Leo & Anna Smilow Center for Jewish Living and Learning
Connect with Jewish life and culture your way through innovative and inclusive programs exploring modern life, social justice, culture, and more.
Upcoming Events
How do I welcome my baby into the Jewish community? What’s a mohel and how do I find one? How are the welcoming rituals similar and different for boys and girls? When and how do I announce the baby’s name? Join EDCJCC Children and Families staff Lindsay Kagin and Miriam Szubin — who have welcomed two girl and three boy babies between them — for a virtual workshop on Jewish rituals, traditions, and options for a bris (a Jewish religious male circumcision ceremony) and simchat bat (celebration of a daughter). You’ll walk away with information, resources, and connections to a community of other parents-to-be of Jewish babies.
Thursday, August 5th 5:30 pm – 6:30 pm
FREE for the summer
Markid (Instructor): Amanda Herring, Manager of Jewish Life and Learning
Are you looking to meet great people and have fun, all while getting a high-energy workout? Then this class is for you!
Get your feet moving to the energetic beats of rikudai-am (Israeli dance). Monthly drop-in session is high energy, attracting young people and families from all across the DC Metropolitan area. Instruction will only include line dance for the time being (no circle or couples dances). All are welcome, beginners and experienced dancers alike. No dance partner necessary.
Schmaltz Brothers food truck will be parked outside the JCC on Aug. 5th with yummy food for purchase, so come hungry!
Pre-register or just drop in!
There will also be activities for little ones including bubbles, chalk, and ice pops!
Learning in partnership is a Jewish tradition spanning back to the times of the Mishnaic scholars in the 1st century CE. It was highly encouraged that one learn Torah with a chevruta or peer and not only with a teacher. By debating and struggling with text alongside a peer, chevruta pairs are able to come to a totally new understanding of the text that neither person could have achieved on their own.
Fill out our carefully curated online chevruta matching survey to be paired with a partner matched based on your interests and background in studying Torah. You and your learning partner will gain access to Project Zug, an online learning platform from Hadar, and begin this year’s Elul learning cycle along with learners from around the world. We will kick off with a live virtual lecture with Rabbi Shai Held, and then dive into four different approaches to teshuvah with your chevruta, or learning partner, over four weeks. Our learning will conclude with another live virtual lecture the day before Erev Rosh Hashanah.
Sign up now to get matched with your perfect partner to begin your learning journey in preparation for Rosh Hashanah!
Registration Closes: Friday, July 30, 2021 at 5:00PM EDT
Receive Chevruta and Course Information: Sunday, August 8, 2021
Live Virtual Kickoff Lecture: Sunday, August 8, 2021 at 7:30PM EDT (erev Rosh Chodesh Elul)
Weekly Learning with Chevruta: August 8, 2021 – September 5, 2021
Live Virtual Concluding Lecture: Sunday, September 5, 2021 at 7:30PM EDT
Bim Bom Bags: Fall Flavors
Optional Zoom events will be Thursday Septmeber 2, October 21, December 2 at 4:30 PM
Best for Ages 2-6
The Edlavitch DC JCC is proud to present Bim Bom Bags, fall flavors! We will be delivering three fabulous bags full of Jewish themed crafts, learning and more. Start in late August with our High Holidays bag, full of Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur activities. Next, in October, receive a bag full of Shabbat and Havdalah awesomeness. Our fall finale will be a Chanukah bag with contents to light up your holiday. We hope you will then join us for an online gathering (optional) to share your work and learn more about the holidays with families from across the DMV! Email lindsayk@edcjcc.org if you have questions.
Email lindsayk@edcjcc.org if you have questions.
