For many members of the Orthodox Jewish community in Kemp Mill the Montgomery County Planning Board isn’t taking the “human factor” into account in its pursuit of a rezoning plan along University Boulevard The board approved a working draft of the plan in January to “rezone and improve safety” along a 3.5-mile stretch of University Boulevard between Wheaton and the Capital Beltway, according to Montgomery Community Media Its goal is to improve traffic safety and boost economic development and regional connectivity The University Boulevard Corridor Plan recommends the rezoning of the existing shopping centers religious properties and properties that face University Boulevard giving area property owners the opportunity to build different housing types to “add more height and density.” Many of the residents who oppose the UBC plan cited traffic congestion as their primary concern The plan recommends new and wider sidewalks bikeways and protected crossings to address residents’ safety concerns along the corridor It would reduce the number of through-vehicle traffic lanes on University Boulevard from three per direction to two per direction “Cars will be gridlocked if there are fewer lanes,” Jules Szanton the president of the Kemp Mill Civic Association cars will be slowed down by slower speed limits He said the plan calls to lower speed limits to 25 to 30 miles per hour on the state highway and enforce these speed limits with speed cameras The plan would also prohibit right turns on red giving pedestrians more time to cross University Boulevard but potentially longer commute times for drivers and remove some right turn lanes: “Cars will be stuck waiting behind cars that are trying to turn right and cars that are trying to turn right will be stuck behind traffic,” Szanton said The planning board identified Arcola Avenue as one of at least five areas to turn into bus rapid transit station locations which typically include roadways that are dedicated to buses and give priority to buses at intersections a 12-year resident of Kemp Mill and member of the Kemp Mill Civic Association said the plan would at least double her daily commute to the Torah School of Greater Washington “The University Boulevard Corridor Plan is a huge effort to create a 15-minute [walkable] city in an already suburban area,” Penn said She said residents will still require cars to get around Kemp Mill the plan is contradictory because it recommends additional housing while removing state highway capabilities “We’ll have more people using worse infrastructure,” he said “The county thinks we can just switch from commuting by car to commuting by bus or biking or walking places but that’s still not going to work for people in Kemp Mill You can’t drop your kids off at school on a bicycle You can’t really go grocery shopping on a city bus And none of this is going to work if you live a mile away from the nearest bus lane or bike lane He emphasized that these potential traffic issues don’t just affect the Orthodox Jewish community “We all have an interest in being able to get around and not having constant traffic jams to ruin our environment and our quality of life,” he said one of the properties that would be affected is the “beating heart of our community,” Szanton said It’s where the region’s Orthodox Jewish families access a kosher supermarket and eateries The plan would open the shopping center to commercialization or residentialization larger business could build a site larger than legally permitted in the area This action would create competition for Shalom Kosher a supermarket that resident Brit Siman-Tov said “isn’t the cheapest store” due to the added costs of the kosherization process More residential properties means an influx of people to the shopping center who might not need to shop at a kosher supermarket potentially creating increased demand for other businesses and harming Shalom Kosher and the other kosher eateries there stores we rely on could be temporarily closed “Our beloved local businesses might be unable to afford higher rent.” “Without [Shalom Kosher in the Kemp Mill Shopping Center] there’s no other source of kosher food other than in Rockville then our Orthodox Jewish way of life here possibly ceases to exist.” “We’re gonna have to move,” Siman-Tov said she jokes with her husband the volunteer communications director for the Montgomery County Communities Coalition said the MCPB doesn’t take into account the lives of the residents affected by the plan members of the planning department have not walked the streets of the community,” Schoenholtz said “They have not talked to people who are going about their daily business whether it’s going to shop at the kosher butcher store or taking their kids to school.” He said that while the UBC plan may look good on the map It’s for this reason that Siman-Tov organized the opposition effort starting a group chat with about 200 community members and “a lot of momentum.” Representatives from local Jewish institutions testified at hearings held by the planning board in opposition to the UBC plan including members of Young Israel Shomrai Emunah of Greater Washington and students and Rabbi Eliyahu Reingold of the Yeshiva of Greater Washington “One of the reasons why the Orthodox community has rallied around is the fact that they feel that their voices are not being heard,” Schoenholtz said “They may be invited to listening sessions but listening and hearing are different things.” The planning board is currently in the public hearing and work sessions phase in which it is collecting community feedback and looking to refine the working draft The draft will be sent to the Montgomery County Council for review this summer [email protected] This map will help you derermine if your home library or house of worship is one of 1000s that are slated to be rezoned for high density housing [Link deleted]?appid=35c44dee1734457185b0604f3ce67e5e and website in this browser for the next time I comment The Montgomery County Planning Board approved a working draft of a plan to rezone and improve safety along a 3.5-mile stretch of University Boulevard between Wheaton and the Capital Beltway The county council is expected to review these plans this summer The area includes Montgomery Blair High School Saint Bernadette Catholic Church and School and many homes The goal of the plan is to improve traffic safety and to boost economic development and regional connectivity It calls for rezoning an area that now calls mainly for single family homes to CRN and CRT zones The overlay zone would be used to define neighborhood residential building types and prioritize development standards It would permit a diversity of housing types including single units Amount of setback and height limits would be different in an overlay zone than in a residential zone A building could be granted 90% lot coverage if deemed appropriate for that area improved parks and better public transportation stops The plan recommends rezoning of existing single-use commercial shopping centers Other recommendations include locating higher building densities and mixed uses at locations near BRT stations with existing commercial properties the Kemp Mill Shopping Center and Four Corners and ensure new development transitions from larger to smaller buildings to adjacent residential properties Bus dedicated lanes would be installed along University Boulevard and Colesville Road The plan includes ways to connect smaller streets rather than flowing onto University Boulevard That includes looking into alternate ways to get around the Four Corners area by University Boulevard and Colesville Road After listening to the plan presentation by county planners Planning Board Chair Artie Harris praised the staff’s “outstanding outreach to the community” for input “This is really a remarkable plan,” said Board Member Josh Linden “It’s nice to see it come to fruition.” Suzanne is a freelance reporter with Montgomery Community Media She has over 35 years professional experience writing for newspapers I recently spent a week there while my son was playing in the Steven Glouberman z’l Basketball Tournament for Jewish high schools Although I live in the very Jewish neighborhood of Kemp Mill I was amazed at the cornucopia of Jewish resources available in Los Angeles I am currently in availus (mourning) for my father and I need to say Kaddish three times a day to a 12:45 early Mincha at Congregation Levi Yitzchock and a late 9:45 Maariv at Beth Jacob that allowed me to take in the election returns after I landed on Tuesday night Attending the Glouberman tournament allowed me to see some of the remarkable educational institutions in LA It was thrilling to see 1,000 frum Jews cheering on the semi-finalists Saturday night — including my son’s terrific Berman Cougars — at the daunting Shalhevet gym The one discordant note was seeing the intense security at these institutions which subjected visitors to almost an embassy-level scrutiny with multiple armed guards with magnetometers and bulletproof vests I was privileged to speak at Beth Jacob on Shabbat and made the point that this level of security should not be normal and they should appreciate the efforts by the terrific security teams to keep the community secure But Jews should never lose sight of the fact that it’s not right that it requires this level of security to keep Jews safe in 21st century America the volume of which unfortunately puts my own Silver Spring to shame but there were so many other tasty places I could have sampled Beyond these basic — and well-served — Jewish needs is also a vibrant intellectual life Woody Allen in Annie Hall said dismissively of Los Angeles “I don’t want to move to a city where the only cultural advantage is being able to make a right turn on a red light.” This sense of intellectual superiority has long been the prevailing view of LA in northeastern cities like New York and its Jewish community includes an impressive assortment of writers and thinkers While on my short trip, I met with a host of folks shaping our nation’s intellectual trajectory. Joel Kotkin, whose work I’ve been reading for years, had me on his excellent “Feudal Future” podcast with Marshall Toplansky to discuss my new book, “The Power and the Money: The Epic Clashes Between Commanders in Chief and Titans of Industry.” I had a fascinating Shabbat dinner at the lovely home of the Free Press’ Abigail Shrier and her trivia-loving husband Zachary Other guests included the Free Beacon’s Noah Pollak; the Free Press’ tireless pro-Israel advocate Brianna Wu; intellectual dark web theorist Eric Weinstein and his