Adas Israel Congregation (Washington, D.C.)
| Adas Israel Congregation | |
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 Location within Washington, D.C.
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| Basic information | |
| Location | 2850 Quebec Street NW, Washington, D.C. |
| Geographic coordinates | 38°56′13″N 77°03′27″W / 38.9369°N 77.0575°WCoordinates: 38°56′13″N 77°03′27″W / 38.9369°N 77.0575°W |
| Affiliation | Conservative Judaism |
| Country | United States of America |
| Status | Active |
| Leadership | Gil Steinlauf |
| Website | http://www.adasisrael.org |
| Architectural description | |
| Architect(s) | Frank Grad and Sons |
| Architectural type | Synagogue |
| Groundbreaking | 1950 |
| Completed | 1951 |
Adas Israel, located in the Cleveland Park neighborhood, is the largest Conservative synagogue in Washington, D.C. President Ulysses S. Grant attended the dedication of its first building in 1876—the first time a sitting United States President had attended a synagogue service. The original structure is the oldest surviving synagogue building in Washington, D.C., and today the Lillian & Albert Small Jewish Museum.
In 1869, about 30 Jewish immigrant families resigned from Washington Hebrew Congregation, the only Jewish congregation then in Washington, D.C., to form a more traditional, or Orthodox, alternative: Adas Israel (Congregation of Israel). These men and women sought a worship service more akin to the one they remembered from Europe, objecting to that congregation's move toward Reform Judaism. For several years, they met in rented rooms and struggled to raise funds to build their own synagogue.
For the Jewish community, Adas Israel was a center of traditional worship. Its constitution affirmed the Orthodox religious practices to which members were committed and forbade religious reforms from ever being made. Prayers were read in Hebrew, with the exception of the prayer for the government, which could be recited in English after being read in Hebrew. A minyan (prayer service attended by at least ten men) took place daily.
As time went on, however, services began to change from the original forms. For example, English was introduced into the services, at first to translate prayers. In the late 1920s, Adas Israel affiliated with the Conservative movement, and has remained a Conservative congregation since. Initially, Adas Israel followed Orthodox tradition with separate seating for men and women, but discontinued the practice in 1951.
Today, Adas Israel “aspires to perpetuate Judaism, to enrich the lives of our members to celebrate Conservative Judaism at its creative best, and to bring Jews closer to God.” Adas Israel is a congregation focused on social consciousness and Jewish activism, sponsoring many community service projects. The congregation also provides many different means of being involved with Judaism. On Shabbat, as many as seven different services are held. These include traditional services, havurah, an egalitarian minyan, potlucks for young professionals, and the Ruach Minyan.
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