Dr. Alfred O Taylor, z'l. In memory.

 In memory of Dr. Alfred Taylor, who passed away recently at the age of 91. Dr. Taylor was a dedicated community activist, a significant local historian specializing in the life of Arlington's Black communities, church elder, family man, distinguished educator, and a true gentleman; kind, wise, gracious, positive, and a pleasure to be around. A true servant leader. 

May his good works and memory ever be for a blessing.

Refugee Integration in Virginia. | ECDC

 Work I did for the Ethiopian Community Development Council on Refugee Integration in Virginia. a while back Most of these portraits are mine.Thanks to Dr. Teferra and the wonderful staff at ECDC.

For more information see this post by ECDC.

Operation Understanding DC | weekend retreat, meeting with Shoah survivors

Operation Understanding DC, a program for Black and Jewish teenagers in the DC area whose mission since 1993 is "... empowering a generation of social justice leaders who will promote respect, understanding and cooperation while fighting to eradicate racism, anti-Semitism and all forms of discrimination."

The participants recently visited relevant sites in Farmville and Richmond, Virginia, and returned to DC to hear testimony from two Holocaust survivors,  Peter Feigl and Rose-Helene Spreiregen. They also met with students from an allied program from Atlanta, Georgia, the Black Jewish Teen Initiative.

Thanks to the OUDC students, to Mr. Feigl and Ms. Spreiregen, and OUDC's staff, Dr. Linda J. Mann, Xochi Quetzali Cartland, Kyla Goldsby, and Alix Swann.

I have been documenting OUDC since its founding by Karen Kalish in 1993.

Peter Feigl

Rose-Helene Spreiregen.

EDCJCC- D25 volunteers 2025

The Edlovitch DCJCC (the Washington DC Jewish Community Center) held its annual D25 volunteer day to help those in need on Christmas.  I documented volunteers preparing food, serving meals, donating blood, organizing parties and giftingiving, and singing holiday  carols at  Central Union Mission,  DC Central Kitchen,  Christ House Loaves and Fishes, Sasha Bruce Network's Allen House, and at the JCC itself. 

This was my 31st year covering this citywide mission of charity, of tzedakah.

Thank you to Mira Smith of the EDCJCC volunteer/social action program,  to the hundreds of volunteers, to the staff members of these caring social service agencies, and especially to my dear partner Ruth Stromberg, who once again got up before dawn and provided the caption material needed for the press.