Adas Israel Congregation, located in Washington, DC, has a long history of commitment to the community and to social justice. Founded in 1869, the Congregation is involved in a number of community projects. The Congregation supports through volunteerism and donations S.O.M.E. (So Others Might Eat) a social service agency devoted to providing housing, food, clothing, and other essentials to the poor, and N Street Village, another social service agency that provides housing, medical care, food, and other services to homeless women. Adas Israel also was instrumental in founding Anne Frank House, which provides housing for mentally ill adults. The Congregation is a partner with People’s Congregational United Church of Christ in providing food packages for the poor prior to Thanksgiving and Christmas. Adas Israel also works with Yahad, a local agency that renovates homes and buildings for the poor. Adas Israel has been a supporter and member of the Darfur Interfaith Network, standing as witnesses in front of the Sudanese Embassy once a month. This year, the Congregation will be marking Freedom Shabbat during the holiday of Passover by inviting a Darfuri to speak about the violence and slavery that goes in the Sudan.

For more info, visit www.adasisrael.org.

Hillel at the University of Washington has a history of dedication to service and repairing the world. From baking Challah for Justice to spending Alternative Breaks serving communities across the world to feeding homeless teens, this community provides Jewish students and young adults with opportunities to connect with and serve those near and far while exploring their own personal Jewish identities. Hillel is a place where Jews of all types are welcome, though its reach is certainly not exclusive to the Jewish community; many of its programming involves interfaith interaction and connects Jews to the needy across the world including leadership on Freedom Shabbat. Members of the Hillel community have attended the Global Forum on Human Trafficking the last two years and plan to continue their involvement in finding solutions to slavery around the world.

For more info, visit www.hilleluw.org.