Music and Maariv
2026-03-10 19:00 - 19:30, 2026-03-17 19:00 - 19:30, 2026-03-24 19:00 - 19:30, 2026-03-31 19:00 - 19:30, 2026-04-07 19:00 - 19:30, 2026-04-14 19:00 - 19:30, 2026-04-21 19:00 - 19:30, 2026-04-28 19:00 - 19:30 (America/New_York) and 119 more dates
Basic evening prayers woven with melodies to uplift and soothe our souls. Via Zoom. Please email Info@AdatShalom.net for Zoom access.

Rabbi's Study
2026-03-11 12:00 - 13:00, 2026-03-18 12:00 - 13:00, 2026-03-25 12:00 - 13:00, 2026-04-22 12:00 - 13:00, 2026-04-29 12:00 - 13:00, 2026-05-06 12:00 - 13:00, 2026-05-20 12:00 - 13:00, 2026-05-27 12:00 - 13:00 and 4 more dates
Weekly on Wednesdays, 12 pm via ZOOM.

Morning Minyan
2026-03-12 08:00 - 08:45, 2026-03-16 08:00 - 08:45, 2026-03-19 08:00 - 08:45, 2026-03-23 08:00 - 08:45, 2026-03-26 08:00 - 08:45, 2026-03-30 08:00 - 08:45, 2026-04-02 08:00 - 08:45, 2026-04-06 08:00 - 08:45 and 245 more dates
A great way to begin your day along with members of both Adat Shalom and fellow Reconstructionist synagogue Darchei Noam (Toronto). There are numerous opportunities to enhance your davening, lein Torah, and lead parts of the service. For more information and to receive Zoom login information, email Info@AdatShalom.net.

Shabbat Morning Services
2026-03-14 09:30 - 12:00, 2026-03-21 09:30 - 12:00, 2026-03-28 09:30 - 12:00, 2026-04-11 09:30 - 12:00, 2026-04-18 09:30 - 12:00, 2026-04-25 09:30 - 12:00, 2026-05-09 09:30 - 12:00, 2026-05-16 09:30 - 12:00 and 116 more dates

Limmud Classes PK-7
2026-03-14 09:30 - 12:00, 2026-03-21 09:30 - 12:00, 2026-04-11 09:30 - 12:00, 2026-04-18 09:30 - 12:00, 2026-04-25 09:30 - 12:00, 2026-05-02 09:30 - 12:00, 2026-05-09 09:30 - 12:00, 2026-05-16 09:30 - 12:00 | Adat Shalom, 7727 Persimmon Tree Lane, Bethesda, MD, 20817, United States

Tot Shabbat with Ms. Ellie
2026-03-14 11:00 - 12:00, 2026-03-21 11:00 - 12:00, 2026-04-11 11:00 - 12:00, 2026-04-18 11:00 - 12:00, 2026-04-25 11:00 - 12:00, 2026-05-02 11:00 - 12:00, 2026-05-09 11:00 - 12:00, 2026-05-16 11:00 - 12:00 and 5 more dates | Adat Shalom, 7727 Persimmon Tree Lane, Bethesda, MD, 20817, United States

Prayer Through Movement
2026-03-14 12:45 - 15:00, 2026-04-11 12:45 - 15:00, 2026-05-09 12:45 - 15:00, 2026-06-13 12:45 - 15:00, 2026-07-11 12:45 - 15:00, 2026-08-08 12:45 - 15:00, 2026-09-12 12:45 - 15:00, 2026-10-10 12:45 - 15:00 and 22 more dates | Triple Classroom
In Prayer Through Movement, we express the spirit of Shabbat through movements suggested by the parsha, prayers, holidays, or other content identified by participants. Sessions begin with a focus on breath, joint mobility, and general body awareness and culminate in collaboratively creating a short movement sequence. No dance experience is required. We will meet int he Triple classroom.

Prayer Through Movement is led by Diane DeFries, formerly a professional choreographer and dance teacher, who guides us toward personal and communal expression through movement sequences that we create together. Diane is the daughter of long-time Adat Shalom member Tamar Lieberman z”l, who established the Creative Arts Committee, helped found Prayer Through Movement (as seen in the photo below), and believed the creative arts are an integral part of Reconstructionist services and synagogue life.

