Purim is the wildly joyful holiday where we celebrate the story of Esther, costumes, and courageous laughter in the face of fear. It may have just passed, but its wildly joyful spirit is still very much alive, so join us to continue embracing it together in Queer community.

We will explore the Queerness of the holiday with some special learning and a Shabbat feast surrounded by friends, new and old. These times are tough for so many of us. Let us lean into both community and our Jewish tradition, which teaches us to seek out the moments of joy even in the darkest of times!

No experience necessary. Come as you are, but costumes are welcome and highly encouraged! This gathering is open to everyone who identifies as LGBT+. Specific location and additional details will be shared with registrants after the registration deadline.

Led by Heather Brody, Den member and Fellow in the Den’s Sacred Facilitators Fellowship (Cohort I), a leadership training program cultivating skilled guides of sacred learning, ritual, and communal presence at the Den.

We have reached full capacity for this gathering and look forward to seeing you at a future Den gathering!

A Seder is the ritual meal that marks the start of Passover (Pesach), where we retell the Exodus story, share symbolic foods, and make the journey from slavery to freedom together around the table.

If you’ve ever wanted to host a Seder but felt overwhelmed by where to begin, this gathering is for you. Join us for a relaxed, hands-on evening where we'll demystify the art of hosting Passover!

Whether you're planning your first Seder or looking to refresh your approach, this gathering will walk you through everything you need to know: from setting the table and creating a welcoming atmosphere to leading the rituals and making it meaningful for your guests. We'll cover the basics, share practical tips, and answer all your questions in a judgment-free space. New to Passover traditions? Perfectly welcome! Seasoned host looking for fresh ideas? Come share your wisdom!

No experience necessary. Everyone is welcome. Specific location and additional details will be shared with registrants after the registration deadline.

Led by Dani Schneider, Den member and Fellow in the Den’s Sacred Facilitators Fellowship (Cohort I), a leadership training program cultivating skilled guides of sacred learning, ritual, and communal presence at the Den.

We have reached full capacity for this gathering and look forward to seeing you at a future Den gathering!

Join fellow men and male-identifying folks at the Den for an evening of meaningful connection, good conversation, and shared reflection. Mifgash, Hebrew for gathering or encounter, invites us to come together in openness and curiosity, to connect with one another, explore what feels most relevant and nourishing in this season, and imagine what future gatherings might hold. This Mifgash will center around Tu B'Shevat.

Come as you are, no experience needed, only curiosity, openness, and a willingness to connect with others. Specific location and additional details will be shared with registrants after the registration deadline.

Led by Den members, Ethan Litvin and Richard Swanson.

We have reached full capacity for this gathering and look forward to seeing you at another Den gathering!

Join us for a magical evening of soulful music and connection as we come together for a beloved gathering at the Den, where together we curate a spirited communal singing experience. We will gather for singing and communal Havdalah (end of Shabbat ritual) held and led by the Den Music Team (Michael Berkson, Maxwell Thompson, Ben Wacks, and Rabbi Aderet). We will come together for this soulful evening of communal singing and enjoy lite refreshements.

No experience necessary. Everyone is welcome. We will gather in North Bethesda, MD. Specific location and additional details will be shared with registrants after the registration deadline.

***To help cover the costs for this gathering, please click here to make an $18 contribution that supports the Den (please write “Den Vibes 2/14/2026” in the notes) and helps us create these and future gatherings. If this is cost prohibitive, please make a contribution that you are comfortable with. A contribution is not required to participate.***

We look forward to gathering together with you!

We have reached full capacity for this gathering. We look forward to seeing you at a future Den gathering!

Join us for a special Shabbat celebrating reproductive freedom, bodily autonomy, and the power of community. This gathering is for women and female-identifying folks to connect, reflect, and affirm our right to make our own choices about our bodies and our futures.

We'll welcome Shabbat together with ritual, song, and open-hearted conversation that honors the many ways we live our lives. Whether you’re childfree by choice, navigating healthcare decisions, passionate about reproductive justice, or simply seeking meaningful connection, this space is for you.

