For those of you paying attention at the Annual Meeting in May, you may have noticed that for the coming year, which starts July 1, BJC is embarking on a new paradigm: Co-Presidents. While we’ve had trustees and committee chairs split this responsibility in the past, this is the first time our congregation will benefit from two at the helm. As this is as new for us as it is for you, we’ll be figuring it out as we go along.

Why did we do this? Simply because we are both at the age when we are ready to resume our extended travel, and we have other obligations as well. And often, we’ll both be here. This month, we’re both writing to let you know a little about each of us. Other times, it may be just one of us in this space. Rest assured, we’re both excited at the opportunities of working together, creating real synergy, and helping BJC thrive.

Here’s a little bit about me. I have been a BJC member since 2002 and have thoroughly enjoyed being a part of our caring congregation. My husband, Bruce, and I feel a part of the BJC family and have developed many treasured friendships. In my professional life, I hold the position of Executive Director of Infant Toddler Family Day Care, a small nonprofit in Northern Virginia providing a range of services to family child care providers.

I have volunteered for BJC in a number of different capacities including serving as the Oneg Chairman from 2006 to 2020, volunteering at the annual Thanksgiving brunches, ushering for High Holy Days, serving on the BJC Speaker’s Bureau, and working with the Rabbi to organize a congregational trip to Israel.

Our granddaughters, Talia and Isla O’Brien, attended BJC religious school, and Bruce and I helped with Purim carnivals and other religious school events. I have found these volunteer experiences to be very rewarding, and I hope that each of you will dedicate some time to BJC.

Click here to connect with me. Have a safe and joyful summer

My family has been BJC members for about 26 years. In that time, I’ve served in several capacities, including a past stint as President (2004-6), chair of the Enhancing the Flame fundraising campaign, chair of the Congregational Engagement 21 program in (2013-14), Social Action chair from (2016 until 2021), and now getting a do-over as President, partnering with Wynne. Oh, and I edit this newsletter!

Professionally, I spent 30 years at the U.S. Department of Justice, retiring after 30 years in 2004 as an SES in the Office of Justice Programs (state and local crime control issues), then 7 years with an Alaska Native owned corporation as a government and media relations executive, and then 7 more years running my own consulting practice, Kulmoose, which focused on teaching communications skills, writing and editing for others, especially doing resumes. Since retiring for the third time in 2019, I’ve been busier than ever.

Among my passions are traveling and time chilling at the beach year round in Emerald Isle, North Carolina, which gives me time to read for my two book clubs. My husband Russ has always been by my side at BJC; you probably know him best from stints in a dress during Purim spiels or wearing his orange vest as a parking captain at High Holy Days. Our son Zane, part of the BJC bar-tending duo with his pal Benj Korelitz, lives in Gaithersburg, and our daughter Sadie lives in Silver Spring with her new husband Trevor. Both “kids” grew up at BJC from 1^st grade through working as madrichim post-confirmation.

I’m so looking forward to re-engage with you in person as we crawl out of our pandemic dens. Please make it point to say hello!

Wynne and Harri extend our sincerest thanks to outgoing President, Sandra Walter. Sandra successfully guided BJC during the past two years and during the challenges of the Pandemic! Her enthusiasm and dedication are contagious, and we are grateful that she will continue to provide her wisdom as the Immediate Past President and fund-raising guru.

We would also like to express our deep appreciation to outgoing board members Alan Lichter, Sammy Peterson, and Issie Resti for their commitment to BJC and service on the board.

We are looking forward to working with the full board, including new board members Helen Dalton, Robin Sorkin, Amy Rubenstein, and Rebecca McMillen, our youth representative.

And we extend a very warm welcome to Amy Kertesz, our new Program and Social Media Coordinator. Amy brings creativity and enthusiasm to the Congregation, and we look forward to working with her!

The new board starts its work on July 1. See the full list of Board Members at the end of this newsletter. This fabulous team of volunteers have each indicated a desire to have more of you involved with their activities and efforts. Make this the year you get to know your board.

Please be in touch with me in times of joy, sadness, or illness in your life or in the lives of a loved one or another member of the congregation. HIPAA regulations have made getting information from hospitals extremely difficult. I greatly appreciate your help keeping me informed of the health needs of our congregation. If you have a pastoral need, please call the BJC Office at (301) 469-8636 or email me at rabbi@bethesdajewish.org.

While we’re foregoing onegs for now, the carts with wine and juice were wheeled about Covenant Hall, and other volunteers handed out individual slices of challah using tongs and napkins.

How wonderful to enjoy the simple act of making motzi together again.

Please join us on a Friday night to welcome Shabbat with your BJC Family. Also, we will live stream our service for those who aren't ready to join us in person.

Please volunteer for one or more tasks by going to SignUpGenius by clicking here. (Note: You do not need a SignUpGenius account to sign up).

