Growing up, my family and I were deeply involved in Jewish life. We attended synagogue every week. My mom taught in the preschool and Hebrew school, and my dad served on the board, read Torah, and was a High Holiday gabbai. We lived within walking distance of the synagogue, kept kosher, and attended Hebrew school all the way through to confirmation. Judaism was woven into everything we did.
And yet, we lived in a very non-Jewish area. At school, I was one of only a handful of Jewish kids. I was always stuck picking pepperoni off my pizza, singing in Christmas pageants, and eating matzoh while my friends were bragging about their easter fun. Just to play soccer, I had to rush out of Musaf, change into my jersey and cleats in the car, and sprint onto the field. I couldn’t play as often because I had to go to Hebrew school 3 days a week, and I was resolved that one day I’d grow up, marry a non-Jew, and leave all of this behind just to be “normal.”
That changed when I attended my first Kadima convention with USY—a week-long summer program that altered the trajectory of my life. For the first time, I was surrounded by 300 other Jewish kids—some with experiences like mine, others from completely different Jewish worlds, including day schools and the “shtetl” of Montgomery County, MD. For the first time, I felt completely at ease in my own skin.
One of the most transformative moments occurred when one of our regional staff members led a shacharit service outdoors, inviting us to simply connect with God. No one had ever told me that I could speak to God before; I had only ever been told to sing, move, and participate. That during the Amidah, I should read what’s in the book. That morning, I poured out everything I had struggled with. I cried. I dreamed. I prayed. And in the sunlight filtering through the trees, I discovered my own connection to God.
From there, I threw myself into Kadima and USY. I basked in the music of prayers I had heard all my life but never truly felt, reveled in the community, dove into sichot, and attended every convention I could. I became involved in my own shul: joining the USY board, becoming a madricha for children with special needs, and serving as the Hebrew school’s music teacher and choir director.
In my senior year, I started dating Alex Berger, a friend I met through USY. We fell in love, and today we are married with two children. Our commitment to Jewish life only grew. Inspired by USY, we became leaders in college—Alex on the OMETZ board at UMD, and I as President (and eventually interim director) of VCU Hillel. Since then, we’ve poured ourselves into every synagogue community we’ve been part of—planning Purim carnivals, joining membership committees, creating young adult and young family programming, and doing whatever we could to help Jewish life flourish.
As an artist and graphic designer, I contributed creatively to the community: designing yearbooks for the Jewish day school, redesigning the synagogue’s weekly newsletter, creating event graphics, Purim decorations, and more.
After four years as a freelance designer and stay-at-home mom, I decided to return to full-time work. I spent two weeks rebuilding my résumé and portfolio, and—I kid you not—the very day I finished, the USCJ job listing appeared. I applied through every channel and wrote the cover letter of a lifetime. In this role, I could combine all my passions to serve the Jewish community and elevate the Jewish experience for those in our movement. I am deeply grateful to God for the timing—and to everyone at USCJ who played a role in my hiring, making my dream come true.
