For Such a Time as This: Purim and Rising Antisemitism by Rabbi Daniel G. Zemel I have never been a big fan of Purim. This may go back to my earliest childhood Purim memory, when I cut my finger on my grogger during services. After childhood, I was never really a costume person and, even Continue Reading »
By Jean Freedman Purim is the jolliest and the strangest of all Jewish holidays. It is a time when the ordinary Jewish emphasis on moderation and self-discipline is abandoned, allowing a range of behaviors not normally condoned in traditional Judaism, including theatre. Though rabbis objected to theatre because of its pagan origins and because it Continue Reading »
Jewish tradition reminds us again and again of the obligation that comes with freedom: to welcome, protect, and love the stranger. Freedom is not only for us to benefit from; we are required to help others access it as well. As we all watched the fall of Afghanistan in horror last summer, Temple Micah’s immigrant Continue Reading »
If you don’t think you know someone with a disability, then let me remedy that with a quick introduction: Hi! I’m Hannah Ruth. I work at Temple Micah. I have multiple disabilities. In fact, 61 million adults, or 26% of the adult population, in America have a disability. According to the UN, disabled people are Continue Reading »
by Rabbi Stephanie Crawley This article originally appeared in the February/March 2022 issue of the Vine. For this issue of the Vine, I had imagined my contributions to be poetry on Esther, celebrating her courage and bravery. I played with language around the Purim of my memories, of a world flipped upside down by revelry Continue Reading »
By Kathryn Ceja I once knew someone whose mother and father loved her so much that when violence erupted in their country and the police would not protect them, they handed her over to strangers who promised to get her to a foreign country and—with any luck—to safety. This person was not from one of Continue Reading »
Join us for in-person Shabbat beginning February 12 With the continuing downward trend in COVID-19 cases across the DC area, we are excited to share that Temple Micah will be reopening for community-wide in-person Morning Shabbat services beginning Saturday, February 12, 2022. Register to attend no later than 12 noon on Thursday, February 10. We will Continue Reading »
Rabbi Zemel will be taking a sabbatical from Temple Micah February 6 – March 30, 2022. During this time, Rabbi Zemel will not be accessing his work email or phone messages. If you’d like to speak with Rabbi Zemel before his sabbatical begins, please contact him at rabbi@templemicah.org to set up an appointment. Non time-sensitive Continue Reading »
February is Jewish Disability, Awareness, Acceptance and Inclusion Month (JDAIM). Whether you want to learn more about recent inclusion efforts within the Jewish community or looking to learn how you can support people living with disabilities, the following articles can provide a good place to start. Inclusion Efforts in the Jewish Community From respectability.org: New Continue Reading »
This article is from the Nov/Dec 2021 issue of the Vine Poems inspired by my reading of Genesis by Rabbi Stephanie Crawley Studying Torah teaches us how to read two things at the same time. We read what is there, and we read what is not there. Sometimes, what we are missing is the emotion—the Continue Reading »
This article is from the Nov/Dec 2021 issue of the Vine Temple Micah Welcomes its New Executive Director, Beth Werlin Beth Werlin joined Temple Micah as executive director in August 2021 after 20 years of championing the cause of immigrants as a lawyer and in top positions at a major immigration rights organization. Not surprisingly, Continue Reading »
This article is from the Nov/Dec 2021 issue of the Vine Traditions in the Desert by Joshua Berman, Temple Micah President In mid-November, I found myself in an incredibly remote part of southern Arizona, several miles north of the Mexico border. Several friends and I were riding horses, along with two local guides and their Continue Reading »
COVID-19 Update: In-Person Service Cancellations Through January 15, 2022 We continue to strive to keep everyone safe during the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. In light of the recent case surge, we will be canceling all in-person services and events held at Temple Micah through Saturday, January 15, 2022. The building will remain closed to members at Continue Reading »
This article is from the Nov/Dec 2021 issue of the Vine Creating the Game of Judaism — and knowing its limits by Rabbi Daniel G. Zemel In my Kol Nidre remarks, I mentioned that I had learned from my teacher Rabbi Larry Hoffman that Judaism could be viewed as a “game” played with pieces rather Continue Reading »
TEMPLE MICAH MEMBER SPOTLIGHT Last week’s edition of Washington Jewish Week featured Temple Micah member Bruce Turnbull and his work to reform the criminal justice system. “The biggest change that is needed immediately, Turnbull said, ‘is to alter the narrative to one where society is seeking rehabilitation and restoration [of the incarcerated], not vengeance and Continue Reading »
Sukkat Shalom’s partner resettlement agency, Lutheran Social Services of the National Capital Area (LSS), has given us the path forward to welcome an Afghan family to the DMV by serving as a Good Neighbor Program (GNP) partner. There are families in nearby military bases waiting to resettle in new homes; to continue to prepare for Continue Reading »
Temple Micah maintains a cemetery for members and their families at Mt. Lebanon Cemetery in Adelphi, MD. Effective January 1, 2022 the price of our plots will be $2,000 (includes perpetual care). This is the first price increase in over 10 years, and remains significantly lower than most cemeteries in the area. To learn more about Continue Reading »