wife author of the high-profile Tablet article “The Vanishing”; and Triggernometry’s Konstantin Kisin and Francis Foster These current-day stars all eschew the traditional mainstream media for new or non-traditional platforms its distance from the northeastern mainstream media capitals allows conservatives to thrive on these alternative platforms something Democrats learned about to their cost in the recent election my friend and uber-LA-connector Craig Lewis brought me to lunch at the home of Alan and Sharon Gomperts I had no idea going in that Sharon was one of the Jewish Journal’s “Sephardic Spice Girls.” Sharon’s cooking and recipe partner Rachel Emquies Sheff was there as well and the meal was On Saturday night, Breitbart’s Joel Pollak, an old friend, joined me at the Glouberman tournament. Joel is a prolific author and his August book, “The Agenda: What Trump Should Do in His First Hundred Days,” seems especially prescient now One additional enjoyable element of LA intellectual life is that there are always smart people visiting we saw the redoubtable Hillel Neuer of UN Watch Neuer was in LA because a brave pro-Israel actress when asked who in the world she would most like to dine with where he spotted Shabbos Kestenbaum and invited him to join us Kestenbaum was in LA on a speaking tour while he tries to figure out what do now that he’s been liberated from Harvard Any employer would be smart to snap up this talented and brave go-getter On Sunday, I spent time with my brother Gil Troy, in town to promote his own new book, “To Resist the Academic Intifada: Letters to My Students on Defending the Zionist Dream.” Gil invited me to breakfast with Jewish Journal editor David Suissa whom I’d long admired and was excited to finally meet the Polak Foundation and intellectual salon host David Blumberg Gil told me that while walking on Santa Monica Boulevard he spotted a short Russian man with an IDF hat wary of having to entertain a starstruck fan I capped off my trip by having coffee with my old friend Craig Turk TV producer of the successful “FBI” series As influential as some of the other people I had met with had been whose shows are watched by nearly 20 million people weekly A vacation for me is going to a place with kosher food Editor’s note: Since this story was written the news came out that Dennis Prager was seriously injured after an accidental fall and underwent surgery We join everyone who is praying for his recovery Tevi Troy is a Senior Scholar at Yeshiva University’s Straus Center and a former Deputy Secretary of HHS and senior White House aide He is the author of five books on the presidency including “The Power and the Money: The Epic Clashes Between Commanders in Chief and Titans of Industry.”  elections in the 39th World Zionist Congress nears conclusion—voting closes May 4—American Zionist Movement (AZM) Executive Director Herbert Block said there were few barriers of entry to voting in what Jewish leaders are describing as a consequential election We are here today because Jewish fathers and mothers wanted more than happiness from their children The bipartisan group includes Los Angeles representatives Brad Sherman (D-Sherman Oaks) and Ted Lieu (D-West LA) Speaking ill of someone once most likely leads to a second time “We want people to realize they don’t necessarily have to drive far to see cherry blossoms,” said Keegan Clifford “The flowering cherry trees map may reveal a few trees or a healthy stand within a short distance of their home.”   One thing the online map cannot reveal—the cherry trees’ peak bloom time which is expected in late March or early April “Montgomery Parks cherry blossom season is more of a slow rollout rather than a sudden burst of color which bloom at different times,” said James Polino my best advice is regular check-ins on the blossoms in several spots It‘s a good excuse to get out into nature as spring arrives.“  stores and displays geographic information and presents it in a visual and understandable way My overriding thought after seeing a preview of “Looking UP,” a new documentary that will be screened at the Annapolis Film Festival on Sunday was ‘What challenges should I try?’ I think everyone who sees the film will start their own list an experienced rock-climbing guide and a friend’s avid mountaineering father the iconic 3,000-vertical-foot granite rock formation in Yosemite National Park What makes Armon’s climb exceptional is that he is legally blind with severely limited vision Let go of what you can’t control and focus on what you can.” sleeping on a portaledge tethered to the side of El Capitan and hovering thousands of feet in the air He and his companions originally planned to do the climb in three days but some unanticipated challenges led to an additional cold and stressful 28 hours on the wall — all of which is documented on camera Armon’s family are members of the Kemp Mill Synagogue and Eitan (and his sisters) attended the Hebrew Academy of Greater Washington (now Berman Hebrew Academy) and Charles E He then attended a premilitary academy in Israel and served in the Israel Defense Forces as a sharpshooter in a paratrooper unit but his repeated stumbles and other visual difficulties at night led to a series of eye exams that resulted in a diagnosis of retinitis pigmentosa (RP) a rare genetic eye disease that affects the retina (the light-sensitive layer of tissue in the back of the eye) RP causes cells in the retina to break down slowly over time with numbers worldwide in the double digits only Armon has lost his night and peripheral vision but a medication he gets through a clinical trial has preserved about 5% of his central vision And research on stem cells being conducted at the University of Iowa could The potential for others to benefit from treatment is the key reason why he is so keen to share his story with others looking for RP information and care Adaptive technology allows Armon to thrive at his finance job in New York City Eitan reached out to filmmaker Elena Neuman for advice about making a public service informational video to raise awareness about RP where she worked as a journalist and film producer while her husband served in the government The first iteration of the RP film stalled when the hospital conducting the clinical trial refused to participate due to pandemic-related health regulations came about when Armon visited Neuman’s home and saw a photo of her husband and son climbing El Capitan “Eitan was excited at the opportunity to learn to rock climb but his interest in making the film was really to raise awareness about RP It’s about figuring out how to lead one’s best life no matter what challenges or limitations one faces.” The film cuts seamlessly among scenes from Armon’s life with RP — a barbecue with his family a car ride with his father after a checkup a walk in the park with psychologist Tal Ben-Shahar “Painful experiences and emotions are part and parcel of every life,” Ben-Shahar said as the two walk together “The question is what you do with them when they arise.” Armon has let little to nothing slow him down he hiked up with a friend to hit the slopes Stories within the larger story include Armon’s relationship with his fiancée Tamar It’s impossible not to fall in love with this sweet couple as Tamar said “People are worried about how unworried you are” about this climb Armon sends a video message describing the day’s experiences Armon said while the film is about his climb he’s not “trying to encourage people to train to climb mountains but we all have small challenges in our day-to-day lives It doesn’t have to literally be a mountain If you are interested in learning more about RP, participating in a clinical trial, or contributing to the important research being done in the field, please contact the author at [email protected] “Looking UP” will be shown on Sunday, March 30, at the 13th Annual Annapolis Film Festival at 12:30 p.m. For tickets and more information visit aff2025.eventive.org/passes/buy Rabbi Tzvi Hametz blends technology with Jewish tradition at Berman Hebrew Academy where he is in his fourth year as the director of STEM education Hametz was inspired to take on this work as a Yeshiva University student who was bored by a professor who read directly off of the lecture slides he asked the professor about this approach given their self-described expertise in cognitive psychology and learning development It wasn’t particularly compelling,’” Hametz recalled asking the professor Hametz realized there was a significant disconnect between what we know about the brain and how we teach and wanted to bridge this gap by guiding teachers to teach more effectively “A friend pointed out that no teacher was ever going to listen to me until I had experience in a classroom,” Hametz said became a part-time student and pursued education are teen youth directors at Kemp Mill Synagogue and live in Kemp Mill but I had a lovely rabbi in high school who challenged me and said “You’re very open-minded; very open to new experiences You should go.” My intention was originally to go straight to the [Israeli] army “You should try [going to yeshiva].” It started off as a rocky activity; I didn’t love sitting and learning Just weeks or months before I attempted to join the army and my mother wanted me to come back and get a degree in the States and then make aliyah So she got on a plane and came to Israel to get me to come back to America I felt so insecure about my teaching skills I was willing to play with every “toy” [the school] gave me I would spend countless hours playing with every tech tool and I found that the more I let kids construct and build their own learning I teach four classes at Berman Hebrew Academy I teach Intro to Video Games and Video Game History which involves middle schoolers learning coding and we apply that knowledge to build our own video games Everything’s seen through the light of reinterpreting biblical narratives so we can turn those into video games as well as understanding how we can gamify Jewish law Puppetry and Robotics; it’s the foundations of making things move We’re again looking through the lens of Tanakh “What story could we reinterpret through technological means?” One high school class is an introduction to computer-integrated manufacturing which we do through the lens of Judaica design Kids are learning at a more advanced stage: laser cutting The final class is an open Maker Space time It’s a time for kids to explore the Jewish call to creativity [email protected] the 1800+ students of Northwood High School will attend Charles Woodward High School in Rockville while the