Founded in 1975 as Washington's gay synagogue, Bet Mishpachah is an excellent worship space for…read moreboth LGBT Jews and those seeking a small, independent Jewish congregation close to DC's city center. Weekly Friday night services at 8 pm are led variously by the congregation's part-time rabbi and lay leaders. The liturgy is first-rate -- the congregation wrote its own prayer book -- although the performance of the service leaders can vary. The congregation prides itself on its close-knit family spirit; although it sometimes takes a bit of effort, newcomers are often quickly welcomed into the community. There are regular congregational dinners and educational programs.

This shul is the. BEST! Everyone is super friendly, they have such a supportive community, TONS of…read moreyoung kids & families programming, and the Rabbi is young an in-touch. Seriously happy I joined! Totally recommend for Shabbat and other occasions/programs

So much of our time in secular Washington DC is consumed in the accumulation of visible…read moreachievements, and it's by those externalities that we are judged and measured. How we make a living, our financial and professional rank, how many boards we sit on, what we've published, where we live, where our kids go to school, where we vacation, and on and on--these are the externalities that largely govern the relationships we form. We go to Tifereth Israel to lay down those embellishments, and be more truly ourselves, in the company of people who have embraced lives of meaning and engagement. Simply show up to morning services (even if you don't care for services, just be patient and hang there a couple of times), and then stay for the Kiddush and talk and listen to people. You do that often enough, then you'll notice over time that you've begun to form deep, lasting, values-driven, and authentic relationships that sustain and nourish you in a way that you rarely, if ever, find in the secular world. Yes, Tifereth Israel checks the other boxes: the rabbi is phenomenally talented, services are mostly lay-led and intellectually challenging, the congregation is extremely LGBTQ-friendly, there are several active social-action initiatives, it's got a ton of young families with children, and a vibrant education program serves kids and adults. But the main asset at TI that you can't have anywhere else? It's the people.

Conservative. Very…read morefriendly and inviting. Medium sized. Simpler (less jappy) than other DC shuls.

I am the congregation's rabbi, so,, yes, I recommend it! If you're looking for a welcoming shul,…read morecheck us out.

Tried to get in touch with the rabbi from MT and the…read more crickets are still chirping...that was last year. Subsequently, I emailed, left phone messages asking for any person to return my email or call so that I could find out more information about joining the congregation and yep, crickets. It is appalling and disturbing to know a place of worship is ignoring a possible new member. What is wrong with this place? A phantom congregation? If you want to join Mishkan Torah I would say stay away and go elsewhere. Do not waste your time nor energy. Silver Spring has better and receptive places.

Fabrangen is a truly welcoming, joyous, spiritual gathering. The community spirit is extremely…read moreuplifting. You don't need to be dressed up, fluent in Hebrew, or dedicated to this or any other religious practice. You are made to feel welcome from wherever and whoever you are.

These folks put on a mean egalitarian high holidays extravaganza. Don't expect an overly formal…read moreaffair, but this is a reliably welcoming and committed community.

Even before the ceremony, I knew I couldn't wait to tell the whole world about Rabbi Mark! I'll…read moregive you the highlights upfront: - He's funny, cares SO much, and is deeply committed to ensuring that you and your future spouse explore YOUR Judaism and what your life looks like together. - He is just as invested as you are about making sure that your ceremony incorporates elements that are unique and meaningful to you and your partner. - He plays the guitar and sings! - Almost 3 weeks after the wedding I'm still hearing from our attendees who want to tell me how awesome the Rabbi who officiated our wedding was, how funny he was, how much they feel like they were part of the ceremony, how special it felt to THEM, and just how much they loved him. I heard this THROUGHOUT the evening on wedding day!! Now, more in-depth: We came to Rabbi Mark following a recommendation from Rabbi Sarah Tasman, the DC Director of InterfaithFamily. During our initial Skype session to explore whether we could even work together or not, Rabbi Mark explained to us that he's unapologetic in his commitment to an intercultural experience both for the wedding ceremony and beyond where Judaism is a central element. He actively worked with us in regular meetings for about 6 months to explore what that would look like practically on the day of the wedding, and in our lives beyond as a married couple. We covered everything from things like holidays and daily life to finances and disagreements, to our vision for the world and our community and our place in it. Rabbi Mark was always available via email and happy to jump on the phone if necessary. He had suggestions about how to handle issues that came up and any questions we had along the way. He kept an open mind for the big and the small questions. He tried to explore all the possibilities so that any decisions we came to were truly made with open hearts and eyes. He also was understanding and knew when to tell us that we didn't have to make a decision right away but he needed us to think about something. The day of the ceremony, the small intimate portion where the Ketubah was signed was special in so many ways. Our family members felt included and loved, our friends were overjoyed to participate. The larger ceremony under the chupah, despite the fact that we had 250 people in attendance, felt intimate and special and so very vibrant -- Rabbi Mark taught ALL attendees a melody they sang/hummed, which served as the music that my partner and I walked in to. It was emotional and mood-setting in the best possible way. The ceremony proceeded without a hitch, and he followed a superb path that kept us and all our guests laughing, awwww-ing, and crying, and clapping the whole time. Truthfully, our guests couldn't stop complimenting how amazing he was the entire evening! The positive vibes and loving energy we felt persisted from the moment we walked in to the moment we left the establishment. Rabbi Mark is a rockstar officiant and guide, deserving of all the praise.

Rabbi Mark is AMAZING!! Everything you want, everything you…read moreare looking for, everything you didn't know you needed, and So Much More. Rabbi Mark went above and beyond to get to know us and ensured our special day was perfect. We laughed and cried (all in joy) ... Everyone loved it!! Amazing!~

I visited this venue for the first time recently to attend an author talk with Kelly Bishop, famous…read morefor her matriarch role in Gilmore Girls. Despite having to go through security, attending this event was seamless; you could tell they were a well-oiled machine. I was quickly through security, scanned my ticket, picked up my book, and found a great seat--although, I don't think there were any bad seats. It's a rather intimate venue, and it seemed like there was a great view from everywhere. It was easy to hear Kelly and her conversant, and it was so cool to have them walk down the aisle right next to me. I did not get a drink, but they do have beverages, including alcoholic ones like White Claw, available to purchase and to bring into the event space.

I've been here a few times to see some of my favorite creators. Once for The Minimalists and once…read moreto see Joshua Weissman. There's so much space for viewers to see the talks and - even sitting all the way in the back - you can hear all the conversations and interviews. The check in process is smooth and both experiences were different based on the creators personality. It's a beautiful venue with very intentional design to accommodate guests.

Jewish Orthodox synagogue located in Lamberton Drive Shopping Center in Kemp Mill area. Open during…read morethe week, holidays and Sabbath.