Please contact malkak@hotmail.com if you have questions.

Morning Minyan at Adat Shalom
2026-03-15 09:30 - 10:00, 2026-03-22 09:30 - 10:00, 2026-03-29 09:30 - 10:00, 2026-04-05 09:30 - 10:00, 2026-04-12 09:30 - 10:00, 2026-04-19 09:30 - 10:00, 2026-04-26 09:30 - 10:00, 2026-05-03 09:30 - 10:00 and 118 more dates | Adat Shalom, 7727 Persimmon Tree Lane, Bethesda, MD, 20817, United States
Need to say Kaddish? Want to join a community of people who relish regular davening or are learning to? Join us for 30 minutes on Sunday mornings at Adat Shalom for a great way to begin your day along with members of both Adat Shalom and fellow Reconstructionist synagogue Darchei Noam (Toronto). There are numerous opportunities to enhance your davening, lein Torah, and lead parts of the service. For more information, email Info@AdatShalom.net.

Learning with Rabbi Sid
2026-03-15 10:30 - 12:00 | Adat Shalom, 7727 Persimmon Tree Lane, Bethesda, MD, 20817, United States
The Triumph of Life: The Narrative Theology of Rabbi Yitz Greenberg
A Four-Week course with Rabbi Sid culminating with a Q and A with Rabbi Yitz from Jerusalem on March 15th
Rabbi Irving (Yitz) Greenberg is one of the most important Jewish thinkers of the past century. He is credited with launching the field of Holocaust studies in the early 1960’s. In 1974 he founded and served as President of Clal for over 20 years, one of the Jewish community’s most prominent think-tanks. An Orthodox rabbi who has always been deeply committed to Jewish pluralism and women’s equality, Yitz’s books, articles and public lectures have had a profound influence on the shape of American and world Jewry. Now, in his early 90’s, he has published his magnum opus, The Triumph of Life: A Narrative Theology of Judaism.
Rabbi Yitz is also one of Rabbi Sid’s most important mentors. The course will explore the book’s three sections: A Vision of Life in a Redeemed World; Covenant as a Method of World Repair; and The Covenant in the Third Era. Participants will be asked to pre-order the book and so that they can read each section in advance. Rabbi Sid will also help to “translate” Yitz’ theology in a Reconstructionist key. The fourth and last session will be a video Q and A with Rabbi Yitz from Jerusalem.
REGISTER HERE

Israeli Dancing
2026-03-16 19:30 - 21:30, 2026-03-23 19:30 - 21:30, 2026-03-30 19:30 - 21:30, 2026-04-06 19:30 - 21:30, 2026-04-13 19:30 - 21:30, 2026-04-27 19:30 - 21:30, 2026-05-04 19:30 - 21:30, 2026-05-11 19:30 - 21:30 and 116 more dates

Morning Meditation with Fran Zamore
2026-03-17 09:00 - 10:00, 2026-03-24 09:00 - 10:00, 2026-03-31 09:00 - 10:00, 2026-04-07 09:00 - 10:00, 2026-04-14 09:00 - 10:00, 2026-04-21 09:00 - 10:00, 2026-04-28 09:00 - 10:00, 2026-05-05 09:00 - 10:00 and 118 more dates
In this particularly stressful time we have many ways to creatively come together and support one another. Please join us for meditation. I’ll start off with a little teaching and then we will meditate together. Those who have the time and interest can stay on longer to share. I anticipate that teaching and meditation will run about 30 minutes. All are welcome — no experience necessary. Please mute your mic when you come into the zoom meeting. You are encouraged to unmute during our discussion. We have found that background noises seem to be amplified in the meeting.

Reconstructing Creativity
2026-03-19 15:00 - 16:30, 2026-06-18 15:00 - 16:30, 2026-08-20 15:00 - 16:30
Drawing on our innate creativity, you’ll explore what it takes to “walk a very narrow bridge” and how we might find resilience when facing daunting times. No art experience required.

If you’d like to join us for Reconstructing Creativity, please email us at info@adatshalom.net.

