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.

Repro Shabbat is an annual Shabbat celebration that honors the Jewish value of reproductive freedom. It takes place annually on Parshat Mishpatim, the reading of which contains the verses commonly referenced as the foundation of Judaism’s approach to reproductive health, rights, and justice. Individuals and communities across the world gather to celebrate Repro Shabbat and the Jewish traditions it honors. Participation can take many forms.

Join Rabbi Jenna for a dining and learning experience dedicated to exploring the Jewish value of reproductive health and freedom for all, and the current issues facing the assurance of reproductive health in the U.S. We will enjoy a delicious bagel brunch, including Kiddush (blessing over grapejuice/wine) and Motzi (blessing over challah).

This gathering will be in Arlington. All are welcome!

Refugee Shabbat is an invitation for us to express our solidarity with the global Jewish movement for refugee protection and welcome. People seeking asylum are being turned away at borders around the world. This is a critical moment for all of us to reaffirm and redouble our support for refugees, asylum seekers, and the forcibly displaced, and an opportunity to step back, reflect, and celebrate the work we have already done.

Join Rabbi Jenna for a dining and learning experience dedicated to exploring the current concerns and statistics for global refugees and why it’s a Jewish value to help the stranger. We will enjoy a vegetarian, Kosher meal including blessings of Kiddush (blessing over grapejuice/wine) and Motzi (blessing over challah).

Location TBD. All are welcome!

Rosh Chodesh directly translates to “head of the month,” and it’s the time each lunar cycle when we have a new moon, meaning no visible moon, and the beginning of a new month in the Hebrew calendar.

At the Den’s Rosh Chodesh circle, we take time for personal reflection + intention-setting through learning, discussion, and rituals to honor the new moon.

On January 11th, we enter the month of Shevat, known as the month of the rainy season. In honor of MLK Day, we will explore Martin Luther King Jr.’s teachings alongside Jewish wisdom to inspire our intention setting for the month, driving out the darkness and spreading light and love.

All are welcome. This gathering will be held in Maryland.

We’ve all heard voices of hatred and antisemitism around the globe glorifying the October 7th attacks. But these voices will never drown out those who stand against terror and with Israel. Now the Jewish Federations of North America invite you to raise your voice: to defeat antisemitism, to demand freedom for the hostages, and to demonstrate that America stands with Israel.

MARCH for Israel
MARCH to Free Hostages
MARCH Against Antisemitism

Without the protections of Roe, more than half of states across the country have implemented abortion restrictions or bans that have exacerbated structural inequalities blocking access abortion and other reproductive care. Over the past year, National Council for Jewish Women (NCJW)’s Jews For Abortion Access movement has grown by the thousands, affirming broad Jewish communal support for bodily autonomy and reproductive freedom. 

In Judaism, a yahrtzeit marks the anniversary of the death of a loved one. Join NCJW on June 23 as the community both mourn those who have been harmed by lack of access to safe abortions, even before the loss of Roe, and imagine boldly a world where reproductive justice is possible.

This virtual gathering is organized by the NCJW. Learn more and register below.

Juneteenth is the oldest nationally celebrated commemoration of the ending of slavery in the United States. Today, Juneteenth commemorates African American freedom and emphasizes education and achievement. It is a day marked by celebrations, learning, and social/family gatherings. It is a time for reflection and rejoicing. It is a time for assessment, improvement and keeping an eye toward the future.

Join Rabbi Jenna to explore this important historical date, discover ways we can continue to celebrate + honor the history, culture, current lives, and future of Black America, and connect to the Jewish values of social justice and radical welcoming.

No experience necessary; all are welcome! This gathering will be held in Arlington. Sign up below by June 18th.

Reproductive freedom is a Jewish value. In partnership with the National Council of Jewish Women, the Den is gathering to honor Repro Shabbat. Through ritual, learning, and connection with each other, we will create an open and safe space for exploring how this topic is relevant in all of our lives.

We’ll check in, set some Shabbat intentions, recite kiddush (blessing over wine) and honor the critical importance of reproductive health access and reproductive rights in partnership with the National Council of Jewish Women.

