Synagogue Spotlight

Weekly feature on what’s happening at a different synagogue around the DMV.

At Congregation B’nai Tzedek, pickleball for the body and soul

Members of Congregation B’nai Tzedek will soon be able to nourish not only their souls through worship, but also their bodies through physical activity...

Here’s how synagogues were building community in 2022

Bursting at the seams At Temple Sinai, the religious school was pulling double shifts because there wasn’t enough room to teach everyone at once. Closets...
Photos by Susan Berger

Hanukkah Palooza

Photos by Susan Berger Congregation Beth Emeth in Herndon threw a holiday party for its kids — a Hanukkah Palooza — on Dec. 11. There...

At Congregation Etz Hayim, a month of Chanukah celebrations

Congregation Etz Hayim had a big calendar of activities during the month of December. “We really fill the days with Chanukah celebrations that make kids...

Adas Israel Congregation expands mental health supports

Adas Israel Congregation is taking a greater interest in its members’ mental health. “COVID definitely increased the necessity of grief groups for those who lost...

At Temple Rodef Shalom, a big, happy social project

More than 700 area kids shopped for holiday gifts for their loved ones by the time doors closed on Sunday, raising thousands for charity....

Beth El in Bethesda reconsiders latkes vs. hamantashen

Chanukah is a big deal at Congregation Beth El in Bethesda. Between now and the end of the month, congregants will gather to debate —...

Beth Sholom’s Sephardi minyan holds fundraiser

Beth Sholom Congregation in Potomac is known as the largest Orthodox synagogue in the Washington area, with a membership of 400 families. Like most...

Temple Sinai’s Rabbi Diamondstein, with a little help from his friends

Rabbi Noah Diamondstein, musician and assistant rabbi of Temple Sinai, recently recorded and released a collection of 17 original compositions. The artistic feat would have...

At Kehilat Pardes, book drive and sale redistribute Jewish knowledge

On a November morning, Rabbi Uri Topolosky stands amid cartons full of Jewish books and piles of hundreds of volumes to be sorted, and...