November 7, 2016, Baltimore, Maryland

This Shabbos Breishis, we lost our Mom, Gella bas Ze’ev, Greta Schlossberg, a”h.

Mom was not well and has been out of the public eye for many years, but old-time Baltimoreans will remember well her beautiful smile, happy disposition, kindness, and, of course, her music. For over 20 years, she led Bais Yaakov school choirs and played the piano accompaniment at Bais Yaakov and TA events and graduations. She also taught music to thousands of children in the Beth Jacob Sunday school. She wrote plays and cantatas as well as poetry and songs. Many readers will also remember her amazing garden. In everything she did, Mom was maalin bekodesh, using her talents and energy to rise ever higher on the ladder of holiness.

In the most recent issue of the Where What When, Devora Schor wrote an article about homeschooling entitled “Life is our Classroom.” The piece concludes with the statement, “When you homeschool, life is your classroom.” I appreciated the article about homeschooling and enjoyed reading about the different homeschooled children within our community. That said, I was bothered by both the title and the conclusion. “Life is our classroom” is a beautiful idea for anyone, student or otherwise, but to think that it succinctly sums up homeschooling is simply inaccurate. Once beyond elementary age, the child who is being schooled by “life” will be uneducated. What are the chances that a child will encounter calculus, physics, and numerous other academic disciplines through “life”? Even high school-aged homeschoolers who are following what is termed the “unschooling” learning philosophy would question whether “life is our classroom.” For high school students, homeschooled or otherwise, you need much more.”

Despite an historic national decline in the rate of homelessness across the U.S., Baltimore’s homeless population continues to grow.  The most recent report from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) reveals that Baltimore’s homelessness population this year is 2725, up 6% from 2014, the last year Baltimore completed the count of homelessness.

Nationwide the rate of homelessness declined by 3% between 2015 and 2016, according to the most recent Annual Homeless Assessment. Homelessness has declined overall by 14% since 2010, the year the Obama Administration launched Opening Doors, the nation’s first comprehensive strategy to prevent and end homelessness, according to HUD.

Betsy DeVos is hardly a household name, but the Michigan billionaire and conservative activist has quietly helped change the education landscape in many states, spending millions of dollars in a successful push to expand voucher programs that give families taxpayer dollars to pay for private and religious schools.

Now DeVos is poised to spread her preference for vouchers nationwide. President-elect Donald Trump on Wednesday named her as his nominee for education secretary, a pick that suggests he aims to follow through with campaign promises to expand the movement toward “school choice” — including vouchers and charter schools — in an effort to break up a public education system that he has called “a government-run monopoly.”

Popular ride-hailing companies Uber and Lyft will plead their case Thursday before the Maryland Public Service Commission that they should not be required to fingerprint drivers.

Fingerprinting is a standard part of the background check process for taxicab drivers and many other professionals licensed by the state. But Uber and Lyft argue fingerprint-based background checks are less accurate than their own private systems and discriminate against minorities who are more likely to be in the criminal record system following an arrest, even if never convicted.

Under a state law passed in 2015, the companies are required to begin background checking drivers Dec. 15 using the fingerprint database maintained by the state and the FBI, unless they prove their approach is equally effective. Both companies filed separate petitions with the state Public Service Commission, which regulates ridesharing companies, for permission to continue doing background checks their way.

Uber has said it will pull out of Maryland if fingerprinting is enforced. Lyft has not said it would withdraw, but pointed out that it does not operate in any market where fingerprinting is required except New York City.

Mayor Stephanie Rawlings-Blake reaffirmed Thursday that Baltimore welcomes immigrants and refugees, joining a growing number of mayors across the country who say they are trying to allay fear in those communities after the election of Donald J. Trump as president.

Baltimore's mayor said city police will not check the citizenship status of people with whom they interact. Her administration is publishing a community guide that urges immigrants in capital letters: "Do not panic." And city officials are working to steer immigrants toward legal and other resources offered by nonprofits.

Rawlings-Blake said Trump's election creates "a very scary environment for new Americans.

Senior Hamas official Mahmoudud Zahar has suggested that US President-elect Donald Trump is secretly a Jew.

In an interview with Al-Jazeera earlier this month, translated by MEMRI,  Zahar said that "Trump loves the Jews, and not only because he likes the Jewish religion. I do not rule out the possibility that he is a Jew.

See full interview  Here
 

Baltimore is prepared for the upcoming snow season, city officials announced Monday.

Mayor Stephanie Rawlings-Blake said the city has a $6.3 million snow removal budget to go along with more than 300 essential personnel, 280 pieces of city and contractor equipment and 18,100 tons of salt.

"I hope I am not tempting fate by declaring that the city of Baltimore is fully prepared for the winter season ahead, since I have what, only a week and a half? I say that will be someone else's problem," Rawlings-Blake said.

Rawlings-Blake's last day on the job is Dec. 6. Her remarks about tempting fate relate back to her very first days on the job in February 2010, at the helm when snomaggeden dumped 45 inches of snow on Baltimore.

BALTIMORE - Baltimore City is offering free and reduced parking this holiday season.

Parking meters in all nine Main Streets will offer two-hour free parking from Friday, November 25 to Sunday, November 27.

Those streets are: Belair-Edison Main Street, East Monument Street Main Street, Federal Hill Main Street, Fell's Point Main Street, Hamilton-Lauraville Main Street, Highlandtown Main Street, Pennysylvania Avenue Main Street, Pigtown Main Street, Waverly Main Street.

In addition, Caroline Street Garage in Fells Point and Eden & Fleet Garage will offer $1 flat discounted rate from 5 P.M. on weeknights and all day on weekends startiung November 28 through December 24.