Shabbat Voices: Rev. Paul Brandeis Raushenbush
2026-03-21 13:00 - 14:00 | Adat Shalom, 7727 Persimmon Tree Lane, Bethesda, MD, 20817, United States
Faith, Social Justice, and America: A Family Story

Join us for our fourth Shabbat Voices session with Rev. Paul Brandeis Raushenbush, President and CEO of Interfaith Alliance.
An ordained Baptist minister, Rev. Raushenbush is a longtime interfaith leader and renowned advocate for civil rights and religious freedom. He works with affiliates, networks and leaders across the country to forge powerful alliances among people of diverse faiths and beliefs to build a resilient, inclusive multi-faith democracy.

Prior to coming to Interfaith Alliance, Rev. Raushenbush served as senior vice president of the Auburn Seminary, and as the founding and executive editor of HuffPost Religion. Rev. Raushenbush has also served as associate dean of religious life and the chapel at Princeton University and as the senior advisor for public affairs and innovation at Interfaith America. Additionally, he speaks regularly at colleges, faith communities, and institutes around the country.

He is the great-grandson of Supreme Court Justice Louis D. Brandeis and the great-grandson of the theologian Reverend Walter Rauschenbusch. He lives in New York City with his spouse, author Brad Gooch, and two children.

Check out his weekly podcast, State of Belief here!

Sponsored by Polly Panitz, Allen Joseph, and Stephen Isaacson in memory of Susana (Zsuzsi) Isaacson

UPCOMING SPEAKERS

April 18th
Women in Leadership: Victories and Ongoing Challenges
Speaker: Rachel Gildiner, Executive Director of the Safety, Respect and Equity Network
Sponsor: Phyllis Lerner, to advance greater inclusivity and equity in our world

June 20th
Doubt Science and the Degradation of Expertise
Speaker: Dr. David Michaels, former Ass’t Secretary of Labor for Occupational Safety and Health (OSHA) and member of Adat Shalom
Sponsor: Claire Engers and David Silberman in memory of Charles and Arlene Silberman

Symphony of the Potomac | Free Chamber Music Concert
2026-03-22 14:00 - 15:30 | Adat Shalom, 7727 Persimmon Tree Lane, Bethesda, MD, 20817, United States
An afternoon of chamber music spanning three centuries, including modern Jewish themes.
Small string & wind ensembles perform varied works: from Vivaldi to Bloch, Haydn to Florence Price.
Free and open to the public.
Link to watch remotely: https://boxcast.tv/view/symphony-of-the-potomac-at-adat-shalom-tyq9ix9pundiwypnmkkc

Passover Festival Service
2026-04-02 09:30 - 12:30
Join Rabbi Scott and Aaron Shneyer for Festival Service
First Day
No Onegs; the kitchen is closed.
CLICK HERE FOR LIVE STREAM

Passover Festival Service
2026-04-04 09:30 - 12:30
Join Rabbi Scott and Aaron Shneyer for Festival Service
Chol Hamoed
No Onegs; the kitchen is closed.
CLICK HERE FOR LIVE STREAM

Passover Festival Service
2026-04-08 09:30 - 12:30
Join Rabbi Scott and Aaron Shneyer for Festival Service
Seventh Day: with Yizkor
No Onegs; the kitchen is closed.
CLICK HERE FOR LIVE STREAM

The Adat Shalom Community Dialogue Initiative
2026-04-12 12:00 - 16:00
Community Day of Dialogue:
Listening and Building Allies with People We Strongly Disagree With.

Led by expert facilitator Cherie Brown, Executive Director of the National Coalition Building Institute, with Aaron Shneyer, Shaliach Tzibur of Adat Shalom

Have differences of opinion around Israel and Palestine strained your relationships with family, friends or fellow community members? This workshop offers an opportunity to enhance connection and compassion across our community and build practical tools that we can bring into any relationship. Learn how to listen to each other even when we disagree, especially on issues about Israel and Palestine. Support healthy dialogue, expand awareness of multiple viewpoints, and open pathways for healing strained relationships.

Join for lunch at 12:00pm. The workshop will begin at 12:30pm and go until 4:00pm.

Small Group Dialogue Circles
Beginning in May 2026, community members will be invited to join additional, ongoing dialogue opportunities. Facilitated circles of 6-10 community members will offer a safe space to engage in dialogue with those who may hold different opinions and understandings about Israel/Palestine, allowing for a healthy and productive opportunity to deepen understanding and connection. Dialogue groups will meet at least three times in May and June 2026.

