Spotlight on SEA Change

Five years ago, WHC and B’nai Israel congregants teamed up with JOIN for Justice for training sessions and actions around racial justice and inclusion, and called the group SEA (Study, Engage, Act) Change. Since then, training has expanded to Boston, Atlanta, and 12 more synagogues in the DMV.

We see the impact these training sessions have had. Our Greeter Corps has grown into a dedicated group of 24 Temple members who warmly welcome everyone who enters our synagogue on Friday evenings, during the High Holy Days, and at special events, making everyone feel seen and included. Wearing a name tag on Shabbat has become the norm for members and guests alike, and we now offer special name tags for people who are celebrating a simcha.

In April, we launched a new social justice discussion series following Shabbat services, featuring a different topic on the second Friday of each month. Our first conversation was on the Pay Equity Fund for early childhood educators in D.C., where we learned how WHC’s early childhood teachers benefit, and that its full funding was being threatened. WHC sent emails to D.C. councilmembers and a few WHC members submitted testimony in favor of increased funding. And we were able to secure the increase! 

Subsequent topics have included education about paid family and medical leave laws, immigration rights, and LGBTQ+ inclusion. Our January and February discussions will be around ensuring accessibility and inclusion for our congregants with disabilities.

SEA Change members have been involved in planning special Shabbat services for Jewish Disability Awareness and Inclusion Month, Pride Month, and Juneteenth, with congregants giving inspiring testimonials at all three services. In conjunction with the WHC Israel Engagement Committee, we helped plan a very well attended Yom Kippur study session on the different forms of Zionism. The session was informative and ensured that WHC is a brave space where we can hold civil conversations about Israel.

We also attained a number of victories with our outside partners Action in Montgomery (AIM), an interfaith, non-partisan, multi-racial community organizing group, and Jews United for Justice (JUFJ). Further, we renewed a more active involvement in the Washington Interfaith Network (WIN) and began a relationship with Virginians Organized for Interfaith Community Engagement (VOICE). Among our victories, we grew the number of Pre-K spaces and afterschool programs in Montgomery County’s Title I schools. 

WHC congregants also participated in Advocacy Days in D.C., Rockville, and Annapolis, which included delivering Purim bags to legislators decorated by our WHC toddlers and filled with goodies!

Most recently, we have been conducting listening sessions with other SEA Change congregations and with some AIM churches to help AIM set its 2026 priorities. We have been asking WHC congregants: What challenges are keeping you, your family, or your community from thriving? We have found great commonality in the issues that have been discussed: safety concerns in churches, synagogues, and schools, affordability in housing, childcare, and health insurance; job loss; the prevalence of negative social media influences on our teenagers creating feelings of isolation; the loss of civil discourse; fears of immigration crackdowns; a rise in hatred toward marginalized communities; and a fear of democratic rights slipping away. We also discussed ways of working together to overcome these obstacles in 2026.

If you are interested in joining SEA Changers in these activities in 2026, please email Laura Loeb,
LauraELoeb@gmail.com or Linda Adams, adblatt@msn.com.