The Davis Center for Social Justice

WIN Ward 3 "Teach, Tour, and Reimagine" at the Civic Core
2023-06-21 19:00 - 20:30 UTC
Join the Washington Interfaith Network (WIN) Ward 3 Affordable Housing Work Group on Wednesday, June 21 at 7 pm as we make a site visit to the Chevy Chase Civic Core. Meet in the central courtyard area between the Chevy Chase Library and Community Center (5625 Connecticut Avenue NW). Rabbi Alexander of Adas Israel Congregation will engage us with some teaching and Ron Eichner of Ward3Vision will take us on a tour of the property where we will reimagine together a future with new facilities as well as affordable housing. RSVP to Jamie Butler, work group co-chair.
The WIN Ward 3 group will also be canvassing in the area during the weekend of July 8 – 9, talking to neighbors about plans for the Civic Core. If you can join for an hour or two on either Saturday morning or Sunday afternoon, contact Anne Schwartz, Temple Sinai WIN core team leader.

Juneteenth Events hosted by Washington Hebrew Congregation
2023-06-13 - 2023-06-19
Juneteenth is a U.S. federal holiday commemorating the emancipation of enslaved African Americans. Deriving its name from combining “June” and “nineteenth”, it is celebrated on the anniversary of General Order No. 3, issued by Major General Gordon Granger on June 19, 1865, proclaiming freedom for slaves in Texas. Originating in Galveston, Juneteenth has since been observed annually in various parts of the United States, often broadly celebrating African American culture. The day was first recognized as a federal holiday in 2021, when President Joe Biden signed the Juneteenth National Independence Day Act into law.
Washington Hebrew Congregation is hosting several events to celebrate Juneteenth; Temple Sinai is proudly co-sponsoring these various programs. Click on the links below for more information and to register.

June 13 — Film screening of Black x Jewish and panel discussion with director Lacey Delgado at Edlavitch DCJCC, 7 pm – 9 pm
June 16 — Special Juneteenth Shabbat service at Washington Hebrew beginning at 6pm, featuring Rabbi Micah Lapidus and Baptist gospel singer Melvin Myles, who regularly perform together in Atlanta
June 18 — Celebrate Juneteenth and Father’s Day with John Wesley AME Zion Church, Washington, DC, 10 am – 12 pm
June 19 — Juneteenth Festival with Scotland AME Church, Rockville, MD

Neighbor to Neighbor Day at A Wider Circle
2023-06-04 12:00 - 16:00
Join us at A Wider Circle’s Center for Community Service on Sunday, June 4 for a community day extravaganza!
Families, groups, and neighbors of all ages are invited to join us for a day of games, delicious food and drink, and volunteering! Build camaraderie with your neighbors while assembling furniture and personal care kits, sorting donations, refreshing our showroom, and more.
Where
A Wider Circle’s Ann & Don Brown Center for Community Service
9159 Brookville Road, Silver Spring, MD 20910
Learn More and Buy Tickets

WIN District-wide action evaluation and celebration
2023-06-01 19:00 - 20:30
Join our Sinai WIN team & teams from our NW DC housing partners, & green energy, public safety and housing partners DC-wide. We will review our membership dues commitments; evaluate our budget actions with Councilmembers; build our summer strategy; and celebrate our victories! Meeting will be held at Holy Redeemer Catholic Church, 206 New York Ave NW, Washington, DC 20001. Email Barbara Kraft if you need a ride.
Register

Summer Reading Book Fair at Browne Education Campus
2023-05-22
Have you been wishing you could do something to help the pandemic engendered learning loss in our community? Here’s your chance, and it will only take a few hours. The Temple Sinai sponsored Book Fair at Browne Education Campus – one of the receiving schools for migrants from the US/Mexico border – is returning this spring! The Book Fair provides appealing books for kids to read over the summer to prevent summer reading slide. But that only works if kids choose books they truly want to and are capable of reading. That’s where you come in. Become a Book Guide and help kids select books they’ll be excited to read. No previous experience required.
We will have an in-person event at Browne Education Campus on May 22nd. Males, young people, and Spanish speakers especially welcome.
Email Debby Litt for more information.

