Hey guys,
Ben H. here. Last week 3 of us attended an awesome 3-day conference for student activists for Israel. While the sessions and speeches were thought-provoking, the real draw of the conference was the opportunity to newtork with over 400 students from around the country. Yes, there were a lot of Jews (Israel is, after all, a Jewish state). But I met a significant number of non-Jewish attendees who were just as passionate and dedicated to the US-Israel relationship. It was incredible to talk to students from historically-black colleges and Christian universities; democrats and republicans; Ultra-orthodox and Reformniks like myself. I listened to debates about Health Care Reform (the hot topic inside the beltway these days), cap-and-trade, and other matters of foreign policy. I had conversations about everything from political corruption in Illinois and Louisiana, to domestic Israeli policy. The heated political conversations reminded me why Washington, DC is an invigorating place to live.
When it came to the relationship between the US and Israel, however, support was unilateral. We capped off the experience by travelling to Capitol Hill to lobby congressmen about supporting Israel, and taking action on Iran. Seeing the daily grind of the interns there made me glad I chose to avoid the Hill this summer. Despite the enticing menu of the Longworth Cafeteria, the prospect of labeling envelopes, taking calls from angry constituents, and performing other menial tasks was definitely not appealing.
Ultimately, the chance to spend 3 days networking and engaging with accomplished and fascinating students was well worth the time spent out of the office!
MadHatter Happy Hour Part 2
Last night's 2nd happy hour at MadHatter went swimmingly. I think that establishment has become a true DC favorite of mine. We had a great turnout of about 80-100 people, and the conversation flowed through the night. We were pleased that old faces from last time came out again, and brought along some new faces for us to meet. Bartending favorite Soup was replaced by Ben, who was just as nice. We had a great time, and a big thank you to all who came by.
We're looking forward to planning some other events, but this time on a smaller scale. Think: Holocaust Memorial or other museum outing, Shabbat wine and cheese in an apartment, a weekend trip to Eastern Market, or anything else you might have in mind. So let us know! Email, facebook message, tweet @ us...whatever. Just tell us what kinds of things you're interested in, or if you want us to let you know when we're doing this stuff. We'll blog, facebook post, and tweet about it too. Let's live up the last few weeks of the DC summer! (aw, tear).
Signing out for now. Have a great weekend!
We're looking forward to planning some other events, but this time on a smaller scale. Think: Holocaust Memorial or other museum outing, Shabbat wine and cheese in an apartment, a weekend trip to Eastern Market, or anything else you might have in mind. So let us know! Email, facebook message, tweet @ us...whatever. Just tell us what kinds of things you're interested in, or if you want us to let you know when we're doing this stuff. We'll blog, facebook post, and tweet about it too. Let's live up the last few weeks of the DC summer! (aw, tear).
Signing out for now. Have a great weekend!
Happy Hour Pt. 2
Check out our second Happy Hour of the summer this Thursday back at MadHatterDC. Come meet even more Jewish interns!
Check us out on facebook
Check us out on facebook
Friday Night Recap: Barbecue, Blessings, and Bongos at 6th and I
Happy Monday, everyone! That early morning alarm was certainly a brutal reality check after a fun-filled DC weekend.
Friday night, we co-hosted the Summer Intern Shabbat at 6th and I Synagogue. The night began with drinks and appetizers downstairs as interns and young professionals trickled in and mingled before services. The services, led by Rabbi Lauren Holtzblatt from Yale Hillel, were different from any that I had experienced before. By that I mean the rabbi was accompanied by her colleague on the bongos. The atmosphere was inviting and not intimidating, perfect for a crowd filled with many people who do not normally attend Shabbat services, myself included.
After services, we went back downstairs where we were greeted by a barbecue dinner—hamburgers, hot dogs, cole slaw, etc. My burger was delicious despite its lack of cheese (I could never keep Kosher…), and the brownies that came out with dessert were spectacular! We went to work “engaging” the attendees: approaching unfamiliar faces and chatting with friends over beer and wine from the bar. I met a British Jew who taught me all sorts of entertaining British phrases and expressed complete bewilderment at Americans’ usage of “legit” in all manner of situations. By the time 10 pm rolled around, I found myself heading back to Foggy Bottom with three new friends.
The remainder of Friday night was spent at Ultra Bar with my roommate and friends, and Saturday night I had a long-overdue sushi date in Dupont at Uni on P Street. The rest of my weekend was filled with tourist-y activities: American History Museum, Air and Space Museum, National Archives, and Eastern Market to name a few. Oh, and a lot of sleeping in, which explains why 7:15 was really not a fun time to wake up this morning. Fortunately it looks like we have some fun things to look forward to this week! I’ll keep you posted.
-Marisa
Friday night, we co-hosted the Summer Intern Shabbat at 6th and I Synagogue. The night began with drinks and appetizers downstairs as interns and young professionals trickled in and mingled before services. The services, led by Rabbi Lauren Holtzblatt from Yale Hillel, were different from any that I had experienced before. By that I mean the rabbi was accompanied by her colleague on the bongos. The atmosphere was inviting and not intimidating, perfect for a crowd filled with many people who do not normally attend Shabbat services, myself included.
After services, we went back downstairs where we were greeted by a barbecue dinner—hamburgers, hot dogs, cole slaw, etc. My burger was delicious despite its lack of cheese (I could never keep Kosher…), and the brownies that came out with dessert were spectacular! We went to work “engaging” the attendees: approaching unfamiliar faces and chatting with friends over beer and wine from the bar. I met a British Jew who taught me all sorts of entertaining British phrases and expressed complete bewilderment at Americans’ usage of “legit” in all manner of situations. By the time 10 pm rolled around, I found myself heading back to Foggy Bottom with three new friends.
