Category: Northern Virginia

I’ve spent a lifetime experiencing the incredible, vibrant diversity of the Jewish world. I grew up Conservative in Toronto, navigated Reform spaces in Anaheim after my family moved there when I was nine, engaged with Chabad, and even spent time backpacking through Israel, staying on my family’s kibbutz.

Moving around as much as I have, I’ve seen just about every model of Jewish community layout imaginable, from tiny, 20-family pockets with a traveling rabbi to massive communities where people only show up for the High Holidays. Experiencing that full spectrum also gave me a deeper understanding about what makes a Jewish community thrive.

When my family and I moved to Alexandria right before the pandemic, we knew it was time to finally put down deep roots and find a true home in our local community. I jumped into leadership, eventually chairing several committees at Beth El Hebrew Congregation. But while I loved my synagogue, I couldn’t shake a familiar feeling: NoVA’s Jewish community was missing out on key opportunities to come together.

The structures we’ve inherited naturally build walls between community leaders throughout our region. But the reality is, leaders across our different NoVA organizations actually want to work together. At our core, we are facing the same challenges and chasing the same goals. We are more alike than we realize and are stronger and more effective together. We just needed the space, the trust, and the opportunity to do it.

That opportunity came for me when I learned about Federation’s Northern Virginia Leadership Cohort from Carly Rubenstein, Board President at Beth El. She told me it was something I’d find fascinating and impactful for my work in the community. I didn’t know a single other person who had signed up for it, but I decided to take the leap.

Professional-Grade Tools for Community Transformation

I recently took six months off from the corporate world to dedicate myself fully to volunteering as a leader in Jewish communal work, so I wasn’t looking for a casual networking mixer. I wanted something substantial. To my surprise, the caliber of this Federation program ranked right up there with the absolute best professional development trainings I’ve ever done in the corporate sector.

Led by renowned leadership consultant Rae Ringel, the program is entirely about giving you tools, learning by doing, and doing in a group of leaders who have the same mission and values. Through a dynamic mix of in-person and virtual sessions, Rae guided us through “connection modalities” that taught us how to surface differing perspectives, navigate difficult conversations, and truly articulate both our personal stories and our organizations’ missions.

For me, the most tangible takeaway was learning structured, innovative frameworks to pull apart larger, sometimes overwhelming community challenges into manageable, actionable pieces, building the concrete skills to execute your vision.

The Power of Coalition: “Shipbuilding” in NoVA

What surprised me most, though, was the sheer willingness of everyone in the room to work together.

There is a distinct difference between standard corporate or nonprofit experience and Jewish nonprofit experience. To me, the main difference is “shipbuilding,” learning how to build lasting coalitions across different denominations, synagogues, and grassroots organizations in a casual, high-trust environment.

The Jewish Federation of Greater Washington understands this, explicitly designing the program to facilitate these deep connections by assigning us to smaller “coffee groups,” which became the foundation for real collaboration.

Just this week I was texting with another participant from my cohort. We recreate those coffee groups all the time. We are constantly leaning on one another, bouncing ideas off each other, and using the exact problem-solving structures we learned together to figure out how to best serve Jewish NoVA.

By bringing together leaders from across the Jewish communal space in NoVA, Federation is actively weaving a powerful network of friends and collaborators. The cohort has allowed lay leaders and professionals across the region to realize we are not facing our challenges alone.

Now’s The Time: Join the Third NoVA Leadership Cohort

If you are reading this and feeling even a little bit intrigued, my advice to you is simple: don’t be afraid to give it a shot.

Whether you are a seasoned board member, a dedicated committee chair, an engaged volunteer, or someone who hasn’t held a formal leadership role yet but has a passionate desire to grow, this cohort will give you the tools to decide how you want to be involved and the lifelong network to back you up.

Federation is launching the third Northern Virginia Leadership Cohort this fall. From August 2026 through May 2027, a new group of 16–20 lay leaders will come together for a kickoff event, a closing celebration, and 8 monthly sessions (alternating between in-person and Zoom) led once again by Rae Ringel. To learn more and nominate a talented and dedicated individual with a desire to grow in their Jewish leadership journey (including yourself), please see here.

We need a diverse set of organizations, ages, and perspectives to make a truly strong, vibrant, and unified NoVA Jewish community a reality.

Take it from me—it is entirely worth the investment.

A toddler paints a paper menorah in preschool. A congregation gathers for Shabbat morning services. Teenagers laugh together at a local leadership group. Seniors meet for lunch at the JCC. Students learn Hebrew after school.

