Beth Messiah’s story began in 1973, when a small group of spiritual pioneers established one of the nation’s earliest congregations of Jewish believers in Yeshua. Just three years later, Beth Messiah became the first independent Messianic congregation in the United States to own its own building.
As a founding member of the Union of Messianic Jewish Congregations in 1979, Beth Messiah helped shape the modern Messianic Jewish movement. Our congregation’s broad impact continues through the many leaders who have gone on to establish and lead Messianic Jewish institutions throughout the United States and Israel.
Now in its fifth decade, a new generation is carrying forward the legacy of Beth Messiah’s pioneering leaders. We are shaping a vibrant expression of Messianic Jewish life, rooted in Messiah Yeshua and drawing deeply from the richness of our Jewish tradition.
Rabbi Ben Weisman
Rabbi Ben Weisman is the spiritual leader of Beth Messiah. He received UMJC s’micha (rabbinic ordination) at the 2026 UMJC Summer Family Conference and is nearing the completion of his Master of Rabbinic Studies degree from Messianic Jewish Theological Institute. Rabbi Ben was raised as a Messianic Jew in Southern California, but has spent his whole adult life on the East Coast. He has a passion for Yeshua, Jewish mysticism, and social justice.
Beth Messiah has been a member of the Union of Messianic Jewish Congregations since the Union was founded in 1979. We affirm the UMJC Statement of Faith and statement on Defining Messianic Judaism.
We invite you to join us at 11 AM on Saturday mornings at 16913 Germantown Rd, Germantown, MD 20874 (but double check our schedule on the Events calendar).
Our service follows the rhythm of the traditional Shabbat siddur (prayer book), with the addition of music and prayers that reflect our central commitment to Messiah Yeshua. There are a few different books that will guide you through the service: our siddur (the green book), which contains nearly everything we sing and pray together each Saturday morning; the chumash (the red book), which you can use to follow the Torah and Haftarah readings during the Torah Service; and the sefer habesorot (the blue book), which contains the Besorah (Gospel) reading.
Hebrew plays an important role in our services, but don’t worry if you’re unfamiliar with the language. You will always find transliteration and English translations available. Feel free to follow along in whichever language feels most natural, or simply allow the beauty of the liturgy and music to carry you through the story of creation, revelation, and redemption that unfolds each Shabbat morning.
Dress at Beth Messiah is typically “business casual”, but we won’t kick you out for being too casual or too formal! We encourage all men (and women who choose to do so) to wear a kippa or other headcovering and Jewish men (and Jewish women who choose to do so) to wear a tallit.
During your visit, we hope that you will find Beth Messiah to be a warm and welcoming community, and that you will leave with a sense that you encountered the love of God.