Author: The Jewish Federation of Greater Washington

Since August, something beautiful has been unfolding across the DMV: more than 120 families have said “yes” to Jewish connection with a PJ Library get together for young families. Some gathered in sukkot under the stars. Others lit Shabbat candles in costume before heading out to trick-or-treat. Still others braided challah, painted pottery, or welcomed old friends and new faces to celebrate a sweet new year.

Each one made Jewish life feel personal, joyful, and shared.

It Doesn’t Have to Be Perfect

No one waited to have the “perfect” house or the “right” Judaica. They just showed up—with apple cake, with s’mores, with grape juice, with laughter. One family, hosting for the first time, built their own sukkah and invited 16 people to fill it. “We’d never done this before,” they said. “But we wanted to create space for others who don’t have the room to build one.”

That’s the kind of ripple effect this program sparks. When one family opens their door, others feel more welcome to do the same.

Little Moments, Big Memories

From Halloween Shabbat to challah-braiding brunches, every event looked a little different. But the feeling was the same: warmth, fun, and connection. A group of moms gathered to paint pottery for Rosh Hashanah. One host filled their table with “everything apple” to celebrate a sweet new year. Another welcomed 31 people across state lines to share in Rosh Hashanah dinner, marveling as kids realized—some for the first time—that everyone in the room was Jewish.

And these memories? They stick. As one parent said, “The party was the best part of the holiday!”

Your Turn to Say Yes

If you’ve been waiting for a sign, let this be it. Light the candles. Bake the kugel. Invite someone new.

These gatherings weren’t fancy. They were real: challah and crafts, backyard sukkahs and break-fast bagels. What made them meaningful wasn’t the setup. It was the people around the table, and the joy of being together.

This kind of connection isn’t limited to holidays or host homes. It’s happening across our community through Federation events, local gatherings, and meaningful moments both big and small. If you’re looking for your next step, the Community Calendar.

And if you’re not yet receiving free Jewish children’s books from PJ Library each month, it’s the perfect time to sign up. Stories are just the beginning.

You don’t need a theme, a guest list, or a perfect table setting. Just start small. When you’re ready, your Jewish community will meet you where you are.

Last month, we stumbled onto something extraordinary: a set of original minutes from the very first meetings of the United Jewish Appeal in Washington. Hand-typed pages from 1948 and 1949 outlining early allocations, emergency support for Israel, and the names of families who stepped up to lead, many of whom are still shaping Jewish life in our region today.

A Time Capsule of Responsibility

Reading these documents feels like opening a time capsule. The issues were different, the world was different, but the heartbeat is the same: people coming together, pooling resources, and taking responsibility for one another.

Urgency, Action, and One Afternoon

One moment stands out. In April 1949, local leaders gathered at the Ambassador Hotel for what the minutes called a “special meeting.” The purpose?

“Obtain permission of the Executive Committee to borrow an additional half million dollars to advance the United Jewish Appeal… with regard to the deplorable condition of the new immigrants entering Israel.”

Half a million dollars, approved in one afternoon—a community stepping in without hesitation. You can almost feel the urgency in the room and the shared understanding that their choices mattered; that lives depended on them getting this right.

When Community Meant Everyone

Another set of minutes from late 1948 details the young community’s first major campaign: 16,163 contributors giving more than $2 million, an astonishing act of collective generosity. Their allocations spanned Israel, local agencies, national advocacy, and emerging Jewish institutions.

And even the follow-up work tells its own story. One line notes the need to “intensify collections” and clean up the outstanding gifts still considered “gettable.” It’s a reminder that closing gaps and meeting the moment has always been part of our work. It’s as true now, at year-end, as it was then.

They debated, they decided, and they built the foundation we’re still standing on today.

A Year-End Reminder of Who We Are

As we approach year-end, this history hits differently. It reminds us that our community has always risen to the moment—not because someone told us to, but because collective responsibility is who we are. We give, we show up, and we build together.

Every gift today continues a legacy of care, courage, and shared purpose.