Visit to the Sandy Spring Slave Museum
2023-05-20 14:00 - 16:00
Please join us for a visit to the Sandy Spring Slave Museum and African Art Gallery on Saturday, May 20 at 2pm for a one-hour talk on “Truth Telling: The Story of African Americans in Montgomery County”. People can then tour the museum and the exhibitions outdoors. Visit the website to learn more about current exhibitions and watch a video about the history of the museum. You can meet at the museum in Sandy Spring or sign up to carpool from the Temple.
Please sign up by April 28 to ensure we have enough people to run this program.
Register

Panel Discussion — Reality After Roe: Religious, Medical, Legal and Policy Perspectives
2023-05-16 19:00 - 21:00
Panelists are drawn from our own cadre of Temple Sinai experts: Rabbi Hannah Goldstein, Dr. Sara Imershein and Judith Lichtman, and moderated by Karen Rothenberg. Register now – please attend in person, if possible. A Zoom option is also available. To submit questions for our panelists in advance, please email Karen Rothenberg.
Refreshments at 7 pm; program from 7:30-9:00 pm. Program will be held at Temple Sinai, 3100 Military Road, NW in DC.
Register

RAC Day of Action
2023-05-10 16:00 - 2023-05-11 16:00
This May, social justice leaders and activists from across the Reform Movement will convene for the RAC’s D.C. Day of Action. This gathering will provide an opportunity to learn, connect, and act together on Capitol Hill as part of our newly-launched Power for Purpose: the Reform Movement’s 2023 Campaign for Climate Justice.
Keynote sessions will highlight Members of Congress and essential voices including LaTosha Brown, a strong organizer with experience bringing communities together to recover from climate disasters and building political power across the U.S. around voting rights. Breakout sessions will focus on building relationships among state delegations, training delegates for lobby meetings, and coordinating the next phase of our campaign. Lobby meetings will provide an opportunity to advocate for climate change policy.
The Day of Action is a peak moment in this campaign and an opportunity to bring our Movement together to address the climate crisis. Creating lasting change requires time, commitment, and the right people. As a social justice leader and advocate, we know you are the right person to join us!
*Please note that if you register after April 3, we cannot guarantee that our staff team will be able to work to schedule your lobby meetings.

Learn More and Register

Finding Common Ground with Gun Owners on Gun Safety Policies: Can Maryland Lead the Way?
2023-05-07 12:00 - 13:30
St. John’s Episcopal Church, Gun Violence Prevention Ministry, and the Temple Sinai Gun Violence Prevention Group, invite you to this hybrid community forum on gun safety policies. A recent empirical study has identified four state-level policies that will save lives and on which there is substantial consensus between Americans who do and do not own guns. Maryland has already enacted some of these policies, but further legislation could strengthen them as well as enact others. What are these policies and how feasible is their adoption in Maryland? Firearm owners are especially welcome to participate in the Question & Answer period.
Panelists include:

Matthew Littman, Executive Director, 97Percent
Professor Michael Siegel, M.D., M.P.H., Professor or Public Health and Community Medicine at Tufts University
Jeffrey D. Waldstreicher, Maryland State Senator, Vice Chair, Senate Judicial Proceedings Committee

View the full flyer here.
A light lunch will be available for the live audience; the program will be recorded for later viewing. Program will be held at St. John’s Episcopal Church, 6701 Wisconsin Avenue in Chevy Chase, MD.
Register

