Explore these upcoming events in Jewish DMV, from a Sunday ball game to an event on the Jewish history of the Declaration of Independence.
SUNDAY, JULY 12
THE SPARK: WHEN THE PAST FINDS YOU
Local musician, storyteller and family historian Eli Lev will share stories and lessons from visiting ancestral towns in Ukraine, Belarus, Poland and Lithuania, conducting genealogical research and uncovering oral histories. He discusses how a musician can discover untold family stories and transform them into song, preserving memory through music. The event runs from 1:30 to 3:30 p.m. on Zoom. Free for members; $10 for nonmembers. Register at jgsgw.org/event/07-12-2026-the-spark-when-the-past-finds-you.
SUNDAY, JULY 12
2239 GOES TO NATS PARK
Enjoy a Washington Nationals game live, soak up the ball game atmosphere and hang out with fellow fans as the Nats take on the Yankees. Make new friends in the community with Washington Hebrew Congregation’s young professionals group, 2239. The event runs from 1:30 to 4 p.m. at Nationals Park. $41. Register at gatherdc.org/event/2239-goes-to-nats-park-with-2239.
SUNDAY, JULY 12
THE ART OF MORDECAI ARDON
Celebrate artist Mordecai Ardon’s 130th birthday with Jewish Art Education through this virtual public program. Ardon was born in Galicia (now Poland) and immigrated to Eretz Israel in 1933. He painted the landscape as a mystical, luminescent experience and paid homage to Jerusalem, using symbols to memorialize those lost in the Holocaust. Enjoy his powerful art and learn about one of Israel’s greatest painters. The event runs from 7 to 8:30 p.m. via Zoom. $9-$36. Register at jarted.org/event-details/the-art-of-mordecai-ardon-9.
MONDAY, JULY 13
‘THE SPY BEHIND HOME PLATE’
Award-winning filmmaker Aviva Kempner returns to the fascinating life of a Jewish baseball player: Moe Berg. Hailing from New Jersey, Berg played as a catcher for five major league teams and was also a spy for the OSS during World War II as part of the effort to undermine the German atomic bomb program. Join the Haberman Institute for Jewish Studies online for a conversation and Q&A with Aviva Kempner. The event runs from 7:30 to 9 p.m. via Zoom. $18. Register at tinyurl.com/BaseballSpy.
TUESDAY, JULY 14
CONVERSATION WITH BRIAN TYLER COHEN
In “The Day After: How to Wield Power in a Post-Trump World,” bestselling author Brian Tyler Cohen explores how Republicans have abused power, how Democrats have refused to exercise power when they held it, and how progressives should wield power if they are fortunate enough to win a free and fair election in a post-Trump world. A book signing will follow. The event begins at 7 p.m. at Sixth & I. $12-$55. Register at sixthandi.org/event/brian-tyler-cohen.
WEDNESDAY, JULY 15
AMERICA’S MOST INFLUENTIAL COMPOSERS
Continuing Temple Rodef Shalom’s Summer Limmud series: America at 250, Cantors Mike Shochet and Sydney Michaeli will discuss America’s most influential Jewish composers. The event begins at 7 p.m. at Temple Rodef Shalom. Register at templerodefshalom.shulcloud.com/form/summer-limmud-america-250.html.
THURSDAY, JULY 16
THE HIDDEN JEWISH HISTORY OF THE DECLARATION OF INDEPENDENCE
No Jews signed the Declaration of Independence, nor were any Jews delegates to the Continental Congress. Yet as the Declaration became America’s most revered symbol of freedom and equality, Jews played a unique, if often hidden, role in bringing the founding document closer to Americans. Author, researcher and former professor Michael Auslin will explore the Jewish philanthropic, scholarly, cultural and commercial efforts to preserve and popularize the Declaration as the supreme statement of the American ideal. In partnership with the Haberman Institute for Jewish Studies. The event runs from 6:30 to 7:30 p.m. at the Capital Jewish Museum. $5.72-$20. Register at tinyurl.com/yta54b29.
THURSDAY, JULY 16
BOOK TALK: ‘THE FORGOTTEN WORLD WAR’
Join Pozez JCC’s J-Talks for a discussion with local author Derek Baxter on his new book, “The Forgotten World War: Exploring the Secret History of the American Revolution, from Spain to India and Back Again.” In addition to recounting that the war was fought across four continents, Baxter also explores the story of Jewish merchants on the Dutch island of Sint Eustatius in the Caribbean. A book sale and signing will follow. The event runs from 7 to 8:15 p.m. at Pozez JCC. Register at thej.org/event/the-forgotten-world-war.
