Hilary Rappaport believes young professionals should take risks and “just go for it.” That’s what she did by moving to Washington, D.C., right after graduating from college to pursue her dream job.
Rappaport has interned for Jewish communal organizations including Hillel International, BBYO and the Jewish Federations of North America. Now she works full-time at Maryland Hillel as a Springboard fellow in a two-year fellowship that allows recent graduates to work at a campus Hillel as part of a larger cohort. Originally from New York City, Rappaport earned her bachelor’s degree in Jewish studies and psychology at Muhlenberg College. She lives in the NoMa neighborhood of D.C.
Tell me about your Jewish upbringing and background.
I grew up in a Reform household; we celebrated the holidays, but [were] never really too religious. My parents always made it a priority that I was part of different communities from a young age; I went to a Jewish preschool, Hebrew school and synagogue. It wasn’t until I was a little bit older that I attended sleepaway camp for 10 summers, [where I was] a camper, [then] counselor. When I was in high school, I really fell in love with Judaism and the Jewish community.
At Muhlenberg, I made it a priority not only to have Jewish friends, but Jewish community. I ended up making Jewish friends, but also going to Hillel [and] Chabad frequently. Jewish community has always made a difference [in my life], as well as supportive parents who understood that value.
What are your responsibilities at Maryland Hillel?
I do a lot of different things here at Maryland Hillel. My primary responsibility is working with Greek life – fraternities and sororities. We have eight Jewish fraternities and sororities all together, and throughout past years, we try to make sure that those Jewish students feel very accepted in the community. My primary focus is working with those organizations to plan events, get them involved and be their peer support.
I also am responsible for senior programs. Once a month, we try to do other social or professional development programs for our senior class. I’m tabling and making sure that we’re out on campus meeting students daily, making connections with everyone. We also try to make an effort to get to know all of our first-year students as they’re adjusting to college, which includes helping with our early move-in program, as well as Welcome Track with one-on-one conversations.
Have you always wanted to work in the Jewish community?
Yes, ever since I was in high school, I wanted to work in the Jewish community. I honestly didn’t know it was a possibility until I started to get involved with Jewish programs. It was really my parents who pushed me… I was very involved with BBYO – I was regional president and regional vice president of programming and I was really close with my BBYO director. It was really her who told me a lot about what she did and why she wanted to do it, and my parents let me understand that that is something I could do one day. It was always kind of in the back of my mind; I had internships in college, leadership roles at Hillel and Greek life; I couldn’t imagine myself doing anything else.
What brought you to the Maryland area?
I always knew or thought it would be cool to live in D.C. My younger brother goes to [George Washington University] and I have family in the Rockville area, so I’m really familiar. I love New York City, but knew I wanted to try somewhere new. To me, it was always really important to have a Jewish community and to be part of that and make those connections for myself. Luckily, I took a risk with Springboard, telling them I was interested in being in the D.C./Maryland area, and that’s where I was placed. I’m really excited to be [here] and it’s been nothing but [an] amazing and meaningful experience.
What’s it like being a recent college graduate in the working world?
It’s really cool. Honestly, I was really nervous when I started working here – I was so excited, but also definitely nervous. I didn’t know what to expect coming from college, but it’s been amazing in this environment. At Maryland, we’re really lucky because we have a very large team here at Hillel, so we have professionals ranging from all different ages and experiences. Being able to lean on them for support and guidance has been super-helpful. I’ve been able to find support not only through my colleagues who are a little bit older than me, but even people that have been in the field for a number of years and really know what they’re doing. It’s been great.
Outside of work, how do you spend your time?
I love hanging out with people, seeing friends. I try to stay active and work out, and obviously explore D.C. I’d be living in the wrong place if I wasn’t taking the time to really get to know the city: going to museums and the monuments, and exploring all the city has to offer.