REGISTER HERE

Reconstructing Creativity
2026-04-16 15:00 - 16:30
What wisdom has your family, friends, teachers, or colleagues conveyed to you? What do you wish to pass along to others? At the next session of Reconstructing Creativity, we’ll delve into these questions and more. No art experience required.

If you’d like to join us for Reconstructing Creativity, please email us at info@adatshalom.net.

Shabbat Voices: Rachel Gildiner
2026-04-18 11:15 - 14:00 | Adat Shalom, 7727 Persimmon Tree Lane, Bethesda, MD, 20817, United States
Women in Leadership: Victories and Ongoing Challenges

Rachel Gildiner, Executive Director of the Safety, Respect and Equity Network, joins us this April for Shabbat Voices.
Rachel Gildiner (she/her) is the Executive Director of the SRE Network (Safety, Respect and Equity), an organization committed to advancing gender equity and inclusive workplaces in the Jewish community. A leading expert in the field of relational engagement, Rachel previously served as Chief Engagement Officer at Hillel International, Executive Director of GatherDC (the premier relational platform for Jewish 20s & 30s in the Washington, D.C. metropolitan area), and CEO of Gather, Inc. Prior to joining SRE, Rachel applied her relational approach to advance women’s equity in the Jewish workplace and beyond. In 2019, she launched Year of the Jewish Woman, a vibrant Facebook community where female Jewish professionals and allies can connect and discuss key issues and challenges. She is a vocal advocate and published thought leader in this area.
Rachel has a B.A. in Sociology from Columbia University, a B.A. in Modern Jewish Studies from the Jewish Theological Seminary, an M.A. in Higher Education Administration from The George Washington University, and a Certificate in Experiential Jewish Education from Yeshiva University. She is the inaugural recipient of the Phyllis G. Margolius Impossible Dream Award, a Schusterman Senior Fellow, and sits on the Board of The Jewish Theological Seminary. Rachel lives in Washington, D.C. with her husband and three children.

Sponsored by Phyllis Lerner, to advance greater inclusivity and equity in our world.

11:15am-Session 1
1-2pm-Session 2

UPCOMING SPEAKER

June 20th
Doubt Science and the Degradation of Expertise
Speaker: Dr. David Michaels, former Ass’t Secretary of Labor for Occupational Safety and Health (OSHA) and member of Adat Shalom
Sponsor: Claire Engers and David Silberman in memory of Charles and Arlene Silberman

Martin Buber’s Heart and Mind
2026-04-19 10:30 - 12:00, 2026-04-26 10:30 - 12:00, 2026-05-03 10:30 - 12:00
A Three-week class with Larry Goldsmith and Rabbi Sandy Rubenstein
Martin Buber was one of the most influential Jewish thinkers of the 20th century whose life story and thinking might illuminate our own. What moved him the most and was the basis of his thinking about life were moments of deep connection, moments of deep connection with nature, others, and “callings”. He called such moments, I-Thou encounters. According to Buber, this is how one connects with God or with what he called the Eternal Thou. In this three session class, we will sample some of Buber’s writings that we think best illustrate his intellectual journey. In addition to discussing and digesting his ideas, we will also have a chance to reflect on his meaningful spiritual guidance and insight for our lives today.
LARRY GOLDSMITH
Four decades ago, Larry just had to read Martin Buber. After several years, he taught courses on Buber at the Jewish Study Center. Buber’s thinking has directed his life ever since. During those intensive, youthful times, Larry planned to teach again, decades later, with the benefit of life experience. The kind of seeking that led Larry to Buber, also led him to spiritual direction. He’s co-led two spiritual direction groups at Adat Shalom since 2014, first with Zsuzsi Isaacson and now with Rabbi Sandy. Larry needs and enjoys the intellectual heft Buber gives to the more contemplative Spiritual Direction.
RABBI SANDY RUBENSTEIN
An experienced spiritual care provider, spiritual director, workshop leader, board certified chaplain, and clinical social worker, Sandy works with seekers of all faiths and no faith Through deep listening, compassion and respect, Sandy offers the opportunity for discernment, discovery of inner wisdom, and connection to mystery and the sacred. At Adat Shalom, Sandy most recently co-led the workshop, Teshuva in Action, with
Marla Zipin, co-leads 2 spiritual direction groups with Larry, and co- led healing circles through Makom. Sandy is currently planning a contemplative 6 session class focusing on Buber’s book, The Way of Humanity, in which Buber offers Hasidic stories and his own thinking about these stories that provide fruitful jumping off points for exploring our own spiritual journeys.
REGISTER HERE

