Session 1  |  Session 2  |  Session 3  |  All Afternoon

SESSION 1 — 12:30 pm

Rabbi M. Bruce Lustig Human Relations Study Session: “From Healing to Hope: Pathways to a Better Future”

Yom Kippur is a time of heshbon nefesh — the ultimate accounting of our souls. In this polarized world, how do we continue the dialogue that will lead to unity and a brighter tomorrow. Join outstanding religious leaders who will reflect on this moment in time and the opportunities for us to envision a better future together. The following will be on our panel:

• Imam Johari Abdul-Malik has served as the Director of Outreach at the Dar Al Hijrah Islamic Center, the first Muslim Chaplain at Howard University and is the former Head of the National Association of Muslim Chaplains in Higher Education. He has also served as the chair of government relations for the Muslim Alliance in North America and was the founding President of the Muslim Advocacy Commission of Washington, DC.
• Reverend Beverly Goines, PhD is committed to the ecumenical and interfaith movement as a meant to repair the political, social and economic fractures that have been caused by religious intolerance. She is currently an Assistant Teaching Professor at Georgetown University.
• Dr. Mohamed Elsanousi is the Executive Director of the Network for Religious and Traditional Peacemakers, a global network that bridges grassroots peacemakers and global players to work towards sustainable peace.
• Cornell Brooks is Hauser Professor of the Practice of Nonprofit Organizations and Professor of the Practice of Public Leadership and Social Justice at the Harvard Kennedy School. He is the former president and CEO of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP), a civil rights attorney and an ordained minister.
• Bishop Mariann Edgar Budde serves as spiritual leader for 86 Episcopal congregations and ten Episcopal schools in the District of Columbia and four Maryland counties. The first woman elected to this position, she also serves as the chair of the Protestant Episcopal Cathedral Foundation, which oversee the ministries of the Washington National Cathedral and Cathedral school.
• Rabbi M. Bruce Lustig is Washington Hebrew Congregation’s Rabbi Emeritus after serving for more than 35 years. At the forefront of interfaith dialogue and understanding both nationally and internationally, Pope Francis and the Grand Imam appointed Rabbi Lustig to serve on The Higher Committee of Human Fraternity, where he is the sole Jewish representative.

Session 1  |  Session 2  |  Session 3  |  All Afternoon

SESSION 2 — 2:00 pm

Public Safety and Attainable Housing: “Repairer of Fallen Walls”

Our Yom Kippur Haftarah portion (Isaiah 58:12) implores us to think beyond our own fast and imagine how we can make our community, and the world, better for all people. Join Eduardo Ferrer, Policy Director, Georgetown University Juvenile Justice Initiative; Cynthia Marshall, Executive Director, Action in Montgomery (AIM); and Alan Banks, Community Engagement & Education Associate, Friendship Place; for a conversation about the relationship between attainable housing and public safety. What can we do to ensure all in our community have an affordable and safe place to live and our community continues to thrive? This session will also highlight WHC initiatives around this topic and give concrete ways our congregants can get involved.

Dick Kaufmann: Young at Heart

An annual tradition as Dick and his band take a musical look at life after retirement. Where should I go? How should I spend my time now that I don’t work 40+ hours a week? And how do I do it and stay young at heart?

Israeli Embassy Chat: Israel Post-October 7th

Rabbi Shankman and Sawsan Hasson, Minister for Public Diplomacy, Israeli Embassy, will discuss the current state of affairs in Israeli society, what we as Americans can do to improve our outreach to other communities, how to strengthen the Israeli narrative, and make the case for Israel. Sawsan will also share what has the Embassy been doing since October 7th to combat antisemitism.

Session 1  |  Session 2  |  Session 3  |  All Afternoon

SESSION 3 — 3:30 pm

Poetry & Music

This year has been an extraordinarily challenging one for Jews in Israel and around the world, with antisemitism everywhere, including our high school and college campuses. As we commemorate one year since the attack on Israel and as we struggle to understand our own well-being and safety, this year’s session will bring us together for support, strength, and comfort. Our focus on psalms and prayers set to music by Israeli artists will lead us directly into our Afternoon and Yizkor services.

Session 1  |  Session 2  |  Session 3  |  All Afternoon

ALL AFTERNOON

Action for Israel

In addition to offering study sessions, this Yom Kippur we will also provide the opportunity to get involved in action to show our love and support for the State of Israel. Stop by the Hurston Library (located just off of the Kreeger Lobby) between 12:30 and 4:00 pm to write a letter to families who are still waiting for the loved ones who are being held hostage in Gaza, send a card to an IDF soldier thanking them for their sacrifice, or contact your member of Congress to remind them we care about maintaining a strong U.S.-Israel relationship. Examples, templates, and all the necessary supplies will be provided.

Session 1  |  Session 2  |  Session 3  |  All Afternoon