B'nai Israel Congregation
Logo of B'nai Israel Congregation
Religion
AffiliationConservative Judaism
LeadershipRabbi Michael J. Safra,
Rabbi Mitchell Berkowitz,
Cantor Josh C. Perlman,
Cantor Sarah Bolts[1]
StatusActive
Location
LocationRockville, Maryland
B'nai Israel Congregation (Rockville, Maryland) is located in Maryland
B'nai Israel Congregation (Rockville, Maryland)
Location within Maryland
Geographic coordinates39°03′15″N 77°07′41″W / 39.054174°N 77.128007°W / 39.054174; -77.128007
Architecture
TypeSynagogue
Specifications
Capacity3,500[2]
Interior area125,000 square feet (11,600 m2)[2]
Website
www.bnaiisraelcong.org
Governor Hogan Celebrate and Honors the life of Deputy Chief State Fire Marshal Sander Cohen by Steve Kwak at Bnai Israel Congregation, December 2017

B'nai Israel Congregation is a synagogue located in Rockville, Maryland. B'nai Israel is an egalitarian synagogue providing worship in the Conservative tradition.[3] B'nai Israel's mission is to study in the Jewish tradition, worship God, commit to social action, and address the needs of the Jewish people locally, in Israel, and worldwide.[3] The congregation consists of 1,200 families.[3]

Clergy and leadership

B'nai Israel's clergy includes Rabbi Michael J. Safra, Rabbi Mitchell H. Berkowitz, Cantor Josh C. Perlman, and Cantor Sarah Bolts.[1] Rabbi Matthew H. Simon and Rabbi Jonathan A. Schnitzer both serve as rabbi emeritus, and Cantor Robert Kieval is cantor emeritus.[1] Marla Schulman serves as B'nai Israel's president.[4]

Religious programs and activities

B'nai Israel holds religious services, including morning and evening minyan,[5] Shabbat services,[6] and holiday services.[7]

B'nai Israel's preschool has a religious curriculum and enrolls children between 15 months and 5 years of age.[8]

B'nai Israel's religious school has classes for students in kindergarten through eleventh grade.[9] Classes are held on Sundays and weekday evenings.[9]

Lectures and classes are held during the year at B'nai Israel to educate Jewish adults.[10]

Social action programs at B'nai Israel include school supply drives, fall and winter clothing drives, and blood drives.[11]

Award

In 2011, United Synagogue of Conservative Judaism's Solomon Schechter Awards presented B'nai Israel with a gold award for Jewish education for adults.[12] United Synagogue of Conservative Judaism noted B'nai Israel's "varied courses and programs provide learners with a greater appreciation for the scope of Jewish history and thought and offer conceptual grounding in many key aspects of Judaism and Jewish life."[12]

History

B'nai Israel was founded in 1925.[2]

In 1936, B'nai Israel was led by Rabbi Henry Segal and was located at 14th Street and Emerson Street NW in the Washington, D.C., neighborhood of Sixteenth Street Heights.[13] Membership increased, and B'nai Israel moved to a larger space at 16th Street and Allison Streets NW, which was also in Sixteenth Street Heights.[13] In 1952, B'nai Israel moved a few blocks away, to 16th Street and Crittenden Street NW.[13] At the time, B'nai Israel's members generally lived nearby.[13]

By the mid-1960s, however, many of B'nai Israel's members had moved away from the neighborhood, and those who had stayed felt unsafe in the neighborhood.[13] The synagogue was vandalized, and some members said they were afraid to attend services.[13]

In 1970, B'nai Israel bought 14 acres (56,700 m2) on Montrose Road in Rockville, Maryland.[13] The old building was sold to Nineteenth Street Baptist Church for $1.2 million.[13]

Rabbi Matthew H. Simon attended an ecumenical worship service marking the presidential inauguration of George H. W. Bush in 1989.[14] Rabbi Simon read verses from Deuteronomy 10:17–10:18.[14]

In 1989, Rabbi Jonathan Schnitzer left B'nai Abraham Synagogue in Wilson, Pennsylvania, to join B'nai Israel Congregation.[15]

in 2002, B'nai Israel held a forum for candidates for governor of Maryland.[16] Kathleen Kennedy Townsend and Bob Ehrlich both participated, and Barry Sussman served as the forum's moderator.[16]

In 2006, B'nai Israel held a forum for candidates.[17] Participants included Martin O'Malley, candidate for governor of Maryland; Kristen Cox, candidate for lieutenant governor of Maryland; and Ben Cardin, candidate for United States Senate.[17] Jonathan Salant served as moderator.[17]

In 2007, B'nai Israel hosted a forum sponsored by the Jewish Community Relations Council of Greater Washington.[18] Presidential candidate Rudolph W. Giuliani spoke at the forum.[18]

References

  1. 1 2 3 "Clergy". B'nai Israel Congregation. Retrieved December 10, 2019.
  2. 1 2 3 Pollak, Suzanne. "B'nai Israel Congregation". Washington Jewish Week. May 22, 2013.
  3. 1 2 3 "Our Mission". B'nai Israel Congregation. Retrieved October 4, 2016.
  4. ↑ "Leadership". B'nai Israel Congregation. Retrieved October 4, 2016.
  5. ↑ "Daily Minyan". B'nai Israel Congregation. Retrieved October 4, 2016.
  6. ↑ "Shabbat Services". B'nai Israel Congregation. Retrieved October 4, 2016.
  7. ↑ "Holiday Services". B'nai Israel Congregation. Retrieved October 4, 2016.
  8. ↑ "Mission Statement & Educational Programming". B'nai Israel Congregation. Retrieved October 4, 2016.
  9. 1 2 "Talmud Torah Religious School". B'nai Israel Congregation. Retrieved October 4, 2016.
  10. ↑ "Adult Education Programs". B'nai Israel Congregation. Retrieved October 4, 2016.
  11. ↑ "Social Action Programs". B'nai Israel Congregation. Retrieved October 4, 2016.
  12. 1 2 "United Synagogue of Conservative Judaism presents the 2011 winners of the Solomon Schechter Awards for excellence in synagogue programming Archived 2012-04-24 at the Wayback Machine". United Synagogue of Conservative Judaism . 2011.
  13. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 "The Jews: Migrating from D.C.". The Washington Post. September 4, 1975. p. VA1.
  14. 1 2 Cornell, George W. "President Seeks National Prayers". The Times Union (Albany, New York). January 21, 1989.
  15. ↑ Chin, Tyler L. "Rabbi's Departure Filled with Regrets, Anticipation". The Morning Call (Allentown, Pennsylvania). August 23, 1989.
  16. 1 2 Miller, S.A. "Candidates told to clean up debate". The Washington Times. October 14, 2002.
  17. 1 2 3 Emery, Chris; Rosen, Jill. "Warm Receptions for the Candidates". The Baltimore Sun October 23, 2006.
  18. 1 2 Brown, Matthew Hay. "Giuliani Talks Tough on Terrorism: Democrats Fail to Grasp Threat, He Says in Rockville". The Baltimore Sun. June 27, 2007.
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