Machar’s Rabbi & Director of Machar's Jewish Cultural School (JCS)
Rabbi Jeremy Kridel joined Machar as rabbi in July 2017, and added the role of Director of Machar's Jewish Cultural School in 2021. He is committed to Secular Humanistic Judaism and to helping people of every age find a place to express both their Judaism and their humanism. Jeremy is also firmly committed to ensuring full inclusion of interfaith and intercultural families in Jewish life: he welcomes families of all kinds to Machar, and gladly officiates at weddings and baby namings for interfaith families because it's simply the right thing to do.
As well, Jeremy is passionate about ensuring social, economic, and political inclusion in Humanistic Jewish life of people with differing ranges of ability and need. He is enthusiastic about education at all ages, and is particularly committed to working for the full inclusion of Autistic and other neurodiverse individuals in Jewish and Humanistic life.
Jeremy studied for the rabbinate at the International Institute for Secular Humanistic Judaism, the rabbinical and leadership training school for Secular Humanistic Judaism. He has bachelor and master of arts degrees in religion from Florida State University, where he focused on Jewish studies and biblical interpretation, and earned a juris doctor degree at the Indiana University Maurer School of Law in Bloomington, Indiana.
Jeremy has worked as an adult Jewish educator; has taught biblical Hebrew at the university level; and has taught seventh graders on the Holocuast, the history of the modern state of Israel, and comparative Judaism. Before working within the Secular Humanistic Jewish movement, he worked as a lawyer in Indiana and taught law at the Indiana University Kelley School of Business in Indianapolis. Jeremy has also held positions in information technology and quality systems management in private businesses and non-profit organizations.
In service of the broader Humanistic Jewish movement, Jeremy serves on the governing boards of the Society for Humanistic Judaism and the International Institute for Secular Humanistic Judaism, and has served as president of the Association of Humanistic Rabbis. He also served as the editor for the Society for Humanistic Judaism's quarterly magazine, Humanistic Judaism.
Other than the sorts of things one imagines rabbis do with their spare time, Jeremy plays guitar and mandolin. He enjoys playing Jewish music, blues, Irish and old-time American fiddle tunes, as well as the occasional rock or pop song. He also pretends that he can competently play classical guitar. His family—his wife Raya and son Shaye—kindly indulge these interests, as well as his (often obscure) puns.
Jeremy and his family are excited to have joined the Machar community and to live in the D.C. area. They live near Columbia, Maryland, where Raya works in marketing and publication design and Shaye goes to school.
Machar members are pleased to have the Kridels as a part of our community.
Jeremy may be contacted directly via e-mail at rabbi@machar.org.
Machar’s Madrikhim
Michael and his wife, Joan, joined Machar around 1982. Michael soon found himself teaching in our Sunday school, which, at that time, had a total of three students, two of whom were his children. Raised as a secular Jew, teaching at our school was his first serious encounter with the Bible, and led to his writing of a book to help nonreligious people teach the Bible to children. He has officiated at numerous weddings, funerals, and other life cycle events; given many talks at our High Holiday services; served as chair of our Social Action Committee; and enjoyed being a part of Machar as it grew and promoted positive human values. Now blissfully retired from his paying career as a microbiologist at the FDA and from most of his Machar responsibilities, Michael looks forward to leading some adult education activities each year. He currently serves as chair of the Liturgy and Rabbi Committees, mentor of the Evening Study Group, and e-mail List Manager.
Staff
Jackie Kropman is Machar's Congregational Administrator.
Board of Directors
Officers
Will and his wife Marty have two daughters who both were a bat mitzvah at Machar. They have been members of Machar since 2017.
Outside of Machar, Will is President/CEO of DTSV, Inc., a 1,300 person federal government services contractor specializing in high-volume application processing and security support services.
Will is a member of Young Presidents’ Organization and of the Virginia Bar. Will received his MBA and JD, cum laude, from the University of Pittsburgh, and his BA from the University of Virginia.
Joyce previously served as board secretary and as an At Large member. Joyce also helps with Machar’s public relations effort. She and her husband Greg Rosenthal, joined Machar in 1998; their children, Ellen and Mitchell, both attended Machar’s Jewish Cultural School and went through the b’nei mitzvah program. Joyce especially enjoys attending Machar’s Adult Education programming.
Elaine was born in Kiev, Ukraine where she earned a bachelor’s degree in Civil Engineering. In 1990 she came to the US with her then 13-year-old daughter as a refugee where they were supported and guided by HIAS all throughout the immigration process.
Elaine and her daughter settled in Philadelphia, PA where she earned a technical degree in computer science while working full time and supporting her family of two. Elaine married Bill Terwilliger in 1996 and then lost him to a pancreatic cancer in 2007.
