Fabrangen was founded in 1971. Below are some important dates in the life of our community.
Watch the Oral Histories from the Jewish Counterculture History Project for an in-depth look at Fabrangen’s origins and the beginning of the Havurah movement.
| 1970 | Concept Paper 1: A New Jewish Community by Rob Agus and Paul Ruttkay, Summer 1970 |
| Proposal to the UJA Federation of Washington: Fabrangen: A Jewish Free Cultural Center; $15,000 grant awarded for 6 months | |
| Fabrangen Incorporated | |
| 1971 | First Fabrangen Service – January 30, 1971 (Parshat Bo) 2158 Florida Avenue NW |
| Fabrangen holds Summer Institute – 6-week intensive study program | |
| Fabrangen helps organize anti-Vietnam War rally and provides shelter for out-of-town participants | |
| Fabrangen Fiddlers release first album (Souljoy) | |
| 1972 | Move to 1627 21st Street NW (Winter) |
| Despite loss of funding, Fabrangen continues outreach with free High Holiday services, communal Seder, Simchat Torah & Purim celebrations | |
| First Fabrangen wedding – Diana Stark & Alan Oresky | |
| Move to UAHC, 2027 Massachusetts Ave. NW | |
| 1973 | Fabrangen women’s groups established |
| First adult B’not Mitzvah at Fabrangen and first women to leyn Torah – Chava Weissler & Sarah Elpern | |
| Fabrangen Cheder founded | |
| 1975 | Tzedek Tzedek Coffee House |
| Fabrangen Tzedakah Collective established | |
| 1976 | First Fabrangen Bat Mitzvah – Toba Spitzer |
| 1977 | First Coordinator hired – Ira Cohen |
| Co-sponsored first Jewish Folk Arts Festival | |
| 1978 | Jewish Study Center launched; successor to Lehrhaus of 1973 |
| Fabrangen organizes conference to commemorate the 100th anniversary of the birth of Martin Buber | |
| 1980 | Helped found National Havurah Committee |
| Started providing monthly meals to S.O.M.E. (Chevrat Tzedakah) | |
| 1981 | 10th Anniversary celebration at Temple Sinai |
| 1982 | Torah acquired |
| 1983 | Membership dues established |
| 1984 | Fabrangen’s children program started |
| Fabrangen celebrates its Bar/Bat Mitzvah year | |
| 1985 | Community decision to customarily include imahot (foremothers) in the Amidah prayer |
| 1986 | Involvement in Central American issues leads to support for a political refugee |
| 1987 | High Holiday Services at New York Ave. Presbyterian Church (over 700 people attend) |
| 1988 | Project HOPE established to help homeless families |
| Move to George Washington University Hillel location | |
| 1991 | Memorial quilt created |
| 1992 | First budget and fiscal year |
| Joint annual service with Bet Mishpachah congregation initiated | |
| 1993 | First year of Community Sukkah hosted by the Goldman Family |
| 1995 | Adopted Kol Haneshama Siddur |
| First adult Bar/Bat Mitzvah class | |
| 1996 | 25th Anniversary celebration at Tifereth Israel |
| Fabrangen Children’s Tzedakah Collective launched | |
| 1999 | Fabrangen website launched |
| 2001 | Community mishloach manot project for Purim to raise funds for the Fabrangen Children’s Scholarship Fund |
| 2003 | New High Holidays mahzor (Chadesh Yameinu) purchased and supplement produced |
| Move to Washington Ethical Society location; Torah procession through Rock Creek Park | |
| 2004 | Fabrangen West (in VA) initiated; introduction of Eit Ratzon siddur |
| 2005 | Fabrangen Announcements e-newsletter launched |
| 2006 | Fabrangen installs sign at the Washington Ethical Society location |
| 2007 | Fabrangen’s 36th (double-chai) Anniversary celebration |
| 2008 | Fabrangen purchases and rededicates an old Torah for new life in the Fabrangen community |
| 2010 | Retreat attended by over 100 people at the Pearlstone Conference Center |
| 2011 | Free High Holiday services at the New York Avenue Presbyterian Church location for the 25th year |
| Fabrangen’s 40th Anniversary Celebration | |
| 2012 | Scholar-in-Residence programs begin with American Jewish historian Prof. Hasia Diner and Rabbi Minna Bromberg |
| 2013 | Fabrangen and Tikkun Leil Shabbat begin joining together for Purim and Selichot services. |
| 2016 | Fabrangen joins Tifereth Israel, Ohev Shalom and others for all night Tikkunim for Shavuot. |
| 2017 | Refugee & Immigrant Committee sponsors first two families |
| Fabrangeners joins HIAS to lead a candlelight vigil in front of the Capitol to mark the anniversary of the U.S. denying entry to the MS St. Louis, and the over 900 Jewish refugees on board. | |
| 2018 | Fabrangen joins other Jewish, Christian, and Muslim congregations in a Freedom Seder that examines progress on racial justice since Dr. King’s ‘Mountaintop’ speech on the 50th Anniversary of the his assassination. |
| 2020 | Fabrangen participates in Anti-Semitism Rally in Takoma Park |
| Fabrangen services go online via Zoom due to Covid Pandemic – March 14, 2020 | |
| Refugee & Immigrant Committee sponsors third family | |
| Fabrangen joins Tifereth Israel & the Washington Ethical Society in weekly 16th Street Vigil Against Racism | |
| 2021 | Fabrangen 50th Anniversary |
| 2022 | Fabrangen resumes in person services at WES and begins providing multi-access (hybrid) services to enable our online members to fully participate in our Torah discussions via Zoom. |