Since last August, when I began as CEO of The Jewish Federation, I have enjoyed getting to know hundreds and hundreds of people across DC, Maryland and Northern Virginia. The dedication and passion I’ve witnessed for the future of Jewish Greater Washington is truly awe-inspiring. When I meet someone new, I like to ask
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It’s no secret that Greater Washington is home to thousands of committed, generous and passionate people – those who lead by example, who stand strong in their convictions and who care about making our society a better place for everyone to live. This Sunday, April 29, we’ll have the opportunity to live these values
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When I was a child growing up in Jerusalem in the early 1970s, Israel was a very different place than the one we know today. It was, in many ways, still a third world country. Meat was a scarce commodity. It was clear to everyone that Israel’s survival was constantly at risk. While the
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By Jeff Rum Six months after Hurricane Harvey, the post-traumatic stress in this community runs rampant. Parents are trying to hold it together as they decide whether to rebuild or relocate. As a child, I remember hearing the story of Noah in Hebrew school. In a class of 5-year-olds, we drew pictures of animals walking
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By Gil Preuss As we prepare to begin our Passover celebrations this evening, I am reminded of a quote by Rabbi Nachman of Breslov that feels especially pertinent today. “The Exodus from Egypt,” he said, “occurs in every human being, in every era, in every year and in every day.” Few celebrations offer as many
Read moreBy Sarah Rabin Spira Theodor Geisel chose the pen name “Dr. Seuss” because his father wanted him to be a doctor. (Seuss is his mother’s birth name.) How lucky for us that he pursued a career in art and children’s literature, forever changing the way that early-reader books were written. Before Dr. Seuss, early-reader books
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“The mission of Jewish leaders in the 21st century should be how to ensure the continued, significant renaissance of the Jewish people, ensuring a sense of belonging by every Jew to his people, its heritage, its values, its State, and its dreams and aspirations to work as Jews to make this a better world for
Read moreBy Gil Preuss Did you know that January 26 is Dental Drill Appreciation Day? By chance, I had a dentist appointment that day, where I was surprised to learn that even my dentist did not know this “fun” fact. Appreciation days and months are not a new phenomenon in our society, but as they seem
Read moreBy Gil Preuss “Action is the only remedy to indifference: the most insidious danger of all.” – Elie Wiesel My wife and I joined our son, Yoni, for a visit to the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum as part of his Jewish Day School class on Modern Jewish History. The framing for this visit asked
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