By Ellen Braunstein
Rachel Lefkowitz is not surprised that she found herself working in the Philadelphia Jewish community after a lifetime of exposure to the Jewish world.
“I’ve had such a strong foundation in Judaism growing up. So, it felt natural to be a part of the Jewish world as a community professional,” said Lefkowitz of Fairmount.
Lefkowitz, 27, has drawn on her Jewish organizational experience in her latest role as operations and communications associate for Tribe 12 — a social and professional network for Jews in their 20s and 30s.
“I really think it’s an incredible organization,” Lefkowitz said of Tribe 12, which she joined a month ago. “We build the exact Jewish experience that our constituency wants and needs. There’s something for every person in their 20s and 30s that’s craving to be a part of the Jewish community.”
Lefkowitz previously worked for Adath Israel on the Main Line. She started three years ago as a coordinator for the Conservative synagogue and rose to oversee program development, execution and communications.
Lefkowitz worked for 10 summers at the Conservative movement’s Camp Ramah in the Poconos. She attended as a camper for eight years prior.
The past two summers, she served as a vocational education advisor for young adults with disabilities. She taught life and job skills at Ramah.
“It’s one of the most meaningful positions I’ve ever held in my life,” she said.
Her first experience with the disabled community came during her bat mitzvah service project. She volunteered at Wood Services in Langhorne. She stayed active with the vocational training and employment services program for the next six years. Her family was recognized with a community service award.
Lefkowitz grew up in Huntington Valley in a Conservative Jewish home. Her father sold insurance, and her mother started a product promotions business. Her sister, Sarah Lefkowitz, is a major gifts officer for the Jewish Federation of Greater Philadelphia.
Lefkowitz’s family celebrated Shabbat with dinner on Friday nights. She went to Hebrew School twice a week. She served as a United Synagogue Youth chapter president for three years.
At the University of Maryland, Lefkowitz majored in economics and sociology and earned a certificate in public leadership. She received a fellowship from Hillel while she coordinated volunteers for a domestic violence shelter. She worked as a shelter volunteer during her sophomore, junior and senior years.
“The fellowship was for people doing social justice projects in the community and it related to what we were learning through teachings about Jewish text and Jewish values,” she said.
In her Tribe 12 job, Lefkowitz edits a newsletter, runs social media and manages the database. “I do what we need to do to make the organization run efficiently. It is really a great opportunity,” she said.
“Tribe 12 impacts so many Jewish young adults in Philadelphia. It’s a beautiful thing. They bring so much to the Jewish community, and we have so many things to offer and engage people exactly how they want to be engaged in Judaism.”
As a single Jewish adult, Lefkowitz observes the world is changing and people’s demands of religion are changing. “But I think what remains stable about Judaism is the deep roots in building community and making people feel welcome.”
With Israel’s war with Hamas and the rise of antisemitism abroad, “people are looking to be surrounded by other Jews and people who make them feel comfortable.”
Once every six weeks, Lefkowitz and her roommate, Ethan Einhorn, host Shabbat dinners. “It just feels like what we grow up with. It feels comfortable to continue that.”
Her most meaningful Jewish experience was attending the last prayer service at Ramah before camp was over. The 16-year-olds kept singing the prayers for Kabbalat Shabbat even when they knew it was time to stop.
“It’s like the only place in the world where people find teenagers breaking a rule of singing longer than they should be,” she said.
Today, she is living her best Jewish life. “I feel more Jewish than ever before. Everything I do is Jewish. I’ve really built this Jewish community and it feels like such an important part of my life.”
Ellen Braunstein is a freelance write