The Davis Center for Social Justice

Ward 3 Council Candidates Forum on Affordable Housing & Homelessness
2022-05-11 19:00 - 20:30 (America/New_York)
WIN (Washington Interfaith Network) Ward 3 Congregations — Temple Sinai, Adas Israel Congregation, National United Methodist Church, Chevy Chase Presbyterian and St. Columba’s Episcopal — are, together with Friendship Place, co-sponsoring this Ward 3 Council candidates forum next Wednesday evening May 11!
We have a special relationship with Friendship Place, a premier provider of housing and services to people experiencing homelessness: Sinai members have sat on the Friendship Place board and our own Anne Schwartz sits on its Congregations Committee. All Ward 3 Council candidates (including our own Matthew Frumin) have been invited. Proof of vaccination and masks will be required to attend in person. The sole focus of the May 11 forum will be affordable housing and homelessness, with an emphasis on challenges specific to Ward 3 and upper NW DC. Rabbi Goldstein will inspire us to act with hope and purpose at the conclusion of the event. Questions for the candidates will have been shared with them in advance. (Spoiler alert: there will be a question about Ward 4 Councilmember Janeese Lewis-George’s Green New Deal for Housing Act.)
Register for In-person or Virtual

Questions? Email Kevin Mulshine, kevin.mulshine@gmail.com or Barbara Kraft, bjkraft1@gmail.com.

Social Action Shabbat
2022-05-13 18:30 - 19:30 (America/New_York) | Temple Sinai
Join us for a spirited Shabbat service to honor our active year of social justice programs and our leaders who have helped make it all happen. The service will be preceded by a festive prozdor starting at 6 pm.

Film Screening - The Levys of Monticello
2022-05-15 14:30 - 16:00, 2022-05-17 20:15 - 21:45 (America/New_York)
Thomas Jefferson’s Monticello residence stands as a complex and paradoxical symbol of democracy. Designed by Jefferson, built and tended by enslaved people, the palatial Virginia plantation was presidential retreat, retirement home, and Jefferson’s final resting place.
After it was sold due to mounting debts, Uriah Phillips Levy—a Jewish naval officer and fervent believer in Jeffersonian ideals—became its unlikely owner, restoring and saving the estate from ruin with the help of his family. The story behind this national treasure confronts the racism and anti-Semitism that remain part of the national narrative.
Both screenings are followed by a conversation with director Steven Pressman.
Presented in partnership with The Lillian and Albert Small Capital Jewish Museum and The Davis Center for Social Justice at Temple Sinai.
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Jewish Rally for Abortion Justice
2022-05-17 09:00 - 10:30 (America/New_York)
Raise your voice for abortion rights at the Jewish Rally for Abortion Justice on Tuesday, May 17, at 9 am in Washington, DC. Join Rabbi Goldstein and the Women of Reform Judaism, and the RAC at this powerful moment of collective action.
The temple is providing a bus that will pick up from Temple Sinai at 8am. If you are making your own way downtown, we will send an email the day before to try to coordinate meeting up. Click “Register” to learn more and sign up for the bus.
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Beyond the Count: Perspectives & Lived Experiences of Jews of Color
2022-05-17 19:30 - 21:00 (America/New_York) | Temple Sinai
Temple Sinai, The Davis Center for Social Justice, and Multiracial Sinai are pleased to announce an upcoming DC area wide in-person presentation of Beyond the Count: Perspectives and Lived Experiences of Jews of Color. The report provides the first-ever look on such a large scale of the Jews of Color community in the United States. Findings from 1,118 surveys and 61 interviews detail how Jews of Color think about Jewish identity, their experiences in Jewish communities, their experiences with systemic racism in Jewish spaces, and more.
Join us at Temple Sinai* as we welcome Ilana Kaufman, Executive Director of the Jews of Color Initiative, for a compelling conversation on the multiracial reality of the Jewish people and how systems of inequality are perpetuated in our own community.
For those who identify as People of Color, Temple Sinai will host an informal Affinity Group dinner beginning at 6 PM. There is no charge for the dinner. Pre-registration is required.
Thanks to the following congregations for their support of this program: Adas Israel Congregation, Sixth & I, Temple Emanuel, Temple Micah, Temple Shalom, Washington Hebrew Congregation
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* This is an in-person program only. Temple Sinai does not require masks or proof of vaccination for anyone entering the temple with the exception of Nursery School programs and meetings.

