be collected on Presidents Day this Monday, Feb. 16, correcting earlier information that suggested a holiday slide schedule. Correction notices were mailed to residents this week to address the error.
Baltimore, MD – Feb. 13, 2026 - BJL wishes a hearty Mazel Tov to Avigdor Tendler and Leeba Cohen on their engagement.
Mazel Tov to Eliyahu & Sara Nechama Tendler and Sholom & Yocheved Cohen
יה"ר שיזכו לבנות בית נאמן בישראל. אמן!
One of the Torah’s fundamental principles, cited in Parshas Mishpatim, is the concept of eyen tachas eyen, shayn tachas sheyn – that the Torah ascribes punishments on a mida k’neged midah basis. Nevertheless, within this framework, we understand that the Torah does not literally call for blinding one who blinds or cutting off the arm of one who steals, rather monetary damages are paid to the victim of a crime by the perpetrator. This doctrine is consistent with the Torah’s approach to the Eved Ivri. (21:2) There are two ways in which a person can become an Eved Ivri. Either, one chooses to sell himself so as to eliminate the burden of supporting himself for a period of time or Bais Din may sell someone into avdus if they steal and are unable ...
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