Later she met Barry Dancis, who introduced her to secular Judaism. Elaine and Barry were active members of the Jewish Children’s Folkshul of Philadelphia, a secular school and adult community. They moved to Maryland in 2010 after their wedding and became members of Machar.
Since retiring in 2018 – after working in the IT department at Thomas Jefferson University Hospital for 19 years – she became an entrepreneur, buying and renovating houses for rental.
Elaine has been leading Machar’s WITs group and is a supportive member of the Social Action committee. She is a trained volunteer in HIAS, where she is involved in the refugee program.
At Large Board Members
Elaine was born in Kiev, Ukraine where she earned a bachelor’s degree in Civil Engineering. In 1990 she came to the US with her then 13-year-old daughter as a refugee where they were supported and guided by HIAS all throughout the immigration process.
Elaine and her daughter settled in Philadelphia, PA where she earned a technical degree in computer science while working full time and supporting her family of two. Elaine married Bill Terwilliger in 1996 and then lost him to a pancreatic cancer in 2007.
Later she met Barry Dancis, who introduced her to secular Judaism. Elaine and Barry were active members of the Jewish Children’s Folkshul of Philadelphia, a secular school and adult community. They moved to Maryland in 2010 after their wedding and became members of Machar.
Since retiring in 2018 – after working in the IT department at Thomas Jefferson University Hospital for 19 years – she became an entrepreneur, buying and renovating houses for rental.
Elaine has been leading Machar’s WITs group and is a supportive member of the Social Action committee. She is a trained volunteer in HIAS, where she is involved in the refugee program.
Larry Lawrence joined Machar in 1995 when his daughter, Liz, started at the JCS. Liz was Bat Mitzvah in 1999. Larry was a member of the Machar Board in the early 2000s, serving as Treasurer for several years, Larry also became a member of the board of the Society for Humanistic Judaism (SHJ). He left the Machar Board to serve as SHJ President for two years, 2014-2016. Larry retired from a career in Information Technology (Financial Regulation) in 2012 and since then has taken many adult education courses at American University and has begun studying French.
Machar’s Representatives to the Society for Humanistic Judaism
In addition to being the Rabbinic Liason, Darlene has served as chair of the Book Club for several years and is an active member of WiTs. She has worked for the Federal Government for almost 30 years and currently is a foreign affairs analyst for the Department of State with a focus on Russia. A Los Angeles native, she has a B.A. in political science from University of California, Berkeley, and an M.A. in international affairs from The American University. Darlene loves to travel and explore local crafts. She inherited her father’s love for photography and enjoys taking loads of pictures of her journeys. Darlene lives in Silver Spring with her cats Tolstoy and Anna.
Larry Lawrence joined Machar in 1995 when his daughter, Liz, started at the JCS. Liz was Bat Mitzvah in 1999. Larry was a member of the Machar Board in the early 2000s, serving as Treasurer for several years, Larry also became a member of the board of the Society for Humanistic Judaism (SHJ). He left the Machar Board to serve as SHJ President for two years, 2014-2016. Larry retired from a career in Information Technology (Financial Regulation) in 2012 and since then has taken many adult education courses at American University and has begun studying French.
Marlene serves on the SHJ Education Committee and the Strategic Planning Committee. She is excited about the strategic plan’s focus on increased technology communication. She is a former Jewish Cultural School Director and Vice President of Machar. Currently, she co-chairs Machar’s Adult Education Committee, chairs the New Members Committee, and works on special projects. She’s in her 30th year as a professor of communication at Prince George’s Community College and for 6 years has been its coordinator of the International Education Center, which gives one-on-one support to immigrant and visa students. Husband Michael Kidwell was raised Methodist but is a secularist who enjoys Machar; he just won’t eat the gefilte fish. Son Alex Kidwell lives in Baltimore. He was schooled and Bar Mitzvahed in Machar; his religious beliefs mirror those of Bill Maher’s in Religulous.
Rick joined Machar in 1999, and also serves as Prior Past President, a member of the Adult Education Committee, and chair of the Social Action Committee. He assists organizations that implement rule of law and human rights programs for the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) and other international donors. He retired from USAID in 2008 after 29 years, having served in Senegal, Morocco, Mali, the Philippines, and Egypt. Rick comes from Pikesville, MD, where he was confirmed by Baltimore Hebrew Congregation (Reform). He visits Jewish communities during his travels and has written articles and lectured about the Jews of Morocco, Egypt, and Timbuktu. Rick is married to a Moroccan Muslim, Bouchra Chati. They were married in Gibraltar and own a house in Morocco. Their children, Sarah and Adam, attended Machar’s Jewish Cultural School.
Calendar 2024 -2025 Jewish Cultural School (JCS)
Adult Ed and Community Sunday Calendar