Annual Report: Grounding in Community

June 2023 - May 2024

This has been an impactful year of growth and development for the Den, amid a tumultuous year of trauma and pain experienced throughout the global Jewish community since October 7th. Especially after the events of this year, we know how the sacred work of the Den is more important now more than ever.

Over the past eight months we have heard from numerous participants in Den classes and gatherings how much they value these spaces to proudly be Jewish, to be able to show up as their full selves, and deepen their Jewish learning in a community they feel they belong to.

Please enjoy reviewing this year’s annual report. We have included narratives, metrics, photos and video, along with moving testimonials from Den members to help describe the many ways the Den’s impact is being deeply experienced throughout our Greater Washington community. Thank you for your continued support!

Our Why + Our What

Our Why

Our vision at the Den is to create intimate spaces for intentional Jewish experiences of belonging where people feel seen, heard, and cared for; creating a culture where everyone has a rabbi they can talk to, learn with, and lean on. We envision a community that is created by people, for people and with people who are seeking deep Jewish learning, meaningful self-exploration, and a true sense of connection in community.

Our What

the Den creates intentional and intimate spaces of belonging in Jewish community with three unique elements:

One-to-one Rabbinic Relationships - We start with the person before us, ensuring that each person has access to a one-to-one relationship with a Den rabbi who helps them develop a personalized roadmap for their life journey.
Intimate Jewish Settings - As we get to know people in our community, we work with them to co-create the Jewish community they truly yearn for – spaces for deep Jewish learning and living, self-exploration, and true communal belonging.
Leadership Empowerment - People in our community tell us how their experiences at the Den help build their confidence and ownership over their Jewish lives and invite them to view the world through a Jewish lens - feeling empowered to step into “firsts” as Jewish leaders in their homes, their neighborhoods, the broader Jewish community; and making a difference in the world.

Programmatic Highlights

From Lt to Rt, top to bottom: Leadership Appreciation Reception, Tashlich on The Wharf, Rabbi Aderet officiated wedding for Den members, Reflection and learning during our Selichot Renewal Experience, Hike + Learn in Rock Creek Park: Spiritual Grounding During the Omer

*“When I moved to the DMV just over a year ago, I was looking for ways to plug in with the local Jewish community. As soon as I learned about the Den,* I reached out and was immediately welcomed with a one-on-one meeting with a rabbi, recommendations for people to meet, and a plethora of opportunities for highly personal engagement and enrichment with amazing, thoughtful people.
I've had the privilege of helping to lead Torah studies, developing my abilities as a facilitator under the guidance of rabbinic mentors, broadening and deepening my understanding and appreciation for our tradition, and benefitting from the countless insights of fellow members of the Den. ***These skills and insights continue to serve me well, both in my personal life and in my engagement with the broader DMV Jewish community.***
*I'm tremendously grateful for the Den and all the avenues of learning and engagement that it provides!”*
- Richard, NoVA

October 7, War, Antisemitism

In response to the horrific attack on October 7th and its aftermath, we have continued to provide rabbinic emotional support and spiritual guidance, along with targeted classes and gatherings to meet the evolving needs during this tumultuous time:

The Den invited a number of rabbis from neighboring organizations (JCRC, GatherDC, and JSSA), to partner together to create a community-wide vigil immediately following the Oct. 7 attacks. Over 200 people joined our community vigil via zoom.
For the first several months following the onset of the war, we launched B’Yachad: A Time to Be Together. These highly facilitated spaces for support and Jewish learning, provided a sacred container for people to come together to process events and feel supported in community.
We regularly update our Navigating Israel web page with resources for staying informed and providing support.

Antisemitism Presentation @JHU

In April, Rabbi Aderet Drucker was invited to present on antisemitism at Johns Hopkins University’s Religious Literacy Series. **Rabbi Aderet Drucker prepared a 1.5 hour presentation on antisemitism** **for the JHU DEI staff team** where she covered: antisemitism’s origins, its history, antisemitic tropes, and ways for the campus staff to understand the complexity of the moment and ways to best support students during this tumultuous time.

the Den selected for Federation’s NextGen Programmatic Engagement Grant

In partnership with the consulting firm, Third Plateau Social Impact Strategies, the Jewish Federation of Greater Washington selected the Den along with a group of partner organizations serving 20s-40s throughout the Greater Washington area, to participate in a NextGen Programmatic Engagement grant. The grant’s aim is to support the participating organizations in achieving enhanced levels of data collection, measurement of engagement levels, programmatic, marketing, and strategic effectiveness. This project enables the Federation and all of the organizations involved to better understand continued participation and engagement patterns among the Next Gen demographic.

