That was quite a lovely farewell the New York Yankees gave this past weekend to John Sterling, who has turned off his microphone and retired after 36 years as the baseball team’s radio voice. Sterling did the play-by-play for 5,631 Yankees games. That’s nearly as many games in The Bronx as Babe Ruth, Lou Gehrig and Derek Jeter — combined. It’s a measurement of Sterling’s professionalism, respect for the game and sense of great theater. And it’s a measurement of the tough New York audience’s affection for him. But we knew Sterling around Baltimore long before he got to Yankee Stadium. He sat in ..read more

By Jacob Gurvis As the American-Israeli poet Marty Herskovitz thought about the upcoming Passover holiday, the prospect of singing “Dayenu” at the first seder since his country was attacked didn’t sit right with him. The classic Passover song, whose title means “It would have been enough,” expresses gratitude about how much God has done for the Jewish people. But Herskovitz, the son of a Holocaust survivor who has lived in Israel since 1986, thought the words would ring hollow at a time when so many Jews are at risk. “We have to take the text and find a way to make it relevant and not just say ..read more

Police recently arrested the son of a prominent Montgomery County rabbi after he allegedly got into an altercation with anti-Israel protesters last Tuesday, Apr. 16, outside the Embassy of Israel in Washington, D.C. Two witnesses quoted in a Secret Service police arrest sheet accused Ezra Z. Weinblatt, a real estate agent who lives in Potomac and is the son of Rabbi Stuart G. Weinblatt, of pushing them and breaking their sound equipment. A Baltimore native who grew up in Pikesville, Rabbi Weinblatt is the senior spiritual leader of Potomac’s Congregation B’nai Tzedek, which he and his wife Sym ..read more

One of the main purposes of the Passover seder is to remind us that HaShem can help us today just like HaShem helped Am Yisrael many years ago in Egypt. The Yachatz part of the seder, when we break the matzah, takes this concept to the next level by teaching that many times our future redemption is hidden in our very moments of brokenness and struggle.  During the Yachatz ritual, we break the middle matzah in two and raise the smaller piece for “Ha Lachma,” the chanting of the bread of affliction text.  We then put ..read more

By Stephanie Ganz This recipe was first published on The Nosher.  Cacio e pepe translates to cheese and pepper, and the classic Roman pasta dish includes little more than those eponymous ingredients. In that recipe, spaghetti and salted pasta water combine with a salty sheep cheese called Pecorino Romano to create a silky, luxurious sauce that far surpasses the sum of its parts.  For the past few years, cacio e pepe has been on a tear among chefs and food fanatics. In a 2021 Los Angeles Times article, Jenn Harris shows that the origins of the relatively modern pasta di ..read more

On this episode of “The Food Enthusiast,” Dara Bunjon talks with journalist, historian and chef Ramin Ganeshram, author of “The General’s Cook,” a novel about Chef Hercules Posey’s time at George Washington’s Mt. Vernon. For more from Ramin Ganeshram, follow @nibblescribblenyc on Instagram. Ramin Ganeshram’s books are available here. Catch a new episode of The Food Enthusiast every Thursday at 1 p.m. at facebook.com/jmoreliving. You May Also Like Simon Says: Amy Simon of Eddie’s of Roland Park Offers Tips for Your Passover Seder This year, Eddie's -- owned and operated by the Cohen f ..read more

Pikesville resident Guy Taylor is a proven, seasoned leader — and he’s only 17 and a high school junior. This June, Guy will receive the Congressional Award in Washington, D.C., at a ceremony honoring 483 students from across the nation who will earn the prestigious community service designation. Established in 1979 by Congress, the award recognizes service, initiative and achievement among young Americans between the ages of 14 and 24. Participants earn bronze, silver and gold certificates and medals. A Beth Tfiloh Dahan Community Day School student, Guy exceeded the requirements for a gold m ..read more

Floods, landslides, drought, fires, disease — the effects of climate change are all around. Yet, climate change is not an equal opportunity crisis. It disproportionally impacts poor people of color who often don’t have resources to protect their properties and communities from environmental hazards. The documentary “Eroding History” explores the impact of racism and climate change on two Black communities on Maryland’s Eastern Shore. The film premiered at the Senator Theatre last April and will air on Maryland Public Television for “Chesapeake Bay Week,” April 21-27. It also will stream on PBS ..read more

This paid post is sponsored by MSI Reproductive Choices, a world leader in reproductive health care and champion of the right to choose. JTA’s editorial team had no role in its production. By Amanda Seller The town of Kisumu sits on the edge of Lake Victoria in western Kenya. It is the third largest city in Kenya and famous for being the birthplace of President Barack Obama’s father, the late Barak Obama Sr. MSI Reproductive Choices was there to shoot a video with Empowered, a video company that produces educational video content for PBS. Empowered had reached out to MSI ab ..read more

One thing is crystal clear from the recent JewQ international Jewish knowledge competition: young Baltimoreans Avi Jacobs and Avraham Zhu know their stuff when it comes to Yiddishkeit. Avi, a third-grade homeschooled student, and Avraham, who is in the fourth grade at Summit Park Elementary School in Pikesville, won silver medals at JewQ, which was held Apr. 8 in Stamford, Connecticut. The competition — for students in third through fifth grades — focuses on Jewish traditions, history and values, serving as a platform for young Jews to connect with their religious and cultural identity. More t ..read more