Connecting & Caring

BJC is more than a synagogue, it's a community. Learn here about the ways we reach out.

Members of Bethesda Jewish Congregation and Bradley Hills Presbyterian Church nurture connections between the two congregations throughout the year through joint service projects and interfaith activities. The Inter-congregational Partnership Committee, or IPC, was formed in 2002 and now often includes members from area mosques.

THE IPC’S STANDING ANNUAL EVENTS:

• Thanksgiving service led jointly by the clergy of BJC and BHPC and by clergy or lay leaders of an area Muslim community (these have included Idara-e-Jaferia Islamic Center of Burtonsville, the International Cultural Center of Montgomery Village, the Islamic Community Center of Potomac)—for adults and children, including a children’s service and fundraising for a charitable organization, followed by lunch
• Pulpit exchange BHPC’s Reverend Gray or Reverend Phillips gives a sermon on the bimah at a Friday night service at BJC, and Rabbi Schnitzer speaks from BHPC’s altar during a Sunday church service
• Speaker and discussion programs on subjects of national, international, and interreligious interest, such as the program New Story Leadership
• Joint service projects such as house building and renovation projects with Habitat for Humanity of Metro Maryland, grounds cleaning and planting at the National Center for Children and Families in Bethesda
• Awareness-raising programs in support of the people of Darfur and gun violence prevention
• Grounds cleaning and planting at 6601 Bradley Boulevard, where BJC and BHPC share a place of worship and learning

The IPC invites you to join in conceiving, planning, and executing events that nurture connections between BJC and BHPC and advance our shared interests. To learn more or find out about our next meeting, please contact the chair of the IPC, Marty Ganzglass.