Vegetarian dinner will be served. Come as you are—everyone’s experiences, perspectives, and stories are welcome. Held in Silver Spring, MD, specific location and additional details will be shared with registrants after the registration deadline.

We have reached full capacity for this gathering. We hope to see you at another Den gathering!

A Tu B'Shevat Seder is a Kabbalistic tradition where people come together to celebrate Tu B'Shevat, the Jewish holiday marking the new year of the trees. Whether you’re new to this holiday or a lifelong tree lover, join us for an afternoon of connection, reflection, and delight. We’ll engage in some learning and discussion, exploring Jewish wisdom and texts, while noshing on seasonal fruits—and maybe even hugging a tree or two!

No experience necessary. Everyone is welcome. Specific location and additional details will be shared with registrants after the registration deadline.

Led by Heather Brody, Den member and Fellow in the Den’s Sacred Facilitators Fellowship (Cohort I), a leadership training program cultivating skilled guides of sacred learning, ritual, and communal presence at the Den.

We have reached full capacity for this gathering and hope to see you at a future Den gathering.

Join Rabbi Aderet for Awakened Heart, a holistic and soulful mindfulness experience that will take us on an individual journey from being present to what is in our hearts to connecting with the community around us. Together, we will foster a space to deepen care for ourselves - mind, body, heart, and soul. Grounding in Torah learning, mindfulness meditation, and sacred chanting, we will move through our soulful and uplifting Shabbat contemplative service together.

No experience necessary. Everyone is welcome. You are invited to dress in comfortable clothing. 

We will gather in a location in Chevy Chase, MD. Following the Awakened Heart Shabbat Morning Experience, participants are invited to stay for a larger communal Shabbat experience, which includes sharing in a Shabbat Kiddush Lunch.

Specific location and additional details will be shared with registrants after the registration deadline.

Registration is now closed. We hope to see you at a future Den gathering

Join Rabbi Aderet, At The Well Founder and CEO Sarah Waxman, and Jewish Fertility Foundation Greater DC Program Manager Shannon Rubin for a gentle evening of listening and tender presence. In this gathering, we will hold community around the pain, hope, and resilience that comes with fertility challenges and pregnancy loss.

Pregnancy loss and infertility are among the most tender, complex experiences many people face, yet they are often carried in silence. Judaism, however, does not turn away from this pain. Our tradition lifts up the stories of Hannah and Sarah, honoring their longing, heartbreak, and resilience, and reminding us that  yearning, grief, hope, and healing are all part of a deeply human spiritual journey.

Join us for an evening of compassionate community, gentle ritual, and Jewish wisdom as we create a brave, sacred space for anyone navigating these experiences, either currently or in the past.

Together, we will ground ourselves, learn from sacred stories, reflect in small groups, and explore Jewish healing practices, including the mikvah, a ritual bath for reflection and renewal, as tools for emotional, spiritual, and communal support.

🌙 What to Expect 

✨ During this Gathering, You Will Experience:

🌿 A Warm Welcome & Framing

📖 Grounding in Jewish Text + Teaching 

🤝 Small Group Reflection 

💧 An Introduction to the Mikvah as Healing Practice

🌱 Connection + Resource Sharing 

Leave feeling held in deep care, tenderness, and belonging.

* Participants will have the opportunity to learn about the mikvah as a healing practice and may view a mikvah, but will not immerse during the evening.

🕯️ Who This Gathering Is For:

This evening is designed for anyone who has experienced pregnancy loss, infertility, or related challenges recently or at any point throughout their lives. We welcome people of all identities, backgrounds, and levels of Jewish knowledge.

This gathering is in partnership with the Den Collective, the Edlavitch DCJCC Parenting Center, the Jewish Fertility Foundation, and At The Well

Join Rabbi Aderet as we explore contemplative traditions such as Hitbodedut—a personal, spontaneous conversation with God or your inner self—and reflect on Jewish texts and liturgy to discover practices that nurture meaning, hope, and resilience. There will be time for guided meditation, personal reflection, and experiential practice, giving you tools to cultivate calm, set intentions, and strengthen your inner resources.