If you have any questions or need help signing up, please contact me, High Holy Days Volunteer Coordinator, jjkore@msn.com or 301-385-3015.

On June 18, Burt Bachrach convened the annual Maran Gluckstein Appreciation Society (a/k/a BJC’s adult Hebrew students) luncheon inside Not Your Average Joe’s in Georgetown Square. We met to celebrate the end of one school year and the beginning of another.

While not every student was present in body, based on responses to Burt’s invitation, all were present in spirit. Those pictured include: Maran Gluckstein, Gabrielle Baines, Nancy Glassman, Diane Blumenthal, Burt Bachrach, Bernard & Shirley Altschuler, Helen Dalton, Sana Shastel, and  Ellen Lieberman.

Typically, BJC’s adult Hebrew students meet in the lounge at 9 AM on Saturday, studying in small groups or individually according to ability. However, last year was not your average year! We were distanced due to the pandemic, and Maran quickly transitioned Hebrew classes to Zoom. She taught each group at times convenient for that group. Instruction over Zoom worked well, and many of us learned more Hebrew because of Maran’s focused attention. But we did miss each other’s company and now we look forward to classes meeting at BJC over the summer and into the 2021/2022 school year. As a testament to the esteem in which we hold our Morah, here are a few comments made by students after the luncheon:

“Maran, you are, indeed, an extra-special person. I know all of us appreciate that extra many miles you've gone this year, valuable well-beyond our forward progress in Hebrew.”

Interested? Adult Hebrew classes return in person Wednesday nights in the lounge beginning July 7 from 6-7:15 PM. After High Holy Days, classes will be a combination of in person lessons on Saturday mornings from 9-10:15 AM and Zoom based, depending on when BJC is in the building.

All are welcome! Want to learn more? Click here.

We are delighted that we are not losing a Social Action committee chair, we’re gaining a co-President of BJC’s board. Intimidating as it may be, we are also delighted, and a bit humbled, to be stepping into Harri Kramer’s shoes and taking on this assignment as co-chairs. We’re past Communications Committee chairs and board members, so we kind of know our way around the block. But we will be taking a fresh look at the initiative Show You Care—Do Your Share and, along with our committee of current and new members, will work to breathe new life into our Social Action work after such a long Covid-induced absence. 

Have a passion about making the world a better place? Want to get involved? Get in touch with either one of us. Click here for Helen and click here to connect with Robin. We’d love to have you. Our next meeting is via Zoom on July 6. Join us!

We do more than write a check—BJC provides a dinner for the residents one night a month (or more if you want to participate more!). Our next dates are: Tuesday, July 6 and Monday, August 9.

If you want to help for either of these dates, please contact me. We will add dates as their signup calendar opens up, but the shelter also needs meals on other dates, so if you can’t provide a meal on one of our BJC signup nights, let me know and I’ll get you signed up. 

Meals are dropped off at the shelter’s main entrance before 5:30 (earlier if they need to be heated). It’s simple, fun, and it makes a big difference in the lives of people who have probably had a worse year than any of us. And students get 3 hours of SSL credit—contact me for details.

On June 24th, members of BJC and Adas Israel joined together outside of the Chinese Embassy to support the Uyghurs and condemn Chinese genocide. Gary Sampliner, Jeremy Mendelson, and Marty & Evelyn Ganzglass participated. What have you done to support the Uyghurs?

1. Email or contact friends and relatives to support S. 65, The Uyghur Forced Labor Protection Act. A full list of the current cosponsors, as well as the text of the bill, can be found here. The Uyghur Human Rights Project has an easy-to-use link to sign a petition to your Senators.

2. Contact Volkswagen of North America to protest their factory in Xinjiang Province that either uses Uyghur forced labor or suppliers that do so.

3. Join Jewish World Watch, which is working diligently to end the genocide of the Uyghurs.

4. Look for the label—don’t buy clothing Made in China. Most of the cotton produced in China comes from Xinjiang Province. Uyghur slave labor is being used to harvest the cotton and produce it into cloth or clothing marketed in the United States.

Our family—Danielle, Brian, and Nicholas Lindholm—was first introduced to BJC by one of Nicholas’ elementary-school friends. After attending High Holy Days services about four years ago, we came back…and came back again. In the midst of the pandemic, we appreciated the emphasis that Rabbi Sunny and BJC leaders put on safety and maintaining a healthy community and how everyone came together: people gathering from their kitchen tables, the congregation taking turns to recite text online, and the commitment to continue with the children’s schedule via Zoom. That and the discussions that we had with school and membership leaders cemented our belief that BJC is the right place for us.

We have a tutorial available here.

If after reviewing the complete instructions again and you’re still stymied, feel free to reach out to Elizabeth Kirkpatrick, our Membership and Administration Coordinator. You can email her by clicking here or call 301-469-8636. As always, if you have questions or need to discuss your statement, please email me.