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've been here since the beginning, and it's amazing to watch both the church itself and the people…read morein it grow. A few highlights for me: The sermons are spot-on, consistent, and broadcasted on Facebook and Periscope when I can't make it! The people are so warm and friendly. It's a small church, but when you come, you feel like family. There are fun activities for the kids, so it's definitely a family affair! In short, come check it out. I'd love to see you one Sunday.

I have to pile on to the previous review. You can't find a warmer, kinder or more progressive…read morecongregation. It is filled with caring souls who reflect the light shed by their wonderful clergy, all under the leaderships of their most wonderful senior rabbi, Danny Zemel. I would not have found the need to even comment about this nationally renowned rabbi and this congregation were it not for a totally unfounded, ill informed review posted by someone else previously. It is sometimes hard to overcome negative comments, but this derisive one, to which I refer, should be dismissed by anyone with even the least degree of discernment.

Temple Micah is an extraordinary place. Welcoming, open-minded, spiritual and fun. A great place…read moreto check out if you're looking for a non-judgmental, spirited synagogue environment!

Sleepy Hollow UMC is a church of God. The pastors are wonderful, the band is wonderful and the…read morepeople are kind and welcoming. It is a small church on Sleepy Hollow Road. The Sunday service starts at 10:00. Everyone is always welcome. Come as you are. I love the uniqueness of the service.

As an active member of Bet Aviv for 10 years, I can honestly say that I feel at home here. It's…read morejust the right size so it's easy to be known, and our services are thought-providing and add to my knowledge of Judaism. There are plenty of opportunities to learn and get together socially. In addition, we help repair the world by feeding the hungry, by improving the environment, and by supplying needed goods for various local organizations (eg. schools and housing). We also honor the original Columbia concept of interfaith communities by locating at Oakland Mills Interfaith Center.

As a Founding Member of Bet Aviv over 25 years ago, I asked some our new members to share what they…read moreliked best about our congregation. Here is what they said, in their own words: - - "I have never felt more welcome than at Bet Aviv." - - "Friendliness of the members" - - "Members, their openness; the Rabbi and her wealth of knowledge; services which includes our Cantor; the Men's club; the choir, community service, in short the whole "gestalt" - - "I love all the adult programming. I have learned so much at services and at multiple classes." - - "We've been very impressed with the warm welcome we've received at Bet Aviv and have enjoyed the educational programs we've attended." - -"We have enjoyed the warm and friendly atmosphere of Bet Aviv. We've also been impressed with the wide range of activities offered." - - "Everyone has made us feel so welcome, from the minute we reached out to consider joining! We enjoy the Shabbat Services!" - - "I enjoy the lunch and learns, adult ed and social/community events." - - "Found my day at the Bet Aviv Yom Kippur services and activities to be both moving and enjoyable and joined Bet Aviv in early 2025." "I love the continuing education, the friendliness and the array of activities."

MoEd is good. Ecc is decent. Good shul though. Nice people and a very good E-galitarian service.read more

Ohr Kodesh is a warm and open place. They have tons of great family and kid events and resources…read more The early childhood center is one of the best in Maryland.

I went to nursery school and Hebrew school at Har Shalom. I was Bar Mitzvahed here…read more I love our building. It is truly beautiful. Our sanctuaries and social hall are amazing. Our community has always been a very welcoming place. One Yelper Ana wrote about concerns about Rabbi Raskin. I share her concerns. The Rabi does not like to meet with people regardless of whether or not they're of his faith. I was in an awful car accident, through the fault of another driver, and am truly blessed to be alive, The Rabbi did not return my calls and would not meet with me in my home as I recovered despite my attempts to contact him. He finally called when I left a message for somebody else telling them how disappointed I was. The rabbi still would not meet with me despite my home being less than a mile from our synagogue and walkable for any healthy person. This was well before Corona. Months later, it is easily walkable for me. Why would I want to meet with such a clergyman? I saw an Orthodox Jew wearing a Yamika on the street and he gladly said the Mishaberach with me, when my Rabbi would not. I hope this review motivates the Rabbi to change the way he does his job for the good of our synagogue community.

