Author: The Jewish Federation of Greater Washington

Reading the news reminds me of the comic books I read as a kid. They’d start off with large headlines announcing the latest victories of the world’s villains, each update more concerning than the last. Then, when things were at their bleakest, the superheroes would show up and answer the call of a world in distress. Which is to say I’m accustomed to looking around for heroes when times get tough.

This year, I found the heroes I was searching for in all of you. Harnessing the twin forces of empathy and resolve, community members across Greater Washington stepped up to be there for people in need in a year of overwhelming uncertainty. Thanks to your support, Federation was able to expand and strengthen a network of care across D.C., Maryland, and Northern Virginia and infuse resources where they were needed most.

Our partners at JSSA, Yad Yehuda, and Hebrew Free Loan Association of Greater Washington, among others, responded to serial crises with food assistance, interest free loans, mental health resources, and other emergency support. Our area rabbis joined together to distribute grants made available by Federation to those who could use a helping hand. And Jewish organizations of all sizes set aside funds to make Jewish experiences, including Jewish day school and Jewish summer camp, more accessible to more people.

Meanwhile, Makom, JCADA, and JCA, and Tzedek DC, and others continued the quiet, sacred work of caring for the elderly in our community, advocating and providing services for those living with disabilities, responding to reports of abuse and domestic violence, and helping families get back on their feet after periods of struggle. This work was made possible by your partnership.

That’s why even as we close out a year that often felt challenging, I’m encouraged, hopeful even, about what lies ahead. The world does not lack for destructive forces. But there are even more heroes in our midst who meet suffering with love and generosity and do what they can to ensure our community’s human service offerings remain strong.

If this work moves you, I invite you to keep responding and give to Federation’s Annual Campaign. The Annual Campaign is the most essential source of funding for Federation’s work across our region, enabling us to support vital services people rely on every day and all the more so in times of crisis.

The impact of federal layoffs, the government shutdown, and the ongoing affordability crisis is hitting our area hard. Thousands of members of the Jewish community are struggling with poverty and meeting their basic needs. A gift to Federation ensures we can continue helping people through this moment and access the joy of Jewish life.

As the saying goes, not all heroes wear capes. But what our local champions lack in costume, they more than make up for in heart. The resources we are able to provide through the Annual Campaign reflect our commitment to each other. Thank you for showing up in the name of community. We need you.

More and more young adults aren’t waiting to be asked in. They’re showing up with questions, ideas, and a real desire to help shape a vibrant, inclusive Jewish future.

We’re also seeing this nationally: the latest Slingshot survey shows that Jewish young adults crave agency, community, and meaningful ways to live their Jewish values out loud.

That’s what NEXUS offers—a chance to explore identity, giving, and belonging in a way that’s personal, real, and rooted in what matters most.

More Than Belonging

If you’re in your 20s or 30s, you probably know the feeling: you care about Jewish life and want to live your values with intention, but it’s not always clear how to turn that into real impact. Where do you begin? What does it look like to shape the community when you’re still figuring out your own path?

That’s the space NEXUS fills. It offers a framework to explore personal values, community connection, and what meaningful participation looks like today.

Seeing the Bigger Picture

What makes NEXUS different is how it connects you to the full landscape of Jewish Greater Washington. At the center of that landscape is the work we do together through Federation to strengthen partnerships, power collective giving, and respond quickly when our community needs support.

When you plug into that ecosystem through NEXUS, your impact doesn’t stay in one corner. It ripples out.

NEXUS is the moment when people begin to see that bigger picture and understand the role they can play in it.

Where It Starts to Feel Real

One moment from a past cohort still stands out to me. Someone said, “I’m not sure I’m the kind of person who leads in the Jewish community.” Before I could respond, another person said, “You already do. You just needed a space to see it.”

That’s NEXUS in a single sentence.

This program creates space for meaningful conversations—about identity, belonging, philanthropy, and community responsibility—and gives participants tools to navigate them with empathy and authenticity. Not because we hand out answers, but because we build the conditions where people can explore them together.

Learning That Feels Real and Human

Throughout the experience, participants hear from people whose work embodies inclusive, values-driven impact. They see how belonging, purpose, and impact show up in real life—from organizations building accessible workplaces to those creating pathways for Jewish connection across the region.

It’s learning that feels grounded, practical, and genuinely connected to the needs of our community.

A Cohort That Becomes Community

Every NEXUS cohort becomes its own small ecosystem of support. People show up as individuals and quickly become a group that listens, challenges, questions, and encourages one another. Real friendships form. Real conversations happen. Real growth takes place.

By the end, participants don’t walk away with a formal roadmap. They walk away with something more lasting: a clearer sense of who they are, a better understanding of what they value, and a deeper confidence in the role they can play in shaping Jewish Greater Washington.

Stepping In—Together

NEXUS is one powerful doorway into that journey of connection and meaning—but across Next Gen, there are so many ways to step in, show up, and shape what comes next.

In a year when conversations about Israel often collapse under the weight of politics, pain, and fear, more than 30 community members came together at the Pozez JCC of Northern Virginia for something different: honest dialogue rooted in listening, not debate.

The evening was hosted in partnership with the Arava Institute for Environmental Studies and led by one of our community shlichim (Israeli emissaries), whose work bridges people, perspectives, and purpose across Greater Washington. Together, they created space not for agreement, but for connection.

Stories That Set the Tone

Arava alumni Brian Crann, Jawdat Kasab, and Arielle Ben-Hur opened the session by sharing their own experiences in dialogue at Kibbutz Ketura, where Palestinians, Israeli Jews, Israeli Arabs, and others from across the region live and learn together.

Their stories didn’t shy away from pain or complexity. They grounded the room in something real.

Listening, Not Convincing

Then came the heart of the evening: small groups gathered with one goal—listen to understand. No debating, no fixing, just sitting with each other’s stories.

It wasn’t always easy. But it was real.

As one participant put it, “Meaningful conversations like these are often part of the solution.”

What We Carried Forward

Before leaving, each person shared one word they were taking with them:

“Curiosity.” “Compassion.” “Understanding.”

And most of all—“Hope.”

Staying in the Room

It didn’t take a panel or a facilitator to make the evening powerful. It took people willing to show up, listen, and stay in it together. That’s what our shlichim are helping nurture—quietly, consistently—across Greater Washington.

Learn more about how the shlichim are helping to build these bridges across Greater Washington.