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…

Early Days

Early Days There is general agreement that Temple Micah was started in 1963 by a few families in Southwest Washington, DC. But the memories of the earliest members differ on the precise circumstances and reasons for its founding. To have a nearby place to observe the High Holy days, says one. To provide a religious…

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…

Just Having Fun Together

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…

Our Rabbis

Our Rabbis The Southwest Hebrew Congregation hired Bernard H. Mehlman, its first full time rabbi, in 1967, four years after its founding. Prior to that, the fledgling congregation had relied on Rabbi Richard Hirsch, the director of the Reform movement’s Religious Action Center in Washington, and rabbis from other cities who happened to be visiting…