With Veterans Day right around the corner, check out some celebratory events, from an Erev Shabbat service and deli dinner to a swim tribute to our veterans. The coming week is chock-full of fascinating lecture-style talks about a range of Jewish historical topics.
FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 7
VETERANS DAY EREV SHABBAT SERVICE & DELI DINNER
Celebrate Jewish veterans with an abbreviated Erev Shabbat service. Hear from Col. Frank Cohn, a Holocaust survivor and U.S. Army veteran who recently turned 100, and enjoy a deli dinner with the community. Uniforms are welcome; guests and interfaith community members welcome. This free event will take place from 7 to 8:30 p.m. at Belvoir Chapel, 5950 12th St. #101, Fort Belvoir. Register at signupgenius.com/go/10C054BA8AE28A7FCC70-59562970-veterans.
SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 9
DC LADINO DAY
Join the EDCJCC to celebrate Ladino, a uniquely Jewish language also known as Judeo-Spanish. Joined by author Anthony Bigio and musicians Trio Sefardi, we’ll delve into this beautiful language through stories, food, song and Sephardic tradition. This event will take place from 1 to 3:30 p.m. at Edlavitch DCJCC, 1529 16th St., NW, Washington, D.C. Admission is $36 per person. Register at edcjcc.org/calendar/dc-ladino-day.
SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 9
RECLAIMING CITIZENSHIP BY DESCENT: JEWS ON RETURNING TO EUROPE WITH TRS
Thousands of Jews forced to flee Europe before WWII settled in the United States, and now their descendants are looking back. What is tempting Jews to obtain European passports? What does it mean to return to the countries that persecuted their family members? On the 87th anniversary of Kristallnacht, children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren of Holocaust survivors will share their family’s stories. This event will take place from 2 to 3:30 p.m. at Temple Rodef Shalom, 2100 Westmoreland St., Falls Church. Register at templerodefshalom.org.
SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 9
SAVING THE DANISH JEWS, OCTOBER 1943
Join Kesher Israel Congregation for a lecture with Joachim Holger Waldemar Christian, the prince of Denmark, who will give a presentation on the longstanding relations between Denmark and its Jewish residents with an emphasis on the period during World War II. He will speak about his great-grandfather, King Christian X, who played a pivotal role in saving Denmark’s Jewish community in 1943. This event will take place from 7 to 8:30 p.m. at Kesher Israel, 2801 N St., NW, Washington, D.C. Find more information at kesher.org/event/Prince.
TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 11
SWIM FOR CHAI: VETERANS DAY SWIM TRIBUTE
Join Pozez JCC in honoring our veterans with a meaningful swim event that celebrates life, strength and community. Swim 18 laps in tribute to the brave people who served in the military. Each participant who completes the swim will receive a medal or ribbon. Enjoy light refreshments and write a card thanking a veteran. This event will take place from 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. at Pozez JCC, 8900 Little River Turnpike, Fairfax. Non-member veterans and their families do not need to purchase a day pass. Register at thej.org/event/swim-for-chai.
WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 12
REJECTING THE BINARY: A NUANCED UNDERSTANDING OF ISRAEL/PALESTINE WITH SIXTH & I
As Israel’s war in Gaza continues, many have found themselves in conversations they don’t feel equipped to handle or feel hesitant to engage in or confused about what to believe. In this series, dive deep into the most complex questions related to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, lean into discomfort, feel more at home in your values and adopt a more expansive view of the conflict with the goal of building confidence in expressing your positions, especially in polarized environments. This event will take place from 7 to 9 p.m. on Nov. 12 & 19 and Dec. 3 & 10 at Sixth & I, 600 I St., NW, Washington, D.C. Admission for the four sessions is $150. Register at sixthandi.org/event/rejecting-the-binary-a-nuanced-understanding-of-israel-palestine-2.
WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 12
THE CAIRO GENIZAH: FROM SYNAGOGUE STOREROOM TO SCHOLARLY REVOLUTION
The modern discovery of documents stored for centuries in the Ben Ezra Synagogue of Cairo, Egypt, revealed a hidden treasure: hundreds of thousands of discarded Jewish texts and fragments, now known as the Cairo Genizah. This lecture will trace the dramatic story of the Genizah’s discovery and explore how its most remarkable finds have transformed our understanding of how rabbinic Judaism took shape. This free event will take place from 7:30 to 9 p.m. via Zoom. Register at habermaninstitute.org/events-20252026/2025/11/12/the-cairo-genizah-from-synagogue-storeroom-to-scholarly-revolution.
THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 13
‘THE LAVENDER SCARE’ FILM SCREENING & TALKBACK
Learn the history of the Lavender Scare with a thought-provoking film screening about the federal government’s campaign to identify and fire all employees suspected of being gay. The film screening is in partnership with JxJ: DC Jewish Film and Music. This event will take place from 7 to 9 p.m. at Edlavitch DCJCC, 1529 16th St., NW, Washington, D.C. Register at capitaljewishmuseum.org/events/the-lavender-scare-film-screening-and-talkback.
