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 »
60 years ago, on August 6, 1963, Temple Micah, originally Southwest Hebrew Congregation, was officially incorporated as a religious non-profit in the District of Columbia. 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!) will continue to challenge and Continue Reading »
July 2023 Dear Friends, Yesterday’s Knesset vote that strips the Israeli Judiciary of some of its authority to override extreme Knesset measures and to keep criminals out of office was a hard blow for those of us who love Israel. I was distraught until a dear friend reminded me that she had learned from a Continue Reading »
By Steven R. Weisman Kelly Whitehead, Temple Micah’s rabbinical student intern for the summer of 2023, is no stranger to our community. She taught kindergarten through second grade at Machon Micah while an undergraduate studying history at American University, and some Temple Micah families became acquainted with her at Reform Judaism’s Camp Harlam in the Continue Reading »
