Events
Beth Chai offers events throughout the year! See our calendar below for our events.
News this week
As we near the start of the school year and High Holiday season, we want to remind you of some key upcoming dates!
Sunday, September 7: Our Collaborative Sunday School and Adult Education program commences. Adult Education will feature a Community Welcome-Back session with interactive activities and bagels!
Sunday, September 21—Beth Chai will host an adult education program featuring Michael Brenner, a professor at American University. Brenner will speak about the German-Jewish responses to Hitler's rise in post-WWI Germany and what Americans can learn from it.
Tuesday, September 23 – Rosh Hashanah Services at RRUUC
Wednesday, October 1 – Kol Nidre Service at RRUUC
Thursday, October 2 – Yom Kippur Service and break-the-fast at RRUUC
Please spread the word about our services on neighborhood list-serves and among friends and family!
We have many interesting adult education topics coming up during the rest of the year on Beth Chai hosting days including:
· Understanding Jewish Genealogy - November 2, 2025
· The Jewish Presence in Contemporary Popular Music - December 7, 2025
· Beth Chai’s Annual Martin Luther King Day Program - January 11, 2026
· The History of Jewish Humor - February 8, 2026
We look forward to seeing everybody soon and wish you a good end of your summer
Social Action
Beth Chai is rejuvenating the social justice committee!
Each month, we will identify a charity for you to consider for tzedakah.
This month's featured group is The Washington Legal Clinic for the Homeless, https://www.legalclinic.org/. With the federalization of police in DC and focus on the involuntary institutionalization of the homeless, the Washington Legal Clinic for the Homeless is on the front lines to ensure that their civil rights are protected.
We are also beginning a social justice book club. Our first book will be The Color of Law, by Richard Rothstein. We will meet on September 30 in the evening. For details, including location, please contact Sarah Remes. The group that meets on September 30 will choose the next book.
Jewish Humanists (and friends!) Serve Brunch at Shepherd's Table Fourth Saturdays!
Shepherd's Table in Silver Spring (https://www.shepherdstable.org/)
This activity is perfect for family or friend groups. All prep workers/servers must be age 13 or older (one adult per 2 young teens). Barriers are in place to reduce virus transmission among guests and staff. Masking is optional for volunteers and guests. Brunch setup begins at 9:00 am and continues through cleanup (finished by noon). Register using this link: https://shepherdstable.volunteerhub.com/vv2/ and select the fourth Saturday of the month. If you sign up but find you can't make it, please be sure to cancel your shift at least 1 week in advance so that others may take your place.
Community Announcements
These announcements are being provided for informational purposes only; they do not constitute an endorsement by Beth Chai.
On Thursday, August 28, 6:30 - 7:30 p.m., Beth Chai member Howie Feinstein will be performing with the Mystic All-Stars at Westbard Square, 5400 Westbard Ave. in Bethesda.
Takoma Park Folk Festival
Sunday, September 7, 11:00 AM - 6:00 PM
Takoma Park Middle School, Takoma Park, MD
A free festival featuring several music stages, a juried craft show, activities for all ages, information tables for nonprofit community organizations, and a variety of food and treats from several vendors!
Learn more
The Jewish Dog
Performed by Adam Meir, Written and Directed by Yonatan Esterkin
Adapted from the novel written by Asher Kravitz
The Logan Festival of Solo Performance | September 18 - 28, 2025
Filtering the darkest, most dramatic period of modern Jewish history, The Jewish Dog offers a view of the Holocaust through the eyes of a canine unusually fascinated by human affairs. Cyrus witnesses firsthand the rise of Nazism and the Holocaust. When Nuremberg Laws separate him from his Jewish owners, he is confiscated by the Nazis and employed by the SS as a military concentration camp dog. Directed by Israeli artist Yonatan Esterkin, based on the novel by Asher Kravitz, and featuring Adam Meir as the beloved dog, this performance explores loyalty, identity, and the fine line that separates humanity from animals. Purchase tickets at https://1ststage.org/
The Washington Folk Festival
Sunday, October 19, 12:00 PM - 8:30 PM
Glen Echo Park, Glen Echo, MD
Now a one-day event, expect a jam-packed roster full of dancing, storytelling, and music ranging from American to International styles: bluegrass to Celtic, Klezmer to Americana, blues to Zydeco, we cover folk music from around the world! Five stages, hundreds of performers, food trucks, a picnic area, and it's all free!
Learn more
The Dreidel Players Present...
Best Hanukkah Show Ever!
By Jeremy Desmon & Victor Wishna
Directed by David Fialkoff
All performances will held at the Gaithersburg Arts Barn
311 Kent Square Road, Gaithersburg, MD 20878
Opening November 28th and running weekends through December 14th, 2025.
Trio Sefardi headlining Winter Revels, now in Silver Spring
https://revelsdc.org/shows-events/winter-revels/
IN-PERSON PERFORMANCES
Friday, December 12, 7:30pm
Saturday, December 13, 1pm & 7pm
Sunday, December 14, 2pm
Thursday, December 18, 7:30pm
Friday, December 19, 7:30pm
Saturday, December 20, 12pm & 6pm
Cultural Arts Center (CAC) at Montgomery College
7995 Georgia Avenue
Silver Spring, MD 20910
Not a member? Join today!