Everyone is welcome. This gathering will be virtual; register for the zoom below.

In honor of Tu B’Shvat, the new year for trees, let’s talk about Judaism and the environment! Join Rabbi Jenna at Moishe House Arlington for a thoughtful discussion of how environmentalism is Jewish value, and how we can honor nature in our everyday lives. We’ll celebrate the holiday with fruit salad, fair trade chocolate, and dinner.

This gathering will at Moishe House Arlington. Please sign up below by February 6th.

JCRC (Jewish Community Relations Council) is inviting the NoVA Jewish community to join your voice with others from around the Commonwealth on issues important to our Jewish communities.

Participants will hear from the Lt. Governor, VA Attorney General, members of the NoVA House + Senate delegation, as well as possibly the Governor.

The advocacy piece will focus on several pieces of legislation specific to the Jewish Community, which are intended to combat antisemitism and positively recognize Jewish life in the Commonwealth.  Additional topics of focus will be included as well; you can read JCRC’s VA legislative priorities here.

For more information and to register, sign up below. For questions or accommodations, contact Director of Virginia Government and Community Relations Vicki Fishman.

HIAS Refugee Shabbat is an opportunity for the Jewish community to communicate our strong, shared support for refugees and asylum seekers. Welcoming the stranger is a central Jewish value – one repeated more than any other commandment in the Torah. This year, Refugee Shabbat coincides with when we read the parashah, the Torah portion, of Beshalach. This is the week when we tell the story of the Israelites leaving Egypt and crossing the sea to freedom.

Join us for a bagel brunch us as we discover how the stories of the Torah lay the foundation for this Jewish value, learn more about current refugee + asylum issues, and explore ways to support the cause + get more involved.

This gathering will be in Arlington. Please sign up by February 2nd.

Dayenu, a Jewish call to climate action, is teaming up with the Jews of Color Initiative for a timely event about the complex fabric of JoC identities, lived experiences, and perspectives. 

Arya Marvazy, Senior Director of Programs at the Jews of Color Initiative, will present the Initiative’s critical research that presents the largest dataset of Jews of color in United States history. He will be joined by Chicago EcoJews co-leader Maetal Gerson and Rav Tiferet Berenbaum of Temple Beth Zion for a panel discussion. JoCI Board Director and Dayenu Advisory Board member Ginna Green will moderate and Dayenu Young People Organizer Sumner Lewis will MC.

For more information and to register for this virtual gathering, sign up below.

Weekly, we have a traditional and accessible deep dive into the weekly Torah portion, tying ancient stories to real life meaning. We ask questions of ourselves and our Biblical ancestors to learn from their experience and apply the meaning of their stories to our Jewish journeys. This week, in honor of Martin Luther King Jr and the endeavor for equality, equity, and racial justice, we will explore what the Jewish tradition can teach us about equality, caring for others through communal responsibility, and a bit of the history of Jewish representation in the civil rights movement + beyond.

This gathering will be held in Arlington.

For in person location for this class, please contact Rabbi Jenna by 12pm on the day.

HIAS supports over 300 asylum seekers and forcibly displaced persons in the D.C. area with free legal representation. Whether you are an educator or attorney, speak a foreign language (our highest need is for volunteers who speak Amharic, Dari, French, Pashto, and/or Spanish), or are interested in welcoming newcomers into your community, we invite you to take the first step toward becoming a HIAS volunteer by joining a mandatory information session.

Advance registration required and you must be located in the Greater Washington, D.C. area.

Join Moishe House Bethesda and Rabbi Jenna as we trace the history of Tikkun Olam (Repairing Our World) from the Torah to the modern day.

Rabbi Jenna will lead us in learning and discussion and then Moishe House Bethesda residents will highlight organizations doing impactful work in the DMV and how you can get more involved.

We’ll enjoy a bagel brunch together, so please take a moment to share your bagel preference when you sign up below. The address will be shared on the sign-up form. Everyone welcome!

