Temple Rodef Shalom () is a

Reform Reform refers to the improvement or amendment of what is wrong, corrupt, unsatisfactory, etc. The modern usage of the word emerged in the late 18th century and is believed to have originated from Christopher Wyvill's Association movement, which ...

Jew Jews (, , ), or the Jewish people, are an ethnoreligious group and nation, originating from the Israelites of ancient Israel and Judah. They also traditionally adhere to Judaism. Jewish ethnicity, religion, and community are highly inte ...

ish congregation and

synagogue A synagogue, also called a shul or a temple, is a place of worship for Jews and Samaritans. It is a place for prayer (the main sanctuary and sometimes smaller chapels) where Jews attend religious services or special ceremonies such as wed ...

located at 2100 Westmoreland Street,

Falls Church Falls Church City is an independent city in the Commonwealth of Virginia, United States. As of the 2020 census, the population was 14,658. Falls Church is part of both Northern Virginia and the Washington metropolitan area. As of 2020, it has ...

, in

Fairfax County Fairfax County, officially the County of Fairfax, is a county in the Commonwealth of Virginia. With a population of 1,150,309 as of the 2020 census, it is the most populous county in Virginia, the most populous jurisdiction in the Washington ...

Virginia Virginia, officially the Commonwealth of Virginia, is a U.S. state, state in the Southeastern United States, Southeastern and Mid-Atlantic (United States), Mid-Atlantic regions of the United States between the East Coast of the United States ...

, in the United States. Founded in 1962, it counts a membership of over 1,800 households and is the largest congregation in Virginia.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 t ...

. 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 as the senior rabbi.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'', locally known as ''The'' ''Post'' and, informally, ''WaPo'' or ''WP'', is an American daily newspaper published in Washington, D.C., the national capital. It is the most widely circulated newspaper in the Washington m ...

'', July 25, 1998. Accessed June 21, 2011. The Temple's rabbis are Jeffrey Saxe, and Alexandra Stein. It hired its first

cantor A cantor or chanter is a person who leads people in singing or sometimes in prayer. Cantor as a profession generally refers to those leading a Jewish congregation, although it also applies to the lead singer or choir director in Christian contexts. ...

, Michael Shochet, in 1998. Sydney Michaeli is the associate cantor and Carly Levin Santalone is the student cantor.

Notable members

* Marcus Simon *

Chuck Todd Charles David Todd (born April 8, 1972) is an American television journalist who was the 12th moderator of NBC's ''Meet the Press''. During his time at NBC News between 2007 and 2025, Todd also hosted ''Meet the Press Now'', its daily edition ...

References

External links

*
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 Synagogues completed in 1962 20th-century synagogues in the United States {{US-synagogue-stub