Category: Programs & Partnerships

I’ve been thinking a lot about how change happens. What experiences or events have a unique and significant impact on a person’s life? What are the drivers or enablers that can move a community forward? What is needed to shift a trajectory, to address a problem, or seize an opportunity?

I am thinking about this because we live in a moment when we, as a Jewish people, are facing a series of challenges (and opportunities) as our world changes in significant ways. We therefore need to consider our approach when it comes to our work to build a vibrant Jewish community in the DMV.

For the past many years, we have worked hard to identify new programs or strategies that would bring people in. We have sought ideas from the community and funded a variety of new initiatives. And many of these initiatives have been successful. We have partnered with incredible local agencies and synagogues to create new initiatives and bring ideas to life. This work has been eye-opening and worthwhile.

I also want to explore what it might look like for this next period of Jewish life, if we shift our focus from continuing to source new ideas to scaling the initiatives that we know for certain achieve the objectives we have in mind—the ones that over years of study and observation have proven successful in building connection, identity, and community.

We know that Jewish overnight camp, youth groups, Jewish learning, immersive experiences, especially to Israel, Jewish day schools, and Shabbat dinners all achieve these goals. Moreover, and just as importantly, they are scalable. These may not be the only experiences that have such an impact, but channeling our energy and creativity into each of these six areas could yield tremendous results.

For example, there are currently 3,500 kids in Greater Washington who go to Jewish overnight camp. What impact might we have on the Jewish future if we doubled that number over the next ten years and another 3,500 children and teens experience the joy and community of camp? What if for the next decade, we focus on the proven wins in Jewish life—those things we know to be both high impact and scalable—and bring in many more people to these experiences?

We are currently debating and stress testing these questions internally at Federation and I want to share our thinking with you as part of that process. How does our list of impactful Jewish experiences strike you? Where do you see challenges with our approach? In what ways can the broader community contribute to Jewish engagement?

I look forward to hearing your thoughts. Through it all, know that our core objective remains the same: working together to build a community where everyone feels they belong, can connect deeply to others and the Jewish people, and inspired to shape our collective future.

More to come.

For me, working to facilitate greater connection between our community and Israel feels like second nature. Since joining the Jewish professional world, it’s been a given that helping more people form meaningful relationships with Israel would be a core part of my work. Indeed, it’s a pillar of what we do at Federation and near to my heart as someone who knows and loves Israel.

A Changing Relationship Across Generations

In the current social and political climate, I am also recognizing how important it is that we articulate why we do this work and how we go about it. The Washington Post recently found that 68% of American Jews over 65 feels emotionally connected to Israel. For those between ages 18 and 34, that number drops to 36%. Stats like these abound.

There are a variety of reasons for this drop that I will not address at the moment (though I will in future reflections), but it’s clear we need to do more to support all Jews, and particularly younger Jews, in accessing one of the premier benefits that comes with their identity. Staying in relationship with Israel, even when we disagree or face different challenges, allows us to deepen our own Jewish experience. I’ve been fortunate to accompany many people on their first visit to Israel. It never gets old seeing them discover how special it feels to be immersed in a country with a Jewish rhythm, a thriving culture, Hebrew as a national language, and a clear sense of Jewish agency. It is an unparalleled mix of comforting and empowering.

Making Space for Complexity and Difference

Importantly, any successful approach to Israel engagement must honor the diversity of perspectives that exist in our community. I’ve seen the way October 7th and its aftermath has awakened people’s interest in and affinity for Israel. I have also seen the way many among us are struggling to figure out their relationship with Israel in this moment—and witnessed that struggle enrich our community by helping us all wrestle with what we believe and who we want to be as a people. The pathway forward must make space for multiple avenues of exploration, learning, and questioning.

How Federation Is Deepening Connection

To that end, Federation is undertaking a new phase in our Israel engagement work. Our goal is to strengthen the connective tissue—the infrastructure, programming, and partnerships—that will bring Greater Washington and Israel closer, year after year, in ways that resonate with each individual and organization. And to do so in partnership with Jewish organizations, lay leaders, educators, clergy, professionals, and philanthropists. We’ll be focusing on deepening everyday connections and building on the partnerships that have been forming organically these past few years.

What This Looks Like in Practice

Take our relationship with Kibbutz Nir Oz for example. A group of local synagogues came together to turn an emergency fundraising effort after October 7 into a genuine exchange. Kibbutz members have come to visit Washington, including former hostage Gadi Mozes, and some members of our community have visited the kibbutz in Israel. We are now supporting local lay leaders who are leading the partnership to shape opportunities for our community members to volunteer at the kibbutz and visit other Federation partners in the area.