Joint Israeli-Palestinian Memorial Day Event
2026-04-20 19:00 - 20:00
Led by Combatants for Peace and The Parents Circle Families Forum, this powerful annual ceremony brings Israelis and Palestinians together to mourn, remember, and choose hope. Join us to watch the ceremony, hear from local speakers, and reflect in community.
Register Here

Commemorate Yom HaAtzmaut (Israeli Independence Day)
2026-04-22 19:00 - 21:00
Adat Shalom will commemorate Yom HaAtzmaut with a gathering at the synagogue to learn about and discuss Israel’s Declaration of Independence — along with some lite bites to match the theme of the evening. We’ll learn how the declaration reflected the ideals of its time and how perspectives may have changed since it was written in 1948. For example, it proclaimed Israel as a Jewish state while also guaranteeing “the full social and political equality of all its inhabitants, without distinction of race, creed, or sex.”
REGISTER HERE

Jenna Weissman Joselit Event
2026-04-30 19:00 - 20:30
Join Rabbi Scott via Zoom in conversation with Jenna Joselit discussing her new biography of Mordechai Kaplan – the founder of Reconstructionist Judaism.
Mordecai M. Kaplan (1881–1983) was a leading American Jewish thinker and founder of Reconstructionism who reshaped Jewish identity through reason and evolving tradition. Jenna Weissman Joselit’s portrait, drawn from his private writings, offers fresh insight into modern Judaism and faith.
Jenna Weissman Joselit, the Charles E. Smith Professor of Judaic Studies & Professor of History, specializes in the history and culture of America’s Jews and in U.S. cultural history from the late nineteenth century on through the 1950s, and also directs a graduate program in Jewish cultural arts.

REGISTER HERE

Board Meeting
2026-04-30 19:30 - 20:30
For Zoom link, please contact: Presidents@adatshalom.net

First Friday Musical Kabbalat Shabbat
2026-05-01 18:00 - 21:30
Join us for a musical welcome into Shabbat. At 6PM we’ll join for a musical Kabbalat Shabbat service. Dinner to follow at 7PM. Contact info@adatshalom.net if you are interested in joining us.

Special Guests:
Rabbi Sid, Adat Shalom’s Founding Rabbi, directs a national fellowship for rabbis called the Clergy Leadership Incubator (CLI). On the shabbat of May 1st, four of his advanced Fellows, will be attending Adat Shalom’s services. Two will make a brief presentation. One special feature to take note of: One of the CLI Fellows is Rabbi Arielle Rosenberg, who emerged as one of the leaders of the civic resistance to ICE in Minneapolis. She has recently been interviewed about her leadership role by CNN and the Religion News Service.
Rabbi Sid will interview Rabbi Arielle after dinner, approximately 8:15pm in the sanctuary.

Shabbat Morning Services
2026-05-02 09:30 - 12:00
SPECIAL GUESTS:
Rabbi Sid, Adat Shalom’s Founding Rabbi, directs a national fellowship for rabbis called the Clergy Leadership Incubator (CLI). On the shabbat of May 2nd, four of his advanced Fellows, will be attending Adat Shalom’s service. Two will make a brief presentation. One special feature to take note of: One of the CLI Fellows is Rabbi Arielle Rosenberg, who emerged as one of the leaders of the civic resistance to ICE in Minneapolis. She has recently been interviewed about her leadership role by CNN and the Religion News Service.
Also on Saturday, May 2nd, Poet Owen Lewis will briefly read a selection of his poetry during morning services, and then after oneg at 1pm, he will share a talk entitled “A Few Remarks about Jewish Are Post-October 7th, and a Reading from A Prayer of Six Wings.”

