Web Archive

Bet Mishpachah Leases Office Space at the Metro DC GLBT Community Center (Jan 2010)

Bet Mishpachah is pleased to announce that we are leasing office space at the Metro DC GLBT Community Center (1810 14th Street NW). With this lease we will also be able to use the center's common space, including the cyber-office, conference room, kitchen, living room and big meeting room. The agreement is in place to the end of June. More details, including the Rabbi's office hours, to be announced.

5/2- Lag B'omer
Lag B'omer comes on the 33rd day of the Omer, a break in the solemnness of the period with one day of celebrating Rabbi Akiba's escape from death. This day is traditionally one for picnics, bonfires, and bows and arrows!

Join Moishe House Silver Spring and Bet Mishpachah for a Lag B'Omer event full of 'family', food, and fire! On May 2nd at 6PM we'll meet
at the Moishe House for a traditional celebration of Lag B'Omer, including an outdoor picnic, bonfire, and games.

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Tisha B'Av Study Event July 20

Tisha B’Av – the ninth of the Hebrew month of Av- which technically commemorates the destruction of both the First and Second Temples in Jerusalem, has become a catch-all of sorts for mourning otherwise unheralded Jewish tragedy. Among other events linked to this date are: the return of the twelve spies from Canaan, the end of the Bar Kochba revolt, the expulsion of the Jews from England, and Germany’s entrance into World War One.

To commemorate Tisha B’Av, this year the Bet Mishpachah community has invited other GLBT faith communities to join us for an evening of study and reflection. Our topic will be GLBT persecution at the hands of religious communities. The event will take place at 7:30 p.m. on Tuesday July 20^th. Please feel free to invite partners and friends of other faith traditions. Please be reminded, that since this is traditionally a somber day, food will not be served.

Marriage Mazal Tovs (Mar 2010)

Bet Mishpachah extends a hearty Mazal Tov to our members Jeff Berns and Richard Bennet who were married by Rabbi Manewith on March 16; to Lee Knefelkamp and Evie Beck who were married by Rabbi Saks also on March 16; and to Batya Hyman and Belinda Cross who were married by him on March 26. We share their joy and excitement!

We invite all of our members to share news of their simchas with us. Any couple who would like an auf ruf/aliya to celebrate an upcoming wedding at a Saturday morning service, or who would like a blessing at a Friday night service, should let Rabbi Manewith know.

Batya and Belinda with Rabbi Saks

May 10 Rabbi's Class

"Taboos and Tatoos"

This class will explore some of Judaism's bubbe meisas (grandma's tales) that have legs, but no real foundation. You can't get buried in a Jewish cemetery if you have a tattoo, right? Wrong! Come find out if there is anything else you really wanted to do but thought you couldn't!

DCJCC at 7:30 pm. Free and open to all.

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Torah Brunch

On March 25th 2012 Rabbi Michael Tayvah gave a talk about the history of our Holocaust Torah scroll and the town of Kanitz in the Czech Republic where it originated. Rabbi Tayvah's ancestors came from Kanitz (called Dolni Kaunice in Czech). Through the stories of the torah and the history of the Jewish community of Kanitz, attendees were awarded an inspiring glimpse into a once vibrant community and now have an appreciation and sense of pride in the scroll we have inherited.

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Bet Mishpachah Cemetery Space & Dedication Ceremony September 23rd

It was a beautiful Sunday morning as about 30 memers of the congregation and board representatives of the Elesavetrad Cemetery gathered with Rabbi Saks to dedicate the Bet Mishpachah cemetery space at Elesavetgrad Cemetery in SE Washington, DC. As with our move to the DCJCC, Bet Mishpachah will again become more visible in another historically Jewish space. The Elesavetrad Cemetery was founded in 1911.

May 18 Shavuot Celebration

24 Bet Mishpachah members and guests celebrated Shavuot Tuesday evening, May 18, at 7:00 PM, in the community hall of the Washington DCJCC. The celebration included a dairy/vegetarian pot luck, a short Ma’ariv service , and a study session led by Rabbi Manewith and volunteers from the congregation. The topic for study was Loshan Hara, literally evil tongue, more commonly referred to as gossip.

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World AIDS Day 2010

Photo courtesy of Washington Blade.

A World AIDS Day candlelight vigil was held on Wednesday Dec 1st in Dupont Circle. Members of Bet Mishpachah lit the first candle of the menorah marking the first day of Hanukkah. Speakers included Rabbi Toby Manewith, Don Blanchon of the Whitman-Walker Clinic, and television personality Paul Wharton. To read Jack Hillelsohn's drash at from the December 3rd Shabbat Service, click here.

4/25 Israel Trip/Brunch Study

On Sunday, April 25, there will be a brunch where some of the people who visited Israel and Jordan in October will be sharing photos and answering questions about their trip. If you would like to attend, please email so we know how much food to order.

The brunch will be at the Washington DC JCC starting at 11 am. We anticipate that it will go no later than 12:30.

Member in the News - Apr 2010

Bet Mishpachah member Steven Frank makes challah at the first ever deaf-blind shabbaton, in Reisterstown, Maryland in April.

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HHD Tikun Olam Report

A greatful N Street Village Staff sorts thorugh the donations made by Bet Mispachah members. Thanks also to Lee S. and the Social Action/Social Justice Committee.

Our Rehoboth Chavurah 4/21/12

The sun was shining and there was a slight breeze at the Delaware shore. It was a perfect early evening for the Northern Virginia Chavurah event in Lewes, DE. Members and friends came from far and wide to attend this Chavurah event on April 21st. Three people carpooled from Northern Virginia, two came from Southern Maryland, and the rest maintain weekend and/or permanent homes in the Lewes/Rehoboth area.

The evening began with appetizers and lots of conversation as some of the attendees only saw each other at high-holy day services. It continued with a pot-luck dinner. Because the sun did not set until approximately 8pm the Havdalah service was held after dinner. The participants were so excited to have the opportunity to catch up with each other that they decided to forego the featured movie and to continue with the conversation. A joyful evening ended with all of us dancing to music from the eighties.

None of this would have been possible without the effort of Barbara and LySandra, our wonderful hosts for the evening. So to them we all say THANK YOU!

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