Caryn Silverman is all in at Congregation B’nai Tzedek. That’s likely why the Potomac resident is the only two-term president in the Conservative synagogue’s history.
She helped fund the Silverman Family Sports Court at B’nai Tzedek, and her husband dedicated the Graber Family Conference Room, named for her father. Silverman and her husband are regular donors to the American Jewish Committee and Friends of the IDF.
In her early 20s, she was named Jewish National Fund’s Rising Leader of the Year.
Silverman continued that trajectory as an active volunteer as a Charles E. Smith Jewish Day School parent of two. She also hosted her kids’ BBYO chapters many times, once having 30 boys sleep over for their weekend convention.
Now retired, Silverman uses her master’s in social work and experience as a therapist to continue giving back to the community.
Tell me about your Jewish upbringing and background.
I am the daughter of a Holocaust survivor. My father and a large group of the family came to America after being in hiding for 10 years [in Poland and the Soviet Union] and a [displaced persons] camp for one year. Then, a large group of the family went to Israel as Israel was being built and created, so that is very much a part of who I am.
Growing up, I started volunteering as young as I could remember. I remember being 4 years old and my mother bringing me along with her to Hatzilu — it’s a Long Island group where we would bring meals to elderly Holocaust survivors in Brooklyn. I always tagged along. My parents are very philanthropic people in the Jewish community and with the world at large; pillars of their community. I have volunteered for as long as I can remember.
When we moved [to Potomac] with a 2-week-old and an 18-month-old — my kids are now 28 and 29 — we joined B’nai Tzedek and I just started volunteering. I was on every committee: the bar mitzvah committee, the education committee, I ran several searches for various religious school directors [and] executive directors. I did whatever they needed.
You’re president of B’nai Tzedek for your second term now. What do you like most about this role?
I love the community. Every synagogue says that they’re warm and welcoming, and I have to say, we really are — it’s not just a tagline. We really are a family. We show up for each other in happy times to dance; when things are hard, we show up for each other. When new people walk in, they really sense that and they feel welcome.
There’s a lot of multigenerational connections and programming from the littlest tots — newborns, toddlers — all the way through Hazak, [our social group for retired members].
How does your volunteer work reflect your Jewish values?
It mirrors them exactly. My presidency at B’nai Tzedek is truly who I am. I love l’dor l’dor — from generation to generation is so important to me. Being the daughter of a Holocaust survivor, it is very meaningful to me that I can raise my children Jewish, pass it on to the next generation, raise Jewish leaders and raise people who walk through this life with a Jewish lens. The connection to Israel, the Zionism, the connection to the community at large reflects my Jewish values, which are really rooted in my parents and how I saw them raise us as children.
Why was it important for you to contribute to the sports court at B’nai Tzedek?
We are so social on so many levels, so it’s very important for us to be able to have a sports court and to name it after us so that our children could see [our philanthropy] and that the synagogue could have a community. There are pickleball events there, the kids play basketball with the cantor when they’re studying for their b’nai mitzvah. Children play gaga out there after preschool or religious school. It’s a good bonding opportunity.
What do you want people to know about Jewish leadership?
What I say to my younger volunteers, whether they’re on the board or not, is you’re going to get much more out of it than you put into it, no matter how much you put into it. And you’re not going to realize that until you’re doing it. It doesn’t have to be a daunting task; remember at the end of the day, you’re a volunteer.
I think the most important thing is to find what you are interested in and bring that to your synagogue. Don’t get overwhelmed; there are people to help you figure things out. And just have fun with it.
What are some of your upcoming goals?
We’re going to be hiring a permanent rabbi, which is our most major goal. Our upcoming goals are really to continue what we’re doing and do it even bigger and better. In my High Holiday address at Kol Nidre, I spoke about the fact that we’re a midsize congregation, and we plan like we’re three times our size. My upcoming goals are to continue to have programming — spiritual, educational, musical, social, for everyone — and open it more to the community. My goal is to see B’nai Tzedek thrive.
