A Message from Saul Newman
The Kemp Mill Synagogue (KMS), a Modern Orthodox synagogue, was founded in 1990 in Silver Spring, Maryland, a suburb of Washington, DC. The neighborhood of Kemp Mill has several Orthodox synagogues. Current KMS membership is composed of well over 350 families.
Kemp Mill supports a vibrant Orthodox Jewish infrastructure, which includes an eruv; two mikvaot (including the new Wallerstein Mikvah next door to KMS) and two keilim mikvaot; kosher establishments (two restaurants, a pizza shop, a bakery, a full-size supermarket, and a candy store); and a Jewish book store.
Minyanim at KMS are notable for a seriousness of purpose and devotion to Kavod HaTorah and Kedushat HaMakom. We are committed to quiet tefillah and proper decorum in the synagogue. KMS holds daily minyanim during the week, two minyanim on Friday night (including a youth-led Ruach Minyan), and four shacharit minyanim on Shabbat morning (including a youth minyan). The KMS Women’s Tefillah Group meets monthly at KMS for mincha on Shabbat mevarchim, and at the request of families celebrating a bat mitzvah or a Shabbat kallah.
We welcome men’s and women’s participation in the religious life of our shul within a Modern Orthodox halachic framework. There are an approximately equal number of seats for men and women in every venue where services are conducted, and women are represented on the KMS Ritual Committee. Women dance with a Sefer Torah on Simchat Torah. We encourage broad participation by as many individuals as possible in all shul activities.
At KMS, we seek to promote an approach to original sources that courageously and honestly deals with issues of faith, morality, and application of Jewish law and tradition to situations that arise in our lives. It is a valued tradition at KMS that the Rabbi, KMS members (male and female), and bar mitzvah boys and bat mitzvah girls regularly deliver divrei Torah from the pulpit after the completion of tefillot on Shabbat morning. We also extend invitations to male and female scholars in residence several times each year.
From its inception, KMS has stressed an activist approach to the shul’s operation and organization of activities. The Kiddush Committees feature a rotation of the entire membership with responsibility for setting up before, and cleaning up after, Kiddush. The majority of programming offered by KMS is organized and run by volunteers who devote their time and energy to these programs. Men and women serve in all synagogue lay leadership roles.
The synagogue takes seriously the responsibility to provide our junior members with a meaningful, positive and inspiring shul and religious experience including a robust Youth Minyan Shabbat morning, a Youth Governance Committee, a vibrant Bnei Akiva youth program, youth groups for our youngest members on Shabbat morning, and divrei Torah from youth, adult leaders and the Rabbi at the Youth Minyan. Quality, age-appropriate Shabbat and Yom Tov programming is given high priority in budgetary and space resource allocation. The Youth Minyan, which is run by adolescents, is as important as any other minyan in the synagogue.
KMS is dedicated to the support of the State of Israel. We regularly feature speakers and conduct symposiums addressing issues relevant to current events in Israel and the world at large. Hallel is recited with a brachah on Yom HaAtzmaut and Yom Yerushalayim. We welcome into our midst the members of the MJBHA Torah MiTzion Kollel, as well as many Israeli families who reside in the Washington area while on sabbatical or government assignment.
If you are thinking of moving to our community or getting more involved in KMS please reach out to me at president@kmsynagogue.org or Rabbi Brahm Weinberg at rabbi@kmsynagogue.org.
Thank you for your interest in KMS.
Sincerely,
Saul Newman
President
KMS is governed by an eight-member Executive Committee and a larger Board of Directors.
The Executive Committee meets frequently (usually twice a month) and the Board of Directors meets quarterly.
View Board and Executive Committee Member List
View KMS' Expectations for Board Membership