Tifereth Israel Congregation

The Small Congregation in the Big City

Tifereth Israel, an innovative Conservative congregation on upper 16th Street in Washington, D.C., near Silver Spring and Chevy Chase, invites you to attend our High Holiday services, Shabbat services, events, and programs.

At Tifereth Israel you'll find:

Congregants, both men and women, leading the chanting, as we have chosen to participate rather than hire a cantor.
A harmonious venue to learn new Jewish tunes.
Friendly members, no strangers.
Both traditional and alternative liturgies.
Children in the sanctuary and in monthly Havurah, Family, and Carlebach Services (as well as at Shultime, K'tongregation, Junior Congregation).
An American Sign Language interpreter throughout the year at Shabbat morning services, and for the High Holidays.
Special prices for first-time worshippers at High Holiday services.
Shabbats for Tots.
Neighborhood Havdalahs at members' homes offer an opportunity for people to get together for a potluck dinner and Havdalah.
Teen services - post Bar and Bat Mitzvah teens are given the opportunity to shine, and lead Shabbat morning services - traditional and Havurah services.
A Rabbi who knows everyone's name.
A caring community of helping hands when you need solace and sustenance.
Mentors who are pleased to sit with you during services and assist you in finding the right page in the siddur, or help you with pronunciations or tunes. What more can you ask for?
An excellent religious school.
Adult Bar/Bat Mitzvah classes.
A "Bike to Shul" group.
Machar, Bonim, Kadima, and USY programs for children and teens.
Shmoozing at our weekly kiddush luncheons after Shabbat services.
Local and international social-action projects.
A "Green" Committee committed to Synagogue wide environmentally friendly practices.
A cooking and baking group of TI men and women who prepare a special meal for the monthly Birthday/Anniversary kiddush.
A monthly, practice speaking Hebrew or dovrei Ivrit table at our weekly kiddush luncheons
Classes in Torah, Hebrew, and other subjects led by our Rabbi and by congregants.
A triple opportunity - support Ugandan Jews in their struggle to receive "Fair Trade" prices on the world market - buy the coffee produced by a cooperative of 400 coffee farmers organized by Abayudaya Jews - and savor the coffee.
A Judaic library with both scholarly and more general selections.
An annual retreat held at a rustic, rural conference center - just right for learning, relaxing, enjoying the Saturday night skits, and lest we forget, eating!
Access in the summer to locally grown, organic produce - through a CSA.
A Rabbi who loves to bake and to teach others how to bake Challah, Ruggelach, and Babka.
An opportunity for adults and teens to learn tzedakah first hand - teach neighborhood children attending the local Shepherd Park Elementary School in our tutoring project, or feed D.C. homeless on the Luther Place sandwich-and-soup van run.

Tifereth Israel
A small congregation with a big heart

Membership

Tifereth Israel, easily accessible to our D.C., Maryland, and Virginia members, is itself a member of the United Synagogue of Conservative Judaism. TI's members span all ages, professions, and a wide variety of backgrounds. We welcome singles and families, young and old, and we make a special effort to make Judaism special for children and teenagers. Above all, synagogue life is warm and comfortable. A blend of concern for tradition and social commitment create the unique atmosphere that is TI.

Download our Membership Brochure (Word Format) and read for yourself why TI is such a welcoming place, or Email us and we will promptly send you out our membership information packet.

We invite you to join us for services on a "Shabbos" morning and afterwards partake of the good food and lively talk at our weekly luncheon.

If you are tired of 'shul shopping' and want to join a friendly and intimate synagogue, take the plunge - download our Membership Application (Word Format) and come join us.

Tifereth Israel
An aware, active, broadly-based congregation

Leadership

Rabbi Ethan Seidel is a graduate of the Jewish Theological Seminary. He is a scholar, poet, musician, and juggler and brings a very special point of view to TI. Rabbi Seidel is available for individual study as well as for counseling.

Rabbi Seidel follows Rabbi A. Nathan Abramowitz, a scholar and community leader, who guided Tifereth Israel for over 30 years. Rabbi Abramowitz is now "emeritus" (retired leadership) at the Congregation, and is still within our community.

