By Rabbi Stephanie Crawley God of Mercy, God of Plague God of Compassion, God of Righteous Anger Teach us how to choose Between the thunder and the dew Between the match and the tear Tell us when to pray and when to yell Shout for the welfare of the Continue Reading »
Temple Micah Members, As we begin Temple Micah’s new fiscal year, we have much to be grateful for. Our Micah community has shown up time and time again throughout the past year. Through both Zoom gatherings and joyful returns to the building, we have remained connected—celebrating, holding each other in times of need, learning and Continue Reading »
By Rabbi Daniel G. Zemel I am more and more concerned about the direction of our country and fear what we are becoming: an illiberal democracy. As an American Jew, I search my deepest recesses for Jewish insight as to how to proceed, how to act, how to respond to the grave threats jeopardizing our Continue Reading »
The Temple Micah choir has been a source of great beauty, meaning, and pride in our community for many years, and music during our High Holy Day services elevates the worship experience for all of us. After two long years away, we are thrilled to be BACK and rehearsing for this year’s High Holy Days. Continue Reading »
After two long years of physical separation, we are thrilled to announce Micah Gathers, a spring and summer of gathering together. In lieu of our annual spring auction, this year we are expanding one of the auction’s most popular items, “Meals with Members,” and inviting Temple Micah members and staff to create spaces for reconnecting with Continue Reading »
By Rabbi Josh Beraha My seven-year-old daughter recently asked me: “Daddy, why do people love dead Jews?” Given the book on my bedside table–People Love Dead Jews–the inquiry wasn’t shocking. This new collection of essays by the novelist Dara Horn has provoked many questions and conversations over its central observation that people are fascinated by Continue Reading »
As the war in Ukraine goes on, we are hearing more and more stories about how the situation is continuing to unfold. Below is an interview with Micah member Peter Van Praagh, who was in Ukraine when the war began. He gives his views on the war and recounts his dramatic story of how he Continue Reading »
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 »