THE NEW YORK TIMES
By Noah Weiland
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| The synagogue reopened in 2004 after serving as a Methodist church and nearly becoming a night club. Credit Jared Soares for The New York Times |
WASHINGTON, DC---On a wet night in August, in a bare room in the basement of the Sixth and I synagogue, one of Washington’s oldest, the comedian Joe Mande was preparing backstage for his stand-up set. While other Jewish organizations have tried a culture-centric model — the 92nd Street Y in New York is perhaps the best-known example —
Sixth and I’s blend of the religious and the artistic has become a local template, a convergence of intellectual and spiritual currents that has helped shape the character of Judaism in Washington. At a time when young Jews see synagogue affiliations as less of a social obligation, Sixth and I’s nonmembership, ticketed model has given them a way to be spiritually self-structured, to come and go, to pay by the activity.[
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| The Sixth and I Historic Synagogue’s blend of the religious and the artistic has helped shape the character of Judaism in Washington. Credit Jared Soares for The New York Times |
