For me, Jewish life has never existed in just one lane. It’s personal, professional, spiritual, communal, familial – and often all of it at once.
This month, I was installed as chair of Goodman Jewish Family Services, a nonprofit serving those in need throughout our community. I’m also proud to serve several other Jewish organizations, and my PR agency often partners with synagogues, Jewish schools, camps, nonprofits, and organizations that strengthen and sustain Jewish life.
None of it feels separate from the rest of who I am.
Jewish life has been woven into my story for as long as I can remember – through synagogue life, youth groups, holidays, community gatherings, spirited conversations, and the understanding that we carry responsibility for one another.
I need to give props to my late mother, who taught me early that Jewish life wasn’t something you observed from a distance.
You participated… you contributed and… you took ownership.
As a teenager, I became involved in Jewish youth leadership eventually serving as an international vice president of USY, a Jewish youth organization.
In college, that continued through leadership roles with Hillel. At the time, it simply felt like being engaged and involved.
Looking back, I can see how deeply those experiences shaped my values, my connection to community, and even the work I would later gravitate toward professionally.
Somewhere along the way, my personal passion and professional life naturally intersected.
I did not intend to make Jewish organizations part of my agency’s work when I founded it 33 years ago. But when something is deeply rooted in you, it tends to find its way into your professional life, too.
What has mattered most is the opportunity to help tell the stories of Jewish life – stories of resilience, leadership, compassion, and community in moments that matter.
Especially now.
At a time when being openly Jewish can feel more complicated and more exposed, I find myself increasingly grateful for the institutions, educators, clergy, volunteers, leaders, and families who continue building Jewish life with strength, heart, and conviction.
Jewish American Heritage Month feels like a meaningful moment to pause and reflect on that.
Jewish identity is not only something we inherit, but something we nurture, protect, and carry forward. And for me, that’s where so much of the joy lives.
I now watch one of my daughters serve as a rabbi, while my other two daughters express their Judaism in their own ways – each grounded, thoughtful, and proud. Seeing that continuity feels humbling in a way I never fully understood before.
For all the complexity of this moment, there is still so much joy in Jewish life: in gathering, serving, debating, embracing responsibility, and finding connection in community.
And I feel fortunate that my life and my work continue to meet in that same place.