Juneteenth Community Shabbat @WHC
June 16 (6 – 8:30pm)
Gather + Eat + Drink + Worship. Hybrid – Temple
As we continue our work together toward racial justice, we invite you, your family, and members of your community back to Washington Hebrew to share a special Juneteenth Shabbat Service with members and clergy of Washington Hebrew Congregation and others in our community in the spirit of unity. This celebration of freedom and friendship will take place on Friday June 16th at 6:00 PM at our Temple on Macomb Street.
This Juneteenth Shabbat will be led by me and by our guests Rabbi Micah Lapidus and Melvin Myles in prayer and songs. Our readings emphasize the universal struggle for freedom and human dignity, and we will focus once more on those ongoing struggles that continue to plague our world. This will be an opportunity to share in our common themes of faith, freedom, and the joy of independence as we build on our relationships.
We welcome members of your community to accompany you and your family on this occasion. We ask you fill out this brief web form, to let us know how many guests we can expect.
If you have any questions or concerns, please do not hesitate to reach out to Marsha Humphries, at 202-362-7100 or mhumphries@whctemple.org.
Juneteenth is a U.S. federal holiday commemorating the emancipation of enslaved African Americans. Deriving its name from combining “June” and “nineteenth”, it is celebrated on the anniversary of General Order No. 3, issued by Major General Gordon Granger on June 19, 1865, proclaiming freedom for slaves in Texas. Originating in Galveston, Juneteenth has since been observed annually in various parts of the United States, often broadly celebrating African American culture. The day was first recognized as a federal holiday in 2021 when President Joe Biden signed the Juneteenth National Independence Day Act into law.