Affordable Housing in Upper Northwest: Everything You Always Wanted to Know but Were Afraid to Ask
2023-05-04 19:30 - 21:00
Hearing a lot about affordable housing but not really sure what “it” is? Having trouble sorting out fact from fiction on the neighborhood listserv?
There’s a lot of activity right now around development of affordable housing in Upper Northwest and understanding what it means for us as neighbors and as Jews isn’t always clear. This session is intended to answer your questions and bring you up to speed on happenings in Chevy Chase and Friendship Heights. We’ll have a housing expert on hand to unravel the technical terms and shed light on policies while Rabbi Goldstein will provide a Jewish perspective. Members of Temple Sinai’s WIN core team will also share insights. We’ll leave plenty of time for Q&A and discussion.
Questions? Contact Anne Schwartz.
Register Here for Zoom Link

WIN Action on Public Safety with Council Member Brooke Pinto
2023-05-02 18:00 - 19:30
Join WIN and Council Member Brooke Pinto who represents Ward 2. Council Member Pinto is chair of the Judiciary and Public Safety Committee, so this meeting will focus primarily on public safety, and particularly on strategies to reduce gun violence other than increasing police presence. Although relatively few TS members live in Ward 2, this is a citywide issue so ward residence is not particularly important.
The action will take place from 6:00 pm to 7:30 pm at Metropolitan African Methodist Episcopal Church, 1518 M Street, NW.
Register

Praying With Our Feet: Volunteer at A Wider Circle
2023-04-22 09:30 - 12:00, 2023-03-25 09:30 - 12:00, 2023-01-28 09:30 - 12:00
Join us as celebrate Shabbat while “Praying With Our Feet” at A Wider Circle in Silver Spring, MD. This is a wonderful opportunity to observe Shabbat through tikkun olam, repairing the world. Volunteers will help load furniture, restock household items, sort through donations, repair objects, and do whatever else may be needed. All ages welcome, but we recommend kids be elementary+.
Please arrive promptly at 9:30am. After a brief service and an introduction to the work of AWC, we will break into groups and get to work, ending at noon.
Please note that volunteer spots are limited to Temple Sinai members and you must be registered to volunteer. Masks are required while at A Wider Circle. Waivers and additional information will be sent around as the date approaches. If your plans change, please contact us so that someone else may volunteer in your place.
Register

WIN Action on Affordable Housing with Council Member At-Large Robert White
2023-04-11 19:00 - 20:30
Join WIN and Council Member At-Large Robert White on April 11. This action will focus on affordable housing and black homeownership, due to White serving as chair of the Housing Committee. Program begins at 7:30 pm at Varick Memorial AME Zion, 255 Anacostia Ave., NE.
Register

Legislative Deadline for Maryland General Assembly
2023-04-10
Promising bills on community solar, energy savings through electrification, clean trucks and buses, Maryland the Beautiful, and native plants have advanced in the MD Senate and House. Each will be voted up or down by April 10. To learn more about each bill and access scripts for your representatives, click here. Contact your MD senator and delegates now!

Poor People's Campaign National Training
2023-03-27 19:00 - 20:45
Did you attend last June’s Mass Poor People’s and Low-Wage Workers’ Assembly and Moral March on Washington and to the Polls? Are you interested in the Poor People’s Campaign: A National Call for Moral Revival?
If so, join the PPC’s national campaign training on March 27th at 7 pm on Zoom, led by the National Co-Chairs, Rev. Dr. William J. Barber, II and Rev. Dr. Liz Theoharis.
Register

Pizza and a Conversation for Teens: Reproductive Rights and Abortion
2023-03-21 18:00 - 19:00
Please join Dr. Sara Imershein on Tuesday, March 21 from 6 pm – 7 pm at Temple Sinai for a conversation about abortion and Judaism. Dr. Imershein is a local abortion provider, educator, and advocate for reproductive freedom.
What is an abortion and how is it done? What are Jewish teachings on abortion? ASK QUESTIONS! Hear honest answers.
Pizza will be provided! Teens can grab dinner and engage in this conversation with other Temple Sinai teens before Noar or confirmation class.
All Temple Sinai teen congregants – ages 13-18 are invited. Advanced registration required. Please contact Laura Blum Meisnere if you have questions about the event.
Register Here

