Join us for a magical evening of soulful music and connection as we come together for a fresh take on the Den’s approach to curating spirited communal singing experiences. A renewed offering of our beloved “Den Vibes” singing and havdalah (end of Shabbat ritual) gatherings, we will be held and led in communal singing by the Den Music Team (Shy Ashkenazi, Maxwell Thompson, Michael Berkson, Ben Wacks, and our Den rabbis), along with Micah Hendler, local musician, and the Founder and Artistic Director of the Jerusalem Youth Chorus. 

No experience necessary. All are welcome. We will come together for this soulful evening of communal singing in a central location in DC. Address will be shared with registrants.

To help cover the costs for this gathering, please click here to make an $18 contribution that supports the Den and helps us continue to create these and future gatherings. If the amount is cost prohibitive, please make a contribution that you are comfortable with. A contribution is not required to participate. We look forward to gathering together with you!

We have reached capacity for this event. We look forward to seeing you at another Den gathering soon!

In the wake of the Holocaust, an unpublished manuscript was found in the rubble of the Warsaw Ghetto. Written before the war, the author— Hasidic rabbi Kalonymus Kalman Shapira—buried his life’s work shortly before his death. In doing so, he preserved his “Hakhsharat HaAvrekhim,” a spiritual guidebook seeking to speak to the life experiences and religious questions facing communities of young adults. Join Rabbi Emmanuel for study and conversation about this unique text, exploring its wisdom and takeaways for our lives today. 

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

Reproductive freedom is a Jewish value. The Den Collective is proud to partner with National Council of Jewish Women on Repro Shabbat, February 22nd (Parashat Mishpatim).

Join Rabbi Emmanuel at 12:30 PM on Saturday, February 22nd, for this special Repro Shabbat Den gathering. Enjoy a home-cooked meal, meaningful Shabbat rituals, and connections with community members as we explore Jewish perspectives on reproductive health, rights, and justice through the lens of the weekly Torah portion, Parashat Mishpatim.

We will gather in a Metro accessible location in Arlington with lots of street parking nearby. No prior experience necessary. Seating is limited, with registration on a first-come, first-served basis.

Registrants will receive address and other details.

To help cover the costs for this gathering, please click here to make an $18 contribution that supports the Den and helps us continue to create these and future gatherings. If the amount is cost prohibitive, please make a contribution that you are comfortable with. A contribution is not required to participate. All are welcome.

Mindfulness + Meditation at the Den is a holistic and soulful experience that takes us on an individual journey from being present to what we are personally experiencing inside to meaningfully connecting with the community around us. Meditation practice has the ability to build our capacity for a heightened awareness of what is real and true for each of us as we navigate our world.

Jewish wisdom, guided meditation, and mindfulness skill-building will help us ground, reduce anxiety, set tangible intentions, and become more present in our lives

No experience necessary. Dress is comfortable and please bring a yoga mat or towel if you are able.

Location will be set for a central location for those registered.

Address will be shared with registrants.

This experience is great for those new to meditation as well as for veteran meditators.

Everyone is welcome!

Join Moishe House Arlington and the Den Collective's Rabbi Emmanuel Cantor for a special celebration in honor of the holiday of Tu BiShvat, or “new year for trees.” Like Passover, Tu BiShvat is celebrated with a Seder featuring special foods, storytelling, reflective discussion, singing, and four symbolic cups of grape juice or wine. In this spirit, Tu BiShvat offers us a unique opportunity to come together to take stock of our relationships to nature, spirituality, and community, with no prior experience necessary. Seating is limited, with registration on a first-come, first-served basis.

Join Rabbi Emmanuel for a spirited, soulful gathering in honor of the holiday of Tu BiShvat, or “new year for trees.” Like Passover, Tu BiShvat is celebrated with a Seder featuring special foods, storytelling, reflective discussion, singing, and four symbolic cups of grape juice or wine. A beloved tradition among Jewish mystics, Tu BiShvat offers us a unique opportunity to come together to take stock of our relationships to the natural world, community, and year so far. 

No prior experience necessary. Seating is limited, with registration on a first-come, first-served basis. We will gather at a home in Arlington that is Metro accessible. Address will be shared with registrants.

To help cover the costs for this gathering, please click here to make an $18 contribution that supports the Den and helps us continue to create these and future gatherings. If the amount is cost prohibitive, please make a contribution that you are comfortable with. A contribution is not required to participate. All are welcome.

Several years ago, the term “JewBarrassment” came on the scene to describe a negative feeling some experience when they make a ritual “mistake,” or don't know something relating to Jewish culture or observance. Whether you have heard of “JewBarrassment” or are new to the term, many of us can identify with the fear of not-knowing the “right” thing to do in one setting or another—regardless of Jewish background, upbringing, or experience.

In this spirit, we’ll explore with Rabbi Emmanuel a diversity of Jewish sources about “not-knowing”—including Talmudic narrative, Jewish feminist poetry, rabbinic word-play, and artistic commentary—as well as our own personal reflections.

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

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