And now, just as they stepped up then, we’re called to do the same. Two year-end matches are helping every gift go further to strengthen belonging, community life, and security across our region:

• Jewish Life & Belonging (including Northern Virginia): Every dollar is matched 1:1 up to $750,000, supporting community-building, engagement, and especially the fast-growing needs in Northern Virginia.
• Community Security: Every gift is matched at 50 cents on the dollar up to $1 million, helping protect our synagogues, schools, and gathering spaces with training, assessments, and critical security investments.
• Together, these two opportunities can unlock nearly $1.5 million in additional support for Jewish Greater Washington, amplifying our shared legacy of responsibility and care.

Make a gift today to support belonging, security, and our nearly 100 years of communal investment.

When Olivia Hazlett arrived in DC in 2020, “meeting people” looked like masked walks, outdoor coffees, and improvised Zoom hangouts. So, she started where she could:

“Hey, my friend’s hosting this thing—you should come.”

That simple line became a quiet mantra for how Olivia builds community: through warmth, curiosity, and a low barrier to entry.

It was simple, but it worked. And it mirrors something we now understand across Greater Washington: the desire for connection is high, and people show up when opportunities feel accessible and welcoming.

Today, Olivia is the Senior Mid-Atlantic Community Manager at Mem Global, a Federation partner, supporting 13 Moishe Houses from New Jersey to Charleston. She works closely with roughly 35 residents who rotate through one- to three-year terms, creating programs for their peers. Residents move on, but the relationships stay. “They always have a way to reach out,” she says.

This kind of grassroots leadership is a powerful example of what’s possible through our partnership with Mem Global, investing in the people and relationships that make young adult Jewish life thrive.

Her work aligns with a core truth about Jewish young adult life in our region: belonging grows through genuine relationships and consistent touchpoints, not one-off moments.

Where There’s a Gap, She Sparks Connection

Throughout her life, Olivia has stepped in where Jewish community needs a spark, leading with both initiative and heart

Over the years, Olivia has:

• started a local BBYO chapter because none existed in her area
• hosted two 50-person Jewish matchmaking events through Matchbox
• organized a 60-person ticket block for the Michigan–Maryland football game
• brought 25 people together for Shabbat at her apartment
• and stayed connected with former Moishe House residents well beyond their terms

If an idea brings people together, she’ll turn it into a gathering.

Why Young Adult Jewish Life Needs More Builders

Young adult life doesn’t follow a single script. “Some people are moving cities again, some are getting married, some are starting over. There are so many entry points,” Olivia says.

Her style blends:

• relationship-based engagement
• experience from the Springboard Fellowship
• social innovation training from the University of Pennsylvania
• and her participation in the M² Kehilot Fellowship, exploring how values inform daily practice

The result is a way of building community that reflects what we see across the region: people want to be more involved, and often need someone to lower the barrier to get there.

Rooted in Her Story, Driven to Create

Olivia grew up in Marblehead, Massachusetts, a small New England town. Her grandparents and extended family were active in anti-discrimination work. Being one of only a few Jewish peers taught her early on: if you want Jewish life, sometimes you have to create it.

That instinct fuels her work today and resonates across our community, where so many young adults are building new roots, new circles, and new expressions of Jewish life.

Bagels, Yoga, and a Life That Stays Connected

Away from work, Olivia fills her days with yoga, movies, new restaurants, time with friends, and—as she’ll tell you—a lifelong love of bagels. She likes having something each day that brings her into community, like planning Shabbat dinner with friends, going to yoga with a neighbor, or just stopping by a local café where she knows someone will say hi. It’s not a job requirement; it’s who she is.

Curious Paths and What Comes Next

At 27, Olivia is excited to keep growing in her career and finding new ways to engage the people around her. If she weren’t doing this work, she imagines she’d be somewhere in the world of travel or experiential education, bringing people together through shared experiences. For now, she’s exactly where she wants to be: helping young adults find their people, their place, and their path into Jewish life—and strengthening the fabric of Jewish Greater Washington along the way.

