In 1956, the board of directors of Bais Yaakov voted to add additional grades to the school, thereby establishing a fully accredited high school. After completing ninth grade, my class of eight girls became the pioneers of the first tenth, eleventh, and twelfth grades.
  Rabbi Diskind was our principal, rebbi, and mentor. He taught us parshas hashavua every Friday throughout high school. Many times he filled in for the teachers, when necessary.

  In those days, there were no special GO counselors. When we went on Lag b’Omer outings (such as visiting Washington, D.C.), Rabbi Diskind accompanied us. When

In 1956, the board of directors of Bais Yaakov voted to add additional grades to the school, thereby establishing a fully accredited high school. After completing ninth grade, my class of eight girls became the pioneers of the first tenth, eleventh, and twelfth grades.
  Rabbi Diskind was our principal, rebbi, and mentor. He taught us parshas hashavua every Friday throughout high school. Many times he filled in for the teachers, when necessary.

  In those days, there were no special GO counselors. When we went on Lag b’Omer outings (such as visiting Washington, D.C.), Rabbi Diskind accompanied us. When

By Mimi Rohr

The community of Baltimore shared our family’s shock at the sudden passing of our father, Reb Yaakov Shlomo Weinberg, z”l, on the 19th of Av, 5773. Many people contacted us in the weeks after the petira to let us know how inspired and uplifted they felt during the shiva, where they heard of our father’s allencompassing ahavas haTorah (love of Torah), his intense yiras Shamayim (fear of Heaven), and his deep love for other Yidden. We, his family, knew all of this to be true, yet it was camouflaged by his laid-back, friendly nature, his jokes and stories

Throughout my life I have met wonderful and talented people who have made a significant impression on me. Rabbi Binyamin Steinberg, z”l, was such a person. With his 23rd yahrzeit coming up on 11 Shvat/January 12, it is a fit time for those of us who knew him to honor his memory. And for younger Baltimoreans who were not privileged to know him, it is an appropriate time to learn about this special Baltimore personality.

Rabbi Steinberg’s engaging personality, simchas hachaim (a joyous happy spirit), Torah learning, and hashkafa (religious outlook) had a definite impact not only on me but on all with whom he came in contact. Most likely, Rabbi Steinberg never even realized the huge influence he had on them.

Here was a genuine, sincere, kind, warm, joyous man, highly educated in both limudei kodesh and secular studies, a great talmid chacham who possessed a chein (charm) and smile that captured everyone’s attention. He was a scholar, a renowned Jewish historian, an expert in Tanach and in dikduk (Hebrew grammar). Principal of Bais Yaakov high school, he was a master teacher and administrator. With all that, he was one of the most humble people you could ever meet. He possessed tremendous common sense and an ability to communicate clearly with all who sought his advice and counsel. He was a wonderful husband, father, and role model, and a mentor, to many individuals in Baltimore.

We certainly look different as we sit in the Rebbe’s dining room. He’s the chashuva Rebbe of Arugas Habosem, and looks the part, with his bekeshe and long beard. I, on the other hand, am wearing my usual tie-less shirt and casual tan slacks. Yet we are sitting together at his dining room tisch, along with his wonderful Rebbetzin, discussing his mother’s upcoming 50th yahrzeit.

Back in 1963, Reb Shaya and I loved to ride our bikes all over the Park Heights neighborhood where we both lived. Both our families were refugees, resettled in Baltimore. But we were different in many ways. He attended the Yiddish-speaking Shearis Hapleita (now TI), a chassidishe cheder, and came to TA with his class in the afternoon for English studies. I went to TA. He was from a Hungarian Satmar family, and I was from a Yekkishe German background. But for the last 50 years, Reb Shaya and I have stayed close, cherishing the old bike-riding days when we were classmates and very good friends.