buildings at their former Silver Spring location get reconstructed 🚧  Northwood High School is almost ready to start the new school year! Construction is nearly done, and the staff can’t wait to welcome back our students 🚧 pic.twitter.com/C6AHWxZsCI — MCPS (@MCPS) August 21, 2024 The original Northwood High was built in 1956 in Kemp Mill It will be razed and rebuilt with a new courtyard design School officials expect the new school to be ready for classes by September of 2028 Last spring, Northwood students registered their frustration with the plan by staging a walkout Woodward High School remains a work in progress with no athletic fields ready for play Most students will be bussed the 8 miles to Georgetown Road in time for class on Monday morning Kemp Mill Synagogue in Silver Spring is approaching its 34th annual gala and banquet on June 4 in celebration of Yom Yerushalayim where impactful community members will be recognized and Israel-related additions will showcase a strong commitment to supportive programming The gala is the synagogue’s biggest annual fundraiser and takes on added importance this year because of the congregation’s strong and ongoing support of the state of Israel The event has an additional connection to Israel that was incorporated several years ago by celebrating it together with Jerusalem Day according to KMS Executive Director Aryeh Shudofsky A lot of the components of the actual dinner itself are focused on Israel and so it underscores our focus and commitments by wrapping it together with Yom Yerushalayim,” Shudofsky said Shudofsky said the food and wines served will be from Israel and the cocktail hour will look more like a full dinner with a menu of Israeli dishes He added that they’re trying to set up the space to resemble the shuk in Jerusalem It won’t be quite as informal but will provide a way for people to feel that energy “We thought a lot about this — we want to do it in a respectful way it’s not just about show — our members really do care It’s important to our honorees and it’s so important to our members that we utilize a gathering of 300 people to really make a statement about where our shul is on Israel,” Shudofsky said The event will be part of an ongoing effort by the synagogue to strongly support Israel and give members a wide range of outlets for doing so — something that began after the Oct 7 attack when the community quickly rallied and came together for prayer the synagogue started an emergency fundraising campaign for Israel and raised more than $250,000 in 24 hours Members have kept up with programming ever since organizing buses for the historic Israel rally in November holding events with survivors and even taking an Israeli flag to Israel and having people sign it and displaying it upon their return it’s been opportunities for people to see things it’s the opportunities to support organizations “To give people visibility to what’s going on in Israel where the opportunities are to be supportive.” the planning process for the gala was a complicated one as leaders were looking to find a healthy medium between celebrating the members while keeping in mind the stress and anxiety that many are feeling plus the somber nature of the ongoing Gaza war “The whole year has been about finding some balance between acknowledging the reality of what’s going on in Israel and We knew we needed to celebrate our community here the strength of our community here and the contributions that the honorees have made to the last 20 40 years that they’ve lived here,” KMS Rabbi Brahm Weinberg said The celebration of the members also serves an important purpose for the synagogue as it rewards and inspires dedicated members for their hard work It’s not based on who donates the most money or other similar measures The synagogue will honor two couples — Sara and Jeff Elikan and Barbra and Mel Cimet — and six high school students Weinberg said that the gala creates a positive cycle of support throughout the congregation and gives members the sense that the KMS community is special and worth contributing to And people either read what the honorees wrote or hear their speeches at the dinner and say And I could put a little bit more effort in,’” Weinberg said the gala will hopefully uplift the congregants’ spirits It’s not just about mourning and remembering,” KMS President Gary Winters said Winters said that the ebbs and flows between joy and mourning similar to what they’re experiencing today mirror the history of the Jewish people and the unique ability he sees of Jews to handle both great happiness and pain together Weinberg spoke similarly about the gala’s potential impact saying that it will be a perfect time for people to come together and feel the strength of the Jewish community People are looking to feel connected to each other And it’s very rare that we have a large segment of the shul just together to sit together at tables to talk to reflect a little bit on who we are as a community,” Weinberg said and I hope people will leave feeling connected to each other connected to the shul and proud of who we are.” [email protected] Over $7,000 has been raised in the last 24 hours through a GoFundMe fundraiser started by the Martínez Gámez family just a day ago “The Martínez Gámez family is asking for help to raise funds for our beloved Brian’s funeral expenses All of his family and friends here in the United States and in Guatemala are mourning his loss Montgomery County Police has provided the following update regarding the fatal crash: “The Montgomery County Department of Police – Collision Reconstruction Unit is investigating a fatal collision involving a motorcycle Montgomery County Police and Fire Rescue responded to the intersection of University Blvd West and Kerwin Rd for a two-vehicle collision involving a white 2023 Tesla Model 3 and a black and green 2019 Kawasaki ZX636 motorcycle The deceased has been identified as 28-year-old Brian Antonio Martinez Gamez of Silver Spring The driver of the Tesla remained at the location The preliminary investigation has revealed that Martinez Gamez’s Kawasaki was traveling eastbound on University Blvd The Tesla driver was turning left from northbound Kerwin Road westbound on University Blvd but ultimately struck the driver side of the Tesla This is an active and ongoing investigation Anyone with information regarding this collision is asked to contact CRU detectives at (240) 773-6620” Behnam Dayanim has served as president of the Berman Hebrew Academy on the board of directors for the Jewish Federation of Greater Washington and as vice president of the Jewish Community Relations Council of Greater Washington’s board He is also a member of Kemp Mill Synagogue a modern Orthodox congregation in Silver Spring’s Kemp Mill neighborhood He is an attorney who helps companies in emerging industries You are involved in a variety of local Jewish organizations My parents instilled in me a tremendous sense of obligation to the community Our community institutions are vital to a vibrant Jewish life I’ve attempted to focus my efforts on issues I think are core to that mission: Jewish education which is essential to Jewish continuity; the embrace of an inclusive which is deeply meaningful to me as an Orthodox Jew; advocacy for communal needs and priorities and for Jews as full participants in society; and outreach and partnership to other communities in support of civil rights and liberties social justice and other causes of common concern Organizations that speak to one or more of those priorities draw my commitment There’s a general perception that Orthodox Jews are more conservative than the majority of American Jews What are some ways in which Orthodoxy and a centrist-liberal political worldview go together I believe in a vision of Orthodoxy that while adhering to its core principles models inclusivity and can coexist with the modern world It’s important to recognize that Judaism throughout its history has always evolved I think it’s important when attempting to evaluate a new idea or concept or situation to distinguish between what is truly a core principle and what is simply an artifact of culture or environment or tradition My wife and I have raised our children in a modern Orthodox environment And we also support those organizations within Orthodoxy that we think are at the vanguard of the type of inclusivity that we support What does your Jewish day and week look like I try to be conscious of God in everything I do I turn off all work as soon as Shabbat begins I think one of the nicest things about Shabbat observance is that time you spend with people in your community I really enjoy the forced decompress from work I know that at sundown Friday I don’t have to worry about it again until sundown Saturday night What I say to my children and other younger professionals is that everyone has commitments that take them away from work it may be community league baseball or a yoga class or meditation or something else where they are out of pocket There’s nothing inappropriate or unreasonable to say for this 24-hour period I’m not available 21st century America is pretty accommodating to Orthodox Jews How open is your Orthodox community to the marketplace of ideas We’re really blessed in the Kemp Mill Orthodox community We are far more evenly divided politically than you might find in Orthodox communities in other parts of the country Orthodox Jews in America have moved rightward You might see one person walking by in a hat and coat and another person with a T-shirt and shorts But we still maintain that sense of community People really have a live-and-let-live attitude They understand that there are different approaches to Orthodoxy [email protected] Rabbi Mordechai Wecker said he has some ideas for the Leo Bernstein Jewish Academy of Fine Arts Wecker won’t implement any changes right away “I want to know the culture of the school before attempting any changes,” he said “There’s a number of wonderful strengths that the teachers and the administrators bring to the institution already I want to get to know those strengths more intimately and then work to make a great product even better.” The institutions have a total enrollment of about 100 students who describes himself as “born and bred” in Silver Spring has worked in Jewish education for more than four decades serving in head positions at several schools along the East Coast but said he is excited to work in the Washington area especially under the umbrella of the Silver Spring Jewish Center in Kemp Mill “This school is very special to me because my parents were members of Rabbi Kranz’s