Stories like Olivia’s remind us that belonging starts with a simple invitation. If you’re ready for yours, our community calendar is full of opportunities to meet new people, show up, and find your place.

Big news: Sarah Klein, our Senior Director of FRD (Financial Resource Development), has been selected for Cohort III of JFNA’s Executive Accelerator, a national leadership program for the Federation system’s most promising senior professionals.

If you’ve worked with Sarah, you already know what makes her extraordinary. She builds relationships with heart and hustle. She leads with integrity, warmth, and a clear sense of purpose. And she brings deep experience and fresh thinking to everything she does.

This next step for Sarah is about all of us. Through this yearlong program, she’ll gain new tools, fresh perspectives, and a powerful peer network that will help move our work—and our community—forward. And with Federation supervisors and leaders actively engaged in the learning process too, we’re making sure that growth gets embedded across our team.

We’re super-proud to see Sarah recognized, and excited about what this opportunity makes possible for our Federation and our collective future.

Many have asked how they can celebrate this milestone. If you’d like to honor Sarah’s leadership, you can make a tribute gift in her name.

I want to put to words a couple things I’m feeling as we head into the end of the year.

The first is gratitude. Our community in Greater Washington is strong, passionate, caring, creative, and remarkably generous. Federation could not do the work we do to sustain and strengthen Jewish life without you. I have been repeatedly moved by the way this community has mobilized in the face of crisis, and continued the quiet, steady work of looking after one another and shaping a bright and vibrant future on our own terms. From the bottom of my heart, thank you and I cannot wait to continue our partnership.

The second thing I’m feeling is a bit harder to name but could perhaps be described as energized. A multitude of factors, ranging from longing for Jewish knowledge to a globalized feeling of uncertainty are inspiring people to want to connect with their Jewish identities and the Jewish community. As I referenced last week, a recent survey found that 60% of respondents within the DMV are interested in doing more within the Jewish community. People are looking to connect with Jewish content, Jewish practices, Jewish experiences, and with other members of the Jewish community.

Indeed, we have reached a consequential inflection point in Jewish life and we get to help determine what happens next. As Barry Shrage, former president of Combined Jewish Philanthropies in Boston (and my former boss and ongoing mentor) writes, “We are living through a hinge in history, a moment when the door to alternative futures is still open, the future is uncertain, and our actions can define our destiny.”

We have all the makings of a new Jewish awakening, but we need to help put the pieces together so that everyone coming to our door is met with the meaning, purpose, and belonging they seek. This will take a good deal of focused effort, and Federation is here to help drive it forward. In this new year, we are set to increase funding and work with our many partners across the region to expand programs to ensure everyone looking for connection finds a home within our community. This is vital work and even more so at this “hinge” moment when our collective efforts are guaranteed to echo.

It’s a weighty thing responding to a call for meaning. But it’s a privilege too. And we get there by working together to help more people access and explore the values, traditions, and relationships that enrich our lives and sustain our people.

As we move into the final weeks of the year, many in our community will step forward to support this work. I hope you’ll join them. A gift of any size helps ensure that everyone seeking connection, purpose, and belonging can find their place in Greater Washington. If this work inspires you, I invite you to help fuel the work ahead. A gift to our Annual Campaign strengthens the programs, partnerships, and pathways that welcome people into Jewish life and support them once they’re here.

Help our community step over the threshold of possibility. Please give today.

As Family Engagement and Community Partnerships Director at the Pozez JCC, Amy Lummer is quietly (and brilliantly) weaving Jewish life across Northern Virginia—one connection at a time.

“There’s always someone here to catch you if you fall.”

Raised in rural West Virginia, Amy Lummer grew up with a deep sense of mutual care and connection. Now, she brings those values to Jewish Northern Virginia—making sure families feel seen, welcomed, and supported.

Why Here?

Northern Virginia is one of the fastest-growing and most geographically spread Jewish regions in Greater Washington. With families spread across suburbs and cities, Jewish life here can feel fragmented. Turning those fragments into something connected takes intention—and people like Amy.

