Are there any minyanim available in Washington, Dc. Where are they (in relation to the tourist stuff)? How reliable? etc.

Any helpful info is appreciated.

There used to be a link in the Tools section of the Jewish Sources on the Net post #59. http://www.godaven.com/searchcity.asp

thanks! That gives me the 'technical info' of address/ stuff, but since I have NO familiarity with DC, I would like info from someone whose been there, knows how it works, etc....

Anybody?

http://www.yise.org/washminyanim.html

http://kesher.org/kesher/prayer/index.html

Just outside D.C. - walking distance from Metro red-line
http://www.wsat.org/

where are you staying?

the minyanim in the downtown/touristy areas are just for Mincha for professionals who work in those buildings. Obviously you can drop by there, all the places listed on GoDaven are within walking distance of touristy stuff.

Kesher Israel is in Georgetown, that's the only actual normal shul in the center of the city.

Go to Eli's (http://www.elis-dc.com/) for good food.

how do I find out about those if it's a weekday and I am lookinig for one nearby. That's what I'm looking for, one of those hidden office minyanim, next to the white house or similar (not planning on going to white house, need to get tickets and stuff and kids probably wouldn't enjoy it...well, can I get tix to the white house, how would I?)

The first link I gave you has a list of those "hidden office minyanim" - along with some email contacts.
The federal triangle one is pretty much smack in the middle of downtown by the national mall

bring your own fork.

I've had many meals there and every single one was great (as was the service).

Call one of the numbers on those lists.

I don't think you can go to the WH, but if you write to your congressman you can pretty easily get a tour of the Congress building which is very impressive.

Ok, thanks!!!

Would kinderlach (aka Kids) enjoy the congress building? (and what about a husband?)

I don't know how old your kids are, but we've done the touristy stuff in DC a bunch of times, but one thing we really liked was the bus tour http://www.tourmobile.com/ where we could get on and off all day.

[With previous tours of DC, I shot myself in the foot - we went to so many museums that now when we go to Medinat Yisrael Reishit Tzemichat Ge'ulateinu in the summer iyh, the kids have already said there's no way they're going to more museums].

Edited to add: I just looked at the pictures from our trip in 2005 CE - they were so little then, and I remember thinking how big they were.

FYI, I think your kids may be a bit too young to be awed by governmental buildings....just my opinion.

4 and under.

We've done the tourmobile but it was a Friday so didn't do much on/off. It was enjoyable (the kids just liked the bus ride part)

The item we're thinking of doing is air/space museum.....good/bad idea? Any other good idea for kids 4 and under. (the 11 mo. old usually doesn't care as long as she has a plastic cup and the big kids to follow)

I think the Air/Space museum is good. I think the History one has a fun kids section, but it's been years since I was there.

seems like trips are wasted on small kids.... when do they start enjoying these things? 3? 4? i dont have all that many memories from being 3..

For four and under? My personal opinion is that the Air & Space is not the best idea. Mind you, my kid was 4 when we went [I think; I'd have to check the card in my wallet with their dates of birth and do the math] and he liked it.

Go to the FDR memorial and let the kids run around.

Usually at about 3, when they're long-term memory kicks in a bit more. It's that my husband and I want to do an enjoyable trip, and kids will be joining us, which means that all 5 of us need to have a good time.


Why not? Also, my husband will be there to 'run around' with kids and shmooz with them and he has more patience than I do.

What is the FDR memorial? (I know what FDR is, but what do you do there? what does it look like? have, etc?)

You can do that in a park. What do you need airplanes hanging from the ceiling for that for?


It's park, right by the Potomac. It's really nice. We wouldn't have gone there but it was one of the stops on that bus tour. Inspirational quotes by FDR on the walls for the parents. Take a picnic there.
http://smg.photobucket.com/albums/v336/mel...nt=DSC00787.jpg
http://smg.photobucket.com/albums/v336/mel...nt=DSC00795.jpg
http://smg.photobucket.com/albums/v336/mel...nt=DSC00791.jpg

Melech, you sound exactly like my husband. I think the two of you should take my kids out to a nice botanical garden, and let me enjoy the Children's Museum

So my husband can enjoy looking at them.
What if it's cold outside?

Both valid points.

By the way, if you're going primarily for your husband, you might want to consider to other A&S museum, http://www.nasm.si.edu/udvarhazy/
But it's not on the Mall, it's out by Dulles airport in Virginia. It's got a space shuttle and an SR-71...it's way cool. Airplanes that were too big for the one on the Mall.

Is it also free?

All smithsonian owned institutions have free admission

Thank you.
As agent, inquired - is it free?
Also, like the DC Mall area, are there places outside if it is nice. We need to plan the day, not knowing the weather. So if I had a place to go and if nice, could stay outside but if cold inside, I would prefer a place with both options. IS there a nice grassy area by the one in VA? How long does it take to get from DC to VA?

Yes. It's part of the A&S, it's just in a different location. It had to be near the airport. Originally some of the planes before they built it were actually kept at the airport.
We were lucky because one of the docents [is that the right term for an air & space museum?] is a patient of my brother's so he took us all over the place...way cool, but again, we overdosed on museums on that trip and now the kids won't go near another one. When we went to NY, then basically nixed them all [except the MoMA. Their mother raised them well].


I'm going to assume you would be better off sticking with stuff near the Mall. Sounds like the A&S on the Mall may be a good solution for you - your husband gets to look at the airplanes, it's indoors, it's centrally located, there's room for the kids to run, there's grass outside if it's nice...

A docent is basically a free worker at one of those free attractions so assuming s/he wasn't paid, yes it's called a docent.
Ok, that's what I figured - thanks!

If you want a quick lunch during the day, you can walk over to the Holocaust Museum (it's on Fourteenth Street, a couple of blocks south of Independence Avenue - I think) and get some sandwiches (egg or tuna) or a salad (Asian noodle) in their vegetarian cafe. (Those items are certified kosher.)