B'nai Israel Congregation

Join us for the return of EPIC Shabbat! Join with the rest of the Israelites as God and Moses help them escape from Egypt and travel to the Promised Land of Israel! This virtual experience on Shabbat morning includes engaging activities for school-aged children and a meaningful discussion for adults. Registration is required to receive the special “Travel Bag” to take on your journey.

We will begin with havdalah followed by a movie about the stars! We provide the candles and spices; you bring your favorite kiddush cup, blankets, and something warm to drink. Join us under the stars in your cars!

Join us for a magical morning! The Great Zucchini will be performing at a virtual magic show. This show is intended for young children. $5/family, registration is required.

The Haggadah and the seder are rabbinic innovations, based on a biblical festival that remains most relevant in modern times. How did the Haggadah develop? What biblical elements does it contain, and how are the multiple different biblical views of Passover made to fit together by the rabbis? And what relevance do these ancient texts—the Bible and the Haggadah—have for us today as we approach Passover? Presented in partnership with the Haberman Institute for Jewish Studies.

We'll provide the snacks and you come prepared to snack your way through the seder.

Stop by to see all of our Passover wares to enhance your seder!

Looking for something new and different for your Passover seder this year? Our award-winning Blumberg-Zalis Family Library is thrilled to offer the following hours during the pre-Pesah season to allow our members to check out a selection of haggadot, books, Passover cookbooks, and other resources, for all age groups, to enhance your celebration of Passover this year. Contact our librarian, Jill Gendelman, with questions (bnailibrary@bnaiisraelcong.org). You can also preorder your selections by using our online catalog: http://birockville.mysurpass.net. Search key words, such as: Passover, Pesach, seder, Haggadah. Anything you choose can be saved to your bookbag and printed. Send your list to bnailibrary@bnaiisraelcong.org and your selections will be ready for pick-up.

Memory is a central element in defining modern Jewish identity. As we look to Israel's future, we need to engage anew with our past and explore its meanings and consequences. Through the consideration of major historic moments, this Hartman iEngage series grapples with the different ideas and values that shape the meaning of Modern Israel, Zionism, and Jewish identity today. This innovative course explores the pivotal events of 1947 and 1967 - following the 1917 Balfour Declaration - as key moments when Zionism unleashed new thinking about the meaning of Jewishness for generations to come. The course engages Jews in an open and pluralistic discussion about issues of Jewish identity, peoplehood, ethics and theology as they relate to nationhood, land, sovereignty, Jerusalem, occupation, and moral red lines.

Whether you are leading a seder for the first time, or the fiftieth, there is always something to learn! Join us for a special workshop in which we explore various methods to more meaningfully engage friends and family members at your upcoming Passover seder. This program will address both those who will gather over Zoom and those who plan for in-person sedarim. Presented by the Workshops Task Force of the Adult Education Committee.

Confused about the ever-changing landscape of vaccines? Wondering what's going on in Maryland? Then you won't want to miss this Q&A for the B'nai Israel community with Rabbi Michael Safra and guest speaker Dr. Panagis Galiatsatos. Dr. Galiatsatos is Assistant Professor in the Division of Pulmonary & Critical Care Medicine, and Co-Director of Medicine for the Greater Good at the Johns Hopkins School of Medicine.

Jewish and Greek? Explore the world of Greek Jewry through a historical overview of the two main cultures of the Sephardim and the lesser known Romaniote, highlighting their unique customs, including those around the "Evil Eye" (ptu, ptu, ptu!).

Looking for something new and different for your Passover seder this year? Our award-winning Blumberg-Zalis Family Library is thrilled to offer the following hours during the pre-Pesah season to allow our members to check out a selection of haggadot, books, Passover cookbooks, and other resources, for all age groups, to enhance your celebration of Passover this year. Contact our librarian, Jill Gendelman, with questions (bnailibrary@bnaiisraelcong.org). You can also preorder your selections by using our online catalog: http://birockville.mysurpass.net. Search key words, such as: Passover, Pesach, seder, Haggadah. Anything you choose can be saved to your bookbag and printed. Send your list to bnailibrary@bnaiisraelcong.org and your selections will be ready for pick-up.

Join our shlicha, Netta Asner-Minster, as she hosts B’nai Israel member Fonda Lowe for the second session in this two-part series, “Women in Judaism.” This session focuses on what it is to be a Jewish grandmother. Fonda will be sharing her experiences as a Jewish grandmother, and will lead a discussion about the role of Jewish grandmothers. This series is in cooperation with the B’nai Israel Sisterhood and Men’s Club.

Engage with the weekly parsha during these interactive discussions led by community members and by clergy. Contact Wendy Fanaroff with questions (wfanaroff@gmail.com).

Weather permitting, this service will take place in the B'nai Israel parking lot. *In the event of rain, this service will take place at 9:30 AM virtually.