Events

Judaism Is About Love

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Taught Rabbi Holzman
Thursdays, February 6, 20; March 6, 27; April 10, 17; May 1, 15; June 5
*We’ll pick up again in late August!
12:00-1:00pm, On Zoom Only

This lunch ‘n learn is named after Shai Held’s recent, masterful volume of Jewish thinking, Judaism Is About Love: Recovering the Heart of Jewish Life. Together we will seek to understand how Held’s ideas manifest in our lives and contemporary Jewish practice. Independent purchase of the book is required, and e-book copies should be paginated like the print edition. (No handouts will be provided.)

Click here to purchase the book and Click here to register.

Foundations of a Thoughtful Judaism: Faith

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Taught by Rabbi Holzman
Tuesdays, 7:00-8:30pm, on Zoom only
January 28, February 25, March 18, April 22, June 3

In our next section of the four-part Foundations curriculum from the Shalom Hartman Institute of North America, we explore big ideas about faith. Where does faith come from? What are the models in Jewish tradition for a complex relationship with God which includes reverence and joy, but also anger and argument? Where does doubt fit into a life of faith? Where do Jews who do not believe fit in? Join us as we delve into these questions and more.

Click here to register.

Hops-dalah

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Saturday, June 28, 7:00pm
In person only at Aslin Brewing (767 Elden St, Herndon)

Join us for a relaxed summer evening in NOVA as we mark the end of Shabbat with Havdalah and stay for conversation, connection, and your favorite drink. These gatherings are more than social—they’re a chance to build community, share ideas, and learn from one another in meaningful, informal ways. Come curious, come thirsty, and come ready to connect.

Click here to register!

Drinkin & Drashin

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Thursday, July 24, August 14, 6:30pm
In person only at Aslin Brewing (767 Elden St, Herndon)

Join Rabbi Barrett for good conversation and a little bit of learning over drinks at Aslin Brewing! Together we’ll dive into some of Judaism’s most fun and weird stories. You won’t want to miss these light-hearted evenings of learning, relationship building, and libations. Check out our new theme this summer, Midrash: Torah into Imagination.

Click here to register!

Drinkin & Drashin

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Thursday, July 24, August 14, 6:30pm
In person only at Aslin Brewing (767 Elden St, Herndon)

Join Rabbi Barrett for good conversation and a little bit of learning over drinks at Aslin Brewing! Together we’ll dive into some of Judaism’s most fun and weird stories. You won’t want to miss these light-hearted evenings of learning, relationship building, and libations. Check out our new theme this summer, Midrash: Torah into Imagination.

Click here to register!

Summer Book Study: The Lemon Tree

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Tuesday, July 29, 7:00pm, in person only

Join Rabbi Barrett for a discussion of The Lemon Tree, a powerful story that traces the intertwined lives of a Palestinian man and a Jewish woman connected by a single house in Ramla, Israel. Through their personal journeys, the book opens up deep questions about home, identity, and what it means to belong. As we explore early Israeli history, the pain of war, and the enduring human cost of conflict, we’ll reflect on our own understandings of memory, hope, and the possibility of dialogue across deep divides. This conversation invites us to engage with complexity, compassion, and the shared longing for peace.

Click here to register!

Short Story Discussion Group

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Short Story Discussion Group

First Monday of each month

7:30-8:30pm, on Zoom

Join us for a fourth year of monthly lay-led discussions of Jewish short stories. Four
NVHC members have selected the stories and will take turns leading the discussions.
Each session will stand on its own – you can attend whenever you have the time and
interest. We’ll meet on the first Monday of the month on Zoom at 7:30pm for 45 minutes
to an hour. Participants will receive the story and meeting links in advance. To sign up
for this year’s discussion group, email shortstories@nvhcreston.org. Even if you
participated last year, we’d like you to sign up again so that we can gauge interest in the
program and ensure that we have the correct email address for you.

Short Story Discussion Group

in

Short Story Discussion Group

First Monday of each month

7:30-8:30pm, on Zoom

Join us for a fourth year of monthly lay-led discussions of Jewish short stories. Four
NVHC members have selected the stories and will take turns leading the discussions.
Each session will stand on its own – you can attend whenever you have the time and
interest. We’ll meet on the first Monday of the month on Zoom at 7:30pm for 45 minutes
to an hour. Participants will receive the story and meeting links in advance. To sign up
for this year’s discussion group, email shortstories@nvhcreston.org. Even if you
participated last year, we’d like you to sign up again so that we can gauge interest in the
program and ensure that we have the correct email address for you.

