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Around the Community Kesser Torah Celebrates Simchas HaTorah

In what can only be described as a true Simchas ha’Torah, this past Sunday the community danced a brand new Sefer Torah from the Life Bridge parking lot on Greene Tree Road to Kesser Torah’s campus at 8400 Park Heights Avenue. As everyone gathered together for this special occasion, there was a general sense that the event not only marked the completion of a Sefer Torah, which was completed over the last six months in Eretz Yisroel, but also welcomed the greater Baltimore community to Kesser Torah’s new campus.

The bochurim of the yeshiva danced around their rebbeim, local rabbonim, and members of the Leder family, who generously sponsored the Torah, amidst joyous singing enhanced by “Korn’s Hachnosos Sefer Torah Truck.”

Prior to the event, Rabbi Avrohom Feldheim, Menahel of Kesser Torah, reminded the bochurim of the Gemara in Menachos (30a), which states that “one who writes a Sefer Torah is considered as if he has received it at Sinai.” The Menahel used this idea to ignite in the talmidim a sense that they would be recreating Matan Torah at the event. Based on the infectious simcha that permeated throughout the afternoon and evening, it was clear that the bochurim took this idea to heart.

The entire event took place during Kesser Torah’s fundraising campaign to raise funds for the renovation of their new building. Next year, the community’s new Makom Torah will be home to approximately one hundred bochurim in the yeshiva’s Mesivta and Bais Medrash.

JEWELS Satellite End Of Year Activities

RAJE Returns Live After 15 Month Online

By RAJE Staff

After over a year of virtual learning, RAJE is finally back with a bang - in real life! Despite the challenges of recruiting over quarantine, RAJE managed to engage over 30 new students during the pandemic. Many of them met each other for the first time recently at two live events, the first after 15 months of Zoom learning. The first real event was a BBQ, Bonfire and Kumzitz that took place the week of Lag B’Omer. For several it was their first live social event since last March – and some had been learning weekly with RAJE staff for the past year without ever meeting in person. The event was generously hosted by Mr. and Mrs. Yonason Grier in their home behind Yeshiva Lane. Close to 20 participants came to enjoy Shashlik (Russian/Central Asian Shish Kabob) and Bucharian-style Burgers. They also heard words of wisdom from Material’s Engineer, Mr. Daniel Shreiber, who is himself a Russian Jew. He spoke about the metaphysical properties of light and the connection to Kabbalah. They also enjoyed live guitar music by Ner Israel kollel avreich, Yonatan Shansky, who taught them the traditional “Amar Rebbe Akiva” niggun. The event was dedicated to those who lost their lives in the Meron tragedy and RAJE director, Rabbi Gavriel Horan, spoke about the dual nature of Lag B’omer as a day of joy while also acknowledging the death of Rebbe Akiva’s talmidim.

Following the success of the first event, RAJE recently hosted their first post-pandemic Shabbaton in the Ranchleigh neighborhood. Over 15 students and young professionals came together to experience what was for some, their first Shabbos ever. Others, who had attended as many as six RAJE Shabbatons before the pandemic, had been waiting eagerly for another one. After a lively davening at Kehilath B’nai Torah (Rabbi Seidemann), participants ate by hosts in the area. Following dinner, everyone gathered at an oneg at the new home of Dr. and Mrs. Elie Miller. The oneg included emotional speeches from both students and bal habatim about the importance of Shabbos in their lives and went until 3am! Shabbos day, students were invited to attend davening and Kiddush at Mercaz Torah U’tefillah (Rabbi Eichenstein) followed by lunch at the RAJE rabbis’ homes. Shabbos afternoon the group visited the home of Mr. Howard Tzvi Friedman to hear a fascinating talk entitled “Social Media, Gaza, and the New Anti-Semitism.”

Shabbos ended on a high note with an uplifting Shalosh Seudos at the home of Rabbi Shmuel Brody, former spiritual leader of Ashreicheim Yisrael in Seattle, WA. He led the group in heartfelt singing along with Divrei Torah. Shalosh Seudos was generously sponsored by Mr. Dov and Jenny Ocken in honor of moving into their new home.

After Shabbos, some of the participants said that they are ready to start coming for Shabbos meals every week! Several requested a full Shabbaton each month. Plans are already underway to start planning the next one. Over the Pandemic, two sisters whose mother is a Russian Jew and father is Pakistani Muslim, started keeping Shabbos. When their grandfather passed away, they decided to do a mitzvah in his memory. After spending a Shabbos with relatives in New York, they decided that bringing Shabbos into their lives would be an ideal way to honor his memory while bringing their family closer together. “We felt like we needed to detox from Zoom and Shabbos was the perfect way to do that,” they explained. “It gives us down time to connect to ourselves and has brought us closer to each other as a family.”

Throughout the pandemic and beyond, RAJE is here to connect Russian Jews to each other, to Judaism, and to the Jewish community. Please reach out if you would like to get involved with hosting or sponsoring a future Shabbaton, event, or learning session feel free to reach out at www.rajemaryland.com

Baltimore’s Controversial Surveillance Plane Program Ruled Unconstitutional

By: Staff Reporter

BaltimoreJewishLife.com/Jeff Cohn

The Fourth Circuit U.S. Court of Appeals ruled Thursday Baltimore’s controversial aerial surveillance program is unconstitutional.

The ACLU of Maryland, representing a group of Baltimore City activists, argued for the court to block the city police department from using the “AIR” pilot program.

The Aerial Investigative Research flew a plane over Baltimore for six months. The pilot program ended last fall. In February, the city’s Board of Public Works officially nixed the program.

“The residents of Baltimore were being treated as enemy combatants by their own police department,” David Rocah, a senior staff attorney with the ACLU of Maryland, said. “This was the equivalent of everyone in Baltimore being forced to wear a tracking device every time they left the house.”

The 8-7 decision from the 15-judge court ruled the aerial surveillance violated citizens’ Fourth Amendment rights.

Yeshivas Toras Chaim Row A Thon – A Fun Day For All!

Yeshivas Toras Chaim ended off the year with a fantastic, memorable fundraising event, our second annual Go Row! Row A Thon on June 20th at the Brunswick Family Campground. As the 50 rowers paddled down the Potomac River in canoes and kayaks, they were treated to majestic views of the river and beautiful scenery along the way (not to mention the gorgeous weather)! Tubing, rock climbing and moon bounces added to the fun, and everyone enjoyed a delicious BBQ back at the campground. We thank our participants, their sponsors, and our corporate sponsors. We look forward to another Go Row! event in the future, and hope you’ll join us rowing down the Potomac!