The Festival of Sukkot invites us to seek shelter, both spiritually and physically, providing us with a sense of safety and stability. Chronic homelessness is a pervasive issue in our society; many people lack the shelter to keep them feeling safe and secure in their daily lives. Join Rabbi Jenna in the sukkah to learn about housing justice from its Jewish roots through to the advocacy and action we can take as a group to impact our local community.

We will gather in Arlington. Light refreshments will be served.

Sign up by October 9th to receive address and details. Everyone welcome.

Join green leaders and Jewish climate protectors from across our region online as we discuss the impact of the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) on solar and electric vehicles and learn how Jewish organizations and community leaders are transitioning toward a wiser use of energy. This month, the Jewish Climate Action Network-DMV will be joined by Joan D. Plisko, Ph.D. (Community Sustainability Director, The Pearlstone Retreat Center), Liore Milgrom-Gartner (Deputy Climate Action Director, Hazon), and Evonne Marzouk (Founder & Former Executive Director, Canfei Nesharim).

Together we’ll: 

• Reflect on the mitzvah of bal tashchit, prohibiting waste and needless destruction.

• Learn about Evonne Marzouk's Jewish reasons for purchasing an electric vehicle.

• Discover how the Pearlstone Center installed EV chargers and solar panels on their campus, and how our communities can do the same.

• Discuss Hazon's national climate work with Jewish communal institutions.

• Update the JCAN community on what the IRA means for solar power and EVs.

The Jewish Youth Climate Movement is hosting a ritual art action and teach-in, while they are in person as a community for their Climate Activism Institute. Join them to learn the story of the Jewish climate movement they are building, one grounded in existential Jewish mourning and historic upheaval whose wisdom guides us to hope, resilience, and action. This gathering takes place in-person in DC, location disclosed to registrants.

Join us for an informal Jewish and secular-based text study, along with Den members Ana Levy (she/her) and Stacy Brody (she/her) who will be co-facilitating. We will be seeking to answer the question "What inspires us to strive for racial justice in our own communities?". Together we will reflect on what Juneteenth can mean for us personally and communally and our individual approaches to anti-racism. We will be discussing anti-racism, white privilege, and the ways our Jewish identities interact with our ideas of race & justice. Experience with Jewish text study is not required!

This gathering will be held in-person, outdoors in DC.

Sign up below for meet up location and details.

The future of abortion access in this country is on the line. Overturning Roe means that women and people who can get pregnant will lose access to the control of their own bodies and to vital, lifesaving healthcare. We join the National Council of Jewish Women, advocates, allies, and communities across the country to raise our voices at the Jewish Rally for Abortion Justice at the Supreme Court. The Den is a proud co-sponsor of the rally. We look forward to coming together for this powerful moment of collective action.

ON JEWISH LAW + REPRODUCTIVE RIGHTS:

Jewish tradition cherishes the sanctity of life, including the potential of life during pregnancy, but does not believe that personhood and human rights begin with conception, but rather with birth as indicated by Exodus 21:22-23. Jewish teachings in the Torah and Talmud support the Halachic (Jewish Legal) necessity of access to abortion (see more.)

NEED TO SPEAK WITH A RABBI?

As always, if you are in need of confidential rabbinic pastoral care, please reach out to Rabbis Jenna or Aderet.

SIGN UP FOR THE RALLY:

1) Please register for the rally below.

2) Let us know you plan to attend as we will be in touch with a meet up spot and an option to commute with others from the Den:

Join us for this learning and discussion session where we will explore Reproductive Rights from a Jewish perspective. Jewish teachings in the Torah and Talmud support the Halachic (Jewish Legal) necessity of access to abortion. This will be a traditional and accessible deep dive into Jewish texts, guiding us to better understand how reproductive rights and abortion access are Jewish values. Everyone is welcome, no experience necessary.

This gathering will be held in person in Arlington.

Sign up by contacting Rabbi Jenna and you’ll receive meet up details and info on our health + safety guidelines for gathering in person.