These moments are what Jewish life looks like across Greater Washington on any given day.

Behind the scenes, long before anyone walks through the doors of a synagogue, preschool, JCC, or Jewish organization, community leaders are working tirelessly to help ensure those spaces remain safe, resilient, and prepared.

That’s why the Jewish Federation of Greater Washington is thrilled to welcome Laura Katzif as its full-time Community Security Advisor (CSA) serving Northern Virginia and DC.

Expanding JShield’s Reach Across Greater Washington

For the past two years, Laura has supported JShield, Federation’s community security initiative, in a part-time capacity. Now, in this expanded role, she can continue to increase JShield’s capacity to help Jewish institutions strengthen their security, prepare for emergencies, and build lasting partnerships with local law enforcement.

We all know why this expansion matters right now. The need for robust security is a constant reality we live with as a Jewish community. In a climate of rising antisemitism, we’ve seen devastating reminders right in our own backyard and around the world.

Protecting our community requires much more than just reacting to crises. That’s where JShield’s real value comes in. We don’t believe in “touch-and-go” interventions where someone shows up, checks a box, and leaves. JShield meets our local organizations exactly where they are and helps them build a permanent, proactive culture of security. All free of charge, thanks to our donor community.

Laura brings this exact hands-on mission into her daily work as Community Security Advisor. She works directly with synagogues, schools, and communal spaces throughout Northern Virginia and DC, providing strategic guidance, conducting safety assessments, and delivering training tailored to each space. By also serving as a trusted, everyday liaison with local public safety partners, Laura is helping us build a deeply rooted ecosystem of preparedness and collective resilience.

Decades of Security Leadership

Laura brings more than two decades of experience in corporate security, emergency management, crisis response, and business continuity to the role.

Before joining JShield, she served for six years as Director of Security at the Pozez Jewish Community Center of Northern Virginia, overseeing incident response, physical security systems, threat assessments, grant administration, security personnel, and community training. Her career has also included leadership roles with Georgetown University’s Office of Public Safety, the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), Fairfax County’s Health Department and Office of Emergency Management, and the World Bank Headquarters Security Office. She is also a certified firefighter-paramedic and an active member of both ASIS International and the Association of Threat Assessment Professionals.

Security Is About People

But for Laura, security is about much more than emergency plans.

“I truly believe that faith organizations can act as anchors of neighborhoods by providing community gathering spaces, social services, childcare, education, and other vital resources,” she says. “The safer, more secure, and resilient they are, the more likely the community surrounding them is too. The faith community is interconnected, and whether some want to admit it or not, what affects one community affects everyone.”

That philosophy reflects JShield’s broader mission, helping Jewish organizations continue doing what they do best, bringing people together.

Building a culture of security isn’t about hardening our spaces or living in fear. It’s about protecting the vibrant community life happening inside them. It’s about making sure our children can learn without worry, our families can celebrate together with peace of mind, and our neighbors can gather freely.

Together, We’re Protecting What Matters Most

Security-focused giving through Federation helps keep Jewish life across Greater Washington safe and resilient. And thanks to a generous $250,000 match, gifts to JShield will unlock up to $750,000 in impact for our community. 

Your support helps JShield continue providing the training, coordination, and resources that strengthen the security of Jewish institutions throughout our region.

Please consider making a gift to support this critical work. 

On any given day in Northern Virginia, there may be a young professionals happy hour in Arlington, a family challah bake in Fairfax, a food packing event in Alexandria, or an Israeli dance class in Reston.

The challenge isn’t whether Jewish life exists across Northern Virginia. It’s whether people know how to find it.

When someone decides they want to get more connected, if they’re new to the area, looking to meet other young families, searching for Jewish experiences for their children, or simply hoping to find community the next question is often:

“Where do I even start???”

Do you Google? Scroll Instagram? Check three different community websites? Or find out about something amazing an hour after it already happened?

Making Jewish Life Easier to Find

That’s the opportunity behind JLive, a new digital platform coming to Northern Virginia later this year through a partnership between the Jewish Federation of Greater Washington and the Pozez Jewish Community Center of Northern Virginia.

Launching first in Northern Virginia before a future rollout across Washington D.C. and Maryland, JLive is designed to make discovering and sharing Jewish programs, events, and experiences easier than ever before. From Shabbat dinners and cultural events to volunteer opportunities, family programs, and young adult gatherings, the platform will serve as a centralized hub for Jewish life across the region.

