Guide to Jewish Life > Keeping Kosher

Guide to Jewish Life > Religious Life > Religious Denominations

  • RELIGIOUS DENOMINATIONS

  • ORTHODOX JUDAISM

  • Orthodox Judaism is based on the belief that both the written and oral Torah were revealed by God to Moses and the Jewish people at Sinai. This commitment to the Divine origin of the Halacha forms the basis for the Jewish response to the evolving changes of any given period. Thus, the unchanging loyalty to the Sabbath, kashrut and all other biblical observances are seen as the anchors of Jewish survival in changing times.

  • Chabad Centers of the Maryland Region
  • 11621 Seven Locks Rd.
  • Potomac, MD 20854
  • 301-983-4200
  • fax 301-983-3716
  • www.chabadpotomac.com
  • Regional Dir.:
  • Rabbi Shmuel Kaplan
  • Orthodox Chasidic movement that provides a variety of services including a radio program, drug abuse prevention and education; classes/courses and holiday celebrations.

  • Chabad of NOVA
  • 3939 Prince William Dr.
  • Fairfax, VA 22031
  • 703-426-1980
  • fax 703-426-1970
  • Reg. Dir.: Rabbi Sholom Deitsch
  • Jewish outreach organization open to Jews of all affiliations. Offers services including synagogue services, Camp Gan Israel, Chabad Hebrew School, preschool, Midrasha teen learning program, other educational programs, mikvah, holiday celebration.

  • Orthodox Rabbinical Association
  • 7715 Alaska Ave.
  • Washington, DC 20012
  • 202-829-6105
  • Vice Pres.: Rabbi Nathan Bogner
  • Group of Orthodox rabbis that maintains independent policies with innovative concepts of traditional rabbinic and social concerns.

  • Union of Orthodox Jewish Congregations of America
  • Washington, D.C. Office
  • 800 Eighth St., N.W., Suite 318
  • Washington, DC 20001
  • 202-513-6484
  • fax 202-289-8936
  • www.ou.org
  • ipadc@ou.org
  • Dir.: Nathan J. Diament
  • The central coordinating agency for American Orthodox Jewish congregations. Activities and programs serve as the Jewish lifeline to hundreds of thousands in the United States, Canada, Europe and Israel. The Institute for Public Affairs provides a strong Jewish voice in the halls of government.

  • Vaad Harabanim of Greater Washington -
  • The Rabbinical Council
  • 11161 New Hampshire Ave., Suite 402
  • Silver Spring, MD 20904
  • 301-593-0336
  • fax 301-593-1115
  • www.capitolk.org
  • Pres.: Rabbi Hillel Klavan
  • Dir.: Rabbi Kalman Winter
  • The only organization of Orthodox rabbis in the Metropolitan Washington area that is responsible for kashrut supervision in Greater Washington (the Washington Vaad). Maintains a beit din (religious court), which deals with matters affecting Jewish family status, i.e. adoption in accordance with Jewish law, marriage and divorce as well as with adjudication and/or arbitration of financial disputes, and provides all services essential to the traditional Jewish community. Maintains the citywide chevra kadisha (burial society, providing essential services for the deceased).

  • CONSERVATIVE JUDAISM

  • Conservative Judaism follows traditional patterns in worship, though with changes introduced through modern interpretations of the law. The movement uses the paradigm of a "ladder of observance'' to encourage its members in the observance of kashrut, Shabbat and the mitzvot; where individuals start is less important than the direction in which they move. It also stresses education for both youth and adults as a path to religious behavior.

  • North American Association of Synagogue Executives (NAASE)
  • Honorary Pres.: Glenn S. Easton
  • c/o Adas Israel Congregation
  • 2850 Quebec St., N.W.
  • Washington, DC 20008
  • 202-362-4433
  • fax 202-362-4961
  • Association of Conservative synagogue executive directors.

  • Seaboard Region Federation of Jewish Men's Clubs (FJMC)
  • c/o Michael Neulander
  • 213 Beechmont Dr.
  • Newport News, VA 23608
  • 757-875-5551
  • mneulander@cox.net
  • The FJMC is one of the five branches of the United Conservative Synagogues. The Seaboard region supports the programs and goals of all affiliated synagogue men's clubs in Maryland, Virginia, Southern Delaware and D.C. by implementing the policies, programs and objectives of the FJMC.

