our parking lot
the trees around our neighborhood
Because of the weather, pumpkin picking wasn't an option, so I popped into Michael's craft store for a few decorations and acrylic paints, picked up some pumpkins at Giant and went to Fara and Hunter’s place for my annual Halloween craft day with Marin and Riley. The girls painted pumpkins, we carved a pumpkin, Hunter made toasted pumpkin seeds and Marin, Fara and I decorated cupcakes. Fara made pink, purple, and green frosting, and we used stencils and sprinkles to decorate the cupcakes. I got so caught up in our fun, I forgot to take pictures until late in the afternoon.
Marin icing her cupcake
My EEK! cupcake
Eating a few errant sprinkles - yum!
That night, David and I went out to dinner with Becky and Aaron and their friends Rick and Shannon who were visiting from Chicago. As fans of Bravo’s reality-tv show, Top Chef, we wanted to go to stand-out contestant Bryan Voltaggio’s Volt, but they were booked solid (surprise surprise) so we went to Michael Mina's Bourbon Steak in Georgetown. Mina had previously been a guest judge on Fox' Hell's Kitchen, another one of our favorite shows and everything was delish!
On Sunday, I went to a coworker’s housewarming party in Arlington, and then met my friend Jenn downtown for a discussion at the historic 6th &I Synagogue. We were there to hear Ami James talk about Tattoos and Taboos, but the introduction and welcoming remarks gave a very interesting overview of the temple which I thought I'd share.
6th & I
Founded in 1852, Washington Hebrew Congregation was formed by twenty-one German Jewish families. Located in what is now DC's Chinatown, the Sixth & I building was dedicated on January 5, 1908. The congregation flourished, and in an effort to accommodate its growing membership, they acquired land uptown in Cleveland Park and built a new sanctuary.
The existing 6th & I structure was sold to Turner Memorial A.M.E. Church in 1951. Over time, many of the church’s congregants moved out of the city, so it relocated to Maryland and put the building up for sale.
exterior
But what do you do with a spacious, 95 year-old structure with exquisite stained glass windows, seating for over 800 and soaring cathedral ceilings, zoned for residential, retail, entertainment, or educational use? The realtor advertised the property as “suitable for a nightclub.” When plans to turn the religious site into a nightclub were discovered, several Jewish developers pooled funds to re-acquire the building for use by the Jewish community.
stained glass window
Washington Wizards owner Abe Pollin, and local real estate developers Shelton Zuckerman and Douglas Jemal saved the building and pledged to turn it into a Jewish home for reform, conservative and orthodox communities. Washington-area architects donated their services for the renovation and restoration, and Sixth & I Historic Synagogue re-opened its doors in late Fall 2003 to offer cultural, educational, social, and spiritual programs.
the beautiful ceiling
As a non-denominational synagogue, Sixth & I does not have a rabbi on staff. Instead, it has a "dynamic group of rabbis representing all Jewish denominations who lead Shabbat services on a rotating schedule." Recognizing that being Jewish looks and feels different for many Jews, they honor this diversity by casting a wide net in their unique Jewish programming and religious services which I think is absolutely fantastic.
bimah
Today, Sixth & I is a functioning temple that strives to of cultural significance. It regularly hosts events with authors, politicians, artists, comedians, academics, filmmakers, actors, entrepreneurs, activists, and other thinkers and doers at the forefront of the cultural scene.
And this brings me back to the talk we attended with Ami James, an Israeli-born tattoo artist whose Miami shop was featured on the TLC reality show, Miami Ink. The dialogue was facilitated by Todd Weinberger, Creative Director of Inked magazine. Ami spent nearly 90 minutes talking about his family and upbringing, his experience in the Israeli army, his passion for art and how he became a professional tattoo artist.
Ami and Todd
Ami studied in Miami under the world famous tattoo artist, the late Lou Sciberras. During his apprenticeship he lived with Chris Garver and Chris Nunez with whom he opened Miami Ink.
Examples of some Jewish tattoos. The Hamsa is probably the most popular.
Ami talked about cultural assumptions and attitudes within the Jewish community regarding tattoos and the way they reconcile their tattooed bodies with their Jewish identities, heritage, and beliefs. He also talked about the rising acceptability of Jews with tattoos and which types of tattoos he agrees to do. (He will do a seder plate or a hamsa, but not a chai or a mezuzah)
The verse in the bible which most people draw their thoughts on tattoos comes from Leviticus which says, "Ye shall not make any cuttings in your flesh for the dead, nor print any marks upon you: I am the Lord." Jewish tradition has interpreted this by forbidding any permanent changes to the body, except for the circumcision of boys. It is argued that the body is a gift from G-d and therefore sacred, and making permanent marks on the body shows disrespect. There are many commentaries on the issue, and arguments can be made for and against this line of thought. The most prominent criticism being, if you are to respect the body you have as-is, then why is it acceptable to pierce your ears, get a nose job or even cut your hair? It was a thought provoking and interesting discussion.
After the talk, there was a 'meet and great' portion of the program. I found out that Ami is actually from Ramat Gan near Tel Aviv where Dov grew up (fun fact: Israel's tallest building is in Ramat Gan). I'm looking more than a little 'deer in the headlights' in these pics, but there were no 'do-overs.'
Jenn, Ami and me
My Uma, Oprah moment... "Ali, meet Ami. Ami... Ali. "
1 comment:
I lived in DC in 1995-97 and was very disappointed to see what had become of that shul. I am glad to hear that it has been restore to its former glory and returned to its proper people.
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