Segulah, a volunteer-run minyan which meets in Shepherd Park and Silver Spring, has been gathering bimonthly since 2010.
About 15 years ago, Miriam Quintal, along with other organizers of Segulah, including Ethan Merlin, who founded Segulah in 2009 and is still a key organizer today, helped “reboot” the minyan.
“We call it Segulah 2.0,” Quintal said.
Part of Segulah 2.0’s vision is a lack of labels when it comes to religious affiliation.
“[We] really pride ourselves on being egalitarian, very songful, and a full liturgy approach. We are really committed to the full service in Hebrew,” Quintal said.
Quintal, a Montgomery County native, grew up attending Kehilat Shalom synagogue. Around the same time she moved back to the DC area in 2009, Segulah was founded.
Segulah is not a synagogue in the traditional sense. It is an independent minyan without a building, clergy, or affiliation with any formal Jewish movement.
“We have people who come from all different backgrounds who participate and who often belong to additional synagogues and then [also] participate in Segulah,” Quintal said.
While most of their Shabbat gatherings take place at Tifereth Israel Congregation, Segulah hosts special events in various locations. This flexibility allows them to tailor programming to different needs throughout the year.
As the High Holidays approach, Segulah’s calendar fills.
“We have wonderful High Holiday services. We do both mornings [on] Rosh Hashanah and all of the services of Yom Kippur, as well as the first day of Sukkot,” Quintal said.
One of their most distinctive practices is their approach to Simchat Torah and Shemini Atzeret services.
“We actually do something very unique for Simchat Torah, because we’re a pluralistic community. Some of our participants celebrate Simchat Torah on the day that is also Shemini Atzeret,” Quintal said. “[Others] celebrate Shemini Atzeret as one day and Simchat Torah as another day. What we do is combine [the] Shemini Atzeret and Simchat Torah service [with] full liturgy.”
The minyan also celebrates the holiday on the second day with a full liturgy celebration.
“We are, I think, the only one in the entire Washington region [to do so], because most congregations that do Shemini Atzeret and Simchat Torah together are Reform, and they don’t do the full liturgy,” Quintal said.
The distinguishing factors of Segulah’s services are its songful approach and joyful messages, Quintal explained.
“I think a lot of times people approach Yom Kippur like it’s kind of a somber day, but if you think about it, we’re being forgiven. It’s a time of forgiveness, and so we approach it very joyfully,” Quintal said.
Segulah’s services draw large crowds of around 200 people for the High Holidays compared to their usual 50 to 75 on Shabbat mornings.
Segulah’s casual labels are also reflected in their absence of membership fees.
“It’s more of an informal community in the sense that we don’t have official members, so anyone can come and be a participant in Segulah,” Quintal explained. “We don’t have dues or a membership fee or some kind of official category that says you’re a member. We want people to just be able to participate and feel part of the community without some kind of official label to that.”
One of Quintal’s favorite programs, Segulah launched its Lashir B’Yachad, a monthly singing circle created by Stan Dorn of Tifereth Israel Congregation in partnership with Segulah, Minyan Roeh, and Ohev Shalom about five months ago.
Partially inspired by a recent Hadar retreat in the D.C. area that encouraged more locals to sing, Lashir B’Yachad gives the group of about 30 people each month a chance to learn and sing a wide array of Jewish music such as from Rising Song Records and more classic melodies.
“You can sign up to lead a song, or otherwise there’s a list that’s put together [by] whoever is leading that month,” Quintal said.
Beyond Shabbat and holiday services, Segulah organizes events that often take place when many synagogues have no programming. They’ve hosted learning on Shavuot day, gatherings at the end of the day on Purim, and reflective services after Tisha B’Av.
This past Tisha B’Av program, held jointly with Tifereth Israel, drew 46 people and featured teaching from Rabbi Yosef Berman, Mincha and Maariv services, learning, and a communal break-fast.
“I think it’s a very reflective time for people, given everything that’s going on in the world, and also with the themes of Tisha B’Av,” Quintal said. “[It was] very valuable and thought-provoking. We’ve been doing this event for several years, but it was a very nice turnout this year.”
Segulah also provides programming for children of all ages, from babies to teenagers.
“We’re doing a lot of b’nai mitzvah celebrations these days, and we’ve been thinking about some new programs that would engage kids [as they] get older,” Quintal said. “We’re a pretty service-oriented group.”
Amy Hollander is a Washington Jewish Week intern.