Building Connection Across Northern Virginia

“Our community spans a wide geographic area, and JLive has the potential to make Jewish life feel more connected, accessible, and visible than ever before,” said Vanessa Sax, Federation’s Senior Director of Strategy and Community Building for Northern Virginia. “It’s not only about helping people find events, but also about helping people find one another and discover the incredible Jewish experiences already happening across Northern Virginia every day.”

For years, Pozez JCC Executive Director Jeff Dannick has been thinking deeply about how to make Jewish life easier to navigate and more accessible. While the region is home to a thriving Jewish ecosystem, many residents still experience Jewish life in silos, connected to one organization, neighborhood, or stage of life without visibility into the broader community around them.

JLive can help change that.

“One of my greatest hopes has always been to make Jewish life across Northern Virginia easier to access, easier to navigate, and easier to feel part of, no matter your zip code, background, or stage of life,” said Dannick. “Northern Virginia is home to a dynamic and growing Jewish community, and JLive will help shine a brighter light on all that’s already happening while creating new opportunities for connection and belonging.”

Creating More Pathways into Jewish Life

The initiative reflects Federation’s broader role as a connector, convener, and community builder across Greater Washington: investing in tools and partnerships that help lower barriers to participation, amplify the work of local organizations, and create more pathways into Jewish life.

“JLive is a powerful tool to amplify the incredible work happening across our community,” said Gil Preuss, Federation CEO. “Jeff’s leadership and vision have been instrumental in bringing this initiative forward, and we are proud to partner with the Pozez JCC to launch a platform that strengthens connections, lowers barriers to participation, and helps more people find meaningful pathways into Jewish community.”

There’s a whole community out there waiting to be discovered—opportunities to learn, try something new, meet new people, and build lasting friendships. Through initiatives like JLive, Federation is helping more people find their place within it.

See what’s happening in our community and how you can get involved through Federation’s Community Calendar.

Northern Virginia is one of the fastest-growing centers of Jewish life in our region. With more than 120,000 Jewish residents, a rich and vibrant fabric of Jewish life is already taking shape. But for this community to truly thrive, leaders need to be connected, supported, and equipped to work together to tackle shared challenges. That’s where Federation’s experience in developing leaders and strengthening community-wide connections plays a critical role.

Bringing Leaders Together Across NoVA

In April, Federation marked the completion of its second Northern Virginia Leadership Cohort, bringing together 16 leaders from across the region, representing synagogues, Jewish communal organizations, social service agencies, campus groups, and other institutions serving Jewish life across NoVA. While these leaders come from different institutions and backgrounds, they share a common goal: strengthening Jewish life in Northern Virginia together.

Over the course of the program, participants built their leadership skills, deepened relationships, and explored new ways to collaborate across their organizations. But the true impact goes beyond any single session or workshop. The cohort was facilitated by executive leadership consultant Rae Ringel, whose approach helped participants translate these conversations into practical leadership strategies.

From Parallel Work to Shared Vision

Federation’s NoVA leadership initiative brings leaders together to help them move from parallel work to shared vision. By creating space for connection and coordination, the cohort helps leaders better understand one another’s challenges, identify opportunities for partnership, and align around the broader needs of the community.

“[The program] was really great and helped me better understand what I need to work on,” shared one participant. “It’s diverse enough that you have people from all parts of NoVA Jewish life.” Another noted, “It helped introduce me to other community leaders who are experiencing the same challenges and are already thinking about ways to resolve them.”

Looking Ahead: Sustaining Momentum

This year’s program built on previous momentum by bringing together participants from both the 2025 and 2026 leadership cohorts for a shared evening of connection and future visioning. In that room, leaders weren’t just reflecting, they were imagining what the future of Jewish life in Northern Virginia could look like.

That continuity is intentional. As Federation prepares to launch a third cohort this fall, participants from past cohorts will remain connected as an alumni network, continuing to collaborate, support one another, and help shape what comes next.

Through initiatives like the Northern Virginia Leadership Cohort, Federation is helping to cultivate a more connected, collaborative, and forward-looking network of leaders—ensuring that as Northern Virginia grows, it does so with the vision and coordination needed to support a thriving Jewish future.

We’re excited to introduce Vanessa Sax, who joined The Jewish Federation of Greater Washington in December to focus on strategy and community building in Northern Virginia.

A former Northern Virginia resident herself, she’s excited to reconnect with the community she came to know well. In her role, she’ll work with partners across Northern Virginia’s Jewish community to strengthen relationships, expand leadership opportunities, and build on the strong momentum already underway across the region.

