Send announcements or events, which are open to the public at no or minimal cost, to The Loudoun Connection, 7913 Westpark Drive, McLean, VA 22102 or e-mail <a href="mailto:loudoun@connectionnewspapers.com">loudoun@connectionnewspapers.com</a>. Deadline is Friday, two weeks before the event. Photos/artwork encouraged.
Congregation Sha'are Shalom, 19357 Evergreen Mills Road, Leesburg, will hold a discussion titled "Relearning Heschel, Rebirthing King, Re-Inaugurating America: Celebrating Dr. Martin Luther King Day," Friday, Jan. 16, 6:30-7:15 p.m. The erev Shabbat service will follow at 7:30 p.m. Child care provided. Free. Visit www.sha-areshalom.org.
The Unitarian Universalist Church of Loudoun, 20460 Gleedsville Road, Leesburg, will honor Dr. Martin Luther King and other martyrs of the civil rights movement with a special service called "Something Worth Standing For." The Jan. 18, 10 a.m. service will be dedicated to the legacy of these brave and pioneering people. Visit www.uuloudoun.org or call 703-737-7644.
Beth Chaverim Reform Congregation, 21740 Beaumeade Circle, Suite 100, Ashburn, invites the public for a weekend celebration of the Installation of its spiritual leader, Rabbi Jesse Gallop. Friday, Jan. 30, 7:30 p.m., Sabbath service and the formal installation ceremony. Rabbi Scott Sperling, director, Union Reform Judaism, Mid-Atlantic Region, and Dr. Alyssa Gray, associate professor Codes and Respona, Hebrew Union College-Jewish Institute of Religion will conduct the installation. Sabbath services will be followed by an Oneg Sabbath social. Saturday, Jan. 31, 5:30 p.m., Havdalah Service led by Gray will be followed by a wine and cheese reception. Sunday, Feb. 1, 9:15 a.m., Sunday school children will make a presentation to Rabbi Gallop and perform a short program. E-mail membershipvp@bcrcva.org or call 703-729-1659.
The Washington D.C. Area branch of the Sant Nirankari Mission held a blood drive Saturday, Dec. 20, at the Cascades Library with the help of the American Red Cross. About 30 mission members signed in for the blood donation and 21 units of blood were collected. The mission is expecting to hold another blood drive in April 2009.
The Jewish "Lunch and Learn" schedule for 2009 has been announced. The program consists of lunch-time studies, featuring five rabbis from western Fairfax and Loudoun counties. The sessions will be held at noon on Wednesdays February-June. All sessions are "brown bag" lunches and will be held in Sterling. Free. E-mail to JewishStudies.Teacher@gmail.com to sign up.