What's Up Next?

The Gala is Coming! The Gala is Coming!

Sunday, June 2, at the Four Seasons Hotel is the 50th Anniversary Gala we've been waiting for all year. As we've celebrated our history, we've looked back at our founding in the turbulant '60s. We bowled together (some of us in bell bottoms and tie-dyes). We learned together about the future of American Judaism, Israel and Jewish education. Now it is time for a culminating Gala Celebration to enjoy each other's company at a great party. We'll take stock of what we've learned and use it to move forward together--young, old, families, couples, singles, new members and pioneers--into a Micah future that fits our present situation and shapes our future needs. But mostly, we'll party! We'll honor Rabbi Zemel on his 30th anniversary with Micah and present him with a commorative book of our stories about him. (Email us your favorite story.) David Gregory will be Master of Ceremonies and Rabbi Lawrence Hoffman, the mentor of both Rabbi Zemel and Rabbi Lederman and one of Micah's best friends, will be the featured speaker. And, of course, we'll party! Please register here.

Leon Wieseltier Talks About America, Israel, and the Future of the Jews on April 14

Continuing our 50th anniversary exploration of contemporary American Judaism, our next event features provocative author, editor and lecturer Leon Wieseltier on Sunday, April 14, at 10 am. Winner of one of the three 2013 $1-million Dan David Prizes for "excellence in the sciences, arts and humanities that have made an outstanding contribution to humanity," Wieseltier serves as literary editor of The New Republic (ital). His books include the widely acclaimed Kaddish; Nuclear War, Nuclear Peace and Against Identity. His wide ranging essays cover culture, politics, religion, foreign policy and national security, Israel and the Middle East, and genocide. Sure to be a thought provoking session. Be there!

Temple Micah Turns 50!

The Micah community greets its fiftieth birthday with the same vibrant community spirit, intellectual curiosity, good humor and bold experimentation that have distinguished the congregation since its founding. Like the temple itself, the planned celebrations are multi-dimensional. They begin with an evening of stories about the life and times of the congregation, followed by a look back at the tumultuous 1960s, the setting for Micah’s birth.  We then turn our attention to Micah’s next half century, exploring the future of Jewish education, American Judaism’s relation to Israel, and the American synagogue. Micah never misses a chance to have fun, so the nine-month commemoration includes a night of ‘60s music, movies and treats.  And it culminates with a joyful gala.

Micah's First 50 Years - A Slideshow

The Temple Micah Story So Far.

Temple Micah, a child of the ‘60s, celebrates fifty years of growth, exploration and creativity.   Founded in 1963 by a small group of pioneering Jews who embraced life in Southwest Washington, Temple Micah continues to reflect the values of equality, justice and community.  With the country enmeshed in Vietnam, our founders ultimately named their nascent synagogue after the anti-war prophet who advocated turning their swords into plowshares.

Fifty years later, we are in a new century and a new building. But we remain unafraid to break the mold in order to create a Judaism infused with meaning and relevance. As we embark on our next half century, we continue our quest to answer what it means to live a fully American and a fully Jewish life while we engage in our community, our city and our world. In everything we do, we challenge ourselves to do better.

In the coming year, we will mark Temple Micah’s fiftieth anniversary by honoring our past and creating a vision for an enriched  future.  We will revisit the Washington of the 1960s to better understand our congregation’s unique roots.  We will examine what lies ahead for Jewish education and institutions and for the State of Israel to better grasp our people’s future.  And, in our distinctive way, we will celebrate this special anniversary in the life of our vibrant and growing community.

We invite the Micah community, and our wider Washington DC community to join in this year of celebration.