Sisterhood Shabbat

Join Women of Beth El on Saturday, February 28, at 9:15 am for our annual Sisterhood Shabbat honoring women within and outside of the Beth El community. This year’s Sisterhood Shabbat will feature the Celia and Audrey Resnik Memorial Lecture and honor our Golda Meir Award recipient, Sara Gordon.

This year’s Gold Meir Award recipient is Beth El’s immediate past President Sara Gordon. A long-time Beth El member, Sara served on the Board of Zhava for two years, then co-chaired the Religious School Committee.  She served two terms as Beth El’s Vice President for Education and Lifelong Learning and then two terms as Executive Vice President before became Beth El President. A social worker by training, Sara is known as an excellent listener and creative problem solver. Among her lasting impacts, Sara, was instrumental in hiring both Religious School Director Elisha Frumkin and Rabbi Deborah Megdal and establishing the Sorkin Israel Teen Trip. Her steady leadership was front and center as the Congregation navigated the tragic events of October 7. Women of Beth El are thrilled to honor Sara with this award.

This year’s Resnick Memorial speaker, Rabbi Rachel Hersh, is a familiar face at Beth El, where she regularly attends the Early Minyan on Shabbat and frequently reads Torah at that service. Rabbi Hersh, MSW, BCC, serves as director of Jewish enrichment and engagement at JSSA, a Jewish human service agency serving neighbors of all backgrounds across the national capital region. She is Rabbi Hazzan Emerita at Adat Shalom Reconstructionist Congregation.

During the Sisterhood Shabbat service. Rabbi Hersh will speak on the Torah portion (Tetzaveh): “Sartorial Spirituality – Joseph, Aaron and Esther.” What do the Torah and Megillah teach us about the connections and obstacles between our external material world and our internal spiritual intelligence? How do these elements impact leadership during times of challenge?

After services, stay for a special session: “Rereading Parashat Zachor.” Have we met the enemy and is it us? And what about Amalek? Midrash offers perspectives on the commandment to “erase the memory” of Amalek, giving us new ways to think about Purim.

Women of Beth El are grateful to the Resnik Family for their support of this annual Lecture and Award.