Parshas Va’eira

Rabbi Berel Wein As the narrative of the redemption of the Jewish people from Egyptian bondage unfolds, I am continually struck by the apparently gradual process that is described for us in the Torah. What does all of the detail associated with each of the plagues visited upon Egypt come to teach us? And would […]

Biblical or Rabbinic: That is the Question

Rabbi Avrohom Sebrow The Torah affords a father the special right to annul his daughter’s vows while she is a naarah. According to the Ran, this permit is limited to vows that cause the daughter some suffering or otherwise affect the relationship between father and daughter. This leads the Gemara to discuss what amount of […]

Cool Cats

Allan Rolnick, CPA Someday, accountants will be cool. I don’t just mean in the “Oh, you’re majoring in accounting, that’s cool” sense. I mean Steve-McQueen-cruisingthrough-Rome-on-a-Vespa cool. Someday, little kids who dream of growing up to be accountants will collect bubblegum cards with Big Four partners’ pictures on one side and detailed career stats on the […]

Spotlight on Yehuda Cahn

BJH: Tell us a little about your personal and professional background. YC: I’m a lifelong resident of Baltimore. I graduated from Columbia University. I also have a Masters in Talmudic Law from Yeshivas Ner Yisroel and a law degree from the University of Maryland.   I married my wife, Geoula, in 1984 and we have […]

Complicated Grief

Rabbi Azriel Hauptman Death is part of life, and therefore grief and bereavement are also parts of life. Our existence in the set number of years allotted to us by Hashem tends to be full of emotional ups and downs. This is normal. Indeed, even some extreme symptoms of grief are normal for a period […]

Escaping Reality

Rabbi Zvi Teichman At the end of the first assault against Pharaoh and the Egyptian nation, with the plague of Blood, despite the distress, stench and discomfort foisted on his people, Pharaoh can simply shrug it all off. Pharaoh turned away and came to his palace. He did not take this to heart either. (שמות […]

MLK Day Learning at OCA

MLK Day was marked as an important day of learning at OCA. In each division, teachers designed enriching lessons and held important conversations with our students about who Dr. King was and what he stood for. Early Childhood Center: Dr. King wanted everyone to love each other, even though we are each different. Classes read […]

Bais Yaakov Baltimore Middle School wins at CIJE Robotics Tournament

BJLife Newsroom Bais Yaakov middle school was excited to join in the middle school girls’ robotics tournament run by the Center for Initiatives in Jewish Education (CIJE).   In order to create a robotics league that catered to the unique demands of Jewish day schools, CIJE decided to network their participating schools and created a new […]

TA 12th Graders Fahered at Yeshivas Ner Yisroel

BJLife Newsroom TA’s 12th graders from Rabbi Eli Rifkind’s shiur were fahered (tested) on the first perek of Sukkah by Rav Tzvi Einstadter, R’M in Yeshivas Ner Yisroel, and the Rosh HaYeshiva, Moreinu HaRav Aharon Feldman, shlita.