TSNS Book Fair
2022-05-19 09:00 - 11:30, 2022-05-21 09:00 - 10:30 (America/New_York)
*Thurs. May 19 from 9-11:30am on the Social Hall Patio
*Sat. May 21 from 9-10:30am at the TSNS playground
Come join us for a book fair to support the TSNS library and grow your own book collection! We will have a wide assortment of teacher and parent-recommended books for purchase, with a particular emphasis on new releases reflecting a diverse and inclusive spectrum of cultures, perspectives, and experiences. We will also have opportunities to make donations and gift books to the TSNS library and to Briya Public Charter School families.
On Saturday, we’ll also have a community book exchange where parents can drop off gently-used books that their children have outgrown and pick out new ones that other families have dropped off.
This is a great opportunity to update your home library and to support TSNS and the broader community. We look forward to seeing fellow book-lovers for this fun event!

Summer Reading Book Fair at Browne Education Campus
2022-05-24
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 is BACK! 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.
Unless the COVID situation dramatically changes, we will have an in-person event at Browne Education Campus on May 24th, possibly extended to the 25th. Volunteers will be required to take an on-site Covid test. Males and young people especially welcome.
Email Debby Litt at debolitt@icloud.com for more information.

Maryland / Montgomery Co. Candidates Forum
2022-06-12 10:00 - 13:00 (America/New_York)
Join the latest in our Get Voter Ready! series, this time featuring candidates for Maryland House of Delegates (Districts 15, 16, 17, and 39) as well as candidates for Montgomery County Executive. The Maryland House of Delegates section will run from 10 – 11:15am and is in person only at Temple Beth Ami (14330 Travilah Road, Rockville, MD). The Montgomery County Executive section will run from 11:45am – 1pm and will be both in person and available via live stream. All sessions are moderated panels.
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"Community Violence Intervention Programs" Webinar
2022-06-16 19:00 - 21:00 (America/New_York)
Breaking The Cycle of Gun Violence Through Community Intervention: How to Define, Fund, Measure, and Sustain CVI
The GVP Group is presenting its second Zoom Webinar of 2022 on “community violence intervention” (CVI) programs. These are community-based, public health oriented, data-driven strategies which already have documented reduced gun violence in some U.S. communities, e.g., in Oakland, CA, Detroit, MI, St. Louis, MO, Boston, MA, and New York City, less so yet in D.C., Baltimore, and Pittsburgh, etc. President Biden’s original “Build Back Better” budget plan would have authorized $5 billion over 8 years for these CVI programs across the country. GVP activists are now supporting a separate CVI authorization and appropriation of $750 million for Fiscal year 2023. More details here.
For information about Community Violence Intervention (CVI) programs, click here.
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Poor People’s Campaign Moral March on Washington and to the Polls
2022-06-18 08:45 - 14:00 (America/New_York)
Join us on June 18 for the Poor People’s Campaign Moral March on Washington and to the Polls! Inspired by the Rev. Martin Luther King, Temple Sinai has long been a leading supporter of this initiative, which advocates for the needs of low-income Americans. Many of you will remember Reverend William Barber’s rousing sermon at the temple a few years ago – he is one of the campaign’s leaders.
The day will start at 8:45am by celebrating a Shabbat of Moral Movement: Poetry and Prayers to Renew the Prophetic Voice at Freedom Plaza (14th & Penn NW in DC), ), an approx. 30 minute program designed and led by our own Rabbi Diamondstein and clergy of a variety of Jewish and other denominations. Rabbi Diamondstein will play a prominent role in this kid-friendly, meaningful, multi-faith experience and musical accompaniment will help stir us for the Rally to follow.
The March will begin after the service and end with a Rally at the west front of the Capitol (3rd & Penn.) Many of the March participants will be from the DMV Jewish community, providing a meaningful and uniquely visible way to demonstrate the Jewish community’s commitment to social justice values in this election year.
Please sign up using the link below so that we’ll know who will be joining us.
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Contact Myra Jacobs or Susan Kidd with any questions. We look forward to seeing you there!

Juneteenth Film Screening: Who We Are: A Chronicle of Racism in America
2022-06-19 10:30 - 12:30 UTC
On Sunday, June 19, we will be hosting a film screening of Who We Are: A Chronicle of Racism in America at
Edlavitch DC JCC
1529 16th St NW
Washington, DC 20036