A Web of Connection

“We are a spiderweb, and whenever you strengthen any one point, the whole web gets stronger.”

Amy coordinates community partnerships, runs the Growing Jewish Families Program, and keeps a running spreadsheet of everything from kosher caterers to coffee shop meetups.

It’s not just about programs; it’s about people. And Amy equips them to create meaningful Jewish experiences for themselves and others.

Bridging Culture, Faith, and Family

Amy’s family has lived in West Virginia for generations, tracing their roots back to Alsace-Lorraine in the 1600s and settling in Appalachia by 1749. The deep community ties and cultural pride she grew up with continue to inform how she builds Jewish life today.

“Judaism and Appalachia both teach that someone is there to catch you if you fall.”

Her kids, now 12 and 15, describe her work like this: One of them says, “She talks to people.” The other adds, “She runs Jewish programs—and makes me volunteer.” Amy laughs, but she’s also serious:

“I want them to grow up knowing that community isn’t something you consume—it’s something you help create.”

She also dreams bigger: a future where every Jewish institution sees one another as partners, not competitors.

“I see a future where no one claims, ‘We can’t do that, they’re our competition.’ We’re one community.”

From Budgets to Bagels

Ten years ago, Amy was a federal budget analyst. After her second child was born, she reassessed her path. She left her job, enrolled her daughter in a part-time Jewish preschool, and when a wave of flu hit the staff, the director asked her to fill in. She agreed—baby in tow—and discovered how much she loved it. That one-off moment led to a master’s in education, years in Jewish early childhood programming, and ultimately, a full-time mission.

“Now I’m building the world I want to see—in a place that supports that.”

Building Belonging, One Moment at a Time

Amy wanted her kids to have a strong Jewish foundation. She started by building community for them. Now, she does it for everyone.

“When someone opens a Growing Jewish Families newsletter, even that shows a desire for connection. And that’s where community starts.”

When her daughter switched from Jewish day school to a large public high school, Amy watched something powerful unfold: her daughter used the skills she’d grown up with—the ability to recognize and connect with others—to find her one Jewish friend in a sea of students.

“She overheard a name that sounded familiar enough to take a chance. Now they walk home from school together.”

That one shared walk home felt like proof: her daughter had what she’d need to find her people.

What Community Looks Like

Amy’s version of success isn’t flashy. It’s made up of human moments that spark something lasting:

• Fresh kosher challah waiting at school pickup
• A mezuzah placed low—so kids can touch it, people who use wheelchairs can reach it, and the braille can be read by all
• Two parents who met at a PJ Library event and grabbed coffee after
• “That’s the kind of success I’m chasing.”

(And yes, she counts coffee dates as wins.)

More Than a Job

When she’s not coordinating programs or connecting families, Amy’s likely curled up with a fantasy novel (happy endings only), testing a new recipe, or recreating heirloom favorites from scratch. She cooks the way she builds community: generously and with heart.

“Feeding people is my love language.”

The Work of Belonging

Amy’s work reflects Federation’s larger commitment: that every Jew in Greater Washington should have access to connection, belonging, and community.

In Northern Virginia, connection doesn’t just happen—it’s built, moment by moment—by people like Amy.

“Nobody needs to be alone.”

It was made possible by a partnership between the Rosh Pina, Mevu’ot Hermon, and Upper Galilee municipalities. But it didn’t happen in isolation. It’s part of something bigger: Homeward/Habaita, an ambitious, multi-partner initiative working to grow and strengthen communities in the Western Negev and Galilee through education.

With a $500,000 grant from our Israel Crisis Relief Allocations, that vision is becoming real.

In its first year alone, Homeward/Habaita:

• Recruited 374 new teachers through the Educators’ Communities project
• Reached 8,874 children and teens in the Western Negev through summer programs
• Supported the launch of 52 new education initiatives by local educators
• Helped 25 rural communities create new social and communal education frameworks
• Benefited more than 36,000 students across 89 communities

Beyond temporary relief, these efforts foster long-term belonging. The kind of connection that makes staying feel possible and coming back feel worth it.

