Jewish education has “always” followed Emma Velinsky, from her Reform Jewish upbringing to her current role teaching Hebrew and coordinating Jewish communal events. But the Washington, D.C., resident didn’t take a linear path.
“I was in a different mindset of what I thought my career was going to look like,” said Velinsky, who holds a bachelor’s degree in international studies from American University.
Upon finishing college in 2024, Emma Velinsky jumped into a role with the United States Agency for International Development. Just over a year later, USAID was shut down.
“I lost my job and was sort of floundering, like a lot of those other folks,” Velinsky said.
That summer she began work at Hill Havurah, an independent Jewish community on Capitol Hill, to figure out her next steps. Velinsky hasn’t left. Now, she holds multiple job titles with Hill Havurah: community associate, summer camp director, youth and family program coordinator, kindergarten Hebrew school teacher and Hebrew teacher.
She added she’s able to juggle all these responsibilities because the Hill Havurah community and team is “so small and understanding.”
“I just really am so happy that [there was a] silver lining of an awful experience that is being furloughed and then let go,” Velinsky said. “I was able to luck into a whole new path that I enjoy much more than the one that I was on before.”
She credits “luck” because a year ago, she lacked the leadership experience she has today.
“My boss, Brittany [Schibuola], really took a chance on me because she had seen that I had a lot of work experience at Jewish camps and stuff like that,” Velinsky said. “But I had never been in a real leadership role like I am now, so she took an amazing chance on me.”
Over time, Velinsky took on more responsibilities at Hill Havurah. “It does feel like it’s opened up a whole new world to me, and a whole new career and life path, which I think is real exciting,” she said.
Velinsky plans the curriculum and logistics for Hill Havurah’s summer day camp, which has grown in enrollment the past two summers.
“Then when it gets closer to holidays or any kind of young family programming, I shift into my other role of youth and family program coordinator,” she said.
That role entails event planning for 2-year-olds through first graders.
“I try to balance education and event planning for those, so it takes a mix of planning really fun specific activities, and then also trying to incorporate educational stuff into it,” Velinsky said. “My days go along pretty much with the Jewish calendar.”
Last summer, Hill Havurah’s day camp had 15 campers ages 2 1/2 to 5. This summer, Velinsky expects up to 23 — the “perfect amount.” Hill Havurah used to house a preschool, so the day camp can use the two classrooms for camp activities.
“It’s really great because a lot of the campers who used to attend the preschool that we used to run are members,” Velinsky said. “A lot of them consistently come to every event. I love it because it’s sort of a continuation of both Hebrew school and the greater Hill Havurah community through the summer for these littles.”
Her favorite part of the job is getting to interact with children.
“I’ve always known that I love working with kids,” she said. “Also working with the community at large — I really like the interpersonal nature of everything. It’s just a really fun way to be a part of a community.”
She is also able to hold deeper conversations with some of the adult members of Hill Havurah thanks to her minor in Israel studies and courses she took during a gap year in Israel.
“That education I have really helps because a lot of members of our community have complex feelings, and so having that education and being able to understand what people are talking about has been really helpful in this new role,” Velinsky said.
She noted that Hill Havurah is geographically the “go-to Jewish space” on Capitol Hill. She wants to expand membership even further by reaching more families in the District.
“A lot of ways that people experience Jewish life is they grew up Jewish, they grew up going to Hebrew school,” Velinsky said. “Then that sort of stops, and then they have a family, and they want that family to be Jewish, so they get back involved. So creating a really great space for families to kickstart their Jewish life is my overall goal, and making that fun and welcoming and warm.”
Velinsky envisions continuing with Jewish life, though she’s unsure of exactly what the future may hold.
“I definitely see myself always in some way, in a capacity, in the Jewish communal space, whether that be program director and camp director, or consistently being a Hebrew teacher,” Velinsky said. “I just see it, no matter what, being a part of my life.”