There’s more to come, and I will be sure to keep you updated. For now, I’ll leave you with the thought that articulating the meaning that comes from a personal connection to Israel is a precious and urgent imperative. It’s on those of us who know and bask in that meaning to help others find it too.

Recently, a security concern was identified and reported quickly thanks to the awareness and vigilance of a few community members. Because they trusted their instincts and spoke up, the situation was addressed promptly and did not escalate.

While the incident itself was resolved, it offers an important reminder: training matters—and so does taking action when something doesn’t feel right.

Awareness Is a Skill We Can All Build

Every one of us has a role to play in maintaining safe, welcoming environments across our community and within our institutions. Sometimes that role looks like participating in a security training. Other times, it’s simply noticing what’s around you and trusting your intuition.

Small observations can matter more than we realize:

• An unfamiliar person lingering
• Clothing or behavior that doesn’t fit the setting
• A vehicle parked in an unusual way
• A conversation that feels out of place

Individually, these details may seem minor. Together, they can provide critical information—but only if someone chooses to say something.

As We Look Ahead

As we enter a new year, we know the Jewish community will continue to navigate complex and challenging moments. One of the ways we care for one another is by staying alert, informed, and prepared.

JShield supports this work by offering free security trainings for individuals and institutions across our community. These sessions help build confidence, sharpen awareness, and provide practical tools for navigating uncertain situations.

Just as importantly, we encourage everyone to:

• Trust yourself when something feels off. Your instincts are often the first line of defense.
• Speak up promptly. Timely reporting allows for effective response and mitigation, whether that means contacting JShield, your institution’s security team, a staff member, or local authorities.

Looking Out for One Another

Our strength as a community has always come from the way we look out for one another. This moment reinforces a simple but powerful truth: safety is a shared responsibility—a team effort. When we act together, we are more resilient.

Thank you for your continued partnership, your vigilance, and your commitment to keeping our community safe and welcoming.

When Omer returned to his classroom after October 7, he couldn’t breathe.

Five of his students were gone, killed in the attacks. Just stepping into the room triggered waves of panic, grief, and memory. He felt like he couldn’t go on.

But through weekly sessions with a JDC counselor, Omer slowly rediscovered his footing. Today, he’s not just working—he’s leading. Omer now runs a therapeutic gym in a Gaza-border community, helping fellow survivors rebuild physically and emotionally. “I found a way to move forward,” he said. “And to help others do the same.”

This is what your dollars make possible.

In the wake of the Iron Swords War, thousands of Israelis were forced to evacuate their homes. Many lost not just their sense of safety, but their livelihoods. The trauma was deep, the economic toll was devastating, and the path to stability felt out of reach.

That’s why Federation responded swiftly, providing a $500,000 grant to JDC to launch “Getting Victims of War Back to Work”, Israel’s first trauma-informed employment recovery model. More than just getting back to work, it’s about dignity, healing, and long-term resilience—about helping people get back to life.

With your support, here’s what’s already happening:

• 890 Israelis have received hands-on vocational training, career guidance, and access to real employment opportunities
• 131 participants have already been hired, earning more than 6% above minimum wage
• 500 trauma survivors are in employment rehab, double the original 2025 goal
• 40% of previously unemployed participants have found jobs; 100% of at-risk employees stayed employed
• 18 locations now offer specialized career recovery support (up from 11)
• 48 employers have been trained to support hires navigating trauma
• And early evaluations show a 14% decrease in PTSD symptoms among participants

This model is now informing national efforts to scale trauma-informed employment support.

A Bold Investment in Israel’s Future Workforce

Through this initiative, we’re supporting Israelis not just in healing, but in retraining and returning to work with purpose.

Beyond immediate relief, it’s recovery with resilience built in.

And this is exactly the kind of long-term, people-centered impact we’re working toward through Federation’s Israel strategy: investing in long-term recovery and deepening connection between our communities.

Photo: JDC

This summer, more than 1,300 Jewish community members from across Greater Washington participated in Federation’s Impact Index Pulse Survey, giving us a clearer picture of how Jewish life is experienced across our region. Through a 20-minute text-based survey, respondents shared their attitudes and behaviors across eight pillars of communal wellbeing: engagement, education, belonging, safety, activism, health, caring, and connection to Israel and global Jewry.

Conducting research like this is core to our role in the community. We invest in data projects like this to inform our strategies and investments, and to equip synagogues, schools, human service agencies, and community-building organizations with insights they need to strengthen Jewish life in alignment with their own missions.

