The Belgian city of Aalst on Sunday went ahead with its traditional carnival despite calls from Israel to ban the event over its anti-Semitic floats and costumes. Once again, reported Deutsche Welle, this year's parade included participants dressed in costumes of caricaturistic Jewish stereotypes, with some wearing hooked noses, insect costumes, and exaggerated outfits meant to depict Orthodox Jews. One of the floats also included three Jewish caricatures placed alongside gold bars. Some revelers were also dressed in costumes meant to represent Nazi officers, the report said. Lawmakers in the European Parliament had urged officials in Aalst to make sure this year's parade was free from "manifestations of hatred." This is the second year in the row that the carnival features anti-Semitic tropes. Last year, it featured a float caricaturing Orthodox Jews with hooked noses and sitting on gold bags. Foreign Minister Yisrael Katz on Thursday called on the Belgian authorities to ban the carnival in the city of Aalst. “Belgium as a Western Democracy should be ashamed to allow such a vitriolic anti-Semitic display. I call upon the authorities there to condemn and ban this hateful parade in Aalst,” Katz tweeted. Aalst Mayor Christoph D’Haese said on Thursday that Katz’s call to cancel the festival was “truly disproportional.” “I absolutely call on people to avoid these sensitive subjects,” he said in an interview with the VRT network, as quoted by The Associated Press. “But that is something completely different than the ban which is called for here.” On Sunday, D'Haese again dismissed the criticism and calls for a ban on the festivities, saying "let Aalst be Aalst." "This is not an anti-Semitic parade," he told reporters, according to Deutsche Welle. "Aalst is not an anti-Semitic city." In December, UNESCO, the UN’s culture committee, withdrew the Aalst carnival from its heritage list over the anti-Semitism. D'Haese initially defended the presence of the anti-Semitic float, saying that “it’s not up to the mayor to forbid” such displays, and that “the carnival participants had no sinister intentions.” However, ahead of UNESCO's decision to withdraw the carnival from its heritage list, D'Haese renounced Aalst's place on the list before it could be stripped of the designation. PINNED Scroll for more news 
Baltimore, MD - Feb. 16, 2026 - As part of Kesser Torah’s current Mesikus HaTorah campaign, the yeshiva has released a song titled Mesikus HaTorah. Composed by Mrs. Ruchie Torgow and sung by the KT bochurim, the song gives powerful expression to the campaign’s theme. Its words are adapted from the Ohr HaChaim HaKadosh.
In Parshas Ki Savo (Devarim 26:11), the Torah states:
ושמחת בכל הטוב אשר נתן לך ה' אלקיך ולביתך…
And you will be b’simcha with all the tov that Hashem has given you and your home…
On these words, the Ohr HaChaim explains that if a person genuinely grasped the sweetness of Torah, he would be so overwhelmed by its goodness that nothing else would hold any appeal. Torah would eclipse every other pursuit.
...
Baltimore, MD - Feb. 16, 2026 - After nearly five years of planning, the Alvin S. Mintzes Hatzalah of Baltimore M58 Loni Borck Memorial Garage is officially open and in service.
The garage is dedicated in memory of Loni Borck, one of Hatzalah of Baltimore’s original responders whose dedication and selflessness helped lay the foundation for the organization’s lifesaving mission. This facility ensures that his legacy continues with every call answered from this location.
The project originated from a shared vision and joint leadership effort between Suburban Orthodox and Hatzalah and was realized through broad collaboration and community support. Howard Brown and his team worked tirelessly to ensure that every logistical and operational detail was addressed. &n...
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Milcha is only 2 months old and is fighting a severe liver disease that is threatening her life.
Doctors have told her parents that her only chance to survive is urgent, advanced treatment abroad. The costs are overwhelming, and her family cannot do this alone.
Her mother, Feiga Tehila, is begging for help to save her baby girl.
Every donation helps give Milcha another chance to live.
Even sharing this message can help reach someone who can save her.
Please don’t ignore this. A baby’s life is at stake. 💔
👉 Donate and help save Milcha:
https://go.aloviakids.org/bn688nx1?utm_source=jbl16.2at
Baltimore, MD – Feb. 16, 2026 - BJL wishes a hearty Mazel Tov to Yitzy Bienenstock (Baltimore) and Chana Greenberg (Bergenfield, NJ) on their engagement.
Mazel Tov to David & Renee Bienenstock
יה"ר שיזכו לבנות בית נאמן בישראל. אמן!
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!
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. 
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 1:30PM at the Baron Hirsch cemetery in Memphis, TN.
Shiva in Baltimore will be observed by Mrs. Glazer 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.
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Watch: Anti-Semitic Belgian Carnival Goes Ahead Despite Calls For It To Be Cancelled (Video & Photos)
The Belgian city of Aalst on Sunday went ahead with its traditional carnival despite calls from Israel to ban the event over its anti-Semitic floats and costumes. 
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