Together, we’ll build a sacred space to pause, breathe, and reconnect—with yourself, with ancient and modern Jewish practices, and with a supportive community. As we approach Hanukkah, we’ll draw inspiration from its themes of light in the darkness and hope that endures, exploring how we can bring those lessons into our own lives.

No prior experience is necessary. Please wear comfortable clothing and bring a yoga mat or towel if you are able. Location will be shared with registered participants. Everyone is welcome!

We have reached full capacity for this gathering! We look forward to being together with you at an upcoming Den gathering.

Gather for a Den Cubs Hanukkah celebration with other Den parents with young children from across Northern Virginia, DC, and Maryland. Come together for a joyful community Hanukkah gathering where you’ll connect with old friends, meet new ones, and enjoy latkes, jelly donuts, snacks, and arts and crafts for the kiddos.

This Hanukkah gathering will take place at a location in Northern Virginia.

Specific location and additional details will only be shared with registrants after the registration deadline, so please be sure to sign up by Dec. 6th!

Join fellow men and male-identifying folks at the Den for an evening of meaningful connection, good conversation, and shared reflection. Mifgash, Hebrew for gathering or encounter, invites us to come together in openness and curiosity, to connect with one another, explore what feels most relevant and nourishing in this season, and imagine what future gatherings might hold.

This first Mifgash is designed to be both social and exploratory, an opportunity to meet others who share an interest in gathering as men within the Den community, and to be part of shaping what comes next. Come as you are, no preparation or background needed, just curiosity, openness, and a willingness to connect with others and share ideas. 

We are grateful to Den members, Ethan Litvin and Richard Swanson, for organizing this first gathering. We will meet at a location in Silver Spring, Maryland. Address and details will be shared with registrants after the sign up date. 

Join Rabbi Aderet for a reflective and engaging class exploring how behaviors, values, and traditions flow from one generation to the next. Using the stories of the patriarchs and matriarchs, we’ll examine both the blessings and the challenges that shape family dynamics—from favoritism and miscommunication to acts of care and love. Together, we’ll uncover what we inherit, what we choose to pass on, and how mindful awareness can help us break unhelpful patterns while strengthening the legacy of hope, connection, and meaning for future generations.

No prior experience needed. We’ll gather in a central location to those registered. Address will be shared with registrants. Everyone welcome.

In our liturgy, Sukkot is referred to as Z'man Simchateinu, the Season of our Rejoicing. Join Rabbi Aderet for a special evening, where we will explore new ways to access and creatively express our joy - even amid challenging times - through learning, creating art, mindful contemplation, and more! We’ll gather outdoors and under the stars in a Sukkah together for an evening of meaningful connection. Everyone Welcome.

We have reached full capacity for this gathering. We look forward to seeing you at a future Den gathering!

Join the Den for our annual Kayaking Tashlich experience on the Potomac River. The ritual of Tashlich, or “casting away”, is conducted during the Ten Days between the start of Rosh Hashana and the beginning of Yom Kippur. We’ll kayak out together to a location on the Potomac River where Rabbi Aderet will guide us through this powerful and meaningful ritual. You are then invited to enjoy the riverside scenery and find a spot to eat lunch together with other community members. Location shared with registrants. All are welcome!

Location and kayak booking information will be shared with registrants after the sign-up deadline. 

Please note: In line with our updated security policy, only those who register by the sign up date will be given the opportunity to book a kayak and join this gathering. Location details will be shared closer to the event date. Thank you for your understanding.

We have reached full capacity for this gathering. We look forward to seeing you at a future Den gathering!

Jewish mystics retreated into nature as a way to experience a more profound sense of intention and attention to their lives. We’ll be guided on our hikes by our very own “hike captains” (nature lovin’ folks from the Den), followed by learning and discussion to get us warmed up for the High Holy Day season.

Meeting location will be shared with registrants; hikes will be centrally located and transit-accessible. No experience necessary. All are welcome! BYO snack + water bottle.

