Andrea Otto has been a member of Beth Sholom Congregation in Elkins Park since she was 7 years old and grew up in the congregational community.
The Abington resident said that she left Philadelphia for a while to pursue a career in publishing but ended up returning to the community she grew up in and joined the professional staff at Beth Sholom, where she now is the director of membership engagement.
Otto started working for the congregation doing a part-time role in marketing and grant writing from 2004 until 2011.
After working in the marketing and communications field for several years, Otto returned to Beth Sholom, where she now wears two distinct but connected hats.
“[One of my roles is] I do membership engagement, which is a really broad title, which sort of means how to engage members in every facet of our congregation. That could mean how to program events that engage members on different levels. It could be reaching out to specific members and making sure that they feel connected. It could be working with new members to find them a place in the congregation. So it’s a really broad job, but it kind of has me spread out through the entire congregation,” Otto said.
Otto’s other role is working for the Beth Sholom Preservation Foundation, which became a nonprofit in 2007 centered around the congregation’s historic synagogue designed by legendary architect Frank Lloyd Wright.
Beth Sholom opened in 1959 and was the only synagogue that Wright ever designed. The foundation works to maintain the building, furniture and landscape of the historic building.
“For the Preservation Foundation, I work with supporting the operations, the communications, the marketing of events, membership, donations, that sort of thing. I’ve been doing that since it became its own 501(c)(3),” Otto said.
Otto, who has spent over 20 years working in the nonprofit space, described the similarities and differences of nonprofits and congregational work.
“Both require you be committed to the [organization’s] mission. I think with a nonprofit, you might be a little bit more removed from that mission. With a congregation, you’re in the heart and soul of it. I do think there’s a difference when you’re working at a member-based organization rather than a donation-based organization — for example, its different sense of volunteerism versus support. It’s a different way of looking at things,” Otto said.
Otto said that her work now focuses mostly on interpersonal communication and writing, and the skills she picked up at various points of her career continue to have benefits today.
Otto also spoke about her love for her leaders and colleagues at Beth Sholom and the work she does alongside them.
“I’m really, really, really fortunate. Danielle Otero became our executive director about two years ago, and she is the most dynamic, forward-thinking, progressive leader I’ve ever worked for, and it’s been amazing. She has a vision for the congregation, and she just leads from a place of compassion, and it really is a wonderful place to work for,” Otto said.
Outside of work, Otto said she is passionate about architecture and art, having married an architect. She said that passion influences how she sees Beth Sholom as both a “wonderful community,” and an “important architectural historical treasure.”
Otto also reflected on her role within Beth Sholom dealing with the congregants in the place where she grew up. She said it’s a job where she’s able to connect with so many people and it’s an exciting experience.
“I’m very grateful to be in the position I’m in. It’s a really wonderful position to be able to be at the center of these 500 families and connect them, and really to get a broad overview of the Jewish community,” Otto said. “And I mean, obviously it’s just one section of the Jewish community, but it is a very diverse Jewish community, and it’s a really exciting position that I have, that I can connect with so many different parts of that.”