Across the country, Jewish communities are joining with neighbors of all faiths this spring to call on seven big banks to stop investing in fossil fuels and invest more in renewable energy. The fossil fuel industry has grown rich from polluting our air and water. These polluters’ enormous wealth gives them power over our political process, and they have little incentive to change their core business model: extraction.

We’ll gather in DC on Wednesday morning of Passover week, with friends from IPL-DMV’s Jewish Climate Action Network DMV and the Temple Rodef Shalom Dayenu Circle to bring our message directly to DC offices of BlackRock and Chase Bank.

We will meet at Triangle Park in front of the New York Avenue Presbyterian Church. After delivering our messages to the nearby offices of Chase and BlackRock, we will return to the park, where those who wish can gather for a picnic lunch, and a reading of selections from the Exodus Alliance’s “street seder” written for this interfaith Sacred Season of Climate Justice by Rabbi Arthur Waskow.

Questions? Reach out to Noam Shapiro, Den member + DMV Dayenu ambassador

Healing Our World is a learning, advocacy, and action series.

Each unit includes 3 separate classes: 1) Learning, 2) Advocacy, 3) Action. While it is ideal to participate in all 3, you are welcome to join for whichever you are able.

ADVOCACY:

This month we are exploring the issue of Racial Equity. There is still much work to be done in moving toward a society free of systematic oppression, racism, and discrimination. In this second gathering of the series, we will learn about ways to advocate for and support racial equity for BIPOC in our local communities as well as the organizations focused on this important issue. Together we will plan for an upcoming action to actualize our values and set the date for this action to take place during class #3 (date TBA).

Reach out to Rabbi Jenna with any questions!

Healing Our World is a learning, advocacy, and action series.

Each unit includes 3 separate classes: 1) Learning, 2) Advocacy, 3) Action. While it is ideal to participate in all 3, you are welcome to join for whichever you are able.

JEWISH LEARNING:

This month we are exploring the issue of Racial Equity. There is still much work to be done in moving toward a society free of systematic oppression, racism, and discrimination. In this first gathering of the series, we will learn what Judaism teaches us about how to achieve equity, to act non-discriminatory, and our collective responsibility to help those who are marginalized.

Save the date for the class #2 (Advocacy): Wednesday, March 30th

Reach out to Rabbi Jenna with any questions!

Refugee Shabbat 2022 is a moment for congregations, organizations, and individuals in the United States and around the world to dedicate a Shabbat experience to refugees and asylum seekers. In partnership with HIAS, we will gather together to learn about and discuss the global refugee crisis in a Jewish context, as well as learn about ways we can help locally.

We’ll bring the challah and the learning; you bring yourselves and a picnic lunch! We’ll be meeting at a park centrally located in DC. Sign up to join us below.

Healing Our World is a learning, advocacy, and action series.

Each unit includes 3 separate classes: 1) Learning, 2) Advocacy, 3) Action. While it is ideal to participate in all 3, you are welcome to join for whichever you are able.

ACTION:

In this series, we are exploring the issue of Housing justice + security. There is a significant part of our population suffering from being unhoused or having poor living conditions. In this third gathering of the series, there are a two steps:

a) Sign petitions + continue learning about housing security in the DMV. We have a compiled list for petitions, advocacy, and education here.

b) Come together to debrief all that we’ve learned and discuss additional future action opportunities

Reach out to Rabbi Jenna with any questions!

Healing Our World is a social justice learning + action series.

Each unit includes 3 separate classes: 1) Learning, 2) Advocacy, 3) Action. While it is ideal to participate in all 3, you are welcome to join for whichever you are able.

ADVOCACY:

This month we are exploring the issue of Housing justice + security. There is a significant part of our population suffering from being unhoused or having poor living conditions. In this second gathering of the series, we will learn about ways to advocate and support the unhoused in our local communities. Together we will plan an action to actualize our values, taking what we’ve learned to the streets.

We will first join Jews United for Justice for a meeting on DC Housing Security, 6:30-8pm, and then we’ll gather in our own zoom to debrief, 8:05-8:30pm.

Reach out to Rabbi Jenna with any questions!