synagogue,” Wecker explained “It’s a wonderful opportunity to support him and his efforts.” Wecker attended what is now Yeshiva of Greater Washington who provided direction and advice from theological Jewish questions to marriage advice they come and clear it with me,” Kranz said but [Wecker] liked my views on Judaism and life He went on to cater his life to Jewish education I think I played a big part — I can’t say the only part — in how he wants to dedicate himself.” Kranz thinks Wecker is a great fit given his passion for teaching Judaism and his extensive experience in the field very bright and wholly committed to promoting Judaism He’s dedicating his life to something very personal,” Kranz said is the executive director of the Silver Spring Jewish Center team-work” style will bode well for the Jewish Academy of Fine Arts and the Silver Spring Learning Center he always wants to work together with you,” Chaya Kranz said Chaya Kranz said Wecker is interested in starting the school day earlier so school releases earlier on Friday afternoons giving families more time to prepare for Shabbat Wecker believes one of the biggest strengths of the institutions is their individualized approach to instruction He wants to continue to walk the “fine line” between covering material for the whole class and personalizing education for each pupil “My goal is that no Jewish child is left behind Every child needs an environment in which they’re appropriately challenged,” Wecker said “The goal isn’t just studying Jewish texts and traditions but to imbue a commitment to Jewish continuity.” Wecker is scheduled to start as principal in July although he’s already been working with the Jewish Academy of Fine Arts and the Silver Spring Learning Center as a consultant for several months “It’s been really positive,” Wecker said of his time so far a lot of students that are deeply committed to the school.” COVID-19 Updates Vaccine and Booster Information View All Media Advisories View All Speeches & Testimony Sign up for a newsletter or update your subscription preferences Maryland Department of Transportation Motor Vehicle Administration (MDOT MVA) announced that it has relocated its Silver Spring branch office in Glenmont to a larger office space in the Kemp Mill area MDOT MVA cut the ribbon for the new Kemp Mill office located at 1327 Lamberton Drive in Silver Spring which is 2,000 square feet larger than the Glenmont office “Despite the many challenges 2020 brought our way, I am so proud of the work our MDOT MVA team has done to make this move happen,” MDOT MVA Administrator Chrissy Nizer said in a statement “We are still encouraging customers to stay home and take advantage of as many services as possible on our MDOT MVA website but for Montgomery County residents who need to visit us in person we are excited to serve you at Kemp Mill.” We're excited to announce the opening of our brand new Kemp Mill branch office! The new office, at 1327 Lamberton Drive in Silver Spring, is now open by appt only, replacing the Glenmont office on Georgia Avenue. Read more in our newsroom –> https://t.co/K1zCaM1g3W. #Open4BizMD pic.twitter.com/YDt0uP8qfV — MD_MVA (@MD_MVA) January 19, 2021 The Kemp Mill office is open by appointment only from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. on Monday through Wednesday and Friday; it’s also open Thursdays and Saturdays from 8 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Self-service kiosks are also available at all hours without appointment public health safety measures are in place at MVA offices There are plexiglass dividers at workstations and customers are required to wear face coverings and have their temperature scanned Daphne Price can’t count the number of times she’s been to Israel as a student but her most recent trip in December is one she will never forget That’s the trip that brought her to Israel a few days before her older daughter to welcome Eyden Price as a new olah (immigrant) and soldier recruit The Prices have long ties both to the Washington area and to Israel where many relatives live and have spent multiple summers and holidays in Israel Daphne Price came to Israel earlier than Eyden Price to bring her second child A student in the Naale high school program where she boards with other high school from around the world who like Eyden Price attended the Berman Hebrew Academy started high school in Israel last year but has waited since the Hamas attack on Oct a pre-army program in Israel and will be drafted into the army in the spring Eyden Price said that especially since the Oct 7 attack she has an overwhelming call and sense of price to serve the Jewish people via the army She hopes to be a dental assistant in the army following in the footsteps of her paternal grandfather Asked how her determination to serve came about and now I’m thrilled to be of service to the Jewish people There is no other country I want to live in.” and she was greeted in Israel not only by her mom and sister but by “a whole gaggle of friends and relatives,” said Daphne Price who adds that Eyden Price making aliyah is not such a surprise we traveled here so much regardless of whatever was going on here,” she said both girls have been comfortable in Israel.” Daphne Price said they have their favorite restaurants close relationships with cousins and friends made along the way She said she didn’t know her daughter was interested in the army “but we’re so proud of her that she will be enlisting.” “We told both our daughters after the war broke out,” said Daphne Price “that if they wanted to push their coming to Israel off a bit Sarina Price said she chose to come to Israel for high school because a friend had and seemed to enjoy it so much The war has not deterred her: “I still love Israel just as much if not more.” She’s honest in saying that it can be hard when the sirens go off “but we’ve prepared for it and know what to do.” Sarina Price hopes to be in Israel past high school and join the army like her sister or do national service The entire Price family was in Israel when the war broke out and pitched in including baking cookies for soldiers Students at Sarina Price’s school prepare meals for soldiers and recently a former camp counselor Daphne and David Price plan to visit regularly and Daphne Price the executive director of the Jewish Orthodox Feminist Alliance will lead a mission to Israel in early January — one of at least three missions enroute to Israel for volunteering and support The Kemp Mill Synagogue and the Berman Hebrew Academy also have planned missions that include helping with crops visiting army bases and giving support to the country Daphne Price and other JOFA board members recently attended meetings at the United Nations to raise awareness about the rape and killings the group will meet with survivors of the attack and family members of hostages study text with Israeli clergy and volunteer to pick crops “and wherever we are needed.” “I feel at home with the people here in Israel.” Washington County > Public Works > Parks & Recreation > Parks Are you in charge of throwing a party or large gathering but don’t have space in your own home The Washington County Parks & Recreation Department has various facilities throughout Washington County that are available to rent All our rentals are affordable and incredibly spacious we can help ensure you and your guests have plenty of room Washington County is proud to offer pet-friendly areas in many of our parks including our new Central Bark area at Marty Snook park View which parks have designated areas for our furry friends and review the rules and regulations about pet-friendly parks click on the eye next to each layer to make it show up or disappear.  Violation of any of these regulations may cause the denial of future use and/or charges for repairs, cleaning or restoration of the facility.  If you have any questions or concerns, please feel free to contact the Washington County Parks Department at 240-313-2700. Recreation Office11400 Robinwood DriveHagerstown Parks Office1307 South Potomac StreetHagerstown MD 21740 TTY users may call any government office through the Maryland Relay Service 1-800-735-2258 places and unique spaces with creative and artful imagery Liberal leave is in effect for all non-essential personal on Tuesday Essential personnel are expected to fulfill their duties as usual The starting time for today’s Board of County Commissioners meeting will be reevaluated at 9:00 am Create a Website Account - Manage notification subscriptions Search autocomplete is currently not responding the Randolph County Sheriff’s Office responded to NC Hwy 47 the deputy observed a victim with signs of an assault  EMS responded to evaluate the victim... the Randolph County Sheriff’s Office is again offering a C.A.R.E Camp to homeschoolers and private school children at no cost Camp is for students in grades 2nd-4th and D.A.R.E the Randolph County Sheriff’s Office responded to Worthville Rd. at the request of NC Wildlife Resources Commission for an agency assist call for service.  Alejandro Guevara-Reyna was arrested and transported .. while assisting with a license checkpoint on Unity St. the Randolph County Sheriff’s Office identified Justin Brent Moran who did not have an active driver’s license members of the Invictus Task Force initiated an investigation related to a Cybertip from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children Earl David Rivers was identified as a suspect.&n.. the Randolph County Sheriff’s Office initiated a traffic stop on Jordan Road in Ramseur and a pursuit began and continued into Moore County where the Moore County Sheriff's Office and NC Highway P.. the Randolph County Sheriff’s Office responded to Olivers Chapel Rd. in reference to the discharge of a firearm into a dwelling and a vehicle deputies observed a vehicle with damage consistent .. Randolph County Sheriff’s Office received a report of a possible child abuse  Following an investigation by the Criminal Investigations Division charges were sought against Ian Kincaid Fletcher for felony negligen.. Randolph County Sheriff’s Office received a report of a possible financial theft charges were sought against Laura Lee Freeman for felony identity .. the Randolph County Sheriff’s Office Electronic House Arrest (EHA) Officers received information that Hugo Ruiz Mendez had violated the conditions of his Pre-Trial Release Supervision Program the Randolph County Sheriff’s Office received a report of a possible forgery Following an investigation by the Criminal Investigation Division Detectives charges were sought against Kevin Ray Huston for felony identity the.. Randolph County Sheriff’s Office Deputies conducted a traffic stop at Sealy Dr.   