Come in from the cold for a hot tea and an intimate gathering about Jewish spirituality and creative practice led by Rabbi Emmanuel. Together we will explore one of, if not the most, central Jewish prayer—the Shema, and its radical declaration that God, and perhaps all people, experience, and existence, is fundamentally united in “One.” We'll then make art inspired by our learning: creative writing, poetry, interpretive translation, drawing, sketching, and more. This session is designed with first-time poets or painters in mind—nobody will be put on the spot!  

All are welcome and no prior experience necessary. We will gather at a home in Arlington, VA that is Metro accessible. Address will be shared with registrants.

Scion of a Hasidic dynasty, professor at Reform and Conservative seminaries, mystical social critic, civil rights and anti-war advocate—Rabbi Abraham Joshua Heschel embodied many of the biggest questions about spirituality, politics, and technology that continue to shape the Jewish community and our world today. Led by Rabbi Emmanuel, we will explore the life of one of the 20th century's greatest Jewish thinkers, reflecting on Heschel’s lessons for our own lives and current moment. 

All are welcome and no prior experience necessary. We will gather at a home in Arlington, VA that is Metro accessible. Address will be shared with registrants.

Hanukkah celebrates rededication of the Holy Temple. Join Rabbi Aderet for a special evening as we prepare to celebrate Hanukkah and explore the things we can illuminate in our own lives that have been lost or missed?

We will ground in Jewish texts and then turn to a creative visual arts process that will help us to draw out and discover the lost or missed aspects deep within each of us, that once rediscovered, can offer us insight and illuminate our lives in unexpected ways.

We will utilize different approaches in our experience together including learning, visual arts, chanting as well as a mindfulness practice. No prior experience necessary. Everyone is always welcome.

We’ll gather in a central location in DC for an evening of dynamic learning, meaningful conversation, and refreshments. Upon viewing registrant sign ups, we’ll reach out with specific location.

“Miracles” writes Rabbi Jason Rubenstein, “have gone from being the great proof of religion to its great disproof. A source of embarrassment at worst, and perhaps, at best, confusion.” 

Agree? Disagree? Not sure? No matter where you stand, join Rabbi Emmanuel as we prepare for Hanukkah together through intimate study and conversation about miracles: their place in Jewish texts, traditions, and history, as well as our own lives and the world around us. 

All are welcome and no prior experience necessary. We will gather at a home in Arlington, VA that is Metro accessible. Address will be shared with registrants.

Awakened Heart is a holistic and soulful mindfulness experience that takes us on an individual journey from being present to what is in our hearts to connecting with the community around us. We begin with guided meditation and silence, and then turn outward to connect in community for learning, sacred chanting and a contemplative Shabbat morning prayer experience.

After the service, we will enjoy a kosher Shabbat lunch together.

We have reached capacity for this gathering. We look forward to seeing you at our next Den gathering.

How do we best support others, and how can others best support us? Join Rabbi Emmanuel for a series exploring Jewish texts, traditions, and ideas around “chesed,” the practice of showing up for others at times of grief, illness, hardship, and struggle. An opportunity to connect with one another, we will also reflect on our own experiences of chesed, strengthen our “chesed skills,” and consider what can get in the way of both giving and receiving chesed: fear, confusion, stigma, and broader conditions such as work/life balance, climate anxiety, and social injustice.  

All are welcome. No previous experience necessary, including prior class attendance. We will gather at a home in Arlington, VA that is Metro accessible, address will be shared with registrants.

Our gathering on Mon, Nov 25 will explore Jewish sources and personal reflections related to experiences of moving to a new place.

How do we best support others, and how can others best support us? Join Rabbi Emmanuel for a series exploring Jewish texts, traditions, and ideas around “chesed,” the practice of showing up for others at times of grief, illness, hardship, and struggle. An opportunity to connect with one another, we will also reflect on our own experiences of chesed, strengthen our “chesed skills,” and consider what can get in the way of both giving and receiving chesed: fear, confusion, stigma, and broader conditions such as work/life balance, climate anxiety, and social injustice.  