Both rabbis are extremely musical, and each has worked with congregants to make our services both melodious and participatory.

Check out Rabbi Seidel's drashes and his articles in the TI Menorah Newsletter.

Tifereth Israel
A congregation with participating members

Worship

Sanctuary Services

Services at Tifereth Israel are traditional and egalitarian; men and women have been participating fully for more than 25 years. Our services emphasize communal singing, and are led by members. Our rabbis are willing to share the pulpit with congregants who want to discuss the weekly Torah portion, their trips to Israel or Eastern Europe, and other ideas and events of interest. Services begin at 9:00 a.m. with Sign Interpretation starting at 9:45 a.m.

Although children of all ages are always welcome in the main sanctuary, we also offer age-appropriate activities for children. There is a popular Junior Congregation for ages 8-11, K'tongregation for ages 5-7, and Shultime -- our baby-sitting service during worship -- is an appealing alternative for our smallest members, ages 18 months-4 years. All children's activities run from 10:00 a.m. till noon. Junior Congregation meets when the Himmelfarb Religious School is in session.

After Saturday morning services an kiddish luncheon gives everyone a chance to dine and discuss at length, rather than rushing off. Once a month we assemble at a congregant's home for Havdalah. Festivals are celebrated at the synagogue with special events.

Havurah Style Service

The Havurah Style Service is an accessible, creative, entirely lay-led service held once a month in the Reamer Chapel on Shabbat morning. Meeting from 10 a.m. to noon, the Havurah Style Service allows for even broader participation than the parallel Sanctuary service. Each service has a different flavor since each is planned by different people.

We follow the basic structure of the traditional service, but shorten or omit some parts. For example, we do a very abbreviated Torah reading and almost always skip Musaf. However, nothing is guaranteed. A dramatic reading of the Song of Songs may replace the Torah reading, for example.

Approaches to the service also vary. Some services stress good singable tunes (with or without instruments). Others may feature guided meditation and chanting; well-chosen English readings; or niggunim (wordless melodies).

Many of the services focus on a theme. We have explored issues raised by the week’s Torah reading or troubling aspects of theology; related our memories of Pesach; read and discussed new prayers by women; looked into the idea of the nearness of God or the meaning of Chanukah. Other recent themes have been “Going Beyond Words”; “Developing Our Own Personal Connection to God”; and “What Is a Blessing?”

On weeks when the Havurah Style Service does not meet, you will often find many of its participants attending or leading the Sanctuary service. Yet because Havurah Style Service meets in a smaller space with fewer people, it is a good place for members, especially those recently Bar/Bat Mitzvahed, to try their wings by chanting a small section of the Torah reading or leading a part of the service.

Family Service

The family service is a family oriented Shabbat service for children ages 6-12 and their parents. We include a child and parent friendly short davening session and an exploration of the parsha. Participatory singing is a big part of the family service, along with making sure we have fun. We have a wonderful time - join us once a month at 10:45 a.m.

Friday Night Carlebach Style Service

Once a month TI hosts a Carlebach Style Kabbalat Shabbat Friday night service (along with a wonderful meat or vegetarian dinner) for all to enjoy. It is a joyous, energetic way to shake the week off and usher in Shabbat. It is accessible to any level of background. If you like singing, you'll love it. The service is open to all. Please remember to RSVP for the meal to TI on the Monday before the service. If you are a newcomer and want to experience our services - come and sing, we won't let you go home hungry!

Check the Calendar

Check the TI web calendar for upcoming dates for the Havurah Style, Family, and Carlebach style Services. Feel free to come, everyone is invited - we especially welcome new participants.

