In “The Redemptive Act of Crying: Why Tears Can Be More Than Salt Water on the Seder Table,” Rabbi Ilana explores how Passover may resonate this year, the role of karpas (traditionally, leafy greens dipped in salt water) on the Seder plate, and the power of lingering in moments accompanied by tears. Passover will be hard this year, to say the least. For some, there will be empty seats that previously would have been or presently-should-be occupied by loved ones at their seder tables. For many others, feelings of deep sadness and concern over the immense loss of life experienced by I ..read more

The GatherDC blog strives to present a holistic portrait of the DMV’s Jewish community, sharing a wide variety of Jewish voices and perspectives. If you have a 20- or 30-something to nominate as our Jewish Person of the Week or for a Spotted in Jewish DMV feature, please email us! Rachel and I met at Panera for coffee one recent afternoon. A second-generation member at Tifereth Israel Congregation, Rachel chats about the community at TI, brunch on U Street, onions, ping pong balls, and sustaining Passover traditions! Samuel: Hi, Rachel! I’ve been looking forward to chatting with someone ..read more

The GatherDC blog strives to present a holistic portrait of the DMV’s Jewish community, sharing a wide variety of Jewish voices and perspectives. If you have a 20- or 30-something to nominate as our Jewish Person of the Week or for a Spotted in Jewish DMV feature, please email us! Renee and I meet one sunny afternoon at The Coffee Bar to chat about Amäzi, Renee’s entrepreneurial foray into the world of vegan snacks — plus, as always, Jewish community, hidden gems of the DMV, and her perfect Shabbat dinner guests. Dive into this interview for Renee’s insights on supply chains, founding her ..read more

The GatherDC blog strives to present a holistic portrait of the DMV’s Jewish community, sharing a wide variety of Jewish voices and perspectives. If you have a 20- or 30-something to nominate as our Jewish Person of the Week or for a Spotted in Jewish DMV feature, please email us! We’ve been so excited to sit down with Lisa Del Sesto, the Education Manager for Programs at the Lillian and Albert Small Capital Jewish Museum — with our Nights at the Seder Table experience coming up soon, now seemed like the perfect time! Lisa and I meet at the Judiciary Square Tatte to chat about her insider ..read more

The GatherDC blog strives to present a holistic portrait of the DMV’s Jewish community, sharing a wide variety of Jewish voices and perspectives. If you have a 20- or 30-something to nominate as our Jewish Person of the Week or for a Spotted in Jewish DMV feature, please email us! Meet Sam! We sat down together last month at the Foxtrot near Farragut Square to talk about climate research and policy, frisbee, searching for a religious community, The Golem of Brooklyn, Oppenheimer, the Manhattan Project, and Aaron Sorkin at the Shabbat table! Samuel: Hi, Sam! Thanks for joining me today. What b ..read more

The GatherDC blog strives to present a holistic portrait of the DMV’s Jewish community, sharing a wide variety of Jewish voices and perspectives. If you have a 20- or 30-something to nominate as our Jewish Person of the Week or for a Spotted in Jewish DMV feature, please email us! Meet Hannah and Jess, the Director and Manager of DMV-based Israeli dance group Rikudei Yachad! They sit down with GatherDC ahead of Rikudei Yachad’s performance at the DC Israeli Dance Festival to chat about the group’s inception, building a community that is both niche and inclusive, dating while dancing, low ..read more

The GatherDC blog strives to present a holistic portrait of the DMV’s Jewish community, sharing a wide variety of Jewish voices and perspectives. If you have a 20- or 30-something to nominate as our Jewish Person of the Week or for a Spotted in Jewish DMV feature, please email us! Aaron and I connected one brilliantly sunny January afternoon at Takoma Bev Co. Braving the cold (and, out of the blue, an incredibly noisy construction site roaring to life), we chat about leaving — and returning to — the DMV, seeking out a Jewish space of your own, music as a Jewish practice, Aaron’s Heartbeat ..read more

The GatherDC blog strives to present a holistic portrait of the DMV’s Jewish community, sharing a wide variety of Jewish voices and perspectives. If you have a 20- or 30-something to nominate as our Jewish Person of the Week or for a Spotted in Jewish DMV feature, please email us! Jeremy and I sit down for an afternoon chat at Bluestone Lane, where we talk about his recent engagement, playing soccer in Prague, feeling lonely, finding community, and the “special, infinite being connecting us” in this lovely Valentine’s Day feature! Samuel: What brought you to the DMV? Jeremy: I went to Cl ..read more

The GatherDC blog strives to present a holistic portrait of the DMV’s Jewish community, sharing a wide variety of Jewish voices and perspectives. If you have a 20- or 30-something to nominate as our Jewish Person of the Week or for a Spotted in Jewish DMV feature, please ! Maya and I connect over Zoom this past Tuesday to chat all about breed-specific legislation in PG County, a perfect first date at a Rage Room, imposter syndrome, and photography! Samuel: Hi, Maya! Thank you for taking the time today. What brought you to the DMV? Maya: I went to James Madison University in Harrisonburg. Afte ..read more

Jackie and I meet up at K Street’s PAUL late one January afternoon. While the downtown traffic wends homeward, we sip hot tea and chat about Jackie’s work reporting on retail trends and the consumer experience, the joy of hosting, finding Jewish community in a brand new city, and how best to catch up on the last 45 seasons of Survivor! Samuel: What brought you to the DMV? Jackie: I moved here in July 2020 for a job at the Washington Post, working the overnight shift. I really wanted to become a better, faster writer. To do that, you have to be writing every day, and this allowed me to do that ..read more