Forums attempt to answer questions about Gaza flotilla

Gali Baram, a counselor for public and academic affairs at the Israeli embassy, would have preferred speaking about the new Sabra hummus factory that recently opened in Richmond.

It's the largest in the world, Baram told a packed room of nearly 300 people at the Jewish Community Center of Northern Virginia in Fairfax on Monday evening.

"But, unfortunately, this is not the case," she said about her talk. She was there, instead, to answer questions about the Israeli military seizure last week of a Gaza-bound ship, the Turkish Mavi Marmara, that left nine people dead and brought an onslaught of worldwide condemnation against Israel.

Young Jews urged to become stakeholders in Judaism

As a California college student, Eli Winkelman turned a passion for baking challah into a social action project by selling the breads and donating the funds to Darfur aid organizations.

Since leaving college in 2004, she has overseen the launch of 32 chapters of "Challah for Hunger," as executive director of the organization she started.

Yet learning the nuts and bolts of running a nonprofit has proven to be a learn-as-you-go sort of education for the 25-year-old. For guidance and jack-of-all-trade assistance, she frequently turns to Shawn Landres, the CEO and co-founder of Jumpstart, often described as a "thinkubator for sustainable Jewish innovation."

Kaddish at Arlington

As in years past, American flags will grace the graves at Arlington National Cemetery this Memorial Day, as the service of those buried there is honored and remembered.

At some of these graves, reciting Kaddish would also be an appropriate tribute.

To honor the Jewish servicemen and women buried in Arlington, the Jewish Historical Society of Greater Washington organizes tours each May, Jewish American Heritage Month.

...the exact number of Jewish graves in the 624-acre cemetery is unclear. Prior to 1918, religious symbols were not allowed on headstones, nor were records kept of soldiers' religion. Today, it is estimated that there are more than 3,600 Jewish graves, possibly making it the largest Jewish cemetery in the U.S.

NoVa Yom Hashoah observance focuses on diplomats

Portraits and biographies of World War II diplomats lined the walls of Beth El Hebrew Congregation and a local string ensemble played haunting Holocaust-themed music as visitors gathered at the Alexandria synagogue on Sunday evening for the Northern Virginia Jewish communal Yom Hashoah commemoration.

Women form cross-cultural community in Takoma Park

While waiting in the parking lot of her children's school a few months ago, Takoma Park resident Jenny Ash-Maher's friend, Sara Mussie, asked if she wanted to participate in a new Neighbor Circle. Ash-Maher, a massage therapist, didn't hesitate with her answer.

"I said, 'Yes!' immediately," she recalls.

Ethiopian native Mussie, 46, who works for Impact Silver Spring, a local nonprofit that had been organizing Neighbor Circles for several years, was looking to bring together local Jewish, African and Latina women for the first time.

Ash-Maher, 43, and the 11 women who formed the Neighbor Circle -- all living near and around the intersection of Maple and Philadelphia avenues in Takoma Park -- met for six consecutive Monday evenings, ending last week. The African and Latina women originally hailed from Ethiopia, Eritrea, El Salvador and Trinidad and Tobago.

Juggling matzah balls and Easter bunnies

Though most attention is focused on conflicts surrounding the Christmas and Chanukah seasons, the so-called "December dilemma," interfaith families also report dealing with tricky situations during Easter and Passover, the spring's two major Jewish and Christian holidays.

Seder invite for that special someone: When’s the right time?

Hospitality is more than encouraged on Passover; it is required. We are commanded to leave the door open for Elijah the prophet as well as to invite all who are hungry to come and eat.

But when you are dating, the hungry can often interpret a come-and-eat invitation as more symbolic than the shank bone on a seder plate. And your family can become either a boon or a liability.

So how do you know if it’s the right time to extend an invitation to that someone special?