| Magen David Sephardic Congregation | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Religion | |
| Affiliation | Modern Orthodox Judaism |
| Rite | Sephardi |
| Ecclesiastical or organizational status | Synagogue |
| Governing body | Orthodox Union |
| Status | Active |
| Location | |
| Location | North Bethesda, Maryland |
| Country | United States |
  Location within Maryland | |
| Geographic coordinates | 39°02′26″N 77°06′47″W / 39.040676117°N 77.113151550°W / 39.040676117; -77.113151550 |
| Architecture | |
| Type | Synagogue |
| Date established | 1966 (as a congregation) |
| Completed | 1998 |
| Website | |
| magendavidsephardic | |
Magen David Sephardic Congregation-Beit Eliahu (abbreviated as MDSCBE) is a Modern Orthodox Jewish congregation and synagogue, located in North Bethesda, Maryland, in the United States. The congregation practices in the Sephardi rite.
History
The first Sephardi Jews began to immigrate to Washington, D.C. in the 1910s and 1920s. Most early Sephardi immigrants to Washington, D.C. were from Turkey and Greece. By the 1940s, Moroccan Jews began to immigrate to Washington, D.C.; immigrants from Algeria, Egypt, Iraq, Iran, Libya, Lebanon, Syria, Tunisia, and elsewhere soon followed. By 1966, these immigrants and their descendants had formed a board of directors for what would become Magen David Sephardic Congregation and a charter was enacted. Due to a lack of a permanent space, the congregation was hosted by a variety of Ashkenazi congregations. The early years of the congregation had a heavily Moroccan style, but gradually began to adopt a more broadly North African and Middle Eastern style as other immigrants joined. Magen David welcomed Ashkenazi visitors and members and embraced European influences, but maintained its Sephardi traditions.
During the 1980s, the congregation met at Tifereth Israel, a Conservative synagogue in Washington, D.C. Later, services were held at Ohr Kodesh, a Conservative synagogue in Chevy Chase. By 1984, the congregation had purchased a building in Rockville, and by 1987, had its first rabbi. Due to surging membership, the congregation needed a larger space. By 1998, prayers were being held in a new synagogue that was built in North Bethesda.
The congregation is affiliated with the Orthodox Union.
See also
References
- "Magen David Sephardic Congregation". Jewish Federation of Greater Washington. Retrieved January 31, 2024.
- "Sephardic minyan eschews gender roles". Washington Jewish Week. March 20, 2019. Retrieved January 2, 2023.
- "A Place Sephardim Call Home". Magen David Sephardic Congregation. Retrieved January 2, 2023.
- "Washington's Sephardic Community". Capital Jewish Museum. Retrieved January 3, 2023.
- "Magen David Sephardic Congregation". Orthodox Union. Retrieved January 2, 2023.
External links
Categories:
- 1966 establishments in Maryland
- 20th-century synagogues in the United States
- Algerian-American history
- Algerian-Jewish diaspora
- Egyptian-Jewish diaspora in the United States
- Greek-American culture in Maryland
- Greek-Jewish culture in the United States
- Iranian-Jewish culture in the United States
- Iraqi diaspora
- Iraqi-Jewish diaspora
- Jewish organizations established in 1966
- Lebanese-Jewish diaspora in the United States
- Libyan diaspora
- Libyan-Jewish diaspora
- Mizrahi Jewish culture in the United States
- Modern Orthodox synagogues in Maryland
- Moroccan-American history
- Moroccan-Jewish diaspora
- North Bethesda, Maryland
- Sephardi Jewish culture in Maryland
- Sephardi Conservative Judaism
- Tunisian diaspora
- Tunisian-Jewish diaspora
- Turkish-Jewish culture in the United States
- Synagogues completed in 1998
- Synagogues in Montgomery County, Maryland
- Syrian-Jewish diaspora in the United States
- Synagogues in Maryland