The driver was identified as Bryan Christopher Shell the Randolph County Sheriff’s Office received a report of potential child abuse that had taken place on US Highway 64 East the Randolph County Sheriff’s Office conducted a traffic stop at Mendenhall Rd during the booking process of Michael Edward Henderson Detention Staff located an illegal substance in his possession  Charges were sought against Henderson Jr for Felony Possession Schedule IV Controlled Substance and .. the Randolph County Sheriff’s Office responded to Pilot Mtn at the request of NC Probation and Parole for an agency assist call for service  During a routine search of the residence of Nathan David Je.. the Randolph County Sheriff’s Office responded to Mill Pond Dr. deputies located Matthew Antonio Lampkins and Kenneth Wayne Linton a Randolph County Sheriff’s Office Deputy encountered a female subject who was visibly injured and wished to report an assault Deputies searched the area but were unable to locate the assailant The Randolph County Sheriff’s Office Vice Narcotics Unit has concluded an investigation relating to the distribution of Fentanyl in Randolph County warrants for arrest were issued on Lesley Marie Ball and Chri.. the Randolph County Sheriff’s Office Electronic House Arrest (EHA) Officers conducted a compliance drug screening on Christian Jacob McDowell with the Adult Daily Reporting Center per the conditions set forth by Randolph Coun.. the Randolph County Sheriff’s Office Electronic House Arrest (EHA) Officers were notified of a potential violation committed by Kelly Lamar Faircloth Kenneth Sean Gray was charged with (7) seven additional counts of second-degree exploitation of a minor  Further investigation found that Gray had received and was in possession of CSAM the Randolph County Sheriff’s Office Criminal Investigations Division received a referral from the Randolph County Department of Social Services regarding the welfare of a child the Randolph County Sheriff’s Office Vice Narcotics Enforcement Team conducted a traffic stop near Archdale Rd  The driver was identified as Kenny Ardon.  the Randolph County Sheriff’s Office conducted a traffic stop on I-73 near McDowell Rd. The driver was identified as Jessica Suzanne Ellington who had an outstanding criminal summons.  The Randolph County Sheriff’s Office Sex Offender Registry Detective received information that registered sex offender Kirby Kennedy was no longer living at the address he had registered in Randolph County.  the Randolph County Sheriff’s Office responded to Archdale Rd.   The caller advised a passenger car was in the driveway and an unknown male subject was lying in the yard the Randolph County Sheriff’s Office conducted a traffic stop on Union Church Rd. methamphetamine and paraphernalia were located.  The April meeting of the Randolph County Board of Commissioners included two retirement recognitions consideration of several contracts/agreements the Randolph County Sheriff’s Office responded to Earnhardt Rd. it was determined that no assault had taken place; just a verbal argument had oc.. Jason Brian Faircloth was identified as a suspect.&a.. Deon Marquez Finger was identified as a suspect.&amp.. the Randolph County Sheriff’s Office responded to Chapsworth Dr. and the Crime Scene Investigations Detectives responded to collect.. the Randolph County Sheriff’s Office Electronic House Arrest (EHA) Officers received information that Kelly Lamar Faircloth had been arrested in another jurisdiction and had illegal substances in his possession at the time the Randolph County Sheriff’s Office responded to Katrina Dr. the victim provided information regarding the theft the Randolph County Sheriff’s Office responded to Bridlewood Dr. and Randolph County EMS responded for an evaluation.&a.. the Randolph County Sheriff’s Office conducted a traffic stop at N methamphetamine and paraphernalia were located the Randolph County Sheriff’s Office responded to Shady Grove Church Rd. regarding a larceny of a four-wheeler that had already occurred An investigation was conducted by the Criminal Interdiction Team (CIT) Ur.. members of the Invictus Task Force initiated an investigation related to multiple Cyber tips received from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children   During the course of the investigation the Randolph County Sheriff’s Office Electronic House Arrest (EHA) Officers were alerted to Lawrence Nathaniel Chandler violating the terms and conditions of the Pre-Trial Release contract by going to numerous unauthorized loca.. the Randolph County Sheriff’s Office responded to Sharon Acres Dr. it was determined that Morgan Lindsey Davidson had posted and sold numerous items from the.. the Randolph County Sheriff’s Office conducted a traffic stop on U.S  She was identified as Michelle Lynn Hamby the Randolph County Sheriff’s Office responded to Grantville Ln. the victim advised items had been stolen from the property and had discovered they had been pawned.&nbsp.. Are you a parent of a student eager to explore a rewarding career in public service The Randolph County Sheriff’s Office Community-Based Programs Division is excited to announce the 2025 Junior Sheriff’s Academy 2025 –The Randolph County Sheriff’s Office announces the launch of a new program for youth:  This program is designed to recognize school-aged children/youth within our community who are .. is a great time to talk with your family about staying safe online SNAPCHAT allows users to send photos and vides that disappear after they’re received In an effort to promote Randolph County as a great place to live county leaders have been working with “VIEWPOINT with Dennis Quaid” for the past several months to convey the charm of our community ***UPDATE***  The Randolph County Sheriff’s Office Launches Phase 2 of the Guardian Project -Vulnerable Population Registry to Enhance Their Safety and Support.The Randolph County Sheriff’s Office announces Phase 2 of the Guar.. Notify Me allows you to subscribe to an unlimited number of email lists. Receive email or text message updates regarding the information you have requested. Check out Notify Me today The Randolph County Register of Deeds officially began accepting passport applications on behalf of the U.S Hours will be 9 am to 3:30 pm daily (excluding Holidays) County AdministrationRandolph County Office Building 2nd Floor 725 McDowell Road Asheboro, North CarolinaDepartment Directory Troy is a senior scholar at the Straus Center for Torah and Western Thought at Yeshiva University and four kids and belongs to Kemp Mill Synagogue I worked first in the House for the House Republican leadership and I worked in the Senate for John Ashbrook Then I got a more senior role in the White House working in the West Wing as deputy assistant to the president for domestic policy and my last job in government was as deputy secretary of health and human services I’m happy to say that in the partisan times [email protected] George Washington University Professor Robert Eisen provides his Spotify link to his students in hopes that the young 20-somethings realize that academics aren’t “all nerdy intellectuals.” When Eisen is not playing his guitar, he’s lecturing on religion and Judaic studies at GW or penning a book. His latest work, “Jews, Judaism, and Success: How Religion Paved the Way to Modern Jewish Achievement,” — seven years in the making — was published in May 2023 the director of GW’s Judaic studies program has researched on approaches to peace and violence in Judaism He lives in Silver Spring with his wife and is a member of Kemp Mill Synagogue The number of conflict wars that are fought over religion fill newspapers every day including the one going on in the Middle East right now So religion is maybe one of the most important subjects you could study in order to get an education I find academia is a very difficult career in some ways but I think being a musician is much worse the chances of success are even worse than academia I never had any illusions about that and realized the best thing is to keep [music] as a hobby and perform and sing and put out songs on Spotify when you want to I keep the dream alive in my home here with my guitar and I put out this album on Spotify and YouTube which was original songs that I’ve written over 45 years It’s not a huge body of material; it’s about 10 songs I get a thrill every time I get a stat that somebody’s listening to one of my songs somewhere Listen to Robert Eisen’s music on Spotify or on YouTube [email protected] Please email if you would like to be allow listed 2018 at 10:01 pm ET.css-79elbk{position:relative;}KEMP MILL MD — Police are asking for the public’s assistance in locating a missing Kemp Mill teenager Friday in the area of the 1800 block of Franwall Avenue black torn jeans over black running pants and purple suede Timberland boots Powell is known to frequent the downtown Wheaton area Police and family are concerned for Randy Powell’s welfare Anyone with information regarding the whereabouts of Randy Powell is asked to call the Montgomery County Police Department’s non-emergency number at 301-279-8000 Get more local news delivered straight to your inbox. Sign up for free Patch newsletters and alerts. The former school employees accused Starnes of "unabated and outrageous bullying behavior directed toward the Kemp Mill teachers as well as the administrative and custodial staff," according to the lawsuit Both sides signed a confidentiality agreement preventing them from disclosing the terms of the settlement, The Washington Post reported. “It is unfortunate that a group of people is using the media to make accusations—thus far proven to be overwhelmingly false and erroneous—against the principal of Kemp Mill Elementary School “These allegations have been raised by some of the same employees in the past and have been the subject of proceedings at various levels including the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) these allegations were found to have little or no merit and the EEOC did not move forward with any of the complaints.” morale among staff members at the school had been affected In an MCPS survey the year before Starnes arrived 100 percent of the Kemp Mill staff said they would recommend the school as a good place to work Read more at The Washington Post. Do your kids go to Kemp Mill Elementary School would you feel comfortable sending them there An eighth grade Montgomery County Public Schools student was charged in juvenile court with first degree