Home > Blog > Membership Reimagined > WHC Story: The Magid Family
Chip and Vicky Magid joined Washington Hebrew Congregation upon moving to D.C. in 2001 and have played an active role in the congregation ever since. Their daughters Paige (18) and Blair (15) grew up at WHC, attending our Edlavitch-Tyser Early Childhood Center and Religious School and becoming b’not mitzvah. Paige was also a Religious School madricha, an assistant teacher, and was a member of the 2018 Confirmation Class.
Not only does Chip consider Washington Hebrew his family’s spiritual home, but he also considers it a beacon of tolerance and social justice. He says, “WHC embraces people across a broad spectrum,” from Jews who are deeply religious to those who may not have grown up with ritual or who may be faith-questioning. “Several years ago, when our daughter was in Religious School,” he recalls, “one of the rabbis led a session on ‘Is there God?’ and ‘What is God?’ I thought that was terrific because they’re legitimate questions.”
For more than a decade, the Magids have volunteered at the Temple’s annual Mitzvah Day community service event, with Vicky serving as a project leader each year. “It’s great to be involved in a congregation that engages in tikkun olam and is improving the lot of people in our community and around the world,” says Chip. “To live that creed and to put it into action is terribly important,” he continues. “Whether it’s messages the clergy deliver so impactfully at services, in emails, or in the Journal, or at marches and service events, WHC reminds us that injustice anywhere is injustice against us all.”
In 2020, Chip and Vicky became WHC Sustaining Members to reaffirm their support of the Temple and its many activities. “WHC is a leader in bringing communities of all faiths together—improving the lives of its congregants and the people in our wider community,” Chip reflects. “Washington Hebrew puts the teachings of the Torah into real action.”