While we are not a synagogue, this insight matters deeply for synagogue leaders to know that among 29% of individuals who are not currently engaged but want to be, affordability is real barrier. 78% of those individuals say they would participate more in synagogue life if membership were more affordable.

This finding is especially important for our human service agencies: only 44% of individuals who identified as financially vulnerable reported knowing where to find help in the Jewish community during a time of need—in comparison to 55% of more well-off individuals.

We do not exist in a vacuum. Our community is telling us clearly where the opportunities lie: deepening engagement, expanding belonging, strengthening care, and ensure that every Jew regardless of geography, background, or perspective has access to a vibrant Jewish life. The survey shows that 72% of Jewish adults in Greater Washington consider themselves engaged with Jewish life to some degree, and at the same time, 54% say they would like to be more engaged, including 62% of respondents under the age 35 who live in the inner core of Northern Virginia and D.C. proper.

Federation will continue to fund and lead studies like this because understanding our community is essential to strengthening it, and to stewarding our collective resources responsibly.

Sunday’s attack in Australia may have happened halfway around the world, but for many of us, it hit much closer to home.

That’s the nature of Jewish vulnerability today. A violent act against a Jewish community “over there” immediately reverberates here. Our sense of safety shifts. Our plans are second-guessed. Fear creeps in.

And that’s exactly why Federation’s security work through JShield isn’t reactive. It doesn’t ebb and flow with the headlines. And it certainly doesn’t start the night before an event.

Because by the time something happens—whether it’s in Sydney or Silver Spring—it’s already too late to start building the relationships, training, and infrastructure that real security depends on.

What You Didn’t See Yesterday

As soon as we learned of the attack in Australia, our first calls were to local law enforcement partners and the FBI.

We didn’t have to introduce ourselves. We didn’t need to explain why something happening halfway around the world matters here. These are relationships we’ve built steadily over years. When we call, they respond. And they did.

That kind of response isn’t automatic. It’s built on trust. And it’s something we help every institution cultivate—hyper-local connections, district commanders who know your name, first responders who’ve walked your halls. Because when something happens, you don’t want to meet them for the first time. You want to greet them like an old friend.

From Panic to Planning

After the attack, our inboxes filled with last-minute security requests from organizations hosting Chanukah events that had been on the calendar for weeks.

It’s understandable. But it misses the point.

If you needed security last night, you needed it three weeks ago when the event was planned.

Security isn’t something you switch on out of fear. It’s something you build over time—through planning, training, and partnership. That’s what JShield is here to help our community do.

The Power of Community Reporting

Last year, more than 30 Jewish institutions in our region received threatening letters, most vaguely referencing Gaza, some outright menacing. On their own, each one might have been brushed aside.

But thanks to the reporting we encourage through JShield, we saw the bigger picture. We connected the dots across states. We got the FBI involved.

And we got results. The suspect, who lives just outside Silver Spring, recently pled guilty to federal hate crime charges. That outcome didn’t just happen. It was made possible by a community that’s engaged, prepared, and connected.

What Security Really Looks Like

Since JShield launched, we’ve helped bring in more than $5 million in federal security grants for local Jewish institutions. We’ve done hundreds of threat assessments. Helped write emergency protocols. Trained thousands of people on situational awareness and how to stay calm under pressure.

And we know those trainings stick. One teacher told us she starts every school day with a breathing exercise she learned from us. Not because she’s scared, but because it helps her and her students feel grounded.

That’s what we mean when we say training is like putting money in the bank. You don’t get to choose the emergency. But every bit of preparation makes you more ready for whatever comes.

This Moment Is Personal. And It’s Urgent.

If you’ve felt a little more anxious dropping your kids at school or wondered if your synagogue is doing enough to stay safe, you’re not alone. We’re hearing it across the community. And we feel it too.

But fear alone doesn’t keep us safe. Action does.

Right now, we have a critical opportunity. Thanks to a generous match, every dollar you give to support Federation’s security work through JShield will go even farther. That means more trainings, more assessments, and more direct support to institutions across Greater Washington.

Because cost should never be a barrier to security. That’s why every service JShield provides—from threat assessments to training—is offered free to the community, powered by Federation and donors like you.

Security doesn’t start with police. It starts with preparation, with connection, and with showing up for each other before something happens, not just after.

We can’t wait for the next headline to get ready. This is the moment to act.

Give now to protect Jewish life in Greater Washington. Let’s meet this moment—and this powerful matching opportunity—together.

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.