The Layers of the Moroccan Jewish Experience: Session 2 – The Birth of Islam and the Arabian Conquest of Morocco (or There and Back Again)

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The Layers of the Moroccan Jewish Experience

Session 2: The Birth of Islam and the Arabian conquest of Morocco (or There and Back Again)

Sunday July 13, 2025 – 10:00am on Zoom

To properly appreciate Morocco as an Islamic country, one needs to understand the origin and evolution of Islam in Arabia. Muhammad’s revelations led to the rise of a new faith and culture that spread through Arabia to the rest of the Levant, Egypt, Persia, North Africa, Asia, Europe and back again, transforming Islam through its encounter with the Berber (Amazigh) culture of Morocco.

Then, in 1492, the Spanish Expulsion led to a wave of Spanish Jews seeking refuge in northern Morocco, and importing a unique cultural heritage, including their own language. How did these syntheses affect the indigenous Jews of Morocco, who had already lived there for centuries?

The lecture will trace these seemingly disparate histories and examine the difficulties inherent in integrating and coexisting with this dominant new culture and religion.

Click here to register!

This lecture series is for members only.

 

About the Series:

We are excited to be able to share this lecture series, The Layers of the Moroccan Jewish Experience, with our entire congregation. The series will be presented by Dr. David Mendelsohn. We are thrilled that Dr. Mendelsohn will also be joining us on our congregational trip to Morocco in the fall, in addition to our local guide, to bring added depth to our learning as we travel the country together.

Dr. Mendelsohn’s areas of expertise include Islamic Studies, History and Culture of Arabs with Israeli Citizenship, Bedouin Law and the relationship between language and culture in Arabic and Hebrew. Mendelsohn also lectures on the history and relationship between Middle East countries and militant organizations. Dr. Mendelsohn holds advanced degrees in diverse fields: a Ph.D. in Classics/Linguistics and an M.A. in Archaeology/Linguistics from Concordia University in Montreal. Dr. Mendelsohn is the recipient of one of Canada’s highest academic honors: the Trudeau Prize. From 2005-2012 he was the Israel Academic Director of Givat Haviva, the national education center of the Kibbutz Federation. He has working fluency in 5 languages and working knowledge of two others plus Middle Egyptian (Hieroglyphics). He lives in Jerusalem with his wife Ronny and their 3 children.

The Layers of the Moroccan Jewish Experience: Session 1 – Berbers and the Indigenous Jews of Morocco

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The Layers of the Moroccan Jewish Experience

We are excited to be able to share this lecture series, The Layers of the Moroccan Jewish Experience, with our entire congregation. The series will be presented by Dr. David Mendelsohn. We are thrilled that Dr. Mendelsohn will also be joining us on our congregational trip to Morocco in the fall, in addition to our local guide, to bring added depth to our learning as we travel the country together.

Dr. Mendelsohn’s areas of expertise include Islamic Studies, History and Culture of Arabs with Israeli Citizenship, Bedouin Law and the relationship between language and culture in Arabic and Hebrew. Mendelsohn also lectures on the history and relationship between Middle East countries and militant organizations. Dr. Mendelsohn holds advanced degrees in diverse fields: a Ph.D. in Classics/Linguistics and an M.A. in Archaeology/Linguistics from Concordia University in Montreal. Dr. Mendelsohn is the recipient of one of Canada’s highest academic honors: the Trudeau Prize. From 2005-2012 he was the Israel Academic Director of Givat Haviva, the national education center of the Kibbutz Federation. He has working fluency in 5 languages and working knowledge of two others plus Middle Egyptian (Hieroglyphics). He lives in Jerusalem with his wife Ronny and their 3 children.

Session 1: Berbers and the Indigenous Jews of Morocco

Sunday June 22, 2025 – 10:00am on Zoom

It is believed that the first Jews reached Morocco in the 5th century BCE. They settled among the indigenous Amazigh (Berber) tribes and slowly become integrated with them. Intermarriage led to a “Judaization of the Berbers” and conversely a “Berberization of the Jews,” meaning that the Berber Jews may be considered as indigenous to Morocco themselves.

This lecture will look at the history and culture of the Amazigh – especially as it pertains to the cultural imprints left upon the Jews many of which survive until today.

Click here to register!

This lecture series is for members only.