As part of the grant, the Den launched another 2 learning circle cohorts, a Women’s Learning Cohort, and a Couples Learning Cohort, bringing together each affinity group for an immersive learning experience with a Den rabbi over 6-months, including a communal Shabbat dinner experience for each cohort, crafted to empower each participant to have ownership and understanding of Jewish rituals so they can easily integrate these rituals into their home practice. The curriculum for each cohort is customized to meet the interests and needs of each group.

*the Den is special in that it's personal, welcoming and accepting.* ***It feels like a safe space to learn, question things, and make friends who are equally curious about Jewish topics,*** *from all different Jewish backgrounds! I appreciate the variety of events taking place across the DMV.*
- Vera, NoVA

the Den Cubs: Network for DMV Young Families

Last summer we launched the Den Cubs regional groups in MD, NoVA, and in DC in response to requests from the growing demographic of new parents at the Den. We have heard from Den parents who are also part of a congregation as well as those not at a congregation about how they are seeking spaces to connect more deeply and frequently with other young families and that the Den Cubs provides them with this opportunity in a way they haven’t yet discovered elsewhere.

the Den Cubs groups resource share, connect over Shabbat and Holiday gatherings, and explore local Jewish family programming (congregational tot Shabbats, Apple picking on Rosh Hashanah, PJ Library events, etc).

the Den Cubs is a growing network of over 105 parents.
Each regional group is thoughtfully peer-led by co-chairs via WhatsApp groups.
We gather the Den Cubs across the DMV several times a year. In December we hosted the Den Cubs Hanukkah Hoopla, where young Jewish families came together with our Den rabbis to connect, learn, and celebrate Hanukkah. (pictured below)

*We came to the Den as a newly married couple.* ***We developed a relationship with the rabbi who helped introduce us to other couples at a similar life stage.***
*Several years later, these are some of our closest friends.* ***As a couple who just welcomed our second child, we have been buoyed and supported by our community, much of which we developed thanks to Rabbi Aderet and the Den.*** *A friend from the Den Cubs set up our Meal Train when we welcomed our second child, and my wife is in a mom’s group with other moms who we met through the Den.*
***The Den’s unique approach at effectively bringing people together in meaningful ways is so powerful.*** *The Den is deeply needed in our community, and we are so grateful to have found the Den.*
- Noah + Rochelle, MD (also joined a congregation)

the Den Art Salon

***Seven months after October 7th, the members of the Den’s Music Team and our staff team dreamed up a special communal evening at the Capital Jewish Museum.*** An evening of music, visual art, thought-provoking learning and discussion, and meaningful connection to support our community members as we continued to navigate these challenging times of war and rising antisemitism together.
***The Den Art Salon invited each of us to turn down the volume****, enabling us to step into a sacred, creative space that provided nourishment as we reflected on what can be possible during these challenging times.*
***Art has the power to inspire, motivate, and empower individuals and communities. It can serve as a therapeutic outlet, a means of expression, a fertile ground for new ideas to take hold.***
Through music, visual art, and Jewish wisdom, we curated a magical evening where 20s-40s from across the DMV came together to feel grounded in Jewish community and to explore the stories that make each of us who we are.

During the Den Art Salon, in our chevruta / paired learning we poured over Jewish texts and explored questions such as:

What aspects of our unique stories do we choose to conceal or to reveal?
In our daily lives as we continue to grapple with an ongoing war, antisemitism, and polarity how do each of these decisions foster belonging and connection or moments of isolation and loneliness?
When faced with an impasse, what does our Jewish tradition teach us about ways to heal, to forgive, and to forge a new path ahead, together?

*Hi Rabbi Aderet,*
*I wanted to reach out and say thank you again for being so welcoming to me! I had brunch with Rachel today and it ended up lasting for four hours.* ***We had so much to talk about; both about Judaism and what it’s been like for us over the last 7 months…*** *And we have plans to hang out more when I get back form my sabbatical trip…*
***I’ve also been connecting with some people I met at both of the Passover Seders I went to through the Den.*** *I had coffee with E yesterday and went to services and out for dinner a few weeks ago with two people I met at the Den’s second night Seder.*
It has felt really amazing to start to build a Jewish community and I’ve felt so much less isolated in the last few weeks. I’ve also really enjoyed learning more about Jewish culture and tradition and I’m excited to continue that journey.
*Thank you so much for introducing me to Rachel and inviting me to your Passover Seder! It’s made such a difference already and I’m very excited to continue to do things with the Den.*
-Allie, DC (new member of the Den, navigating a post Oct. 7 world, May 2024)