Our family has had such an overwhelmingly positive experience at the Sherman Early Childhood Center…read moreand Congregation Har Shalom over the past few years. We feel so very fortunate to have found this beautiful place and could not recommend this unique community more highly to other families. The Sherman ECC at Har Shalom: We did a lot of research into the various preschool options in the Potomac-Rockville-Bethesda area before we found the Sherman ECC. This preschool is a magical place, a life-changing experience for your family and your child. We feel such an overwhelming amount of gratitude to the extraordinary teachers at the Sherman ECC for their dedication to our children. Beth Hoch is the Director of the Sherman ECC and she is simply spectacular. Beth has a genuine gift for educating young children and interacting with families. We interviewed dozens of preschool directors when we were researching the preschools in the area, and Beth truly stood out as someone inherently gifted in her role as Director of the ECC. Congregation Har Shalom: After joining the Sherman ECC, we started attending community events and prayer services at the Har Shalom synagogue. We had the same fabulous experience at the synagogue. Rabbi Adam Raskin fosters a true sense of community and friendship throughout the synagogue and his sermons are genuinely interesting and accessible to people at all levels of religious observance. He is also very approachable: the kids run up to him during services for a chocolate or many chocolates, he walks around shaking hands with congregants, and he also visits with everyone individually after prayer services. The prayer services and other community events are often also led by Cantor Henrique Ozur Bass, another spectacular member of the Har Shalom clergy. Cantor Ozur Bass is extremely approachable, supportive, kind, friendly and funny. It has been such an absolute pleasure to participate in his prayer services over the past few years. He leads the children in singing Jewish songs and melodies every Friday morning, and we used to love attending as a family before COVID. Rabbi Rachel Simmons recently joined the synagogue and has done a nice job with holding events that young families can attend, from rockin' Shabbat to ice cream socials to Yoga Shabbat.

How do you review a synagogue? Here goes:…read more The good: Kesher has a really nice building (small, intimate, cozy). It is located well, right near the Georgetown scene. I've never been too regular, but, I know from their announcements that there's a wide variety of classes and events to be involved with. A lot of young people (20s, 30s) go to Kesher and some of them are friendly. DC is a transitory community, so there's usually new friends to make. There's a weekly kiddush after lunch, so socializing is encouraged. For new people to DC, Kesher offers a way to become part of the community. Religiously, Kesher falls within Modern Orthodox. Women do not participate in services, but are able to be active members of the shul. There is a women's "study group" that meets regularly. The middle: First, if you're looking for egalitarian, look elsewhere. The women's "study group" is fashioned like a prayer group (with a torah reading) but does much to emphasize that it is not one (such as changing prayers for the torah). Some like it, but a true egalitarian probably won't. Second, the rabbi has very strong opinions and is not afraid to express them. The rabbi is also heavily involved in Jewish politics. This could be good or bad depending on how you feel. Third, expect lots of speeches during shabbat prayer. If you like your prayers short and sweet, this is not the place for you. The bad: I mentioned that some people are friendly. Unfortunately, some people are not. I don't want to point to any specific person, but I think that some of those on the top of the synaguge hierarchy are more "cliqueish" than friendly and don't emphasize the importance of being welcoming to newcomers. I've heard from a number of people new to Kesher that the atmosphere can be downright insulting at times. Many a person has tried Kesher only to go elsewhere because of the general snobbery they've encountered. Moral: Give it a try, make your own decision. If you're looking for a community, make sure to check it out first before signing a lease in the area.

I attended this synagogue for four days (not Shabbat) while vacationing in DC in August 2019. It's…read morean okay shul if you, like me, need a minyan to daven. Nobody bothered to greet me, but nobody asked me to move because I took somebody else's seat either. On second day I told the gabbai that I needed to recite Gomel and was given the opportunity to do so. On my last day I mentioned that to the gabbai and he called me for aliyah on his own. The shul was always packed. I mean it as a positive thing, that the minyan was strong and reliable, not that there wasn't enough room. The only minor negative thing I can say is that there is no bulletin board with service schedule, although that information is available on their website. Overall, a nice place to daven.