B'nai Israel Congregation

If you will be in Florida (or have family or friends with a connection to B'nai Israel who will be in Florida!), we hope you will join B'nai Israel for our upcoming Florida reunion: B'nai Israel Florida Reunion Sunday, January 30, 2022 11:00 AM BallenIsles Country Club Palm Beach Gardens, FL Event Chairs: Joe and Amy Musher Please join Rabbi Safra as he journeys to South Florida to warm up and reconnect over brunch with many of our B'nai Israel families. If you are not able to attend the reunion or are in a different part of the state and would like to meet with Rabbi Safra while he is in Florida, please reply to this message and let us know! PLEASE RSVP BY JANUARY 15 Questions? Contact Avery Sudow, Communications and Development Director, at 301-816-5569 or avery@bnaiisraelcong.org.

Since the time of Abraham and his wanderings in Egypt, the Jewish people have had a presence in Africa making some communities the oldest in the world. This interactive presentation delineates some of that history while taking viewers on a virtual journey through a photographic project that took me to 30 countries across the continent. The presentation spotlights emerging Black Jewish groups in Uganda, Cameroon, and Ghana as well as the historical orthodox community of Djerba, Tunisia, and...wait for it...a yeshiva in the Congo under the supervision of Chabad-Lubavitch of Central Africa in Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of Congo. Viewers are also treated to two short videos featuring synagogues of Africa and Jewish life in Africa. Hosted by the Arts Task Force of the Adult Education Committee. Jono David is an American-British independent photographer who, since the 1990s, has traveled the globe to amass what is perhaps the most extensive archive of contemporary images of Jewish heritage and heritage sites in the world – a growing compendium of more than 120,000 photographs from 116 countries and territories. His work has been exhibited at several museums including the Beit Hatfutsot Museum (Tel Aviv), the Irish Jewish Museum (Dublin), the South African Jewish Museum (Cape Town), the Johannesburg Holocaust & Genocide Centre (Johannesburg), and the Illinois Holocaust Museum & Education Center (Skokie, IL). Jono resides in Tokyo where he lectures in English at several universities. His online Jewish photo archive is www.JewishPhotoLibrary.com. For his other photographic pursuits, visit his online portfolio: www.jonoDavid.com. Jono recently published two books, both available on Amazon: The Jews of Africa: Lost Tribes, Found Communities, Emerging Faiths and Life Before the Holocaust: Portraits of Character.

Being the parent of an adult child is no easy task! What is worth holding on to, and to what do we let go? How do we have these difficult conversations with our adult children in a way that is productive and meaningful for all? And when our children bring a new partner into our family, how do we welcome them and bring our families together? Join Roberta for a two-part conversation addressing these questions and more. Part of the Jewish Learning and Living Series, presented by the Workshops Task Force of the Adult Education Committee.

A new year and a new tractate of Talmud! Join us to study Tractate Berakhot which includes a comprehensive discussion of the Shema and Amidah, the essential components of the prayer service. Newcomers are more than welcome to join us. No prior knowledge is necessary.

Although the text of the Bible was fully “standardized” only in the 8th–9th century CE, the books of the Bible have been written down more or less in their final form much earlier and were known already by 200–100 BCE. Therefore, it is fascinating to look at other authors who re-tell the biblical stories (in particular the Torah stories) that we are all familiar with. In this course we will look at two such re-tellers who are not connected and are at least 500 years apart. On one hand we will look at the way the historian Josephus Flavius re-tells the biblical stories in his book The Antiquities of the Jews, written around 93–94 CE. We will compare it with the way the Quran (told and written down around 609–650 CE) re-tells these stories. As we will see, while by the time of Josephus, the Jewish Midrash was not yet fully developed and therefore has little influence on his writings, by the time Muhammad re-tells the stories and tailors them to his theology, the impact of Jewish Midrash on these stories is substantial.

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!

Celebrate each month’s birthdays at the end of Youth & Family services with songs and treats!

Join us on selected Saturday mornings for discussions about the weekly Torah parsha. Interested in leading a session? Contact Wendy Fanaroff (wfanaroff@gmail.com).

What does it take to be a hero? Just a little bit of your gevurah (strength). You can be strong of body, strong of mind, strong of spirit, or strong in many other ways. Who are the heroes of Jewish history? Who are the heroes in your life? Join us for a celebration of heroes as we approach Hannukah, which celebrates the heroic efforts of our ancestors.

Now offered almost every week, Family Minyan includes spirited prayer, an engaging Torah reading, and lively conversation about the weekly Torah portion. This service is organized by our shlicha, Netta Asner-Minster, who leads it alongside Rabbi Mitchell Berkowitz, and Moshe Ben-Lev, Educational Director.