All are welcome. No previous experience necessary, including prior class attendance. We will gather at a home in Arlington, VA that is Metro accessible, address will be shared with registrants.

Our gathering on Mon, Nov 18 will explore Jewish sources and personal reflections related to experiences of moving to a new place.

This is a FREE event intended for people experiencing infertility as well as their friends and family to gain tips and tools from professionals and veterans of infertility on how to support people during this time. Join us for snacks & drinks while you hear from an amazing panel of experts and veterans of infertility! Proudly co-sponsored by the Den alongside organizations across the Greater Washington Jewish community.

How do we best support others, and how can others best support us? Join Rabbi Emmanuel for a series exploring Jewish texts, traditions, and ideas around “chesed,” the practice of showing up for others at times of grief, illness, hardship, and struggle. An opportunity to connect with one another, we will also reflect on our own experiences of chesed, strengthen our “chesed skills,” and consider what can get in the way of both giving and receiving chesed: fear, confusion, stigma, and broader conditions such as work/life balance, climate anxiety, and social injustice.  

All are welcome. No previous experience necessary, including prior class attendance. We will gather at a home in Arlington, VA that is Metro accessible, address will be shared with registrants.

Our gathering on Monday, 11/11 will explore Jewish sources and personal reflections related to illness and healing.

**Please check Den website under “Gatherings” for future Chesed classes: Nov. 18 and Nov. 25**

Shalom! We have heard from many Den community members interested in a Hebrew language course. We are thrilled to share that Gil, a long-time Den member and Hebrew educator, has graciously offered to teach a Hebrew Language course exclusively for the Den community! 

Our "Cafe Ivrit," or "Hebrew Cafe" will consist of 10 class sessions and a class Shabbat Dinner. 

Classes will meet on Sunday's at 7pm:

• Dec 8, 15, 22

• Jan 5, 12, 19, 26

• Feb 2, 9, 23

• Shabbat Dinner date TBD with the group 

The first and final class sessions will meet in-person, and the remainder of the sessions will meet over zoom. 

Sign Up Information

Gil's vision is to customize this special offering to participants' Hebrew language goals and interests. To this end, please complete the form below by Mon, Nov 11.

About our educator:
Gil is an Israeli Hebrew speaker with a background in Hebrew language education and a variety of experiences as both a teacher and student. He is truly excited to share his passion for Hebrew and provide a fun, meaningful, and engaging learning and community-building experience for all. Gil is committed to helping you achieve your Hebrew goals with patience, understanding, and mutual respect for our time and efforts.

Todah/Thank you!

The registration deadline for Cafe Ivrit/Hebrew Cafe is Mon, Nov 11th. Sign up below.

The diversity of the American Jewish community is one of its greatest strengths. Yet where did all the differences between Jewish denominations and communities come from? How might understanding Jewish history help us make decisions about our Jewish lives today?

Join Rabbi Emmanuel for an exploration of the origins of Jewish religious movements as we know them, including Reform, Orthodox, Conservative, the American Jewish Counterculture, and more. Through study, conversation, and relationship-building with one another, we will consider the role Jewish history plays in our current moment and the choices we make throughout our Jewish journeys. 

All are welcome, and no previous experience necessary. Participants are expected to attend all classes in the series as material will build from class to class. We will meet on Wednesdays@ 7pm: 11/13, 11/20, + 12/4.

Central meeting locations will be determined based on registration.

Connect in community and learn together with other couples—partnered, engaged, married, Jewish, multifaith, interfaith, and more— from across the Greater Washington area.

Our learning will be based on circle members’ questions and interests. Together we will explore relevant Jewish texts, traditions, and ideas to cultivate meaningful ways to infuse Judaism into your lives, relationship, and home. Our learning circle will also be an opportunity to build deeper connections among members, as well as craft meaningful Jewish experiences together. No prior experience necessary.

