Helenka Shy consistently seeks purpose in whatever she takes on, whether as a stay-at-home mom or, now, as a working parent. When working in retail at Banana Republic, her team members always talked about how the job was about much more than selling pants; it was an experience and an opportunity to connect with people.
Shy carries this same philosophy of higher purpose into her current role with the Jewish Federation of Greater Washington, where she began as chief communications officer in mid-March. Before this job, Shy served as marketing director at the Jewish Federation of Greater MetroWest New Jersey.
Shy was raised in Fairfax as a member of Temple Rodef Shalom, then settled in Reston as an adult, joining her mom and twin brother. She lives with her three kids, ages 8, 11 and 12, who are excited that their mom is getting recognition in the local paper.
Tell me about your Jewish upbringing and background.
My connection to being Jewish was really solidified by my maternal grandparents; they were both Auschwitz survivors and were really vocal in the Miami community, where I was born. My grandfather used to go around to schools, and he spoke at my school and college and would really help educate the community around the atrocities of the Holocaust. His message was always one of dignity, hope and generosity. There were people who could be really bitter about what happened, [but] I think that was in his past and that he was really driven to share his experiences to inform the future. He was the most remarkable man I’ve ever met in my life. He was always the provider for the family and had a deep connection to philanthropy and giving back to the Jewish community, both locally and in Israel.
[My grandparents] were both deeply loved and respected. My grandmother was famous for her latkes and chicken soup. I remember, as a kid, they would always throw these large social engagements around card playing, fundraising and humanitarian endeavors. When I was a kid, all the cousins would go to my grandparents’ house and we would eat, play cards and hang out in the back. They had this clementine tree, ducks and a lake where we would catch guppies. I think that’s always been the connection that I have to Judaism — we would celebrate and observe all of the holidays, but it was really around the connection to family and to the community.
You’ve been in your role for almost a month now. What do you enjoy most about your work?
My team. The executive team has been so supportive, and I think we all share this excitement for what we can bring to the community together. We each come with our own strengths and it’s a really nice blend; we fill in each other’s gaps really well. There’s this sense of camaraderie and shared vision and shared purpose that’s really comforting. It’s been encouraging.
We’re big enough that we can do really cool things, but we’re small enough so that we can really connect with the community.
What are your responsibilities at the Federation?
My responsibilities are to ensure that the voice and role of Federation speaks to the community in a way that [people] feel connected, cared for, and there’s trust and confidence that Federation is there looking out for the Jewish community in Greater Washington, but also in Israel and around the world.
How do you incorporate storytelling into your role?
I think it’s all about understanding the purpose behind what we’re doing. Our role is to share stories, engage the community and [make it] one that they see themselves in. [I try to] tell a story in a straightforward way and communicate on a human level, even if it’s just promoting an event, or that speaks to somebody on a personal level. [I try to] keep that top of mind and make sure we’re talking to people and to the community in a way that we can generate a dialogue.
You come from working at another Federation. Why is Federation work important to you?
I’ve never been a “checklister”; I always need to feel like I have a sense of purpose or that the work that I do is making a difference for more than just the thing in front of me. Being able to have that higher purpose has been what’s driven me, and it really does speak to the mission and values of Federation, whether it’s Greater MetroWest or Greater Washington. We’re not just inviting people to read a blog or join an event, but to really take part in an experience that they can then pass forward. If we can make somebody feel really good after reading something, then that brightens their day. The opportunities from that point [onward] are endless.
What are your upcoming goals?
To unleash talent on my team, to provide tools and resources for the internal organization so that we’re all speaking the same language and we’re all aligned behind how we talk about the work we do and how we share the impact that we make with our community at large.