Public Safety Teach-In
2023-03-19 13:15 - 14:15
Please join the Washington Interfaith Network (WIN) for an informative session on strategies for enhancing public safety. The session will begin at 1:15 at Foundry United Methodist Church, 1500 16th Street, NW. Public safety is an important issue which cuts across many issues of concern to all of us including issues of racial justice and gun violence prevention. Please register in advance.
Register

Donate Used Sports Equipment to Leveling the Playing Field
2023-03-03 - 2023-03-05
Temple Sinai is sponsoring a weekend to collect used (or new) sports equipment to enable Leveling the Playing Field (LPF) to distribute to low-income schools, leagues and sports programs in D.C., Montgomery and Prince George’s counties, Baltimore and Philadelphia. This event is co-sponsored by the Davis Center for Social Justice, the TS Religious School, and the TS Brotherhood.
A trailer will be in the synagogue parking lot on the weekend of March 3 – 5 so you can drop off all the equipment (in dignity condition only) from your closets and garages:
Friday, March 3 from 6 to 8 pm
Saturday, March 4 from 9:30 am to 4 pm
Sunday, March 5 from 10 am to 4 pm
LPF is looking for all types of sports equipment: baseball/softball; tennis; golf; hockey; lacrosse; football; soccer; and everything else (except bicycles). Receipts for tax deductions will be available.
Volunteers who want to help are also needed. Contact Larry Mishel if interested in volunteering.
Those who wish to contribute funds to help LPF can do so by donating here.
“Leveling the Playing Field gives underprivileged children the opportunity to enjoy the mental and physical benefits of youth sports participation. We do this through the donation of used and excess sporting equipment to programs and schools serving low-income communities.”

Civil Rights Journey to the South
2023-02-16 - 2023-02-19
Join together with other Temple Sinai congregants for an unforgettable journey through the American South, February 16 – 19, 2023. Learn on-location about the Civil Rights Movement and the role of the Jewish community in this ongoing struggle.
Highlights include:
• The Rosa Parks Museum in Montgomery, AL
• Memorial for Peace and Justice – Lynching Memorial in Montgomery, AL
• Visit to the Edmund Pettus Bridge in Selma, AL
• Tour the King Center and attend Sunday morning services at Ebenezer Baptist Church in Atlanta
Trip Cost:
The trip cost for Temple Sinai members is $1,130. Additional charges are listed below. Complete this form by November 15th with your non-refundable deposit of $500.
Early Bird Discount:
Registrations received prior to October 15th will receive an early bird discount of $100; discount will be reflected in your final billing.
Additional costs:
The price of $1,130 per person is based on a double room. If you prefer a single room, you will be charged an additional $275 in your final billing.
If you are not a Temple Sinai member, you will be charged an additional $100 in your final billing.
Participants are responsible for booking their own flights to Atlanta. Flight cost is not included in the trip price. We will send information about the timing for arriving to and departing from Atlanta soon.
Final payment is due by December 10.
Financial assistance is available; contact Rabbi Goldstein for more information.
Register

Zwerdling Memorial Program: Environmental Injustice
2023-02-12 14:00 - 16:00
Environmental Injustice: What Is It and What Can We Do About It
Please join us for the 20th Zwerdling Memorial Program for Social Justice, co-sponsored by Temple Sinai’s Green Team. The goal of the program is to teach participants ways they can get involved to end environmental injustice (defined as the disproportionate exposure to environmental harm experienced by communities of color and low-income communities).
Our keynote speaker is Vernice Miller-Travis, a nationally renowned thought leader on environmental justice and the interplay of civil rights and environmental policy who will present an overview of this topic.
The program will continue with a panel discussion on examples of environmental injustice in our region, what is currently being done to address these matters, and what more we can do as a community. The discussion will be moderated by Jacob Fenston, WAMU’s environment reporter. Panelists include:

Tommy Wells, Director, Executive Office of the D.C. Mayor, Office of Policy and Legislative Affairs, formerly Director, D.C. Department of Energy and Environment
Doug Weisburger, Senior Planning Specialist, Sustainability Programs, Montgomery County Department of Environmental Protection
Janet Phoenix, MD, MPH, from the Milken Institute School of Public Health at George Washington University
Sharon Edwards, a longtime activist from the Brentwood area
Alex Vazquez, CASA Lead Organizer for Montgomery County,

You may attend in person or virtually. The program is open to members of the community in addition to Temple Sinai members.
Advanced registration is required.
Register

HIAS Refugee Shabbat
2023-02-03 18:30 - 19:30
Refugee Shabbat is a moment for us to dedicate a Shabbat experience to refugees and asylum seekers. The fastest-growing European refugee crisis since World War II is still ongoing. People seeking asylum are being turned away at borders around the world. And this year, for the first time ever, the total number of displaced persons globally is over 100 million. This is a critical moment for all of us to reaffirm and redouble our support for refugees and asylum seekers.
We are pleased to announce that Sabrina Lustgarten, HIAS’s new Global Vice President, will be speaking at our service. Lustgarten is from a family of refugees herself. Lustgarten’s grandparents fled World War II and HIAS stepped in to ensure they got to rebuild their lives in Colombia. It was an intervention that the family never forgot. And so it was with a sense of history and gratitude that Lustgarten began her career at HIAS in 2003 when she opened the office in Ecuador to respond to the Colombian refugee crisis.

Discussion of "The Janes" featuring Heather Booth
2023-01-29 14:00 - 15:30
Join us for a conversation with Heather Booth, one of the founders of The Janes.
This in-person/online hybrid film discussion of The Janes documentary with Heather Booth and Rabbi Hannah Goldstein will take place on Sunday, January 29 at 2 pm. The Janes documentary provides first-hand accounts from the group of women who helped an estimated 11,000 women obtain abortions prior to Roe v. Wade.
Please watch the documentary before January 29th. If you do not have HBO or if you want to gather with Temple Sinai friends for a viewing of “The Janes”, you can join one of these viewing parties by RSVPing directly to the hosts.

Sunday, January 15 at 2 p.m. at Michelle Engelmann’s (Dupont Circle) rjh500@aol.com
Sunday, January 22 at 2 pm or Saturday, January 28 at 3 pm at Rita Brickman’s (in Chevy Chase, DC) rita_brickman@verizon.net
Sunday, January 22 at 2 pm or Tuesday, January 24 at 7 pm at Liz Rose’s (in Chevy Chase, DC) lizrosej@gmail.com
Monday, January 23 at 6:30 pm at Pam Kurland’s (in Cleveland Park, DC) pamela.kurland@gmail.com
Wednesday January 25 at 2 pm at Nancy Lieberman’s (Friendship Heights) nancyliebermann@gmail.com

If you have any questions, please contact Liz Rose or Claudia Ades.
Contributions are welcome to these three abortion access and advocacy organizations.
Please register in advance and indicate if you plan to attend in person or virtually.
Register

Repro Shabbat: Commemorating 50 Years Since Roe
2023-01-20 18:30 - 20:30
Temple Sinai’s Repro Shabbat: Commemorating 50 Years Since Roe will be held on Friday, January 20, 2023 at 6:30 pm. We are excited to announce that our guest speaker will be Mini Timmaraju, President of NARAL Pro-Choice America. Mini has extensive experience in leading federal, state and local campaigns, as well as advocacy efforts, in reproductive rights, gender justice and racial justice. She is committed to fighting for access to the full range of reproductive healthcare, including abortion care.
Women’s healthcare providers and advocates will be honored at the service by being called up to lead the candle lighting. The service will be followed by a special Oneg.
Contributions are welcome HERE to these three abortion access and advocacy organizations: Baltimore Abortion Fund, NCJW’s Jewish Fund For Abortion Access, and If/When/How: Lawyering for Reproductive Justice.
Joining virtually? You’ll find the link to watch the service on the temple website.
Please RSVP Here

