On October 21, 2018, the B'nai Israel Congregation, located at 6301 Montrose Road, in Rockville, Maryland held its 13th annual Family Health and Fitness Expo. This Expo has been so well received by the congregation over the years that it has become part of the annual calendar year programming for B'nai Israel congregation. It is an event that is always requested because of its relevance and messages. The Men's Club adapts and revises this health fair each year to test out different approaches for engaging the congregation, i.e. our members, Talmud Torah students, library, clergy, etc.). The Expo has been organized, coordinated, arranged, and hosted by the B'nai Israel Men's Club for 13 years.

This Expo has always been a big success for the Men's Club, generally attracting around 200 people and over 25 product and service vendors, exhibitors, and medical practitioners. The 2018 Expo began at 9:30 am, after morning minyan, with a breakfast and speaker session at which healthy food is served, such as fruit, breakfast bars, juices, and healthy snacks. After breakfast, a speaker talked about an aspect of medical practice. This year we had a speaker on medical marijuana. Following the speaker, at about 10:30 am, the people adjourned to the Family Health and Fitness Expo itself. (The Expo generally ends about 1:00 pm.)

The Expo offers a wide variety of medical and fitness services, expertise, and information. For example, medical practitioners provide flu shots, and an array of health screenings. Most years this includes carotid artery screenings, hearing screenings, blood pressure exams, yoga demonstrations, diet and nutrition support, colon health awareness, eye exams, and glaucoma screenings. In addition to a local hospital health outreach network and the Prevention of Blindness Society, several doctors who are members of the congregation donate their time and expertise. Meditation advice and practice is also offered. Fitness instructors screen for flexibility, demonstrate proper exercise methods, and encourage participants to expand their own fitness routines. The Expo also includes health and fitness-related product vendors, such as vitamins, running/walking shoes, Jewish-related social services. The Expo even offers advice on health insurance and financial management, with a special focus on health-related costs.

A very important aspect of the Expo is having our clergy very much engaged in order to help attendees make the connection between the importance of keeping oneself healthy and Jewish law and practice. Members of our clergy actually have a prominently-placed exhibit booth at the Expo to talk and hand out information. For example, one handout is on how Tefillin is very much like acupuncture and can be used to relieve stress. The synagogue library has an important role as well by contributing to the clergy's exhibit a sampling of books demonstrating the Jewish perspective on health. Visitors to that exhibit may also pick up an extensive list of books found in the synagogue library which provide views of health from a Jewish perspective.

We charge nothing to attend and nothing to the vendors and exhibitors who participate in the event. Most of the healthy foods and snacks served at the Expo are donated by local food stores. Over the years, the Men's Club has worked to make the event better and more relevant with the help of local doctors and health-related organizations. It is never exactly the same from year to year. In addition to the continued innovation and evolution of the Family Health and Fitness Expo over the years, a new innovation added in 2018 was the "Note to Self", i.e., a simple written commitment that any participant could make to themselves to change one aspect of their life to improve their health. Based on something at the event that inspired them, they wrote a private commitment to themselves on paper we provided, sealed it in an envelope also provided, and self-addressed it, then dropped it into a box. We held those notes for about 3 months, and then mailed them back to the people that participated. Although the Men's Club doesn't know what each person committed to, our hope is that seeing that note 3 months later (and knowing it was coming) inspired an increased measure of accountability and commitment to improving their individual health.

Because of its longevity, sustainability, innovation, and relevance, we believe that the B'nai Israel Family Health and Fitness Expo is worthy of a 2019 FJMC Torch Award in the Health and Wellness category.