Juneteenth has long been celebrated by African Americans in the U.S., recognizing June 19, 1865, when many enslaved people in Texas learned they had been freed. Although President Abraham Lincoln had signed the Emancipation Proclamation two years earlier, it could not be enforced in many places until after the end of the Civil War in April 1865. Two months after Confederate Gen. Robert E. Lee surrendered, Union Maj. Gen. Gordon Granger and his troops arrived in Galveston, Texas, with news that the war had ended and that the enslaved were now free.
Temple Sinai is co-sponsoring this event with Washington Hebrew Congregation and several other congregations.
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Migrant Support Symposium "Asylum: Lifeline or Limbo?"
2022-06-23 19:00 - 20:30 UTC
Please join Temple Micah, HIAS, and The Davis Center for Social Justice at Temple Sinai in a discussion on migration, asylum, and justice. This program will examine two of the most significant and problematic programs along the United States-Mexico border in recent history and implore participants to consider how they can demand and support a more just asylum system in the United States. Newly-arrived immigrants from Afghanistan, Honduras, Ukraine and elsewhere all require an equitable and efficient pathway to long-term legal status. Taking a careful look at the policies governing our southern border, as well as the many ways that HIAS provides legal and asylum services to migrants in need, allows us to think about how to approach the broken immigration system we face today and how to demand better on behalf of those seeking safety at our shores.
Details: In-Person at Temple Micah (2829 Wisconsin Ave NW) or Zoom. Advance registration is required.
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WIN Ward 3/NW DC Congregations Summer Pop-Up
2022-07-12 16:00 - 18:00 UTC
Join us on the sidewalk outside Tenley Friendship Library for our Summer Pop-Up Event.
Music begins at 4PM! We’ll celebrate WIN budget victories and steel our resolve for the fights ahead with song, poetry, a reading of the Declaration of Independence, and inspiration from Rabbi Goldstein and Rabbi Aaron Alexander of Adas Israel Congregation. We’ll sign up to canvass together in Tenley and Friendship Hts. neighborhoods later this summer with our affordable housing team — St. Columba’s, Adas, Chevy Chase Presbyterian, Nat’l United Methodist Church, Jackson-Reed H.S, GDS. Bring your spirit and your voice! More info? Email Barbara Kraft.

WIN Thursday Power Lunch (by Zoom)
2022-07-21 12:30 - 13:30 (America/New_York)
Learn about the Community Purchasing Alliance, a cooperative of which Temple Sinai is a member, and how cooperatives build buying power, efficiency and equity between and within communities today.
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WIN and Action in Montgomery (AIM) Democracy Listening Session on Zoom
2022-07-21 19:00 - 20:00 (America/New_York)
Join clergy and lay leaders from WIN and AIM, WIN’s sister organization in Montgomery County, to reflect on our histories (think of an ancestor you connect with who helped found, re-found or build and improve upon democracy), our hopes for the present, and what we individually and in our communities can do to build democracy today. The Zoom chat will remain open after 8PM during the hearing for people to share their thoughts.
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Teen SSL Opportunity at A Wider Circle
2022-08-11 10:00 - 15:00 UTC
Join other Temple Sinai teens, Rabbi Goldstein, and Rabbi Diamondstein for a morning of service at A Wider Circle on Thursday, August 11 from 10 am – 12 pm. Teens will earn 2 SSL hours while providing valuable service to this great organization. Pizza lunch will be provided at noon. Arrive promptly by 10am for orientation.
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Abortion Rights & Access: Next Steps
2022-08-24 07:30 - 20:45 UTC
Join us for a Zoom panel on fundraising and volunteer opportunities, sponsored by the Reproductive Health & Rights Group. Featuring the 3 organizations in Temple Sinai’s fundraising campaign:

Baltimore Abortion Fund
NCJW’s Jewish Fund for Abortion Access
If/When/How: Lawyering for Reproductive Justice

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After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the meeting.

Unity Walk 2022
2022-09-11 13:30 - 18:00 UTC
The Interfaith Council’s annual Unity Walk is a public demonstration of love and support for all who live in our region. Walk with participants of all ages to visit 11 different houses of worship and spiritual centers in upper Northwest DC to learn about and experience diverse faith traditions. There will be new opportunities to engage through moderated mini-dialogues, hands-on family activities, comedy, music, and sharing of tasty cultural treats. Come by yourself or bring friends to celebrate the wonderful diversity that exists in our region!
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WIN Fall Picnic
2022-09-11 15:00 - 17:00 UTC
WIN Swings into Fall Action
The Washington Interfaith Network will be hosting a picnic for congregational partners across DC on Sunday September 11 from 3 to 5 pm. Location still TBD but likely close to RFK Stadium. Bring a picnic and meet others working to promote affordable housing, green policies, and public safety.
For more info or if interested in carpooling, contact Anne Schwartz, Temple Sinai’s WIN core team lead.
Link text

Gun Violence Prevention (GVP) Shabbat Service
2022-09-14 18:30 - 20:30 UTC
Steve Dettelbach, Director of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives will join us to share his perspectives on the important role of the ATF in helping to fight our national gun violence epidemic, especially the scourge of illegal gun trafficking which exacerbates the proliferation of guns in our cities and communities.
During our GVP Shabbat, we also plan to light candles in remembrance of the more than 40,000 Americans killed each year by gun violence. We’ll remember and highlight the 10th anniversary of the Sandy Hook Elementary School mass shooting in Newtown, CT, the 4th anniversary of the Tree of Life synagogue mass shooting in Pittsburgh, as well as the daily, multiple gun homicides in our DMV area and nationwide.

