Adas Israel Congregation (Washington, D.C.)

This article is about the Adas Synagogue. For the former synagogue, historic place, and now Jewish museum, see Lillian & Albert Small Capital Jewish Museum. For similarly named synagogues, see Adath Israel.
Adas Israel Congregation
The current Adas Israel synagogue
Religion
AffiliationConservative Judaism
Ecclesiastical or organizational statusSynagogue
Leadership
  • Rabbi Lauren Holtzblatt
  • Rabbi Aaron Alexander
StatusActive
Location
Location2850 Quebec Street NW, Washington, D.C.
CountryUnited States
Adas Israel Congregation (Washington, D.C.) is located in District of Columbia
Adas Israel Congregation (Washington, D.C.)
Location within Washington, D.C.
Coordinates38°56′13″N 77°03′27″W / 38.9369°N 77.0575°W / 38.9369; -77.0575
Architecture
Architects
TypeSynagogue
Established1876 (as a congregation)
Completed
  • 1876 (1st building)
  • 1908 (2nd building)
  • 1951 (in current location)
Website
www.adasisrael.org

The Adas Israel Synagogue is the place of worship for the Adas Israel Congregation, located in the Cleveland Park neighborhood of Washington, D.C. It is the largest Conservative Jewish synagogue in the city.[1] The name of the synagogue translates to "The Community of Israel" (Hebrew: ʿAdat Yisra’el, עדת ישראל).[2]

History

In 1869, about 30 Jewish immigrant families resigned from Washington Hebrew Congregation (WHC), which at the time was the only Jewish congregation in Washington, D.C. The founders of Adas Israel wanted to form an Orthodox synagogue as an alternative to the Reform Judaism practiced at WHC. While most of Adas Israel's founders came from various German and Central European states, around one-quarter came from Poland or other parts of the Russian Empire.

Adas Israel moved into a new building in 1908. In the late 1920s, Adas Israel affiliated with the Conservative movement[3] and has remained a Conservative congregation since that time. Initially, Adas Israel followed Orthodox tradition with separate seating for men and women but discontinued the practice in 1951 when they moved to another building.[4]

In 1963, Adas Israel was the first synagogue to be addressed by civil rights leader Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.[4] The building underwent renovations in 2013.

Affinity groups and institutions

Cemetery

Adas Israel established a cemetery at 1400 Alabama Avenue, SE, in 1869, the year of the congregation's founding.

Religious school

Adas Israel runs Gan HaYeled, a nursery school for children younger than five years old. The Melvin Gelman Religious School teaches students in grades K–12, with Ma'a lot D.C. allowing teenagers to continue studying following their bar and bat mitzvahs.

Sisterhood

The Adas Israel Ladies’ Auxiliary, officially organized in 1898, elected Julia Oppenheimer, wife of congregation president Simon Oppenheimer, as their first president. Today the organization is known as the Sisterhood.

Brotherhood/Men’s Club

Adas Israel's Brotherhood first formed in 1941, with Irvin Goldstein serving as its first president. It later took the name Men's Club, which it holds today. Three Adas Israel members, Max Goldberg, Jacob Lish, and Mark Berlin, have served as national Men's Club presidents.

Other groups

Adas Israel held its first Havurah (self-led) service in 1972, the first at any Conservative Jewish congregation. It also held its first self-led study group that year. Since then, Adas Israel has had a wide variety of lay-led groups, including the egalitarian minyan, Ruach Minyan, and groups for young professionals and senior citizens.

See also

References

  1. ^ "Our History and Vision - Adas Israel Congregation". www.adasisrael.org. Archived from the original on 2025-06-14. Retrieved 2025-12-17.
  2. ^ "Original Adas Israel Synagogue Site – German Connections". germanconnections.org. Retrieved 2025-12-06.
  3. ^ "Home". USCJ. Retrieved 2026-01-31.
  4. ^ a b Rabinowitz, Stanley. The Assembly: A Century in the Life of the Adas Israel Hebrew Congregation of Washington, D.C. Hoboken, New Jersey: Ktav Publishing House, Inc., 1993.
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