Building Community in Bowie

On August 24th, Bowie baseball fans celebrated the annual Jewish Heritage Day at Prince George’s Stadium — home of the Minor League Chesapeake Baysox. Beyond the festivities on the field, it was the first time kosher food was available at the ballpark. Chabad of Bowie set up a grill stand, serving burgers and hot dogs to fans. “It was amazing to be out there on the concourse helping out,” said Pam Malech, a local community member. “Some people said it was the first time they’d actually been able to eat kosher at a ballgame.”

Bowie, once a small railroad stop — and then a town where homes were once only sold to white Christians — is now a diverse suburban area in rural Maryland — and one of its biggest cities. Since opening Chabad there a year ago, Rabbi Eli and Mushky Baron have been busy building a home for Jews all across the area — including Greenbelt, Beltsville, and Lanham.

“Chabad has been wonderful for my children,” said Nikki Sherman, a mother of two young kids. “They’re learning about their heritage in a way that’s engaging and meaningful. I also really love celebrating holidays like Sukkot and Simchat Torah with Chabad — I’ve learned so much.”

Mushky Baron first met Sherman at a park together with her children, noticing her necklace with a Jewish star. She introduced herself — and the Barons gradually built a connection with her family. “Today, one of her children wears a kippah to public school and the other says the Shema prayer every night,” Rabbi Baron said. “There are other people we’ve met who hadn’t stepped foot into a synagogue for years — and now they walk to Chabad on Shabbat.”

For longtime Bowie resident Jennifer Harris, Chabad has filled a real need. “There aren’t many observant Jews in the area — but Chabad is for everyone, and that’s one of the most beautiful things about it. Everyone can feel welcome.”