Wisdom & Reflections for a Very Different New Year

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August – September, 2020

The Jewish Federation of Greater Washington and the Washington Board of Rabbis are pleased to present Wisdom & Reflections for a Very Different New Year—29 days of learning guided by the diversity, warmth, and wisdom of our local rabbinic community.

Last year, we featured 29 rabbis throughout Maryland, DC, and Northern Virginia, to share their wisdom and reflections during the Hebrew month of Elul—the 29 days leading up to Rosh Hashanah.

Celebrate this meaningful transition to a New Year with a process of spiritual introspection, personal growth, and by deepening our connections with one another.

L’shanah Tovah! May we be inscribed in the Book of Life!

Rabbi Uri Topolosky

VIDEO: The Next Level of Creation

Rabbi Uri Topolosky
Immediate Past President, Washington Board of Rabbis

Rabbi Aaron Potek

VIDEO: The Blast DC

Rabbi Aaron Potek
Sixth & I

Rabbi Ilana Zietman

VIDEO: Smack in the Middle

Rabbi Ilana Zietman
GatherDC

Rabbi Charles Arian

VIDEO: Choosing Our Destiny

Rabbi Charles Arian
Kehilat Shalom

Rabbi Lia Bass

Meaning of Tikkun

Rabbi Lia Bass
Jewish Institute for Lifelong Learning and Innovation

Rabbi Fred Scherlinder Dobb

VIDEO: Gratitude and Change

Rabbi Fred Scherlinder Dobb
Adat Shalom Reconstructionist Congregation

Rabbi Sarah Krinsky

VIDEO: Returning to our Yetzer

Rabbi Sarah Krinsky
Adas Israel Congregation

Rabbi Alison Kobey

VIDEO: Acknowledge the Past and Hope for the Future

Rabbi Alison Kobey
Congregation Or Chadash

Rabbi Hyim Shafner

VIDEO: Becoming Ourselves

Rabbi Hyim Shafner
Kesher Israel: The Georgetown Synagogue

Rabbi David Kalender

VIDEO: Unetaneh

Rabbi David Kalender
Congregation Olam Tikvah

Rabbi Lauren Tuchman

Seeking the Divine Face

Rabbi Lauren Tuchman
Avodah

Rabbi Gilah Langner

VIDEO: The Torah of New Possibilities

Rabbi Gilah Langner
Shirat HaNefesh, Kol Ami Congregations

Rabbi Saul Oresky

VIDEO: A reflection on the final verses of Psalm 27

Rabbi Saul Oresky
Mishkan Torah

Rabbi Gerald Serotta

“Never Give Up – Never Give In”

Rabbi Gerald Serotta
Retired (Founding Rabbi of Shirat HaNefesh)

Rabbi Hannah Spiro

VIDEO: Loving with our Two Inclinations

Rabbi Hannah Spiro
Hill Havurah

Rabbi Saxe

Practicing Humility

Rabbi Jeffrey Saxe
Temple Rodef Shalom

Rabbi Tasman

VIDEO: Be The Master of Your Changes: A Short Teaching for Rosh Hashanah

Rabbi Sarah Tasman
The Tasman Center for Jewish Creativity

Niel Tow with play button for video

VIDEO: God & Humanity: Searching for Each Other

Rabbi Neil Tow
Congregation B’nai Tzedek

Rabbi Lynn

The Coal Train and the Pocket Computer

Rabbi Devorah Lynn
Jewish Earth Alliance

Rabbi Raskin

Anywhere but 2020/5780!

Rabbi Adam Raskin
Congregation Har Shalom

Rabbi Werbow with play button for video

VIDEO: Elul; A Time of Seeking

Michael Werbow
Tifereth Israel Congregation

Daniel I Braune-Friedman with play button for video

VIDEO: Unveiling God

Daniel I Braune-Friedman
Charles E. Smith Life Communities

Rachel Gartner with play button for video

VIDEO: With Outstretched Arms

Rachel Gartner
Georgetown University

Rabbi Mark Novak with play button to watch video

VIDEO: Achat Sha’al’ti – One Thing I Ask

Rabbi Mark Novak
Minyan Oneg Shabbat

Rabbi Mitchell Berkowitz

It’s Complicated: Our Relationship Status with God

Rabbi Mitchell Berkowitz
B’nai Israel Congregation

Rabbi Ben Berger

To Be Seen

Rabbi Ben Berger
Hillel International

Rabbi Greg Harris with play button to watch video

VIDEO: A Staccato Year

Rabbi Greg Harris
Congregation Beth El

Rabbi Noah Diamondstein with play button to watch video

VIDEO: Rabbi Diamondstein Discusses Communal Teshuva

Rabbi Noah Diamondstein
Temple Sinai

Gil Preuss with play button to watch video

VIDEO: Connection & Collaboration

Gil Preuss
CEO, The Jewish Federation

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Washington Board of Rabbis logo

In a year unlike any other, our local synagogues and community organizations have come up with countless opportunities to enrich your High Holiday celebrations. Explore Federation’s High Holiday resources on Jconnect for new recipes, find tickets for High Holiday services (virtual and in-person) and try out family-friendly activities to engage the kids in meaningful rituals.