  • United Synagogue of Conservative Judaism - Seaboard Region
  • 121 Congressional Ln., Suite 210
  • Rockville, MD 20852-1542
  • 301-230-0801
  • fax 301-816-2931
  • www.uscj.org/seabd/
  • Pres.: William O. Bresnick
  • Pres.-Elect: Naomi Yadin-Mendick
  • Exec. Dir.: Richard Lederman
  • Asst. Exec. Dir.:
  • Jo-Anne Tucker-Zemlak
  • Dir. of Youth Activities:
  • Shira Kaplan
  • Association of Conservative synagogues. Sponsors United Synagogue Youth (high school age), Kadima (middle school age) and Koach (college age) programs; assists affiliated congregational schools; provides guidance, materials, personnel placement and consultation assistance for all facets of synagogue life and operation.

  • Washington-Baltimore Region of the Rabbinical Assembly
  • c/o Kehilat Shalom
  • 9915 Apple Ridge Rd.
  • Gaithersburg, MD 20886
  • Pres.: Rabbi Mark Raphael
  • 301-869-7699
  • fax 301-977-7870
  • www.uscj.org/seabd
  • Local arm of worldwide association of Conservative rabbis, it is a forum to support rabbis through fellowship, advocacy and the sharing of resources, and to strengthen Conservative Judaism through study, worship and good deeds.

  • Women's League of Conservative Judaism - Seaboard Region
  • Pres.: Ziza Pallia
  • 301-970-2322
  • zpallia@aol.com
  • Regional organization of Conservative synagogue sisterhoods. Raises funds to support the Jewish Theological Seminary. Service, aid, education and support for member synagogues.

  • RECONSTRUCTIONIST JUDAISM

  • Belonging to the Jewish people, with its shared past and communal experiences of worship, study and celebration, is central to Reconstructionist Judaism. It is open to new interpretations and forms of religious expression, granting tradition "a vote but not a veto.'' Reconstructionism accepts diverse views of God with an emphasis on godliness rather than on the supernatural. It considers itself responsible for shaping the spiritual and cultural legacy left for future generations.

  • Chesapeake Region of the Jewish Reconstructionist Federation
  • 8409 Snowden Loop Ct.
  • Laurel, MD 20708
  • 301-206-3332
  • fax 301-725-1138
  • jljrf@aol.com
  • Regional Dir.: Jackie Land
  • Regional affiliate of the Jewish Reconstructionist Federation. Provides regional education and cultural programs, information about reconstructionist groups in the area and acts as liaison to the national movement.

  • REFORM JUDAISM

  • Central to Reform Judaism is the belief in one God, the universal God of all people, and the source of values that invest human life with meaning and makes it sacred. Reform Judaism insists that creativity and progress are essential to religious life and that each generation must seek to bring contemporary expression to the beliefs and practices of its religious tradition. The synagogue service is in English and Hebrew, men and women share equality in ritual and worship responsibilities.

  • Religious Action Center of Reform Judaism
  • 2027 Massachusetts Ave., N.W.
  • Washington, DC 20036
  • 202-387-2800
  • fax 202-667-9070
  • www.rac.org
  • Dir.: Rabbi David Saperstein
  • To educate and mobilize the Reform Jewish community around social justice issues.

  • Union for Reform Judaism Mid-Atlantic Council
  • 2027 Mass. Ave., N.W., 3rd floor
  • Washington, DC 20036-1011
  • 202-232-4242
  • 888-842-8242
  • fax 202-483-6550
  • mac@urj.org
  • www.urj.org/mac
  • Reg. Dir.: Rabbi Scott M. Sperling
  • Reg. Educator: Kitty Wolf
  • NFTY-MAR Adviser: Lindsey Morgan
  • Reg. Dir. for Outreach and Membership: Ruth Goldberger
  • Asst. Reg. Dir.: Lisa Helfman
  • Regional headquarters for congregations affiliated with the Union for Reform Judaism

  • OTHER INDEPENDENT GROUPS AND CHAVUROT

  • There are many individual groups that are secular, cultural or ethnic as opposed to just religious. Some groups adhere to traditional observances while others focus on a holistic, modern-day Jewish religious experience.

  • Am Kolel Sanctuary & Renewal Center
  • 19520 Darnestown Rd
  • Beallsville, MD 20839
  • Mailing address:
  • PO Box 146
  • Beallsville, MD 20839
  • 301-349-2799
  • fax 301-349-2744
  • am.kolel@verizon.net
  • www.am-kolel.org
  • Contact: Rabbi David Shneyer
  • Jewish resource and renewal center addressing unmet spiritual needs.

  • Network of Independent Jewish Communities and Havurot
  • 19520 Darnestown Rd
  • Beallsville, MD 20839
  • Mailing address:
  • PO Box 146
  • Beallsville, MD 20839
  • 301-349-2799
  • fax 301-349-2744
  • am.kolel@verizon.net
  • www.am-kolel.org
  • Coordinator:
  • Rabbi David Shneyer
  • Publishes directory of independent Jewish communities and chavurot; shares resources and convenes periodic
  • conferences.