The Davis Center for Social Justice

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.

Register

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]
Join Zoom

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.
Sign Up

Praying With Our Feet: Volunteer at A Wider Circle
2022-10-22 09:30 - 12:00, 2023-01-28 09:30 - 12:00, 2023-03-25 09:30 - 12:00, 2023-04-22 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.
Learn More and Buy Tickets

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!

Register

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.
Sign Up

"Welcoming Migrants to DC" Panel
2022-11-09 19:00 - 20:30 UTC
Buses continue to arrive in DC from southern border states and while most of the migrants arriving move on to family or friends in other parts of the country, many choose to make the DMV their home. How can we make our community a welcoming and safe haven for them? Join us for a discussion on this issue on Wednesday, November 9 from 7pm to 8:30pm on Zoom. Our panel will feature

Amy Fischer, Americas Advocacy Director at Amnesty International USA and a Core Organizer with the Migrant Solidarity Mutual Aid Network
Eli Johnson, Executive Director, Congregation Action Network.
A recent migrant to the area from Venezuela who has decided to make the DMV his new home

Learn more about the status of migrants in our area, policy issues helping or hindering them, and how you can get more involved.
Register

What Now?: Gun Violence Prevention Policy Options after "Bruen", "The Bipartisan Safer Communities Act", and the Results of the 2022 Mid-Term Elections
2022-11-17 19:00 - 21:00 (America/New_York) | Zoom
The Temple Sinai Gun Violence Prevention Group hosts a virtual panel discussion with:
Joe Danielsen, New Jersey Assemblyman (D-Middlesex, Somerset), a chief sponsor of New Jersey bill S4769 to require New Jersey gun owners to purchase liability insurance and also “a recreational hunter who supports both the Second Amendment and public safety”
Josh Horwitz, Co-Director, Johns Hopkins Center for Gun Violence Solutions
Kelly Sampson, Senior Counsel & Director of Racial Justice, Brady Campaign
Dr. Michael Siegel, M.D., M.P.H., Professor, Public Health and Community Medicine, Tufts University, School of Medicine, and author of a new report issued by the new GVP group 97Percent entitled “Finding the Common Ground in Gun Safety”
Rob Wilcox, Federal Legal Director, Everytown for Gun Safety
Steve Klitzman, Chair, Temple Sinai GVP Group, Moderator
Now that the Supreme Court has struck down New York’s “concealed carry” limits on who may carry guns in public (New York State Rifle & Pistol Assn., Inc. v. Bruen decided on 06/23/2022), state lawmakers there and in other states are reviewing and in some cases strengthening their concealed carry permit laws to deter further gun violence. Justice Clarence Thomas’s majority opinion made clear that the constitutionality of restrictions is historically “settled” in “sensitive places” such as legislatures, courtrooms and polling locations. “Mmodern regulations” may “prohibit” the carry of firearms in “new” places. Given that, a number of states are enacting a more expansive list of so-called “sensitive places” where guns may not be carried. Though Justice Thomas did not specify which those might be, during oral arguments in November, several justices pondered that they might include public transportation, crowded venues, university campuses and places where alcohol is served.
Moreover, Justice Brett Kavanaugh noted in a concurrence joined by Chief Justice John Roberts that while states may not impose restrictions that prevent “ordinary, law abiding citizens” from carrying a gun to defend themselves, states can still enact rigorous requirements for a public carry permit, such as stringent background and mental health records checks and completion of regular training courses.
Another promising reform for states to consider would be to require gun owners to possess firearm liability insurance. Not only would such a requirement ensure that victims of gun violence can recover for their losses and “provide financial incentives for responsible arms carrying,” but it also draws strong historical support from a host of 19th century “surety laws” which Justice Thomas cited in his opinion. These were laws requiring gun owners to post bond in order to carry a gun.
A distinguished panel of GVP experts will discuss these and other state and local responses to the Bruen decision as well as implementation of the provisions of the Bipartisan Safer Communities Act enacted in June 2022. We will also discuss the implications of the results of the 2022 mid-term elections regarding further progress on gun safety reforms on the federal, state and local levels.
For more information please contact Steve Klitzman, Chair, Temple Sinai GVP Group.

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WIN Annual Meeting
2022-12-08 19:00 - 20:30 UTC
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

Gun Violence Prevention Shabbat Service
2022-12-09 18:30 - 20:00 UTC
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.

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.

DCYB Cereal Social to Benefit Capital Area Food Bank
2023-01-10 18:00 - 19:00 UTC
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.

Building Racial Stamina, Opening Session
2023-01-17 19:30 - 21:00 UTC
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

Repro Shabbat: Commemorating 50 Years Since Roe
2023-01-20 18:30 - 20:30 UTC
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

Discussion of "The Janes" featuring Heather Booth
2023-01-29 14:00 - 15:30 UTC
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

HIAS Refugee Shabbat
2023-02-03 18:30 - 19:30 UTC
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.

Zwerdling Memorial Program: Environmental Injustice
2023-02-12 14:00 - 16:00 UTC
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

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

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.”

Public Safety Teach-In
2023-03-19 13:15 - 14:15 UTC
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.
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Pizza and a Conversation for Teens: Reproductive Rights and Abortion
2023-03-21 18:00 - 19:00 UTC
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

Poor People's Campaign National Training
2023-03-27 19:00 - 20:45 UTC
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

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!

WIN Action on Affordable Housing with Council Member At-Large Robert White
2023-04-11 19:00 - 20:30 UTC
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
