Just Having Fun Together As Temple Micah has always been a community and not just a place of worship, its members have enjoyed getting together to do many things—learning, working on projects, raising money. Most of these activities have a fun component. The primary purpose of the Kallot, for example, was learning but participants also…
Author: dsquared2247
Learning Together
Learning Together Temple Micah’s deep-rooted focus on learning isn’t just for kids. Adult education has always been taken very seriously. The temple sponsors an annual scholar-in-residence, Sunday speakers, adult ed series led by professional staff, adult Hebrew classes, discussion groups and other learning opportunities. Members themselves have organized lay-led study sessions. The longest-running is Torah…
Member Stories
Member Stories First and foremost, Temple Micah has always been about its people, the individuals that make Micah what it is. It began more than a half century ago as a small group of friends and neighbors. Although the congregation has grown much too large for everyone to know everyone else, Micah remains a community,…
Social Justice
Social Justice (Tzedek) From its earliest days in the 1960s, Temple Micah has been guided by a deep commitment to social justice. Early newsletters announced meetings on civil rights, called on members to tutor at-risk students in the Southwest DC neighborhood where the congregation began, participated in community-wide social justice projects, and took an active…
Life Cycle Events
Life Cycle Events Now early into its second half century, Temple Micah is mature enough to have multiple-generation families among the membership. As the Granof family observed life cycle milestones Micah was there to help celebrate or mourn. As a young married couple, Helene and Gene Granof joined the temple in 1967. (Helene had grown…
Temple Officers
Temple Officers Serving on the Temple Micah Board of Directors has always been hard work. The policy-making body is just that–policy-making. In partnership with the rabbis, the board sets the tone, direction and substance of the congregation. Just like the no-plaques rule which refuses to honor wealthy members just because they are able to donate…
Education: History and Evolution
Before there was a rabbi, even before there was a temple, there was Micah education. As founding member Betty Ustun remembers it, four families living in Southwest, DC, “thought they should have religious education for their children. That’s how we got started.” Jewish education for adults as well as children has remained central throughout Temple…
Staff
Staff Even a do-it-yourself synagogue needs office space and someone to do the administrative work. In 1967, when Rabbi Bernard H.Mehlman came on board four years after the creation of the temple, an office was set up in his family’s basement, which turned out to be inconvenient for everyone involved. So, it wasn’t long before…
The Living History Team
The Living History Team Top to bottom, left to right: David Diskin, project coordinator and web site designer Shelley Grossman – head writer Stu Schwartz – interviewer/videographer Jennifer Gruber – interviewer/videographer, choir recording Francie Schwartz – historical researcher Leslie Sewell – interviewer/videographer
Listen to the Music
Listen to the Music The Adult Choir performs 12 of the special songs they sing following the sermon at B’nai Mitzvah. Not pictured are Cantor Meryl Weiner, who solos, and Music Director Teddy Klaus, who leads the choir. The choir has recorded this music which is available on CD. See the translations below. I will…