High Holidays: Buy your bag by Wednesday 8/25 for pick up on 9/1 or 9/2 online gathering on Thursday 9/2 @4:30
Shabbat/Havdalah: Buy your bag by Wednesday 10/13 for pick up between 10/17 – 10/21, online gathering Thursday 10/21 @4:30
Chanukah: Buy your bag by Wednesday 11/24 for pick up between 11/28 – 12/2, Online gathering Thursday 12/2 @4:30
Fee: Each bag is $18 but if you buy the set of three, pay just $45.
Due to last year’s success, the Mindfulness Hike is returning!
Looking for a way to slow down, reflect, and connect to the themes of repentance, introspection, and new beginnings this season? Join the EDCJCC at Rock Creek Park on Yom Kippur afternoon. Whether you are fasting, attending services, or seeking an alternative, this self-guided outdoor experience will offer points of connection for individuals of all ages and levels of observance.
Amanda Herring, Manager of Jewish Life & Learning, will greet you at the trailhead, give you a guide book, and help you set an intention for your journey. Throughout the hike, you’ll find signs prompting moments of reflection, stories, and opportunities to connect with yourself, your family, and the themes of the holiday. There will be an optional playlist to accompany your walk and optional writing activities if it is in your practice to listen to recorded music or write on Yom Kippur, though neither one will be necessary to participate in the full experience.
Contact AHerring@edcjcc.org with any questions or concerns.
Bim Bom Bags: Fall Flavors
Optional Zoom events will be Thursday Septmeber 2, October 21, December 2 at 4:30 PM
Best for Ages 2-6
The Edlavitch DC JCC is proud to present Bim Bom Bags, fall flavors! We will be delivering three fabulous bags full of Jewish themed crafts, learning and more. Start in late August with our High Holidays bag, full of Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur activities. Next, in October, receive a bag full of Shabbat and Havdalah awesomeness. Our fall finale will be a Chanukah bag with contents to light up your holiday. We hope you will then join us for an online gathering (optional) to share your work and learn more about the holidays with families from across the DMV! Email lindsayk@edcjcc.org if you have questions.
Email lindsayk@edcjcc.org if you have questions.
High Holidays: Buy your bag by Wednesday 8/25 for pick up on 9/1 or 9/2 online gathering on Thursday 9/2 @4:30
Shabbat/Havdalah: Buy your bag by Wednesday 10/13 for pick up between 10/17 – 10/21, online gathering Thursday 10/21 @4:30
Chanukah: Buy your bag by Wednesday 11/24 for pick up between 11/28 – 12/2, Online gathering Thursday 12/2 @4:30
Fee: Each bag is $18 but if you buy the set of three, pay just $45.
Bim Bom Bags: Fall Flavors
Optional Zoom events will be Thursday Septmeber 2, October 21, December 2 at 4:30 PM
Best for Ages 2-6
The Edlavitch DC JCC is proud to present Bim Bom Bags, fall flavors! We will be delivering three fabulous bags full of Jewish themed crafts, learning and more. Start in late August with our High Holidays bag, full of Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur activities. Next, in October, receive a bag full of Shabbat and Havdalah awesomeness. Our fall finale will be a Chanukah bag with contents to light up your holiday. We hope you will then join us for an online gathering (optional) to share your work and learn more about the holidays with families from across the DMV! Email lindsayk@edcjcc.org if you have questions.
Email lindsayk@edcjcc.org if you have questions.
High Holidays: Buy your bag by Wednesday 8/25 for pick up on 9/1 or 9/2 online gathering on Thursday 9/2 @4:30
Shabbat/Havdalah: Buy your bag by Wednesday 10/13 for pick up between 10/17 – 10/21, online gathering Thursday 10/21 @4:30
Chanukah: Buy your bag by Wednesday 11/24 for pick up between 11/28 – 12/2, Online gathering Thursday 12/2 @4:30
Fee: Each bag is $18 but if you buy the set of three, pay just $45.
The Edlavitch DCJCC embraces inclusion in all its programs and activities. We welcome and encourage the participation of all people, regardless of their background, sexual orientation, abilities, or religion, including interfaith couples and families.