Sample of Class Topics:

• Meaningful + Inspirational Shabbat/Holiday Practice

• Infusing Your Home with Jewish Values + Ethics

• Jewish Wisdom on Cultivating Intimacy in Relationships + “Me Time”

• Integrating diverse traditions (interfaith/multifaith/Jewish)

• Navigating Additional Resources + Offerings Throughout the Greater Jewish Community

Sign Up Information

The Couple’s Learning Circle is intended to build meaningful relationships among group members. Space is limited to foster an intimate and connected cohort dynamic. Sign up is on a first come, first served basis. Meetings will be held monthly from December through May, in addition to a cohort Shabbat experience.

We are asking everyone to please contribute $360/couple in order to help make this 6-month cohort learning experience possible. If this amount is cost prohibitive for you, please contribute what you are comfortable with. Cost is not a barrier for entry.

The registration deadline for the Couple’s Learning Circle is Mon, Nov 11th. Sign up below.

Connect in community and learn together with others who identify as men. This circle is open to all male and male-identifying folks who are looking to connect and explore their identity as it relates to Judaism, gender, and more.

Led by Rabbi Emmanuel, our learning will be based on circle members’ questions and interests. Together we will explore relevant Jewish texts, traditions, and ideas, as well as reflect on our own diverse life experiences of Jewishness and masculinity. Our learning circle will also be an opportunity to build deeper connections among members, as well as craft meaningful Jewish experiences together. No prior experience necessary.

Sign Up Information

The Men’s Learning Circle is intended to build meaningful relationships among group members. Space is limited to foster an intimate and connected cohort dynamic. Sign up is on a first come, first served basis. Meetings will be held monthly from December through May, in addition to a cohort Shabbat experience.

We are asking everyone to please contribute $180/person in order to help make this 6-month cohort learning experience possible. If this amount is cost prohibitive for you, please contribute what you are comfortable with. Cost is not a barrier for entry.

Final class dates and central meeting locations will be determined and then shared with registrants after sign up closes.

The registration deadline for the Men’s Learning Circle is Mon, Nov 11th. Sign up below.

Connect in community and learn together with others who identify as women. This circle is open to all women and women-identifying folks who are looking to connect and explore their identity as it relates to Judaism, gender, and more.

Led by Rabbi Aderet, our learning will be based on circle members’ questions and interests. Together we will explore relevant Jewish texts, traditions, and ideas, as well as reflect on our own diverse life experiences of Jewishness and female identity. Our learning circle will also be an opportunity to build deeper connections among members, as well as craft meaningful Jewish experiences together. No prior experience necessary.

Sign Up Information

The Women’s Learning Circle is intended to build meaningful relationships among group members. Space is limited to foster an intimate and connected cohort dynamic. Sign up is on a first come, first served basis. Meetings will be held monthly from December through May, in addition to a cohort Shabbat experience.

We are asking everyone to please contribute $180/person in order to help make this 6-month cohort learning experience possible. If this amount is cost prohibitive for you, please contribute what you are comfortable with. Cost is not a barrier for entry.

Final class dates and central meeting locations will be determined and then shared with registrants after sign up closes.

The registration deadline for the Women’s Learning Circle is Mon, Nov 11th. Sign up below.

This peer-led learning circle is led by trained Den members. We select different books on Jewish ethics for learning + discussion. Together, we will ponder questions such as:

• How can our decisions - large or small - make a felt impact in our community?

• What are ways we can bring greater purpose and meaning to our lives?

• What can Jewish wisdom teach us about how to navigate this challenging moment that we now face?

The Ethics Book Club meets every 6 weeks beginning in December on Tuesday's from 7-8:30pm. Registrants will be contacted to find mutual available dates for the class as well as determine a central meeting location.

No prior knowledge of Jewish text or ethics is necessary. All are welcome!

This season, the Jewish Ethics Circle will read and discuss the book, On Repentance and Repair by Rabbi Danya Ruttenberg.

After a tense election season, we look forward to coming together with you to connect in community, to take a much-needed pause to welcome Shabbat with blessings, and to just be together in a safe and sacred space in proper Den style.

We’ll gather to make kiddush (blessing over wine/grape juice) as a community, take a breath, and reflect on the week in this safe and sacred space we’ll build together.

