Haberman Institute for Jewish Studies

Join us tomorrow for a sweet retreat... Jewish Resilience Through Chocolate. Register at habermaninstitute.org 🍫

The Best of Jewish Washington is back, and we are eligible for two categories - Best Adult Education & Best Continuing Education. Just click to nominate us.
Thank you for cheering us on! 🥳

Washington Jewish Week Readers' Choice 2025

As we thank Elaine Amir for her eight (!) years of inspirational leadership...!
https://habermaninstituteforjewishstudies.app.neoncrm.com/forms/donate

With heavy hearts, we share the message below from our friends at the Capital Jewish Museum.
The rise in antisemitism around the world, and right here at home, hurts deeply. And, in the face of hate, we will keep showing up—with courage, compassion, and an unwavering sense of who we are. Our strength comes from a heritage rich with wisdom and love.
May the memories of Sarah Milgram and Yaron Lishinsky be for a blessing.

This morning, Dr. Beatrice Gurwitz, executive director of the Lillian and Albert Small Capital Jewish Museum, and the Board of Directors, released the following statement:

“We are heartbroken by the murders of Yaron Lishinsky and Sarah Milgrim, and send our sincere condolences to their families and friends. May they, and all who grieve this devastating loss, be comforted by their communities.

“In an act of horrific antisemitic violence, a gunman attacked our beloved community. This tragedy is devastating. Such acts of terror attempt to instill fear, silence voices, and erase history—but we refuse to let them succeed.

“The Capital Jewish Museum was built to tell the centuries-old story of the greater Washington region’s vibrant Jewish community. We are proud to tell these stories of Jewish life. In our work, we share Jewish stories in the service of building bridges and opening dialogue in our beautiful city.

“We are working to re-open the museum in the coming days, with all necessary security in place, so we can return to telling the story of Jewish Washington for thousands of visitors from around the world."

Please direct all media inquiries to Blake Goodman, West End Strategy Team: [email protected]; 202-531-6404

Jewish tradition teaches us, "Whoever saves one life, it is as if they have saved an entire world,” a reminder of the far-reaching impact of individual healing essential to the collective healing of our nation.

We hope you will join us to discover how one grassroots organization is making a world of difference. Learn more and regsiter to join us! www.HabermanInstitute.org

We will remember them.
We hope you will join us on Tuesday at 1 PM. https://conta.cc/3QscTCD

Over 100 Jewish organizations, including the Haberman Institute, representing a broad range of the mainstream American Jewish community are uniting to express deep alarm over recent attacks on democratic norms and values—attacks that threaten the freedoms and safety of all Americans.
This is not about policy disagreements. What we are witnessing is a direct assault on the core principles of democracy, including equal justice and the rule of law, accountability and transparency, and basic checks and balances.
Over the past two weeks, this administration has weaponized the federal government against those who oppose its worldview by:
⚠️ Scapegoating marginalized groups to justify extreme policies
⚠️ Pardoning insurrectionists while punishing public servants
⚠️ Freezing federal funds and granting Elon Musk control over payments and classified data to enforce ideological conformity
When democracy is threatened, antisemitism rises, and all communities are put at risk. We cannot stay silent.

You can read the full statement here: https://jewishpublicaffairs.org/over-100-jewish-groups-voice-deep-alarm-and-concern-over-recent-attacks-on-democratic-norms-and-values/

If there is one thing this last year has taught us...we don't know enough. We need to keep learning...
Throughout our history, Jewish learning has helped put us on the path to the connection, solidarity, and grounding we yearn for a spiritual, emotional, and intellectual lift.
We have so many more adult education opportunities to provide. But we cannot continue our work without your support.
Thank you for your dedication to Jewish learning and to our community! https://conta.cc/4im2g0P

The Angel of Deaths Gets Beat. An Enticing Courtesan and Magic Tzitzit. Death Ray Eyes. Oooooooh, those rabbis sure could weave some Fantastic Tales!

Oct. 7, 14, and 28; online via Zoom and sessions will be recorded in case you need to miss or just want a review.

Fantastic Rabbinic Tales — Haberman Institute for Jewish Studies Begins October 7 Three Monday Evenings | 7-8:00 PM ET (October 7, 14 and 28) Instructor: Rabbi David Greenspoon

Shana tova to our beautiful community of learners!