Shabbat Services
FRIDAY NIGHT SERVICES - 8/29
Join us for Friday night davening on Friday, August 29 at 7:00 pm.
SHABBAT MORNING SERVICES - 8/30
Join us for Shabbat Morning Services on Saturday, August 30 at 9:15 am. Kids programming will begin at 10:30 am.
Kiddush is sponsored by Michael Tomer, Tamar Hacohen, and Ella as they return to Israel. “We would like to thank this wonderful community for being our home away from home this past year. Please keep in touch."
SHABBAT MORNING SERVICES - 9/6
Join us for Shabbat Morning Services on Saturday, September 6 at 9:15 am. Kids programming will begin at 10:30 am. We encourage anyone who can to bring their own siddur; between a bar mitzvah and an aufruf, there will be a large crowd!
Kiddush is sponsored by:
- The Zuckerman/Jacobs Family in honor of Zev becoming a bar mitzvah.
- The Wolfe and Gross families in honor of Abby and Jacob's aufruf.
High Holidays 5786 at DC Minyan
DC Minyan will be meeting for Rosh Hashana (9/22–9/24) and Yom Kippur (10/1–10/2). An email with specific details on times will be sent to those registered ahead of the holiday.
Tickets are now available for members and their guests only. Registration for associate members and non-members will open on August 31. Please register soon as we expect some services to sell out. Please also remember to sign up to volunteer and help make sure the days run smoothly. Note that ticket prices for guests, associate members, and non-members, will increase on September 4. If you have any questions, email info@dcminyan.org.
Membership Drive 5786
DC Minyan's 5786 Membership Drive is underway! If you or someone you know is interested in joining DC Minyan or have questions about your membership, please visit our membership page or contact Rachel Lipman and Ronit Kempler at membership@dcminyan.org for more information. We look forward to building and strengthening our community!
BECOME A MEMBER
To become a new DC Minyan member, please fill out this form or visit dcminyan.org/membership. New members will be able to register for High Holiday tickets as soon as their membership is processed.
RENEW YOUR MEMBERSHIP
If you are already a member, you can pay your dues by logging in to your account at dcminyan.org/member and paying your account balance. You can also pay your membership dues when you sign up for High Holiday services with DC Minyan (see below!). Please take a moment to make sure information in your account is up to date.
BECOME A NEW MEMBER BUDDY
We are reintroducing the DC Minyan Buddy System! This initiative pairs seasoned community members with newcomers to help them feel welcomed. If you are interested in joining the welcome wagon for new members, please complete this form.
Upcoming Events and Programs
JOIN PROJECT 929 TANAKH STUDY GROUP
Project 929 is an international initiative to learn all 929 chapters of Tanakh in the daily style of daf yomi, where one chapter is read each day from Sunday through Thursday and Fridays and Saturdays are reserved for review and catching up. The cycle restarts on Sunday, August 31 with Bereshit 1.
A DC Minyan 929 study group will allow people to participate as much as they would like and provide space to discuss content and celebrate accomplishments (with a siyyum if there is interest!). There are commentaries and articles for each chapter on the Project 929 website for anyone interested in diving deeper.
Thank you to Maya Levisohn for organizing this study group! Please email her at mayalevisohn@gmail.com with any questions.
HACHNASAT SEFER TORAH EVENT - 9/7
We are thrilled to announce that we have acquired a beautiful new Sefer Torah, which we will celebrate with a Hachnasat Sefer Torah event on Sunday, September 7, 2025. We are also underway with our first fundraising campaign to support DC Minyan’s current needs and to enable the Minyan’s growth over the next several years. Please register for the Hachnasat Sefer Torah event using the link you received in the standalone email about our new Sefer Torah sent on August 4. For more information, please contact Rivka Friedman at strategy@dcminyan.org.
Get Involved
JOIN OUR HAKAFOT SUBCOMMITTEE
We are piloting a new approach to coordinating Simchat Torah Hakafot on Tuesday, October 14 and Wednesday, October 15. We are seeking 2–4 coordinators who will craft the list of songs for Hakafot and assign each hakafa to a volunteer leader. The coordinators are not expected to be “on” for the entire set of Hakafot both evening and morning (as has been true at times in past years). Rather, the team will organize a larger group of volunteers. It is our hope that this approach will allow folks who love Hakafot to feel that their experience is balanced between leading and participating.