assault following a Jan 7th stabbing incident at Newport Mill Middle School in North Kensington The 12-year-old was released to his parents according to Montgomery County Police spokesperson Rebecca Innocenti Because both the suspect and victim are juveniles two groups of young people agreed to meet afterschool on Tuesday at the soccer field at Newport Mill Middle School one student pulled out a pocket knife and stabbed a fellow eighth grader who suffered lacerations and a puncture wound Several members involved in the altercation obtained a ride to Wheaton Community Recreation Center someone at the center called 9-1-1 at 3 p.m Police responded and spoke with several students who were involved or had witnessed the fight Brooke Lee Middle School in the Kemp Mill section of Silver Spring the administration at Brooke Lee Middle School sent an email message to parents alerting them to “a serious incident” that had occurred on the soccer fields adjacent to Newport Mill Middle School The Lee student “was injured during the incident” and transported to the hospital which noted that a support team was available at the school for “any students who need counseling support or have concerns they want to discuss The administration at Newport Mill Middle School also was sent to their school community alerting them to the incident and noting that the Montgomery County Police Department “is fully cooperating” with police and that anyone with information should contact the police Because juvenile court files are confidential no further information is available at this time This website uses cookies to enhance your experience. Read our WAMU Privacy Notice This website uses cookies so that we can provide you with the best user experience possible Cookie information is stored in your browser and performs functions such as recognising you when you return to our website and helping our team to understand which sections of the website you find most interesting and useful Strictly Necessary Cookie should be enabled at all times so that we can save your preferences for cookie settings we will not be able to save your preferences This means that every time you visit this website you will need to enable or disable cookies again (7News) — Employees at a Kosher Chinese restaurant in Silver Spring were shaken up Sunday after two people came into the store allegedly posing as customers and got into a shouting match with staff after refusing to wear masks The employees of Holy Chow a carryout restaurant in Kemp Mill Shopping Center asked the duo to comply with a Montgomery County mask mandate that requires restaurant patrons to wear masks indoors unless they are eating or drinking RELATED |Montgomery County Council extends indoor mask mandate through Feb. 21 “I just need you to leave the store because we have a mandate in the county,” an employee told the duo said he doesn’t think the duo had any intention of ordering food from his restaurant He said one of the alleged customers was Jo Rose a well-known “anti-vaxxer” who frequently appears on conservative cable TV talk shows COMPLETE COVERAGE: Coronavirus I hope you guys think about slavery and the Holocaust – it was legal I lost my job because I didn’t comply with mandates I hope you think about it because it’s going to continue to escalate She said a medical condition and a religious exemption allowed her to not have to comply with the order Schreiber said the couple was offered several options to allow them to order food LIST | Where to get COVID-19 tests, N95 masks in DC, Maryland and Virginia He said they rejected an offer for a mask and to have food delivered to their car if they ordered outside “They turned down all the options,” Schreiber said Schreiber said he was convinced the couple were not real customers because he talked to other store owners in the Kemp Mill strip center and several said the couple had visited their stores Following the exchange that lasted over two minutes inside the store Then a female employee who initially interacted with the couple “When she returned her eyes were red,” Schreiber said Schreiber said he’s received one-star ratings on Google and Yelp obscene phone calls and a threatening message on the restaurant’s Facebook page “My concern is that the genie is out of the bottle,” Schreiber said when asked how he feels after the incident “There’s been a spike in antisemitism lately.” Schreiber fears the crossover between anti-vaccine and antisemitism rhetoric will grow He said even though his staff handled the situation like rock stars he's going to hire a conflict resolution consultant The owner said the week has been a whirlwind but he plans to contact Montgomery County Police Friday to discuss the incident At-Large Montgomery County Councilmember Evan Glass stopped by Holy Chow to offer his support to Schreiber and the staff "The staff at Holy Chow displayed the utmost respect and professionalism during a very tense situation," Glass said "The county’s mask mandate is in place to keep our residents healthy and safe during the omicron surge I look forward to the day when the mask mandate is lifted and I also look forward to ordering more take-out from Holy Chow –– the food is delicious." who has authored at least one book on Donald Trump's presidency or slavery is disgraceful and should be condemned and called out,” Eberly said Rabbi Daniel Epstein, the senior Jewish educator at George Washington University Hillel although he had a nontraditional start as a financial adviser for JP Morgan before pursuing the rabbinate Epstein also works with DC Kosher an organization that helps restaurants and manufacturers become kosher certified Epstein lives in Silver Spring with his wife and three children and belongs to Kemp Mill Synagogue worked in finance for several years at JP Morgan I always wanted to be a rabbi because it’s a lot of fun; you get to have interesting conversations with people learn Torah and do little mini side missions with people and really make a difference in people’s lives My father-in-law has a shul where I would start to make speeches and give classes and my father and brother and other people are always interested in giving a D’var Torah My mother- and father-in-law are very involved in the rabbinate and they’re involved in a lot of nonprofits They’ve been at the temple in Staten Island for the past 42 years I manage mostly the education; the one-on-one small group lunch-and-learn is usually smaller We do learning with some fraternities and sororities and then I also handle the ritual aspects of Shabbat and holidays during the semester with students and community members which would include overseeing Shabbat services with a couple of different services every week We have High Holiday services — Reform and Conservative — Purim I think Israel is a very tough subject to teach and I think that if you’re able to have skillful conversations with people that you disagree [with] about that subject and other subjects which also are difficult and very fraught with conflict I always say Israel is not in the Middle East by accident; it builds character These kinds of conversations about difficulty and conflict within the Jewish people and externally it really makes you learn your facts and learn up on your arguments That’s why I did the master’s to learn this methodology and learn about why people believe certain things about Israel and how to teach it and how to teach it better [email protected] Northwood Presbyterian Church which has been in the community for 65 years has just listed its 7+ acre property for sale or lease Located at 1200 University Blvd. West in Kemp Mill Northwood is seeking proposals from development partners that would weave the church and its mission into the next iteration of the property The decision to list the property for sale or lease comes after consideration by congregants and church leadership for more than three years. The number of people attending in-person church services is decreasing in line with national trends impacting many churches and maintenance costs are rising across aging and underutilized properties As more congregations seek to assess all viable options Northwood joins a growing number turning to redevelopment with a partner Orlando-based Foundry Commercial will market the property, according to a press release “As we stand on the threshold of a new phase of growth we reflect on our collective desire to become more deeply integrated within the fabric of our community This redevelopment opportunity provides our church with a chance to embody the belief that a church is not defined by the walls that encase it and unity that thrives within its members,” said Rev the pastor of Northwood Presbyterian Church Northwood aims to forge partnerships that will not only revitalize the area but also bring enduring value to the lives of those in this community.” Northwood currently incorporates multi-use spaces throughout the property on the 7+ acres the church owns. Sligo Creek Parkway and walking trails are directly connected to the property which is surrounded by multifamily developments “With a deep sense of gratitude for its rich history and a vision for a vibrant future Northwood would ideally be incorporated into the redevelopment plans of the buyer,” added Deacon and partner in the greater Wheaton area since 1958 and have spent the last several years thoughtfully engaging in where we feel God is calling us to grow and we are seeking a development partner that has the vision to collaborate on new uses for the property that will benefit the community for many years to come.” More information may be obtained by contacting Andrew Genova, MPS at [email protected] or at (301) 512-8298 Aerial photo courtesy of Northwood Presbyterian Church all while finding some time for what she calls her "fun hobby," the engineering club in school “All of these activities allowed for my creativity to burst through coming up with out-of-the-box activities for a child stuck in the hospital,” Brown notes recalling with special affection the time she constructed a cannon out of toilet paper rolls to shoot Hershey Kisses through a school’s hallways “This love of chesed and construction has helped me through my college career in finding my passion for helping others through my love of creating something from nothing all while infusing those acts with spirituality,” says Brown She quotes Rabbi Abraham Joshua Heschel as inspiration: “Our goal should be to live life in radical amazement… get up in the morning and look at the world in a way that takes nothing for granted Everything is phenomenal; everything is incredible; never treat life casually coordinates hospital visits and fundraises for the YU Project Sunshine chapter With a tenacious spirit for helping children in difficult situations flourish Brown has also played the role of vice president of Project IncludED at YU which aims to educate and raise awareness of medically and developmentally challenged persons whether students or in the general population Brown ran educational events in the university coordinated visits to public schools in Washington Heights to familiarize students with the tenets of inclusion and encouraged the practice of including all people in organizations across campus.  