Tifereth Israel
Services for special people in a city of VIPs

Education

Calendar The main TI web calendar gives a detailed schedule of all educational activities.
Religious School The Himmelfarb Religious School students meet on Wednesday afternoons and one weekend morning for a total of 5 hours a week for grades 3 and up. Grades K, 1, and 2 meet for 3 hours on Sunday mornings. Our curriculum includes Hebrew, Bible, Tefillah, history, culture, and family-education programs. Our religious school students join the Social Action activities at TI by participating in the Teen Mitzvah Corps and the Mitzvah Mishpocha project. Often the students participate with their whole families. Other special school events include Shabbat dinners, workshops, field trips, and holiday celebrations.
The Hebrew School welcomes students from member and non-member families alike.
Download the Hebrew School Registration Form (Word).
Bar/Bat Mitzvah Program for Teens The religious school seeks to create a sense of community among those studying for Bar/Bat Mitzvah. A weekend retreat and special projects prepare our teenagers for their Bar/Bat Mitzvahs and heighten their awareness of the community outside the synagogue. In years past, teens have visited local shelters for the homeless, attended tallit-making workshops, and participated in our neighborhood Havdalah services.
A List of Recent and Upcoming B'nai Mitzvah at Tifereth Israel.
Planning a TI B'nai Mitzvah? Please take a look at our planning documents, Bar and Bat Mitzvah Handbook For Families of Upcoming Celebrants (Word), and the Bar and Bat Mitzvah Aliyah and Honors Assignment Forms (Word) (both last revised January 2009).
Adult Bar/Bat Mitzvah Program Since the mid-1990's TI has offered biannually, a two year long adult Bar and Bat Mitzvah class - that culminates in a joint and quite festive B'nai Mitzvah of all the participants. Adults who have never had a Bar or Bat Mitzvah join with others who want to experience a second celebration, this time as an adult with their children and family gathered around them. All of them find an accepting and encouraging place to learn and to prepare.
Adult Education TI sponsors numerous adult education programs, often taught by members themselves. Scan our list of current activities and check out what TI has to offer.

To name a few recent events:

Tifereth Israel
Young people - our joy

Youth Programs

Youth programs throughout the year provide an opportunity for TI youth, regardless of religious school affiliation, to engage in meaningful joint activities. The Youth Department provides regular, ongoing programs for all of our school-age children and young adults on religious, educational, social, athletic, community-service, and cultural themes. Through our involvement with the youth programs of the Conservative movement, our youngsters meet Jewish peers from congregations in the area, and attend regional and national conferences. TI sponsors Bonim, Machar, Kadima and USY activities and programs.

Tifereth Israel
A call to action, Tikun Olam, repair of the world

Social Action

TI prides itself on working to improve the world around us. Members are encouraged to volunteer a few hours a year or several hours a week to help our neighbors, the community in which we live, and those in need in other parts of the world. At our High Holiday services more than 100 TI members pledged volunteer hours for selected projects.

Ongoing projects have included delivering food to the homeless in a House of Ruth van, visiting the elderly, providing rides to the doctor or social-services offices, cooking meals at the Luther Place Women's Shelter, working in hospitals on Christmas, collecting and delivering clothes and High Holiday and Passover packages to the needy, and helping to resettle Ethiopian and Soviet Jews. A detailed description of these activities is available.

Tifereth Israel
A community of people helping people in the community

TI Volunteers

Tifereth Israel relies in thousands of ways on the voluntary efforts of our members. No one is asked to take any greater part in the life of the congregation than he or she chooses, but many do a little bit, and a number do a great deal. New members find that TI is very open, and that by participating they make friends and become part of the congregation quickly and easily.

There are many unique ways to volunteer at TI, such as social action projects, designing and installing the children's playground, creating a Biblical garden, cooking meals together, helping the Fine Arts Group create and maintain the artwork in the synagogue, as well as more traditional ways - reading Torah, leading a service, or giving a drash. We all contribute each in our own way to make TI a community we value and one we really enjoy.

Check out the descriptions of our activities, projects, and committees for more detail as well as intriguing volunteer opportunities.

Tifereth Israel
Working together forges strong bonds

Activities, Projects and Committees

Tifereth Israel is in the process of creating individual web pages describing the activities, projects, and committees that make us such a vibrant and welcoming community with much to offer the DC metro area and its residents.

Please read what TI members have to say about the activities and projects they are involved with.

Tifereth Israel
A community of people creating a community

For membership information, please contact:
Tifereth Israel Congregation
7701 Sixteenth Street, N.W.
Washington, D.C. 20012-1495
(202) 882-1605, FAX (202) 829-0635
Contact us: Request for membership information