CELEBRATING THE B'NAI ISRAEL CONGREGATION'S CENTENNIAL

CELEBRATING THE B'NAI ISRAEL CONGREGATION'S CENTENNIAL

Congressional Record, Volume 172 Issue 55 (Tuesday, March 24, 2026) [Congressional Record Volume 172, Number 55 (Tuesday, March 24, 2026)] [Extensions of Remarks] [Page E255] From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [ www.gpo.gov ] CELEBRATING THE B'NAI ISRAEL CONGREGATION'S CENTENNIAL ______ HON. JAMIE RASKIN of maryland in the house of representatives Tuesday, March 24, 2026 Mr. RASKIN. Mr. Speaker, I rise to celebrate the B'nai Israel Congregation's Centennial. B'nai Israel is an essential part of Maryland's 8th District's vibrant and diverse Jewish community, and it is a privilege to represent a congregation with one hundred years of storied history and activism. The B'nai Israel Congregation began as a small gathering of committed friends who met at a congregant's home on Georgia Avenue in Northwest D.C. It grew so quickly that the congregation had to occupy two buildings in the District before finally finding its permanent home in Rockville in 1976. In 2026, the B'nai Israel Congregation is one of the largest synagogues in the movement of Conservative Judaism. Today, over 1,100 families attend temple services, participate in b'nai mitzvahs and celebrate life milestones together. The people who call the B'nai Israel Congregation their spiritual community share core values of connection and service that have defined the Congregation throughout these one hundred years. The Congregation supports lifelong Jewish learning opportunities, from the Schilit Early Childhood Center to a busy adult education program. The synagogue maintains a close relationship with several communities in Israel. And every month, congregants enact their commitment to community by delivering nutritious meals to local women experiencing homelessness. The entire congregation gathers for Mitzvah Day in December to bring mitzvot to people across Montgomery County. This tradition of service flows from the B'nai Israel Congregation's deep well of moral solidarity and civic engagement. During their own migration from D.C. to Rockville, members of B'nai Israel helped lead the urgent project to free Jewish people trapped and persecuted by the Soviet Union. Today, congregants and clergy at the B'nai Israel Congregation are active participants in Montgomery County's interfaith coalition. They invest deeply in educating each generation about our own struggles in America for social justice and lead educational trips to historic sites of the Civil Rights Movement. Montgomery County and the wider DMV have been fortunate to be the home of the B'nai Israel Congregation over the past one hundred years. Liberal democracies are sustained by vibrant and engaged communities like the B'nai Israel Congregation. May the congregants and clergy of B'nai Israel continue to go from strength to strength for the next century to come--yasher koach. ____________________