Turning Interest Into Engagement
A simple yet powerful entry point for connection.
There are approximately 85,000 Jewish young adults in the DC region, many of whom have moved from other places. Which means that we have a tremendous responsibility to make Jewish life as accessible as possible. Plus, young people want in.
We’ve heard unequivocally from young Jews that they want to be more involved and are eager for low-barrier Jewish experiences. Indeed, our 2025 Pulse Survey found that young adults are both the least connected to and the most interested in Jewish life. (Results show 62% of Jews under 35 in D.C. and NOVA want to be more engaged with Jewish life and community.)
It’s with this in mind that we are taking steps to widen the path toward greater Jewish engagement. Recently, our board approved funding for a joint effort across six organizations (The Den Collective, the Edlavitch DCJCC, GatherDC, Hadar, OneTable, and Sixth & I). These organizations are already part of a collaborative that has been working to strengthen Jewish life for those in their 20s and 30s in our region and they are eager to keep experimenting and growing together.
The focus of their next venture will be to grow the number of young adults participating in Shabbat dinners. We know from data and experience that Shabbat is one of the most effective levers of Jewish engagement. It is meaningful, accessible, and recurring. It is transformative in its own right and serves as a gateway to deeper connection. It is a ready-made touch point capable of meeting the post-October 7th interest among young Jews in stepping further into Jewish life.
We also know young people aren’t the only ones interested. Parents of young children, empty nesters, newcomers, and more are hungering for the comfort, structure, community, and spirituality of Shabbat. The group therefore plans to start with young adults as a target audience and expand from there.
I’m excited about this work because I am passionate about the outcome and moved to see a bedrock of our tradition become a key point of welcome and discovery. I also think it depicts what Federation is meant to do: leverage our strategic vantage point, establish forward-thinking partnerships, and bring our community closer while moving it forward.
The Shabbat dinner effort is just getting started. The goal in this first year is to increase participation among young adults by 10% as we learn how best to bring in more people. And core to this is that the partners have each other. They will enact a shared strategy and learn and iterate together, faster and with more precision than they could alone. They will set ever more significant and challenging goals as we collectively seek to transform the community. To me, this is what innovation and partnership—and Federation—are all about.
With more to come.
