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Adat Shalom is a community of Jews who are looking for a
challenging and fulfilling Jewish experience. As a religious
community we are committed to substantial participation in
congregational activities, caring for others who are less fortunate,
equal treatment of women and men, and continued
growth in Jewish knowledge and practice. We reach out to
Jewish singles, couples and families; and to the intermarried. We pride
ourselves on being comprised of members who have had extensive and life-long
Jewish study backgrounds, and, just as importantly, those who have never
practised their Jewish religion but have come to question, grow and experience
a Jewish life in a community who encourages challenging questions.
Where are We Located?
Founded in 1988, Adat Shalom Reconstructionist Congregation moved in February 2001 to its permanent home in Carderock Springs area of Montgomery County, Maryland.
Rabbi Mordechai Kaplan, a professor at the Jewish Theological Seminary for several decades, founded Reconstructionist Judaism in the early part of the 20th century. Rabbi Kaplan urged us to understand and keep the best elements of our tradition without turning our backs on the contemporary. He was fond of saying that tradition has a weighty vote, but not a veto over the form of Judaism that we might pratice in our lives.
Our experience is that when we take responsibility for and become involved in the way that we practice our faith in our home, our synagogue, and our community, we take our Judaism more seriously and gain a clearer understanding of its meaning and value. We are striving to create a synagogue community where we can actively learn, celebrate, and participate in a spiritually satisfying way.
Our approach to Judaism does not assume that God is a supernatural being who performs miracles, rewards the good, and punishes the wicked. We strive to understand God as a transcendent spiritual/ethical force in the universe. We seek to bring that spirit into our daily lives through personal acts of justice, charity, prayer, compassion, and study.
Adat Shalom has a major commitment to the active participation of all of its members in congregational programs. As an affiliate of the Reconstructionist movement, which pioneered the Bat Mitzvah ceremony as well as other ways for women to paticipate equally in Jewish life, Adat Shalom involves women in all aspects of synagogue life. We believe that many Jews are seeking communities that tap their talents and energy. Only in this way can members truly feel part of their synagogue community.
A large part of our congregational program involves the encouragement of Jewish learning and growth. Individual members are regularly engaged in acquiring new synagogue skills and new ways to understand Judaism in a spiritually compelling way. As a community, we have engaged in year-long study programs on the topics of shabbat, tzedakah, gemilut chesed, tikun olam, and community building.
Throughout the year the congregation offers opportunities to learn about Judaism. Courses such as Contemporary Jewish Issues, Jewish Prayer, Teaching Children about God, and Prayer and Ritual are offered by our Rabbis. Workshops on synagogue skills and home ritual skills are taught by members. A Ben/ Bat Torah program has been developed to provide adults with a comprehensive program of Jewish learning and growth.
We encourage and enjoy extensive participation in our religious services. For example, lay members teach one another the basics of Jewish practice, chant Torah and Haftarah, act as cantors, and serve as teachers of our Jewish heritage.
Adat Shalom's programs and policies originate from and evolve within many diverse committees. The Rabbis contribute to the decision-making that goes on in committees by providing guidance and support.
Adat Shalom holds Shabbat morning services on each Saturday of each month at 9:30 a.m. These
services are followed by an Oneg Shabbat luncheon which
is an enjoyable and informal opportunity for members to
keep in touch and for guests to meet congregants. On one (often the
second) Saturday of each month we conduct at lay-led service. We hold
a Friday night service (8:00 p.m.) usually on the
fourth Shabbat of most months. Periodically, potluck
Shabbat dinners are hosted in members' homes throughout
the metropolitan area. We hold services and have celebrations
for all of the Jewish holidays and festivals
throughout the year. Activities and child care are provided
for children during most services. Adat Shalom holds its
popular annual retreat one weekend each spring in a
mountain or rural setting.
Having distinguished himself during 1995-97 as Adat Shalom's student rabbi,
Fred Scherlinder Dobb became Adat Shalom's first full-time rabbi in July 1997, following
his completion of studies at the Reconstructionist Rabbinical College. Rabbi Dobb
has distinguished himself as a committed environmentalist applying the teachings
of the Torah and our responsibilities to our global surroundings.
A graduate of Brandeis University majoring in history and minoring in Judaic Studies and Peace Studies, he also
studied in the Benjamin Hornstein M.A. Program in Jewish Communal Service. Rabbi Dobb completed a year
at the Pardes Institute of Jewish Studies in Israel before entering the Reconstructionist Rabbinical College.
Currently a Wexner Graduate Fellow, Dobb has been a Justice Brandeis Scholar and Wulgier Scholar. One
highlight of his commitment to social action and environmentalism was his Global Walk for a Living World. As outreach
and Jewish life coordinator, Dobb did interfaith work, education, media, and counseling. He undertook
a nine-month, 3300-mile ecological walk across the U.S. in 1990 and gave more than 250 programs and talks to
over 15,000 people at synagogues, churches, schools, etc., from coast to coast.
Our founding rabbi, Sidney Schwarz became Adat Shalom's Rabbi
Emeritus in July 1996. Rabbi Schwarz continues to lead services
and teach within the congregation on a limited basis. Rabbi Schwarz is a former
faculty member of the Reconstructionist Rabbinical College. Dr. Schwarz is also president of the Washington Institute for Jewish Leadership and Values, an
educational foundation located in Rockville, Maryland. Previously, he served
as the executive director of the Jewish Community Council of Greater
Washington and was on the faculty of Temple University and the University of
Maryland.
Adat Shalom is fortunate of have Rabbis Schwarz and Dobb. Their energy and enthusiasm are contagious
and infuse our members with inspiration to reach new spiritual, educational, and communal levels.
Adat Shalom's highly successful Torah School, run under
the inspiration and leadership of Education Director Toni Bloomberg Grossman,
is a supplementary school for Judaic and Hebrew
education, serving students whose families are members
of Adat Shalom. The Torah School offers innovative, structured
learning experiences to students in grades K
through 11. An introductory program is also offered for
children ages 3 and 4. The choice of the term "Torah
School" is meant to signify Adat Shalom's unique
approach to Jewish education. The Hebrew term
"torah"does not simply refer to the Five Books of Moses; its
broader meaning is "instruction within the spirit of
Judaism." The Torah School is true to that sense. Within the
context of a contemporary, progressive, and spiritual
approach to Judaism, students learn about Jewish history,
customs, values, and holidays, and lead and follow prayers
The Torah School is committed to educating not only the
child but the entire family To that end, Adat Shalom sponsors
many exciting educational and study opportunities for
parents and children.
Under the direction and guidance of Music Director
Rachel Hersh Epstein, Adat Shalom offers members rich and varied
Jewish music experiences, as well as many opportunities
for members to express their musical talents at services and
in special programs. Adat Shalom prides itself on the talents
of its members who act as cantors, and on the skills of the
many members who regularly chant Torah and Haftarah at
services. Adat Shalom's talented choir performs at High
Holiday services and at various times throughout the year.
The Annual Music Service, which has featured such
performers as Robyn Helzner, David Schneyer, Flory Jagoda
and family, Jill Moskowitz, and the Machaya Klezmer Band,
is an extremely popular event.
Who are the Rabbis?
What is religious education like at Adat Shalom?
What role does music play at Adat Shalom?
Adat Shalom might be for you if: