Congregation Har Shalom will welcome Amanda Makki, an Iranian-American attorney who grew up in Potomac after immigrating to the United States as a child in 1979, as the featured speaker at its Sisterhood Membership Dinner on Thursday, Sept. 17.

The free dinner runs from 6 to 10 p.m. at the congregation's Falls Road campus and kicks off Har Shalom's 5787 (2026–27) programming year. Registration is required so the congregation can prepare seating and food; residents can sign up at harshalom.org/events or call (301) 299-7087.

Makki began her legal career in the Pentagon's Army General Counsel's office weeks after the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks, using her native Farsi to assist U.S. military leadership. She later spent nearly a decade working as a lawyer in Congress, advancing policies for veterans and military families, according to her speaker bureau biography. She is now a VA-accredited attorney focused on disability benefits and a commentator on Fox News, BBC, Newsmax and other networks.

The Sisterhood dinner is one piece of a packed fall calendar at the 700-family Conservative congregation at 11510 Falls Road.

High Holy Days prep

Rabbi Shira Rosenblum leads a session titled "Letting Go: The Jewish Path to Self-Forgiveness" on Tuesday, Sept. 1, from 7:30 to 9:30 p.m., exploring Jewish perspectives on forgiveness as the holidays approach.

Har Shalom's High Holy Days season opens Saturday, Sept. 5, with a joint Selichot program called "L'eilah: Rising into the High Holy Days Together," co-hosted with Congregation Shaare Torah and B'nai Tzedek from 8:30 to 10 p.m.

The following morning, Sunday, Sept. 6, volunteers will gather from 9 to 11 a.m. for the High Holy Days Service Project, delivering Rosh Hashanah baskets to families across Montgomery County. No experience is needed.

Ongoing programs

KindSoup for the Soul, a Zoom cooking program held on the second and fourth Sundays of each month from 4 to 5 p.m., invites participants to cook meals for their own families plus extra portions to freeze and deliver to neighbors in need.

The Daytimers Jewish Film Festival screens films on the third Wednesday of each month at noon, starting Wednesday, Sept. 16. Attendees are welcome to bring a dairy or pareve lunch. Film titles have not yet been announced.

A PAIC Interfaith Comedy Night featuring comedians from varied religious and cultural backgrounds is set for Wednesday, Nov. 18, from 7 to 10 p.m.

Upcoming at Har Shalom

  • Thursday, Aug. 27: Kumzits with Cantor Silverstone, 6:45–7:30 p.m. (s'mores and singing)
  • Friday, Aug. 28: Rockin' Together Back-to-School Shabbat, 5–7:30 p.m.
  • Tuesday, Sept. 1: "Letting Go" with Rabbi Rosenblum, 7:30 p.m.
  • Saturday, Sept. 5: Selichot joint program, 8:30 p.m.
  • Sunday, Sept. 6: High Holy Days Service Project, 9 a.m.
  • Thursday, Sept. 17: Sisterhood Dinner with Amanda Makki, 6 p.m. (free; registration required)