In accordance with our updated security guidelines, location details will be shared with registrants after registration has closed and closer to the event date.

We have reached full capacity for this gathering. We look forward to seeing you at a future Den gathering!

Join us for an intimate evening of deep connection, sweet challah baking, and exploration of Jewish teachings! We'll be joined by Rachel Jacobs from Walla Challah, who will guide us as as we braid and bake our round and sweet Rosh Hashana challahs. As our challahs bake in the oven, we’ll gather together with Rabbi Aderet for a dynamic learning and discussion touching on the themes of the High Holy Day season. You’ll take home your freshly baked challah bread to enjoy over the holiday (or on the way home… we won't judge ;)

We will gather in Bethesda, MD in a Metro accessible location. All are welcome.

To help cover the costs for this gathering, please click here to make a $20 contribution that supports the Den and helps us continue to create these and future offerings. If the amount is cost prohibitive, please make a meaningful contribution that you are comfortable with. Thank you!

How to Join Us:

1. Sign up below by Sept. 12 to reserve your spot.

2. Please make your $20 contribution to the Den by Sept. 12—your gift sustains this gathering and helps us offer future gatherings for our community.

Once you’ve signed up and contributed, we’ll send you the address and all the details you’ll need after Sept. 12.

Thank you for being part of creating this and future experiences with us!

We have reached full capacity for this gathering. We look forward to seeing you at a future Den gathering!

Jewish mystics retreated into nature as a way to experience a more profound sense of intention and attention to their lives. We’ll be guided on our hikes by our very own “hike captains” (nature lovin’ folks from the Den), followed by learning and discussion to get us warmed up for the High Holy Day season.

Meeting location will be shared with registrants; hikes will be centrally located and transit-accessible. No experience necessary. All are welcome! BYO snack + water bottle.

We have reached full capacity for this gathering. We look forward to seeing you at a future Den gathering!

Selichot = Prayers asking for forgiveness. On the Saturday night before we move into the new year, it is an ancient custom to enter the week of the High Holy Days with the tunes of the season in our ears and on our hearts. Everyone is invited to join us for this in-person Selichot Service experience, complete with havdalah marking the end of Shabbat and soulful singing with members of our Den Music Team.

We will gather at a location in DC, specific location will be shared with registrants. Everyone is welcome.

We have reached full capacity for this gathering. We look forward to seeing you at a future Den gathering!

We are thrilled to support Sarah Hurwtiz, member of the Den’s Advisory Council, and the release of her forthcoming book, As a Jew: Reclaiming Our Story from Those Who Blame, Shame, and Try to Erase Us. In her book, the former head speechwriter for First Lady Michelle Obama and author of Here All Along documents her quest to take back her Jewish identity and unearth the treasures of Jewish tradition.

The Den Collective is proud to be a promotional partner, along with Jewish Federation of Greater Washington, the EDCJCC, Charles and Lynn Schusterman Family Philanthropies, GatherDC, and Adas Israel Congregation.

All books will be pre-signed by the author. A book signing will follow the event for those who would like their book personalized.

Jewish mystics retreated into nature as a way to experience a more profound sense of intention and attention to their lives. We’ll be guided on our hikes by our very own “hike captains” (nature lovin’ folks from the Den), followed by learning and discussion to get us warmed up for the High Holy Day season.

Meeting location will be shared with registrants; hikes will be centrally located and transit-accessible. No experience necessary. All are welcome! BYO snack + water bottle.

We have reached full capacity for this gathering. We look forward to seeing you at a future Den gathering!

Join Maxwell Thompson, Den community member and Den Music Team member, for a fresh take on the High Holy Days through a full listening of Leonard Bernstein’s Symphony No. 3 “Kaddish” with open ears, hearts, and minds.

We will gather for an evening of music, art, and spirited discussion in a location in Silver Spring, MD (address shared with registrants). No music experience needed; all are welcome!

We have reached full capacity for this gathering. We look forward to seeing you at a future Den gathering!