In Ma’ale Yosef, where northern moshavim were hit especially hard by the October 7 attacks, local leaders prioritized education as the first step toward returning home. “The establishment of the education systems within the communities for elementary school children and teens is the first thing we set out to do,” said Tal Ohana, demographic growth project manager for the region.

Natalie Simhon, education department director and president of Moshav Even Menahem, added: “We were disconnected from our homes, disconnected from the ability to be together—and when we create an informal solution, we build a community, we create a sense of belonging.”

This is what your support makes possible: investments in the educators, schools, and programs that hold communities together—especially when everything else feels uncertain.

We’re deeply proud to be in this work with trusted partners in Israel. And we’re grateful to stand with our community here in Greater Washington, who help make all of this happen.

This is just one of the several long-term investments we’re making across Israel. Our growing partnerships with Kinneret Valley Cluster (KVC) and Kibbutz Re’im will help us reach even more communities with this kind of bold, local leadership.

As 2025 winds down, many of us are thinking about the difference we want to make—and how to give in ways that matter most. With changes from the One Big Beautiful Bill Act (OBBBA) taking effect on January 1, 2026, now is the time to plan ahead. New charitable deduction limits—including a 0.5% adjusted gross income (AGI) floor and reduced itemized benefits—may affect giving strategies in 2026 and beyond. That makes this year an important opportunity for strategic giving.

Below are five tax-smart strategies to consider as you make your year-end gift—whether you’re supporting The Jewish Federation of Greater Washington, shaping your long-term philanthropic goals through the Jewish Community Foundation, or both.

1. Give Online

Give online for the fastest and most convenient option. Web-based platforms make strengthening Jewish life across Greater Washington simple, safe, and accessible.

2. Donate Appreciated Stock

Donating appreciated stock allows you to save on capital-gains taxes and receive a charitable deduction for the fair-market value of assets held more than one year. Your gift powers the programs and partnerships that keep Jewish Greater Washington strong.

Tip: Initiate stock transfers by Monday, December 15 to ensure a 2025 tax credit.

3. Create or Add to a Donor-Advised Fund (DAF)

Open or add to your fund using cash, securities, or complex assets such as business interests or real estate. You’ll receive a charitable deduction now, your fund can grow tax-free, and you’ll have the flexibility to recommend grants when you’re ready. A DAF can also streamline your giving and engage your family in meaningful philanthropy.

Many donors are choosing to contribute up to $108,000 to their DAFs in 2025 to maximize deductibility before 2026’s new limits take effect.

Example: If you plan to give $36,000 annually over the next three years, “bunching” that total into a single $108,000 gift before December 31, 2025 may allow you to take full advantage of today’s deduction rules—versus a reduced benefit spread across multiple years under the new law.

If you already have a DAF, recommending a grant to Federation’s Annual Campaign by December 31 is one of the quickest ways to make an immediate impact.

If you don’t have a DAF, you can still make your year-end gift directly online, through appreciated assets, or by choosing the strategy that best aligns with your goals. And if you’re thinking ahead, opening a DAF is an option you can explore anytime.

4. Make a Qualified Charitable Distribution (QCD) from Your IRA

If you are 70½ or older, you can transfer up to $108,000 directly from your IRA to Federation or the Foundation—tax-free.

A QCD

• Counts toward your Required Minimum Distribution (RMD)
• May reduce your adjusted gross income
• Remains beneficial even if you don’t itemize deductions

QCDs must be received by December 31 to count for 2025.

Example: A donor who makes a $108,000 QCD before year-end may reduce both their taxable income and future RMDs, while supporting Jewish community needs today.

5. Donate Appreciated Real Estate or Other Complex Assets

A gift of appreciated real estate or other complex assets allows you to avoid capital-gains tax and receive a charitable deduction based on the property’s fair-market value (with a qualified appraisal). You may give all or part of a property while retaining lifetime use and build a lasting legacy for Jewish Greater Washington.

