B'nai Israel Congregation

Exact Time TBD

Learn how to wrap tefillin as part of this special morning minyan, followed by a workshop about the “inner-workings” of tefillin, led by Rabbi Mitchell Berkowitz.

As part of our work with AIM we are hosting listening sessions through the end of February with members whose interests and engagement span the congregation. SEA Change members are being trained to facilitate these conversations which last 30-45 minutes based on the size of the group. During the sessions we break into small groups and each group will have a trained Facilitator leading the session to hear each other’s stories and listen for the issues and problems that keep us from being our best selves. Every member of the group will be asked to answer the following two questions: What is keeping you and your family from thriving Jewishly? What is keeping you and your family from thriving? These sessions are happening across all AIM member congregations and Montgomery County and so by the end of this campaign in February, we will have engaged over 3,000 people that will set our institution and AIM’s agenda for the coming years. More information and direction will be provided at the time of the session. When participating, it is important that we hear everyone’s voice via this campaign so it is helpful to think about our two questions in advance of participating in a session.

Deep in the Hungarian woods, the sacred magic of King Solomon lives on in his descendants. Gathering under the midnight stars, they perform small miracles and none are more gifted than the great Rabbi Isaac and his three daughters. But darkness is creeping across Europe, threatening the lives of every Jewish person in every village. Each sister will have to make an impossible choice in an effort to survive—and change the fate of their family forever.

As part of our work with AIM we are hosting listening sessions through the end of February with members whose interests and engagement span the congregation. SEA Change members are being trained to facilitate these conversations which last 30-45 minutes based on the size of the group. During the sessions we break into small groups and each group will have a trained Facilitator leading the session to hear each other’s stories and listen for the issues and problems that keep us from being our best selves. Every member of the group will be asked to answer the following two questions: What is keeping you and your family from thriving Jewishly? What is keeping you and your family from thriving? These sessions are happening across all AIM member congregations and Montgomery County and so by the end of this campaign in February, we will have engaged over 3,000 people that will set our institution and AIM’s agenda for the coming years. More information and direction will be provided at the time of the session. When participating, it is important that we hear everyone’s voice via this campaign so it is helpful to think about our two questions in advance of participating in a session.

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!

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

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.