Brown sees the Straus Scholars program as a natural bridge between psychology human flourishing and the Jewish tradition “Tal Ben Shachar [the Israeli-American behaviorist] notes that positive psychology is unique because it is itself the synthesis of many fields “Psychology can explain so much of the way humans engage in their everyday activities Synthesizing these ideas with the way in which the Torah discusses these topics is exactly what the Straus program has helped me navigate.” Brown played a significant role in bringing classes synthesizing psychology and Torah to Stern College I noticed the lack of a ‘psychology-and-Torah’ course,” she recalls and felt that this important blend of ideas would enhance academic and social life on Beren Campus.” Her commitment to putting ideas into practice speaks to her mission of making a difference in people’s lives based on the principles of human flourishing she picked up at home and now in college Please email us at publicaffairs@yu.edu Copyright © 2023 | Yeshiva University News | Editor Login | Privacy Policy A year after her business suffered a near-death experience under Covid lockdown Shula Ellul of the Kosher Pastry Oven bakery in Kemp Mill has discovered what vast numbers of business owners across America are learning: Demand there is aplenty Since opening the bakery and café 17 years ago the Elluls — a husband-and-wife team — never experienced difficulty in hiring staff “Whenever I advertised for a new dishwasher I could get 30 résumés in the first day,” Shula tells Mishpacha “But it recently took me four months to find a dishwasher she and her husband lived from savings and didn’t take a salary in order to keep most of their workers in place And Shula is clear about the source of her problems: It’s the federal government referring to several recent rounds of stimulus approved under the Trump and Biden administrations The travails at Kosher Pastry Oven are a snapshot of a national picture — one that’s worrying a White House already beset by bad economic news According to an October survey by the National Federation of Independent Business 49 percent of business owners reported job openings that could not be filled The National Association of Business Economics (NABE) found that 47 percent of its Business Conditions Survey participants reported a shortage of skilled workers in the third quarter it’s less clear if the government handouts are enough to explain the sudden crunch as well: It’s those lower down the pay scale who seem to be worst hit Even more uncertain is what lies over the horizon small business owners across the country are desperate for the answer to Shula Ellul’s question: “Now that the benefits are over You don’t have to go far along the Kemp Mill Center a strip mall in this Silver Spring suburb with a strong Orthodox presence and in between serving customers at his supermarket Larry Dekelbaum admits that he’s also found hiring tough going nobody really shows up for the interview,” he says “All these companies out there don’t have labor if a company is trying to sell merchandise and they can’t sell what they need to sell and they don’t have the capacity to produce what they need to produce So the price has to go up so they can still cover all their costs of doing business.” Next door to Shalom Kosher is the only kosher Chinese restaurant in the DMV area as the Greater Washington sprawl is known — Holy Chow His labor issues started at the beginning of the pandemic because the restaurant’s Chinese staff caused fear of contagion gave me notice because of just how bad it was So it was a lot of negotiating to get them to stay.” but it’s more the not-so-glamorous positions dishwashing and prepping and stuff like that,” he says says Schreiber is that as a small business owner he can’t compete in a tight labor market with big employers such as Amazon who can offer $15 and sometimes $20 an hour as a starting wage “I can’t offer what Whole Foods or Target provide “Our expenses have probably gone up $20,000 a month from what they were before Covid.” But the clout of the big companies is only a factor because there are not enough workers to go around “It’s not worth it necessarily for the money,” he says “if workers can stay home and receive benefits from the government regardless of how much I might offer them.” The phenomenon of workers failing to find jobs after long Covid layoffs is so widespread that it’s been named the “Great Resignation,” known more colloquially as the “Big Quit.” But how much of it is actually down to government freebies professor emeritus at the Isenberg School of Management when the economy turns up after a recession because folks who have been sitting on the sidelines decide that their chances of finding a job have improved “There are a number of reasons for this shortage Some older workers have decided not to return to work Some workers in two-worker households are not going back to work perhaps because they are looking after children perhaps because they are looking for other work that is more to their liking and perhaps because they are concerned with the health risks of returning to work.” Despite the historically large sums of money that the federal government put into citizens’ accounts throughout the pandemic Nakosteen is reluctant to apportion too much blame on that factor “Research I have seen suggests that the impact of increased government benefits is small,” he says That may sound counterintuitive — why work when you can live off the government assistant professor of strategy and business economics at the Johnson School of Management at Cornell University agrees that there are larger forces at work than government largesse this is a well-known argument that has some truth to it,” he says of the effect of government programs has shown that small government benefits typically do not affect significant masses of people in their decisions whether to work or not I’d doubt that government subsidies are a driving factor of the shortage.” is driven by the direct and indirect effects of the pandemic and these workers are slow to return for myriad reasons — from health to searching for better conditions — even if the economy is gaining speed “Many employees have chosen to retire early or take career breaks,” he says “and it takes particular effort and higher salaries to entice even some of those to return The possibility of finding better pay or the ability of working remotely also entice job seekers to search longer and those industries that feature close contacts with coworkers and clients are particularly hurt.” If an administration official wants to explore how the worker crunch — and the White House’s own policies — are affecting businesses across the country they don’t need to head north to Kemp Hill Located just over a mile away from Pennsylvania Avenue Char Bar — a kosher eatery that’s the unofficial meeting place for the Jewish Who’s Who in Washington — has Mishpacha mileage when Char Bar hosted figures like Jason Greenblatt and David Friedman during the Trump administration The restaurant’s trashing during last year’s riots was also featured in these pages Chelst’s business has suffered from the labor shortage so he’s been forced to reinvent the restaurant’s service model “It’s like you had to beg workers to come in for an interview,” he says “So we’ve been struggling — we’ve actually been juggling kitchen and service staff Chelst says that one reason for the shortage is people who are leaving the profession so they went ahead and got jobs in construction and the industry lost people to other forms of labor.” But it’s not just switching industries; some have left the workforce permanently so they’ve gotten accustomed to living with less,” he analyzes “If you’re struggling and you couldn’t afford your apartment so you are not as motivated to go out there and jump-start yourself as quickly.” Chelst’s costs have inevitably risen as workers gain the upper hand “We are paying considerably more than before Every single staff member in my restaurant earns at least 10 percent more than they were getting before.” restaurants will become more efficient and will find ways to have smaller labor force or design their menus to be less labor intensive we’re talking about switching to a system for customers pay at the table with the credit card readers as opposed to us bringing it back and forth as a way to reduce the amount of time and labor for our waitresses.” are just one part of a tough economic picture Chicken for us went up in the last eight months chopsticks… all this stuff has just gone through the roof.” Adaptation is the only way to keep a business afloat in these circumstances “We added shawarma and falafel in a separate kitchen a couple of months ago and something like that requires one or two people to run the whole thing Amid all the uncertainty about the exact triggers for the current labor shortage all agree about the prognosis: This won’t end quickly “It’s very hard to estimate what will happen due to the lack of comparable events,” says Cornell’s Thomas Jungbauer “Current estimates agree that there will be still significant effects beyond 2022 “Raising salaries will slowly entice more workers to return and will likely lead to a new equilibrium outcome in the labor market the pandemic strengthens the bargaining position of workers in certain industries.” Robert Nakosteen agrees that the aftershocks of the Big Quit may have triggered a long-term rebalancing of power in favor of workers “The most interesting thing to look for long term is whether the balance of power between workers and employers which for the first time in decades seems to favor workers But whether it’s restaurants substituting card-readers for service staff or doing away with kitchen workers in favor of new lines — Holy Chow’s strategy — 2021’s great worker shortage is set to shake up American businesses “What you will see is businesses trying to adapt to the labor shortage by altering how they operate,” says