When Rachel Stevens moved to Cleveland in high school, she felt that every Jewish peer had a “secret password” that she lacked. Most of them had grown up attending Jewish day schools and summer camps, and Stevens felt she didn’t quite fit in.
That’s why the Jewish professional, now a Silver Spring resident, aims to create spaces where everyone belongs, regardless of their Jewish upbringing.
“I’m very passionate about being very inclusive and bringing everyone together,” Stevens said. “It doesn’t matter your background or where you come from. I like to call it a ‘come-as-you-are’ Jew.”
She lists this passion as one of the reasons she was drawn to the Den Collective, where she serves as director of operations. The Den Collective seeks to build intentional Jewish community with adults in their 20s, 30s and 40s in the DMV with a focus on one-to-one rabbinic relationships, intimate spaces for deep Jewish learning and leadership development.
Stevens brings more than a decade of experience in nonprofit management. She formerly worked for the Association of Jewish Aging Services for 11 years and belongs to Sixth & I Historic Synagogue in Washington.
Tell me about your Jewish upbringing and background.
I spent my childhood in Sioux Falls, South Dakota, and there’s one synagogue there, which I loved. My mom was the principal of the Sunday school, and both my mom and dad taught classes there, so we were very involved. Because it’s such a small Jewish community, I was the only Jewish person at my elementary and middle school, so I learned how to navigate being the only Jew in the room and to stand strong in who I am. I’ve carried that pride in my Jewish identity throughout my life.
Then, in high school, I moved to Cleveland, and there’s such an amazing Jewish community there. But being in high school and being the new girl in town, I really didn’t feel like I fit in. Most of the people I met went to Jewish day schools [and] Jewish summer camps — they had experiences I hadn’t had before. I definitely struggled to figure out exactly where I fit in.
After college, I moved here to D.C. since my sister lives here, and there’s such a diverse Jewish community here, with people coming from all over the country, all over the world, and it’s also such an accepting community. I’m grateful to all three of these cities that I’ve lived in, and now I’m excited to build Jewish community here where everybody is welcome.
What does a typical day look like for you?
I handle a lot of the day-to-day operations and I also do project management and event planning. [I plan] our upcoming gatherings, events and classes. I’ll meet people for coffee and tell them about the Den and try to figure out, “What are they interested in? What would they like to do?” We try to build a community along with our members, so I really love learning about their journey and how the Den can support their growth in the Jewish community.
What do you enjoy about working in nonprofit management?
I think it’s really about the opportunity to bring people together and create the communities that I’ve always looked for myself and trying to figure out how we can make sure everyone feels involved and included. I found where I belong working in the Jewish community and I found my voice and ability to lead and help communities grow, so that’s been really exciting.
What is the most important thing you’ve learned from working in intergenerational Jewish spaces?
I love seeing people feel empowered to lead their own classes and gatherings at the Den. We have our Sacred Facilitators Fellowship, which prepares members to step into Jewish leadership roles in their homes, in the Jewish community and in other spaces. Getting to be a small part of someone’s journey and helping them discover their voice in the Jewish community has been something that I’ve learned a lot about, and it’s just very special to me.
What has been most rewarding for you throughout your career?
Truly just the opportunity to get to know people in the D.C. metro area, and everyone has a different story to tell and being able to help people grow and learn how to be leaders in their communities and find their voices. The most important part to me is any opportunity to bring people together so that no one feels alone.
What are your goals?
I really just want to continue getting to know the local community in the DMV and find ways to build community and to do that alongside the Den.