May we each be gently present to what we are holding, having gratitude for the many ways we gather and support one another moving forward.

To set the mood and get ready for our Shabbat gathering:

1) Feel free to pour yourself wine or grape juice for kiddush if you have some on hand. If not, we can virtually share our cup!

2) If you have challah bread or a roll, put it out on the table with a cover over it.

3) Candle lighting is at 4:41pm (Feel free to light Shabbat candles in advance if you’d like.)

With blessings for a peaceful Shabbat.

Join Dayenu: A Jewish Call to Climate Action, in partnership with the Den, in a non-partisan effort to call climate-concerned voters, making sure they know when and how to safely cast their ballots. Dayenu will provide the training, support, and inspiration, with Jewish wisdom and a live musical performance at every online shift.

Sign up below and reach out to info@dayenu.org with any questions.

Join Rabbi Emmanuel for a special gathering marking Hoshana Rabbah, the final day of Sukkot where we reflect and finalize our hopes for the New Year, as well as pray for the wellbeing of our planet and ecosystem. Together we’ll explore the ancient practice of “hakafot,” walking (or marching) in a communal circle alongside prayer, poetry, and music while symbolically holding willow branches.

No prior experience necessary, and all are welcome to this unique learning and earth-based ritual experience. We will gather at a home in Arlington, VA that is Metro accessible, address will be shared with registrants.

In our liturgy, Sukkot is referred to as Z'man Simchateinu, the Season of our Rejoicing. Join Rabbi Aderet in her family Sukkah for a special evening, where we will explore new ways to access and creatively express our joy - through chanting, art, blessing practice and more.

We enter this joyous season amid an ongoing war. We hope this gathering will provide opportunities to discover new ways to access joy and hope, to carry us through this time.

We’ll gather outdoors and under the stars for an evening of dynamic learning, meaningful conversation, and refreshments.

WE HAVE REACHED MAXIMUM CAPACITY FOR THIS GATHERING.

SIGN UPS ARE NOW CLOSED. WE LOOK FORWARD TO GATHERING WITH YOU AGAIN SOON!

the Den has been invited to join neighboring communities to celebrate the national interfaith significance of the Scotland AME Zion Church in Potomac, MD in honor of the 100th anniversary of the sanctuary’s opening in 1924. The evening’s program will focus on the past and present of the church and community in the context of national events. You won’t want to miss this important conversation about the legacy of Dr. King’s dream in today’s world and the evolving role of faith organizations in a shared commitment to eliminating racism, antisemitism and all forms of hate and bias.

An Evening in Honor of the 100th Anniversary of the Scotland AME Zion Church

Speakers: Martin Luther King III, Rabbi David Saperstein, Dr. Erika Gault, Amy Spitalnick

6:30 Reception, 7:30 Panel Discussion

This event will take place at the National Museum of African American History and Culture, in the Oprah Winfrey Theater (directions here).

RSVP by email to Bernard Scott.

There is no charge to attend, though donations are encouraged and can be made online here.

In the West, popular culture often casts the end-of-life as a taboo or private matter. Yet Yom Kippur speaks in a different voice, with many of the day’s traditions simulating Jewish customs around the process of dying. Join Rabbi Emmanuel for study, discussion, and reflection on how Yom Kippur offers us a “near death” experience, and in doing so, offers us a unique perspective on how we want to live.

No prior experience neccesary, and all are welcome. We will gather at a home in Arlington that is Metro accessible, address will be shared with registrants.

This October 7th, join thousands from across the Greater Washington Jewish community to commemorate one year since the horrific attacks in Israel that changed our world forever.

Together, we will unite for an evening of remembrance, resilience, and hope for a brighter future. 

Hosted by The Jewish Federation, JCRC, and Washington Board of Rabbis. Proudly co-sponsored by the Den and other local organizations.

WHEN: Monday, October 7th @ 7:00 PM

REGISTRATION IS NOW CLOSED.

You can watch the commemoration via livestream:

https://www.shalomdc.org/our-focus/?utm_medium=email&utm_source=livestream

On Monday, October 7th we will commemorate one year since the horrific attacks in Israel that changed our world forever. 