Cheryl Cook brings an unmistakable sense of joy into her work—and into any conversation about Avodah. As CEO, she meets young adults right as they’re deciding who they want to be in the world. “There’s a lot to do in our country,” she says. “There are a lot of challenges, always.” But for Cheryl, that reality isn’t discouraging. It’s motivating.

What excites her is watching young people step into purpose. “We reach people at the beginning of their career and help them find work with purpose.” Her energy makes it clear: this isn’t just a program. It’s a launchpad—for meaningful work, for Jewish community, and for the kind of leadership Federation aims to nurture across Greater Washington.

Finding Purpose Through Service

Cheryl’s take on Avodah’s impact echoes what we see across our partners: early, hands-on experiences shape the kind of Jewish leadership our community needs. “Avodah means work, or service, or holy work,” she says. “How you start your career often feeds what you do in your life.”

The outcomes are striking. 98.6% of participants stay involved in social justice work, a number Cheryl still delights in repeating. She shares the story of Aaron, who joined Avodah simply because he wanted to do something Jewish. His placement introduced him to immigration law; today he stands beside people facing detention and deportation. “I never would have done this work without Avodah,” he says.

What DC Brings to the Experience

For many Corps Members, Washington, DC isn’t just a placement site—it’s the place they’ve dreamed of living. Some come for politics, some for activism, some for the city’s energy. Cheryl sees how DC shapes them.

She recalls a participant on a homelessness street team who began carrying Narcan because of what she saw daily. Another said that protesting on the National Mall felt like stepping into history. Even when the federal government shut down this fall, the learning didn’t pause; the cohort explored parks, found hidden corners of the district, and quickly felt embraced. In Cheryl’s telling, DC is more than a backdrop. It’s a teacher.

Why Community Matters

If the service year is what placements do, the community is what helps them stay.

“Justice work is hard,” Cheryl says plainly. “It takes being in community, and getting the joy and sustenance of Jewish life—celebrating Shabbat, being together—to stay in this work.”

Avodah designs that community with intention: shared homes, shared meals, shared questions about who we are and who we want to become. Participants arrive for a year, but Cheryl knows the relationships will outlast the program.

Strengthening the Field

For Federation, partners like Avodah strengthen a broader ecosystem of agencies working toward dignity, justice, and inclusion. Avodah’s impact extends far beyond its Corps Members.

Cheryl describes Avodah’s antisemitism trainings for social‑service partners—sessions that illuminate how antisemitism connects to other forms of hate. After one training, immigration advocates shared they had never connected the chant “Jews will not replace us” with anti‑immigration rhetoric. “We were able to connect the dots,” Cheryl says. The room shifted.

For her, helping secular partners understand Jewish identity within the broader landscape of equity and inclusion is both timely and hopeful.

A Partnership That Feels Like Partnership

When Cheryl talks about The Jewish Federation of Greater Washington, her gratitude is unmistakable. “DC is really exceptional at seeing us as a partner,” she says. “It makes us feel really valued and cared for by the Greater Washington Jewish community.”

She describes a partnership built on trust, storytelling, and shared purpose. Federation lifts Avodah’s work; Avodah lifts Federation’s impact. “How do we hold you up, how do you hold us up, how do we elevate our work together? It really works.”

Cheryl also names the joy of seeing Avodah alumni featured in Federation stories. “Thank you for holding up so many Avodahniks,” she says.

Rooted in Jewish Values and Human Dignity

At the core of Cheryl’s leadership is a set of values that feel both timeless and urgently needed. She names b’tzelem Elohim—the dignity of every human being—as a guiding force, especially for Corps Members meeting people experiencing homelessness or poverty.

She also emphasizes holding complexity. “You don’t all have to be the same,” she says. “You can hold an array of difference and also see each other as full humans.” Her favorite teaching, inspired by Pirkei Avot, captures it simply: “When nobody else is being human, be human.”

The Work Ahead

Cheryl sees Avodah as a place where young adults connect what lights them up with what the world needs—and where Jewish community helps sustain them for the long haul. “I feel very humble and lucky to be in this role,” she says.

Through its partnership with The Jewish Federation of Greater Washington, Avodah helps strengthen Jewish life, develop emerging leaders, and shape a more just future for our region and beyond.

On their first Shabbat in DC earlier this fall, 13 young adults gathered in Rock Creek Park not just to meet each other, but to ground themselves in purpose. Under the trees, they sang Hashkiveinu together in a ritual led by Rabbi Gita Karasov, an alumna who once stood where they now sit.

That moment marked the start of a year that will challenge, stretch, and shape them as individuals and as leaders.

