Fran (nee Rosen) and Joel Heffler of Rancho Santa Fe, Calif. will celebrate their 60th wedding anniversary on Dec. 27. They were married at B’nai Israel synagogue in Washington. There will be a weeklong celebration with their four daughters, four sons-in-law and 10 grandchildren. Fran was born and raised in Washington; Joel was born in Brooklyn, N.Y. Photo providedReuben Joseph Ellinport, son of Jeanne and Jeff Ellinport, became a bar mitzvah at Shaare Torah Congregation on Dec. 19. Ellinport is a 7th grader at Ridgeview Middle School. His two older sisters, Rachel and Beth, and his grandparents, Phyllis Herman and Maury Herman joined him for his special day. Photo provided
Community
Maryland Lt. Governor Boyd Rutherford joined Chabad Lubavitch of Upper Montgomery County on Dec. 8 for the menorah fire truck parade. Pictured: Rutherford, left, with Rabbi Sholom Raichik of Chabad Lubavitch of Upper Montgomery County Photo by Jack HartzmanA menorah-lighting ceremony was held at Sen. Ted Cruz’ (R-Texas) staff holiday party on Dec. 10. Photo courtesy of Cruz Chief of Staff Paul TellerOn Dec. 16, Maryland Hillel’s Assistant Director Maiya Chard-Yaron was awarded the Richard M. Joel Professional Exemplar of Excellence Award by Hillel International. Announced at the annual Hillel International Global Assembly in Orlando, Fla., the award is given to Hillel professionals who continue to enhance Jewish life on campus. Photo courtesy of Maryland HillelChabad Lubavitch of Upper Montgomery County sponsored a menorah that was placed in the Beersheva Central Bus Terminal where IDF soldier Omri Levi was murdered in a terrorist attack. The menorah sponsorship came after a solidarity trip Rabbi Sholom Raichik of Chabad Lubavitch of Upper Montgomery County took to Israel in October just after the attack. Community_Israel_MenorahThe Lantos Foundations for Human Rights and Justice awarded its highest honor, the 2015 Lantos Human Rights Prize, to female leaders of Muslim heritage Rebiya Kadeer, Irshad Manji and Ayaan Hiris Ali at a Capitol Hill ceremony on Dec. 10 in Washington. Pictured left to right: Kadeer, Manji and Hiris Ali. Photo by Ron SachsCantors Allen Leider, Rachel Rhodes and Michael Shochet of Temple Rodef Shalom lead the crowd in song at a Community Menorah Lighting at Mosaic District on Dec. 13 in Fairfax. JCCNV ArchivesThe National Museum of American Jewish Military History held a Chanukah party on Dec. 10. Photo courtesy of NMAJMH