Nakosteen this will mean using technology to reduce how many workers they need Yaacov LipszycA Few Minutes with… Itamar Ben-Gvir  “When we release terrorists Avi Blum, ESQCloak and Affidavit    Ronen Bar's titanic battle with Bibi after the latter fired him will continue to echo through Israeli society Rafael HoffmanThe Art of the Deal Meets the Persian Bazaar  At the US-Iran nuclear talks Binyamin RoseWhy America Needs an Independent IsraelIsraelis have shown remarkable resilience throughout the seven-front war Binyamin RoseTrump’s First 100 DaysHow is all of Trump’s disruption — both the positive and the negative — unfolding in the Middle East Avi Blum, ESQTrump Says “Don’t”     Saying “no” to Trump isn’t an option 2012 at 6:07 pm ET.css-79elbk{position:relative;}A fallen tree is blocking one side of Kemp Mill Road in Wheaton Tuesday afternoon and police have closed the street to traffic the tree brought down some power lines and a pole Find more road closures in Montgomery County Let us know in the comments and upload a photo of the open road by clicking "Upload Photos and Videos." Montgomery County Police Department’s Bethesda District Patrol Investigations Unit have arrested and charged a man for stealing election-related yard signs and for placing stickers on victims’ vehicles Detectives began investigating several reports related to thefts of election signs and other yard signs on Aug Victims told investigators that were stickers placed on their vehicles following the thefts 15 and police say they have identified 22 victims that were affected sometime during the investigation Levy became a suspect Police say a warrant was eventually issued for his arrest and he turned himself into detectives Oct He was taken to the Central Processing Unit and faces several counts of theft and vandalism charges Maryland Attorney General: ‘Voter Intimidation, Voter Harassment is a Crime’ Deirdre Byrne is a social media coordinator for Montgomery Community Media. She can be reached at dbyrne@mymcmedia.org or on twitter at @DeirdreByrneMCM 2023 at 9:55 am ET.css-79elbk{position:relative;}One of the winning tickets was purchased at Kemp Mill Beer & Wine located at 1339 Lamberton Drive in Silver Spring.​ (Google Maps)SILVER SPRING MD — One of the two winning tickets in Tuesday's Mega Millions drawing was purchased at a Silver Spring retailer The winning ticked was purchased at Kemp Mill Beer & Wine located at 1339 Lamberton Drive in Silver Spring The other ticket was bought at Vino-2 Wine & Liquor at 30320 Triangle Drive in Charlotte Hall in St no one had stepped forward to claim either of the two third-tier prizes worth $10,000 each The winning numbers in Tuesday's drawing were the white balls 09 The two players have 182 days from the date of purchase to claim their prize Winning tickets of any amount can be redeemed by visiting Lottery’s Claims Center located at 1800 Washington Blvd Walk-ins are not allowed at the claims center in Baltimore. Winners must contact the Maryland Lottery to schedule a claim appointment Players 21 and older can also redeem winning tickets with prizes up to and including $25,000 at the cashiers' windows in the following Maryland casinos: When redeeming winning lottery tickets worth $600 and above, players must present their Social Security number and a valid photo ID of being at least 18 years of age and older. More information about identification requirements is available online Get more local news delivered straight to your inbox. Sign up for free Patch newsletters and alerts. After making several changes, Montgomery County Council Tuesday approved a new county council district map that increases the number of council seats to seven while retaining the four at-large seats with Councilman Andrew Friedson voting against the map He was not happy that North Bethesda was placed with Silver Spring rather than other Rockville Pike communities and also wanted the council to pause before voting to allow for public comment Council members accepted most of the recommendations of the Montgomery County Commission on Redistricting Silver Spring area into one district so that the Orthodox Jewish community would be located together with the businesses Other changes include placing Ken-Gar together with the nearby Kensington thereby moving it out of District 6 and into District 4; adding the Northwest Park-Oakview neighborhood into District 5 with the nearby Hillandale area.; and placing the Willows of Potomac-Traville Gardens neighborhood with the rest of its community and the precincts of Potomac-North Bethesda area west of I270 the Derwood/Redland community was moved out of District 6 and into District 7 The Four Corners area of Silver Spring remains split between several districts County staff members explained that some of the smaller map changes were easier than ones involving larger communities Each of the seven districts had to contain about 150,000 residents and ethnic and racial groups had to be distributed in such a way that they are not packed into one district or split up so much that their voices are diminished What we are gaining is democracy in action,” said Council Vice President Evan Glass We knew that going in,” said Council President Gabe Albornoz Likening the creation of the districts to doing a puzzle “We should not be splitting away precincts from any community Puzzle making must be done collectively.” candidates wishing to run for a district council position can see what their district will look like Councilmembers thanked members of the redistricting commission well-informed work and their timely recommendations and report to the Council.” 🗺 The updated interactive map for Montgomery County Council Districts is now live. ➡️Go to https://t.co/GOVR0EgQ5c📰Read more: https://t.co/yf4qiZfcgH pic.twitter.com/0eaRcbUbUQ — Montgomery Council (@MoCoCouncilMD) December 8, 2021 We also amended the bill to make adjustments to the Ken-Gar I look forward to seeing the new representation these maps yield take shape to move the County forward in years to come — Nancy Navarro (@nancy_navarro) December 8, 2021 Some Residents Tell County They Don’t Like Proposed Redistricting Map A Severe Thunderstorm Watch has been issued until midnight on Tuesday (ABC7) — After the sun went down Friday night worshipers all over the country went to Sabbath services for the first time since a mass shooting left eleven people dead at a Pittsburgh synagogue last Saturday Many in Mongtomery County’s Kemp Mill neighborhood made their traditional walk to Friday services we don’t give in to anti-Semitism,” said Rabbi Amram Hes who was at the Yeshiva of Greater Washington Friday night Throughout the nation both Jewish and non-Jewish people are being encouraged to go to synagogues this weekend to show solidarity area #ShowUpForShabbat was one of the top trending hashtags on Twitter Friday night “I heard something from a rabbi once: if you’re being killed for it then at least understand what you’re being killed for,” said Rabbi Ahron Lopiansky with the Yeshiva of Greater Washington “The core common denominator should not be persecution and what our interconnection with greatness is.” 2023 at 12:01 pm ET.css-79elbk{position:relative;}One of the two unclaimed Mega Millions prizes was on a ticket purchased at Kemp Mill Beer & Wine no one has come forward to claim either of the $10,000 prizes on the two winning Mega Millions tickets from the Aug One of the two winning tickets was purchased at Kemp Mill Beer & Wine The lawsuit states that Starnes referred to students and staff as “babes” and “dolls," took young students into closets — some of whom emerged upset or crying — mooed like a cow at the staff over the intercom retaliated against employees who reported issues created a hostile work environment where employees feared termination and put false statements in staff evaluations Here is the statement that Montgomery County Public Schools released this week in response, as reported on MyFoxDC and WJLA: “The Board of Education has not been served with a lawsuit but we are aware that a group of former Kemp Mill Elementary School employees held a press conference to announce they are filing such a suit We will respond to these allegations in the appropriate manner at the appropriate time and a few neighborhood supporters came out to a rally organized by Todd and Hedy Ross and the "Save KMES" campaign this morning at the second day of Kemp Mill Elementary School's Open House The protesters want Montgomery County Public Schools to remove Floyd Starnes as principal citing harrassment complaints by staff members and allegations that Starnes coached a student into writing a statement that a teacher had inappropriately touched the 4th grader was suspended and recommended for dismissal Much like Thursday's event, Save KMES supporters stood separated only by the property line and the hill that leads up to the school from teachers and - briefly Starnes himself -  welcoming students and parents to the school. Two Montgomery County police cruisers with were stationed across the street from the rally themselves graduates of Kemp Mill Elementary came to hold signs and hand out whistles Picca was not given his due process," said Liam Brennan a Northwood High student who graduated from Kemp Mill Brennan said that bullying had been problem at Kemp Mill when he attended said she had found out about the rally through Facebook and the Save KMES website Hedy Ross said that the scheduling of the event had prevented more parents from attending as he handed out flyers at the far entrance to the school 03 April 2024- The Washington County Highway Department announces the following road closures due to high water: The County reminds citizens to drive with caution on roads that have the potential to flood please turn around and do not try to drive through it This comes as a flood watch has been extended around the tristate area. Expect long-term effects today The Tri-State Alert is a News Talk 103.7 FM publication.  Any views or opinions expressed in this publication are of the host author or group and not the publication, owner(s) AI technology assists in content creation on this site; verify independently for accuracy Privacy Policy The Garrett Park commuter train station on Rokebay Ave in Garrett Park was vandalized Sunday night/Monday morning with “white power” and other racist slogans and images spray painted throughout the building According to a representative from the Town of Garrett Park The Garrett Park station is served by limited trains on the MARC Brunswick Line some of which stop at the station and some of which are flag stops