Zoe Bell and Braden Hamelin | Staff Writers
Beth El Hebrew Congregation in Alexandria hosted the renowned physician and immunologist Dr. Anthony Fauci for a conversation on Nov. 16 about his multiple decades in public service, dealing with the COVID pandemic, and his new book.
Fauci became well known to the general public during the pandemic as a leader on the White House Coronavirus Task Force, spearheading efforts to stop the deadly COVID scourge, but he was already known and respected in medical circles for his role as director of National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases. He served in that position from 1984 to 2022.
Over 400 people attended the talk, which was presented by the Brandeis National Committee and Beth El’s Women of Reform Judaism.
“We hosted Dr. Fauci and he was interviewed by Robert Siegel, who’s been a longtime member and former NPR host, so it’s extra meaningful for us,” said Carly Rubenstein, the president of Beth El Hebrew.
Rubenstein said that the event was standing room only and the demand showed how eager the congregation is to participate in such intellectually engaging events.
“I think it reflects the growing momentum we have at Beth El and the desire for high quality Jewish learning and cultural programming. I think that’s very important to our congregation. So, while it was an event that we partnered with Brandeis, we brought in a lot of our members,” Rubenstein said.
The synagogue president said Fauci’s appearance was timed to coincide with the release of his new book, “On Call: A Doctor’s Journey in Public Service,” noting that Fauci had appeared at other local congregations including Sixth & I recently.
Rubenstein said that Fauci “wasn’t a household name” until the pandemic but the congregation took a strong interest in his stories and his work.
Rubenstein recounted a specific moment during the event that resonated with her.
“He spoke a lot about his early years and the work he did around the AIDS epidemic, and I think what resonated with me from all of that was really how integral he was, not only [in the] medical and health field, but how relevant he was within the political structure. And I didn’t realize that, and I think many people probably didn’t until he was on TV almost every day during COVID,” Rubenstein said.
In 2008, Fauci was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the highest civilian award in the United States, for his work on the AIDS relief program PEPFAR.
Beth El Hebrew, which traces its roots back to 1859, is hoping to build on the momentum from Fauci’s talk. Rubenstein said that in the past, the Brandeis National Committee and Beth El’s Women of Reform Judaism had partnered together to bring in speakers and authors. Given the response to Fauci’s visit, the synagogue is looking to do more of these events in the future.
In January, the synagogue will present Jacob Magid, The Times of Israel U.S. bureau chief and a University of Maryland alum. Rubenstein said that the synagogue is expecting another high turnout for that talk as well.
In the meantime, the Alexandria congregation is seeking new leadership from the bima.
“We have a terrific interim rabbi, but we are in middle of a rabbi search, and there’s a lot of excitement around that,” Rubenstein said. She added that the congregation has a strong committee structure, adding that lifelong learning and adult education are two cornerstones of the synagogue’s identity.
“We are really working to strengthen our programming and continue on this path to create a vibrant Jewish community at Beth El,” Rubenstein said.
