High Holiday Breakout Sessions 2023

Rosh HaShanah day 1

Grounds for Pessimism…and Optimism in 5784
with Weston Kosova
Saturday, September 16
12:00 PM
Join Wes for a lively (and nonpartisan!) discussion about the state of our nation and what to expect, for better and for worse, in the months to come. Wes Kosova is Senior Executive Editor for Bloomberg News, and host of The Big Take podcast. He and his family have been members of B’nai Israel since 1999.

Rosh HaShanah day 2

Conscious Connections Contemplative Service
10:00 AM
Hayman Chapel
Experience a different approach to your High Holiday experience. This creative and contemplative service led by Rabbi Cheryl Stone will include a mixture of song, meditation, and discussion. We will explore an intentional path to enhance your prayer practice. Mindfulness Meditation helps us to connect to our Jewish values, creating greater perception in our minds for a connection to the Divine. Adults of all ages and abilities are welcome.

YOM KIPPUR

Challenges in the Jewish State: A Journalist’s Perspective
with Simona Weinglass
Monday, September 25
12:30 PM
Simona Weinglass is an investigative reporter for Times of Israel, Israel’s leading online news source. She has helped to uncover call center scams and other dirty money schemes that threaten to corrupt Israeli society. This summer, Simona has been reporting on protests taking place throughout Israel in opposition to judicial overhaul proposals. She was born in Romania, raised in the US, and spent her high school years in Israel. After spending more time in Israel, Simona and her husband Ilan, together with their sons Akiva and Matan, recently relocated to Rockville and joined the B’nai Israel community.

Israel and Dubai: Two Very Different Attempts at Shared Society
with Diane and Howard Schilit and Bruce and Marla Schulman
Monday, September 25 
1:30 PM
B’nai Israel members Diane and Howard Schilit and Marla and Bruce Schulman recently participated in a Jewish Federation mission to Dubai and Israel. The Israel portion of the trip examined the struggles of Israeli society through the lens of relationships—between Jews and Arabs, between secular and highly religious Jews. The narrative in Dubai revolved around similar challenges of a shared society. In the case of the United Arab Emirates, only about 10% of the population is Emirati, while the remainder are non-native Emiratis from all over the world, living in Dubai as non-citizens. The Schilits and the Schulmans will share the highlights and reflect on the challenges and opportunities of building a shared society.

The Tragedy of Jonah 
with Rabbi Mitchell Berkowitz
Monday, September 25
3:00 PM
Jonah is perhaps the only successful prophet in the entire Hebrew Bible, and yet his story is anything but satisfying. At every possible turn, Jonah seems to go the wrong way. What, then, can we learn from his tragic story as we read it on Yom Kippur? 

Ask the Rabbi
with Rabbi Michael Safra 
Monday, September 25
3:45 PM
Rabbi Safra looks forward to responding to your queries at what has become an exciting Yom Kippur tradition. Please submit your questions to Susan Grinnan-Long as soon as possible. Questions may also be asked from the floor.