Olivia Hazlett seeks to bring Jewish people together. It’s something she does both professionally and on the side.
Hazlett is the senior mid-Atlantic community manager for Mem Global, the umbrella brand of Moishe House, the peer-led community of Jewish young adults. Hazlett also serves on the National Leadership Council of the Jewish Democratic Council of America, making use of her bachelor’s degree in political science and sociology.
The Washington resident is participating in the Kehillot Fellowship through M2: The Institute for Experiential Jewish Education, an 18-month-long professional development program for mid-career Jewish leaders.
Tell me about your Jewish upbringing and background.
I grew up in Marblehead, Massachusetts, and I’m really lucky that it’s a beautiful, seaside town. Both my parents grew up there as well, and my grandparents are there, so [it was] a small, tight-knit Jewish community. I grew up Reform; I went to Hebrew school and Jewish overnight camp through eighth grade.
A real pivotal moment in my Jewish journey was when I went on a trip sponsored by the Lappin Foundation called Y2I — Youth to Israel. It’s essentially a Birthright [-style program] for juniors and seniors in high school. [At the time], in 2014, Operation Protective Edge happened, so we really weren’t able to do a lot of the itinerary that was planned for us, and that got me into the space of getting more involved with my Judaism and understanding what’s happening in Israel.
I came back, started a BBYO chapter in my community with other people who were on the trip with me and went [to Israel] the next summer as a counselor with the same program. That really spurred my interest in being involved in Jewish life as a teenager. After graduating from the University of Michigan, where I was involved with Hillel, I worked as a Springboard fellow at University of Maryland Hillel, which is what moved me out to the DMV five years ago.
What are your responsibilities with Mem Global?
My job is to support [Moishe House] residents as they’re hosting programs. [Mem Global’s] mid-Atlantic [region] spans from New Jersey to Charleston, South Carolina. I’m the connection point between what’s happening on the ground and the organization on a larger scale. I make sure that [residents are] connected to community partners and reaching their attendance benchmarks. I approve their receipts. I’m helping when resident transitions happen. I’m really there to support them as they’re building their own communities.
What do you enjoy about your work?
I think it’s really amazing that I am in this age demographic and also get to help create awesome community for myself and my peers and anybody who’s interested in being a part of D.C. Jewish communal life. I can go to a happy hour or a baseball game and it’s work. I get to meet these incredible people and help them build community. That’s really a fun way to gather and be Jewish together.
Why is it important to you to volunteer with JDCA?
I was a political science major, so I still have that interest and excitement — and living in D.C., you’re at the center of everything that’s happening — and it’s really cool and important to me. National Leadership Council is for folks who are, on a grassroots level, interested in raising awareness of different candidates, key issues and how they tie into a Jewish perspective. So [JDCA] sits at a crossroads of two of my areas of interest. It’s really cool to be that voice for Generation Z on the board, and having the D.C. perspective helps too.
What Jewish values are most important to you and why?
The value of community is a huge one. I think it’s so important to have folks that you feel comfortable coming to and gathering with, both in times of struggle and success. I also think the value of hiddur mitzvah, elevating simple things that you do on a daily basis and making them pretty, is something I always try to do. I’m hosting a Shabbat dinner next week at my apartment, [so I ask myself], “How can I elevate it and make it more special than just gathering my friends on a Friday night?” I think beautifying and making the mundane holy is beautiful to me.
What are some of your upcoming goals?
Something that I do on the side, but also in the same vein of growing the Jewish community, I host matchmaking parties for the D.C. Jewish community through an organization called Matchbox. They’re based out of New York, but they were looking to expand to new cities. I’ve hosted two so far, but I had 50 people come out for a Jewish matchmaking party up at Players Club rooftop back in June and I did another in August. I myself am single, so I thought, “Why not try and bring people together in a new and fun way?” And it went really well. Out of all of the events [Matchbox has] done, it was in the top 3% of feedback ever, so I’m really proud of that. [Hosting matchmaking events] straddles both the personal and professional realm of things I’m doing that are exciting and I hope continue to grow.
