Jewish Life

Temple Beth Emet is a newly formed independent, unaffiliated, egalitarian, multi-culturally diverse community. Temple Beth Emet welcomes Jews from every corner and country of the world.

The course will cover major theological concepts and issues within Islam and the way they have shaped Islam’s political development. We will also look at the sociopolitical implications of these concepts for contemporary Islam.

The instructor, Naiem A. Sherbiny, is the senior representative in the U.S. of the Cairo-based Ibn Khaldun Center for Development, and a board member of Library of Alexandria Foundation. Formerly a senior economist at the World Bank, he has taught at Berkeley, Wisconsin, Harvard, Georgetown, and American University at Cairo.

In honor of Purim, Chaverim L’Shalom is celebrating Shabbat with a Persian flair. Come enjoy a delicious Persian dinner and participate in a Purim shpiel. Families are encouraged to stay for a costume parade during Downtown Shabbat.

Chaverim L’Shalom is a series of events designed by and for multicultural families with young children. Events are open to all families. *This program does NOT include a Shabbat service.

Immerse yourself in Shabbat like you’ve never experienced it before. Chaverim L’Shalom, our multi-cultural family havurah, presents Shabbat Around the World: Sabor Latino.

Bring your family to an interactive Shabbat service with Cantor Ramón Tasat, featuring music from Mexico, Argentina, and Spain. Stay for a Shabbat dinner that will be muy delicioso!

Families with children of all ages are encouraged to attend.

Time Given is a series of Joshua Cogan’s more recent portraiture from around the world. The images explore the idea of how people deal with the time they have here on earth — how people shape time and how it shapes them. The images draw heavily from the environments in which they were taken. From East Asia and the West Indies to the Gulf Coast and DC, Cogan’s work ties back to his ongoing theme of plurality and identity.

FotoWeek DC is a city-centric photography festival celebrating the transformative power of photography through the exhibition of inspiring and provocative images, diverse programming, and collaboration with the local and international community.

On view through January 31, 2010.

Join Sixth & I as we come together with volunteers of all ages and backgrounds to improve lives and work toward the common goal of improving our local community.
As a way of capturing the essence of Rabbi Heschel’s phrase, “praying with my legs,” a statement he made when asked what it was like to march with Dr. King in Selma, Alabama, we are holding a shoe drive as well as volunteering with Greater DC Cares Martin Luther King, Jr. Holiday of Service.

When signing up, you will be asked if you would like to join a team—when prompted, please select: “Team Sixth & I”. In January, you will receive an email providing more details regarding the time and place where Team Sixth & I will be volunteering.

Sixth & I and Turner Memorial AME Church will join together to commemorate the spirit and work of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. and Rabbi Abraham Joshua Heschel for the sixth annual MLK Shabbat service.

In addition to a traditional Shabbat service, the evening will include inspirational readings, song and dance by the Turner Memorial Gospel Choir and Agape Liturgical Dancers, and a keynote address by Professor Peter Edelman. A dessert reception will follow the service.

As a way of capturing the essence of Rabbi Heschel’s phrase, “praying with my legs,” a statement he made when asked what it was like to march with Dr. King in Selma, Alabama, we are holding a shoe drive.

WAMU 88.5 is the official radio sponsor of this event.

Class on Thursday, February 11 was CANCELLED due to the snow and has been rescheduled for March 11.

Beginner – 6:00 pm
For beginners who want to learn how to read Hebrew, how to begin
speaking Hebrew, and how to understand the grammatical principles of
the Hebrew language.

Intermediate 1 – 7:00 pm
For those with a basic knowledge of Hebrew who want to improve their
language skills. Present tense verbs will be introduced, and there
will be a focus on reading skills and conversational vocabulary.

Intermediate 2 – 8:00 pm
For those with a good background in Hebrew who want to enhance their reading and grammar. Introduction of the past tense, reading of longer texts and dialogues, and conversation skills will be emphasized.

All levels will use the textbook Hebrew from Scratch, published by the
Hebrew University, Jerusalem.

Classes are taught by Naomi McNally, an Israeli lawyer and a
Hebrew specialist. Naomi has taught Hebrew at the Foreign Service
Institute, GWU and American University, and has conducted numerous
classes for adults in the DC area. Naomi also taught Ulpan
for newcomers to Israel.

Have a Little Faith, Mitch Albom’s long-awaited return to nonfiction since Tuesdays with Morrie, explores life through a unique journey: Mitch’s search for the right words to eulogize a man of deep faith. The book begins with an unusual request: Albom’s childhood rabbi asks him to deliver his eulogy. Albom insists on understanding the man better, which throws him back into a world of faith he’d left years ago. Together, they explore the things that often pull us apart about faith, as well as the beliefs that bind us together: God, heaven, doubt, sacrifice, and love.

Meanwhile, closer to his current home, Albom befriends a Detroit pastor who preaches to the poor in a decaying church. Moving between their worlds, Christian and Jewish, African-American and white, impoverished and well-to-do, Albom observes how these very different men both employ faith in fighting for survival. In the end, Albom finally understands what both men had been teaching all along: the profound comfort of believing in something bigger than yourself.

Author David Makovsky discusses his new book, Myths, Illusions and Peace: Finding a New Direction in the Middle East(co-authored with Dennis Ross). Makovsky, one of the foremost local experts on the Middle East peace process, is Ziegler Distinguished Fellow at the Washington Institute, director of its Project on the Middle East Peace Process, and an award-winning foreign and diplomatic correspondent and editor.

A reception and book signing will follow the lecture.