Temple Rodef Shalom (

Reform Reform ( lat, reformo) means the improvement or amendment of what is wrong, corrupt, unsatisfactory, etc. The use of the word in this way emerges in the late 18th century and is believed to originate from Christopher Wyvill#The Yorkshire Associati ...

) is the largest

Jew Jews ( he, יְהוּדִים, , ) or Jewish people are an ethnoreligious group and nation originating from the Israelites Israelite origins and kingdom: "The first act in the long drama of Jewish history is the age of the Israelites""Th ...

ish congregation in the Commonwealth of

Virginia Virginia, officially the Commonwealth of Virginia, is a state in the Mid-Atlantic and Southeastern regions of the United States, between the Atlantic Coast and the Appalachian Mountains. The geography and climate of the Commonwealth ar ...

, located in

Falls Church Falls Church is an independent city in the Commonwealth of Virginia. As of the 2020 census, the population was 14,658. Falls Church is included in the Washington metropolitan area. Taking its name from The Falls Church, an 18th-century Churc ...

Fairfax County Fairfax County, officially the County of Fairfax, is a county in the Commonwealth of Virginia. It is part of Northern Virginia and borders both the city of Alexandria and Arlington County and forms part of the suburban ring of Washington, D.C. ...

. Founded in 1962, it counts a membership of over 1,700 households.Union for Reform Judaism: Temple Rodef Shalom
directory listing, accessed December 13, 2022. In 1963, the Temple hired

Laszlo Berkowits Laszlo Berkowits (February 29, 1928 – December 13, 2020) was a Hungarian-born American Reform rabbi. From 1944 to 1945, he was imprisoned in a Nazi concentration camp at Auschwitz. After his release in 1945, he studied briefly in Sweden before ...

as its first

rabbi A rabbi () is a spiritual leader or religious teacher in Judaism. One becomes a rabbi by being ordained by another rabbi – known as ''semikha'' – following a course of study of Jewish history and texts such as the Talmud. The basic form of ...

. In 1998, it became one of the largest congregations in the United States to have a female rabbi, when it replaced Berkowits, who had decided to retire, with then-Associate Rabbi Amy Schwartzman.Murphy, Caryle
"Like their Christian counterparts, Jewish women are breaking down barriers and taking on leadership roles. In doing so, they are adding a new dimension to Jewish teaching.; Female Rabbis Break the Glass Ceiling"
''

The Washington Post ''The Washington Post'' (also known as the ''Post'' and, informally, ''WaPo'') is an American daily newspaper published in Washington, D.C. It is the most widely circulated newspaper within the Washington metropolitan area and has a large nati ...

'', July 25, 1998. Accessed June 21, 2011. The Temple's Associate Rabbis are Jeffrey Saxe and Stephanie Bernstein. It hired its first

cantor A cantor or chanter is a person who leads people in singing or sometimes in prayer. In formal Jewish worship, a cantor is a person who sings solo verses or passages to which the choir or congregation responds. In Judaism, a cantor sings and lead ...

, Michael Shochet, in 1998. Rachel Rhodes is the Associate Cantor. Other Rabbis are Rachel Rhodes and Alexandra Stein.

Notable members and funerals

Chuck Todd Charles David Todd (born April 8, 1972) is an American television journalist who is the 12th and current moderator of NBC's ''Meet the Press''. He also hosts ''Meet the Press Now'', its daily edition on NBC News Now and is the Political Directo ...

Marcus Simon Marcus Bertram Simon (born July 1, 1970) is an American lawyer and politician from Virginia. A member of the Democratic Party, Simon is the member of the Virginia House of Delegates for the 53rd district, which includes Falls Church and parts ...

Notes

External links

Temple Rodef Shalom
Official site.
Union for Reform Judaism: Temple Rodef Shalom
Directory listing. Jewish organizations established in 1962 Reform synagogues in Virginia Buildings and structures in Falls Church, Virginia 1962 establishments in Virginia {{US-synagogue-stub