Engagement Metrics for FY 2024:

Communal Growth:

236 NEW Den Participants

Engagement by Numbers:

390 Unique Attendees to Den classes, gatherings, and one to one rabbinic sessions
122 Classes and Gatherings
996 Attendances to Classes + Gatherings
323 Rabbinic pastoral care (emotional support and spiritual guidance) and/or life cycle sessions held by Den rabbis w/ community members
211 People sought out a Den rabbi for one to one rabbinic pastoral care and/or life cycle support who would not otherwise have had a rabbi to connect with
66 Den Leaders volunteered to lead and support the creation of over 55 Jewish experiences (Jewish text study classes, Shabbat/Holiday ritual experiences, Song/Prayer circles, task forces, etc.)

*“A year ago, after we celebrated our marriage in NYC,* ***we began our search for a new zip code — and stumbled upon a Den Rosh Hashanah meal hosted at the rabbi’s home,*** *as we apartment toured the DMV area.*
***It quite literally moved us; the welcoming community, friendly faces, nurturing rabbi, and engaging conversations solidified our decision to make the DC area our permanent home****. The intentional and inspiring evening gave us the confidence to relocate, because the Den felt like a cozy place to land as we’d try to find our footing.*
*One year later, we hosted our very own Rosh Hashanah dinner in our new DC home, sharing a meal with many of the same faces who warmly welcomed us that first night.* ***The people we met through the Den have become more than just geo-friendly acquaintances; they are the backbones of our Jewish life in DC, always just a text, Shabbat Meal, or workout class away.***”
- Max + Carly, DC

the Den’s Board of Directors + Advisory Council Members

We are grateful to our stellar team of leaders and advisors. The Den’s Board and Advisory Council members provide wisdom, guidance, and support as we work to further grow the Den organizationally and continue to best serve 20s-40s throughout our community:

Adina Dubin Barkinskiy, Board member

Gary Berman, AC member

Rabbi Jacob Blumenthal, co-founder + AC member

Scott Brown, AC member

Craig Chanoff, AC member

Kari Dunn Saratovsky, AC member

Rabbi Greg Harris, Board member

Jerry Herman, AC member

Sarah Hurwitz, AC member

Billy Kreisberg, AC member

Rabbi Steven Rein, Board member

Daniel Rosenberg, AC + Den member

Rabbi William Rudolph z”l, co-founder + Past President

Jeff Rum, Board member

Rabbi Michael Safra, Board member

Diane L. Schilit, Co-President, Board of Directors

Dani Schneider, Secretary + Den member

Katie Spector, Past Co-President + Den Alumna

Ben Wacks, AC + Den member

Will Warwick, Co-President, Board of Directors + Den member

Robin Weinberg, AC member

Jessika Wellisch, Board Member

Thank you to our incredibly talented Board + AC Members. We are beyond blessed to be in partnership with you!

Staff Team Update

We are thrilled to welcome Rabbi Emmanuel Cantor as our new community rabbi this summer. Rabbi Emmanuel will live in Northern Virginia and his first day with us will be on August 1. We are so excited for you to meet and learn with Rabbi Emmanuel!

Our very own, Hanna Petersen, has moved into an exciting new position with the Den. Hanna is now our Development + Communications Manager. Our staff and lay team members look forward to continuing to partner together as we develop innovative ways to continue to sustain the Den into the future.

Also this summer, we welcome Sophie Farwagi as the Den’s new Communications + Operations Associate. Throughout the interview process, Sophie consistently displayed not only the professional skill set we were seeking, but also a true grasp of the Den’s culture and ethos.

This is our largest staff team yet — we are so excited for this remarkable crew!

Training the Next Generation of Jewish Leaders

Den members celebrating together at our first Leadership Appreciation Reception @ Barkada Wine Bar in DC.

At the Den we are intentional about ways we model what it means to be part of a Jewish community, molding the future generation of active Jewish communal members and leaders. We train community members on how to lead classes and Shabbat/Holiday experiences; co-create worship/healing services; create text study sheets and facilitate group learning and discussions; serve a non-profit, including serving on task forces, the Den’s board and advisory council, as well as taking part in acts of hesed (acts of loving kindness and communal care).

Just this year:

66 Den Leaders co-created and facilitated over 55 classes + gatherings including: Jewish text study, Shabbat/Holiday ritual gatherings, song/prayer experiences, and more.

We launched peer-led offerings including: our third peer-led Mussar Learning Circle, a Jewish Ethics Learning Circle, three micro communities, and a new Torah Learning + Discussion series, all peer-led by Den members, with training, guidance, and support from our Den rabbis.