Please email Abigail Romirowsky at programming@dcminyan.org to volunteer. There is minimal time commitment before the holiday, and you will have the support of Abigail while preparing.
BECOME A HOSPITALITY HOST
We’re updating our hospitality list and looking for people to contact should someone within or visiting our community need to be hosted for a meal. People on the distribution list receive occasional messages seeking hosts. If you join, you have no obligation to host—just the opportunity to open your home if and when you’re able. You’ll help make our community more open, warm, and welcoming to those who come through DC.
Please see here for our kashrut policy. For informal hospitality meal matches, our coordinators will make matches based on the preferences and practices of those being matched, doing everything possible to ensure everyone feels comfortable and welcome. Please note that no food may be cooked on Shabbat for hospitality meals. That said, not having a fully kosher kitchen does not exclude you from joining this list!
COMMUNITY NEWS
WELCOME TO OUR NEW BEREAVEMENT COMMITTEE CO-CHAIR
We are pleased to welcome Julie Straus Harris as the new Bereavement Committee co-chair! We are grateful to outgoing co-chair Abigail Romirowsky for her work in co-founding this committee and co-chairing it for the past eight years. The Bereavement Committee helps organize shiva and other support for DC Minyan members in mourning. You can read more about our work (and find additional resources for Jewish mourning practices) at dcminyan.org/bereavement. Please reach out to Miriam and Julie at bereavement@dcminyan.org if you are interested in joining the committee or if you have any questions.
BARUCH DAYAN HAEMET
The DC Minyan community extends deep condolences to Ron Kaplan and Yoni Bock on the death of Ron's mother Carol Manheim (Tzipporah Yehudit bat Rachmiel v'Klara).
Ron will be sitting shiva out of town for the first few days, and then will return home to sit shiva at his house from Sunday, August 31 to Tuesday, September 2.
This spreadsheet will be updated with shiva details and volunteer opportunities as they evolve. Please plan to check it frequently over the next few days.
May Ron and Yoni, along with their family, be comforted among the mourners of Zion and Jerusalem.
Volunteer Spotlight
STEPHANIE SCHNEIDERMAN
Dvar Torah Coordinator, Shabbaton Programming Committee 2024 and 2025, Sukkah Hop Host, High Holiday volunteer
Member since 2021
Q: What are you up to in DC? What fills your time?
A: I live in Woodley Park with my two cats, Onyx and Ofelia. I work on Medicare and Medicaid policy at MITRE in the Health Federally Funded Research and Development Center. Outside of work, I’m in a community chorus and part of the DC Minyan Mishnah Club. I’m often reading, especially on my commute to McLean. I’m a huge fan of picking up books from the library.
Q: Tell us about your experience getting involved with DC Minyan.
A: I moved here the first time in 2015 for Avodah; I met some great DC Minyan folks but didn’t end up sticking with DC Minyan. When I moved back in 2021 after five years in Cambridge, Mass., I knew I wanted to be part of the DC Minyan community. It was a good fit for me spiritually, so I chose housing based on proximity to Friends Meeting of Washington (thankfully we haven’t moved again since). I grew up in a tiny shul without a full time rabbi so I’m super comfortable in a lay-led community. I really like that DC Minyan has volunteer opportunities at all commitment levels and there’s so much you can do without being on the board or leadership.
Q: Do you prefer to be behind the scenes or in front of the crowd?
A: Anyone who’s been to my sukkah knows I’m a huge musicals nerd! I grew up as a dance and theatre kid and am still part of a chorus. That said, I really like bringing other people to the front and that’s most of what I do at DC Minyan! Whether it’s asking someone to give a dvar* or perform in the Beit Cafe, it’s really fun helping others to shine in our community.
*Please volunteer to give a dvar by emailing dt@dcminyan.org.
Photo from the Fairy Trail at Malahide Castle in Ireland.