The remainder of Friday night was spent at Ultra Bar with my roommate and friends, and Saturday night I had a long-overdue sushi date in Dupont at Uni on P Street. The rest of my weekend was filled with tourist-y activities: American History Museum, Air and Space Museum, National Archives, and Eastern Market to name a few. Oh, and a lot of sleeping in, which explains why 7:15 was really not a fun time to wake up this morning. Fortunately it looks like we have some fun things to look forward to this week! I’ll keep you posted.
-Marisa
Thursday Night in DC: 500 Days of the Real World
Hey guys. Ben here. Last night was one of the more interesting nights of my summer so far. Even though the cherry blossoms happen in April, July is when DC is in full bloom. I started off the night in Friendship Heights for a sneak preview of "500 Days of Summer" with a friend. Some obnoxious radio personality was hosting, so we had to sit through 20 minutes of really, really awful jokes. Thankfully, the movie was pretty good. The director poked fun at and embraced the romantic comedy stereotypes, but ultimately the message was pretty mature without being overly dark or depressing. Added bonus: the soundtrack was chocked full of Belle & Sebastian, Regina Spektor, and the Smiths.
After, I ventured to a childhood favorite, Zorba's, in Dupont. This is possibly the best place to get spanakopita outside of Greece. They have a great outside terrace that was, of course, packed at 10PM on a Thursday night.
Following that, I met some friends for some low-key drinks. The bar we picked was chill and had a great atmosphere...until "The Real World: DC" cast showed up with camera men in tow. The bar then became the spot, as people texted their friends and all of DC showed up to watch the "fights" unfold. Still, it was pretty exciting.
Tonight we are checking out Shabbat at 6th and I. Check back next week for the story!
After, I ventured to a childhood favorite, Zorba's, in Dupont. This is possibly the best place to get spanakopita outside of Greece. They have a great outside terrace that was, of course, packed at 10PM on a Thursday night.
Following that, I met some friends for some low-key drinks. The bar we picked was chill and had a great atmosphere...until "The Real World: DC" cast showed up with camera men in tow. The bar then became the spot, as people texted their friends and all of DC showed up to watch the "fights" unfold. Still, it was pretty exciting.
Tonight we are checking out Shabbat at 6th and I. Check back next week for the story!
Shabbat!
The 5 of us are going to be spending Shabbat together for the first time tomorrow at the 6th and I synagogue near Chinatown. Come to celebrate Shabbat and meet other college-age students working in DC for the summer.
There's going to be cocktails, followed by services, then a barbeque dinner (‽) so we're pretty pumped. Dinner and drinks (alcoholic) is $9 per person, and only $6 if you plan on just eating dinner. You can register online here, or just pay at the door.
There's going to be cocktails, followed by services, then a barbeque dinner (‽) so we're pretty pumped. Dinner and drinks (alcoholic) is $9 per person, and only $6 if you plan on just eating dinner. You can register online here, or just pay at the door.
Cocktails start at 6:45, with services at 7:15 and dinner at 8:15.
In other news, we have been perfecting the art of interrobang (‽) usage. It's the punctuation mark that is for people who are too cool for an exclamation point and question mark. Unfortunately, it is also too cool for most standard keyboards. If you want to use it, play it old school with copy/paste.
Hope to see you tomorrow!
-The Interns
Happy Hour Success!
After a week of planning, we are happy to report that the Happy Hour was a great success. Due to delays on the red line, we decided to walk from Chinatown to the bar in the Golden Triangle (just south of Dupont Circle). When we arrived at MadHatter, we discovered that Mickey, the bar owner, was not there. He had left us in the hands of “Soup”, possibly the best bartender in the District. The bar, as we had discovered on our first trip there, was quiet in comparison to other Happy Hour places in DC. We thought that our anticipated number of 50 interns would fit comfortably in the empty chairs and barstools.
Then people started to arrive. And then more people showed up. And their friends came too. By 5:45, the bar was starting to get a little cramped. By 6, it was impossible to move. We were happy to see our friend groups interact with one another, but we were ecstatic when we realized how many people none of us had ever met before! There were interns from dozens of places around the city, including the Hill, AIPAC, the Religious Action Center, Interpol, and even the White House. We even met a group of British interns who are living in DC as a part of a political summer program. While the size of the crowd limited our ability to sign people in, it looked like everybody was having a good time. Even Soup seemed to be enjoying himself in a crowd of college-age Jews.
After planning for 50, the crowd exceeded 100 when all was said and done. When people left they asked us,
“So, when’s the next one?”
Don’t worry. We’ll keep you posted.
Happy 4th of July
-The Interns
Then people started to arrive. And then more people showed up. And their friends came too. By 5:45, the bar was starting to get a little cramped. By 6, it was impossible to move. We were happy to see our friend groups interact with one another, but we were ecstatic when we realized how many people none of us had ever met before! There were interns from dozens of places around the city, including the Hill, AIPAC, the Religious Action Center, Interpol, and even the White House. We even met a group of British interns who are living in DC as a part of a political summer program. While the size of the crowd limited our ability to sign people in, it looked like everybody was having a good time. Even Soup seemed to be enjoying himself in a crowd of college-age Jews.
After planning for 50, the crowd exceeded 100 when all was said and done. When people left they asked us,
“So, when’s the next one?”
Don’t worry. We’ll keep you posted.
Happy 4th of July
-The Interns
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