THE NEWS FROM WASHINGTON

December 2002

by Joan Schwartz Michel

What's going on in our nation's capital besides war and the economy?

A new congregation, as yet unnamed, is already attracting people - an average of 70 - from Orthodox and Conservative synagogues as well as the unaffiliated to its biweekly lay-led services, which rely on all-Hebrew Orthodox liturgy.

"I was looking for a community that was traditional and took halakha seriously," says cofounder Adam Szubin, "one that was also committed to egalitarianism and providing a welcoming space for today's women, many of whom are extremely learned and have a great deal to share."

The minyan has opted both for full participation by women - they lead services and read from the Torah - and gender-separated seating, with a center aisle taking the place of a traditional mehitza.

While the participants are mostly singles in their twenties and thirties, the group has also welcomed a few families. "It's replicating a feeling of a close-knit community, where people really know each other," says cofounder Jessica Lieberman.