B'nai Israel Congregation

B’nai Israel sends a team of high school students to the Shabbaton and competition after studying Jewish texts throughout the year. Led by Rabbi Berkowitz, students work to apply these texts to a particular case study. This year the theme is “Privacy in the Digital Age,” and the case explores how traditional Jewish legal approaches to privacy can be applied to modern day social media platforms, especially around questions of data privacy.

After packing, candles will be mailed to all B’nai Israel members. The candle is yellow to remind us of the yellow star that Jews were forced to wear to identify them as Jews and open them to ridicule and persecution. We light the candle on Yom HaShoah to keep the memory of the Shoah alive and to remember what happens when good people do not stand up.

The Crown of a Good Name program focuses on your children’s Hebrew names. During the first part of the program, parents and children will meet in parallel sessions to discuss Jewish traditions surrounding Hebrew names. During the second part of the program, parents and children will come together to share what they learned. Each child and their accompanying adult(s) will then create an art project using their Hebrew name.

B'nai Israel's Centennial Town Halls continue to engage hundreds of our members in discussion about what B'nai Israel means to them and their hopes and thoughts for its future. Please join our other Leadership Circle* supporters and our Centennial Co-Chairs Marla Schulman and Steve Rothenberg along with Rabbi Safra for a special "sneak peek" at the findings of these Town Halls before they are presented to the congregation. These Town Halls are providing valuable insight as we plan the celebration and campaign surrounding our Centennial, which begins in the Fall of 2025.

Participants must attend all three dates. $130 materials fee per student B’nai mitzvah students and their grown-ups envision, design, and create a tallit that they will not only cherish but will be proud to wear as part of their Jewish ritual, an expression of their individual Jewish identity. When b’nai mitzvah and their families co-create a tallit it helps to reinforcethe concept of l’dor v’dor, the multigenerational aspect of becoming a b’nai mitzvah, transferring responsibility from one generation to the next and creating a stronger bond between family members.

B’nai Israel will be providing dinner for the residents of the Crabbs Branch Interfaith Women's Shelter. We need your help in supplying various parts of the meal. The items can be purchased or prepared in your home. They should serve 6 to 8 people and be in disposable pans. There will be various opportunities for drop off of your items.

Bombshell: The Hedy Lamarr Story (1 hr. 30 min.; English) Fleeing to America after escaping her Nazi sympathizer husband, Hedy Lamarr then conquered Hollywood. Known as ‘the most beautiful woman in the world’, she was infamous for her marriages and affairs with everyone from Spencer Tracy to JFK. This film rediscovers her, not only as an actress but as the brilliant mind who co-invented 1940's wireless technology.

Learn the art and logic of chanting Torah! Cantor Bolts, our weekly Torah reader, shares her skills and expertise with others in this practical skills-focused class. You too can learn to read the trope notes and chant from the Torah scroll. Participants in this class will work towards an opportunity to chant Torah on a Shabbat morning. Open to students at all levels. $36 members / $50 nonmembers

Join us as we continue our study of 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.

Noar B'Yachad program for Lessans Talmud Torah teens in grades 7 and up.

The celebration of Passover does not begin on seder night. Rather, our “celebration” begins when we start cleaning, koshering, and preparing our homes to be free of hametz. It is too easy for this to feel like a chore and a burden. Join Rabbi Berkowitz to consider how cleaning, koshering, and preparing our homes for Passover could be a spiritually meaningful experience (and not too heavy a lift)!

In this 4-sessions series, we will explore different voices and perspectives from various segments of Israeli society in light of the ongoing situation in Israel.

We invite all families of rising Kindergarteners to join us for a special information session with our Talmud Torah directors and staff. This program is meant for those with children attending Kindergarten in Fall 2024. We look forward to an exciting discussion about how Talmud Torah strengthens Jewish identity and education while preparing students for B'nai Mitzvah and beyond. We look forward to seeing you! This program is open to all rising Kindergarteners regardless of B'nai Israel membership. Click here to register.

Come together with other like-minded individuals for a morning of crafting and schmoozing. Bring whatever project you are currently working on (knitting, crocheting, needlepointing, drawing, scrapbooking, origami, or other creative technique). There will also be an opportunity to participate in a knitting/crochet blanket project for charity (all materials provided). We will meet in the Blumberg-Zalis Family Library which has comfy chairs and ample table space. For more information, contact Melissa Menschik (mblochmen@gmail.com). Please register below.

12:00 PM BYO Dairy Lunch 12:30–1:30 PM Program Local author Deborah Kalb will discuss her new novel, Off to Join the Circus, about an overly enmeshed Jewish family in the D.C. suburbs, and what happens when a relative returns after 64 years. Adele ran away from home in West Orange, New Jersey, as a teenager in 1954. The story starts in 2018, when her younger brother, Howard, is celebrating his 75th birthday with his family.

$150 (Registration includes a hard copy of the textbook and a class Shabbat dinner at Beth El) A multi-denominational journey into the heart of Judaism taught by Metro DC-area rabbis representing a variety of Jewish affiliations. 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. Presented by The Haberman Institute for Jewish Studies.

Celebrate Shabbat with a community of song! Join us for a potluck Shabbat dinner followed by soulful singing led by Cantor Sarah Bolts. All attendees are expected to contribute a vegetarian (parve or dairy) dish for the potluck dinner.