Celebrate WorldPride DC 2025 at the Capital Jewish Museum after hours with the launch of our new special exhibition, LGBTJews in the Federal City. Discover stories of LGBTQ+ Jewish Washington with curator spotlight talks, enjoy drag performances, sip on a lavender gin and tonic, show your pride by making your own button, and get bedazzled with SparkleLynn Designs.

Proudly co-sponsored by the Den alongside GatherDC, GLOE, The Kurlander Program for GLBTQ Outreach & Engagement, and Washington Hebrew Congregation LGTBQ+ Affinity Group.

Wind down your day with Rabbi Emmanuel and the Den with a summer evening stroll through the monument along the National Mall—one of DC’s best after-work traditions. A chance to make new friends or reconnect with familiar faces, we'll go for a leisurely, scenic stroll with a mid-break rest for Jewish learning and meaningful conversation. In keeping with our historic surroundings, we’ll explore Jewish texts on leadership and collective memory—focusing on the curious question of why the Torah records that no monument was built for its greatest leader: Moses.

We will gather at a Metro accessible location on the National Mall. All are welcome, with no prior experience necessary. Meet up spot will be shared with registrants.

In the era of the internet and social media, questions about speech, truth, and misinformation are more pressing than ever. Join Rabbi Emmanuel and Den member Rebecca Barabas for a learning session exploring the intersection of misinformation and the Jewish ethical tradition of lashon hara—often translated as “gossip,” but more broadly understood as a call to mindful and responsible speech. Together, we’ll delve into Jewish wisdom on communication, trust, and the power of words, with reflections on how these teachings resonate in our lives today.

We will gather in a Metro accessible location in Central DC. All are welcome, with no prior experience necessary. Address will be shared with registrants.

In Jewish tradition, we prefer to say l’hitraot, meaning “see you again,” rather than goodbye. Saying goodbye sounds too final; we’d rather say farewell, knowing and hoping that our paths will cross again.

Please join us to share farewell and blessings with Rabbi Emmanuel as he heads off to his next adventure. We are grateful for the ways Rabbi Emmanuel has served the Den Collective community this past year, and we hope you’ll join us for this special evening.

We’ll gather at a great spot in NoVA on Thursday, June 5th, 2025 @ 5-7pm to say l’chayim (cheers to life) and l’hitraot (farewell)!

All are welcome. Location and details will be shared with registrants.

Join the Den and Rabbi Emmanuel for a relaxed and meaningful Sunday morning for brunch and learning with lots of opportunities for meaningful conversations and connections with fellow community members. 

We’ll spread out on blankets, share bagels, coffee, and treats while we dive into questions about keeping kosher. Together we'll explore both the “what”—what’s traditionally in, what’s traditionally out—and the “why”: what deeper meanings and motivations shape the diverse ways people keep kosher today? As we gather on the eve of Shavuot—the holiday that celebrates receiving the Torah—we’ll study one of the Torah’s most enduring and multifaceted practices through a range of perspectives and values.

All are welcome—whether you keep kosher, don’t, are skeptical, enthusiastic, curious, or questioning—or all of the above! No prior experience necessary. We will gather at a location in Arlington, VA that is Metro accessible. Exact meet up location will be shared with registrants. 

To help cover the costs for this gathering, please click here to make a $18 contribution that supports the Den and helps us continue to create these and future opportunities to gather together. All are welcome. If the amount is cost prohibitive, please make a contribution that you are comfortable with. A contribution is not required to participate.

Rosh Chodesh celebrates the passage of Jewish time with the arrival of a new Hebrew month, offering us a chance to renew, craft an intention or "kavanah" for the month ahead, and gather in community.

Led by Den members Heather Brody and Maxwell Thompson, this gathering is intended for all 20's-30's-40's who identify as LGBTQ+ to come together in community. We’ll celebrate the month of Sivan through our connections with one another, as well as art-making, text study, and intention-setting for the new month. 

No prior experience is required. We will gather at a metro accessible location in DC. Address will be shared with registrants.