By David Gregory Throughout my career, as a journalist who also happens to be Jewish, I have faced occasional personal conflicts when covering issues related to Israel. Although I am not actively covering the painful events today, I recognize the unique emotion of this story for Jews who are. And as journalists, today we are Continue Reading »
By Rabbi Daniel G. Zemel I am regularly asked, most often by young rabbis at other congregations, to articulate what I think an American synagogue should be. Do I have a theory that drives my actions? What has been my guiding principle as I helped to shape Temple Micah into the congregation that it is? Continue Reading »
Over the last more than twenty years, our Temple Micah Israel Fund has donated to a wide range of causes and organizations. These include support for the Israel Movement for Progressive Judaism, institutions devoted to shared society among Jews, Muslims, and Christians in Israel, and organizations that seek to mitigate the harmful effects of the Continue Reading »
Due to inclement weather, all in person Machon Micah and R2B classes have been cancelled today, January 16th. ALL online tutoring for E-vrit will continue today as scheduled. Machon Micah will resume in person on Sunday, January 21st.
There is no congregation in North America that is more in tune with and influenced by the work of Rabbi Larry Hoffman than Temple Micah and very few have had as great an impact on modern Jewish worship, theology, and life than this great scholar. A brand new book honoring his legacy has just been Continue Reading »
January 10, 2024 Dear Friends, With this letter, I am announcing my retirement from my position of senior rabbi at Temple Micah eighteen months from now. In June, 2025, I will complete forty-two years as a rabbi at Micah. In that time, my life has been enriched beyond anything I could have possibly imagined, helping Continue Reading »
Celebrating Temple Micah’s 60th Anniversary 60 years ago Temple Micah, originally Southwest Hebrew Congregation, was officially incorporated as a religious non-profit in the District of Columbia on August 6, 1963. We’d like to sincerely thank each and every person who has made us who we are today. We know the next 60 years (and beyond!) Continue Reading »
By Rabbi Stephanie Crawley It is a lonely time to be a liberal Zionist in America. I know many of you feel abandoned: friends outside the Jewish community deciding they deserve an opinion on the fate of your people, wading into a conflict from the comfort of their living rooms. A broader Jewish community that Continue Reading »
By Rabbi Daniel G. Zemel I am as sad as I have ever been in my life. While driving to Micah this morning, I started crying. As I pulled to the side of the road, I found myself flashing through Jewish history, our tragedies and our triumphs. I considered the Khmelnitsky massacre of Jews in Continue Reading »
Over the course of our 60 year history at Temple Micah, we’ve consistently pushed ourselves to think about how we can advance our values. Our Roadmap, a living, forward-looking framework intended to guide Micah’s future choices and decisions, provide clear avenues for us to challenge our assumptions, reflect who we are, and move ever closer Continue Reading »
Dear Friends, We have all seen the shocking Hamas attack on Israel and are horrified by the death and destruction. The news is devastating. The brutality is overwhelming. As we send our love and prayers across the sea, we remain committed to, and inspired by, the dream of Israel’s anthem, Hatikvah: “We have not yet lost our Continue Reading »
By Rielle Miller Gabriel As I write this article in mid-August, our congregation’s 60th anniversary has just occurred. The occasion was noted during the week’s Shabbat services, but otherwise the milestone passed without much fanfare. That we didn’t make much of a fuss about it is actually quite “Micah” of us—but that doesn’t mean this Continue Reading »
By Rabbi Healy Slakman During the High Holy Days, in synagogues and sanctuaries, we yearn for a better future, confront mortality, and confess communal and personal sin. On Yom Kippur, we fast to make room for prayer. And although we pray, we end up hungrier by the end of the day. But over the course Continue Reading »
By Rabbi Josh Beraha A profound duality exists at the heart of the High Holy Day season. On the one hand we’re to consider the entirety of creation. At Rosh Hashanah, the birthday of the universe, we gaze outward toward our community, our nation, the entire global tapestry. We’re to consider society’s most marginalized individuals Continue Reading »
By Rabbi Daniel G. Zemel As a rabbi, one of the most common phrases I hear is, “I’m not really religious.” I rarely respond. Instead, I keep listening— intently—as people struggle to explain why they are sharing this with a rabbi or why they are in a synagogue to begin with. The High Holy Days Continue Reading »
היום הרת עולם Today the World was Born a daily email series compiled by Kelly Whitehead Hayom harat olam. Today is the birthday of the world. After the sounding of the shofar during the Amidah on Rosh Hashanah, we say, “Hayom harat olam,” or “today is the birthday of the world.” However, hara does not Continue Reading »