These 2025–26 Corps Members are part of Avodah, a Federation partner that places young Jewish changemakers in a year of immersive service. They live together in the DC bayit (house), explore Jewish pluralism in daily life, and serve at local nonprofits including Bread for the City, Jews United for Justice, and Higher Achievement.

Their orientation alone included a walking tour of U Street to learn about the legacy of Black Broadway and a deep dive into disability justice with Rabbi Lauren Tuchman. More than just training, it was a week of becoming rooted into community, justice, and Jewish values.

We believe Jewish leadership must reflect the urgency, diversity, and moral clarity this moment demands. Through your support, we’re helping these young adults lead with purpose, live their values, and build something bigger than themselves—right here in Greater Washington.

This is what happens when generosity meets action. Together, we’re shaping a Jewish future built on justice, belonging, and bold leadership.

In a time when conversations often feel like battlegrounds, The Jewish Federation of Greater Washington is charting a different course: creating space for humility, respect, and the quiet power of listening.

The Community Leadership Council (CLC)—a group of 100+ community builders from across Greater Washington—is at the heart of that shift. And now they’re launching a bold Listening Campaign. The goal? Not to agree on everything. But to understand each other more fully and build real trust, even when we don’t land in the same place.

Who’s in the room

The CLC isn’t just another leadership committee. It’s part of a new model for how Jewish Greater Washington shows up, listens in, and makes decisions together.

Its members span more than 100 organizations: synagogues, schools, service agencies, and grassroots groups. They come from different generations, professions, political beliefs, and religious identities. Some are longtime Federation partners, others are new to this work.

They were brought together to reflect a broader range of voices. And now, they’re listening—with purpose and intention—not just as individuals, but as a new kind of leadership collective committed to understanding and learning together.

By design, CLC members wear two hats: the “community member” hat, representing their own lived experiences, and the “community leader” hat, bringing in and analyzing the voices of an even wider circle. The goal? To surface critical issues and insights that Federation and other organizations can address in the years ahead.

Listening is harder than it sounds

Most of us think we’re pretty good listeners. We nod, we wait our turn, we make eye contact. But real listening—the kind that helps people feel heard and seen—is a lot trickier than it looks.

And when the topic touches on deeply held values—identity, politics, Israel—it’s even harder to stay open. But that’s exactly when it matters most.

That kind of listening takes more than good intentions. It’s a skill, one that can be practiced, honed, and strengthened over time.

Practicing the hard stuff

That’s what CLC members set out to do this fall by joining workshops with two organizations that specialize in the art of tough conversations: Resetting the Table and For the Sake of Argument.

These weren’t lectures—they were labs.

• Resetting the Table’s Speaking Across Conflict training focused on real tools for navigating charged conversations, especially around Israel and the current political climate in the U.S.
• For the Sake of Argument used a curriculum built on stories designed to provoke disagreement—on issues central to Israel and Jewish life—then helped participants stay curious, reflective, and in relationship.

For many, the most eye-opening lesson wasn’t just how to listen. It was realizing how much difference exists even among people who think they’re aligned.

When it gets real

“One of the most surprising takeaways was how much difference there is even among people who think they’re on the same page,” said one participant. “It reminded me how important it is to keep asking, not assuming.”

Another brought the experience home. At a recent Shabbat dinner, when the conversation got tense, she didn’t change the subject or shut it down. She stayed curious. She listened. And the conversation stayed open.

As Lisa Silver-Kopit put it: “In such a charged moment, it’s a relief to have tools that help us talk and listen with respect. These skills don’t make disagreement go away, but they make it possible to stay in relationship even when we see things differently.”

What’s next and how you can be part of it

Between now and the end of February, the CLC is hosting listening gatherings across Greater Washington.

These aren’t forums or focus groups. They’re small, meaningful conversations about what matters to you. What’s working. What’s missing. What makes you feel connected—or left out. What kind of Jewish community you want to build next.

And the insights shared won’t disappear into a spreadsheet. They’ll directly inform how Federation—and our entire ecosystem of Jewish life—moves forward.

Want in? Interested in joining a listening group or bringing a few people together to host your own? Let us know!

We’re building something new together. A more open, connected, and resilient Jewish Greater Washington. That can’t happen from the top down or from behind a podium.

It starts with listening. And it starts with you.

As Marla Schulman, Chair of the 2025-2026 Inaugural Community Leadership Council put it:

“This campaign is about discovering the community we all want to build together. When we really listen to each other, we learn that we don’t have to agree on everything to care about each other. And we find the common ground to move us forward. That’s where real connection begins.”