We have been members for over 3 years now and since day one, have always felt welcome in Shaare…read moreTorah. I recall on our first Shabbat how we were welcomed warmly before we ever got into the sanctuary and it gave us a sense of warmth and acceptance that has only grown since. We now have a new, vibrant, energetic young rabbi who is inspirational and conversational. He wants to know who you are so he can be the spiritual leader you need him to be for "you" as well as for the rest of the community. You will always feel safe and never alone in this synagogue from a security as well as a "family" point of view. Whether you become a member or not is up to you. This synagogue will embrace you whenever you are ready because you will always feel safe be special when you are in that building. Reach out and you will not be disappointed.

We love Shaare Torah! We've been members for about 2 years. Our daughter is in religious school and…read morewe've been very happy with their dedication to high quality Jewish education. We love Rabbis Annie and Yosef. They bring a fun, youthful, but enriching presence to services. This is such a gem and we really recommend it to anyone looking for a welcoming, vibrant Conservative shul.

A wonderful Congregation. Two great Rabbis, two cantorial soloists. One is the founder of the…read morewell known Klezmer group Lox and Vodka. Reform Congregation and very inclusive. There are many mixed marraige families who attend and all feel comfortable.

Excellent congregation....very fun-loving, social group in a religious setting…read more My family joined in 2002 when my daughter needed to start religious school and she went all the way through her Bat Mitzvah and Pre-Confirmation class. My husband & I belong to the Brotherhood & Sisterhood respectively, as well as the Empty Nester's group. Very welcoming to Interfaith families....afterall.....we are one! Give it a try....you will love it!

We are welcoming a new Rabbi this month - Rabbi Kobey. She has a different style than our last…read moreRabbi. Very welcoming and knowledgable. I attended family services and Torah study, both of which I haven't attended in quite a while and was very pleased with both services. I will definitely be going back.

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 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.

I went here for High Holy Services since I was in Maryland for that this year and what a great…read morechoice!! The Cantor is honestly angelic in both appearance and voice. The Rabbi is so warm and friendly, I spoke to him on the phone for about 10 minutes before I came to pick up my tickets. The whole congregation was so warm and inviting, if I was living in the area permanently (and living closer as Gaithersburg is quite schlep) I would definitely consider membership here. Just a really great community! I am so glad I was able to spend some time here and wish I could pack the Rabbi & Cantor and take them back with me.

I yelp EVERYTHING. One night, I was thinking about attending a new synagogue and A crazy thought…read moreentered my mind. Why not yelp a new Synagogue and see where I am sent. Beth Torah came up as a result. I have not been there, but the page seems a little lonely so this this is my Mitzvah. Hopefully, this will start a meaningful conversation with the congregation. From the front page of their web page: http://bethtorah.ws/: QUESTION: Are you looking for a warm, welcoming, interactive congregation? Are you looking to find an accepting and loving community, where you will feel like you're among family, rather than feeling like a face in the crowd? ANSWER: Come visit our inclusive congregation, serving the Jewish Community of Prince George's and Montgomery Counties and Washington, D.C. since 1947. We look forward to having you join us for services and for our many religious and social programs. We are an open and accepting congregation whose membership includes traditional and interfaith families. Office Phone: (301) 927-5525 (The five star rating-because as a teacher I start everyone with an A and it is your job to maintain it!)

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.