“As someone who lived in Northern Virginia for seven years, I understand firsthand the opportunities this community has to offer.” Vanessa shared, “My goal is to continue strengthening a sense of connection and belonging for Jews living in Northern Virginia, both in their micro-communities and across the broader Northern Virginia Jewish community.”

Vanessa brings a strong background in community building. She was the first employee of Sixth & I Historic Synagogue, helping establish it as a hub for arts, ideas, and Jewish life in Washington, DC. She later held a leadership role at Zuckerman Gravely Management, focusing on mentorship, professional development, and complex negotiations shaping several DC real estate markets.

Her work reflects a deep commitment to building relationships, strengthening community, and helping shape the next chapter of Jewish Northern Virginia.

Federation CEO Gil shared: “One of the key takeaways from our Community Pulse Survey was the desire for greater engagement in Jewish life and community in Northern Virginia. Through Vanessa’s vision and community-building skills, we can achieve exactly that.”

Curious about our ongoing work in Northern Virginia?

We are excited and proud to share that JSSA, a longtime Federation partner, is expanding its hospice services to Northern Virginia—an important step in ensuring individuals and families in our region have access to high-quality, community-based end-of-life care when it matters most.

How this expansion came together

As part of our ongoing work to strengthen vibrant Jewish life in Northern Virginia, The Jewish Federation of Greater Washington supported early feasibility work for this expansion, alongside additional donor support from the community. We continue to work closely with partners to ensure evolving needs across Northern Virginia are being addressed.

Building on decades of trusted service

For more than 40 years, JSSA has been a trusted provider of hospice care in Montgomery County, supporting patients and families with expert clinical care alongside emotional and spiritual support. This expansion builds on JSSA’s more than 45 years of serving Northern Virginia through mental health services, aging-in-place programs, and its Holocaust Survivor Program.

Care that centers dignity and family

JSSA’s interdisciplinary hospice team of physicians, nurses, social workers, chaplains, and trained volunteers provides care wherever patients call home. Their model includes smaller nurse caseloads and more frequent visits during patients’ final days, contributing to a higher-quality end-of-life experience for patients and families.

Families consistently share the impact of this care. As one son recently wrote:

“The genuine care and concern for my mom demonstrated by every member of the team was amazing. Their only goal was her comfort and quality of life. My family will always be grateful to JSSA.”

Serving families across Northern Virginia

Hospice services will initially focus on Fairfax, Arlington, and Alexandria, with the ability to respond to needs beyond this initial focus area.

To learn more about JSSA’s hospice services in Northern Virginia, call 703-896-7900.

When Jen Kulkin stood up to speak, she had just 45 seconds. No slides, no long bio—just one image and a powerful prompt: Describe a time you felt a part of a community.

Her answer? A deeply personal story, told through a single photo. It was part of a rapid-fire activity called Pecha Kucha (Japanese for “chit chat”) that marked the opening night of Federation’s second Northern Virginia Leadership Cohort, held earlier this month at the Pozez JCC. One by one, each of the 17 new cohort members took their turn—revealing, in just under a minute, a glimpse into what “community” means to them.

Everyone’s story about community was different, yet the idea was the same: a place to belong, feel safe, and bond over shared experiences. That’s exactly what we’re aiming to create, and support, in Northern Virginia.

And that’s exactly the point.

Not Your Average Leadership Program

Over the next few months, these leaders—representing Pozez JCC, JSSA, Temple Rodef Shalom, Rodef 2100, George Mason Hillel, Beth El Hebrew Congregation, Federation’s Network NoVA Alliance, Gesher, Agudas Achim, Olam Tikvah, AIPAC, Congregation Beth Emeth, and Capital Camps—will gather for four sessions led by master facilitator Rae Ringel. They’ll explore the real drivers of leadership: how to listen, build trust, inspire action, and approach communal challenges with creativity and collaboration.

But before any of that, they’ll get to know each other. Not through titles or résumés, but through lived experience and through moments like PechaKucha, where vulnerability becomes the starting point for connection.

Championing Northern Virginia

Federation launched the Northern Virginia Leadership Cohort as part of our bold vision to ensure NoVA continues to grow as a vibrant hub of Jewish life—where leaders, donors, and community members feel connected, supported, and seen.

This cohort is a key investment in that future. By convening diverse leaders across institutions, we’re strengthening the web of relationships in Northern Virginia that makes Jewish community resilient and helping build the kind of trust and collaboration that can only be nurtured.

Because leadership isn’t just about strategy. It’s about showing up, listening deeply, and building something bigger together.

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.

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.”

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.