The Capital Camps and Retreat Center is opening their campus to the Jewish community, especially professionals working in the non-Jewish sector. You are invited to spend the day at this stunning campus.  Attendees can choose to use the day in the manner that provides the most comfort: 

• Walking the hiking trails 

• Engaging in restorative conversations 

• Sitting by the stream with friends or independently 

• Overlooking the lake or taking out a boat 

• Playing basketball, tennis or soccer 

• Utilizing WIFI in the Retreat Center to telework 

• Meditating in the mountain air 

• Singing by the campfire 

• Enjoying a kosher lunch 

This is a great opportunity to take care of yourself on this difficult day.  

The day and campus are your own, you are invited to enjoy and reflect. 

Hosted by Capital Retreat Center in partnership with the Den Collective and the Jewish Federation of Greater Washington.

Join the Jewish community of Northern Virginia in prayer as, together, we mark one year since the horrors of October 7th. The shared service will take place at Temple Rodef Shalom where we will come together as a community to hear stories of that day, share our grief, and pray together for a better future. The event is free. Registration is required.

Presented by the Pozez JCC of Northern Virginia, Temple Rodef Shalom, The Jewish Federation of Greater Washington, and many other local communities. Proudly co-sponsored by the Den.

WHEN: Sunday, October 6th @ 7:00 PM

WHERE: Temple Rodef Shalom 2100 Westmoreland St Falls Church, Virginia

Sign Up Below to Meet Up with a Den Rabbi + other Den Members Before the Event:

We love this time of year! Join the Den for our annual Kayaking Tashlich experience on the Potomac River as we experience a meaningful and relaxing way to take part in the powerful ritual of Tashlich. Tashlich, or “casting away”, is performed during the Ten Days between the start of Rosh Hashana and the beginning of Yom Kippur. Our rabbis will guide us in this ritual experience on the water, and then you are invited to enjoy the riverside scenery and find a spot to eat lunch together. We’ll meet at Fletcher’s Cove Boathouse for introductions + intention setting before heading out on the water together. All are welcome.

Selichot = Prayers asking for forgiveness. On the Saturday night before we move into the new year, it is an ancient custom to enter the week of the High Holy Days with the tunes of the season in our ears and on our hearts. Everyone is invited to join us for this in-person “Selichot Service,” complete with havdalah marking the end of Shabbat and soulful singing with members of our Den Band.

We will gather at a location in DC, address will be shared with registrants. Everyone welcome!

Whether you are flipping through a High Holy Days prayer book for the first or fiftieth time, sitting in synagogue or outside reflecting in nature, you just may encounter a diversity of names and images for God. Which of these do we find challenging, or hard to relate to? Which offer us inspiration or comfort? Join Rabbi Emmanuel for an evening of learning and reflection as we consider our relationships with High Holy Day prayer, God, and our personal hopes for the holiday season.

We will gather at a home in Arlington, VA that is Metro accessible, address will be shared with registrants. No prior experience necessary, and all are welcome.

Jewish mystics retreated into nature as a way to experience a more profound sense of intention and attention to their lives. We’ll be guided on our hikes by our very own “hike captains” (nature lovin’ folks from the Den), followed by learning and discussion to get us warmed up for the season. BYO snack + water bottle.

This High Holy Day Hike will be held Sunday, September 22 from 10:00am - 12:00pm

Meeting location will be shared with registrants; hikes will be centrally located and transit-accessible. No experience necessary. All are welcome!

We’ve been through a lot over the past year — collectively and individually. Join Rabbi Aderet for an intimate evening of deep connection, sweet challah baking, and exploration of Jewish teachings addressing the question, “How do we cultivate hope during troubling times?” We’ll begin with learning how to braid round and sweet Rosh Hashana challahs then move into our learning as the challahs are baking in the oven. You’ll take home your freshly baked challah bread to enjoy over the holiday.

We will gather in Bethesda, MD in a Metro accessible location. No prior experience necessary. All are welcome.