Interim Report from Rabbi David Teutsch
2026-05-03 17:30 - 19:00
MEMBERS ONLY:
The event will start promptly at 5:30, so please arrive early.
Details about remote viewing will be shared in email from the board.

Zoom Schmooze
2026-05-06 09:30 - 10:30, 2026-06-03 09:30 - 10:30
People are welcome to drop in anytime from 9:30-10:30 am. It’s an open invitation, no registration – simply a chance to connect and visit with fellow congregants. If you wish to attend, please reach out to Dawna.Sirard@adatshalom.net for the Zoom link.

Tikkun Leyl Shavuot
2026-05-21 19:00 - 23:30
SAVE THE DATE!
On Thursday evening, May 21, we will welcome Shavuot (the holiday celebrating the giving of Torah at Mt. Sinai) with a Tikkun Leyl Shavuot — a late night Torah study extravaganza! We will have a series of study sessions and presentations on a variety of Jewish texts and topics, led by a roster of Adat Shalom clergy and members (details coming soon). We will also enjoy some delicious refreshments and delightful singing!
Schedule:
7:00 pm: Nosh and socialize
7:30 pm: Evening service
8:00 -> 9:00 -> 9:30 -> 10:00 -> 11:00: TIKKUN – TORAH STUDY SESSIONS (details coming soon)
11:00 –> [???]: Musical fun!

Shavuot
2026-05-22 09:30 - 12:00
Festival morning service & Torah reading

First Friday Musical Kabbalat Shabbat
2026-06-05 18:00 - 20:30, 2026-07-03 18:00 - 20:30, 2026-08-07 18:00 - 20:30, 2026-09-04 18:00 - 20:30, 2026-10-02 18:00 - 20:30, 2026-11-06 18:00 - 20:30, 2026-12-04 18:00 - 20:30, 2027-01-01 18:00 - 20:30 and 19 more dates
Join us for a musical welcome into Shabbat. At 6PM we’ll join for a musical Kabbalat Shabbat service. Dinner to follow at 7PM. Contact info@adatshalom.net if you are interested in joining us.

Pride Shabbat: Sacred and Seen
2026-06-13 09:30 - 12:00

Ruach Song Circle
2026-06-17 19:30 - 21:00 | Adat Shalom, 7727 Persimmon Tree Lane, Bethesda, MD, 20817, United States
Adat Shalom’s Ruach (Soul) Song Circle offers a heartfelt space to experience the power of music and communal singing. Led by Aaron Shneyer with other Adat Shalom service leaders, singers and instrumentalists will dive into the melodies for that week’s upcoming Shabbat morning service as well as other familiar and new tunes. Singers and instrumentalists of all levels are welcome to join. Song circle participants are especially encouraged to sit in the front of the sanctuary on the Shabbat morning service immediately following the song circle (and other weeks too!) to help raise the ruach.
Usually on the 3rd Wednesday of each month from 7:30-9 PM in the Sanctuary.
Sheet music / lead sheets will be provided for instrumentalists.
Click here for a Youtube playlist of songs.
If you’re attending please email aaron.shneyer@adatshalom.net to RSVP.

Shabbat Voices: Dr. David Michaels
2026-06-20 11:15 - 14:00 | Adat Shalom, 7727 Persimmon Tree Lane, Bethesda, MD, 20817, United States
Doubt Science and the Degradation of Expertise

For our sixth Shabbat Voices of the season, please welcome Dr. David Michaels, former Ass’t Secretary of Labor for Occupational Safety and Health (OSHA).
David Michaels PhD MPH, is an epidemiologist and Professor at the George Washington University Milken Institute School of Public Health. He served as Assistant Secretary of Labor for Occupational Safety and Health from 2009 to January 2017, the longest serving administrator in OSHA’s history. Previously, David served as Assistant Secretary of Energy for Environment, Safety, and Health, charged with protecting the workers, community, and environment around the nation’s nuclear weapons facilities. He was the chief architect of the historic initiative that has provided $32 billion in compensation for nuclear weapons workers who were sickened following exposure to radiation, beryllium or other hazards.
Much of David’s work focuses on defending the integrity of the science underpinning public health, safety, and environmental protections. On this topic, he is the author of The Triumph of Doubt: Dark Money and the Science of Deception (Oxford University Press, 2020) called “a tour de force” by Science Magazine and “a brave and important book, raising the alarm about the systemic corruption of science” by the journal Nature, and Doubt is Their Product: How Industry’s Assault on Science Threatens Your Health (Oxford University Press, 2008).
Throughout his career, David has focused on the health of disadvantaged communities and the impact of infectious diseases on underserved populations. He developed a widely-
cited mathematical model estimating the number of children and adolescents orphaned by HIV/AIDS, and founded and directed the Epidemiology Unit at of the Montefiore-Rikers Island Health Service, the first such unit in a jail in the United States. Learn more about his work here.