We’re Here to Help

Our Federation and Foundation teams can help you identify the giving strategy that aligns with your goals and values before year-end. We encourage you to consult with your professional advisors to determine how these strategies apply to your individual situation.

If you’d like to understand more about how the new 2026 deduction rules work—including the 0.5% floor and the new ceiling for itemized deductions—you can find a full explanation here.

The Jewish Federation of Greater Washington and the Jewish Community Foundation do not provide legal, financial, or tax advice.

I was reading through the results of our recent Impact Index Pulse Survey, a community-wide survey we helped launch earlier this year to better understand how people across our region are experiencing Jewish life—what’s working, what’s missing, and where we can lower barriers to connection. The survey asked 1,349 D.C.-area Jewish community members about their level of satisfaction with the Jewish community (54% satisfied, 15% unsatisfied, 31% neutral).

There is plenty to parse in the data, but one thing stood out to me: The key to increasing people’s engagement with Jewish life isn’t about creating desire but about creating opportunities and removing barriers standing in the way of greater participation.

The desire to become more involved in Jewish life cuts across denomination, age group, income level, region, synagogue affiliation, and length of residence. Roughly 50-60% of all demographic groups want more engagement. Even those whose engagement declined in the past year still reported wanting to be more involved in Jewish life. This is remarkable and instructive.

At Federation, we are proud to work closely with a network of partners who offer and facilitate meaningful Jewish experiences. But the work of building Jewish community rests not solely with institutions, but with each of us. Indeed, community is built from individual connections that help people feel seen and part of something. All of the grants and strategic approaches in the world will never replace the power of personal interactions.

Enter Shabbat dinner. Whether you gather with family members, close friends, or new acquaintances, coming together for Shabbat dinner is one of the most powerful ways to kindle and strengthen Jewish life. Many of us know this to be true from our own encounters with Shabbat, and it is also borne out in the data. Among those who sometimes or regularly attend or host Shabbat dinners there is a greater level of engagement with and satisfaction in Jewish life as compared to those who rarely or never attend Shabbat dinners.

I can hear the data folks reminding me that “correlation is not causation,” but when it comes to Shabbat dinner, there is no downside. It is a positive indicator and effective gateway to greater engagement. It also enriches our own Jewish lives. We’re fortunate to work with so many organizations and community members who help people find their way to one another, at Shabbat tables and in countless other moments of connection.

So, as the weather gets colder and we burrow inside, I want to encourage you to bring others along with you. Invite people over for Shabbat dinner. Welcome people you know and people you would like to get to know. Even if you’ve never hosted a Shabbat dinner before, give it a try. It does not need to be fancy or fit some image of what a Shabbat dinner is “supposed” to look like. There are many online resources standing by to provide you with tips and ideas. This is a resource guide from OneTable, one of our partner organizations, that helps those in their 20s and 30s host Shabbat dinners—but the information works for all ages.

The Impact Index clearly shows people want to be more engaged in Jewish life. The desire is there. We meet it by connecting with the people around us and basking together in Jewish ritual, joy, connection, and belonging.

There’s more than one way to slice an apple, bake a challah, or make someone’s day. And there’s definitely more than one way to make a difference.

Every gift to The Jewish Federation of Greater Washington helps someone feel more connected, supported, and seen—whether it’s a teen finding their place in Jewish life, a family getting help in a moment of crisis, or a community strengthened by safety and care.

Curious what your impact looks like?

Explore how your giving shapes Jewish life across Greater Washington:

• Security: Protecting our community and preparing for whatever comes next.
• Northern Virginia: Building connection and Jewish life across the region.
• Teens & Young Adults: Empowering the next generation of Jewish leaders.
• Camp & Education: Sparking lifelong Jewish learning and friendships.

This season, consider the difference you want to make, then choose the giving path that fits you best. Whether it’s online, through appreciated stock, your Donor Advised Fund, or a charitable IRA distribution, your generosity powers real impact across our region and beyond.

Because there’s no single way to build a strong, vibrant Jewish community. It takes all of us.