Building Racial Stamina, Opening Session
2023-01-17 19:30 - 21:00
Talking about race is both difficult and necessary in our Jewish community and in society. This 6-week facilitated discussion group will provide space to develop racial stamina, the ability to engage in conversations and work that further racial justice. Over six sessions, the group will help each person explore their own racial identity, increase awareness of the impact of race and better understand how to affirm and embrace all people at Temple Sinai.
We ask that participants be able to attend each session.
Sessions will meet on the following dates from 7:30-9:00 pm via Zoom:
Tuesday, January 17
Wednesday, January 25
Wednesday, February 1
​​​​​​​Wednesday, February 8
​​​​​​​Tuesday, February 14
​​​​​​​Wednesday, February 22
Register

DCYB Cereal Social to Benefit Capital Area Food Bank
2023-01-10 18:00 - 19:00
Calling all Noar Students! The Davis Center Youth Board is hosting a winter fundraiser to benefit the Capital Area Food Bank. Help us help our neighbors in need by bringing a donation to our cereal social. You can support our youth in these efforts by making a donation here.

JUFJ Legislative Meetings
2022-12-12 - 2023-01-12
Temple Sinai has long collaborated with Jews United for Justice (JUFJ), a grassroots community working in both D.C. and Maryland for social, racial, and economic justice.
The new Maryland General Assembly will convene in Annapolis on January 11. JUFJ is now organizing meetings with state legislators, to advocate for legislative priorities in areas ranging from immigrants’ rights and court and prison reform, to transforming policing, maintaining rental assistance, and implementing paid family leave laws. JUFJ works effectively with a range of partners representing Marylanders most impacted by these issues, but adding your voice as a concerned Maryland Jewish voter is critical!
To sign up to participate in one of these meetings (to be held via Zoom starting the week of December 12), click here, where you can also confirm in which Maryland legislative district you reside. You can also get more details on JUFJ MDGA legislative priorities, and videos of training sessions for these meetings are also available for your preparation. Questions? Contact Steve Metalitz.

Gun Violence Prevention Shabbat Service
2022-12-09 18:30 - 20:00
Join us for a special Shabbat service featuring a conversation with Steve Dettelbach, the new Director of the DOJ Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms & Explosives, the first Senate-confirmed ATF Director since 2015. The service will also include a memorial candle lighting, commemorating the 10th anniversary of the mass shooting at Sandy Hook Elementary School, the 4th anniversary of the Tree of Life synagogue shooting, and others.
During the GVP Shabbat Service we’ll also announce the release of “Turning Faith into Action: An Interfaith Toolkit to Engage the Faith Community on Gun Violence Prevention”. This free, 120-page digital and hard copy Toolkit is the work product of the DC Area Interfaith Gun Violence Prevention Network, a coalition of active volunteers from over 40 area churches, synagogues and mosques who work together to prevent and reduce gun violence in the DMV area and nationwide. The Temple Sinai GVP group co-founded the Interfaith GVP Network in 2017 with the GVP Ministry of the Washington National Cathedral.
We will be hosting a special oneg at the conclusion of the service. The service will be held in person but will also be available to stream here.

WIN Annual Meeting
2022-12-08 19:00 - 20:30
Experience the joy and power of interfaith action by attending WIN’s annual meeting on Thursday, December 8 at Holy Redeemer Catholic Church (206 New York Ave NW), from 7:00 to 8:30 pm.
At this meeting, WIN congregations will approve its new strategy team (including Rabbi Hannah Goldstein) and board of directors (including Barbara Kraft). Learn more about WIN’s plans for 2023 and how you can get involved to make DC a more just and equitable city.
Need a ride? Contact Anne Schwartz.
Register
