The cold weather has set in, and the High Holidays are several months in the past. Even the lights of Chanukah have extinguished.
For many synagogue leaders, this means more time to hold varying programs to keep synagogue members engaged, whether virtual or in-person. Discussion groups, movies, book clubs, social action programs and special classes tend to beef up during the winter months.
Rabbi Marc Israel of Tikvat Israel Congregation in Rockville looks forward to this period.
“For me, I actually love this time of year, because it gives us an opportunity to do and study things that aren’t just about the moment.” This is the time to delve into “deep and abiding issues where I believe Judaism has important things to say.”
He pointed to an upcoming film festival, which he called a “combination of celebratory and provocative” issues concerning Israeli society. Two movies will be shown concerning modern issues, he said, adding, “It’s not meant to be politically controversial as much as deepening a connection with Israel.”
Tikvat Israel also is holding a Biblical Hebrew grammar class so Torah readers can better understand what they are reading, Israel said.
Together with Rabbi Uri Topolosky of Kehilat Pardes – The Rock Creek Synagogue in Aspen Hill, Israel conducts a weekly book discussion group every Tuesday morning. Rather than tackling a book a week, this group reads “a fairly dense” book and deals with a few chapters each session.
The current book, “The New Jewish Canon,” includes different writers who focus on contemporary times.
Also, during this time, Tikvat Israel congregants focus on social justice and “what it is that Judaism demands of us as citizens of the world,” Israel said. “We are particularly focused on immigration right now,” he added. Congregants join demonstrations and accompany people to their immigration hearings.
In the same vein, the synagogue holds special Shabbats. In February, the focus will be on disability awareness. Another Shabbat will focus on reproductive rights.
At Shaare Tefila Congregation in Olney, Rabbi Jonah Layman doesn’t feel the need to change things up, noting that his congregants remain engaged year-round.
“We always get close to 100 people at our monthly Shabbat dinners. Our sisterhood has monthly events that are well-attended. We have about 60-70 who attend weekly Shabbat morning services. And I teach classes every week on Zoom that people attend live or watch the recordings,” he said.
“I think our members feel connected to each other, and they feel that they are always growing religiously, educationally and socially,” Layman added.
Rabbi David Shneyer at Am Kolel in Rockville said social justice, music and learning, which are important year-round, are stressed during this time. Synagogue members are involved in such issues as the environment, healthcare and immigration, and often join up with local organizations, including Jews United for Justice, to further these causes.
Its Open Reflection Project series “offers a gentle space to pause and explore questions that have shaped your Jewish life,” according to Am Kolel’s website. The D.C. Musical Shabbat for families with young children is “a celebration of Shabbat with music, socialization and food,” Shneyer said.
Most synagogues continue year-round with Shabbat celebrations, often aimed at specific groups or topics. Book clubs, Torah study, Hebrew classes, Israel dancing, musical performances and scholar-in-residence programs abound.
Suzanne Pollak is a freelance writer.