Doubt Science and the Degradation of Expertise -11:15am
The tobacco industry perfected the doubt science playbook – for decades it manufactured scientific uncertainty to enable it to market a product that killed millions of people. This playbook, which has been used by manufacturers of asbestos, lead,
pesticides, plastics, and other harmful products, has now been embraced by the federal government to degrade the science and the scientists demonstrating the value of vaccines, of reducing greenhouse gas emissions, and of other life-saving public health efforts.
How do we respond to this unprecedented state of affairs?

Ruth Gruber: Her Life and Legacy – 1-2pm, after oneg lunch
Ruth Gruber, who died in 2016 at age 105, was a well-known photojournalist, author of 18 books, government official, Reconstructionist Jew, the youngest person (at that time) to be awarded a PhD, and… my mother. A student in Cologne, Germany, she witnessed Hitler’s rise to power and then a decade later was sent by the Roosevelt Administration to escort to the U.S., 1000 refugees fleeing Nazi Europe. As a journalist, she covered the UN partition of Palestine, Israel’s War of Independence, and the waves diaspora
Jews immigrating to Israel from North Africa, Yemen, Iraq, and Ethiopia. This presentation will present Ruth Gruber’s life and legacy.

Sponsored by Claire Engers and David Silberman in memory of Charles and Arlene Silberman.

Shabbat Voices
2026-06-20 13:00 - 14:00
Adat Shalom’s Shabbat Voices is back with 6 influential speakers, December 2025 – June 2026!
Shabbat Voices brings prominent personalities to our community featured both during Shabbat morning services and a post-oneg session at 1 PM.

Join us once a month to hear from thought-leaders, artists, and activists such as Emmy and Grammy Award winner Denyce Graves, Executive Director of the Safety, Respect and Equity Network Rachel Gildiner, and former Ass’t Secretary of OSHA Dr. David Michaels.

Shabbat Voices brings to life the core concepts of Reconstructionist Judaism by joyfully combining worship, learning, and spirituality.

THE LINE UP

December 5th – 6th
The 11th Annual Allan Schwarz Music Shabbaton
Speaker: Yoel Sykes of Nava Tehilla
Sponsor: Rabbi Sid Schwarz and Sandy Perlstein
Learn more about the Music Shabbaton here
January 17th
The African-American Contribution to American Culture
Speaker: Denyce Graves, Emmy and Grammy Award winner and Global Music Ambassador for the United States
Sponsors: Jaime Banks and Jon Grossman, Yael Septee Kane and Donald Kane, Rabbi George Driesen, Phil and Marla Zipin, Joyce and Nelson Migdal, Marcia Nusgart

February 21st
The Choreography of Being Jewish
Speaker: Liz Lerman, Choreographer and MacArthur Genius Award winner
Sponsor: Estelle Quain and Sy Dubow in memory of Myrna Seidman

March 21st
Faith, Social Justice, and America: A Family Story
Speaker: Rev. Paul Brandeis Raushenbush, President and CEO of Interfaith Alliance
Sponsor: Polly Panitz, Allen Joseph, and Stephen Isaacson in memory of Susana (Zsuzsi) Isaacson
April 18th
Women in Leadership: Victories and Ongoing Challenges
Speaker: Rachel Gildiner, Executive Director of the Safety, Respect and Equity Network
Sponsor: Phyllis Lerner, to advance greater inclusivity and equity in our world

June 20th
Doubt Science and the Degradation of Expertise
Speaker: Dr. David Michaels, former Ass’t Secretary of Labor for Occupational Safety and Health (OSHA)
Sponsor: Claire Engers and David Silberman in memory of Charles and Arlene Silberman
