B'nai Israel Congregation

Shirley Waxman, contemporary fiber artist, invites us into her studio to show us some of the artifacts that she has collected from around the Jewish world. She will also share her original artwork, especially those that she completed during the course of the pandemic. Due to the size of the space, this event is limited to 25 participants. Presented by the Arts Task Force of the Adult Education Committee. Shirley Waxman is an accomplished needlewoman and Judaic folklorist. Shirley creates wearable art and functional ceremonial objects for synagogue and home. Her Judaic collection includes pieced and painted challah covers, wall hangings, kippot,, tallitot, chuppot, and Torah mantles. Her work has been selected for many shows including in the National Museum of American Jewish History in Philadelphia PA; “ Her philosophy comes from a folklore background– teach others and you will learn; express what is meaningful for people and hopefully they will understand and feel joy from your work.

Putt your way around the golf course with your friends.

On Sunday October 17th, we will be holding our first ever Men’s Club Oktoberfest at the Brookeville Beer Farm in Brookeville Md. from 2 – 4 pm., open to Men’s Club members and prospective members only. We will be treating everyone to their first beer and pizza in the beautiful spacious outdoor setting that the beer farm is famous for. Please RSVP to Lewis Gertz at lewger1643@gmail.com.

An Israeli Love Story (1 hr. 33 Min. – Hebrew with English Subtitles) The year is 1947. 18-year old Margalit from a village in northern Israel loves theater and dreams of becoming an actress. One day she falls in love with 24-year old Eli from Kibbutz Beit Keshet. She tries to get close to him, hoping he’ll fall for her, but things don’t go so smoothly. He has a girlfriend and is busy with the dramatic events preceding the birth of Israel. Slowly the barriers come down, Margalit moves in with Eli and they set up a date for their wedding. But then, Israel’s harsh reality steps in.

In large measure, the Bible describes how one people emerged from among all the others to become God’s chosen people. And yet the prophet Malachi asks, “Did not one God create us all?!” (Malachi 2:10). We are commanded to be holy and observe unique rituals and laws. God promises to rout our enemies, redeem us from exile, and bless us as “a nation that dwells apart” (Numbers 23:9). At the same time, the Torah commands that we love the stranger. The Bible commands that we rout Amalek and warns against the influences of non-Israelite cultures, while also lionizing such righteous gentiles as Noah, Yitro, Ruth, and Job. Ezra and Nehemiah rail against the evils of intermarriage, while the authors of Ruth, Esther, and Isaiah propose an alternative view. This course uses the biblical text to explore ancient views of non-Israelite peoples and religions. We will examine of the Torah’s attitudes towards assimilation, intermarriage, and the place of non-Jews to reflect on the appropriate balance between Judaism’s tribalist and universalist tendencies. All texts will be provided, but participants who own their own Tanakh are encouraged to bring it to class. This course is appropriate for students of all skill levels; no previous experience with Bible study is necessary.

To attend this service, please contact Allison to reserve your space.

with Jesse Millek, University of Michigan Throughout the Ancient Near East / Eastern Mediterranean, the end of the Late Bronze Age (ca. 1200 BCE) is often defined in the literature as a time of violence and upheavals. Great destruction events ravaged this area, including the destruction of the palaces in Greece, the burning of Ras Shamra in Syria, the sacking of Hattusa in Anatolia, and the destruction of many great Canaanite cities in present-day Israel as mentioned in the Hebrew Bible. How much of this supposed destruction holds true under the scrutiny of archaeological evidence? For those sites with evident obliteration, what might have been the cause of the destruction based on the physical archaeological evidence? The goal of this talk is to demonstrate just how much was destroyed (and where) at the end of the Late Bronze Age in the Ancient Near East / Eastern Mediterranean and what this indicates for the multiple theories that utilize destruction as a prime mover in the collapse of Bronze Age civilizations. How to Access the Twice Monthly BAF/BASONOVA Zoom Lecture Series If you wish to subscribe to the lecture series, please access the BASONOVA PayPal portal and use a credit card for an annual subscription ($35 per family). Go to: http://www.basonova.org/ membership-form.html It is also possible to access the series one lecture at a time, for $7 per lecture. To reserve your single-lecture Zoom spot for this event, go to: http://www.basonova.org/ next-lecture-reservation.html For questions, send an email to info@basonova.org. Members do not need to reserve. Links will be sent Monday, October 18.

The Answers to Your Questions and Then a Whole New Set of Questions A multi-denominational journey into the heart of Judaism taught by seven Metro DC-area rabbis representing the Reform, Conservative and Orthodox movements. No matter your background, the Miller Intro to Judaism Program, developed by American Jewish University, is here to guide you on your Jewish journey. Whether you’re soul-searching or seeking your community, the Intro Program will walk you through Judaism’s big ideas and the nuts and bolts of daily Jewish living. We know you have questions—so do we—and we can’t wait to discuss them all with you. Join us in person or participate online!