Lehrhaus, a Jewish tavern and house of learning in Boston that blends food, drinks and Jewish study, is preparing to open its second location, in Washington, D.C., bringing its concept to a city with few full-service kosher dining options.

The organization announced last month that it had secured its second location, in the nation’s capital — it is set to close on a building just north of Logan Circle and is hiring a full staff with the goal of replicating the magic from its Boston location, where hundreds of Jews of all ages go to relax, learn and socialize weekly, with options for classes taught by top scholars held five nights per week. 

Since opening in Somerville, Mass., three years ago, Lehrhaus has welcomed more than 60,000 visitors and filled 10,000 seats for learning programs, the organization said.

The expansion comes as the organization’s founding director, Rabbi Charlie Schwartz, was honored Tuesday with a Grinspoon Amber Award for his efforts to make Jewish life more accessible and engaging.

The award, presented at the Jewish Federations of North America’s General Assembly, was established by the Harold Grinspoon Foundation and recognizes exceptional professionals whose leadership has strengthened Jewish life. Schwartz, who previously created PocketTorah, co-founded Lehrhaus — a kosher restaurant, bar and beit midrash — alongside author Joshua Foer around the idea of creating a welcoming space where Jews and non-Jews alike could connect over food, drinks and Jewish learning. 

“Lehrhaus started off as an idea,” Schwartz, who was ordained in 2011 at the Jewish Theological Seminary, said as he was presented the award. “What might a great place for Jews to congregate and experience the joy and what a place of Jewish life looked like? We landed on this idea of a Jewish tabernacle house and learning, a place where we can come get an amazing drink, a great meal, and really dive into the best of the Jewish world. Whether that’s learning Talmud, Jewish history, the secret Jewish history of punk, 75% of people come in, talk about having conversations here they wouldn’t have anywhere else.”

Earlier this week, Schwartz told Jewish Insider he sees a need for Lehrhaus in Washington “because it is a place that can become polarized, but it’s also that there’s a similar demographic to Boston.” 

Lehrhaus’ planned opening comes as the nation’s capital grapples with a long-standing shortage of full-service kosher dining options. One of the city’s few such establishments shut down in May, less than a year after opening. 

“There’s a large number of young Jews, and there’s a high level of churn,” said Schwartz. “People move in and out of the district all the time, and so people are looking for places to connect and find community and deepen friendships. In addition, I think there’s a need for great Jewish food here.” 

Schwartz told JI in 2024 that Lehrhaus’ planned expansion to Washington was part of a broader ambition to bring the concept of a Jewish tavern and house of learning to eight locations nationwide by 2030, citing the city’s sizable young Jewish population and limited kosher dining options.