WIN "Electric Slide"
2022-10-15 11:00 - 13:00 UTC
On October 15th, join us on a bus tour as we do an “electric slide” through the District and imagine together what a just & equitable transition off of methane gas looks like. We will speak with homeowners looking to electrify, doctors seeing the frontline impacts of methane on asthma, and more! Watch this space for details (location TBD).
The bus tour will start and end at Varick Memorial AME Zion Church at 255 Anacostia Avenue NE. If you need a ride or would like to carpool to Varick, contact Anne Schwartz, Temple Sinai WIN core team lead.

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Sinaites Toiletries Drive for newly arrived asylum seekers
2022-10-16 08:30 - 13:00 UTC
Sinaites is holding a toiletries drive to help the asylum seekers arriving in DC from Texas and Arizona. Many of these migrants arrive with nothing, and they lack the basic necessities that we take for granted such as soap, toothpaste, and a toothbrush. The supplies that we collect will be used to create toiletry kits, which will be donated to So Others Might Eat (SOME) to disburse.
The items needed are:
❖ Toothbrush ❖ Razors
❖ Toothpaste: 4.8-6oz ❖ Lotion: 2-3oz
❖ Soap: 3.5-4oz ❖ Deodorant: 2.5-3oz
❖ 2-in-1 Shampoo/Conditioner: 12-15oz
❖ Comb ❖ Q-tips
❖ Ziploc Bags: sandwich ❖ Washcloths
❖ Single-Use Hand Sanitizer Wipe Packs
We plan to hold the drive on Sunday, October 16th, the first day of religious school. Donations can be dropped off under the awning in front of the religious school entrance. Any donation would be greatly appreciated.

WIN Affordable Housing Working Group
2022-10-19 18:00 - 19:00 UTC
WIN leaders citywide have endorsed our Work Group’s proposal (discussed at our Sept. 21 meeting) for affordable housing at the Chevy Chase Library/Community Center. Join us to find out more.
Zoom Details:
Meeting ID: 969 241 0923
Passcode: [REDACTED]
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Student-Led Canvass for Affordable Housing (WIN)
2022-10-22 09:00 - 12:00 UTC
Canvass will take place in Tenleytown neighborhoods, with Jackson-Reed, Walt Whitman and GDS students. Members of our WIN Ward 3 partners — Adas, St. Columba’s, National UMC, Chevy Chase Presbyterian — will join us. It’s fun, and the students are awesome. Join us at 9AM for a short canvassing training. Students who participate will receive SSL hours.
The rally will begin at the corner of Nebraska and Chesapeake with music and a few short speeches, followed by a canvassing training. Small groups will move to Wisconsin Avenue to engage with pedestrians. If you’ve got other commitments, please feel free to drop by (especially at the beginning) and tell a friend.
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Praying With Our Feet: Volunteer at A Wider Circle
2022-10-22 09:30 - 12:00 UTC
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.
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7th Annual "Silence the Violence" Concert
2022-10-23 17:00 - 19:00 UTC
Temple Sinai is a co-partner of this concert benefiting The TraRon Center and featuring Accord Symphony Orchestra, the Borisevich duo, and Christian Simmons. Concert will be held at the Metropolitan Memorial campus of National United Methodist Church (NUMC), 3401 Nebraska Ave., NW. Tickets are $20.
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Next Steps in the Fight for Abortion Rights: Brainstorm with Rabbi Goldstein and the Reproductive Health and Rights Group
2022-10-24 19:45 - 20:45 UTC
All are welcome to join this Zoom meeting to share ideas for future educational and fundraising programming and events. Help plan the next steps in our ongoing abortion rights and access campaign. Add this to your calendar now!

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Thanksgiving Project
2022-11-05 15:00 - 17:15 UTC
Join us for Temple Sinai’s annual Thanksgiving bag project! We need volunteers to help us pick up the groceries, unload and set-up the groceries, and pack the bags. Bag packing is 4:15pm – 5:15pm.
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